Can You Save Me Duke? - 11

Early in the morning. Belege, who had woken up, turned his head to the rustling sound coming from the bedside.

When did she fall asleep? Lina was lying in an uncomfortable position with her eyes closed, breathing evenly.

‘I guess she fell asleep here.’

Does she know that this is his bedroom? Her face, deeply asleep, was peaceful.

The duke carefully examined the maid’s face. From her forehead to her eyes and lips. It was clear that she had seen it all for the first time since coming to the mansion.

‘Why does it feel so familiar?’

Belege stretched out her arm. To look at the maid’s face in more detail. Her shallow breath brushed his skin.

And her slightly stiff hair tangled with his fingers.

The refreshing energy radiating from the maid spread through his fingertips and throughout his body.

Very slowly, as if a drizzle was seeping into the hem of his clothes.

The clear air seemed to calm the blood boiling inside his body.

“Haa-.”

Belege’s eyelids fluttered as he exhaled a full breath.

“But what about that dream earlier… … .”

Belige’s brow furrowed involuntarily as he recalled his memories. The nightmare he hadn’t had in a while felt unfamiliar, but more than that.

“What were those sensations?”

Belige muttered, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists.

It was strange. That the nightmares that had tormented him for so long were so vividly remembered.

It seemed as if the unpleasant sensations that had clung to his entire body and made him feel sticky were still lingering in his body.

The strange crying sound that hit his ears. The rotten smell that stung his nose. All of those things made the tips of Belge’s feet tingle.

No matter how much he struggled and screamed, nothing changed. He mercilessly cut down those who rushed at him, and even after cutting them again, it was no use.

It was as if he had fallen into a swamp from which he could not escape. They only choked Belge’s breathing.

Would he be suffocated by this nightmare? A ray of light descended upon him as he was in despair.

The light brightly illuminated his surroundings, and instantly relieved those things that were strangling him.

And when he opened his eyes in that warm light,

The maid was there.

The relief of being free from that place was short-lived, and Belige began to wander, unable to tell the difference between reality and dreams.

Even after opening his eyes, his body trembled at the unpleasant sensations that remained on his skin and the strange sounds that sounded like tinnitus.

He was scared.

He woke up from the dream, but the dregs of the nightmare still seemed to be slowly strangling his neck along his toes.

Until he felt the warmth wrapping around his cold hands.

The silence of the noise that made his head dizzy disappear. And the stability that felt like a lie.

[“I’ll be by your side.”]

Her voice calmed Belige’s heart, which was tossed by rough waves.

[“Don’t be anxious, Duke.”]

A peaceful voice, like the wind blowing through the leaves.

It was the first time. The person who had said that to him, who was alone.

A warm light seeped into his heart that had been empty and cold for a long time.

He put his lips on the back of her hand and took a deep breath.

Desperately, as if he had stopped breathing for a long time.

The man’s golden eyes gleamed with a dazzling light and rested on Lina’s face.

“Finally.”

He found it. The light he had been waiting for a long time.

‘This light that I have finally found. My hope.’

He will not let her go.

“Never.”

His low voice was filled with desire. It was earnest, persistent, and very earnest.

* * *

Twitch-.

Warm morning sunlight seeped into the room along with the chirping of birds. Lina covered her face with the blanket, perhaps because she didn’t like the sunlight that disturbed her long-awaited sleep.

“Ugh. It’s dazzling. Who left the window open… … .”

But soon after, her eyes, which had been grumbling under the blanket, opened wide.

“Huh!!”

Lina jumped out of bed and looked out the window.

“Morning… … ?”

The sky, which should have been dark, was shining brightly, welcoming Lina.

“What, what is it… … !”

She hurriedly looked around. The luxurious atmosphere in the room told her that it wasn’t Lina’s room.

‘Isn’t this the Duke’s bedroom?!’

Lina bit her lip, realizing that she had fallen asleep in the Duke’s room last night.

‘When on earth did, I fall asleep? And why am I in bed?!’

Looking at the white blanket covering her body, she seemed to have had a good night’s sleep.

Lina silently blamed herself and looked around the bedroom to find the owner of the room.

However, fortunately or unfortunately, the duke was nowhere to be seen.

“I don’t know what happened, but let’s get out quickly.”

It would be bad for anyone to see her leaving the duke’s bedroom with a face that looked like she had just woken up. Lina quickly got out of bed and straightened her clothes.

‘Behave as naturally as possible. Naturally.’

As she quietly walked out, a familiar voice was heard from behind her.

“Are you awake?”

“Whoa!”

The bathroom door suddenly opened and the duke appeared, looking wet as if he had just come out of the shower.

“Duke, duke?”

“Where are you going, like a burglar cat?”

“T, that… … .”

She trailed off, not knowing what to say to the duke.

Belige, who had been staring at Lina indifferently, wiped her hair with a towel and spoke monotonously.

“Don’t worry about today’s incident. I don’t intend to hold you responsible.”

The duke’s calm demeanor was strange, but it was fortunate for her.

At that moment, the duke picked up a shirt that was neatly laid out to change his clothes. Lina approached him as usual to serve him.

However, he buttoned up his shirt himself, as if he didn’t need her help.

‘What’s going on? You’re getting dressed all by yourself?’

“Let’s go inside and rest for today.”

The duke’s voice, which had even been fastening the cuffs of his sleeves, echoed throughout the room.

“Lina.”

“Yes?”

Lina thought she had misheard.

‘Just now… … .’

It was surprising that he had told her to take a day off, but what was even more surprising was that.

‘Did you call me by my name?’

Lina, who had always called her ‘hey, you, maid’ as if she didn’t know the two letters of the word ‘Lina’, was the duke. But now he suddenly called her by her name.

She was so flustered that she forgot to answer and just stood there blankly, so the duke asked her again.

“You don’t like it?”

“Yes? Oh, no. Thank you.”

Lina was taken aback when she not only got a scolding from the duke, but even got a short vacation.

* * *

A sudden vacation. However, on that golden day, the only place she could go was the stables.

“I would like to go to the village and buy some things I need… … . I should just go see the horses.”

She wouldn’t be able to ride the horse like she did back then, but it was nice to just feed it and pet it. She had wanted to come to the stables several times in the past, but she had never been able to come because she didn’t have time to go to the annex.

When Lina arrived at the stables with light steps after a long time.

“Huh?”

A young man stroking the horses caught her eye.

“Henry?”

The man who had been turning his back to her voice turned around. The tall man with light brown hair waved happily when he found Lina.

“Lina!”

Lina almost ran towards Henry.

“When on earth did you come back?!”

“It’s only been a few days since I came back. I wanted to say hello to you so I went to the main office a few times, but you were always at the Duke’s.”

Lina seemed to have been at odds with Henry because she was always by the Duke’s side.

“It’s a good thing we met now, right? Did you come back?”

“Yeah. I’m planning on staying here for a while.”

Henry was the son of Rick, the stable keeper, and one of the few children who was friendly to Lina. And last year, he left for the capital to learn blacksmithing.

“You seem like a different person.”

Henry’s appearance, which had grown from a boy to a man, felt unfamiliar.

“You’re the same as that. Are you eating properly?”

Here, she was twenty-four years old. However, her appearance still looked like that of an eighteen-year-old girl. Lina swallowed a bitter laugh at Henry’s words.

“More than that, you became the Duke’s exclusive maid? I heard you’re quite trusted.”

“What… … . Should I call that trust?”

Henry ruffled Lina’s hair as she spoke awkwardly.

“I thought you’d definitely do well, Lina.”

Henry always treated Lina like a younger sister, even though they were the same age.

‘That’s why the maids who liked Henry bullied me the most.’

Because Henry took special care of Lina, she often became the target of jealousy from others.

“But you said something big happened recently… … ?”

“Something big?”

Henry said with a pretended serious expression.

“Are you talking about Susan getting kicked out?”

“Yeah. I heard that you almost got into trouble because of that.”

“Ah… … . You heard? But it’s okay. It’s already over. More importantly, tell me about your life in the capital!”

Henry, who was relieved to see Lina talking as if it was nothing, started talking about what happened in the capital.

How much time had passed? Henry and Lina were chatting away without even realizing that the sun was setting.

Suddenly, they heard a horse neighing behind them and felt a presence.

“Henry? What’s wrong?”

He stopped talking to Lina and stared at her as if he was surprised. She followed Henry’s gaze and looked back.

“Duke?”

When she returned to the mansion, Blige was holding Thunder’s reins and quietly looking at Lina.

“Is that the Duke… … ?”

When Henry asked, Lina nodded. Embarrassed, he hurriedly bowed and greeted her.

“Your Majesty! Nice to meet you. I used to work in the stables… … .”

However, Belige lightly ignored Henry’s words and approached Lina. Then she waved to Henry.

.

“You.”

“Yes… … ? Oh, yes!”

“Take this horse in.”

“… … Yes! Understood!”

Henry received the reins with a brisk gesture. He then made a gesture to the stable, indicating that they would talk later.

Lina nodded to Henry as if she understood, and looked at the duke standing in front of him.

However, the duke’s expression darkened suddenly.

“Why are you here?”

“… … Yes?”

The duke fiercely pressed Lina.

‘Why do you look so angry? Did something bad happen outside?’

An ominous feeling for no reason crept up Lina’s ankles. Lina soon looked at him and answered cautiously.

“I just came out for a walk.”

“Really?”

‘Why are you so anxious?’

The cold air coming from the Duke made her think deeply about what she had done wrong.

“Well, that’s fortunate. I needed you just in time.”

Lina’s shoulders flinched at the Duke’s words that were like a bolt from the blue.

“Huh? But the Duke said I could rest today… … .”

“That’s right. But.”

The Duke lifted Lina’s chin, who had a puzzled expression, and muttered.

“Not now.”

As expected, Lina’s ominous premonition was not wrong.