Trapped in the Mad Duke's Snare (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
The Duke stormed out of the study.
Adeline leaned against the study door for a long while, clutching her unsettled heart.
“I should probably gulp down some cold water.”
Still gasping for breath, Adeline soon moved to the kitchen.
Gulping it down quickly, she found that despite drinking a full bowl of cold water, her heart continued to race wildly—so violently that even the cup in her hand trembled.
Why couldn’t she calm down at all?
Frowning, Adeline tightly squeezed her eyes shut.
Behind her closed eyelids, the Duke’s blood-red eyes vividly reappeared.
As if right before her—though it wasn’t real—Adeline felt her entire body ensnared by those crimson eyes.
The trembling that began in her hands soon spread through her whole body, leaving her legs too weak to stand.
The Duke now was Mel—endlessly kind and gentle, having lost his memories. Yet even so, Adeline still couldn’t bring herself to meet those red eyes.
All because she’d foolishly offered to cut his hair.
His red eyes, previously hidden behind the tangled locks she’d hacked off.
Adeline had known well enough that those eyes awaited her beneath the strands.
Why hadn’t she thought of it? It wasn’t the first time she’d been overwhelmed by those crimson eyes.
Ever since childhood, Adeline had constantly feared that her death might become a reality.
Thus, she had avoided every social circle completely.
She’d wanted to avoid catching the Crown Prince’s eye—even in the slightest—since he might be the one to kill her.
Perhaps thanks to that, the only daughter of the Marquis’s house, though surrounded by rumors, gradually faded from the nobles’ memories as time passed.
But even Adeline couldn’t avoid that inevitable day.
Her debutante ball.
An event every noble in the central court absolutely had to attend.
While everyone else tried their hardest to stand out, Adeline had chosen the plainest dress possible.
Though her beauty couldn’t be easily concealed, the Marquis’s cold demeanor and Adeline’s dull responses naturally allowed her to claim an inconspicuous spot—just as she’d hoped, to quietly slip through unnoticed.
Just as her wish seemed to be coming true—safely passing through the debutante ball in obscurity—
Adeline suddenly felt an intense gaze pierce through her.
Everyone was wearing white dresses in the central hall, yet someone’s eyes were fixed solely on her.
‘Could it be the Crown Prince?’
Adeline couldn’t bring herself to turn her head toward that piercing gaze.
Forcing her eyes in the exact opposite direction, she met yet another intense stare.
Blood-red eyes—deep crimson orbs that seemed capable of swallowing everything.
Adeline recalled her first encounter with the Duke.
Desperate to escape immediate danger, she’d casually blurted out lies without a second thought. Perhaps now, belatedly, she feared the storm those lies might unleash.
Just as during the debutante ball, she felt certain that if she looked into the Duke’s eyes again, she’d be utterly paralyzed.
Yet she couldn’t avoid his eyes entirely either.
In her frustration over her own cowardice, Adeline suddenly remembered a way to partially shield herself from those eyes.
Glasses!
Recalling the spectacles she’d worn during her last trip into town, Adeline headed straight for her bedroom.
Surely having even a lens between them would help.
Adeline looked at the glasses resting on her bedside table.
Once she’d fallen into this deep mental quagmire, her thoughts began spiraling uncontrollably.
“Sigh…”
She now felt utterly pathetic for racing to this villa solely because of a single comment.
“To ask the Duke—who’d saved my life—for help in return.”
When she couldn’t even properly meet his eyes.
Looking back now, it truly was a foolish plan.
Her family, House Credion, was a noble house that handled the empire’s dirty work.
The current Empress—regardless of the reason—had deposed the former Empress. And her father, the Marquis, was Empress Bergamo’s closest confidant, placing their house in direct opposition to the Duke’s family.
Moreover, how could a daughter of such a house—one tied so closely to the imperial court—flee an arranged marriage to the Crown Prince and seek shelter with the Duke?
Especially when she’d knowingly put herself in danger just so he could save her.
Now, Adeline realized it was truly fortunate that the Duke had lost his memories.
Just as Adeline retrieved the glasses and was about to leave her room again, something occurred to her, and she walked over to the bed.
Reaching under the bed, she pulled out a small box.
Inside lay the Duke’s ring—the seal of House Torpeo clearly visible.
Relieved to confirm the item was still there, Adeline let out a sigh of relief.
Perhaps it had been wise to hide it beforehand.
She’d concealed the seal in anticipation of the day the Duke might regain his memories.
Though it was true she’d saved his life, he might just as easily draw his sword on her again, as he had before.
Considering the Duke’s temperament—ready to draw his blade instantly—there was a strong chance he’d refuse any request, even if she reminded him she’d saved his life.
This ring, proof of his status as head of his house, was her small insurance against that day.
[This is the timeline separator]Their mealtime passed in silence, interrupted only by the clinking of cutlery.
It was Cassis who finally shattered the unbearable stillness.
“We agreed to cut your hair after dinner, right? Are we doing it now?”
Perhaps because she’d been tense the whole time, Adeline let out an unintentional sigh at the Duke’s voice.
“Actually, it doesn’t look bad as it is. If it really bothers you, we could go into town to get it cut properly.”
“How can you say that without even looking?”
He’d hoped trimming his hair again might shift the mood, but contrary to his expectations, Adeline declined.
Her response—that she hadn’t even checked her appearance and claimed it was fine as-is—made him certain of one thing:
She was clearly avoiding him.
In truth, Adeline’s odd behavior wasn’t limited to just today’s haircut.
Even on the day they’d gone into town to buy clothes, hadn’t she immediately shoved glasses onto his face?
Del, who’d been upset when he mentioned his memories might return at any moment.
Del, who’d abruptly placed glasses on his face without warning.
Del, who’d cut his hair and then covered his face as if she couldn’t bear to look at him.
Cassis had several theories about why Adeline avoided him, but he couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason.
Cassis kept glancing sideways at Adeline.
Even now, as they ate together, she refused to meet his eyes or exchange a single word.
Frustration building to its peak, Cassis set down his utensils and stared fixedly at Adeline.
Under his intense, unwavering gaze, Adeline felt as if her cheeks were being pricked.
Yet she pretended not to notice and continued eating in silence.
“Del.”
“Yes.”
Though she answered his call, she still wouldn’t meet his eyes—leading Cassis to mistakenly believe Adeline was deeply angry with him.
“Please look at me.”
Reluctantly, Adeline lifted her head at Cassis’s request—but as soon as her eyes met his crimson gaze, she quickly looked away again.
‘I already gave him the glasses.’
Earlier, before the meal, Adeline had handed him the glasses, yet she still couldn’t bear to look directly into Cassis’s red eyes.
“Why aren’t you wearing the glasses I gave you?”
Adeline asked curtly.
Though the glasses were meant to block his presence, Cassis—who didn’t understand her reason—couldn’t comprehend why Adeline kept insisting he wear them.
Thus, the two of them kept clashing.
‘Is she trying to hide my face behind those glasses?’
Recalling how Adeline had subtly winced each time she looked into his eyes, Cassis seemed to reach a conclusion.
“Why do you keep telling me to wear glasses?”
“I… just do. I’ll excuse myself first.”
With no real excuse to give, Adeline simply wanted to escape the situation.
Just as she set down her utensils to leave—
Cassis rose from his seat and stood firmly in front of her, blocking her path.
“Why can’t you look me in the eyes?”
“I’m just tired.”
Still avoiding his gaze, Adeline tried to stand up again.
But Cassis grabbed her shoulders and lowered his head—
bringing himself close enough that she couldn’t possibly evade his stare.
The moment Adeline saw Cassis’s crimson eyes filling her vision, she squeezed her eyes shut.
She feared her lies would be exposed by those all-seeing red eyes.
Unaware of her thoughts, Cassis assumed she’d closed her eyes because she couldn’t bear to look at him.
His irritation boiled over.
“Am I really that unbearable to look at? What did I do wrong? Or… are you angry because I still can’t remember?”
Adeline, overwhelmed by the Duke’s relentless questioning, didn’t know what to do.
As she stood there, mouth opening and closing without words, Cassis’s next sentence left her doubting her own ears.
“Or… am I so hideous you have to shut your eyes?”
“…Yes?”
Who in their right mind could call Duke Torpeo ugly?
Stunned by his absurd question, she accidentally met his eyes—despite having avoided them so carefully until then.
Oops. She quickly tried to look away, but Cassis’s large hand cupped her chin, holding her head firmly in place.
“Look at me.”
His big hands gripped both her cheeks securely, leaving her no chance to turn away.
“Then why can’t you look me straight in the eyes?”
Trapped with nowhere to run, Adeline swallowed hard under his unrelenting gaze.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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MANGA DISCUSSION
3 Comments
Chapter Comments (62)
I’ve never really understand subordinates who stay with a master who abuses them. If it were me, I would have run away to a new country and changed my name just to get away from my abusive master!
Disgusting, filthy, vile scoundrel. I hope you fall to the bottom. Your position doesn’t mean you get to control other people’s lives and trample on them.
Though they were not the same person but yes, both were crazy… poor fl
Inline Comments (33)
Faced with the sudden risk of being mislabeled a married woman, Adeline hastily
You just had a golden opportunity to turn this misunderstanding around and save your future self some pain and embarrassment…why claim to be lovers?
Counting the falling raindrops, Adeline soon drifted off to sleep.
This female lead is creating all sorts of issues for herself. Behavior like this makes forfeit any right to complain regarding future complications.
Where had gone the shy, flustered man who first opened his eyes? He’d turned int
Hahaha, the Duke is a real con artist, Adeline. He’s a nine-tailed fox trying to seduce you.
YOUR COMMENT
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Artemtisforaday
Honestly, she should have just run to another country or something instead of trying to find and rely on the Duke. Too late for that I suppose.
Blairwoods
She didn’t read the novel and reincarnation to this novel was so funny 🤣
Miioo
I feel the Duke is truly being wronged. Why is Adeline doing this?