IBVB 26

Chapter 26

“Aww, can’t we just let this slide?”

“Are you trying to give that writer a gift or something?”

How could he be so sharp? It was like he could read minds. He saw right through Pricia’s intentions.

“I-It’s not like that, really!”

“Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing the gift is… brownies, right?”

Come to think of it, she had once sent him a whole tray of brownies just to keep his mouth shut—without even knowing he had sent her a proposal.

Who doesn’t like chocolate? It’s a universal favorite, regardless of age or gender.

Pricia rolled her eyes, trying to gauge his mood.

“When I bake, I end up with a huge batch anyway. I was going to give you some this time too. As a thank-you for the honey toast!”

His suspicious gaze was sharp and piercing.

“I mean it!”

While she tried to emphasize it was a matter of convenience, inwardly, Pricia made a firm decision: she’d save the prettiest ones for the author.

For this man who nitpicked every little thing, even a broken corner piece should be more than enough.

“I can even make a parfait with brownies and sweet cream. I’ll make that one just for you.”

“Hmm.”

Still not convinced. But since she was the one in need here, Pricia decided to play along.

“If there’s anything else you want, just say so. As long as it’s within my power, I’ll do it.”

“Within your power?”

“Yeah, physical labor is easiest for me anyway.”

Last time he gave her a mountain of homework—it was practically a terror attack. So this time, she preferred doing something with her body.

Even if it meant attending events she didn’t like, she was willing to go as a couple.

“You say dangerous things so casually.”

“What’s so dangerous about that?”

“If that’s how you feel, I do have a very simple request.”

As she blinked in confusion, the duke brushed her hair aside and leaned in close.

Was he… going to kiss her?

She closed her eyes reflexively.

But then—

“Eh?”

He suddenly stretched her cheek with his hand, catching her off guard.

“What should I ask for in return?”

He poked and pulled her soft, rice cake-like cheeks a couple of times before finally coming up with a deal he liked.

“A lap pillow. Thirty minutes a day.”

“A… lap pillow?”

“You don’t do anything while reading anyway. And I wish you’d stop flinching every time you look at me.”

“Still, that’s a bit—”

“A bit?”

His sharp gaze made her shrink back without realizing it.

To offer tribute to her favorite author, did she really have to endure this humiliation? But years of loyalty as a fan helped her push through.

“I-I think that’s a great idea!”

When she accepted, he tilted his chin, gesturing for her to sit down.

To help time pass quickly during the thirty minutes, she picked up a familiar book—The Escaped Duchess, the third volume of the Alster series that she’d read countless times.

“What’s it about?”

“Well—”

It’s a tearjerker melodrama about a duchess who runs away while pregnant because she can’t endure her obsessive husband. The duke later regrets everything, but it’s too late.

She, Rose, and another friend had bought a copy together and took turns reading it, then stayed up all night in Rose’s room debating how trashy the duke was.

“Trashy?”

“Totally. A man who forces his emotions onto someone is the worst.”

He locked up his wife in a place no one could reach, constantly made advances, and kept begging her to love him.

“So… loving his wife is considered a crime?”

“That’s part of it, but the bigger issue was the scandal with his ex-fiancée. That’s what made the heroine hate him in the first place.”

The duchess had run away after hearing rumors of a reunion with his ex, while pregnant—it devastated her.

Sure, it’s a cliché, but the thrill of the escape scene never gets old. But someone like the duke here—who doesn’t know romance—wouldn’t understand.

“I especially loved the part where the husband regrets everything so much it practically kills him.”

“Such rotten taste.”

“What do you mean, rotten?!”

Clearly, he didn’t understand the satisfaction of watching a regretful male lead suffer.

Even if the whole story felt like swallowing a pile of sweet potatoes, the catharsis of that one moment—when the man breaks down in remorse—was more refreshing than drinking ten sodas at once.

“If she truly hated him, she wouldn’t have returned. But it was disappointing that the whole ex-fiancée subplot didn’t get a proper resolution.”

Despite the complaints, the duchess was written realistically.

If there really was another woman—and she was pregnant on top of that—of course it would’ve been unbearable.

“Are you asleep?”

By the time she reached the scene where the duke demands to know whose child it is, while staring at his own son—the real duke was already asleep, resting his head on her lap.

It was getting late, and sleepiness was creeping in, but now she couldn’t even move.

“He must be really tired.”

He was still difficult to deal with, but not as bad as she imagined.

And for some reason, he truly treated her like a wife.

Because of that, it was hard for Pricia to stay cold toward him.

“It’ll be a problem if I actually start to like him…”

When the original story began, the duke was already the male lead’s guardian.

They were shown to be fairly close, but she couldn’t quite remember how or why things had turned sour between them.

What was certain, though, was the duke’s overwhelming hostility toward the protagonist.

He acted like he was dealing with his parents’ killer and constantly tormented the lead, who only grew stronger through the suffering.

As the title suggested—Leveled Up Thanks to the Villain—there was even a running joke that the duke was the true protagonist.

But now that she was seeing this human side of him… it felt different.

So unfamiliar.

And—just a little bit fluttery.

“Get it together.”

She mentally scolded herself and lightly slapped her cheeks.

His hair shimmered like threads spun from gold—it dazzled her eyes. But still, liking someone like him was scary.

A man who had overthrown even his own blood relatives to become a duke. A man who claimed to love and trust no one.

It would be best to keep things just the way they were—peaceful, like friendly acquaintances.

Putting the book down, Pricia absentmindedly ran her fingers through the sleeping duke’s hair, lost in thought.

Jade, the head chamberlain of Duke Cromford, bitterly regretted having ever doubted the duchess’s character.

“I was a fool. Truly.”

Ever since his master’s marriage, his own life had changed dramatically.

For one, he now had the luxury of enjoying a morning coffee. The mansion, which had once been rather stiff, now brimmed with liveliness.

“Before visiting the social club, I believe Madam should take riding lessons as well.”

“I’ll see to it.”

There were three main people in charge of Cromford’s vast household with over a thousand permanent staff.

There was Ada, the head maid who managed household affairs and looked after the lady of the house; Jade, who handled the duke’s external matters; and finally, Madame Benoit, who oversaw both.

Unlike Ada, who was absolutely loyal, both Jade and even Madame Benoit weren’t thrilled about the new duchess at first.

“A social club, huh. I’m surprised he allowed that.”

“It was time for some interaction with the imperial family. If Madam can serve as a suitable bridge, it could benefit Cromford quite a bit.”

Thanks to Ada’s skill, the duchess now looked stunning. And having a delicate woman at his side gave the duke a newfound air of dignified maturity.

Her presence even served as a shield—he could use her as an excuse to leave annoying gatherings early. And the elders, who used to treat him like an ignorant youth, only started treating him as an adult once he got married.

“I was planning to put her in her place early on.”

Madame Benoit said this with a casual smile, despite the sinister implication.

She may have looked young, but she was the wife of the former head and the one who oversaw the succession battles among blood relatives.

Her mission was to honor her late husband’s wishes and select the best heir to lead Cromford into prosperity.

So when she heard about the sudden marriage to a completely unknown woman, she didn’t even attend the wedding and subtly voiced her opposition.

“Will might seem shrewd, but he’s got a naive side. I just assumed he got duped by some bad woman.”

Rather than bullying her openly, she planned to crush her pride by exposing her shortcomings—but Pricia, with surprisingly earnest eyes, faced all her challenges head-on and overcame them with poise.

She was bold, clever, and undeniably charming—yet somehow completely unaware of it herself.

“How could such a smart, capable lady still be unclaimed?”

“Well, actually…”

When the matter of the Marquess of Napier was mentioned, Madame Benoit burst into laughter.