“Yawn, it’s boring just sitting here. I’ll go for a quick stroll out front and come back.”
After finishing the audience with the gnome Gilbert, I quickly vacated my seat as well.
I could feel Darius looking at me as if to say, ‘The person who was just passionately arguing that we need to build at least ten more forges is actually bored with the meeting?’, but I pretended not to notice.
As I came out of the main hall, I found the gnome not far away, near the hall.
“Ah, Lady Duchess.”
Perhaps because of the expansion approval earlier, the gnome’s eyes were full of trust when he saw me.
“I’m surprised! To think such a young lady would understand the importance of this industry so well!”
“What does age matter in business? I’m glad things went well earlier. Actually, I have something to ask.”
“Yes, yes! Ask me anything! Anything!”
“Is there perhaps something hindering the business? If there was something difficult to say in front of the Duke, you can tell me now. I’ll make sure to convey it properly.”
In truth, I didn’t have such power. Oh no, me. Seeing how perfectly I’m putting on airs, being a person of high status must be my true calling.
But the middle-aged man’s expression, which had been all smiles until just now, darkened. There must be something after all!
“Ah, I’m not sure where you heard it, but my older brother will get himself together soon. How can one’s heart be at ease when their daughter has disappeared?”
“A daughter disappeared?”
My eyes widened at the unexpected words, and Gnome Gilbert seemed to realize his mistake.
“Oh my, I thought you knew, so I just…”
He belatedly slapped his own mouth, but the words had already slipped out.
“Originally today, it should have been the head of the blacksmith guild coming instead of me, but he’s been drinking these days.”
So the person whose daughter disappeared was the highest-ranking person in the forge.
“It’s not something to say in front of the Duchess, but young people are naturally drawn to glamorous and comfortable things, aren’t they? A few months ago when a traveling troupe came here, Ann had a big fight with her father about leaving the North to go to the capital. And after that, Ann disappeared.”
The name of the missing blacksmith guild leader’s daughter was Ann. The story was that the production of refined iron ore had worsened over the past few months because the best blacksmith in the guild couldn’t lead due to worry about his daughter.
The gnome said he thought that was why I had come out to ask.
“That’s not what I was going to ask about… but people are more important. If his daughter disappeared, of course he’d be like that. Is there no possibility of kidnapping?”
“Oh no, not at all. How could there be kidnapping in this North where everyone knows each other? Young people are naturally drawn to the capital rather than the cold North. When I was young, I wanted to leave this place too. Ann will probably send a letter once she settles in the city.”
Hmm. It was strange that he was too worried to focus on work, yet not actively searching.
‘Well, I can’t interfere in others’ family matters. It’s not like I have a way to solve it anyway.’
“If there’s anything I can help with, let me know.”
“I’m grateful just for your words.”
I parted ways with him and headed back to the main hall.
“Be careful of Anette. Unnecessary kindness is forbidden.”
But before opening the door to the main hall, a familiar voice reached my ears.
…Darius?
* * *
Besides the gnome blacksmith Gilbert, many other subjects were waiting to meet Darius.
“…and so, to inform the Duke of these facts and request assistance…”
Pffft, an uncharacteristic chuckle escaped Darius’s lips.
“Continue speaking.”
Glancing at the Duke’s serious face, the people thought they must have misheard and continued their story.
The memory of Anette glaring suddenly came to mind.
Before entering the office, Anette had grabbed Darius’s arm and protested.
Her face was bright red, as if she was incredibly upset about something.
“…Hah.”
Darius turned his head and snorted.
‘He really is laughing, isn’t he?’
“Duke, Your Grace?”
“I understand. Proceed as planned.”
It was only a momentary lapse. Darius returned to his cold demeanor.
Last night, Anette had spoken resolutely.
She too found it awkward to suddenly share a bed with a man just because they were married.
Although the time he had spent with her wasn’t long, the more he conversed with Anette, the more he got to know her, the more he felt they were compatible.
Now that he finally had a bride, should he give her a gift?
But what kind of gift do women like?
Tap tap tap. With the newfound internal closeness, Darius tapped the armrest of his chair as he pondered. His profile looked utterly serious about work from the outside.
As he absentmindedly stamped documents, Darius’s eyes fell on Sir Daniel standing beside him.
A gentle impression, a mild temperament. With the added status of a knight, the maids liked Daniel a lot.
“Daniel.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“What do women usually…”
Suddenly, he remembered overhearing a maid’s conversation comparing him to Daniel.
“Your Grace?”
The desire to ask completely vanished.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Did you not have something to say when you called me?”
“I thought I did, but it’s gone now, so you can go.”
It wasn’t that Daniel’s gentle and docile eyes suddenly looked unimpressive and unpleasant.
It was because getting advice from another man to buy a gift for his wife seemed absurd, so he retracted his words.
‘Oh my, Sir Daniel chose this gift for me? Of course, the Duke paid for it, but Sir Daniel picked out a gift for me! I can’t believe it, I’m so happy!’
Anette wouldn’t be that kind of person, would she?
Yet even imagining it was irritating.
Come to think of it, Daniel had always accompanied him in the South too.
Moreover, when he was still wary of Anette, Daniel was the first to open his heart to her.
‘Ah, when I first saw the Duke, he was wearing a mask so I couldn’t see his face or hear his voice, but the knight from the North was so kind. If only that knight had been my husband instead of the Duke.’
If Anette had ever thought something like that even once…
“Now that I think about it, I thought Lady Anette was enterprising from the first time I met her, and today she proved it again. It was very impressive to see her confidently giving her opinion by Your Grace’s side without hesitation.”
Daniel unknowingly praised Anette, adding fuel to the fire.
“Daniel, it seems you’ve been observing the Duchess quite closely.”
“Because she’s the Duchess?”
“How long have you known her? Why do you report to me about every little thing she does well, what she did today?”
Darius’s voice was unpleasant.
“I apologize.”
Daniel apologized, not knowing what he had done wrong. It was the sad habit of a subordinate.
“Don’t take her too much to heart. She is…”
You are my knight and Anette is my wife. It felt ticklish in the back of his throat to say it like this. So Darius expressed it indirectly.
“As you said, she’s a woman of the Porche family. If you’ve sworn loyalty to me as my knight, don’t let your guard down. How can you lower your guard before I do?”
He had no intention of tolerating the sight of a castle knight presenting flowers or honors to a noblewoman. Let him do that with the ladies who admire Daniel.
‘Yes, the reason I’m feeling bad now is because Daniel, who warned me to be careful of the South before the marriage, is now going back on his words.’
Darius nodded, rationalizing to himself. No wonder he felt uncomfortable with Daniel fawning over Anette.
Having found the reason for his lingering uneasiness, Darius’s expression brightened considerably.
And it was just as Darius was comforting himself and finding peace of mind.
Swoosh.
A trembling hand quietly closed the door that had been opened just a crack. Carefully, so that no one would notice.
‘What was that all about?’
It was Anette who had returned with divine timing just as Darius was bad-mouthing her.
* * *
“Your walk took quite long. Nothing happened, right?”
“Nothing happened. I was just about to send out knights to search every corner of the castle if you hadn’t returned soon.”
“That’s an amusing joke.”
I smiled at Darius and Sir Daniel, pretending I hadn’t heard anything. Sir Daniel, unlike before, couldn’t meet my eyes.
“Hehehe.”
You bastard.
I’ve had you figured out since you started acting uncomfortable about sleeping with me.
Pretending to establish the Duchess’s authority and even accompanying me to work from the morning.
What? Don’t be fooled by appearances and be suspicious of Anette?
I didn’t believe it either. You’re just like the male lead after all!
As expected, even if I slightly altered the original story, my status as an extra who gets mistreated hasn’t changed.
If we were to draw a relationship diagram for this novel, the arrow between Darius and me would still probably be pointing towards conflict.
‘Hmph, hmph. You don’t need to talk behind my back so pettily. I’ll leave on my own when the time comes.’
With no one to trust, I’ll have to prepare for divorce by myself.
“Anette, your hands look cold.”
Darius glanced at Sir Daniel and suddenly extended his hand to me. What, is he going to give me gloves?
“No? I’m not cold at all. I’m completely fine.”
‘Trying to act nice because you feel guilty for badmouthing me when I was gone.’
I sulkily pulled my hand away to the outside.
__________
Male Lead, The Black-Hearted Lotus (Female-dominant)
Short intro by Yuushi L:
At first, the male lead despised the female lead. Later, he misunderstood that she liked him, so he condescendingly and reluctantly reciprocated her feelings.
Then, he suddenly discovered that she was kind to everyone in the same way, and there was already someone she cherished in her heart, and that person was not him.
The male lead couldn’t believe it, he became angry and crazy. He was determined to capture her body and heart by any means necessary.
Synopsis:
Want to see how a green tea bitch male lead falls in love with the female lead?
Want to see how he flirtatiously pursues the female lead?
Want to see how he gets slapped in the face repeatedly?
The male lead is a green tea bitch, a poisonous lotus, jealous, ruthless, unscrupulous, with a venomous heart, and he’s also a delusional maniac.
The female lead is righteous, positive energy-filled, kind, a holy mother.
Let’s see how two people with extreme personalities come together~
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