“Pardon? Then what……”

However, Leah couldn’t finish her sentence. The moment she felt the heat emanating from Akkia, she had a sense of déjà vu, as if she had felt this before.

‘Could it be a side effect……?’

For a moment, thinking it resembled the symptoms of the new medicine’s side effects, Leah froze in place.

How many days had she locked herself in her room, clutching her head, after that night?

And now, to face such a situation again. Leah’s nerves were on edge, so much that she could clearly feel beads of sweat rolling down her spine.

“You said you’d take responsibility.”

He murmured in a low, cave-like bass. He removed his left hand that was on the desk, straddling Leah, and wrapped it around her waist.

“You must keep your word.”

Strongly, as if trying to ensnare her.

“Th-that’s……”

His arrogant attitude seemed to demand an answer.

Yes, she had said she would take responsibility. But that was only about her responsibility as an apothecary regarding the side effects.

Was she trying to avoid the man’s eyes that were like burning flames? Or was she trying to deny her own body that was slowly beginning to feel a strange heat?

Finding it difficult to even look at the man’s reflection in the window, she eventually averted her gaze.

“Leah.”

As Leah remained still with her head lowered, Akkia lifted the hand that had been on the desk.

Slowly cupping Leah’s cheek, he lifted her face. Once again, she was confronted with the man’s lust reflected in the spotlessly clean window.

‘A starving beast.’

Yes, the man’s face now was no different from a carnivore that had been starving for days. She was like a herbivore placed before such a predator.

Despite calling her name several times, when Leah gave no response, Akkia spoke first.

“You should answer.”

Every time his lips moved, they stimulated her nape. His hot breath, and his slightly rough lips.

It was a dizzying sensation that made even the faintest hairs on her skin stand on end.

Like a child begging their mother for candy, the man urged her. As if telling her to give the answer he wanted.

With each word he uttered, Leah felt her mind growing distant. Unable to bear it any longer, Leah escaped from his embrace and met his gaze.

“……I understand.”

Leah answered, avoiding the duke’s gaze filled with excited heat. As Leah finally spoke, the man looked down at her with expectant eyes.

“I’ll quickly draw a bath for you. If you soak in cold water, surely……”

But it seems that wasn’t the answer he wanted. Judging by how his brow furrowed before she could finish speaking.

“No.”

− Tak.

Before she could hear his full reply, Akkia grabbed Leah’s wrist as she tried to leave the room.

“Rather than that.”

Then he pulled Leah into his arms. His nose tip, so close it seemed about to touch, met Leah’s.

A thick lust felt even in the quietly settled darkness.

As her gaze fell on his moist lips beneath his sharply protruding nose bridge, Leah’s own lips went dry.

“I think this will be more effective.”

Ignoring Leah’s wide-eyed surprise, the man’s lips devoured hers. Mercilessly, as if trying to swallow her whole in one bite.

The small room, which had only been filled with silence, was soon filled with sensual breaths and wet sounds.

‘I must stop this.’

Right now, she needed to push the duke away and leave this room.

Surely, that’s what she should do, but why……

‘Why don’t I want to stop?’

Unlike her reason, her instincts were telling her to cling to him more. Like that night. It was as if a devil was whispering in her ear to fall into that deep abyss with him.

‘……No.’

Leah, barely holding onto her reason, said with heated breaths.

“Ha…… J-just a moment. No more……”

She pleaded with half-lidded eyes.

“Not enough.”

Just as the duke’s lips, looking down at her with burning eyes, were about to overlap with hers again. The duke’s movements stopped.

“……Your Grace?”

Sensing something strange, she gently opened her eyes. The duke was looking towards the door with a wary gaze.

Finding this odd, Leah was about to call him again when. The sound of someone’s footsteps brushed past her ears.

“Your Grace, is someone outside……”

“Shh.”

As if telling her to lower her voice, he placed his index finger on Leah’s lips.

‘Who could it be……?’

There shouldn’t be anyone in this mansion besides the duke and herself. The presence that had been heard from afar was getting closer.

Finally, as the footsteps stopped in front of the room where the two were.

− Tak!

The duke, standing next to the door, flung it open forcefully. And there was.

“Your Grace……!”

“Rikel?”

Startled by the suddenly opened door, Rikel asked while clutching his chest.

“You weren’t in your room, so I’ve been looking for you. But.”

He looked back and forth between the two people together, as if puzzled.

“Why are you two here……”

At Rikel’s dumbfounded reaction, the duke ran his hand through his hair as if annoyed.

“Follow me.”

Then he gave a sharp look.

If looks could kill, the duke’s eyes as he looked at Rikel just now might have done so.

The next morning. An awkward atmosphere flowed between Leah and the duke sitting across from each other at the large dining table in the dining room.

‘Ah, it’s bothering me.’

She found herself constantly glancing towards where the duke was sitting without realizing it.

Perhaps because of this, even though the appetizing aroma of soup was temptingly tickling her nose, she didn’t feel like eating.

As soon as Leah woke up in the morning, she let out a silent scream as she recalled what had happened with the duke last night.

If Rikel hadn’t come in the middle of the night, it was obvious how things would have ended.

‘What could it be……’

The important thing was that she didn’t dislike the duke. Being with him, and even kissing like last night.

She was just confused, unsure whether this was an intense desire due to the new medicine’s side effects, or if she had genuinely developed feelings for him.

The sensation of their entangled bodies from last night came back vividly. As she recalled their passionate kiss, Leah realized she was unconsciously touching her lips.

‘I must be crazy. What am I thinking about while eating……!’

Leah hurriedly lowered her hand. Then her eyes met with Akkia, who was eating across from her.

He had been watching Leah with a strange look as her expressions changed moment by moment.

Feeling as if her inner thoughts had been exposed, Leah started speaking first without being asked.

“I’m planning to visit the National Library this afternoon.”

“The National Library? Why there?”

The National Library in the capital was the largest library in the Croatean Empire.

Being a non-profit library directly operated by the Imperial Palace, it had a wide range of books from the most recently published to ancient texts.

She had been meaning to go there at least once to clearly understand the side effects of the new medicine.

She hadn’t had time since arriving in the capital not long ago, but today she finally had some free time.

“I think I need to quickly find out about the side effects. I’ll be back soon.”

She thought it would be better to get some fresh air and clear her mind rather than staying cooped up all day with the duke in this small mansion.

If she could also find a way to solve the side effects, it would be even better.

“Go ahead then.”

Just as the duke put down the spoon he was holding, uttering words that sounded like permission. The sound of someone knocking on the mansion door reached the dining room.

“It seems someone’s here? I’ll go check.”

Leah was so glad for whoever had come, breaking the awkward meal. As a happy expression unconsciously filled her face, the duke let out a disbelieving chuckle.

“Is this the mansion where Duke Haidern is staying?”

“Yes, it is. But who are you?”

When Leah opened the door, an unfamiliar man bowed to her.

“I’ve come from the Imperial Palace. Excuse me, but are you the apothecary, Lady Leah?”

“Yes, I am Leah.”

“I see, so I’ve come to the right place.”

Leah was surprised for a moment that this stranger knew her name accurately.

Akkia, who had approached without her noticing, stood beside Leah and asked the man.

“Who are you?”

“Your Grace. I’ve been sent by Marquis Rodrigo from the Imperial Palace.”

The man took out a letter sealed with the imperial seal from his breast pocket and handed it to the duke.

“It’s an imperial command.”

“……”

“His Majesty orders Duke Haidern and Lady Leah to enter the palace immediately.”

.

.

.

Due to the emperor’s sudden command, the two were now walking through the palace, having left their meal unfinished.

“But why did His Majesty summon me as well?”

“We’ll find out when we get there.”

Leah, who had been quietly following the attendant’s guidance, whispered softly so that only Akkia beside her could hear.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

The attendant went in briefly and came out. Then, as the two were about to enter together following the attendant’s guidance, it was at that moment.

“Would the apothecary please wait here for a moment? His Majesty the Emperor wishes to speak with the duke alone first.”

Hearing the attendant’s words, Leah stopped. Looking up at the duke, Akkia nodded to her as if telling her to do so.

The attendant who had guided Akkia to the audience chamber came out and approached Leah, who was waiting in front of the door, and asked casually.

“It seems their conversation might take a while. So, would you like to take a tour of the palace in the meantime?”

“The palace?”

“Yes. Anywhere is fine, for instance, the Imperial Library or wherever you’d like.”

Leah pondered deeply.

She had wanted to visit the library in the palace at least once, but once she started reading, she would have to stay there for hours.

Suddenly, the herb greenhouse flashed through Leah’s mind.

She had regretted not being able to look around properly during her last visit. It might be good to take this opportunity to examine it again.

“Then, instead of the library, would it be alright if I visited the herb greenhouse?”

“The herb greenhouse?”

“Yes. Being an apothecary, I’m very interested in herbs. When I visited before, I was in a hurry and couldn’t look around properly.”

The attendant’s eyes widened, seemingly not expecting Leah to choose the greenhouse. Then he nodded to Leah.

“Let’s go. His Majesty said that the apothecary could visit anywhere she wished. I will guide you.”

“Thank you, that would be……”

Leah smiled gently at the attendant.