Beressa’s eyes trembled finely in the air filled with tension.

For a moment, a sharp shout of “What are you doing?” was about to burst from Beressa’s startled mouth.

But at the same time, Aden opened his palm to calm Beressa and then parted his lips.

“Epinephrine.”

“…What?”

“Hurry!”

At Aden’s shout, Beressa, who had been frozen, came to her senses.

Hurriedly looking around, Beressa took out a first aid kit from among the tools arranged under the practice sword hanging on the wall.

As if the confusion was only momentary, Beressa skillfully found the drug, filled the syringe, and slowly injected it into Ludmila at Aden’s direction.

Meanwhile, Aden continued the emergency treatment.

Fortunately, not long after the drug was administered, the difficulty breathing disappeared and color returned to Ludmila’s pale face.

“Haa-, haa-.”

Ludmila, who breathed deeply, tried to slowly raise her body while making eye contact with Aden looking down at her.

But before that, Aden put his arms under Ludmila’s legs, lifted her lightly, and gently laid her on the Chesterfield sofa.

“Stay still. It’s better not to move while the medicine is taking effect.”

Aden, who gently stroked Ludmila’s head, which was still in shock, rose from his seat.

Aden took out a handkerchief from one side, wet it with water, wrung it out lightly, then came back and gently placed it on Ludmila’s forehead.

As her mind cleared from the cool sensation, life returned to her red eyes.

Ludmila slowly opened her stiff lips to let out a sluggish voice, but realizing it was too cracked, she closed her mouth tightly.

Aden brought water to Ludmila, who was coughing several times, and handed her the glass. Ludmila, grateful for the delicate consideration, bowed slightly and let out a long sigh.

“…Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Aden’s voice answering was very monotonous.

It seemed as if he wasn’t very impressed by the fact that he had saved her, as if this wasn’t the first or second time. Ludmila, who was staring intently at Aden, felt a headache coming on.

When she frowned, Aden lightly pulled the handkerchief and rubbed her forehead as if massaging it.

Then, miraculously, the headache disappeared and she even felt refreshed.

Ludmila forcibly opened her eyes, which were about to close, and looked at Aden.

The corners of Aden’s mouth, who was looking at her with dry eyes, smoothly lifted.

“But…”

At that moment, embarrassment rushed in and her closed lips opened immediately.

After opening her mouth like that, Ludmila, who was trailing off not knowing what to say, carefully rolled her eyes.

She could see Beressa watching this situation from afar with disapproving eyes.

Ludmila, who got up holding Aden’s hand stretched out to her as if it was okay to get up now, raised her head.

He casually threw the handkerchief on the desk and gestured to Beressa to leave.

“Aden…!”

Beressa called his name as if trying to disobey, putting strength in her eyes, but Aden shook his head and completely blocked Beressa’s rebellion.

At the clear order to leave, Beressa, instead of glaring at Aden, looked at Ludmila with resentful eyes before turning away.

Beressa, who faithfully expressed her emotions until the end by slamming the door shut, disappeared, and Aden let out a low sigh.

Ludmila, watching this scene from the side, suddenly had an absurd imagination.

‘Did someone try to poison me?’

It was a time when the old era was fading and a new ruling class was rising.

The power struggle where nobles sent night visitors and put poison in tea to check each other in order to seize power was already an old relic that had disappeared more than 100 years ago.

But not in Habertz. She had to abandon the thought that the Empire’s common sense would apply here too.

Anyone who disliked her could have fed her anything. Here, Ludmila was a foreigner with no one to protect her and at the same time a wanderer scheduled to leave.

There was enough possibility that someone might covet the bag full of money.

Or it could be the jealousy of someone blinded by misunderstanding. Only, she just didn’t want to become a victim.

“You don’t have to make strange guesses.”

At that moment, Aden’s voice dropped from above her head.

Ludmila’s eyes rippled as she looked up and met the golden eyes, and Aden jerked his chin.

“Beressa didn’t do anything. I just sent her out because if she were here, she would annoyingly interrupt every time we talked.”

Aden, who calmly added an explanation as if he had read her thoughts, sat askew on the desk. Ludmila, who was following him with her eyes, calmly opened her mouth.

“Was that just now… poison?”

“Poison?”

Aden burst into laughter and raised the corners of his mouth.

His tilted head looked as if he had heard an interesting story, or perhaps he was mocking. Aden shook his head briefly, clearly erasing Ludmila’s guess.

“Rather than poison, it’s an allergy. I think there was dried turmeric powder in the soup we ate at that restaurant.”

“Turmeric…?”

Ludmila’s eyes shook at the unfamiliar word. She knew it was an ingredient for spices too.

However, its taste was so unique that it didn’t suit the palate of the Empire’s people well, so it wasn’t popular in the capital.

Above all, it was difficult to buy. Of course, she had never eaten it, so the word that flowed from Aden’s mouth was very unfamiliar.

“Has this happened a lot? You responded quickly and even had medicine…”

“It’s not that common, but it’s not rare either.”

“Is that so.”

Aden, who nodded briefly, let out a small breath.

“I don’t know about the capital, but here we mainly cultivate turmeric. Turmeric is a perennial plant, and even when winter comes, the roots don’t die, so it doesn’t require much care. That’s why turmeric is often used as a cooking spice.”

“But I’ve never heard of it causing this kind of reaction.”

“If you’ve never eaten it, of course you wouldn’t have heard of it. It’s quite common here. Unless you’re from a clan that’s eaten it little by little since childhood, outsiders who visit here often show allergic reactions and have seizures. That’s why places like restaurants and inns have medicine on hand.”

I recalled the drug that was just injected into me.

I couldn’t understand why such a thing was occupying a corner of the Duke’s office, but hearing his words, I could roughly guess the circumstances.

“Of course, even if it’s not for that, epinephrine is also a drug that can be used as a hemostatic agent, so it’s kept on hand. More importantly.”

Aden, who briefly cut off his words, got up from his seat and put his hands in his pockets.

“Do you plan to keep using that restaurant? It’s not bad to be faithful to your status, but it looks a bit unsightly for someone staying at the castle as my guest to use that place. I have my reputation to consider.”

“…”

“Why that expression?”

When Ludmila opened her eyes wide and looked with surprised eyes, Aden’s eyebrows rose nicely.

Ludmila quickly shook her head and smiled awkwardly in embarrassment.

“No… I was just surprised. I never imagined the word ‘reputation’ would come out of Your Grace’s mouth.”

“Surely, you didn’t think I became the leader of 300,000 clan members by flipping a coin?”

“Of course not.”

Aden, who had been silently looking at Ludmila’s face smiling as if she had no doubts, clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. He ran his hand through his hair and jerked his chin.

“More than that, let’s do something about that form of address. Are you going to keep calling me ‘Your Grace’? This isn’t the Empire. We need an appropriate form of address.”

“Is that so? Hmm… What do others here call Your Grace?”

“Castle staff call me ‘Duke’. Others call me Chief, Tribal Leader, Clan Head… Whatever suits them.”

“Then I’ll call you Duke or Chief too.”

Aden burst into laughter at the nonchalant answer.

“I’m not your chief, you know?”

“Then…”

“Aden. Call me by my name. In return, I’ll call you by your name too.”

Aden, who had easily settled the form of address, glanced at his watch. Quite some time had passed after the brief commotion.

“It doesn’t seem right to suggest eating breakfast again in this situation. Let’s have lunch together. I’ll send someone then, so don’t attract unnecessary attention in strange places.”

Ludmila, whose face had reddened with embarrassment, nodded slightly with as brazen a face as possible.

Aden picked up his coat hanging on the coat rack and was about to leave the room when he hesitated.

“By the way, do you usually use such perfume?”

Ludmila narrowed her eyes at the sudden question Aden threw as he stretched.

She hadn’t sprayed any perfume since coming here. When she monotonously shook her head with a face that showed she didn’t understand, Aden narrowed his eyes.

“Opium poppy.”

“Pardon?”

“No, if you don’t know, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

After saying these incomprehensible words, Aden turned around and left the room. As the door closed, bewilderment flooded Ludmila’s eyes.

“…He’s just leaving like that?”

This was none other than the Duke’s office.

Even in ordinary offices, documents and secrets containing all sorts of information were so abundant that cleaning was not allowed except by butlers or housekeepers who had served for decades.

That also meant that outsiders were never left alone in the office.

“Really…”

Ludmila, who had been following the back of the incomprehensible man with her eyes, slowly turned her body and approached the desk.

Peeking at an unattended desk wasn’t her hobby, but her legs moved first, wondering if there might be something left that Beressa had mentioned.

The desk was neat. The only thing on it was a single document.

It was a document with a graph showing the increasing debt despite the continuously decreasing budget within the territory for 5 years. They said they didn’t have money, but it seems quite serious. Really…

“What are you doing there?”

At that moment, a sharp voice flew and stuck from behind.

When she turned around, she saw Beressa approaching her with steady steps.

Beressa immediately snatched the document from Ludmila’s hand and frowned deeply.

“Like a dirty rat.”

Aden, who was preparing to mount his horse for an early patrol, spotted butler Salome, who was just opening the door to come out.

Aden, who glanced at him as he approached, briefly opened his mouth.

“I’ve noticed some servants I hadn’t seen in three months.”

“Baron Igdena has been pressuring us to take back the servants.”

“What scheme is that gentleman up to now, putting back the servants he had suddenly removed?”

“It’s not certain yet, but there are occasional reports of suspicious behavior from the newly arrived servants.”

“I guess he’s planning to do something obvious again.”

Aden sneered, letting the wind carry his words, and twisted the corners of his mouth. Meanwhile, Salome loaded the pre-prepared luggage into the bag attached to the saddle and looked at Aden.

“If you’re going to Sahara, be careful. I hear there’s even looting happening because of food shortages.”

“Don’t worry, Salome. More importantly, I’ll be coming in for lunch, so prepare it as I said.”

“Understood.”

Aden, who took his eyes off Salome who had nodded briefly, lightly settled on his horse.

Aden, who was watching the guards move first in sync with his gesture, looked at Salome.

“Well then, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Understood. Ah, excuse me, Your Grace.”

“Speak.”

Aden, who was about to move the reins, gave his attention back to Salome, who opened his mouth with an exclamation.

After a moment’s pause, Salome looked at Aden with a businesslike face and quietly opened his mouth.

“May I ask if the future Duchess has any favorite foods? The chef is worried she might not like the local cuisine.”

“…Future Duchess?”

Aden’s brow furrowed at the sudden talk of a Duchess. On the other hand, Salome nodded calmly.

“The merchant you brought yesterday.”

Mentioning Ludmila, he looked at Aden and threw his last words.

“Isn’t she Your Grace’s lover?”

“…What?”