13. Solo in the bedroom
When she returned to the bedroom, it finally felt like the long day was over. Chloe had finished getting ready, changed into her pajamas, and was about to lay down on the bed after putting on her hair wrap.
“Little Madam.”
The small voice of the maid who had gone out to help with the business was heard again from outside the door. Was there something she had missed? Chloe struggled to raise her body that she was trying to lie down and opened her mouth softly.
"What's the matter?"
The maid opened the door and came in, trying hard to hide her hesitation and opening her mouth politely.
“The master asks you to come into the bedroom for a moment.”
Chloe turned her head, her eyebrows furrowed, to look at the cream-colored door that connected the two bedrooms. The owner of the bedroom across the door seemed to have no intention of letting her sleep.
“Tell him I’ll be ready soon.”
It was when Chloe tried to hide her sigh and opened her mouth calmly.
“Is that necessary?”
As the door opened wide and Damien appeared, the maid and Chloe's heads turned at the same time. The maid quickly lowered her head at the sight of the Duke wearing only a loose shirt and a robe, and Chloe got out of bed, clutching the blanket tightly.
“This is not a time when we need to be polite to each other and dress neatly.”
Chloe's neck, exposed above her beige lace nightgown, burned.
“Well, then I’ll take my leave now...”
The maid, who looked younger than Chloe, blushed and quickly disappeared. They must have seemed like an affectionate couple, but she was in no position to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Aren’t you coming, Duchess?”
Chloe bit the flesh in her mouth and then let go as she looked at Damien, who was leaning against the open door.
“I am on my way now, Your Excellency.”
As she reached for her cane, his soft voice drew her back again.
“Yes, don’t worry about appearances and just come.”
Chloe turned her head sharply and looked at him, her thick eyelashes cocked upward. Damien asked again, meeting her eyes that glared at him in silent protest.
“Can’t you get out of bed without a cane?”
“...It’s not easy. I might end up rolling around.”
The legs, which had no strength below the knees, could not support the ground. The Duke acted as if he had to hear the truth directly from Chloe.
“Would you like that?”
“It would be cute.”
Chloe snatched the cane away, ignoring his mocking words. Damian stared at her as she walked into his bedroom, then closed the door as soon as Chloe entered his space.
Only after the heavy door closed with a dull thud could Chloe look into Damien's bedroom, which she had first entered. The wallpaper was dark blue, and the golden draperies here and there added to the feeling of grandeur. Her room was by no means splendid, but the antique furniture here was clearly the work of the best craftsmen.
“Sit down.”
Damien gestured to her, his back turned to the crackling fireplace. Chloe sat down hesitantly on the long chair opposite him, where he was sitting on a single chair. The long apple-like sofa was slightly worn. Chloe tried to open her mouth, feeling the soft velvet brushing against her bare legs under her pajamas.
“It’s late at night. Do you have something urgent to see me through?”
“What urgent business do you think a couple might have in the middle of the night?”
Chloe blinked rapidly and swallowed dryly. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and her heart raced, feeling anxious that something she had been trying to put off as long as possible might happen tonight.
“I wanted to reward you for faithfully fulfilling your duties as a Duchess.”
“I don’t really have anything...”
“You cleaned up Ellie and Robbie right in front of my eyes.”
Chloe's lips parted slightly at the unexpected words.
“...were you aware of their infidelity?”
“Cheating is annoying. It’s even more annoying when you have to turn a blind eye to it.”
“...”
“You look like you don’t understand why I turned a blind eye to them.”
Damien chuckled, having accurately identified Chloe's feelings.
“To be honest, yes.”
“I love my mother.”
Damien burst into laughter again, this time at her silence.
“Is that such a surprise?”
“I wasn’t surprised.”
“You had a face of astonishment.”
Chloe felt sweat forming on her palms and grabbed the hem of her pajamas. To be honest, he was right. The reason he let go of the servant's infidelity was because her mother favored them. Who would make such an irrational choice?
“My mother is pure and capricious, but she gave birth to me.”
“...”
“That’s pretty good too?”
Chloe suspected that the Duke had not called her this night simply to show off, but the Duke remained silent for a moment after saying his last words.
“You won’t admit it.”
“You don’t seem to like it when I keep praising you, Your Excellency?”
“It depends.”
What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Has he forgotten that whenever she complimented him politely, he would always call her a sugar-coated brat?
“Now is an intimate time between a couple.”
“So?”
“I’m asking what you think about my appearance.”
“Excuse me, Your Excellency, but are you joking with me?”
“I'm serious.”
Chloe couldn't understand the Duke's whims, but she decided that she had to say something to end this situation quickly.
“Princess Priscilla’s beauty is known to all the people of the kingdom. In addition to bestowing the Duke with both external beauty and outstanding ability, I could clearly feel her love for her son... I was very surprised.”
“Chloe.”
He crossed his legs and a bright smile appeared on his face again.
“You think you’re really good at talking nonsense.”
Damien continued speaking without even suppressing his laughter.
“You’re wrong. It shows on your face.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to work harder in the future.”
The small voice that she spoke was the maximum resistance that Chloe could muster from the depths of her stomach. Damian watched her like that and finally got up. When he handed her something on the bed, Chloe looked up and looked at him.
“I thought I should give you something better than the cane you keep losing.”
Chloe stared at what he was holding in his hand. It was a long object, made up of small pieces of wood and iron, the size of a palm, and it looked heavy at first glance.
“What is this?”
“It’s an assistive device. If you use it well, you can walk comfortably without a cane. It’ll take some time to get used to it, though.”
"...Thank you."
“Try it.”
Chloe didn't move, just holding the brace handed to her by the Duke. She barely opened her mouth after his order was given again.
“Later.”
“Do it now, Chloe. Otherwise, I won’t be able to see it.”
All Chloe wanted was a staff. Even that was just an impulsive remark, wishing for the Duke and his army to return safely from the war.
“Thank you for giving me the gift. But I think it depends on the recipient’s feelings.”
She didn't know how to use the unfamiliar object, and she hated the idea of limping and falling down. How much more would the Duke have to exploit her weaknesses to be satisfied?
“Was it your will to have a secret meeting with a servant in first class?”
The color drained from Chloe's face at the cold rebuke that came without warning.
“What are you talking about now?”
“I am asking if it was your intention to bring your favorite servant, whom you have exchanged guest rooms for, into my domain.”
Chloe frowned and asked him, how on earth did he know that?
“...Are you perhaps keeping me under surveillance?”
“If you have Tisse’s name, information will come pouring in from all directions even if you don’t want it. There are even those who dare to ask for money while leaking untrue stories, but judging by your expression, it must be true.”
Chloe bit her lip and faced him.
“Gray has been a loyal servant in our household since he was little.”
“Eliza was the one who breastfed me, but she was the one who stabbed our family in the back of the head.”
Chloe wanted to raise her voice in front of the Duke and say that this was a different situation, but it was obvious that he would retort that there was no difference between the two.
“I beg you to stop insulting me.”
Chloe's breathing became hot. She felt resentful of the ridiculous misunderstanding. Damien tilted his head and looked at her as if he was appreciating her. Then he slowly opened his lips.
“I saw a porter at the train station who was handling his horse so well. He looked like a foreigner, but he looked straight at me with such boldness that I couldn’t help but notice him.”
Chloe's hazel eyes shook irritably. Could it be that Gray is still here? Hasn't he returned to Verdier's estate?
“It seems like he's settled in here. Since you can’t stay at Birch Castle, he's decided to guard his lady at the train station? That’s quite the chivalry.”
“Is it really true that Gray is here?”
“I guess you didn’t know. If that expression isn’t an act.”
Given Gray's personality, it is quite possible that he could not leave easily because he was worried about his ill mistress, but he was not a child so reckless as to worry the Viscount of Verdier. So, could it be that Gray completely quit working at Verdier Castle and came back here?
Chloe wanted to go to the train station right away and meet Gray and ask him what was going on. She was also worried that he was adjusting well in this city where he didn't know anyone, and that he was being treated badly because he was so quiet and didn't complain.
“Why, do you want to run to the train station right now and have a tearful reunion with your servant?”
Chloe took a sharp breath as the Duke sneered as if he had seen right through her. She could hold back her sarcasm, but she had to prevent the Duke from making any negative assumptions about Gray and her. This was a matter of the Duchess’s honor and the honor of her family.
“Your Excellency.”
As Chloe hurriedly opened her mouth, Damien buried his upper body deeper into the sofa.
“I do not believe that you have neglected your duties as a Duchess and insulted me.”
Damien again hit on exactly what Chloe was worried about.
“That can’t be true.”
“Chloe von Tisse.”
When her name was called, Chloe's small shoulders trembled involuntarily. In the kingdom, adultery by a woman was grounds for divorce. She could swear that she had done nothing wrong that would humiliate the Tisse family, but she couldn't help but feel nervous in front of her completely unpredictable husband. The man who would not tolerate even the slightest provocation from her lifted his lips with the most generous expression in the world.
“Walk in front of me.”
Chloe finally ended her hesitation. Damien stared intently at her as she lifted her nightgown with trembling hands, revealing her pale right leg, as dry as a tree branch. He didn’t say a word as he watched her struggle to stuff the unfamiliar object into her knee, as she struggled to tighten the screws on her loose brace. He just stared at her.
Chloe finally got up from her seat after successfully putting on the brace. She took a few laborious steps towards Damien, who was still sitting there like a painting. As she staggered and dragged her feet, Damien muttered quietly.
“Lift up your clothes so I can see.”
Chloe did as he said. There was nothing left to hide since her already unattractive legs were exposed. No, she rolled up the hem of her skirt and lifted it up to above her knees.
Crunch. Crunch.
The Duke's sharp eyebrows were drawn together between his eyebrows. She did not know how to hide his gaze. The way he observed her steps and the rattling of the brace on her bare legs made him look like a wild beast hunting prey.
The leg with the brace fixed felt heavy as if a boulder was hanging from it. In addition, the screws would tighten and dig into the skin every time she moved, causing excruciating pain. Chloe suspected that the Duke had made this object to torture her.
“Ah...!”
Eventually, she fell to the floor. The beautiful tapestry and fluffy fox fur carpet did nothing to ease the pain. It was inevitable that a small moan would escape Chloe's lips.
The Duke finally approached her. Instead of taking her hand as she struggled to get up, he took her skinny ankle in his hand. The hunter's hand, with its blue veins pulsing, slowly ran down her calf and down to her braced knee.
The screws loosened one by one along his hand, revealing reddened skin.
“Let go.”
As Chloe barely managed to whisper, the brace finally came off with a click. Chloe gasped for breath as she felt the chains being released. Damien looked at her and asked in a dry tone.
“What was the most inconvenient thing?”
Chloe's small jaw clenched tightly. She wasn't naive enough to expect pity from him, who was so cruel. But she was fed up with him saying what he wanted to say, without any regard for her suffering.
“...It’s an unnecessary thing to me.”
“Once you get used to it, it will be the opposite. Instead, it will take some time and effort.”
Why on earth would he do this to her? Chloe was not used to change. It was honestly suffocating to have to bear the weight of the Duchess. And yet, she couldn't understand why he was trying to knock her down and trample her like this, as she struggled to adapt to this reality.
The brace fell to the floor, but the Duke's hand still remained on her skinny leg. He watched with interest as Chloe's neat eyebrows twitched and his hand moved over her bare leg.
“It seems like it’s not just a bone problem, but a complete lack of sensation.”
“Your Excellency, I beg you. Please stop now.”
When Chloe earnestly asked him, Damien finally removed his hands from her legs. He put his hands under Chloe's arms and lifted her up easily. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Chloe quickly found her cane and gripped it tightly. If only she could, she felt a vicious urge to swing the cane and hit him.
“Then good night, Your Excellency.”
It was the moment when Chloe was greeted with cloudy eyes and approached the door of the connected bedroom. Her body turned lightly. Chloe looked up at him with trembling eyes, trapped between the thick door and Damien's body.
“Do you have anything to say?”
Are you not done insulting me yet? Damien tilted his head towards Chloe, who was biting her lips tightly, and met her eyes.
“Are you crying?”
“Why me?”
Damien smiled faintly as he watched her accept it without the slightest hesitation. Then he raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears forming in her eyes.
“Yes. It doesn’t suit a Duchess to whine like a child.”
When she saw Damien savoring the taste of her own tears on the tips of his fingers, her heart pounded as if it were going to burst. Chloe couldn't hold back her trembling voice and ended up spitting it out.
“The Duke is like a devil.”
“I haven’t even shown you my true devil-like form yet?”
It felt like she was trapped in Damien's pupils, which were like a lake with no depth. Chloe clenched her fists and raised her voice to escape from him.
“Then you can just never show it...!”
Her words faltered at the touch of his lips. Chloe’s long eyelashes fluttered. Damien didn’t even give her a chance to close her eyes. His hand, sliding up, gripped her small hand tightly.
“How does it feel to kiss a guy you call the devil?”
Her heart was pounding and her breathing was ragged. Her lips were parched and she felt like she was going to burst into tears.
“It’s unpleasant.”
“I don’t think so.”
“It’s unpleasant...!”
Damien kissed her again, deeply. Chloe realized too late that it was a question that already had an answer.
“I’ll ask you again. How are you feeling?”
As their wet lips barely parted, Damien placed Chloe's hand on her chest and asked her. The pounding heartbeat under her thin nightgown was transmitted through his hand.
“My heart is pounding.”
“Keep going.”
“Run fast. Run hard enough that it hurts.”
“Do you feel like your whole body is burning up as if someone has thrown a spark into your stomach? Does your blood flow so fast that you can’t control your breathing, and does it feel like your heart is going to burst out of your stomach?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Chloe nodded without denying his words that expressed her feelings exactly. That was because it was an unbearable discomfort that she had never felt towards anyone before. Instead of getting angry at her words, Damien smiled in satisfaction.
“Then can we leave now, Your Excellency the Duke?”
“Of course, Duchess.”
Damien stretched out one arm and opened the door.
“Good night.”
Chloe ran to the bedroom and slammed the door shut with all her might, locking it. She thought she could hear Damien laughing behind the door. Chloe jumped up and flipped over the portrait hanging in the bedroom. It was the only timid revenge she could take in this situation.
When she returned to the bedroom, it finally felt like the long day was over. Chloe had finished getting ready, changed into her pajamas, and was about to lay down on the bed after putting on her hair wrap.
“Little Madam.”
The small voice of the maid who had gone out to help with the business was heard again from outside the door. Was there something she had missed? Chloe struggled to raise her body that she was trying to lie down and opened her mouth softly.
"What's the matter?"
The maid opened the door and came in, trying hard to hide her hesitation and opening her mouth politely.
“The master asks you to come into the bedroom for a moment.”
Chloe turned her head, her eyebrows furrowed, to look at the cream-colored door that connected the two bedrooms. The owner of the bedroom across the door seemed to have no intention of letting her sleep.
“Tell him I’ll be ready soon.”
It was when Chloe tried to hide her sigh and opened her mouth calmly.
“Is that necessary?”
As the door opened wide and Damien appeared, the maid and Chloe's heads turned at the same time. The maid quickly lowered her head at the sight of the Duke wearing only a loose shirt and a robe, and Chloe got out of bed, clutching the blanket tightly.
“This is not a time when we need to be polite to each other and dress neatly.”
Chloe's neck, exposed above her beige lace nightgown, burned.
“Well, then I’ll take my leave now...”
The maid, who looked younger than Chloe, blushed and quickly disappeared. They must have seemed like an affectionate couple, but she was in no position to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Aren’t you coming, Duchess?”
Chloe bit the flesh in her mouth and then let go as she looked at Damien, who was leaning against the open door.
“I am on my way now, Your Excellency.”
As she reached for her cane, his soft voice drew her back again.
“Yes, don’t worry about appearances and just come.”
Chloe turned her head sharply and looked at him, her thick eyelashes cocked upward. Damien asked again, meeting her eyes that glared at him in silent protest.
“Can’t you get out of bed without a cane?”
“...It’s not easy. I might end up rolling around.”
The legs, which had no strength below the knees, could not support the ground. The Duke acted as if he had to hear the truth directly from Chloe.
“Would you like that?”
“It would be cute.”
Chloe snatched the cane away, ignoring his mocking words. Damian stared at her as she walked into his bedroom, then closed the door as soon as Chloe entered his space.
Only after the heavy door closed with a dull thud could Chloe look into Damien's bedroom, which she had first entered. The wallpaper was dark blue, and the golden draperies here and there added to the feeling of grandeur. Her room was by no means splendid, but the antique furniture here was clearly the work of the best craftsmen.
“Sit down.”
Damien gestured to her, his back turned to the crackling fireplace. Chloe sat down hesitantly on the long chair opposite him, where he was sitting on a single chair. The long apple-like sofa was slightly worn. Chloe tried to open her mouth, feeling the soft velvet brushing against her bare legs under her pajamas.
“It’s late at night. Do you have something urgent to see me through?”
“What urgent business do you think a couple might have in the middle of the night?”
Chloe blinked rapidly and swallowed dryly. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and her heart raced, feeling anxious that something she had been trying to put off as long as possible might happen tonight.
“I wanted to reward you for faithfully fulfilling your duties as a Duchess.”
“I don’t really have anything...”
“You cleaned up Ellie and Robbie right in front of my eyes.”
Chloe's lips parted slightly at the unexpected words.
“...were you aware of their infidelity?”
“Cheating is annoying. It’s even more annoying when you have to turn a blind eye to it.”
“...”
“You look like you don’t understand why I turned a blind eye to them.”
Damien chuckled, having accurately identified Chloe's feelings.
“To be honest, yes.”
“I love my mother.”
Damien burst into laughter again, this time at her silence.
“Is that such a surprise?”
“I wasn’t surprised.”
“You had a face of astonishment.”
Chloe felt sweat forming on her palms and grabbed the hem of her pajamas. To be honest, he was right. The reason he let go of the servant's infidelity was because her mother favored them. Who would make such an irrational choice?
“My mother is pure and capricious, but she gave birth to me.”
“...”
“That’s pretty good too?”
Chloe suspected that the Duke had not called her this night simply to show off, but the Duke remained silent for a moment after saying his last words.
“You won’t admit it.”
“You don’t seem to like it when I keep praising you, Your Excellency?”
“It depends.”
What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Has he forgotten that whenever she complimented him politely, he would always call her a sugar-coated brat?
“Now is an intimate time between a couple.”
“So?”
“I’m asking what you think about my appearance.”
“Excuse me, Your Excellency, but are you joking with me?”
“I'm serious.”
Chloe couldn't understand the Duke's whims, but she decided that she had to say something to end this situation quickly.
“Princess Priscilla’s beauty is known to all the people of the kingdom. In addition to bestowing the Duke with both external beauty and outstanding ability, I could clearly feel her love for her son... I was very surprised.”
“Chloe.”
He crossed his legs and a bright smile appeared on his face again.
“You think you’re really good at talking nonsense.”
Damien continued speaking without even suppressing his laughter.
“You’re wrong. It shows on your face.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to work harder in the future.”
The small voice that she spoke was the maximum resistance that Chloe could muster from the depths of her stomach. Damian watched her like that and finally got up. When he handed her something on the bed, Chloe looked up and looked at him.
“I thought I should give you something better than the cane you keep losing.”
Chloe stared at what he was holding in his hand. It was a long object, made up of small pieces of wood and iron, the size of a palm, and it looked heavy at first glance.
“What is this?”
“It’s an assistive device. If you use it well, you can walk comfortably without a cane. It’ll take some time to get used to it, though.”
"...Thank you."
“Try it.”
Chloe didn't move, just holding the brace handed to her by the Duke. She barely opened her mouth after his order was given again.
“Later.”
“Do it now, Chloe. Otherwise, I won’t be able to see it.”
All Chloe wanted was a staff. Even that was just an impulsive remark, wishing for the Duke and his army to return safely from the war.
“Thank you for giving me the gift. But I think it depends on the recipient’s feelings.”
She didn't know how to use the unfamiliar object, and she hated the idea of limping and falling down. How much more would the Duke have to exploit her weaknesses to be satisfied?
“Was it your will to have a secret meeting with a servant in first class?”
The color drained from Chloe's face at the cold rebuke that came without warning.
“What are you talking about now?”
“I am asking if it was your intention to bring your favorite servant, whom you have exchanged guest rooms for, into my domain.”
Chloe frowned and asked him, how on earth did he know that?
“...Are you perhaps keeping me under surveillance?”
“If you have Tisse’s name, information will come pouring in from all directions even if you don’t want it. There are even those who dare to ask for money while leaking untrue stories, but judging by your expression, it must be true.”
Chloe bit her lip and faced him.
“Gray has been a loyal servant in our household since he was little.”
“Eliza was the one who breastfed me, but she was the one who stabbed our family in the back of the head.”
Chloe wanted to raise her voice in front of the Duke and say that this was a different situation, but it was obvious that he would retort that there was no difference between the two.
“I beg you to stop insulting me.”
Chloe's breathing became hot. She felt resentful of the ridiculous misunderstanding. Damien tilted his head and looked at her as if he was appreciating her. Then he slowly opened his lips.
“I saw a porter at the train station who was handling his horse so well. He looked like a foreigner, but he looked straight at me with such boldness that I couldn’t help but notice him.”
Chloe's hazel eyes shook irritably. Could it be that Gray is still here? Hasn't he returned to Verdier's estate?
“It seems like he's settled in here. Since you can’t stay at Birch Castle, he's decided to guard his lady at the train station? That’s quite the chivalry.”
“Is it really true that Gray is here?”
“I guess you didn’t know. If that expression isn’t an act.”
Given Gray's personality, it is quite possible that he could not leave easily because he was worried about his ill mistress, but he was not a child so reckless as to worry the Viscount of Verdier. So, could it be that Gray completely quit working at Verdier Castle and came back here?
Chloe wanted to go to the train station right away and meet Gray and ask him what was going on. She was also worried that he was adjusting well in this city where he didn't know anyone, and that he was being treated badly because he was so quiet and didn't complain.
“Why, do you want to run to the train station right now and have a tearful reunion with your servant?”
Chloe took a sharp breath as the Duke sneered as if he had seen right through her. She could hold back her sarcasm, but she had to prevent the Duke from making any negative assumptions about Gray and her. This was a matter of the Duchess’s honor and the honor of her family.
“Your Excellency.”
As Chloe hurriedly opened her mouth, Damien buried his upper body deeper into the sofa.
“I do not believe that you have neglected your duties as a Duchess and insulted me.”
Damien again hit on exactly what Chloe was worried about.
“That can’t be true.”
“Chloe von Tisse.”
When her name was called, Chloe's small shoulders trembled involuntarily. In the kingdom, adultery by a woman was grounds for divorce. She could swear that she had done nothing wrong that would humiliate the Tisse family, but she couldn't help but feel nervous in front of her completely unpredictable husband. The man who would not tolerate even the slightest provocation from her lifted his lips with the most generous expression in the world.
“Walk in front of me.”
Chloe finally ended her hesitation. Damien stared intently at her as she lifted her nightgown with trembling hands, revealing her pale right leg, as dry as a tree branch. He didn’t say a word as he watched her struggle to stuff the unfamiliar object into her knee, as she struggled to tighten the screws on her loose brace. He just stared at her.
Chloe finally got up from her seat after successfully putting on the brace. She took a few laborious steps towards Damien, who was still sitting there like a painting. As she staggered and dragged her feet, Damien muttered quietly.
“Lift up your clothes so I can see.”
Chloe did as he said. There was nothing left to hide since her already unattractive legs were exposed. No, she rolled up the hem of her skirt and lifted it up to above her knees.
Crunch. Crunch.
The Duke's sharp eyebrows were drawn together between his eyebrows. She did not know how to hide his gaze. The way he observed her steps and the rattling of the brace on her bare legs made him look like a wild beast hunting prey.
The leg with the brace fixed felt heavy as if a boulder was hanging from it. In addition, the screws would tighten and dig into the skin every time she moved, causing excruciating pain. Chloe suspected that the Duke had made this object to torture her.
“Ah...!”
Eventually, she fell to the floor. The beautiful tapestry and fluffy fox fur carpet did nothing to ease the pain. It was inevitable that a small moan would escape Chloe's lips.
The Duke finally approached her. Instead of taking her hand as she struggled to get up, he took her skinny ankle in his hand. The hunter's hand, with its blue veins pulsing, slowly ran down her calf and down to her braced knee.
The screws loosened one by one along his hand, revealing reddened skin.
“Let go.”
As Chloe barely managed to whisper, the brace finally came off with a click. Chloe gasped for breath as she felt the chains being released. Damien looked at her and asked in a dry tone.
“What was the most inconvenient thing?”
Chloe's small jaw clenched tightly. She wasn't naive enough to expect pity from him, who was so cruel. But she was fed up with him saying what he wanted to say, without any regard for her suffering.
“...It’s an unnecessary thing to me.”
“Once you get used to it, it will be the opposite. Instead, it will take some time and effort.”
Why on earth would he do this to her? Chloe was not used to change. It was honestly suffocating to have to bear the weight of the Duchess. And yet, she couldn't understand why he was trying to knock her down and trample her like this, as she struggled to adapt to this reality.
The brace fell to the floor, but the Duke's hand still remained on her skinny leg. He watched with interest as Chloe's neat eyebrows twitched and his hand moved over her bare leg.
“It seems like it’s not just a bone problem, but a complete lack of sensation.”
“Your Excellency, I beg you. Please stop now.”
When Chloe earnestly asked him, Damien finally removed his hands from her legs. He put his hands under Chloe's arms and lifted her up easily. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Chloe quickly found her cane and gripped it tightly. If only she could, she felt a vicious urge to swing the cane and hit him.
“Then good night, Your Excellency.”
It was the moment when Chloe was greeted with cloudy eyes and approached the door of the connected bedroom. Her body turned lightly. Chloe looked up at him with trembling eyes, trapped between the thick door and Damien's body.
“Do you have anything to say?”
Are you not done insulting me yet? Damien tilted his head towards Chloe, who was biting her lips tightly, and met her eyes.
“Are you crying?”
“Why me?”
Damien smiled faintly as he watched her accept it without the slightest hesitation. Then he raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears forming in her eyes.
“Yes. It doesn’t suit a Duchess to whine like a child.”
When she saw Damien savoring the taste of her own tears on the tips of his fingers, her heart pounded as if it were going to burst. Chloe couldn't hold back her trembling voice and ended up spitting it out.
“The Duke is like a devil.”
“I haven’t even shown you my true devil-like form yet?”
It felt like she was trapped in Damien's pupils, which were like a lake with no depth. Chloe clenched her fists and raised her voice to escape from him.
“Then you can just never show it...!”
Her words faltered at the touch of his lips. Chloe’s long eyelashes fluttered. Damien didn’t even give her a chance to close her eyes. His hand, sliding up, gripped her small hand tightly.
“How does it feel to kiss a guy you call the devil?”
Her heart was pounding and her breathing was ragged. Her lips were parched and she felt like she was going to burst into tears.
“It’s unpleasant.”
“I don’t think so.”
“It’s unpleasant...!”
Damien kissed her again, deeply. Chloe realized too late that it was a question that already had an answer.
“I’ll ask you again. How are you feeling?”
As their wet lips barely parted, Damien placed Chloe's hand on her chest and asked her. The pounding heartbeat under her thin nightgown was transmitted through his hand.
“My heart is pounding.”
“Keep going.”
“Run fast. Run hard enough that it hurts.”
“Do you feel like your whole body is burning up as if someone has thrown a spark into your stomach? Does your blood flow so fast that you can’t control your breathing, and does it feel like your heart is going to burst out of your stomach?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Chloe nodded without denying his words that expressed her feelings exactly. That was because it was an unbearable discomfort that she had never felt towards anyone before. Instead of getting angry at her words, Damien smiled in satisfaction.
“Then can we leave now, Your Excellency the Duke?”
“Of course, Duchess.”
Damien stretched out one arm and opened the door.
“Good night.”
Chloe ran to the bedroom and slammed the door shut with all her might, locking it. She thought she could hear Damien laughing behind the door. Chloe jumped up and flipped over the portrait hanging in the bedroom. It was the only timid revenge she could take in this situation.
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