Can You Save Me Duke? - 8

“Uh, Duke… …?”

As she looked at the Duke’s face, who was holding her in his arms and giving her a sharp look, her throat felt like it was burning.

All of her thoughts seemed to have broken down because of the incident that had happened so quickly.

‘What is my identity? What on earth does that mean?’

Lina stuttered and continued to speak at the Duke’s incomprehensible words.

“I’m Lina. The Duke’s maid… ….”

“… … Lina?”

“Yes!”

However, despite Lina’s self-introduction, the Duke seemed unwilling to let her go, and he closed the distance even closer.

“Duke? This… ….”

She spoke to the Duke who was on top of her. He looked precarious, having just woken up from his slumber.

Leaving her bewildered mind behind, Lina began to grasp the situation.

A man and a woman were in bed together in a confined space. And they were very close together.

‘Something, dangerous.’

Things from that night began to pop out into her head without permission.

The sensation of that day, when she felt like she was being devoured by those yellow eyes, rose up from the tips of her toes.

‘And on top of that, I’m lying in the duke’s bed, and this man is on top of me… … .’

Lina shut her eyes tightly and flinched at the impure thoughts that flashed through her mind.

‘What am I thinking! No!! Stop thinking! Stop!’

“You… … .”

As the duke opened his mouth to speak, the lips of the man who had devoured him that night began to overlap.

“T-stop-!!”

As soon as the duke’s voice was heard, the words that had been lingering in Lina’s head burst out of her mouth. Then she lifted her leg as if she was having a fit.

Bam-!

Everyone has probably kicked the blanket away at least once when they recalled a shameful or embarrassing memory.

Lina did the same. However, unfortunately, her foot hit the duke’s leg.

As Lina struggled, her foot hit the duke’s shin, and a low groan was heard.

“Ugh.”

“Huh, huk. Duke!! Are you okay… … !”

The duke, who was suddenly attacked, fell off Lina. Lina, who was flustered after hearing the duke’s groan, hurriedly got up.

Bam-!

But this time, the duke’s head and Lina’s head collided because he couldn’t dodge it.

“Ouch! … … huk. Th, Duke?! Are you okay?”

The duke, who was hit on the shin and head by Lina, didn’t say anything. He just covered his forehead and stayed still.

A few minutes of cold silence lingered in the bedroom.

The duke soon covered his forehead and moved away from Lina. And Lina quickly got out of bed, not wanting to miss the opportunity.

However, her face, which had ended up beating the duke without her knowing it, was deadpan.

“That, that… …! The duke didn’t move, so… … .”

‘I must be crazy… …! How dare you touch the duke’s body.’

The duke’s face was hidden by his hands, but it was clear that he was frozen hard.

Lina, who was wondering whether to wait for him to say something, slowly stepped back toward the door and said.

“I’m sorry! Your Highness… … ! Then I… … I’ll go now!”

Lina, who was still hesitating at the duke’s unresponsive appearance, wanted to get out of this situation quickly.

‘Oh, I don’t know! Let’s just get out of here quickly… … !’

Before the Duke’s permission was given, Lina ran out of the bedroom.

She slammed the door shut loudly and ran without looking back, arriving at the dorm in no time.

Lina slid down on the door that closed with a bang.

“This time, I might die at the Duke’s hands… … .”

She said it wasn’t intentional, but how could she touch the Duke’s body? This was the most insubordinate act.

“Even without the Duke’s permission, she just left the room.”

However, in that situation, running away was the only thing that came to mind.

“Should I go back now and apologize… … ?”

However, she soon backed off. What would change if she went now and apologized?

“If I go now, I might just get angry… … . Just go early tomorrow morning, kneel down, and apologize!”

I had to apologize unconditionally. That was the only way for her now.

* * *

“Lina, did you leave the incense burner in the Duke’s room yesterday?”

“Yes? Oh, yes… … .”

Lina couldn’t hide her anxiety at Emma’s call as soon as she opened her eyes in the morning.

“Then that’s good. I was worried because there was no news after you went to the Duke’s room yesterday. From now on, don’t go straight to the dorm after finishing work and come to me and report.”

“Yes. I understand. I’ll be careful from now on.”

Lina, who thought she would ask about what happened with the Duke last night, cautiously asked while watching Emma’s expression.

“Um… … By the way, did the Duke say anything?”

“Hmm? Did something happen?”

Emma asked back with an expression that said she didn’t know anything. It seemed that the Duke hadn’t given any specific instructions or hints about what happened last night.

“Oh, no! I just thought the Duke slept well!”

“Well, I don’t know. He’s the type of person who doesn’t show it even when he’s having a hard time. Rather, the Duke went out at dawn today because something urgent came up in the mansion.”

‘So does that mean he’s not at the mansion right now?’

The tension that had been tightening at the fact that the Duke was not at the mansion right now loosened.

“Then when will you be back?”

“I think he’ll be back tonight at the latest. We have to prepare clothes and bath water for the Duke to change into when he comes, so don’t sleep and wait even if you’re tired.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Click-.

“Hoo-.”

Leaving Emma’s room, Lina sighed deeply and thought.

‘It’s fortunate that the Duke isn’t here, but it’s better to get beaten up quickly. I’m anxious, so when will I have to wait until night?’

Outside the window, the sky was covered in gloomy gray clouds that looked like it might rain soon.

“It’s going to rain soon, huh?”

‘Come to think of it, there’s a lot of work left to do? Hang up the laundry that I hung out to dry yesterday… … . I have to close the window too. Haa-. It’s not like worrying about it will solve anything, so let’s think about this later and get back to the things that have piled up.’

* * *

“Duke Lina just passed the gate. Go quickly and prepare some clothes to change into and some warm water.”

“Yes. I understand.”

‘You’re coming in past midnight, I’m so tired.’

In order to calm her anxious mind, Lina had been working frantically since morning, but her anxious mind had long since disappeared due to her heavy eyelids and body.

‘Let’s finish up what we have to do quickly, and if we see the Duke, let’s just apologize! Are you really going to kill me?’

Lina, whose courage was only heightened by fatigue, hurried to the bedroom with the Duke’s clothes to change into.

As she reached the third-floor hallway, she could clearly hear the sound of the cloth fluttering.

“Wind… …?”

Lina walked towards the sound. Then, the window in the middle of the hallway was wide open, welcoming her.

The curtains fluttered loudly as the wind blew through the open door, showing off its presence.

“Who on earth opened the window at this hour of the night?”

Lina hurriedly approached the window to stop the wind.

However, the cold air that suddenly rushed in sent the clothes she was holding flying towards the end of the hallway.

“Ah!”

Lina hurriedly closed the window and ran to pick up the clothes that had fallen on the floor, bending down.

As she was constantly shaking off her clothes to see if they had gotten dust on them, a person approached her.

“Who is it?”

The first thing she saw was a pair of luxurious men’s shoes that looked wet as if they had been rained on.

And before she could confirm the owner of the shoes, a familiar-looking hand suddenly popped out and picked up the clothes.

“Your Majesty… … Sir?”

He looked down at Lina, who was sitting on the floor. For a moment, time seemed to have stopped, and only silence filled the space between them.

Lina, who came to her senses again when the wind blew in, said.

“Ah. Bring me new clothes… … .”

“Okay.”

Then the duke pushed the clothes in front of Lina again.

Lina, who had been staring blankly at the duke’s hand held out in front of her, reached out to receive the clothes. Warm body heat passed through her fingertips.

‘What? Just now… … .’

For a moment, she felt as if the duke’s fingertips had brushed her fingers. Feeling strange for no reason, Lina looked at the duke. However, the man’s expression was as calm as usual.

‘Is it a mistake… … ?’

“Weren’t you going to my room?”

“… … Yes? Oh, yes.”

Lina, who was following the duke to the bedroom, looked at the duke, who had not mentioned anything about last night, in a puzzled manner.

‘More importantly, why didn’t you say anything… … ?’

After putting her clothes on the bed and filling the bathtub with warm water, Lina cautiously spoke to the Duke.

“Duke. The bath water is ready.”

“Yes.”

‘I guess it would be easier to be forgiven if I apologize first… … ?’

Lina hesitated and opened her mouth to bring up last night.

“I… … . Yes, yesterday… … .”

“I’m tired. Let’s go.”

“Oh, yes! Then, get some rest.”

Lina tilted her head after closing the door to the Duke’s guest room and leaving.

‘It seems like I cut you off on purpose… … ?’

Lina, who thought that she didn’t need to speak first since the Duke didn’t say much, dragged her tired body and walked.

The night passed, morning came, and the next day came, but the Duke didn’t say anything to Lina. As if he had no memory of that day.

‘Are you just going to let it go?’

If he had been going to punish him, the knights would have stormed in that night and dragged him to the dungeon.

‘Or do you remember?

Can’t you… …? Yes. You might think it was a dream. Since it happened while you were sleeping, you might not have thought it was real!’

“Then, does this just mean it never happened?”

After watching for a few days, the Duke’s attitude was no different than before.

‘Even your complexion looked pretty good?’

The problem that had been troubling Lina seemed to have been solved.

For some reason, Lina thought the Duke wouldn’t make a fuss about this, so she walked down the hallway with a much lighter step.

Lina, who sometimes jumped up and down, even looked excited.

“Your expression has loosened up.”

Until a familiar low-pitched voice was heard from behind the corner.

‘!!!’

Lina’s joyful footsteps stopped as if they were blocked by an invisible wall.

She moved her stiff neck like an unoiled iron door and looked to the side. Then, the Duke was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and looking down at Lina.

“Duke… …?”

“I was watching you because it was fun to see you looking around like a scared mouse.”

The Duke, who had been leaning against the wall, got up and took a step toward Lina.

“Why, did you think I would just let it go?”