Chapter 4 (Part 4) 

“By the way, why are you here, Your Grace?”  

It wasn’t even hunting season, so it was strange to find him in the forest.  

When Therese looked at him with a puzzled expression, the Duke quickly turned his head.  

“……”  

It was clear that he was hiding something from her.  

‘Could he possibly be having a secret rendezvous here?’  

Judging by the Duke’s usual personality, it didn’t seem likely that he would commit adultery, but it was better to find evidence before jumping to conclusions.  

Pretending to sip her cocoa, Therese swiftly scanned the surroundings. Her gaze soon landed on the Duke’s clothes and hands. He was dressed in plain hunting attire, similar to what he would wear to the training grounds, but there was a faint smell of blood.  

Therese feigned ignorance and spoke.  

“Have I come at a bad time, perhaps?”  

As Therese pressed him, the Duke’s eyes, reflecting the light of the fireplace, narrowed slightly.  

“What do you mean by that?”  

“Well…”  

Therese trailed off as she glanced at the bulging blanket on the small bed.  

‘Could someone be hiding under there?’  

If that were the case, she wouldn’t even need to go through the trouble of causing a scandal for a divorce; she would naturally get what she wanted.  

As Therese quietly placed her mug on the floor and stood up, the Duke, looking uneasy, also stood.  

“Your Grace, if it’s not too much trouble, may I take a look around this place?”  

Therese, too, had dreamed of having her own little log cabin when she was a child.  

Baron Demori had refused her request, saying it was too dangerous.  

The pleasant woody scent and the traces of time scattered throughout the cabin gave it a charming atmosphere.  

“This place belongs to you, doesn’t it, Your Grace?”  

“Yes, it is mine.”  

As Therese strode over and plopped down on the bed, the startled Duke stood stiffly before her.  

“I think I may have injured my leg.”  

It wasn’t entirely a lie.  

Running recklessly through the dark forest had left her dress tattered and her stockings torn. Without even checking, she knew there must be small scratches on her legs.  

“Never dismiss your escorts again.”  

The Duke, staring down at Therese, wore a grave expression. However, Therese felt a strange rebellious urge whenever he spoke in a commanding tone.  

“What if I dismiss them again?”  

“In that case, I may have to act as your escort myself.”  

The Duke’s shadow loomed over Therese’s small frame, swallowing her whole.  

“…Ha.”  

Therese had never heard such an absurd joke in her life. Only the Emperor of the Empire could command Duke Richard as an escort.  

However, despite her reaction, the Duke’s face remained as serious as ever.  

“The men of the Richard family do not speak lies.”  

“…Yes.”  

Therese wanted to retort that the women of the Demori family didn’t either, but she had lied too often to say it convincingly.  

‘Besides, now isn’t the time to argue.’  

Pretending to stretch, Therese subtly brushed her hands over the blanket.  

‘Is it just a pile of blankets?’  

The texture was both firm and soft, but it didn’t seem to be a person.  

‘Surely, he hasn’t hidden a body under here.’  

As various thoughts crossed her mind, the Duke spoke something strange.  

“Stretch out your leg.”  

“…Pardon?”  

“I can treat a minor sprain.”  

“No, it’s fine. I’ll be okay after a short rest.”  

“Have you ever been told that you’re stubborn?”  

The Duke, now seated, placed Therese’s foot on his knee. Then, he reached under her dress and gently touched her ankle. The warmth of his large hand through her silk stockings made Therese’s shoulders stiffen instantly.  

“D-Don’t do that.”  

Even if it hurt, she had no intention of accepting his treatment.  

At that moment—  

Boom~!  

Something flashed outside the small window of the log cabin, followed by the rumble of thunder.  

Startled by the sudden downpour and thunder, Therese instinctively leaned forward and grabbed his shoulder.  

“…I-I’m sorry.”  

As she tried to pull her hand away, the Duke slowly stood up. His movement caused her to fall back onto the bed naturally, and the Duke leaned over her, his body hovering close to hers. With their bodies nearly touching, the Duke spoke in a rough voice.  

“Why do you always push me away?”  

“When have I ever…”  

The bed creaked under the weight of two people, which it was barely large enough to hold.  

The Duke’s dark eyes, gazing down at Therese, deepened with intensity.  

“You always tell me not to interfere, don’t you?”  

“That’s because it’s my business, not yours.”  

“But no matter what anyone says, you are part of the Richard family.”  

The Duke’s sharp gaze gleamed in the darkness as he spoke slowly. With their faces so close they could feel each other’s breath, Therese’s heart pounded uncontrollably.  

Thump, thump.  

Fortunately, the loud rumble of thunder drowned out the sound of her heartbeat.  

Therese extended her arm and gently pushed against the Duke’s chest.  

“P-Please move.”  

“Why should I? We are a legally married couple, and there’s no one else here, so there’s no need to keep up appearances.”  

As Jeremy’s piercing gaze scanned her reaction, he casually pushed the cloak and sword he had hidden under the blanket toward the wall.  

The blood-stained cloak and scabbard tumbled to the floor beneath the bed.  

This was his secret hideout, unknown to anyone else. During his father’s lifetime, it had indeed been used during hunting seasons, but after his father’s death, no one had visited it—except Jeremy Richard himself.  

Was it truly a coincidence that Therese Demori had found her way here?  

Still unable to completely erase his doubts about her, he grew increasingly confused.  

‘Is she trying to seduce me?’  

Therese showed him a different side of herself every time they met.  

Sometimes she would joke around in disguise, other times she would boldly enjoy herself at a gambling house, and now she trembled like a small bird.

‘I don’t dislike all of these sides of her.’  

Even though he should be wary of someone who might be deceiving him,  

Why was he feeling this way?  

He was afraid and confused about feeling two conflicting emotions at the same time.  

“Why are you so afraid of me, Madame?”  

“I- I’m not afraid of you.”  

Therese responded with confidence, but she couldn’t look him directly in the eyes.  

When Jeremy smiled faintly and lowered his head, she tightly shut her eyes.  

The small window lit up with flashes of lightning, illuminating the cramped interior.  

* * *  

Roshan woke up from a brief sleep and blinked at the unfamiliar floor.  

It was the secret hideout of the guild, located inside the walls.  

‘When did I come here?’  

Grabbing his throbbing head, he couldn’t remember anything.  

“You’re awake.”  

Victor, who had been dozing off beside him, quickly ran over and brought Roshan some water.  

As he quenched his thirst, his entire body felt as if it had been shattered, and a groan escaped his lips.  

“I must have passed out.”  

“That’s why I told you it was too much for your body to go out yet.”  

Victor explained that Therese had brought him here and left instructions for him to stay put until he recovered.  

“I’ve caused trouble for my master again.”  

Roshan grabbed the shawl draped over his shoulders and wrapped it around his hands.  

The scent of the person he always longed for was deeply embedded in the shawl.  

Suppressing his wandering thoughts, Roshan opened his mouth.  

“Victor, how is the matter of placing people near the wall going?”  

“As you instructed, I’ve planted a few spies.”  

He had ordered his subordinates, disguised as flower or fruit vendors, to report any suspicious individuals passing through the gates.  

“The situation doesn’t seem ordinary.”  

Roshan abruptly sat up, swinging his arms around, which made Victor panic.  

“Captain, you can’t do that yet. If your wounds reopen, it’ll be a big problem.”  

“I’ve been lying down for a whole month. I can’t stay still any longer.”  

“If the Guild Master finds out, there’ll be hell to pay.”  

When Victor’s words didn’t work, he even brought up Therese to convince Roshan to rest. This seemed to work, as Roshan, who had been ready to rush out, sat back down on the bed.  

“I want to be alone.”  

Once Victor left, Roshan was alone in the spacious bedroom.  

The green wallpaper and lace curtains made it clear that this was Therese’s room.  

“…Hah.”  

Looking at the bloodstained blanket from his wounds, Roshan let out a deep sigh.  

Then, with great effort, he moved off the bed.  

He couldn’t allow his lowly self to lie on his master’s bed.  

Sinking to the floor, he grimaced in pain. He brought the shawl he had been clutching to his nose and inhaled deeply.  

The unbearable pain seemed to ease slightly.  

“…Master.”  

His forehead burned with fever, and there wasn’t a single uninjured spot on his body.  

Yet, just the scent of Therese made Roshan’s body respond instinctively.  

‘You disgusting bastard.’  

Even as he cursed himself, it was hard to suppress his current desires.  

Therese had been the subject of Roshan’s first wet dream during adolescence.  

At first, he had felt so guilty about doing such a dirty thing involving her that he couldn’t even look her in the face for a long time.  

He had even tried visiting pr*stitutes to resolve his filthy desires, thinking it might help him think of Therese less.  

But he couldn’t even bring himself to cross the threshold of a brothel with its red sign.  

The intense revulsion made him nauseous.  

And that’s when Roshan realized:  

‘My body and heart only respond to one person.’  

But Therese only saw him as a friend.  

Knowing that love couldn’t be forced, Roshan had to tightly seal away his feelings.  

But sometimes, his unpermitted emotions overflowed.  

“…Hah, Master.”  

Inhaling Therese’s scent from the shawl had already made the front of his pants bulge.  

“…You disgusting bastard.”  

Roshan hated himself for being aroused by Therese.  

He clenched his fists and struck his thighs to calm his *rection.  

He even recited verses from the scriptures he had memorized in Pasa.  

But his beast-like body, betraying his will, burned with heat and began leaking pr*cum.  

“…Hngh.”  

Clenching his teeth, he tried to endure it, but before he knew it, he reached the peak. Warm liquid trickled from the tip.  

“Master, please forgive my disloyalty.”  

His red eyes, moist with tears, streaked down his jaw and neck.  

Soon, large teardrops fell to the floor.  

“…I’m sorry.”  

Like the rain that had begun to fall outside, Roshan’s voice was soaked in sorrow.