Chapter 5 (Part 3)

Inside the carriage heading back to the Richard ducal residence.  

The Duke sat down beside Therese, leaving the seat across from her empty. Therese, pressing herself against the window, asked coldly,  

“Why are you sitting here?”  

At her question, the Duke widened his eyes as if she had asked something absurd.  

“As your escort, I must be prepared to shield you from any flying daggers, don’t you think?”  

Hearing him say something Roshan had once said, Therese’s jaw dropped.  

‘Did they all take some kind of strange drug together or what?’  

Moreover, she hadn’t even agreed to him acting as her escort, so why was he making such a fuss on his own?  

“It’s nice to be heading back together.”  

“I doubt it.”

What joy could there be in spending time with a husband she wanted to divorce?  

“By the way, I suggest you refrain from going out this week.”  

“…Why?”  

Since her return, Therese had been going to the guild office every day. While her work was important, she didn’t like the idea of being restricted in her freedom.  

“There have been many unsettling events lately, and I’m concerned about your safety.”  

Hearing the Duke’s low tone, Therese bit her lip. She knew exactly what he was referring to. She was well aware of the chaotic situation within the walls.  

“I can take care of myself, so you don’t need to worry about me.”  

“Are you planning to do something dangerous again without an escort?”  

“…”  

Therese found it hard to argue with the word “again.” The Duke was clearly referring to her confrontation with Geoffrey Pablo.  

Indeed, dealing with him had been reckless and hasty. But that didn’t mean she would obediently follow her husband’s words like a submissive wife.  

“You must be busy with your work outside, so there’s no need for you to concern yourself with me.”  

“Thank you for your concern, but I plan to avoid taking on urgent tasks until the ball is over.”  

“…Ah.”  

Therese felt suffocated by the Duke’s words. It sounded as though he intended to monitor her until the ball.  

Just hearing it made her feel drained, and she let out another silent sigh.  

“You look tired. Shall I lend you my shoulder?”  

“I’m not tired at all.”  

As he offered his shoulder to her, Therese quickly leaned her head against the window.  

‘Even if I were tired, I would never lean on you.’  

When Therese unexpectedly encountered the Duke earlier, her heart had undoubtedly raced.  

Though her mind rejected him, her heart couldn’t let go of Jeremy Richard.  

But Therese worked hard to suppress her wavering feelings.  

‘I’m so sick of things like love.’  

Therese leaned her head against the window, ignoring her husband sitting beside her, while Jeremy stared intently at her. The carriage rattled noisily as it carried them forward.  

* * *  

Early in the morning, Therese opened the window to check below. The fog was thick, and there wasn’t a single soul in sight at such an early hour.  

“Sophia, while I’m gone, just say I’m sick and make up something. Got it?”  

Sophia, watching Therese prepare to climb out the window, wore a thoroughly displeased expression.  

“Madame, noblewomen don’t climb out of windows.”  

“Sophia, I guess I’m just not suited to being a noblewoman.”  

The Duke’s warning to refrain from going out wasn’t just empty words.  

For the time being, she would need his permission to use the carriage or horses.  

‘Does he really think I’ll just sit still because of that?’  

It wasn’t just because she didn’t want to follow the Duke’s orders—there was another reason.  

She didn’t want to waste any more precious time, like the five years she had already lost.  

“Be careful, and be careful again. Do you understand?”  

“This isn’t my first time, you know?”  

Ignoring Sophia’s nagging, Therese began to quietly climb down the wall.  

Her movements were skillful as she descended. Because the ever-worried Baron Demori often forbade her from going out, Therese had secretly climbed the outer walls to sneak out since she was a child. 

“It’s still a bit chilly.”  

The cold morning air hadn’t yet dissipated, and her breath came out in puffs as she spoke. Her lips quickly turned blue from the thin clothes she wore. But once she finished climbing down, she could put on the cloak she had thrown ahead of time.  

‘Just one more step…’  

Standing on the first-floor window ledge, Therese was about to jump down.  

At that moment, something grabbed her foot tightly and yanked her back.  

“…Who’s there!”  

“…”  

Even when she demanded an answer, there was no response. Thinking it was an attack, Therese pulled out the dagger she had hidden in her coat.  

Shh-shak~!  

She swung the dagger forcefully, but the person holding her ankle didn’t let go. Losing her balance, Therese tumbled into the grass, tangled with the other person.  

“Let go of me!”  

Therese, who had dropped her dagger, swung her fists instead. Just then, the rising sun illuminated the blood-stained clothes and face of the person before her.  

“…Your Grace!”  

The person wasn’t an enemy or a monster—it was Duke Richard.  

When the shocked Therese screamed, the Duke, lying beneath her, spoke leisurely.  

“Madam, it seems a bit early for a morning stroll.”  

Therese’s hands trembled from the sudden turn of events.  

Her dagger, lying in the grass, was stained with blood, and a long wound on the Duke’s torn shirt was bleeding profusely.  

“This isn’t the time for jokes—Your Grace, your arm is bleeding…”  

“Ah, so that’s why I felt so dizzy.”  

The Duke raised his hand to touch his forehead, but the motion seemed to aggravate his wound, making him groan.  

“I’ll call for a doctor immediately.”  

Therese tried to wriggle free, but his hand holding her didn’t budge.  

“I only reached out to help because I thought you were falling, but to think you’d attack me—it’s quite disappointing.”  

Hearing Jeremy’s voice, dripping with blood and reproach, guilt washed over Therese’s face.  

“I-I’m sorry.”  

As a red flush spread across her pale face, Jeremy’s eyes narrowed.  

“If you call a doctor, it will cause a commotion. Let’s go somewhere we can be alone.”  

“…What?”  

Though she felt sorry for what had happened, Therese flinched at the mention of being alone with him.  

“I’m saying this because if my mother sees me injured, she’ll surely faint.”  

With that explanation, Therese had no choice but to agree. Maria, already high-strung, would undoubtedly make a scene if she saw blood first thing in the morning.  

Whistle~!  

At the Duke’s whistle, a horse hidden in the bushes emerged.  

The two rode the horse to a secluded shelter in the forest. Remembering the rainy day she had spent there before, Therese awkwardly cleared her throat.  

“Your Grace, don’t you have a first aid kit or something?”  

“This kind of wound will heal on its own.”  

The Duke replied nonchalantly as he began stacking firewood to start a fire. Meanwhile, blood continued to drip onto the ground.  

“…”  

Therese noticed a similarity between the Duke and Roshan.  

‘Neither of them values their own body.’  

The Duke hadn’t received treatment last time either. And this time, the injury was her fault.  

Though it hadn’t been intentional, none of this would have happened if he hadn’t grabbed her ankle so suddenly—or if he hadn’t appeared at all.  

Suppressing her irritation, Therese found the first aid kit.  

“Please, show me your arm.”  

She sprinkled powder to stop the bleeding and wrapped the wound with bandages. Fortunately, the bleeding stopped, but it seemed like it would take some time for the injury to heal completely.  

‘And it’s his right arm, no less…’  

It would likely be inconvenient for about a month.  

Feeling guilty, Therese lowered her head while tidying up the leftover bandages. Suddenly, the Duke let out a loud groan.  

“Are you okay?”  

As Therese looked up at him in concern, he quietly asked,  

“Do you feel sorry for me?”  

Startled by the absurd question, Therese’s eyes widened.  

Did he think I was some heartless, emotionless person?  

“I’ll take responsibility and compensate you.”  

Usually, such situations involved covering medical expenses and paying compensation. But for someone as wealthy as him, compensation or medical fees seemed ridiculous.  

As Therese bit her lip, Jeremy, staring at the neatly wrapped white bandages, murmured softly,  

“I quite like the sound of the word ‘responsibility.’”  

‘What’s there to like about that?’  

For some reason, chills ran down her spine. Feeling tense, Therese swallowed nervously as the Duke gazed at her leisurely.  

“Until my arm heals, take responsibility for me.”  

“…What is that supposed to mean?”  

“Isn’t it clear? I was on my way out to act as your escort starting today, but things turned out like this.”  

“I believe I told you I’m fine on my own.”  

“The men of the Richard family do not lie. I will be your escort.”  

Therese turned pale at his absurd insistence. The Duke, observing her expression, vigorously shook his uninjured left arm.  

“Surely, you don’t mistrust your husband? I’m a man who can do anything with just one hand.”  

“…What?”  

Startled, Therese jumped up and stepped away from him.  

What exactly did he mean by “do anything”?  

It was enough to cause serious misunderstandings if overheard by anyone.  

The night when their lips had almost touched came rushing back to her memory. The Duke’s fingers had been warm, and when she had been practically in his arms, Therese had found it hard to breathe.  

Though the firewood in the shelter hadn’t yet caught fire properly, leaving the room cold, Therese’s body suddenly felt hot.  

“Would you care to tell me what you’re thinking? Judging by how red your ears are, it must be quite an amusing story.”  

At the Duke’s question, Therese’s mouth fell open.  

‘I can never tell him.’  

Pretending to wipe her forehead, Therese stammered.  

“I-it’s just that I moved around so much since early morning, so I feel a little warm. That’s all.”  

“Then I’ll take that as settled.”  

“…Ah.”  

Thanks to an accidental incident, Therese ended up being subjected to his strange idea of “escort.”  

It was less of an escort and more like surveillance combined with being his caretaker.  

“Madame, we should return so I can change my shirt first.”  

The Duke raised his bandaged right arm, his face unusually innocent.