However, contrary to Leah’s thoughts, Akkia was also quite perplexed.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

He had blindly followed, worried about Theo going to Leah. But when he actually faced Leah, he didn’t know what to say.

‘What on earth have I done…’

He let out a deep sigh beneath his expressionless face. This was all because of that young lad.

If that boy hadn’t babbled strange things to him that night, he wouldn’t have done such a thing.

‘What happened that day was so impulsive, even surprising to myself. And also…’

The memory of kissing Leah, as if bewitched by something, kept him from sleeping properly.

Every time he lay in bed, Leah’s face seemed to float on the ceiling.

Yes. If that had been the end of it, he wouldn’t have been this bothered. The biggest problem for him now was.

“Why Theo?”

Akkia looked at Leah, who was grumbling with a discontented gaze. No, to be precise, at Leah’s pouting lips.

‘I must be crazy.’

Or someone must have poisoned the food he was eating. The greatest trial facing him now was the urge to kiss her again.

He had to admit. That kiss was impulsive, but not unpleasant.

No, rather, it was good enough to want to taste again.

Leah’s lips were softer and warmer than he had thought.

Even a slight brush exuded a sweet scent. What would it feel like to part those tightly closed lips and explore?

And this impulse tormented him incessantly. From the moment he opened his eyes until just before falling asleep.

He even woke up last night because that woman appeared in his dream.

“What? Your Grace!!”

Leah raised her voice, seemingly angry at being ignored. He needed to answer, but all he could see were those pouting lips of hers.

Akkia deliberately crossed his arms to hide the sweat on his palms.

“I just came because I was curious about what you two were talking about.”

He came worried that Theo might confess to Leah, but he couldn’t say that honestly.

But even with the duke’s answer, Leah couldn’t hide her suspicious gaze.

“Your Grace, surely…”

Leah, who had moved close to Akkia, whispered softly enough for only him to hear.

“You didn’t tell Theo about that night… did you?”

He thought she was going to share some secret, but it seemed she was worried he might have told about their kiss.

Feeling hurt, Akkia’s tone sharpened.

“Seems like that night is bothering you? Judging by your concern.”

“Th-That’s…!”

Seeing her flustered response was somewhat reassuring. He had thought he was the only one conscious of that night.

Seeing Leah as usual made him wonder if he had dreamed that night.

But judging from her reaction now, it seemed that incident was bothering her too. He barely managed to suppress a rising smile as he tested Leah.

“Was it your first time, perhaps?”

“No! Of course not! I was quite popular, you know. Unlike you, I received many confessions!”

Well, she is pretty, so it’s understandable, but it made him feel unpleasant again.

‘It was his first kiss, but it wasn’t Leah’s first?’

The thought that she might have done the same thing with another man made him feel upset.

The man who kissed Leah must have felt the same. Thinking that someone he didn’t even know felt this way made him feel suffocated.

But Akkia, skillfully hiding his emotions, casually said,

“Well, I’m not much different.”

Boasting with non-existent facts.

But Akkia didn’t know yet. Why he was feeling this way.

The work at Magnolia Trading Company was mostly finished, and there was no more need for Leah to help.

Moreover, the company had agreed to help with making emergency medicine to distribute to the villagers.

‘It’s a better place than I thought.’

To move so actively on matters that don’t benefit the company.

Thanks to Magnolia’s active support, her heart felt much lighter than when she first arrived here.

‘Now I can focus on finding the antidote with the remaining time.’

Although it was a vacation, she couldn’t indefinitely postpone the development of the cure.

So Leah had been at Tren’s central library since early morning. Befitting a village advanced in herbs, Tren’s library even had a separate herbology section.

So now all she had to do was leisurely search for materials on antidotes here, but.

‘Why!’

“The library is larger than I expected.”

Akkia, who was following behind her, asked as if surprised.

‘Why did that man follow too.’

She didn’t really want to see his face right now.

But she inwardly sighed at the duke who insisted on following, saying she might slack off here.

Moreover, ‘than I expected.’ While not as big as the imperial palace library, Tren’s library was quite famous in nearby villages.

For a national library, it was large in scale and had a diverse collection of books.

‘Tren isn’t such an unremarkable city.’

Why that particular remark bothered her so much. An inexplicable feeling of disappointment towards the duke arose, making her mood fluctuate even at trivial words.

Of course, she knew the duke didn’t mean it that way. But knowing didn’t stop Leah from feeling hurt.

“It may be a mess now due to flood damage, but Tren is originally quite a decent city.”

Leah let out a small sigh and answered the duke.

She tried her best to suppress her emotions, but due to pent-up feelings, her voice came out sharp.

“Of course, it’s no comparison to the imperial palace and capital where you’ve lived, Your Grace.”

Ah. She hadn’t meant to give such a pointed answer.

Leah kept recalling what the duke had said. Akkia had casually answered that it wasn’t his first kiss.

‘It was my first!’

To think that kiss wasn’t his first. Leah would bolt awake even while sleeping, recalling her first kiss so unceremoniously stolen.

‘It’s so unfair, really.’

He kissed her and gave no explanation whatsoever. Not only that.

She had read the subtle pleasure on his face when he asked if it was her first kiss.

If only she didn’t have to see his face, her heart might be at ease. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but he seemed to be sticking closer than before since that day.

Leah hurriedly turned around, fearing the duke might notice her emotional changes.

“If there’s a book you want to see, Your Grace, please look for it. I’ll look for books that might help develop the cure.”

“……”

“Oh, and humanities books are on the opposite side. Then, I’ll be going!”

When Leah, who had primly pointed to the humanities corner, took a step towards the opposite corner.

– Thud thud.

The sound of footsteps following her was heard. Without turning around, she could tell it was the duke following her.

‘I even told him where the humanities section is, why is he following?’

Leah was bothered by the duke following behind. Finally, she whirled around to face him.

“Why are you following me? Your books are over there, Your Grace.”

“I’m not following you.”

“Then where are you going? This side is herbology…”

He lifted one corner of his mouth in a smirk, passed by Leah, and then pointed with his chin to the history corner right next to the herbology section.

“See?”

He flashed an arrogant smile and disappeared inside.

.

.

.

“It’s really annoying, damn it.”

Even while picking out books to read, Leah grumbled, thinking of the duke.

‘Anyone would misunderstand if you follow so closely behind, wouldn’t they?’

The duke’s gaze, like looking at someone with terminal axe disease, was unforgettable. Leah was grumbling when she raised her eyes to the top of the bookshelf.

The book was placed too high for her hand to reach. Looking around, Leah pulled over a wooden ladder placed next to the bookshelf and climbed up.

“By the way, a lot of new books have come in over the past 5 years.”

There were quite a few books she hadn’t seen before. Leah pulled out books focusing on antidotes. Pulling them out without much thought, the books in her arms became quite heavy.

As she was scanning for more books to take, one book caught Leah’s eye.

“How to Properly Use Poison?”

It was a book about poisonous herbs. If it’s a book shelved in the antidote section, it must be about making medicine from poisonous herbs.

“Does it mean mixing poison to make medicine? That’s new.”

Leah’s eyes sparkled with interest.

While general herbology books were so thick they could be called boulders, the book she pulled out was thin.

‘I should be able to read this quickly.’

It was just as she was about to come down the ladder with the books in her arms.

“Tsk. I wondered why you weren’t coming out, were you trying to bring the whole bookshelf?”

Akkia, who had approached right below the ladder, appeared. He was looking at Leah, who was standing with an armful of books, as if she were pathetic.

Unfolding his arms, Akkia pointed to the bookshelf.

“Just take what you need and come down. You won’t be able to read them all today anyway.”

“I can read them all, you know. I’m an amazing speed reader.”

‘What does it matter to him whether I empty the whole bookshelf or read books all night long.’

At Leah’s twisted reply, Akkia’s lips curved.

“Is that so? I’ll have to see for myself.”

Then he tilted his head as if telling Leah to come down.

‘That, that! Even that attitude of wanting to watch is so annoying.’

A smile that would have been quite tolerable normally looked as wicked as the world’s worst evil employer.

It was just as Leah took a step to descend the ladder. She should have clearly stepped on the ladder, but contrary to her will, her body lost balance and wobbled.

“Ah, ah!”

Thud thud thud, books spilled from her arms. And with the dizzying sensation of falling through the air, Leah closed her eyes.

Pain should have engulfed her normally. But a warm sensation along with an unfamiliar touch was transmitted from her fingertips.

And when she felt that the hard something wedged between her legs was someone else’s thigh.

A familiar timbre was heard close by.