Can You Save Me Duke? - 28

The Permanence mansion had been buzzing with stories about Lina and the Duke recently. That’s why the maids were all gathered in the kitchen, chatting away.

“Is it love?”

Someone said in a dispirited voice.

A few days after Lina returned to the mansion with the Duke.

The brooch she had allegedly stolen was a gift from the Duke, and Lina had left the mansion for a while and had an accident and was receiving treatment, so she had not returned.

But no one believed her.

“Lina stole it and ran away, but the Duke turned a blind eye to it. He loves Lina.”

The kitchen maid, Rilda, said with confidence.

“And our Duke, who was so cold. How are you now? You’ve returned to your original state, haven’t you?”

Everyone nodded in agreement with her words.

“Then what should we do now?”

Latte covered her mouth with her hand and asked worriedly.

“What should we do! We should bow down. We could lose our heads at Lina’s one word right now.”

At those words, the expressions of the maids who had joined in tormenting Lina and those who had not changed dramatically.

“Would Lina really do that…?”

“That’s right! Lina wasn’t that evil of a child, was she?”

“Why did those who knew that torment a quiet child like that?”

Latte shouted at those words, getting angry.

“Wow, Roen! Isn’t Roen in more trouble than us?”

“Oh, what about him?”

Rilda twisted the corners of her mouth and muttered in a voice full of laughter.

“I guess it’s over,”

“It’s nice. I didn’t want to see her like Susan anyway.”

“That’s right. How nice it would be if Lina cleaned it up now?”

The maids who had been complaining about Roen all this time began to add their words one by one.

Roen, who was listening to the other maids’ conversations behind the wall, returned to her room and roughly closed the door.

Kwaang-!

Then she threw what she was holding onto the floor.

She threw it so hard that the wooden floor cracked. Rolling on the floor was the brooch that had caused a commotion in the mansion.

“Nonsense-!”

Her voice was filled with resentment.

“What? You gave it to Lina as a gift?”

Then what on earth was that thing rolling on the floor? Roen looked at the cracked brooch with cold eyes.

‘I was going to bring it to Lina’s room if it came to that… …!’

Now that the Duke had said he had given her a gift, there was no use.

Now there was nothing she could do with it. She had to get rid of it as soon as possible before anyone saw it.

And now Lina was no longer in the same situation as herself. A strange sense of inferiority and jealousy consumed her.

* * *

Inside the carriage heading to Harren Estate.

Lina’s neck started to stiffen as she stared through the window.

She wanted to loosen her stiff neck and shoulders right away, but she couldn’t turn her head to the side.

‘Why on earth.’

Lina glanced inside the carriage. Then, she caught a glimpse of the duke sitting diagonally across from her.

‘Are you going by carriage?… ….’

This morning. The duke, who she had assumed would ride a horse, got into the carriage with her.

And at that moment. Lina wanted to ride a horse instead of that man.

What’s more, the carriage, which had been designed to maximize mobility, was so narrow that if the two stretched out their feet just a little, their bodies would touch.

‘I didn’t think the two of them would go in such a narrow place.’

It was impossible for the duke and lina to chat while going.

And.

A man stared at her as if he was going to stab her as he watched the duke get on the carriage.

‘Did you say Lawrence?’

I heard that the man with dark blue hair and brown eyes was the duke’s right-hand man.

‘No wonder he hates me.’

How many people would really like the woman who was called the mistress of the person they were serving?

I had never spoken to him before, but he definitely hated me.

She must have just been looking at the scenery that changed every moment for a long time. Belige, who was sitting across from her, opened his mouth.

“Your name.”

“Yes?”

She asked Belige, who had blurted out an unknown word.

“What’s your real name?”

“Ah.”

Since he knew that her identity was a lie, he must have thought that she had a real name.

“Lina. My real name is my real name.”

But her real name was ‘Lina.’ Since she opened her eyes 400 years ago, and until now. It was such a common name, there were many people with the same name.

Like the child named Lina that she had brought with her under false pretenses.

“How old are you?”

“Age… … .”

Lina trailed off as if she was embarrassed. She was wondering whether she should say her age higher or lower.

“My age is correct. Twenty-four.”

However, she had already worked at the mansion for several years, so she thought it would be difficult to lower her age further, so she said yes. She was originally over 400 years old.

“Lina. Twenty-four… … .”

Belige muttered in a small voice to what she had said. Then he didn’t ask any more questions, as if he was not interested.

Lina, who had been nervous that he would ask more about her past, asked him in surprise.

“Aren’t you going to ask me more?”

At that, Belige and Lina’s eyes, who had been staring blankly into space, met.

“It doesn’t matter. Whoever you were.”

He had an indifferent expression on his face, as if he really didn’t care.

“More than that.”

“Yes.”

“I think my head hurts a little.”

The man touched his forehead and mumbled in a low voice.

“Ah. Then should I stop the carriage? Get out and get some fresh air for a bit-.”

“No.”

Belige tapped the empty seat next to him with his finger and looked at Lina.

“Come here.”

“… … Yes?”

Lina looked back and forth between the empty seat in front of her and the peacock with a puzzled expression.

‘Why are you suddenly acting like that again… … . Ah.’

Then she remembered Belige whispering to her in the garden.

[When you’re next to me, the heavy air becomes lighter.]

[When I hold your hand, my dizzy head clears up.]

[I don’t have any more hellish nightmares.]

‘I pretended to know for nothing.’

When the man found out about the curse, he started making demands on Lina without warning.

Hold my hand because my head hurts. Don’t leave until I fall asleep because I’m going to have a nightmare. Rub my shoulder because I’m not feeling well, etc.

She had to stay by the duke’s side all day with excuses that didn’t work.

She briefly cursed her past self who had talked about the duke’s curse.

“What are you doing?”

As if asking why she was still there, Bellige gave her a suspicious look. Lina pretended not to be able to resist and moved.

However, she desperately pressed her butt against the wall opposite the duke, maintaining the maximum distance. The duke, who had been quietly watching Lina, muttered once more.

“You should come here.”

He patted the empty space between the man and Lina.

‘How did someone suddenly become so sly?’

Where did the man who used to press her like he was going to eat her go? He had become someone she had never seen before.

It seemed like he would be like that until she got closer to him.

In the end, Lina let out a sigh and carefully pulled her hips closer to the duke.

‘A little more.’

Lina moved her body as if she had no choice but to listen to his words. When Lina got close to him, he finally seemed satisfied and stopped saying anything.

‘Haa-.’

Lina let out a sigh inside. It was related to the curse of the family. It was no different from saying that it was related to the duke’s life.

‘For now, I’ve decided to do whatever the duke wants, so I’ll follow him obediently… … .’

It couldn’t go on like this forever. Lina glanced at the duke.

The moment the duke lets his guard down, she’ll run away with the ring. That was Lina’s plan.

sHe had already given up on leaving the mansion through the normal procedure. The Duke would probably never let her go.

He had to get out of here before that happened because he would eventually find out that she was immortal.

‘It shouldn’t take long… … .’

Lina muttered to herself and slowly closed her eyes.

How much time had passed? Thanks to running all night, the carriage had already entered the Harren County.

Bellige looked at Lina, who was sleeping on his shoulder, as the sun rose in the early morning. The refreshing energy emanating from her seemed to purify his body.

Purrrrrrrr-.

The carriage soon stopped with a horse’s neigh, indicating that it had reached its destination.

“The Duke has arrived… … .”

Permission to open the door was given, and Lawrence’s mouth hardened as he tried to tell the Duke that he had arrived.

The maid leaning on the duke’s shoulder and closing her eyes, and the duke looking at the woman with pleasure.

Lawrence looked at Lina’s head with eyes that seemed to kill him. Did he sense such a strong gaze?

The maid who had been fidgeting opened her eyes. Then she stepped aside next to the duke in surprise.

“I’m sorry! I dozed off… … .”

Lina’s ears turned red from embarrassment.

However, the duke ignored her apology and got out of the carriage with light movements. Lina was about to get out of the carriage with the duke.

Outside the carriage door, Bellige reached out to Lina. He looked like a gentleman escorting a noble lady.

However, Lina was not entirely happy to see him like that. Instead, she looked at the man with a bit of resentment in her eyes.

When the maid hesitated for a long time and did not take his hand, the duke muttered.

“Take it.”

Lina, who could not refuse the hand that Belige extended, carefully took his hand.

As she got out of the carriage, she could feel dozens of eyes fixed on her. Lina could not raise her head, feeling as if she had become an animal in a zoo.

What kind of gaze would she receive and live in this mansion from now on?

It was vivid as if it was unfolding before her eyes.

Suddenly, Lina felt a stinging sensation on the back of her head and turned around. Then, she saw Lawrence glaring at her with even more fierce eyes than before she left.

‘Ah, I want to go home. ‘

Lina was already starting to feel tired.

And Count Harren and his people, who were watching the two of them being affectionate, thought.

The rumors that were shaking up the empire were true.

The misunderstandings were growing even more serious.