“I’m curious. Can I take a look?”

At this unexpected suggestion, Roen hesitated for a moment.

“Since there was a small accident earlier, the floor is a mess. I’ll show you around next time you visit.”

Roen, who had inadvertently set up another appointment, glanced at Jean.

A smile appeared on his lips.

“You’re quite skilled at seducing men. Naturally arranging our next meeting.”

“You can refuse if you don’t want to. I only suggested it because you seemed interested in seeing it.”

When Roen spoke as if she didn’t mind his refusal, Jean’s gaze turned strangely cold. It seemed her words had offended him.

“I’m just curious, but have you offered this to others as well?”

Others? Who is he talking about?

“No. Not yet. If you visit the laboratory, you’d be the first.”

She could see his tight expression softening a bit.

What? What made him happy this time?

Roen frowned, unable to understand the reason.

“I’d really like to see this laboratory of yours.”

His low, resonant voice sounded languid. His ice-blue eyes, which had been emitting a cool chill, now held heat and had darkened.

Roen’s cheeks flushed at the sensuality hidden within his ascetic demeanor. A warm sensation spread through her lower abdomen.

Hurriedly composing herself at this unfamiliar feeling, Roen spoke more dryly than usual.

“You’re welcome anytime. But may I ask why you came today?”

She was finally curious about the reason for his visit.

“I came to draw up a contract.”

“Contract? Ah, you mean the contract we discussed in the Recluse’s Forest.”

Roen nodded as if she had just remembered.

“This way, please.”

Roen led Jean to the office at the back of the shop. Meanwhile, Cecil, who had finished cleaning in the basement, opened the door and came out.

“My lady, I’ve finished cleaning. Oh, it seems we have a visitor?”

“Yes. Cecil, could you prepare some tea?”

“Of course. But who is—”

Cecil put down the rag and cleaning supplies and finally turned her head toward where Jean was standing.

“Oh, Duke Reushden?”

With eyes wide in surprise, Cecil looked back and forth between Roen and Jean.

Her face clearly asked what was going on.

“That’s right. Now, go prepare the tea.”

Roen quickly pushed Cecil toward the refreshment room, afraid she might say something unnecessary upon seeing Jean.

“Ah, yes. I’ll prepare it right away.”

However, Cecil couldn’t take her eyes off Jean until the refreshment room door closed.

“Please forgive her rudeness, Duke. She’s not ill-mannered, just overly curious. She was probably surprised to see the Duke exuding such sensuality from the morning.”

Roen spoke lightly in a joking manner as she walked toward the office.

“Do you think so too?”

“About what?”

Roen turned around as she was entering the office at Jean’s question.

“I mean, do you also think that I… am like that?”

What is he trying to ask?

Wait, could it be…

“Ah, you’re curious about how I see you.”

“That’s right. How do you see me? No special meaning, just curiosity.”

It was so adorable how he looked around nervously like an innocent boy while making excuses for asking that one question.

She couldn’t help but cover her mouth, avoiding his gaze. She felt like she might laugh.

Ahem!

Quickly clearing her throat, she answered in her usual voice.

“Of course I think you have excellent looks. I believe street minstrels even compose and sing poems praising your appearance.”

“Minstrels make songs about me?”

“You didn’t know? Ah, of course you wouldn’t. You don’t attend social gatherings. Now that you’ve returned from the battlefield, why not attend some parties? You might meet a beautiful lady there, as if by fate.”

Roen, who had entered the office, offered Jean the chair in front of her.

“Besides, it’s such a waste.”

“What is?”

“You were born with a face like a sculpture, but you’re letting it go to waste. Staying only in your mansion means we can’t see you often. I’m saying this out of regret.”

“So you want to see my face often too?”

“Of course. Beautiful things never become tiresome, no matter how often you see them. Like an exquisite work of art, I’d want to keep it close and look at it.”

Roen took out a piece of parchment from the drawer, leaving Jean standing with a peculiar expression.

“Please sit here.”

After tapping the desk to offer him a seat, Roen neatly spread out the parchment.

Then she opened the ink bottle and dipped the quill pen.

“May I draft the contract?”

Her face became businesslike, completely forgetting their previous conversation in her focus on drafting the contract.

“As you wish.”

Jean’s expression, now seated in the chair, was sullen, unlike before.

‘Why is he like that again?’

Roen glanced at Jean, whose mood had suddenly sunk.

It seemed her words had irritated him again.

‘He can be so unpredictable at times. Is he moody?’

Or perhaps sensitive.

‘Sigh, he’s difficult. Such a difficult personality.’

Roen pretended not to notice and hurriedly began drafting the contract.

“I’ll draft the contract based on what we agreed upon that day.”

Roen began writing on the parchment without hesitation, holding the quill pen.

Jean’s ice-blue eyes darkened with admiration at her elegant handwriting.

“Here, it’s done. I’ve added one special clause at the bottom of the contract. Please read it and then add any clause you wish.”

Roen slid the parchment toward Jean.

Jean scanned the contents of the contract. The content was concise, beyond reproach.

It simply stated that they must help each other three times when in danger.

However, the special clause Roen had added caught his attention.

“What’s this? Who’s taking responsibility for whom?”

At Jean’s observation, a smile appeared on Roen’s lips.

“You said I should take responsibility for taking your first kiss. So this is me saying I’ll take that responsibility. You said you were incredibly conservative, after all.”

Jean shot Roen a suspicious look.

“The contract doesn’t specify how you intend to take responsibility.”

Unlike Roen’s casual attitude, Jean was as serious as a groom drafting a prenuptial agreement.

“Ah, you’ll find out when the time comes. Don’t worry, I’m not asking for your life.”

Roen spoke jokingly again.

“Well, I suppose I shouldn’t object to you taking responsibility. So I just need to add one clause that I want here?”

“Yes.”

Roen dipped the quill pen in ink and handed it to Jean.

Taking the quill, Jean wrote something at the very bottom of the parchment.

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?”

Roen looked at what he had written and glared at him in disbelief.

This phrase was a foreign law that Roen particularly liked.

“You said you’d take responsibility, but since the method isn’t specifically described, I thought I should take at least minimal protective measures.”

At Jean’s words, Roen let out a small sigh.

He was truly a formidable opponent.

He meant that his response would vary depending on how she took responsibility.

“Very well. Let’s do that. Now we just need to sign.”

Roen signed first and then handed the contract to Jean.

After Jean wrote his name, Roen picked up the parchment with a satisfied look to confirm it.

“Now that we’ve written a contract, we’re on the same side. Should we shake hands? If you want to, that is.”

“There’s something better than a handshake.”

“What is—”

The rest of her words were swallowed back. He had half-risen and leaned his head toward her.

His fresh scent filled her nostrils. And the next moment, something moist and soft touched her forehead and then withdrew.

“Huh?”

Roen’s eyes widened in surprise. But Jean sat back down as if nothing had happened.

Only then did Roen realize that what had touched her forehead was his lips.

“What are you—”

Roen’s face turned red instantly.

“What? It’s a kiss of agreement instead of a handshake.”

A kiss of agreement…

Her heart beat as if it weren’t her own. It wasn’t easy to compose her expression after the sudden kiss.

“It’s probably nothing to someone experienced like you. But I hope you won’t forget that for someone conservative like me, it took great courage.”

He was clearly teasing her for being flustered.

Roen quickly composed herself and spoke casually.

“Of course it’s nothing. Kissing is as natural as eating three meals a day.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

He swallowed dryly and replied curtly. His displeasure was evident.

The sunlight pouring in illuminated his face. The slight shadows softened his usual coolness.

But his intense gaze, which seemed to devour her, had a strange power to tickle one’s heart.

The nape of her neck, where his hand had touched earlier while wiping off the black soot, felt hot.

Once again, a tense atmosphere enveloped the two of them. An inevitable, strange sensation made her spine tingle languidly.

‘What should I do? It would be troublesome if it’s like this throughout the contract…’

Her lips became parched under his gaze. She wanted to moisten her dry lips with her tongue, but she couldn’t do so because she was conscious of him.

Roen sat there, unable to move, her gaze captured by his.

Knock knock.

“My lady, I’ve brought the tea.”

At Cecil’s voice, the sharp tension between the two people disappeared as if it had been a lie.

Roen sighed with slight relief and spoke toward the door.

“Come in.”

Soon the door opened, and Cecil, her eyes shining with curiosity, entered.

But Jean rose from his seat without hesitation, as if his business was finished.

“I’ll have to drink the tea next time.”

“What? You’re leaving without drinking the tea I just brought?”

Cecil looked at Jean with a disappointed expression.

“That would be best. We’ll serve you tea when you visit next time.”

Roen supported his decision and stood up as well.

“You should keep that contract.”

Roen nodded, rolled up the parchment, and put it in the drawer.

“Understood. I won’t see you out then. Until next time.”

Roen gave a slight bow from her place, and Jean left the office.

Only Cecil, who had been watching the two, sighed openly.

“He’s leaving without even taking a sip of tea. What a shame.”

“It’s not a shame. He didn’t come here for leisure.”

“Right. What was that contract the Duke mentioned?”

“It’s about the Peacock’s Tears. In exchange, I said I would prescribe medicine for him.”

Cecil gave Roen a strange look at her fabricated excuse.

“You drew up a contract for something like that?”

“The Duke is someone who doesn’t trust others easily, so he wanted even these small details in writing. We also included a clause that we must help each other three times whenever needed.”

However, she didn’t mention that the “help” meant a kiss. It would obviously become troublesome.

Roen desperately hoped that Cecil wouldn’t question it further.

“Well, I suppose that makes sense. Judging by how few people are around him, it might be because of his distrustful nature. By the way, starting tomorrow, ladies will be lining up in front of our shop.”

“What do you mean?”