Grand Duke, I Like You, But Please Die! - Chapter 32

Despite such thoughts flooding her mind, Delia quickly regained her composure.

As her lowered eye level allowed her to see, she noticed a long wooden plank leaning against the lab door.

‘That’s it.’

Delia thought to herself.

‘He wouldn’t expect me to do anything right after almost dying.’

She struggled to her feet. Dizziness made her body sway.

Kaiel hurriedly supported her, but Delia shook her head.

“I’m fine. You were just trying to kill me a moment ago…….”

His expression was a mix of various emotions at those words.

“Delia, I…….”

“Wait. Just stay still.”

Her tone was so forlorn that Kaiel could only stand there and wait.

Delia slowly and painfully took steps towards the desk as though she was intending to sit on the chair.

Then it happened.

The moment Delia, who had been staggering, grabbed the dish on the desk, she bolted.

She dashed to the door, grabbed the wooden plank, and barred the door with a quick apology, “I’m really sorry!”
Kaiel immediately tried to follow, but Delia barred the door with the wooden plank as soon as she exited the lab.

A loud thud resonated from behind the door.

“Crazy…….”

He was really about to break down the door.

Delia began inhaling the lapocia powder from the dish through her nose as quickly as possible before he could get out.

The pungent smell and unfamiliar sensation traveled up her nose. She wanted to stop immediately, but she couldn’t.

It was fortunate, in a way, that lapocia was such a potent drug that even a single use could cause severe symptoms.

If it weren’t for that, she would have had to spend a long time doing this painstakingly.

Just as Delia finished using a significant amount, the door, which had been shaking with loud thuds, suddenly made a cracking sound and broke.

Not only the bar but half of the door was torn off.

Kaiel, who appeared behind the broken door, had a face that was terrifyingly calm despite his violent actions.

His cold gray-blue eyes bore into her.

***

When Kaiel broke through the door, Delia was leaning against a pillar.

Beside her, a dish and scattered powder lay on the floor.

Without any hesitation, Kaiel approached her, knelt on one knee, and met her eye level.

He lifted her chin with his hand. Her eyes were already half-glazed, possibly from the drug.

“Delia.”

“Yes, hello. You…… you’re really handsome. Beautiful…….”

Kaiel lightly grasped her chin as she continued to mutter meaningless words. Then he wedged his thumb between her lips.

“Open your mouth.”

As soon as she felt the heat from his thumb, Delia clamped her mouth shut with all her might. Several neat teeth bit into his thumb.

“……Don’t bite.”

Though she bit hard, it was more ticklish than painful.

He could vividly feel the grooves of her teeth pressing against his thumb.

“Relax, Delia. I’m going to give you the antidote, so open your mouth.”

Just as Kaiel pried open her clenched teeth and tried to administer the antidote, Delia pushed his arm away forcefully.

His arm didn’t budge, but he tightened his grip on her chin as she continued to shout.

“Get it away, get it away, get it away……!”

Kaiel frowned slightly and took a step back.

“You have to take it, whether you like it or not.”

Delia, barely holding onto her hazy consciousness, muttered.

“More…… time…… need more time. Just a little longer…….”

Listening to her words, Kaiel seemed to understand what she meant and withdrew the antidote bottle from her mouth.

“Got it.”

Just when it seemed like Kaiel was about to back off, he swiftly picked her up.

As her body suddenly lifted into the air, Delia started thrashing wildly.

Once again, his height was quite tall, so when someone who’s breathing the air below suddenly reached his eye level, it felt overwhelmingly high.

“Put me down! Put me down! Put me down!”

“Stop struggling.”

“Don’t take me away! Kaiel……! Help! Someone strange is taking me away! Hey! Let go of me……!”

No matter how much she struggled, it was not easy to free herself from his firm grip.

The sudden commotion caused servants to gather one by one.

Seeing the researcher flailing over the Grand Duke’s shoulder left all the servants speechless.

The most shocked was Lisa. But she couldn’t just scold Delia about her propriety in front of the Grand Duke.

Moreover, Delia’s condition also seemed a bit unusual.

“Let go……!”

She was unconsciously speaking informally to the Grand Duke. Though she always adored him inwardly, calling him Kaiel and singing his praises, she had always spoken formally to him on the outside, so it was surprising to others.

Lisa hesitated countless times, unsure whether to step forward or not. The other servants exchanged glances but did nothing.

Clearly, Delia had done something wrong, but since it was the Grand Duke holding her, they couldn’t make any hasty judgments.

“Um…… Your Grace, we can…….”

Kaiel cut off the servant’s words.

“No.”

The retreating servants stood in the corner, watching the situation unfold.

Delia, who had been struggling continuously, eventually lost strength and hung limply over his shoulder like a rag doll.

Her red hair swayed back and forth, creating an eerie atmosphere.

“Delia.”

Kaiel called her name softly. But there was no response.

Since when did the Grand Duke start calling her by name? Most of the servants, except for a few who served them closely, watched the situation unfold with interest.

But soon, they couldn’t continue watching.

The Grand Duke took her somewhere immediately. Among the many servants, only Lisa blushed and clenched her fists.

‘Miss, you did it! I don’t know what ridiculous method you used, but the Grand Duke is taking you to his bedroom!’

Feeling proud of herself, Lisa dismissed the surrounding servants.

“It’s late at night, everyone, let’s go back.”

Meanwhile, Kaiel stood still contemplating, having brought Delia to his room.

He had never brought anyone into his room for private matters. Occasionally, servants came in to clean or convey messages, but that was rare, and only when they’re serving.

Come to think of it, Delia was the first to crawl into his bed without permission.

With a small chuckle, Kaiel gently laid Delia on the bed. She seemed to find comfort in his arms as her arms clung to his neck, refusing to let go.

“Ugh, no. Don’t let go. I’ll bite.”

Kaiel, awkwardly bending his upper body as she clung to his neck, waited patiently but eventually had to pry her arms off himself.

As soon as she left the warmth of his embrace, Delia began to whine unconsciously. It sounded like she was lamenting her fate.

Soon, feeling the chill from the rising fever, she wrapped herself in the blanket like a cocoon and disappeared inside. Only her red hair peeked out from the blanket.

A muffled voice came from inside the blanket.

“Cold.”

Kaiel sighed softly and began to unwrap the blankets she had wrapped around herself.

As he removed all the blankets, Delia curled up as if she were completely naked.

“Pervert!”

“No, I’m not.”

Not knowing what she was saying, Delia kept talking.

“Cold. Cold……! Give me my clothes!”

Kaiel rolled up the blanket and tossed it aside.

“It’s not clothes, it’s a blanket.”

Despite the impossibility of having a normal conversation, Kaiel patiently answered her.

Lapocia’s symptoms were similar to being drunk before the drug’s full effects appeared. This state would persist, then as the fever spiked, it would act like a hallucinogen and gradually paralyze the muscles. Eventually, the toxins would spread, causing loss of consciousness—that was how lapocia worked.

To properly test the antidote’s efficacy, he had to wait until she lost consciousness.

Due to her rising fever, Delia’s cheeks were flushed. She began to breathe more heavily, possibly feeling the heat herself.

“I’m cold……. Dress me.”

Even though she was fully clothed, Delia felt a chill all over her body, as if she were naked.

Kaiel watched her quietly and then approached the bed.

Her eyes blinked slowly before looking up at him. Despite shivering from the cold, Delia scrutinized his face carefully and then smiled.

“You’re handsome. ……You’ve grown well.”

“……Thank you.”

If Delia had been in her right mind, she would have been deeply moved by this situation. Of Kaiel answering every word.

But unfortunately, she wasn’t in her right mind. As her gaze moved from his face to his body, she noticed the outdoor clothes he was wearing.

A moment later, she said something that would unsettle him.

“But why are you wearing clothes? And I’m naked? You should strip too.”

Suddenly, Delia, who had been lying down, lunged at him sitting on the edge of the bed.