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Chapter 08
That Man’s Naked Body
The moment he arrived, he started picking a fight again. Folding her arms, Adeline looked around. There were no other knights or attendants in sight.
“You came alone?”
“Do we really need anyone else between us?”
“You’re here because of the compensation issue, right?”
“I heard you tried to use magic that day.”
“You came all the way here just to confirm that?”
He still protects his people as much as ever.
Adeline looked up at Winster. He ran a hand irritably through his hair. She assumed he was angry that someone had dared try to use magic against a member of his household.
“It was justified. Weren’t the Blackwood knights the ones at fault for causing trouble first?”
“From what I heard, our knights made a mistake.”
“That wasn’t the kind of mistake you can brush aside. You brought proper compensation, didn’t you?”
“We’ll compensate for everything the knights took yesterday and everything they damaged.”
“That’s not all. You also owe compensation for ruining a business day. Orders got delayed. I need compensation for that too.”
Adeline stared straight at him as if daring him to object. His brows furrowed.
Does he think I’m some greedy merchant?
She didn’t care. Even if people called her selfish, she intended to make him pay dearly for destroying her precious atelier.
Winster stepped close and grabbed her slender shoulders. Like a physician, he examined her from head to toe.
“It doesn’t seem like your body suffered any harm.”
“I’m perfectly fine, so let go while you talk.”
When Adeline struggled, he released her and stepped back. A brief chuckle escaped him.
“How much do you want?”
“Does that mean you’ll give me whatever amount I ask for?”
“That depends on the amount.”
“I’d rather not answer right away, so I’ll send an invoice to your estate. For today, please leave.”
“You’re throwing out an honored guest?”
“Do you even have anything to buy? I’m so kind to customers I’d practically give them my soul. But as you can see, there’s nothing left to sell. Thanks to someone.”
“I suppose.”
Winster smirked again and bent slightly at the waist. Their eyes met at the same level.
“…Since I came here, I’m not really a guest.”
What did he just say?
His low voice hadn’t reached her clearly. But sensing danger, Adeline’s feet moved faster than her thoughts. She instinctively stepped back.
Winster closed the distance in an instant. He came closer, and there was nowhere left for her to retreat.
Tap.
Her waist bumped against the display counter, forcing her to lean back slightly. One of the Grand Duke’s large hands lifted the necklace hanging around her pale neck.
“If you insist… I could buy this.”
With his other hand, he lowered his mask.
Lips red as flower petals came into view.
At the suddenly shortened distance, his deep breathing brushed against her cheek. He lightly bit the violet gemstone.
Dangerous.
Pretending calm, Adeline gently pushed at his jaw.
“If you have something to say, say it clearly.”
“Oh, I’ll definitely say what I want.”
“Then hurry up. Stop dragging it out.”
“Before that, I think we should settle accounts first.”
For some reason, his breath came even closer.
Red warning lights blared in Adeline’s mind.
The memories from before sleeping last night returned vividly—the unfamiliar man she had shared breath with.
And that unfamiliar man…
…was the Grand Duke standing before her.
He definitely wasn’t there at first.
When the Central Academy alumni banquet began, the Grand Duke hadn’t appeared anywhere. People had openly expressed disappointment over his absence.
She didn’t know where things had gone wrong.
But one thing was certain:
This man was looking at her with complete confidence that she remembered everything.
People make mistakes once in a while. I’m still young. I’m not even married.
Getting deeply involved with this man wouldn’t end well.
Adeline tilted her head innocently, pretending ignorance.
“I heard this war was exhausting. You still seem tired.”
The man who had been biting the gemstone moved his lips close to hers.
“Is that so?”
“How about buying a candle for insomnia from our atelier? We also make custom perfumes and candles specially tailored for customers.”
“Even in the middle of war, I couldn’t figure out who was making me so tired.”
“It must’ve been a difficult war, so I understand—”
“I need something other than candles.”
Before she could finish speaking, Winster’s lips brushed softly against her neck.
“So you don’t need to wear a scarf anymore.”
“…My cold got better.”
Adeline tried to push him away again.
Strangely, the more she resisted, the deeper his breath tickled her skin. Her toes curled unconsciously.
“Mm… a little more… please.”
Why was she suddenly remembering the words she’d said that day?!
Her internal screams mixed chaotically with memories of the previous night.
Whether he noticed or not, Winster slowly curved his lips upward.
He lightly licked his own lips before inhaling deeply near her neck.
“You’re not planning to deceive me again this time, are you?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Have I ever dared deceive you?”
“Aren’t you pretending not to know even now?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“I’m not someone who gets mocked easily. Strange.”
Of course he wasn’t.
Adeline wanted to retort.
But her throat felt parched, as if wandering through a desert, and all she could do was swallow dryly.
“Adeline.”
His eyes flashed, as though saying the joke had gone far enough.
His confident blue gaze burned fiercer than before.
“You looked good in a scarf. It might be nice if you caught another cold.”
“……”
“I’ll nurse you. Though I’m not sure the cold would recover.”
He never directly mentioned what happened that night.
Yet his every action made her remember.
Times like this require even more shamelessness.
Adeline refused to avoid his piercing blue eyes.
“I’ll pass. They say even dogs don’t catch colds in summer.”
“So you really want to keep pretending.”
“What exactly am I pretending about?”
“If we go through it step by step again, maybe you’ll remember.”
“……?”
“Do you not sell beds here?”
“W-What do you mean…?”
Winster completely removed the necklace from her neck.
“This could tear again midway, so I’ll hold onto it in advance.”
“……!”
Adeline remembered the necklace she’d left behind at the Grand Blacktree Hotel.
She’d thought she could simply make another one.
But now it had become shackles binding her.
That necklace isn’t even a product on sale yet.
Should she immediately release it commercially to create confusion about who the owner was?
No… it was too late.
At that moment, the Grand Duke’s red lips drew near again—
“Adeline!”
A familiar voice rang out from the second floor.
Hurried footsteps stopped on the first floor.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
Ian’s voice echoed.
At the same time, Adeline pushed Winster’s face away.
“There may not be beds here, but apparently there are uninvited guests.”
The Grand Duke frowned and stared directly at Ian.
He raised his mask again and whispered softly into Adeline’s ear.
“Next time, I’ll collect the price of the necklace you lost at the hotel too.”
After Winster left, Ian locked the atelier door completely.
Then he sat Adeline in a nearby chair and spoke sternly.
“Now tell me honestly.”
“About what?”
Whenever Ian got angry, he smiled more than usual.
His lips were curved upward so much that his face probably hurt.
“The person who came today.”
“The person who came?”
“Is he your lover, boss?”
“What nonsense!”
“Then what kind of relationship do you have, acting like that in broad daylight—”
“It’s not like that. We were just talking.”
The moment she heard the word indecent, Adeline waved her hands frantically.
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely—
She wanted to insist she’d done nothing embarrassing.
Though Ian’s eyes were already filled with suspicion.
“Wait!”
“……?”
“That man today… was he perhaps His Grace the Duke of Blackwood himself?”
“…Yes.”
“You said you barely knew His Grace.”
“I don’t know him well.”
“You barely know him, but His Grace was stripping off and showing himself like that…”
“Ian, wait a second.”
Anyone hearing that would think she’d seen the man completely naked.
“Whether His Grace wears a mask or not is his own choice. It’s none of my business.”
“Fine, we’ll let that go. Maybe he just felt like taking it off today.”
What’s he going to say next?
Adeline was already worried.
Ian’s eyes sharpened dangerously.
