Chapter 5 (Part 4)

Walking on thin ice must feel exactly like this.  

Maria trembling as she suppressed her anger, Katrina glaring at Therese the entire time, and Jeremy sitting right beside her.  

Therese found herself the target of all three gazes.  

‘I feel completely drained.’  

When she was young and naive, she used to dream of moments like this.  

A life where she would be with her prince from the moment she woke up until she went to sleep. She thought they’d smile when their eyes met, and her cheeks would flush red.  

But now, the golden-haired prince only filled her with irritation.  

‘…Ha.’  

Barely half a day had passed, but Therese already felt like ten days had gone by.  

“Madame, would you like more macarons?”  

As she quietly picked at her plate of beans with a fork, the Duke spoke to her. It was absolutely maddening.  

‘Does he not see the colorful macarons already piled on my plate?’

The Duke persistently offered Therese macarons, dropping them several times with his left hand since his right hand was injured.  

“I appreciate the gesture, but I’m not particularly fond of sweets.”  

She declined politely, though her lips trembled with frustration. Jeremy Richard truly had a talent for getting on her nerves.  

“Are you embarrassed, perhaps?”  

“…?”  

What nonsense was this now?  

Even in the presence of Katrina and her mother-in-law, the Duke kept making remarks that could easily be misunderstood.  

‘He used to act like the perfect gentleman straight out of a manners book.’  

“Your Grace, Katrina loves macarons so much that she’d wake up from a deep sleep for them.”

Katrina, like a baby bird, opened her mouth and begged for macarons.  

“…Lady Volez.”  

Turning his body, which had been facing Therese, the Duke straightened up and spoke stiffly. His sudden attention caused Katrina’s cheeks to flush as if they might burst.  

“Yes, Katrina is here, Your Grace.”  

Watching this, Therese shook her head discreetly.  

‘It’s almost pitiful.’  

If Katrina ever learned the Duke’s true nature, she would surely snap out of her infatuation.  

Meanwhile, the Duke spoke again.  

“Have you not returned to your estate yet?”  

“…Your Grace, what do you mean by that?”  

The Duke acted as though he disapproved of her presence here.  

“There must have been some word from Count Volez.”  

Feeling deeply humiliated by his reaction, Katrina shook her head fiercely.  

“You don’t understand my feelings at all, Your Grace! How could you be so cruel?”  

Katrina had spent three hours adorning herself to impress the Duke. Compared to Therese, who wore a dull gray dress, Katrina looked stunning and glamorous.  

Yet the Duke didn’t spare her a single glance.  

“My father wouldn’t have sent any such message.”

Katrina muttered to herself, but suddenly, a messenger appeared in the dining hall.  

“I apologize for interrupting your meal. Count Volez has sent word for Lady Volez to return immediately.”  

At the sudden arrival of the messenger, Maria exploded in anger.  

Interrupting precious family time was only permissible in the event of war.  

“What is the meaning of this commotion!”  

Already in a foul mood, Maria made no effort to hide her displeasure.  

‘A stray cat suddenly attacked me.’  

That was the Duke’s excuse for returning home injured this morning.  

There was no way her son, who could fend off wolves with a dagger, had been hurt by some mere cat.  

‘That wretched woman must be the problem.’  

Maria’s face flushed with anger as she glared at Therese, who was tending to her son.  

Katrina, sitting nearby, was no different. After reading the contents of the letter, Katrina’s face turned red and pale in turns, and her carefully styled hair and makeup became a mess.  

“I-I’ll excuse myself first.”  

Katrina hurriedly left, leaving the dining hall in chaos.  

Only the Duke remained calm.  

“Madame, I’d like some meat…”  

Therese fixed the meat on his plate with a fork and began cutting it into small pieces with a knife. Normally, such tasks were the servants’ responsibility.  

But the Duke wouldn’t allow it.  

‘I don’t let others handle my food.’  

Even when she had cooked stew in the shelter before, the Duke only took a bite after she had eaten first.  

‘And yet I’m also technically “others.”’  

If not for the fact that she had caused his injury, she would never have put up with such nonsense.  

But for now, there was no other choice.  

After cutting the meat into small pieces, Therese pushed the plate toward him. The Duke clumsily ate with his left hand.  

Watching him eat, Therese felt all her energy drain at once. The plate piled high with macarons didn’t help either, making her stomach churn.  

“Ugh.”  

Therese covered her mouth as she gagged, and Jeremy Richard, startled, dropped his fork. His eyes widened as he spoke in a trembling voice.  

“Madame, could it be…?”

Therese remained silent at Jeremy Richard’s ridiculous misunderstanding.  

***

Steam filled the bathroom.  

In the center stood a massive marble bathtub, and a broad-shouldered man was soaking in the water. His muscular body exuded masculinity, and the scars scattered across his skin were proof of his life as a warrior.  

Behind him, Therese stood with an uncomfortable expression.  

Incredibly, she had ended up assisting Jeremy with his bath.  

‘This is absolutely insane.’  

The situation itself was unbearable, but the worst part was that she couldn’t just leave.  

‘Because I can’t use my right hand.’

At the end of the hellish mealtime, when she was about to return to her room, Duke Richard stopped her.  

‘Is there still something left?’  

The exhausted Therese asked as if resigning herself.  

She had already cut his meat into small pieces as if for a child and even brought the wine glass to his lips.  

‘I need to wash up before sleeping….’  

The sight of him scratching his head awkwardly with his left hand made her want to kick him right then and there. But Therese had to take responsibility for what she had done.  

‘I will call for a servant.’  

‘You must not know. No one is allowed into my bedroom.’  

The Duke’s deep eyes blinked slowly at her, and his lips, as red as crushed pomegranate juice, moved.  

‘…What do you mean?’  

She thought she knew him well, but this was the first time she had heard this.  

‘It’s exactly as I said. Neither my mother, nor the servants, nor anyone else is allowed into my bedroom.’  

‘…Then why me?’  

‘Because you are my wife.’  

‘…Ugh.’  

He kept saying such shameless things endlessly, leaving Therese with no choice but to agree. The servants cleaning the picture frames in the hallway started glancing at her and the Duke.  

‘Sophia was right—this is driving me crazy.’  

The bathroom was filled with the Duke’s signature sandalwood scent. Just as she thought she might suffocate from his fragrance, the Duke suddenly spoke.  

“By the way.”  

“…Yes.”  

“When exactly are you going to wash me?”  

Several minutes had passed since they had been standing off against each other, with him soaking in the bathtub.  

“Your Grace, your left hand is perfectly fine, so for now…”  

“Even if I manage to wash my body roughly, it’s difficult to wash my hair.”  

He shook his injured right arm, which was sticking out of the bathtub, as he whispered.  

“Wait a moment.”  

Therese had never served anyone in her life. She wasn’t even used to being served herself, as she rarely relied on Sophia except when she was a child.  

‘Why didn’t I check before swinging the dagger?’  

However, after the recent incident with Count Pablo, Therese had become sensitive to sudden attacks.  

Gritting her teeth, she scooped some water and spoke coldly.  

“Lean your head back, Your Grace.”  

“…Like this?”  

As Duke Richard, who had been looking straight ahead, suddenly tilted his head back, their eyes met. Therese’s cheeks turned red, and she couldn’t look away from his wet face.  

“Why are you looking at me like that?”  

“Who said I was looking?”  

Embarrassed by how she had been captivated by his beauty, Therese snapped irritably. Rolling up her sleeves, she poured lukewarm water over his head. Water dripped down his shining golden hair.  

“It’s fascinating. My face isn’t your type at all. You prefer men who are a bit balder and more robust.”  

The Duke, his eyes closed, twisted his lips into a smile, making Therese want to pour the bottle of scented oil on his face.  

‘I don’t care if it’s a joke—I don’t want to hear that Geoffrey Pablo is my type.’  

“You’re mistaken. My type is…”  

As she rubbed the oil into his hair, his soft locks tangled between her fingers. As she gently massaged his scalp, the Duke’s eyelashes trembled faintly.