She hadn’t expected a lady’s maid to do such administrative work, but as the Duke said, it wasn’t a difficult task.
Repeating the tasks, Nelia quickly adapted to the work.
Despite wanting to slack off, she must have been born with the nature of an ant, she couldn’t help it.
Surprisingly, time passed quickly and ordinarily.
Nelia put the final touch on the stacked papers and sneakily glanced at Duke Hart.
He was working without stopping.
He had not left his seat even once, and for several hours, he had been staring at the documents.
But, was that all?
He had to plot against the emperor in secret, fall in love with the female protagonist, and fight with the male protagonist.
Thinking about it now, she even wondered if he had time to hold a grudge against a minor character like her for merely stepping on his foot.
“Shall we take a break?”
At that moment, Duke Hart’s voice reached her.
He must have sensed the moment she had some free time.
“Yes…!”
With the conclusion of her response, Nelia closed her eyes for a moment.
Sitting quietly, a breeze flowed in from between the windows.
Just as she was enjoying the feel of the wind brushing past her head, Duke Hart asked.
“Is there anything you find difficult about the work?”
“Not yet.”
Nelia thought about the work she had done and answered. Then, suddenly, something came to her mind.
“Oh, there is one thing I find confusing.”
“What is it?”
“Did you say to draw the signature of the ministerial office like this?”
Nelia drew a wobbly line on a blank paper to show him.
One of her tasks when Hart gave her documents to review was to include the ministerial office’s signature. It was a simple task, so she had piled them up to do at once.
She had thought to ask when they took a break, and only remembered now.
“Correct, but the bottom should be drawn a bit more angularly.”
Nelia drew again with her pen according to the Duke’s instruction.
She held up the paper.
“Like this?”
“No. More fluid than that.”
Hmm… it’s difficult.
Nelia moved her pen diligently again.
“Did you mean like this?”
However, the crooked signature seemed to make no difference. Duke Hart soon rose from his seat.
The man who came behind embraced Nelia from behind, coming close and wrapping around Nelia’s right hand.
“Relax your strength.”
Upon the affectionate command, Nelia unknowingly began to gradually let go of the strength she had been exerting.
Duke Hart gently guided Nelia’s hand.
“Like this.”
Following Duke Hart’s flexible touch, a beautiful signature was drawn on the paper.
But whether it was the signature or something else, Nelia’s mind was elsewhere.
‘…Too close.’
Contrary to the relaxed hand, Nelia’s body began to stiffen more and more. She was too close to the Duke.
“Shall we try again?”
However, he, who she thought would soon let go, tried to guide Nelia’s hand once more.
The cold body temperature, the soft voice, reminded her momentarily of a line from the original Duke.
‘You would do well to live without a tongue.’
Simultaneously, the vivid image of Duke Hart cutting off the gangster’s tongue came to mind.
Nelia reflexively pushed his hand away.
“I’m fine!”
Nelia, who abruptly stood up, quickly took a step away from him.
“…I think I can do it on my own.”
The Duke was momentarily expressionless at her sudden reaction, but soon showed a smile as usual.
“I understand.”
He returned to his place and was reviewing the documents as if nothing had happened.
Nelia looked down at her trembling hand.
‘Did I overreact?’
However, this reaction was instinctive. The danger signal was warning her not to forget the Duke’s true nature.
Nelia struggled to calm her heart and sat down again.
Hoping that the day would end quickly.
“Nelia.”
At dusk, Nelia lifted her head at the sound of her name.
His call, which broke the silence, revived the tension Nelia had forgotten.
“Yes…?”
“It’s time to leave.”
Ah… it’s time to leave. When she looked at the time, the clock’s hand was pointing precisely at six.
Unlike a maid, a chambermaid could go to and fro.
Of course, Duke Hart’s former chief maid stayed in this mansion, but there was no need for that since her own house was not far away.
‘You can stay anytime you want.’
The Duke had offered with a smile when he visited her house, but Nelia was frightened and refused.
Stay until evening in the house of a villain, no matter how much like a palace it was, she absolutely refused.
“Nelia, go home before the sun sets.”
“Yes, then… I’ll be going.”
Nelia slowly rose from her seat.
‘He really wants me to leave, right…?’
There were still piles of documents on the Duke’s desk.
She looked at the villain’s expression, but it wasn’t the face of a boss testing an employee.
Nelia walked over and grabbed the doorknob. Just one more step, and the day would be over.
‘Whew.’
She was worried that something would happen just by stepping foot outside, and an awful imagination unconsciously arose.
But fortunately, he wasn’t as terrifying as she had thought…
“Hold on.”
No sooner had she thought, the voice of Duke Hart came from behind.
When she turned around, he was already close in front of her.
And slowly, he reached out…
Close to her face…
“Huh.”
Nelia, who was startled for a moment, tightly closed her eyes.
‘Is he finally revealing his true colors…!’
But contrary to her worries, his hand bypassed her face and touched her hair.
“There was some dust.”
Upon his gentle voice, the tension in her body relaxed.
“Ah…”
Nelia slowly blinked her eyes.
“……Goodbye!”
And swiftly, she dashed out of the room. Nelia, her chestnut hair flying behind her, disappeared in the blink of an eye.
In the library, only Duke Hart remained alone.
Duke Hart muttered, looking down at the space Nelia had vacated.
“Indeed, you are….”
Between his lowset eyes, Duke Hart’s pupils seemed somewhat lonely.
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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