The Duke's Flower is Precarious (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
Perfume, you say…? Though she was often called an “artificial flower without fragrance,” she had never used perfume herself. After all, she vividly remembered Countess and Rozeline mocking her for “layering on false scents.”
Besides, she had never liked perfumes—their overwhelming aromas gave her headaches. If anything, the only scent she ever used was the mild bath oil during her baths.
Even that oil was so faintly scented that the Grand Duke’s sudden remark about her wearing perfume left her momentarily baffled.
“…No. I don’t use any.”
“You don’t use any…?”
At Aidel’s reply, the Grand Duke’s blue eyes gleamed sharply as he scrutinized her. Her expression appeared utterly innocent, without a single crack.
He leaned toward her, bracing one hand on the bookshelf, bringing his face so close that Aidel found herself staring directly into his eyes, their breaths nearly mingling.
His flawless, cool demeanor usually made those deep blue eyes seem icy—but at this distance, they burned like molten blue lava instead.
“…This is troublesome.”
Clearly, she was the one in trouble here.
Yet he gritted his teeth as though struggling to suppress something, murmuring with visible restraint. The blue lava smoldering in his eyes surged fiercely, as if ready to devour her whole.
“I fear I might lose all self-control because of your scent.”
His words dried her mouth with tension, as if staring at a volcano on the verge of eruption. Though he only held her wrist, she felt utterly bound, unable to move an inch.
“What on earth do you mean by ‘scent’…?”
Aidel asked in a trembling voice, flustered. Her half-sister Rozeline might understand—but she herself couldn’t possibly carry any fragrance.
If she had, their mother wouldn’t have died, she wouldn’t have grown up amid endless blame, and she certainly wouldn’t have been forced into an unwanted marriage like a commodity.
Overwhelmed by sudden, bitter frustration, Aidel snapped sharply, her tone more intense than intended.
“Are you mocking me? Even for Your Grace, this is clearly an insult.”
“Perhaps you’re the one mocking me. Such an intense fragrance… If you didn’t apply perfume, then is this your natural scent?”
Without realizing it, Kaeron brought his nose close to the nape of her neck. An absurd impulse to taste her creamy-white skin surged through him.
Startled by the heat of his breath against her neck, the woman jerked her body away with a flinch. That movement only intensified the fragrance wafting toward him, making his barely held composure threaten to shatter.
“Damn it…”
He let out a low groan, growling as he asked,
“What exactly did you do?”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. But this much is clear—your current behavior is a blatant violation of Imperial law.”
Faced with the Grand Duke’s unsettling demeanor, Aidel resolved to stay calm herself. Though her body trembled faintly, she continued firmly.
“I assume even a Grand Duke like you is well aware of Article 251 of Imperial Law regarding forced indecency. Any physical contact against someone’s will is punishable by law.”
Kaeron let out a wry chuckle at the bold woman—this Imperial Chief Justice—daring to cite laws to him.
Her unexpected response in this situation was indeed admirable. The wild impulse surging through his body had noticeably subsided. Though his excitement had cooled, a different emotion now stirred within him.
“Then please let go. Your Grace.”
She was delicate, like her slender wrist—so fragile that applying any pressure might break her. Her soft green eyes, like newly sprouted leaves, seemed utterly vulnerable. Yet, she met his gaze with unwavering, stubborn resolve, which intrigued him greatly.
“Forced indecency, you say…”
Kaeron had always been utterly indifferent to others since birth. Deliberately touching someone’s body was entirely foreign to him. Normally, he wouldn’t have cared in the slightest if a woman collapsed right before his eyes.
But the moment her body swayed, he reacted instinctively before he even realized it. Even after her polite yet firm request to let go, he couldn’t bring himself to release her hand.
He still felt the same even after she explicitly accused him of indecency. His own behavior felt both unfamiliar and absurd.
At first, he’d even suspected her scent might be some kind of enchanted perfume deliberately destabilizing his self-control. After all, it wasn’t uncommon for women to try every bizarre trick to seduce him.
‘But if she truly meant to seduce me…’
She wouldn’t be pleading so desperately to get away. Clearly, the woman before him was doing everything she could to escape his presence.
‘Just who the hell is this woman?’
Honestly, his body still hadn’t calmed its response to her scent. He’d barely regained his mental clarity—but looking at this woman who made him feel like a beast off its leash, Kaeron found himself curious about someone for the first time in his life.
Sensing the slackening grip of the man lost in thought, she seized the moment and forcefully pulled her hand free.
He let her go without resistance.
“Excuse me, Your Grace.”
Offering a brief bow, the woman turned and hurried out of the library like she was running away. Her thick hair swayed like ripe wheat in the wind.
Kaeron watched her retreating back intently. Despite his calm expression, his fists were tightly clenched. His traitorous body screamed at him to chase after her immediately.
Even after she vanished completely, the image of her resolute eyes staring straight into his remained deeply imprinted in his mind.
‘I hope you never cross my path again…’
His reason insisted that would be for the better.
Kaeron had never liked variables. Especially those involving women—losing control over them was the most foolish variable he could imagine.
And yet, of all places, he encountered this exact variable at the Imperial University after such a long time.
Drawn by an unfamiliar yet powerfully alluring fragrance drifting through the library corridor, he’d unconsciously walked here as if entranced.
At the end of his steps, he’d found her—completely absorbed in her book.
‘I must have been out of my mind.’
Kaeron gave a self-deprecating smile and ran his fingers through his hair.
Having neatly tucked away his inexplicable impulse as a momentary lapse, he took a step forward—then stopped.
His eyes fell upon the cloche left behind by the woman. Perhaps it was the lingering trace of her scent floating through the library… In the end, he picked up the evidence she’d left behind.
‘Aidel…’
It was the name embroidered inside the hat. He mentally ran through the names of noble daughters he knew—but found no match.
She carried herself with the ingrained grace of nobility… Perhaps she was merely a well-educated member of the middle class.
“Your Grace! There you are! I’ve been searching for you for ages.”
His thoughts were interrupted by his aide, Gregory. In a way, this talkative aide could be blamed for thrusting him into this unwanted variable.
“They say the entrance exams are finally over. Let’s head to the Dean’s office right away—Huh? What’s that in your hand? Looks like a lady’s cloche…?”
“Hmph…”
Kaeron let out a deep sigh and walked toward the Dean’s office without another word. Gregory hurried after him with quick steps.
“Where did that women’s hat come from all of a sudden? You didn’t have it when we came in… Don’t tell me you had a secret rendezvous in the library…”
“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll cancel the new aide recruitment.”
“What a harsh thing to say! Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day? Professor Nichen, who proctored the exams, mentioned an extraordinary talent just enrolled…”
Ignoring Gregory’s noisy chatter, Kaeron walked on silently, his gaze fixed on the window as if unconsciously searching for someone.
“Your Grace! You’ve arrived?”
Upon reaching the Dean’s office, Jefferson—the Dean of Jupiter Imperial University, where Kaeron served as nominal Chair—greeted him warmly. Professor Nichen from the Administration Department also noticed him and bowed respectfully.
“So you intend to appoint a new aide from among this year’s Administration Department freshmen? There are plenty of capable upperclassmen—why choose a freshman…?”
“Well, I suppose it feels more rewarding to nurture someone from the start. Moreover, His Grace plans to generously sponsor this exceptionally promising talent right from their first sprouts.”
Gregory brightly answered the Dean’s question on Kaeron’s behalf, as if saying, ‘Isn’t that right, Your Grace?’ Kaeron merely nodded wearily.
He was already tired of Gregory’s constant pestering about hiring a new aide under him due to his heavy workload.
“Among all the entrance exam answer sheets from the Administration Department, this one stands out the most. Though… this particular freshman…”
“Oh, really? Let me take a look.”
Impatient as ever, Gregory snatched the answer sheet from Professor Nichen before he could finish speaking.
‘But, Professor, about that freshman…’
Nichen stood there, mouth hanging open, unable to finish his sentence.
Though anyone would clearly name this answer sheet as top-ranking, its author faced a significant obstacle to becoming an aide in the Grand Duke’s household.
“Wow! This answer is perfect! Are you sure a freshman wrote this?”
After skimming the sheet, Gregory gaped in astonishment. The writing was clear, concise, and supported every assertion with solid reasoning.
Despite his loquaciousness, Gregory was highly competent—precisely why Kaeron had entrusted him entirely with recruiting a new aide.
Uninterested in the freshman’s answer sheet, Kaeron remained lost in thought, idly fingering the cloche.
“She’s the one! It has to be her. Wait, what’s her name…?”
Gregory confidently checked the name written on the answer sheet.
“Number 136… Aidel?”
At the familiar name spoken by Gregory, Kaeron’s hand stilled on the cloche. Simultaneously, his long arm reached toward the answer sheet Gregory held.
“…Hand it over.”
Taking the sheet, he scanned it intently, searching for traces of her.
The same faint fragrance lingering on the cloche now subtly permeated the paper. The handwriting—elegant yet crisp—mirrored the concise, resolute voice of its owner.
“She was the first to finish the exam and submit her answer sheet. That’s why I remember her clearly. The student who turned in this paper…”
Professor Nichen hesitated briefly before continuing.
“…was a woman.”
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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Well it appears in this novel the emperor is a gullible fool.
Can’t wait for second prince to die . How dare he touch grand Duchess with his filthy hand.
I hope Kareon kills first prince . But maybe that’s not going to happen because of diplomatic relations between kingdoms. If at that moment aidel would have remained unconscious ,second prince definitely would have died .It’s unfortunate , that bastard should have died on spot.