Chapter 4

The Duke, who had brought Brody into the room while supporting her, fell onto the bed, almost collapsing with her like a tumble. Once again, he embraced her, burying his face deep into the nape of her neck and taking a deep breath, just like before.

“Um, Your Grace.”

Perhaps it was difficult to repeat what happened once. Brody felt he was more aggressive than before. Once again, his pleading eyes shook Brody’s heart.

‘Oh, really… There’s no choice.’

Resignedly, Brody accepted his lips. And again, she passed a ‘Meshu’ leaf into his lips, this time with a larger quantity.

‘I can’t keep doing this every time.’

Fortunately, Aidan succumbed to the effects of Meshu and fell into a deep sleep. However, due to his strong embrace, Brody couldn’t release herself.

Waiting until he fell into a deep sleep, she tried to free herself again. However, she ended up falling asleep in his arms due to the drowsiness induced by Meshu.

***

At dawn, before the sun rose, she opened her eyes. However, his arms were still tightly wrapped around her, making it impossible for her to move.

Struggling only resulted in being pulled even tighter, so eventually, Brody gave up. She lay there, lost in thought.

“Why is this happening to me?”

Brody looked at Aidan, who had slept soundly. Meshu seemed to have worked well on him.

The man who seemed to have a keen sense of workaholism was fast asleep.

“Why do you want Meshu, Your Grace?”

Brody whispered as she gently brushed Aidan’s forehead with her index finger. Aidan, still deeply asleep, continued to breathe steadily without waking up.

‘I don’t even think he knows that what he ate was Meshu. Maybe he desires Meshu rather than tea. Could it be that he can’t sleep peacefully without eating Meshu like this? ‘

Somehow, she felt sorry for him.

If he knew that this comfort was due to the drug, he would refuse it.

He’s a warrior, and it’s wartime.

She shouldn’t be relying on Meshu at a time when his nerves should be on edge.

‘Not that it’s any of my business.’

If what he wanted was Meshu, Brody realized that she might not be needed next to him for the problem to be solved. Whether he would use it or not was a decision for the Northern Duke.

‘Did this man need a woman like this every day, playing the innocent to a different woman every day? ’

Thinking that way made her feel uneasy. Whether she was unfortunately falling for the charm of his handsome appearance and aura or she was jumping to conclusions on her own, she felt uncomfortable.

After several attempts to escape, Brody succeeded in freeing herself after some time had passed. As she looked around the room, she sensed some movement outside.

‘Not good. It seems like security has strengthened.’

Realizing that it would be difficult to escape using the same method as before, Brody frowned.

‘I need to wait for the right moment. I have to find a way to survive a few more days.’

When she sensed the movement inside the tent, Brody’s expression turned more serious.

‘I’ll just wait and see. I must find a way to survive a few more days.’

Once she was out of Aidan’s embrace, the warmth rapidly dissipated. Trembling, she approached the fireplace.

‘I hate the cold.’

Instinctively, she recalled the moment in her previous life when she faced death, locked in a warehouse, shivering throughout the night.

Feeling the chill creeping from her fingertips to the ends of her hands and feet, Brody recalled the unbearable coldness.

‘The Duke is from the north, and the imperial capital is in the central region, so he must be working his way down from north to south. I hate the north.’

Even though she approached the fireplace as much as possible, the bone-piercing, seeping coldness remained. Brody curled up her body as much as she could.

Her shoulders and back were cold, but the heat from the fireplace felt uncomfortably scorching only in the areas where it touched.

She missed the warm electric blanket and the heated floor. She felt wistful.

The tip of her nose wrinkled, and her eyes filled with water.

But Brody bit her lip tightly and held back the tears.

‘Even though life here is difficult, it won’t be as hard as my previous life. With Brody’s talent, living well here is completely possible. It’s my life now. There’s no reason to be sad! I’ve been a good saleswoman in my previous life! ‘

As she tried to indulge in her delusions of a happy future, she drifted off to sleep, hugging the fatigue of a few nights yet to come.

“Watch out!”

A moment later, Brody’s eyes fluttered open at the sudden shout.

The jet-black-haired, blue-eyed face of the Duke of the North was right in front of her.

Startled, Brody scrambled to her feet.

‘He got up? ‘

Brody naturally realized what almost happened to her just now.

Aidan’s hand was between where Brody’s head had been and the stove.

It seemed the Duke had caught her just in time as she dozed off in front of the stove, nearly smashing her head into it.

Understanding the situation, Brody blushed and bowed her head in thanks.

‘This woman is even more reserved than me.’

Aidan, who had lived while often being scolded by his chief of staff for being too reserved, raised his head with a sense of self-consciousness.

They both realized that they hadn’t even exchanged names yet.

‘She might know me, but…’

Aidan hesitated about what to say as he looked at Brody. Then, he noticed the redness around her eyes.

‘Uh… Did she cry? ‘

Aidan’s conscience pricked him. The memories were faint, but he clearly spent the night with this woman. He had asked for her consent, but seeing her look like this, it seems it wasn’t entirely her intention.

He regretted his behavior, but he also felt a little resentful.

‘Why do I feel like this? ‘

He recalled her scent.

Fresh like a blade of grass yet deep and calm like tree bark.

A scent that lingered even now, that had stirred his senses like crazy when he’d buried his face in her arms.

Despite being someone who avoided contact with others, he strangely wanted to get closer to her.

When he finally touched her, he felt like he was losing his mind at the unfamiliarity of her touch.

He had never spent a night with a woman before. It wasn’t something he took seriously, but he simply didn’t have the desire.

‘But I definitely wanted it first. For this girl, it was…….’

And he can’t deny that it was pretty satisfying—both the process and the result.

He had a deep, comfortable sleep, a refreshed body, and a clear head as the headache disappeared.

When he felt better, a lot of things became clearer.

Even in the moments when he was running around trying to capture her, he thought of ways to occupy a seemingly impregnable fortress he had struggled with for weeks.

‘What on earth happened? What did this woman do? If she did something, why? ‘

Maybe she used an aphrodisiac or something, but how? There would have been a thorough search.

Besides, if she wanted the position of Duchess, why would she run away?

Or did she want his body? No, if that were the case, she wouldn’t cry like that, nor would she have run away like yesterday.

That woman doesn’t want anything from him.

So, the only reason she treated him like that was because of the tea she gave him, which became the cause of the headache disappearing and the events of last night.

With a clear head, he felt like he saw hope for the first time since the war began.

He needed this woman to keep him going. So, he felt that he needed to treat her well to maintain this state.

“Are you cold?”

At Aidan’s sudden question, Brody nodded. In response, Aidan wrapped her shoulders with a long cloak made of thick, black fur that he wore.

Originally his, it trailed on the floor as Brody put it on. However, she could still feel the cold seeping into her bones, as if the fur was not enough.

“What’s your name?”

‘Why would he suddenly ask for her name? ’

Not wanting to get too involved, Brody stammered out a fake name.

“B… Bree.”

Damn. Her quick-wittedness and creativity were a mess. It was too similar to her real name.

“Bree, I see.”

Having their first conversation with the Duke, Brody looked him straight in the eyes for the first time.

It was strange to look him in the eye—not asleep, but awake.

‘Why the Ice Duke? ‘

He didn’t seem as cold and cruel as the rumors suggested. He looked as stern as before, but now he seemed surprisingly gentle. Still, the unapproachable expression persisted.

When Brody stared at the Duke for a while, he blushed and coughed awkwardly.

No one had ever looked at him so favorably before. Usually, people find it difficult even to make eye contact with him.

But this captive woman treated him calmly and leisurely.

It felt strange.

“Your Grace, it’s time for the meeting.”

At the sudden announcement from his chief of staff, the subtle atmosphere was broken.

Aidan got up in front of Brody and said, “I’ll be back. Since it’s impossible to escape, it’s better not to try.”

Brody blinked her eyes and looked at Aidan with a puzzled expression.

He didn’t mean to say it so harshly. Aidan turned around, regretting his words, but his thoughts were jumbled due to the lack of response from Brody.

***
While the Duke was absent, Brody couldn’t go outside and waited idly in the mansion.

When the Duke returned, it was time for tea and a break from work. During other times, she slept fitfully due to deep fatigue. The Duke, immersed in work in the room, paid little attention to the quiet Brody, no matter what she did.

With the headache gone, he worked tirelessly, handling tasks swiftly and developing battle plans.

Eventually, night fell again.

‘What he wants is not tea.’

Brody was sure of it. Serving the same tea had failed before, so she needed to treat him with ‘Meshu.’

‘But if I add Meshu…’

If she added Meshu, the Duke might collapse again, considering the last time she had embraced him.

‘It’s better not to create such a situation in the first place.’

Determined, Brody served tea with a much higher amount of Meshu than usual.

‘Let us see if you still can’t sleep with this. ‘

The amount of Meshu Brody added was almost lethal. To be cautious about potential side effects, she planned to add an antidote to the tea the next day.

Aidan drank the tea Brody brought without any suspicion. However, as he emptied the cup, Aidan dropped it, putting his face on the desk.

‘Did it… work? No, but at this level… It’s either he fell asleep or he fainted.’

Surprised, Brody approached Aidan.

Fortunately, Aidan was still breathing, rising and falling rhythmically.

Concerned, Brody supported him and moved him to the bed.

But something was strange.

As Aidan’s breathing became irregular, Brody became contemplative.

At this rate, she had a premonition that Aidan might actually die.

“Did.. I put in too much. “

Brody quickly mixed the antidote she had prepared with water, gently wet his lips, and carefully poured it into Aidan’s mouth.

As it was her first time dealing with such a situation and seeing someone struggling for breath, Brody was flustered, and the water spilled in different directions several times.

After a few attempts, Brody confirmed that Aidan’s breathing and pulse were returning to normal.

She, who had turned blue, finally let out a relieved sigh.

The next day, Aidan woke up perfectly fine. His face was neat, and there were no wrinkles on his forehead. He didn’t say anything special to Brody.

‘It worked! As long as I adjust the amount of Meshu properly! ‘

She rejoiced inwardly.

Once she found the right amount, she planned to pass on the preparation method and antidote, asking him to release her.

That night, she once again served tea with Meshu.

Aidan drank it without suspicion. This time, with Brody’s support, he fell comfortably asleep on the bed.

Thinking that she had successfully adjusted the amount of Meshu, Brody fell asleep beside Aidan, her back turned to him.

However, the next morning, Brody faced the rugged face of the Duke once again.