I arrived at the stall sooner than expected. There were duck eggs cooked in Gatorade water and beef skewers that I had seen earlier.

‘Ugh, my stomach feels bloated.’

Looking at the food made my stomach churn.

“Here, the eggs… my lady?”

The duke pointed at the stall and stopped mid-sentence.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“Haha, I guess what I ate earlier isn’t digesting well.”

My stomach was in turmoil. I used superhuman strength to hold back the mass of digested food trying to escape through my mouth. As a result, beads of sweat formed on my forehead.

“Your complexion looks bad. This won’t do.”

The duke beckoned to the knights following from afar. Then he quickly approached them and gave orders one by one.

“You, go to the hot spring attendant and tell him to prepare a space where the lady can lie down immediately. You, bring a doctor right away.”

I took a short breath in and out. It was a desperate method to calm my digestive system.

“My lady, shall we rest for a moment?”

Conveniently, a nearby bench was empty. I staggered over and plopped down. As it seemed to be getting better little by little, I stopped patting my stomach.

After narrowly avoiding causing an incident. I stroked my slightly calmer stomach with my hand.

‘Hmm… Was I stressed?’

Duke Rumps was likely the cause.

‘But maybe I can move now.’

The aching in my upper stomach had improved and the feeling of nausea had disappeared.

“Could I have a glass of water?”

At my words, one knight quickly disappeared and reappeared. He brought a full cup of cool water about a hand’s width tall, and after seeking permission from the duke with his eyes, he handed it to me.

The duke muttered softly, asking if there was still no word from the attendant.

Just then, the attendant appeared with a knight.

“Your Grace, there’s a room available over there. I had them clear out the closest room to the entrance, so please follow me.”

The attendant first informed the knights of the location. The duke looked at me, still sitting, and asked.

“My lady, can you move?”

After taking a few sips of the water the knight gave me, my twisted stomach seemed to be washed away a bit. I finished drinking the half-full water and stood up.

“Now, this way.”

As soon as I took a few steps following the attendant who led the way, nausea and pain surged up.

Surprised by the sudden situation, I was so focused on my digestive system that I didn’t pay attention to my staggering legs.

The duke, who had been watching me intently, approached without a word and suddenly lifted me up.

I gathered all my strength, even the strength I used to suckle, to cover my mouth.

“It seems walking is too difficult. It’s better than forcing yourself to walk, so stay as you are.”

I needed to keep my mouth tightly shut to prevent a major incident from happening right here.

‘Wow, what should I do?’

As my body shook, it felt like it would burst out at any moment. I wanted to ask to be put down, but I felt like it would burst out even if I spoke.

It was a hopeless situation.

“Where’s the doctor?”

I closed my eyes tightly as I heard the duke urging the knights. But due to the external pressure that couldn’t be overcome by will alone, eventually.

“Urp.”

My eyes met the surprised duke’s at the sound of retching. With blurry vision, I tried to escape from his arms. But the speed of the incident was faster than him putting me down.

“Bleurgh.”

We had just entered the room. Fortunately, I didn’t spew on him, if that can be considered fortunate.

“……”

The surprised duke froze like a statue. Due to the indescribable wretchedness I showed, my mind went blank.

“I-I’m sorry!”

I wanted to disappear into the ground out of shame. I couldn’t bear to look at his face.

In a hurry, I took off my bolero and threw it on the floor. I hoped the duke would take the hint and leave, but.

“Everyone turn around.”

At the duke’s order, the following knights all turned around at once.

“Don’t let anyone enter until I command.”

He gestured towards the room maid who was peering around curiously at what was happening. Only the maid who was called without knowing why, me, and the duke were left alone in the room.

“The bathroom is that way. It would be best to wash up first.”

Saying that, he strode over to the window and opened it wide. The room maid, after recognizing the disastrous situation, hurriedly went out saying she would clean it up right away.

“I’m sorry, this wasn’t something I could control.”

My nose stung, my throat hurt, and after throwing up what was stuck in my throat, my condition returned to perfect.

“Stop apologizing and wash up first.”

“Yes!”

I quickly entered the bathroom, watching the room maid coming back with cleaning supplies.

‘The duke’s pants cuffs were splattered too.’

I couldn’t bring myself to tell the truth on the spot when I discovered it. It was because of the guilt of ruining what I called a date.

With a face bearing all the world’s worries and shame, I finished showering hastily, and only after drying my body completely with a towel did I realize I had no clothes to change into.

“Is anyone out there?”

“Speak.”

Even though it was the same indifferent tone as usual, because of what I had done, it sounded like he was angry.

“Um… I don’t have any clothes to change into.”

There was no answer. Instead, I heard the sound of something being searched for.

‘What should I do?’

I couldn’t wear the ruined dress again. Going out with just a towel covering my body was even more out of the question.

“My lady, I’ve left a robe in front of the door.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I peeked through the bathroom door slightly and saw a neatly folded robe placed on the floor. A few steps away, the duke was standing with his back turned. I quickly reached out and grabbed the robe.

After thoroughly wrapping my hair with a towel, I came out to find the duke leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Standing with my hands folded as if I were the most polite person in the world, I carefully opened my mouth.

“I’m sorry for startling you. I tend to get indigestion easily when I’m stressed or tired.”

“I understand. It’s not like you wanted to do that.”

I lowered my gaze to examine the duke’s pants.

“I’ve asked for clothes to be brought, so we’ll have to wait here until the knight returns. Are you feeling better?”

I nodded vigorously.

“Yes, I’m better.”

“Still, you should get examined by the doctor. He should arrive soon.”

After saying that, he suddenly looked at me seriously.

“Let’s have the examination after you change clothes.”

The duke cleared his throat with a ‘ahem’. Then he grabbed a robe and went into the bathroom.

Left alone in the room, a breeze gently blew in through the open window. The room maid had cleaned thoroughly, so if it weren’t for my dress left in the bathroom, one wouldn’t know what had happened here.

I quietly closed the window. The scent of the plaster air freshener the maid had brought slowly filled the room.

‘…I wish there was a mouse hole to hide in.’

I can’t even run away anywhere in this attire.

As I was digging a hole of self-loathing for a while, the sound of water from the bathroom suddenly stopped. After a little while, the duke came out wearing a robe that looked exactly like mine.

‘Why did he shower… Wasn’t it just splattered on the hem? Is it okay to be together in this attire?’

His wet black hair, usually slicked back, was now hanging naturally. Seeing this natural style after always seeing it pushed back made me feel like I was looking at a grown-up Rublion.

Our eyes met as he came out after washing. My body tensed up without me realizing.

‘Ah, this is extremely uncomfortable!’

I don’t know if it’s normal for these rooms, but there was nowhere to sit except the bed.

“Make yourself comfortable.”

The duke said that and then dried his hair with a towel. Then he leaned against the wall far from the bed. I quietly stood up and said,

“Please sit down, Your Grace. I’ve been sitting for a while, so I’d like to stand for a bit.”

He shook his head without answering. Then he closed his eyes, standing like a statue with his arms crossed.

‘…This day is too long. I’d rather go back to my room in the mansion than look at a statue.’

I gave up on sitting and stood waiting for the knight, just like the duke. He occasionally turned his body towards the wall and then turned back, repeating this action. I couldn’t understand why, but every time he faced the wall, he grumbled about when the attendant would come.

After standing and waiting like that for a while, I cautiously approached the bed. As I sat down near the headboard, I said,

“I’ll sit here, so Your Grace can sit at the foot of the bed. We don’t know when the knight and attendant will arrive.”

The duke’s eyes glared at the bed as if to kill it, but then calmed down. He then sighed deeply and said,

“Then, excuse me.”

He sat at the edge of the bed. Only then did I feel a little relieved.

As my body relaxed, sleepiness crept in. The pillow at the headboard looked particularly soft and cozy.

I moved closer to the headboard and leaned slightly against the pillow. Perhaps because my wet hair was wrapped in a towel, my head naturally drooped.

Using that as an excuse, I decided to close my eyes for just a moment. Really, just for a moment.

At the knight’s words that a change of clothes was needed, Anna and the butler’s jaws dropped. Rublion, who was eavesdropping from behind, also had his mouth wide open.

“So… you’re saying our young lady is in a room with the duke? Isn’t this moving too fast?”

Anna staggered at the unbelievable words. The butler, with the same expression as her, asked,

“Is His Grace alright?”

“Yes,”

“Should we prepare clothes for both of them?”

“Yes, please do.”

The butler muttered that he didn’t know the duke had such a side as he disappeared to the second floor. Anna, still not over the shock, remained frozen with her mouth still open.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she stammered,

“Sh-should we pack underwear too?”

At her question, the knight tilted his head and then answered,

“Just in case, please do.”

Anna’s ears turned bright red. She said to wait a moment and disappeared like a shot.

Rublion took the place of the two adults who had left. The child slowly approached the knight standing blankly and asked,