Normally, I would have been able to reach that spot without any problem, but because there were so many small wounds, applying the medicine wasn’t easy.

“Ouch…”

It was painful enough to make me groan involuntarily.

‘I guess I’ll just leave it unapplied.’

I sighed and put the ointment on the table. At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

‘Who could it be?’

I quickly opened the door and blinked. It was someone I hadn’t expected at all.

“Duke, Your Grace…?”

I licked my lips. I thought he would state his business, but Duke Baniche just silently stared down at me. As the silence became uncomfortable, I quickly racked my brain.

“You came because you’re worried about Elodie? She’s sleeping now, but would you like to see her briefly before you go?”

“…No.”

He answered curtly. I looked up at him with puzzled eyes. If not for Elodie, what reason could the Duke have…?

The reason was much simpler than I had thought.

“I heard you called a doctor.”

“Yes. Because Elodie wouldn’t wake up…”

“I see.”

The Duke let out a sigh of relief.

“I thought you were seriously injured.”

“That’s not possible.”

I shook my head.

“I just have some scratches. I received ointment, so I’m fine.”

“I see.”

The Duke’s gaze lingered on me, slowly sliding over my form.

“The wounds are worse than I thought. Are you really okay?”

“Of course.”

I smiled slightly. It seemed that even Theodore Baniche was concerned since I was the one who took a direct hit from Elodie’s power.

“There’s a spot where the medicine hasn’t been applied…”

“Where?”

“Below your ear.”

I turned around to check in the mirror. The Duke was right. There were several scabbed wounds near the area below my ear.

‘I should apply it.’

As I picked up the ointment, I heard the Duke inhale sharply behind me.

“…Miss Bertin.”

“Yes?”

“Why did you stop applying the ointment to the wounds on your back?”

“Oh, I couldn’t reach them.”

I answered without thinking.

“I was planning to sleep first, then ask Felicita to apply it for me tomorrow when I wake up.”

Since they weren’t major wounds, I didn’t want to bother tired people just to apply ointment. In fact, if I hadn’t pushed my long hair forward to apply the medicine, the Duke wouldn’t have noticed my wounds at all.

“I don’t think you need to wait until morning.”

“Felicita and Sonya need to rest, too.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you call those two.”

I turned to look at Duke Baniche. If he wasn’t telling me to call the maids, there was only one possibility left. I briefly wondered if he was teasing me, but the Duke’s expression was very serious.

“You’re not joking, are you?”

“Give it to me.”

I swallowed dryly. Would it be okay?

I worried that I might be criticized later for daring to make the Duke do such menial work. But Theodore Baniche didn’t seem to be that type of person. Since there was no one else around anyway, if I asked him briefly…

‘Well, I suppose there’s no harm in it.’

I cleared my throat.

“Are you really okay with this?”

The Duke’s eyebrow twitched.

“Are you asking me the same question twice now?”

“…Then, I’ll accept your help.”

Duke Baniche took the container of ointment and examined its contents for a moment.

“Fortunately, they gave you a good one. If it had been cheap, I would have called someone to bring something else.”

“You know a lot about ointments?”

“I’ve used many of them.”

The Duke answered briefly. My body tensed automatically at the breath I felt right behind me.

‘It’s just ointment.’

I tried hard to calm myself. But I couldn’t help feeling tense when the person applying the medicine was none other than “Theodore Baniche.” The Duke’s touch first reached the area below my ear. Even though I could have applied it myself, the Duke couldn’t leave the untreated wound alone.

“It must have hurt a lot.”

I gave a bitter smile.

“I was so worried about Elodie that I didn’t even know I was in pain.”

“And now?”

“Oh, apart from a slight sting, I’m fine.”

“That sounds like you’re not fine.”

“…You caught me.”

The Duke chuckled.

“Right. Miss Bertin isn’t good at lying, so it’s better not to try.”

After making this ambiguous statement that might or might not be a compliment, his touch gradually moved downward, reaching near my nape.

“Ah!”

I let out a small cry. I tried to hold it in, but it stung unexpectedly, and I couldn’t help it. The Duke, seemingly startled, quickly withdrew his hand.

“Does it hurt? The doctor…”

“It just stings a little.”

I reassured him.

“Please continue applying it. I think it will hurt less if you apply it quickly.”

“….”

The Duke silently began to apply the ointment. I felt grateful for his consideration as he tried to be as careful as possible, but I also became strangely self-conscious. Especially as the Duke’s touch became more detailed, the peculiar sensation on my skin…

“Um, I think that’s enough now.”

“There’s still more left.”

The Duke’s voice was emotionless and dry, so it seemed he hadn’t noticed my agitation.

“There’s some under your clothes, too.”

“I’ll take care of that myself!”

I hurriedly turned around and almost collided with the Duke, who was standing very close to me. The Duke looked at me with a surprised face.

“It seems I’ve caused you a lot of pain. I should apologize…”

“That’s absolutely not the case.”

I quickly replied.

“But I think this is quite enough… Thank you, I feel much better now.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Though I nodded vigorously, the Duke didn’t seem convinced at all.

“I have tea that’s good for pain in my office. If you want, I’ll have a servant bring it.”

“I’m not in that much pain.”

I practically forced the still-hesitant Duke out of the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

“Phew…”

A sigh escaped my lips involuntarily. I leaned against the closed door and slid down to the floor. My pounding heart wouldn’t calm down, so I had to hug my knees for quite a while to steady myself.

‘Why am I acting like this just because he applied some medicine?’

I scolded myself, but my flushed face was still radiating heat. Even though we hadn’t faced each other at all, the care I felt from the Duke, his natural intimidating presence, and the strange feeling brought by his delicate touch…

I admitted it. I seemed to be weak for handsome men after all. To be this flustered just because I received some care from Duke Theodore Baniche, when we weren’t anything to each other.

‘Forget it, forget it.’

I got up with an effort and carefully changed my clothes, trying not to touch the nape of my neck where the Duke had applied the medicine. Lying down next to Elodie, I immediately closed my eyes. I easily fell asleep due to the fatigue accumulated throughout the day, but I could still feel Theodore Baniche’s careful touch on my nape.

Perhaps that’s why I dreamed of going on another picnic to the lakeside with Elodie. Only this time, unlike today, Theodore Baniche was with us. With him there, not a single bandit was in sight, and the picnic ended with the three of us watching the night stars that Elodie had wanted to see. It was a sweet dream I didn’t want to wake up from.

***

“Elodie, where are you?”

I called out for Elodie. We had decided to close the shop for a few days to recover, and contrary to my expectation that I would be able to spend more time with Elodie, it was hard to even see her face. When I woke up in the morning, Elodie was already gone. Since Sonya wasn’t around either, it seemed they had gone somewhere together. I spoke to Felicita, who was busy cleaning the bedroom that had been left in a mess last night.

“Felicita, do you know where Elodie went?”

“I think she said she was going to tour the kitchen with Sonya.”

Felicita answered obediently. She looked so dejected that her usual outspoken personality wasn’t visible at all.

‘It can’t be helped.’

I decided not to point that out. The guilt would fade with time, and when Felicita regained her condition, I could welcome her back then.

“Then I should go to the kitchen too.”

“Um… Miss Bertin.”

Felicita called me in a somewhat awkward voice.

“Come to think of it, she said they would look around several places, not just the kitchen. So it might take some time until you find her.”