The Black-haired Noblewoman, Who Disguised Herself, Seems To Have Been Doted On While Serving As The Caretaker For The Duke Who Dislikes Women - Episode 27

After that, I had a meal at a restaurant in the city hosted by the duke, then visited a few more places like nursing homes and care facilities, and returned to the Harrington Duke’s residence at night. While Mr. Curtis went to tidy up the luggage, I was called to the office and thanked by the duke.

“Taking you along was the right decision. You brought joy wherever we went. It must have been a great day for the kids over there too. …Thank you.”

“No, not at all. Thank you very much. It was educational to see various facilities, and I enjoyed interacting with the residents. The Harrington Duchy is truly a wonderful place.”

Those were words from the heart. At several of the facilities we visited, we confirmed that everyone was living healthy days, and both the duke and Mr. Curtis were welcomed with smiles by everyone, without being feared or disliked.

The Duke of Harrington hesitated for a moment and looked at me. Then, the next moment, he broke into a gentle smile.

“I’m glad to hear you say that.”

For some reason, I felt a little flutter in my heart at that smile, so I hurriedly greeted and tried to leave the office. But at that moment, the dust on the corner of the desk caught my eye again.

I hesitated a bit, but I mustered the courage to speak up.

“Um, Your Grace. I apologize for being presumptuous, but may I take the liberty of cleaning this area for a moment?”

“Cleaning? Curtis should have taken care of it.”

“Y-yes. The floor and everything is clean, isn’t it? But, um… I’m a bit concerned about the area around your important desk where you work.”

I was surprised to learn that Mr. Curtis also cleans the office. Since it’s a place where many important documents are kept, they probably don’t want just anyone among the staff to come and go freely.

“If you’re going to do it, then I’ll ask you to.”

“Oh, thank you very much!”

Receiving the words of the expressionless duke, whose emotions I couldn’t quite grasp, I hurriedly went to get a duster and a towel, returned to the office, and efficiently finished cleaning around the desk in front of the duke. After carefully moving the documents and wiping the desk thoroughly, I returned all the documents to their exact places.

The duke was silently watching me. …Maybe he’s trying to see if I’m going to make any strange moves. But honestly, I wouldn’t steal or take any documents, even if he worried so much. Still, I understand his caution. There must be a lot of important documents here, and I’m still just a complete stranger who has only been here for a few weeks.

“It’s done. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

To avoid raising any suspicion, I immediately said that after finishing the cleaning and decided to leave the office. The desk area is spotless, and I’m already satisfied. I definitely want the wonderful duke to work at a clean desk.

“Ah… thank you.”

Saying that, Duke Harrington began skillfully unbuttoning his jacket with just his left hand. Was he hot? Noticing his slightly clumsy movements, I unconsciously moved closer to the duke, quickly unbuttoned the remaining buttons, and gently took off his jacket from his shoulders, being careful not to move his right arm, which was still in a cast.

“I’ll put it here for you.”

Since there was a coat rack at the back of the room, I quickly hung my coat on the hanger and said, “Well then, I will take my leave now,” as I left the room. Before closing the door, I heard the duke clear his throat and mutter, “…Thank you,” once again.

Having cleaned the dust off the desk that had been bothering me, I felt refreshed and walked back to my room with a spring in my step. But then, it suddenly occurred to me.

No, wait a minute… No matter how you look at it, touching the Duke’s body without permission was going too far…

I cleaned efficiently in a short amount of time, and I couldn’t help but act on that feeling of being all spruced up, but I might have overstepped… maybe. When I think about it, it’s only natural for the duke, who dislikes women, to feel uncomfortable if I were to unbutton his clothes or take off his jacket without permission…

I… might have done something really unnecessary…

The moment I realized that, I broke out in a cold sweat from the awkwardness, embarrassment, and the shame of possibly having overstepped my bounds. What should I do…? Maybe the Duke of Harrington is angry with me right now. If he thinks, “That annoying little girl, I let her tag along for a bit and she got all carried away…” or something like that…

Am I… going to be kicked out…?!

Damn it, I overdid it. While I was brooding over such thoughts, I couldn’t sleep well until late at night.

However, the next day, I put in more effort than usual and worked hard all day, only to be called back to the duke’s office again at night.

When I nervously went over, Mr. Curtis handed me a large box again, saying, “Here you go.” Not understanding the meaning, I turned my gaze towards the duke who was facing the desk. Then,

“I noticed when I went on the inspection yesterday. Your shoes are quite worn out. I thought you might need a decent pair of shoes. Try them on later, and if they don’t fit, let me know. I’ll exchange them.”

As usual, the duke, who was flipping through the documents with his left hand, said that without looking at me.

“Ah… thank you very much, Your Grace…!”

My heart is filled with surprise and joy. As I hugged the box with both hands to express my gratitude, the duke, still looking down at the documents, simply said, “Ah.”

Returning to the room, I gently opened the box. Inside were short boots and dress shoes. Both were made of fine leather and were adorably decorated with embroidery, buttons, and lace.

I was relieved to find out that I wasn’t disliked, and at the same time, I was moved by the duke’s thoughtful consideration, which only deepened my feelings of admiration for him.