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Chapter 2
In the original novel, the captured young lady would have her chin grabbed and tremble with rage, saying things like, *”Ugh… how shameless…”* The Grand Duke would then move toward her lips, stopping just before they touched, and leave the room. Because he was inherently a good person, he wasn’t suited for evil deeds. His act of playing the villain was as awkward as wearing an ill-fitting suit.
In truth, readers wanted vicarious satisfaction even through a forced kiss, but on the other hand, they were glad that the Grand Duke’s lips remained chaste. Back then, I was definitely on the side of the latter.
But not now.
At this moment, I’ve switched to the side that absolutely wants the forced kiss to succeed. The reason, of course, is that I want to kiss my ultimate favorite, Raymond. I want to actually feel the texture of those lips that I’ve imagined touching thousands and tens of thousands of times in my fantasies and dreams.
I absolutely must do it!
Shouting that inwardly, I eagerly awaited his face drawing closer.
Should I act like I don’t want it? That thought briefly crossed my mind
But from the start, that was impossible. Because my desperate feelings for him refused to allow it. My lips slipped out of reason’s control and gradually began to pucker forward. It was a small struggle to somehow reach him.
But then I noticed him hesitating instead of suddenly closing in, as in the original story.
Was my expression—eyes closed and lips sticking out—too overwhelming for him?
No matter how long I waited, I couldn’t feel the Grand Duke’s presence.
I cautiously cracked open one eye.
And sure enough, there he was—the Grand Duke, flustered. He stared intently at my lips, seemingly lost in thought about what to do.
Ah, damn it, I messed up. I should’ve held back a little and controlled my expression.
But it was too precious to give up just like that.
If I let this golden opportunity slip away, I knew I’d beat myself up with regret.
Driven by the determination to make it happen no matter what, I squirmed my upper body. At that, the Grand Duke’s body momentarily lost balance and tilted.
His lips, falling toward me, landed not on my lips but right on my cheek.
*Mwah!*
Ah, so close. I missed by just a little.
Still, at least it landed—and we weren’t on a steady bed, so that’s something, right?
Not seeing my half-satisfied expression, the Grand Duke was startled and pulled back.
“Th-This…”
Flustered, he hurriedly straightened his posture.
His voice seemed to tremble somehow, and his cheeks were faintly flushed.
That’s him being embarrassed, right?
Yes. Come to think of it, Aileen Cowet was also quite beautiful.
Although there were no separate illustrations, the author had put effort into describing her. She had cherry-blossom-pink hair and forest-green eyes, like a single cherry blossom tree. She had high aristocratic pride, was tight-lipped, and always maintained an aloof expression—like a swan, they said.
So, having touched such a graceful woman from head to toe, his heart must be racing too.
So our Raymond is a man after all? What a cute guy.
Feeling warm inside, I wore what you’d call an “mom smile.”
I wanted to rub my cheek against his, but my wrists were tied, so I gave up.
“I’ll take my leave now. I’ll have the maids bring you water, and it would be best if you ate at least a little.”
My reactions seemed to have exceeded all his expectations. As if trying to escape this awkwardness, the Grand Duke abruptly rose from the bed.
“Oh… no!”
I blurted out my true feelings without thinking.
If you leave now, what am I supposed to do?
I’ve finally met my ultimate favorite, barely managed to meet him, and now I have to be apart from him just like that?
I want to keep seeing him, again and again!
The otaku soul inside me started going wild like a monkey again.
“No? Why not?”
“Your Grace… well…”
The Grand Duke turned back and quietly waited for my answer to my polite call.
“Where will I eat?”
“I’ll have it brought to your room. It’ll be more comfortable for you to eat alone.”
“No. I want to eat with you, Your Grace!”
I shouted desperately. I fired my wish—so full it was about to overflow from my eyes—straight at him.
I want to eat with you. I want to eat together.
His pupils trembled as if hit by an earthquake from my earnest gaze, but after a moment, they seemed to regain composure and calmed down again.
“Very well. I’ll inform the maids, so get ready and come out.”
At his words, I nodded silently. He hesitated for a moment, then soon left the room.
Oh. Yes! Yes!!
Holy crap! A meal with my favorite—a dining date!
Everyone, I am a successful otaku, a true superfan!!
I suppressed the urge to shout it out loud and boast.
Instead, I had to express my joy by rolling around on the plush bed.
Grand Duke Raymond Rusló had brought me to a modest country manor.
Earlier, I’d been so distracted by him that I hadn’t noticed, but after he left the room, the building began to come into view. The room I was in, the hallways, and this temporary dining room—none were extravagant, but they were elegantly appointed with an antique charm.
*Clink, clink.*
The sound of a fork lightly tapping against a plate.
This was a small room with a dining table.
The Grand Duke had considered me and arranged for us to eat alone together. Of course, the cloth binding my wrists had also been removed.
How could he be so considerate?
My ultimate favorite had not a single flaw from start to finish.
Admiration kept bursting forth in my chest.
It must have shown on my face because the Grand Duke refused to lift his head at all. As if deliberately avoiding me, he didn’t even glance my way, focusing solely on his meal.
It was a pity I couldn’t see that blue ocean, but on the bright side, I could freely admire his handsome face. Wow, look at those long, thick eyelashes, hanging like curtains.
Seeing my favorite eat right before my eyes was so satisfying that I felt full without even eating.
“Lady Aileen.”
“Yes?”
Suddenly, the Grand Duke looked up and called my name.
But the term he used for me had changed to an honorific, and his tone had risen slightly. Was he already planning to give up on threats that didn’t suit him?
“Are you not eating?”
He must have found it odd that I wasn’t eating and only sneaking glances at his face. He seemed to have noticed my fiery, burning gaze.
“I—I’m eating. This mushroom dish is really delicious.”
I stabbed a small, plump mushroom on my plate with my fork and popped it into my mouth. I felt a bit embarrassed for staring too openly. As I chewed, this time it was the Grand Duke who stared at my face intently.
“Do you like mushrooms?”
“Yes, I do. What’s the name of this mushroom?”
“It’s a Jellycap mushroom.”
“Oh-ho. It’s as squishy as the name suggests. Really delicious.”
As I stabbed a few more and popped them into my mouth one after another, the Grand Duke gave an order to the
maid.
“Bring another plate of the mushroom dish.”
“Yes, understood.”
Soon, a plate piled high with mushrooms appeared.
This mushroom dish—fried crisp with plenty of oil and drizzled with a savory sauce—couldn’t possibly be anything but delicious.
As I enjoyed my meal, I felt the Grand Duke’s subtle gaze on me. I looked up and asked him.
“Your Grace, do you like Jellycap mushrooms too?”
“I do enjoy them.”
“Then have another.”
I noticed there were no Jellycap mushrooms left on the Grand Duke’s plate, so I stabbed one with my fork and held it out to him. Of course, the fork was the one I’d been using just moments ago.
The Grand Duke silently gazed at the mushroom for a while, then shook his head.
“Never mind. I’ll help myself.”
How disappointing. He didn’t take the bait.
My scheme for an indirect kiss had failed, and my eyebrows drooped with disappointment.
Yeah, an indirect kiss on the first meeting is overkill. The kiss itself was overkill too.
Just being able to see him like this is enough.
I consoled myself like that and propped my chin up, openly staring at the Grand Duke’s face.
Was it just my imagination, or did his fork move faster?
After finishing the meal, we moved to the terrace for dessert time.
The Grand Duke tried to leave after saying, “I’ve eaten well,” but I asked, “What about dessert?” and desperately grabbed the hem of his clothes to keep him there. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded.
Oh yeah. Time extension success!!
We sat across from each other at a table on the terrace overlooking a modest landscape. The sunlight was warm, and the breeze was cool—perfectly reminiscent of spring weather. On a day like this, after a meal, one might feel drowsy, but my mind remained sharp.
It wasn’t because of the tongue-meltingly sweet chocolate cake the maid brought out, nor the exquisite aroma of tea that could induce addiction. The weather, the dessert—everything was made beautiful by just one person sitting before me: Raymond Rusló.
Taking a sip of tea, the Grand Duke gazed into the distance. His eyes were so deep and wistful that I found myself wishing I could take just one swim in that blue sea.
He set down his teacup and turned his head toward me.
Since I’d been staring at Raymond, our eyes immediately met, but I didn’t mind. He, however, seemed conscious of it—his earlobes turned slightly red.
“You seem remarkably calm for someone who’s been abducted.”
“Because Your Grace is taking such good care of me.”
I’d only spoken the truth, but his expression looked complicated.
He hadn’t brought me here to treat me well, but he didn’t want to torment the young lady either…
Having read the original web novel, *[Taming the Mad Emperor]*, I knew the Grand Duke’s heart inside out, so I could guess what he was thinking right now.
The Grand Duke already seemed half-given up. Just like in the original story.
The Grand Duke, not inherently evil, couldn’t bring himself to harm the proud Aileen. Of course, our Grand Duke Rusló had only abducted Aileen with the intention of vexing the Emperor from the start—he had no plan to mistreat her.
Just keeping her here and then sending her back was how the original plot went.
The wind grew stronger, and the sun hid behind the clouds—the weather turned chilly abruptly. It felt bleak, as if rain would fall soon.
“The wind is cold.”
Muttering that, the Grand Duke stepped inside for a moment and returned with a shawl. He then handed it to me.
