Although the design differed depending on whether it was for men or women, basically the nightwear of the Elaion Empire was in the form of a one-piece dress regardless of gender.

So if the duke unbuttoned his gown down to his waist and pulled his body out of the nightwear, nothing would remain on his body except for a single piece of underwear worn underneath. For Chloe, it meant he would be in a 95 percent naked state that she was truly not used to.

Even if the duke thought Chloe was a man of the same sex. It seemed he neither believed nor cared that this same-sex man said he liked him. Judging by how he carelessly undressed like this every time.

Chloe hurriedly approached him, standing diagonally to the side, trying her best not to look at the duke as she handed him the shirt. If he just put on the shirt, she wouldn’t have to see the duke in his embarrassing underwear.

Even though the duke had started to let her assist with dressing unlike before, he still undressed and dressed himself, which was fortunate in the meantime. Among masters, there were many cases where they wouldn’t even unbutton and button up on their own.

“That’s enough. From now on, I’ll take care of it myself, so you go to the office.”

It seemed the duke wouldn’t have her assist with dressing anymore today, following the face-washing service.

Right, it’s faster to do it alone. It must be awkward for him too, trying to make a servant do something he didn’t used to have them do.

Chloe bowed her head with a grateful expression and quickly moved to the office. The duke entered the office not long after.

In his hand was the bundle of papers he had been reading earlier.

“This is the Tigrium history book you translated yesterday.”

Ah, so that’s what it was.

“Yes.”

Chloe answered briefly.

“You, when and how did you learn the Tigrium language?”

This time it’s about this.

For several days, the duke had been pouring out all sorts of questions. Today, it seems he wants to find out how she knows the Tigrium language.

“I learned it from my mother.”

“Your mother? The one who’s ill?”

“Yes. From when I was young until just before she got injured, we used both Tigrium and Elaion at home.”

“Is that so?”

The duke looked at Chloe as if intrigued, then suddenly moved quickly towards the desk.

“If you don’t have anything for me to do…”

She looked at the duke subtly, omitting the words ‘may I leave’.

“Continue translating.”

Haa.

He’s at it again.

“Yes. I understand.”

It seemed he was going to work her hard again today. But well, he gives extra pay for the work done, so.

“Take the work and do it in your room.”

“Yes.”

Chloe was about to take the book placed on the table and leave.

“Ah! Clyne.”

But the duke stopped her.

“Yes?”

“You said she was injured? Was your mother’s illness not a disease but an injury?”

“Ah, yes.”

“How did it happen?”

Here he comes again.

Chloe unknowingly sighed deeply, her shoulders rising.

“Don’t breathe so heavily. It’s suffocating.”

The duke said with a frown.

My goodness. Now he’s telling her not to breathe heavily. Who exactly is feeling suffocated?

If she doesn’t breathe deeply, she’ll be the one suffocating, not the duke.

It seemed he was so irritated that just seeing Chloe breathe made him feel suffocated.

Day by day, that master was becoming an increasingly prickly master, limited to ‘Clyne Liden’.

“A few months ago, unidentified assailants attacked my… Chloe, my younger sister. My mother was also attacked at that time. That’s when she got injured.”

Chloe was a bit flustered as she almost said ‘brother’, but she quickly answered calmly.

Having realized over the past few days that if she didn’t answer questions properly, he would somehow know and ask more persistently, she tended to answer the questions asked diligently.

In fact, there was no particular reason to hide anything about the accident.

Of course, she didn’t want to recall those terrible scenes from that day again.

But if she didn’t want to talk about it, she shouldn’t have mentioned that her mother was injured in the first place.

Since she had spoken carelessly, there was no choice but to answer as asked.

“Are you saying your younger sister died that day?”

“Yes.”

“……”

The duke closed his mouth.

Is it finally the end of the questions?

“Then if you have no more questions…”

“An attack by assailants, you say. Did you have enemies?”

He’s not an information guild, why does he have so many questions?

“My family lived without interacting with people. There’s no reason for us to have enemies.”

“Well, don’t you think the reason you lived without interacting might be because you had enemies?”

Of course, Chloe had thought about that too.

But it was something she couldn’t know.

Her brother died that day, and it became difficult to even communicate with her mother after that.

“I don’t know. I thought they might have just been robbers, but then again it seemed strange for robbers to appear in the forest where my family lived, and their numbers were too many. They looked too dangerous. They were cruel and merciless… I lost consciousness and my mother also…”

“Stop, stop.”

Chloe, who had become emotional recalling the memories of that day, was finally able to escape from the terrible memories at the duke’s words to stop.

It was fortunate. She had almost burst into tears, overwhelmed by the memories of that day in an instant.

She had tried hard not to recall it, but whenever the memories were pushed to the surface, she would be overwhelmed by unbearable guilt and fear, and tears would burst forth.

“It must have been very difficult for you.”

“…?”

Chloe stared blankly at the duke.

“Losing your sister and your mother being injured like that.”

“……”

It really was difficult. It felt like the world was falling apart.

If her mother hadn’t been in critical condition, would she have lost her mind?

But she couldn’t lose her mind, nor could she just cry. She had to find money right away to save her mother.

During the three months she struggled not to be discovered as a woman in disguise, one could say that the arduous life rather made her forget such distress and sorrow.

Focusing on safely completing each day of living as a man, she lacked the energy to grieve for her brother’s death or worry about her mother’s health.

Even so, it was fortunate that the Duke was a decent master.
Now he had become this kind of master. One who was desperate to exploit his servants more in any way possible.
However, it seemed he hadn’t completely changed. Seeing how he could offer such human-like consolation.
Judging by the Duke’s expression alone, he even seemed to believe that Chloe Liden was dead.
“It must be a painful memory. It seems I’ve needlessly made you recall your younger sister because of me.”
It was the most gentle demeanor befitting the Duke of old that she had experienced in recent days.
“Not at all. You may do so. I am grateful for your consolation.”
“… I believe you mentioned needing to care for your mother. I regret keeping you here.”
“Yes. That’s…”
Chloe hesitated at the Duke’s words.
It was the perfect opportunity to say she would leave this house as soon as information about the woman he slept with arrived.
Should she say it now? Or should she let it pass for now and mention it right before leaving later?
“I’ll compensate with money instead. So you can hire a caregiver.”
Her deliberation ended with the Duke’s next words. She decided to accept the money when the Duke was being generous, and mention leaving right before departing.
If she spoke too soon and irritated the Duke, he might even withdraw the offer of care expenses.
Translation fees plus care expenses. What an unexpected windfall.
“Thank you!”
“Who is taking care of her now?”
I was grateful, but why another question! Her gratitude diminished a little.
“A friend from my hometown is staying at my house in my place.”
“… A friend?”
Originally, Calcus was working as a live-in servant at Vuergen Castle. But when she left for the Duke’s mansion, Calcus applied to change to a commuting servant and was living at her house.
Although there would be many inconveniences commuting between Vuergen Castle and her house due to the considerable distance, Calcus had offered to do so first.
Even though her mother had always disapproved of Calcus. It was only about half a year ago that she allowed Calcus to come and go from the house.
Chloe felt shameless, but with no one else to help and no funds to hire a caregiver, she had no choice but to accept Calcus’ offer.
“Yes. I have a friend in my hometown.”
“Didn’t you say you lived without interacting with people?”
“Even so, I have at least one friend.”
“One friend…”
The Duke frowned. Chloe reflected on whether she had said something wrong, but nothing in particular stood out.
“Is this friend in your hometown male? Or female?”
The Duke’s eyes seemed to flash for a moment. Why did that gaze appear so sharp?
“He is male.”
“Ah, male. No, male?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
Chloe thought the Duke’s reaction was a bit strange, but answered calmly.
Aside from swapping Chloe and Clyne’s information, Chloe had answered the Duke’s questions mostly truthfully, so the Duke’s odd reaction couldn’t be due to her lies becoming tangled.
“Ah! It must be him. Calcus Tacan.”
“Ah…! Yes.”
It seemed the Duke even remembered the name of the guarantor he had seen in his documents.
What information was written in those documents?
She didn’t know what information was in the documents about her, but this Duke knew everything. It felt like being thrown into the middle of a battlefield without even knowing the enemy’s weapons.
“Are you very close?”
The Duke asked, crossing his arms.
“Well, he is my only friend after all. I’m indebted to him in many ways.”
“Your only friend, is it.”
The Duke openly frowned and then suddenly smirked.
Does he dislike the word ‘friend’?
“Does that only friend of yours know that you like me?”
“Pardon? I…!”
She almost blurted out, “Like you, Your Grace?” It was because she had let her guard down, forgetting that she was pretending to like the Duke after dealing with his prickly behavior for days.
But did the Duke really believe that she liked him? Chloe blinked as she looked at the Duke.