‘If there is something in the dessert, he won’t eat it.’
“……Thank you.”
Undeterred by any suspicion, he nonchalantly started eating the tart.
‘It seems his ears have slightly reddened.’
Had my earlier action been too impolite? But it was too late for regrets now.
Since he did not say anything, I planned to leisurely enjoy the tart now.
Nelia started to eat the tart.
Chewing carefully.
It’s delicious every time I eat it.
Then, she stealthily glanced at Duke Hart sitting in front of her.
“You have plenty of time, you can eat slowly.”
“It’s not that……. Aren’t you eating, Duke?”
Belatedly, she thought she might have been eating alone too much. After giving him the first bite, she had almost singlehandedly finished more than half of the tart.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“……Then, I’ll finish it.”
With a faint smile on his lips, he nodded his head.
Soon, the tart had disappeared.
Nelia, refilling her jasmine tea, gulped it down and looked up.
She realized that Duke Hart had been watching her eat the whole time, like an audience watching a mukbang.
Feeling embarrassed, she hurriedly put down her fork.
“I’ve finished eating.”
As Nelia announced the end, Duke Hart got up from his seat, an unfamiliar yet charming smile on his face.
“I have some work at the mansion today, could you help me?”
With that, Duke Hart extended his hand.
‘What is it……? Now that I’ve eaten the tart, is he asking for money?’
As Nelia was quietly staring at his palm, Duke Hart spoke.
“I was asking you to hold my hand.”
Nelia, startled, opened her eyes wide.
“Wha, what?!”
“Because it’s hard for me to walk.”
She almost nodded at Duke Hart’s calm statement, but soon realized there was a flaw in his words.
“How did you manage to walk here alone if it’s hard for you to walk?”
Nelia, curling up like a small animal, demanded an explanation.
“I walked with difficulty.”
Ah…….
His response was clear and logical.
“I almost tripped twice while walking from the carriage to here.”
Duke Hart, smiling softly, extended his hand again.
“Do you need any other reasons?”
“No…….”
Nelia’s small hand landed on top of Duke Hart’s. The duke’s slender fingers wrapped around her hand.
The cold touch that met her hand made Nelia involuntarily widen her eyes and look up at Duke Hart.
The Duke, seeming to know why, explained while looking at Nelia.
“My hands are a little cold.”
Nelia stared at the large hand covering hers.
‘Could it be Raynaud’s disease……?’
The villain also struggles with such a petty disease. It’s quite realistic.
Duke Hart, pulling Nelia’s hand, spoke.
“Shall we go now?”
The Duke’s hand firmly held Nelia’s.
Like a trap that has captured its prey, seemingly never to let go.
[Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon][Star Icon]Nelia followed as Duke Hart led the way. It felt less like she was supporting him and more like…
‘It just feels like… we’re holding hands and walking.’
Though he did lean slightly more on her when they climbed the stairs, it seemed as though Duke Hart could walk just fine on his own.
Nelia shot a suspicious glance at the Duke, and every time she did, he leaned on her as if he could read her mind.
“It’s really a blessing that Nelia has come as a maid.”
He would say, while doing so.
In any case, Nelia and Duke Hart safely arrived at the library.
“Thank you, Nelia.”
Holding Duke Hart’s hand and leading him to the library was all she did, but the way Duke Hart looked at her as if she had done something remarkable felt slightly peculiar.
‘Well, that’s done. At least I did one thing.’
Now Duke Hart would start his work, and she could go somewhere to rest.
Being a lady’s maid didn’t involve housework like other maids.
Nelia, who had safely completed her first task, was looking for the right moment to leave when the Duke spoke.
“That is where I work in the mansion.”
The Duke pointed to a desk positioned against a broad window. The spot where the sunlight poured in freely was an excellent location.
And there was another smaller desk beside it.
‘Whose desk is it?’
Since Duke Hart is a government official, could it be the seat of an aide at home?
As she wondered, Duke Hart’s voice reached her ears.
“That is Nelia’s desk.”
Duke Hart walked over and tapped the small desk.
“My… desk?”
“There are some things that you’ll need to assist me with.”
… Well, that makes sense.
She had thought being a lady’s maid was quite a sweet job, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
The position she was to fill was that of his chief ladyinwaiting, and it couldn’t just be about lending him a hand.
“What do I need to assist you with?”
Having quickly resigned herself, Nelia obediently sat at Duke Hart’s side desk.
“When I hand you documents, you need to put them in the correct format. And…”
The Duke explained the tasks next to her. His calm explanation went straight into her ears and settled there.
“You can do it, right? If there’s anything you don’t know, don’t hesitate to call me.”
With his kind words, Nelia began her work at the desk.
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
