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Chapter 09
Unfortunately, it was true. Karin couldn’t hide her sorrowful expression as she leaned against the railing and slowly descended the stairs.
She wished she could keep walking down forever.
“Marie, please light the fireplace. And bring four blankets and some tea.”
“Yes, my lady.”
After reaching the first floor, Karin called for Marie and gave her several instructions.
Like it or not, guests who came to the mansion were still guests. As a duke’s daughter, she couldn’t possibly greet them empty-handed.
Marie moved with lightning speed. Soon, the fireplace crackled brightly, warmth spreading throughout the room. A tray with a teapot and cups was set on the table, and blankets were neatly stacked over the sofa’s armrest.
Iris followed Karin downstairs. Karin stayed close by her side, unsure what to do.
Seeing this, the duke abruptly turned around. With a deeply displeased frown, he lingered near the door as if debating whether to leave again.
Aside from that, his condition wasn’t much different from Iris’s.
Except for his head and upper torso, he was completely soaked, water dripping onto the floor. He looked no better than a drowned rat.
“Oh, a blanket. Thank you, Karin.”
Iris plopped down onto the sofa, grabbed a blanket beside her, and began diligently wiping the water off her clothes.
Feeling awkward just standing there, Karin unfolded another blanket and draped it over Iris’s shoulders.
Just then, as if she had realized something, Iris turned her head and called out in a bright, innocent voice—to Duke Lucas, who was still hovering near the door.
“Duke Lucas, aren’t you going to sit?”
“……”
“Are you going somewhere?”
As if he had anywhere to go. After biting his lip while staring out the window, the duke finally came over and sat down on the sofa, his expression sour as if he’d bitten into something foul.
Like I even wanted you here. Karin made the same bitter expression in return. If he had come alone, she would have thrown him out without hesitation.
The only reason she tolerated him was because of Iris and Arken…
‘But where is Arken? Marie said his aide came with him.’
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the door burst open and he walked in.
“You’re late.”
The duke muttered lazily.
“The horse wouldn’t listen today.”
“Not surprising. It hates rainy days.”
“That explains it. It took some effort to calm it down.”
The duke and Arken exchanged a few words. Though she wasn’t entirely sure, Karin guessed from what Iris had said earlier that Arken had been delayed tying up the horse.
Like Iris and the duke, Arken was completely drenched from head to toe. His hair was especially soaked, as if he had just stepped out of a bath.
‘Wait. The duke and Iris’s heads are fine though.’
She couldn’t exactly ask why he was the only one soaked. She could have asked kind Iris, but who knew what misunderstanding the duke and Arken might have if they overheard? So Karin kept quiet.
Instead, she picked up a blanket and handed it to Arken. Rainwater dripped steadily from his hair—it was painful just to watch.
“You’ve worked hard. Come sit.”
“Why is the young lady here…?”
At that moment, Karin saw an expression on Arken’s face she had never seen before.
She’d seen something like mild disbelief before, but that was practically the same as his usual blank face.
‘Hmm… if it’s a surprised face, maybe that’s a rare-tier expression?’
Thinking nonsense to herself, she offered the blanket again.
“I’m Iris’s friend.”
“I see.”
The surprise quickly faded. Taking the blanket, he approached the duke.
“Will you remain here?”
Oh? There was clear displeasure in his voice.
“It can’t be helped. We’ll wait until the rain eases.”
“Understood.”
The duke was even worse. It can’t be helped? Who decided that? Should I just kick him out as the owner?
Karin imagined shoving him out the door, then quickly corrected herself. Unfortunately, the duke came as a package with two people she cared about.
She didn’t care if the duke got drenched, but she couldn’t throw Iris and Arken out into the rain.
Once the two men finished talking, the atmosphere sank into an almost oppressive silence—except for one person. Iris chattered away happily.
Was it because she was with the duke, or because she was with her friend? Perhaps both.
“Ah, the fireplace is so warm. Karin, you should sit too.”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll go inside.”
Honestly, she wanted to sit quietly and admire Arken’s face. Chances to see him were rare.
But it wasn’t just the two of them—Duke Lucas and Iris were here too.
It wasn’t like the four of them would suddenly start laughing and playing board games. Better to leave before things got even more awkward.
She patted Iris’s shoulder and turned toward the stairs, but a disappointed voice stopped her.
“I came because I wanted to see you… but you didn’t?”
Seeing Iris’s pouty face, Karin realized her mistake.
‘What am I going to do with you?’
“It’s not that…”
“Then what are you doing? Come sit already.”
Iris tugged at her sleeve, and before she knew it, Karin was seated on the sofa. The moment she sat down and saw the duke’s face right in front of her, she quickly shifted to the side.
Her worst fear had come true. The duke and Arken with stiff expressions, one innocent girl who knew nothing, and herself. At this rate, everyone except Iris would end up miserable.
Well, two of them already were.
“Assistant, you should come sit too!”
As if two people’s misery wasn’t enough, Iris called out again in her cheerful voice. Someone please stop her…
Arken seemed to sense the tension as well. He had been standing as far from the sofa as possible and firmly refused.
“I’m fine.”
“No, you worked the hardest. You even took off your coat for me. Thanks to you, my hair stayed dry.”
Iris chattered.
Ah, so that’s why Iris and the duke’s heads were dry. Now that she looked, Iris was wrapped tightly in outerwear, while Arken, unlike the duke, was only in his shirt.
Karin nodded absentmindedly—then froze in shock.
So he came all this way in the rain without a coat?!
And yet, Arken wasn’t sitting near the fireplace like the duke, nor was he using the blanket like Iris.
He just stood there holding it. Anyone would think the blanket was poisoned.
‘What if he catches a terrible cold?’
Karin did have a thing for frailty—but only to a certain extent. Pale complexion, a slightly tragic aura, someone prone to minor illnesses.
Even she had enough conscience not to want her favorite bedridden with a serious illness.
‘It’d be nice if he could at least change clothes.’
There had to be a way. Even now, water dripped from the hem of his shirt, pooling on the carpet beneath him.
Seeing that, she came up with an idea. It might look a bit strange, but if it meant getting him to change clothes, it was worth it.
Karin suddenly jumped to her feet in exaggerated alarm.
“Oh my goodness!”
She pointed at the puddle forming beneath Arken.
“The carpet is soaked!”
“…It’s been like this for a while.”
“Really? I just noticed. This is my favorite carpet.”
“I see. I’ll take care of it.”
Without hesitation, Arken spread the blanket over the puddle. It quickly absorbed the water.
“No, that’s not it—”
As Karin waved her hands in fluster, Arken let out a small sigh. His slightly furrowed brows seemed to say, Then what is it?
“I’ll give you fresh clothes, so go change. Covering it with a blanket will just soak the blanket too. To fix the root problem, you need to change your clothes.”
Arken’s brows lifted, lips parting slightly…
Yes, this was pure bewilderment. Definitely rare-tier. Karin stored the expression in her mental collection.
“Karin, I got the carpet wet too. Is that okay? Should I change too?”
“Oh, you’re fine, Iris. It’s just a little. And the duke is close to the fireplace, so he’s dry.”
Caught off guard, Karin improvised. If Iris changed, she’d have to offer clothes to the duke too—and why should he get any?
She glanced over—and he wasn’t dry at all. Still completely soaked.
Oddly enough, he looked a bit more attractive that way. She wavered.
Maybe she was being too stingy. Should she just have all three change? Yes, that was better.
“Why don’t all of you change clothes? It’s cold.”
“Hah.”
The duke shot up from his seat immediately, face twisted in irritation.
“I can’t stand this any longer. Arkenas, we’re leaving.”
He glared at Karin as if he’d seen something unbearable.
‘What did I do…?’
Sure, she’d acted a bit oddly, but not that badly.
Just as he took a large step toward the door—
Boom! Crash!
Outside, a tree was struck by lightning and split in half. Smoke rose briefly before being swallowed by rain.
The wind howled like a giant whistling, branches whipping violently as leaves scattered everywhere.
Some leaves slapped against the window, fluttering helplessly, while the fierce gusts pounded against it with dull thuds.
Karin leaned comfortably against the sofa armrest, watching the duke’s back.
She couldn’t see his face, but she could imagine it perfectly.
Serves you right.
Resting her chin on her hand, she said calmly,
“I don’t mind. If you’re leaving, go ahead.”
The duke slowly turned around, his blood-red eyes burning with aimless fury.
Karin met his gaze innocently, widening her eyes as if she didn’t understand anything.
She even curved her lips into a bright, cheerful smile.
“Or you can just do as I say. Everyone knows I’m the owner of this house, right?”
