After ensuring that the maids sharing the same room were still sound asleep, I whispered softly.
“I’ll go down.”
Laches’ hand, which had been slicing through the air, stopped abruptly.
“Just wait a moment, please.”
His hand slowly lowered.
I didn’t wait for a response. After meticulously closing the window to prevent the sleeping maids from catching a chill, I put on a thin robe and stepped outside.
The cold air turned my breath into white mist, dispersing with the wind as I left the annex.
Laches was leaning against a large tree with his arms crossed, waiting.
“You didn’t leave?”
“I told you to wait.”
Like a tree standing strong against the harsh wind, Laches was steadfastly waiting for me.
His steadfastness suddenly made me feel afraid.
Could he be the man who would kill me?
“Are you taking a walk without sleeping?”
I walked towards where Laches was standing.
Glancing up, I checked my bedroom window as he had done. Thankfully, with the lights off, nothing was visible from the outside.
Then what was this man watching here?
“Just taking a walk. Why did you come out? It’s bedtime.”
“I couldn’t sleep either.”
Now, Laches no longer looked up at my bedroom window.
It seemed he had no more interest in it.
“Thank you for sparing me from working at the winery.”
This was a rare opportunity.
I hadn’t seen him at all in the days I worked at the castle. If not today, when else would I have the chance to meet him like this, alone and so close?
“I just arranged it efficiently. No need to thank me.”
“You could have hired someone else for the winery job. Then you wouldn’t have needed to rearrange the work assignments.”
I tried to continue the conversation, recalling the techniques I learned from a tutor in my childhood.
“There was no one else coming for an interview.”
But my efforts were in vain as the conversation abruptly stopped.
Laches seemed as bad at conversation as I was.
“Still, thanks to you, I think I can adapt to the North.”
“Seems like you haven’t yet adapted to the weather here.”
“Huh?”
“Your clothes. They’re too thin.”
Laches pointed at my attire. I had hastily put on my nightgown and the first robe I could find, making it thin.
‘Just wearing a nightgown out.’
I would never have thought of doing such a thing when I lived as a noble lady.
“Aren’t you cold, Duke? Your clothes are thin too.”
Embarrassed, I retorted and wrapped my robe tightly around me.
“This is like spring to me. I’ve lived here through the heavy snows of deep winter.”
Realizing my thin clothing, I started to feel the chill even in the light breeze.
“Looks like you’re cold.”
“It’s okay.”
“You might get sick and that would affect your work tomorrow.”
“I’m used to this kind of wind. My bed is next to the window. It’s far from the fireplace and the wind slips through the window gaps, forcing me to adapt.”
“Really?”
Laches didn’t say anything more after my response. He seemed lost in thought, so I didn’t try to disturb his musings.
This was it.
I wouldn’t get another chance.
“Duke, you have something on you.”
Boldly, I reached out to Laches. There was no hesitation.
A mere maid would never dare to do this. But being polite wasn’t my concern now.
What mattered most was finding out if this man had intentions to kill me.
My hand finally touched Laches’ cheek.
At that moment, Laches’ eyes, which had been gazing into space, turned towards me.
When our eyes met, it felt like a dark nightmare was engulfing me.
Why, how could this be?
“…Why?”
“Why what?”
Laches smiled slowly.
“Why…?”
“Is something strange?”
All I could muster was a single word, heavy with despair.
It felt like I was trapped in an inescapable, cruel snare.
The cold winter wind blew.
Frozen, I couldn’t even remove my hand from Laches’ face, paralyzed.
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!!!
