The Duke Stole Everything - Chapter 58

When Sharti didn’t react, only slightly opening her mouth, Ren immediately regretted it.

Unable to control the surging emotions, he had not only made a clumsy excuse for avoiding Sharti but also blurted out his immature feelings without warning.

‘Unable to control even a single emotion.’

Of course, he had no intention of revealing his childish jealousy that he couldn’t suppress.

However, perhaps because he was originally a pathetic person, he couldn’t act rationally at all when he saw Sharti with Ashu.

[If I become closer to you than I am now, teacher, will you treat me comfortably like your assistant?]

That damn statement kept ringing in his head.

He envied and was irritated by Ashu, who purely acknowledged his feelings for Sharti and had the courage to act on them.

‘Jealousy-.’

Ashu was a young man who had everything Ren lacked.

Ashu, with a much more youthful appearance than Ren, had fair skin and a gentle personality that suited his innocent smile well.

The upright and diligent young man, who seemed to have never experienced life’s hardships, laughed easily and spoke kindly.

‘Though he doesn’t look strong.’

Compared to Ren’s large build and bulging muscles, Ashu had a tall but thin frame that looked like it might blow away if pushed. This was, of course, Ren’s biased assessment.

Sharti’s ideal type might be different.

‘There’s no comparison, really.’

Above all, Ashu had a family, a home, and a stable life.

Unlike Ren, who was full of holes, Ashu was whole.

That was the biggest reason Ren felt inferior to Ashu.

‘…Damn it.’

Ren’s avoidance of Sharti’s hand wasn’t intentional.

He simply didn’t want to show Sharti the ugly and pathetic expression that must have been on his face. But as soon as he saw Sharti’s fingertips trembling slightly as she withdrew her hand, he snapped back to his senses as if doused with cold water.

Feeling a sinking dread in his chest, Ren hurriedly grabbed Sharti in panic.

[If you’re tired, rest early today.]

As Sharti turned to leave him drowning in the flood of self-loathing, Ren gritted his teeth.

At the same time, an unexpected surge of sorrow burst forth.

‘And after all that, to get hung up on informal speech.’

Surely it must have sounded to Sharti like he was being petulant out of spite.

Finally, Ren, who had been hesitantly speaking while watching Sharti’s reaction, stopped making excuses before it was too late.

Then he continued speaking incoherently.

“The flowers look better than the ones I gave you, and Sha, you seem to like these flowers more… So it seems you’re not speaking informally.”

The more he honestly revealed his feelings, the more his head bowed.

He lost the confidence to check Sharti’s reaction.

“…The flowers, these?”

As expected, Sharti, who had been quietly looking at Ren, pointed at the flowers with a very disgruntled expression.

Ren nodded without looking.

Then suddenly, a cunning thought occurred to him.

‘…Will she deny it?’

Even Ren himself thought he looked quite pitiful and miserable right now.

Sharti, who had always been especially considerate of Ren’s weak moments, would surely refute him.

He had decided to stop acting to gain sympathy, but Ren, feeling threatened by Ashu, was in no position to be picky.

“…Ah!”

At that moment, Sharti let out a small exclamation as if she had realized something.

Sharti nodded repeatedly and patted Ren’s arm.

“You’re sulking, right?”

“…What?”

“Yes, I understand.”

This time, it was Ren who looked at Sharti with a dumbfounded expression.

Receiving Sharti’s continuous patting, Ren was at a loss for words.

“…”

While Ren had been scolding himself for his childish jealousy and thinking it pathetic, Sharti’s reaction was shocking.

His fragile self-esteem wavered precariously.

Ren’s lips trembled.

‘Like soothing a child…’

A disgruntled groan scratched at Ren’s throat and escaped like a suppressed moan.

Retracing their misaligned conversation, Ren held his forehead.

“Sha, no, that’s not it.”

“It’s okay. I wasn’t considerate enough.”

Sharti spoke generously, telling him not to worry about it.

The tone was so sympathetic that Ren swallowed hard.

His hand gripping Sharti’s robe tightened.

“So, Sha, I…”

“There are times when emotions overflow momentarily. Yes, I don’t mind what happened earlier at all.”

“…”

Instead, you’re misunderstanding.

Ren suppressed the surge of frustration welling up inside him.

Compared to his narrow-mindedness, Sharti was certainly magnanimous.

Ren sighed, chewing on his feelings of futility.

‘I knew she didn’t see me as a man, as a romantic interest, but…’

Far from being conscious of him as a romantic interest, she was treating him like little Tein.

‘To think I’d come to miss being treated as a patient.’

The unexpected confirmation shot stung to the bone.

It wasn’t the time to be consumed by jealousy towards Ashu.

“I understand.”

Hiding his bitter feelings, Ren returned to his usual calm expression.

Ren let go of Sharti’s robe and extended his hand instead.

“Then Sha, I’ll indulge in your consideration a bit more.”

“Pardon?”

“Either speak informally or hold my hand. Choose one.”

Flustered, Sharti looked back and forth between Ren’s face and hand.

Watching Sharti like this, Ren raised the corners of his mouth.

“So I don’t sulk again.”

“…!”

Ren leaned down slightly, bringing his face close to Sharti’s as he whispered softly.

“Even if it’s troublesome, please look after your possession with great generosity, my lady.”

Jealousy fuels a sense of crisis and makes people hasty. And that haste became the catalyst for Ren to decide to change.

Ripples began to form in what had been a smooth and tranquil relationship.

[This is the timeline separator]

In the early evening, Sharti finished her meal sitting together with Ashu, Ren, and the villagers.

Thanks to the seating arrangement divided by gender, Ren and Ashu were seated apart from Sharti. Sharti, alone among the women, couldn’t focus on the chattering conversations around her.

Sharti cupped her cheeks with both hands and rested her chin, wearing a troubled expression.

‘…It keeps coming to mind.’

Ren’s smiling eyes tinged with the sunset kept flashing before her eyes like an afterimage.

Naturally, she also kept mulling over Ren’s mention of ‘jealousy’.

‘Jealousy, he says.’

The unexpected word didn’t particularly resonate with her emotions.

It was also because the situation and reason were so out of the blue.

‘Well, he’s in a distant village with amnesia, so his mood might be unstable.’

Ren was basically sensitive and tender-hearted, with an unexpectedly stubborn side.

Having traveled a long way relying only on Sharti, he must have felt anxious.

‘Over mere flowers.’

How could he know whether she liked the flowers Ashu gave her or not when he couldn’t even see her expression hidden under the hood?

While Ashu’s thoughtful gesture was appreciated and made her happy, in truth, Sharti had been reminded of the flowers Ren had given her. When Ashu told her the flower language, she suddenly felt regretful.

‘I should have looked up the flower language for the ones Ren gave me too.’

Though perhaps less refined than Ashu’s flowers, the fragrance and the feelings conveyed in that moment were no less meaningful.

‘I really don’t understand why he said he was jealous.’

Did Ashu’s flowers really look that pretty to him?

Sharti was continuing her misunderstanding that Ren’s object of jealousy was not Ashu but the flowers he had given.

“Teacher, what’s with the flowers next to you?”

Curious gazes were now fixed on the flowers Ashu had given her.

Sharti, who couldn’t leave the received flowers just anywhere, briefly explained why she had brought them.

At this, everyone glanced back at Ashu. The women let out small laughs.

The fact that Ashu had given flowers to Sharti had already spread.

“That timid boy took a big step.”

“What did he say when he gave them to you, teacher?”

Women of the age dreaming of romance sent meaningful glances.

They reminded Sharti of Birena’s looks.

As Sharti laughed awkwardly and fidgeted, the middle-aged women quickly intervened.

“Oh my, how silly. What meaning is there in young people exchanging flowers?”

“Teacher, don’t worry about it too much.”

In fact, the middle-aged women were the most concerned.

Because Ashu was an adult and the village chief’s eldest son, everyone in the village was interested in his love life.

Neighbors who had often seen Ashu in a daze after meeting the outsider doctor were both curious and expectant about Sharti.

Though they were very worried and reluctant about Sharti being an outsider, wasn’t she the kind person who came to save them at Ashu’s request?

‘Hmm?’

Reminded of Birena, Sharti rolled her eyes around.

Then, catching Ren’s gaze, Sharti waved slightly.

Ren could be seen smiling faintly.

Sharti was relieved to see that Ren seemed to be in a good mood despite being surrounded by others.

“Oh my, did you just wave at Ashu?”

“Is that why that slow boy’s face is so red?”

The women whispered. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding arose because Ren and Ashu were sitting close together.

As Ashu smiled shyly, Ren made an expression of disbelief.

At that moment, a woman watching this spoke to Sharti.

“Excuse me, teacher, what’s your ideal type?”

“…?”

Sharti was taken aback by the personal question that wasn’t related to treatment.

On the other hand, she was glad that the people of Ashu’s village had opened their hearts to her, an outsider.

Sharti scratched her cheek.

‘I don’t have a specific ideal type like Birena.’

Sharti shook her head.

However, even after receiving Sharti’s note, the questions didn’t stop.

“Then what’s your standard for finding someone attractive?”

“What kind of person would you like someone who likes you to be?”

This time, both Ren and Ashu pricked up their ears simultaneously.

Hmm. Sharti fell into thought.

As Sharti’s contemplation grew longer, everyone around exchanged glances, leaving her be.

“Then try choosing! Stoic person VS Someone who smiles easily.”

“Deep, thick voice VS High, soft voice!”

“Well-built person VS Tall person! Also, someone who doesn’t cry VS Someone who cries easily.”

“Older VS Same age. And someone who talks little VS Someone who talks a lot!”

Momentarily flustered by the barrage of questions, Sharti pondered with a troubled feeling.

‘I think the middle ground would be best for everything.’

Sharti tilted her head slightly. Thinking their eyes had met, Ashu startled and awkwardly pretended not to notice.

On the other hand, Ren was staring intently at Sharti.

His very serious expression almost looked like he was extremely tense.

“Teacher, which do you prefer?”

Urged by those around her, Sharti moved her pen after some deliberation.

And after reading Sharti’s note, the women covered their mouths and burst into bright laughter.

“I suppose so, right?”

“That’s right.”

As the vague conversation continued, Ren and Ashu, who had been preparing to eavesdrop on Sharti’s criteria, were left with question marks.

However, lacking the courage to join the women’s conversation, the two men fidgeted, waiting for an opportunity.

At that moment, the woman who had asked Sharti about her ideal type secretly winked at Ashu.

“…!”

“…”

The two men’s reactions were polar opposites.

Unable to contain his surging emotions, Ashu stood up abruptly.

Mustering his courage, Ashu strode over to Sharti.

“T-Teacher!”

With his hands clasped as if in prayer, Ashu squeezed his eyes shut.

Ashu’s face was so red it looked like it might burst.

“Would you like to take a walk to aid digestion? I can guide you!”

Caught off guard by Ashu’s enthusiasm, Sharti nodded.

She had been feeling overwhelmed by the increasingly focused attention anyway.

“Thank you!”

Normally she might have hesitated, but getting away from the situation quickly took precedence.

‘Ren too…’

As Sharti tried to include Ren, Ashu quickly intercepted.

“Uh, your assistant walked a lot today… I think he should rest…”

Ashu muttered carefully, glancing at Ren.

Unaware that Ren was sending intense looks from behind Ashu, Sharti nodded.

‘That’s true. Ren must have walked and run a lot today, we shouldn’t strain his legs.’

After working hard all day, it seemed best to let Ren rest after the meal.

As he left with Sharti, Ashu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Then he glanced back slightly.

Ashu clenched his fist towards Ren, who had stood up as if about to chase after them.

Unlike Ashu’s intended meaning of working hard to get closer to Sharti, it came across to Ren as encouragement.

“…What the-”

For a moment, Ren was so dumbfounded that he lost even the will to chase after Sharti and interfere.

In that gap, Ashu and Sharti disappeared from view.

Standing blankly with a hollow gaze, Ren roughly ruffled his hair.

Unlike Ren, the women who were in a pleased mood could be heard chattering.

“I hope Ashu meets the teacher’s standards.”

“…!”

Ren whipped his head around. Sharti’s note was in the women’s hands.

Ren’s eyes had changed to those of a bear that had spotted an opportunity.