At that moment, Brenda’s words, in which she had repeatedly emphasized the importance of a man’s face, came to Emma’s mind.

—Your first partner must be a handsome one, Emma. The memory of your first night will stay with you for life!

Brenda always said that no matter how much she argued and fought with her boyfriend, her anger would vanish the next morning as soon as she saw his handsome face.

—Not every relationship leads to marriage, you know. It’s the face over ability!

As expected, Brenda, the ace of the Magic Department and someone who came from a long line of royal court mages, had a unique perspective.

To value a man’s face over his abilities…

Emma thought that was a mindset only someone like Brenda, born with a magical silver spoon in her mouth, could have. But now, staring at the strikingly handsome face before her, she felt like she could understand her friend’s words.

‘If I resist for no reason, I might end up like that corpse. The Duke doesn’t know who I really am. Maybe it’s better to just pretend I don’t know anything and let this pass?’

Emma’s greatest strength was her remarkable adaptability to reality.

‘I’ll be the one using the Duke.’

‘If I can’t avoid it, I might as well enjoy it.’ That was Emma’s life motto. Spending her first night with a handsome man didn’t seem like a bad idea. Of course, she also intended to collect the money the Duke promised to pay.

There were things in life that wouldn’t change no matter how hard one struggled—like poverty, for instance. Instead of harboring resentment or complaints, Emma had learned early on to adapt to reality.

It might have resembled resignation, but for Emma, who had to survive in a harsh world, it was a useful weapon.

“I’m ready, so let’s… let’s begin.”

“……”

The response was silence.

Even after waiting for a long time, there was no movement. Emma squinted her eyes slightly to check ahead.

“Your Grace?”

Caden’s expression was unusual. It wasn’t exactly good or bad—it was a subtle, complex look. If she had to describe it, it was like he was thinking, ‘What on earth is this?’

‘I said I’d do as he wanted, so what’s the problem now?’

Caden glared at the brazen woman before him. He could almost hear the sound of her green eyes rolling back and forth as she schemed.

‘She seems timid, yet she says what she wants. She’s clever, too.’

Just as he thought she was cunning, she would blurt out something so naive that it left him dumbfounded.

He couldn’t believe it. A woman who came to sell her body was giving orders to her employer. In fact, her attitude was so confident that it seemed like she wasn’t selling herself but buying him instead.

“Are you telling me to serve you?”

“…Excuse me?”

She couldn’t understand why the word “serve” had come up in this context. Tilting her head in confusion, she looked at him with a blank expression, which made Caden’s lips curl into a crooked smile.

“You’re the one getting paid, so why should I be the one serving you?”

“That’s not what I meant…!”

“If you understand, then get started. I need to check if you’re worth double the price.”

Caden flopped onto the bed, his demeanor practically daring her to try.

“Gasp—!”

Emma let out an involuntary gasp.

It was her first time seeing a man’s bare body up close.

‘I’ve seen the Swordsmanship Department students training a few times, but…’

At least they had been properly dressed in pants.

Even though Caden was only wearing a single piece of underwear, he exuded confidence.

And for good reason—his physique was stunning.

His perfectly proportioned body, with its elegant lines, looked like a sculpture painstakingly crafted by a god.

His lean, muscular frame was the epitome of a warrior’s body. Just looking at him made her feel overwhelmed, and she had no idea where to even begin.

“Uh…”

When it came to studying, Emma was confident, but the bedroom was uncharted territory for her.

The only thing she knew about such matters was what her roommate Brenda had told her about her nights with her boyfriend.

Even then, Emma had only half-listened while focusing on her studies, so she hadn’t retained much.

—Ugh! He always asks me to do it with my mouth. All he knows is how to put it in and finish. Why am I the only one who has to do all the work?!

—Um… because of his face?

—…Ha. Well, there’s that.

Brenda’s boyfriend was a promising student in the Swordsmanship Department. Despite his good looks and fit body, Brenda often complained about his lack of skill in bed. His lack of finesse was her biggest grievance.

—Uh, what does “with your mouth” mean? Like… kissing?

What followed was an overly detailed explanation from Brenda. She had even used magic to create an illusion for demonstration, complete with explicit visuals and sounds.

The experience had been so shocking that Emma couldn’t eat dinner that evening. She remembered feeling annoyed about wasting the dormitory meal plan she had paid for.

‘How did she say to do it…?’

Emma replayed Brenda’s explanation in her mind. Her excellent memory reconstructed the scene perfectly.

Emma’s small face turned a deep shade of red.

‘I-I can do this!’

Her relentless intellectual curiosity and perseverance were the reasons Emma had always been at the top of her class.

Taking a deep breath, Emma closed her eyes and extended her trembling hand.

Her hand moved toward Caden’s lower abdomen.

Grab.

She should have been more cautious, but her nervousness made her grip too tight.

‘This is… too much!’

It was thicker and harder than she had expected. She almost let go reflexively, but she steeled herself.

‘I can do this! This is something humanity has been doing since the dawn of time. It’s no big deal!’

Just as she tightly grasped “it” with her eyes shut…

“What are you doing?”

A low voice growled above her head. The sound sent chills down her spine.

Something was definitely wrong.

“…Excuse me?”

“I asked what you’re doing holding my wrist. And why are you putting your tongue there? Seriously, what are you doing…?”

“Huh?”

Emma opened her tightly shut eyes.

Kneeling demurely, she realized she was holding Caden’s wrist.

Startled, Emma hastily let go of his wrist.

Her blush, which had started on her face, spread down to her pale neck.

‘This is so embarrassing!’

If only he had gotten angry, it might have been less humiliating. But Caden just clicked his tongue with an exasperated look on his face.

“I had a feeling, and I was right.”

“W-what…?”

“You’re just a kid. What were you thinking, barging in here? Did you lose your mind?”

“Ugh!”

With every sharp word, Caden poked Emma’s forehead with his finger.

He didn’t seem to be using much force, but Emma’s upper body swayed helplessly like a scarecrow in the wind.

Caden loomed over her threateningly.

“Be honest.”

“H-honest about what?”

Even though she had nothing to hide, her words came out stammered.

‘This is only going to make him more suspicious…’

As she bit her lip in frustration, he spoke again.

“You’re a minor, aren’t you?”

“…!”

‘I told you, I’m not a courtesan. I’m the new secretary who started today.’

She had meant to say that. But Emma froze, her eyes wide open.

“You’re a minor, yet you had the nerve to sneak into my bedroom? Marcus may be petty, but he wouldn’t stoop so low as to send a minor. Did you lie to him?”

“No, that’s not it!”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m not a minor! And I’ve told you repeatedly that I’m not a courtesan either. But Your Grace…”

“Ha…”

Caden let out a long sigh and ran his hand through his hair, messing it up.

Judging by the deep frown on his face, he seemed to be in discomfort.

“Your Grace? Are you alright? If you’re unwell, I’ll call for the physician…”

“My head hurts.”

“Then I’ll fetch the butler right away!”

“Don’t chatter. It’s making my headache worse.”

“But…”

“Just come here.”

“…!”

A strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her toward him like a rag doll.

Caden completely enveloped her with one arm, pressing her against his side.

“Don’t squirm. I’m going to sleep.”

Something heavy rested on top of Emma’s stiff head. It was Caden’s chin.

Trapping her in his embrace, Caden soon began to breathe evenly.

‘Excuse me, Your Grace? Are you seriously going to sleep like this? What am I supposed to do?!’

After confirming that Caden was fully asleep, Emma attempted to escape several times.

But every time she moved even slightly, Caden would tighten his grip on her like a ghost, using his arms and legs to hold her in place.

On her first night at Blackwood, Emma ended up sharing a bed with her employer, becoming the Duke’s “hug pillow.”

Emma stayed awake all night.

It was only after she confirmed that Caden was in a deep sleep that she finally managed to escape.

Once free, Emma hurried back to her room.

Slam!

She shut the door and frantically searched for the key. Her hands trembled so much that she fumbled several times.

She couldn’t calm down, as if Caden might chase after her at any moment.

“Hah…”

Only after locking the door did she finally let out the breath she had been holding.

Emma slid down the door, her legs too weak to support her.

How long had she sat there?

When she finally came to her senses, the first thing Emma did was put on her glasses.

Thump-thump.

Her heart, which had been pounding like a millstone, began to settle down as soon as she put them on.

‘What on earth is going on? The corpse disappeared, and there’s no trace of blood. Someone must have come by. I couldn’t have been imagining things, could I?’

Emma recalled the hallway she had passed through.

While fleeing from the Duke’s bedroom, she had felt a strange sense of unease, even in her haste.

The hallway was completely empty, as if nothing had happened.

The corpse that should have been in front of the Duke’s door was gone, and there wasn’t a single trace of blood on the walls or floors.

That wasn’t the only odd thing.

Emma inspected the carpet beneath her feet.

‘Even in my room…?’

The carpet was the same color and pattern, but something felt off.

Then Emma realized why.

‘It’s been replaced.’

The carpet, which had been soaked with blood, had been swapped out for a fresh, clean one.

There wasn’t even a single dent or sign of wear—it was completely new.

“Ah…!”

Emma let out a small cry as a sharp pain pricked her fingertip.

She had unconsciously bitten her finger, and now the metallic taste of blood lingered on her tongue.