Chapter 1

Before entering the Hayden Dukedom, Selina was the envy of her friends.

[How nice, you get to admire the Duke’s beauty all you want!]

[And that strong, broad physique! When it comes to men, really…]

Just as her friends said, Evan Hayden, the Duke, was truly dazzling.

Jet-black hair contrasted with his red eyes, a firm jawline, and elegant nose.

Even someone like Selina, who had never cared about men in her life, found herself staring at him in awe. Even the chilly air surrounding him seemed crafted just for the Duke.

But she never imagined that coldness would be directed at her.

* * *

‘He’s fierce again today…’

Selina tried her best to ignore the sharp gaze aimed her way. At some point, he had started looking only at her.

Unable to bear it, she turned her head away. If he had something to say, she wished he’d just say it!

When she glanced at him again, her boss was already focused on his paperwork, as if nothing had happened. Such a quick movement.

‘Does he think I’ll quit because of this?’

Selina had no intention of leaving this divine job.

She worked in Evan Hayden’s office.

Who was Evan Hayden? A man who inherited the title of Duke at a young age, wielding power to rival the imperial throne.

Moreover, thanks to the family’s early involvement in trade since their ancestors’ time, their accumulated wealth was beyond imagination.

When Selina first became his aide, it took her a long time just to get through the list of assets.

Selina, daughter of the humble Baron Bellure family, had one reason for becoming his aide.

It was her ‘practical skills’. Uniquely, Duke Hayden hired people based solely on merit, regardless of status.

Selina, who graduated from the Academy with excellent grades, was able to work at the Hayden Dukedom.

She started as an assistant to one of several aides.

After that, through a series of coincidences, she ended up handling administrative work directly for Duke Evan Hayden.

Thanks to this, she could support her struggling family, which was a relief. Moreover, Selina was quite ambitious about her work.

She knew the position given to her was more than she deserved, and she wanted to prove herself through skill.

She worked day and night, often skipping meals.

‘I thought if I worked this hard, he’d recognize me…’

But Duke Evan Hayden didn’t offer praise; instead, he gave strange orders.

She was to start and finish her workday in his office, and head straight home after.

Selina was convinced. He must be dissatisfied with her.

Otherwise, why would he monitor a subordinate’s work all day?

He didn’t even allow overtime, as if he wanted everything done within the allotted time.

To make matters worse, he even had lunch with Selina.

And yet, he never forgot to glare at her from time to time. Mealtimes were suffocatingly silent.

Selina finally realized.

‘Did he regret hiring me, after all?’

She thought the Duke was disappointed in her.

That only made her more determined. She tried even harder to prove her worth.

Today, too, she was looking for an opportunity to please her boss.

But the workday ended with no results, and Selina packed up with a gloomy expression.

That was when someone knocked urgently.

“Come in.”

Evan’s voice, as always, was cold and without inflection. No matter how long Selina heard it, she couldn’t get used to that chill.

The one who entered after receiving permission was Walter, the aide in charge of security for the Hayden territory.

“Duke, we’ve caught the dark mage who was disturbing the territory! She’s been locked up in the underground prison!”

“Is that so?”

Evan slowly rose to his feet. His large build and languid movements made him look like a predator going out to hunt.

“I’ll handle the interrogation. You’ll record everything.”

“That’s difficult. The dark mage’s illegal cold medicine has caused suffering among the people. I need to hurry and check on them.”

“What about the other aides?”

“Kyle is in the capital, and Haela is out west dealing with the merchant ship…”

Listening to their conversation, Selina suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She wasn’t in Evan’s thoughts at all.

‘No, I’ll make this my chance!’

Selina shook off her sorrow, her pink hair fluttering in every direction.

She took a deep breath and declared confidently.

“Duke, I’ll go!”

“What?”

Evan’s eyes sharpened at her sudden outburst.

“That’s a relief. Then I’ll tend to the people and collect the remaining medicine.”

Walter, clearly pleased, hurried out of the office. His movements were so urgent that no one could stop him.

Evan stared at Selina’s blue eyes for a few seconds.

His gaze was so heavy it felt like it pressed down on her shoulders, but she didn’t look away.

At last, he spoke.

“That’s enough. Go home.”

“What?”

The dark mage they’d caught had been a swindler who’d stirred up the territory for days.

He’d sold poorly made supplements and cold medicine at high prices for his own profit.

It was an important matter, so the Duke himself planned to interrogate him.

But now, Evan was telling her to leave for the day… Tears welled up in Selina’s eyes.

“No matter how useless I am… I can at least record the interrogation.”

She lifted her head, voice trembling. When their eyes met, Evan’s eyes widened.

His face stiffened in surprise, but Selina, her vision blurred by tears, didn’t notice.

“Please, give me a chance. I’ll do my best.”

Showing tears at work was humiliating. She quickly wiped her wet eyes with the back of her hand, and before she knew it, Evan was standing right in front of her.

‘What? When did he get here?’

He’d moved so fast she hadn’t even sensed him. Evan pulled a handkerchief from his br*ast pocket and offered it to her.

“All right. Come with me. Don’t cry… Or maybe it’s better if you just let it out?”

His voice was, unusually, tinged with embarrassment.

The handkerchief approached Selina’s face, then withdrew. It was as if he was hesitating about whether to wipe her tears.

She quickly rubbed her eyes and asked,

“You’ll take me with you?”

“…If you want.”

Before Evan could change his mind, Selina hurriedly gathered the documents related to the interrogation.

“I’m ready, Duke. I’ll do my best.”

He seemed to have something to say, his lips twitching slightly, but then he simply sighed.

“To the prison, then.”

* * *

It had been a very long time since Selina had visited the Hayden family’s underground prison.

Before she became a full aide, she’d only been there once, following her supervisor.

Just like back then, the inside was musty, and the damp air lingered at the tip of her nose.

“Let me go! I’m not supposed to be here!”

The furious voice of the old woman echoed through the prison. Even the knights assigned to watch her looked exhausted from her repeated outbursts.

When Evan and Selina arrived, a makeshift interrogation room was set up inside the prison. It was nothing more than a small table and two chairs.

The two sat down, while the old woman lay sprawled on the floor. Evan began the interrogation with his usual indifferent tone.

“What’s your name?”

“Let me out!”

“How did you end up here?”

“Let me out right now!”

“Looks like you’re a wandering dark mage.”

Evan’s face remained unaffected, even in the face of her nerve-racking shouts that seemed to scratch at their ears.

The fruitless questioning continued, but Selina silently recorded their conversation.

The old woman slumped weakly, then suddenly sprang up and walked toward them.

“Why didn’t I think of that sooner?”

“If you’re going to do something foolish, stop.”

Selina glanced at Evan, but the old woman just laughed to herself. The Duke ignored her and stated,

“If you refuse to speak, there’s nothing I can do. Just know that your punishment will only get heavier.”

The interrogation seemed to be ending. Evan and Selina started to rise from their seats.

It was then that the old woman, with a twisted grin, began chanting a spell.

It was a secretive whisper, too quiet for the distant knights to hear.

No one could tell exactly what the spell meant, but her voice was damp and vulgar, as if she were uttering a crude secret.

“What did you just do?” 

Selina asked.

The old woman laughed aloud again, her eyes narrowing mischievously.

“I’ve cast a curse. You’ll suffer until you release me.”  

“A curse?”  

“I hear Duke Evan Hyden is very abstinent, right? I cast a spell to suit that.”  

The old man in the cell grabbed Selina’s long hair and playfully twirled it around his finger.  

“You’ll struggle a lot. Unless the two of you join bodies.”  

At those words, Selina’s face turned pale. Join bodies… Was she supposed to do that?

She didn’t have dating experience, but Selina understood what that meant.

But with this cold-hearted Duke—she was supposed to do what…?