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Chapter 4
Flustered, Evelyn forced a polite social smile.
“Shall I gather everyone in the meeting room?”
“No. Just the two of us.”
He kept smiling the whole time, so she couldn’t tell if he was joking or serious.
“At least our senior researcher—”
“She’ll just tremble the whole time. And it’ll slow things down.”
“……”
“It won’t take long anyway. I’m the one in charge, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“So… my role is to organize what you say and pass it on?”
“You understand quickly.”
The duke took a sip of water and slowly began to speak.
“The schedule is three days in total?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
He liked how she answered immediately. He hated sluggish responses.
“On the first day, we subdue the monsters. The remaining days are free time.”
That meant he planned to finish all the dangerous monsters on the first day.
Today won’t be easy.
Evelyn remembered the trip report she had read that morning and asked,
“I also need to write down how you plan to defeat them.”
“I have to write that too?”
The duke tilted his head slightly.
“You interpret the stone monuments and release the seals, then hide behind the knights. I eliminate the monsters, and my subordinates handle the rest.”
“You’re saying you’ll lead the attack yourself, Your Grace?”
Does she want more details?
Though it was bothersome, the duke answered patiently. She had caught his interest, even if only briefly.
“When the monsters come out of the cave, I deal with them. I strike their weak points or inflict serious wounds. After they fall, my subordinates finish them.”
No matter how skilled the Ashford Knights were, they were not even half as strong as him.
It was more efficient for him to attack first.
His subordinates naturally accepted that.
“It’s always the same.”
He spoke as if he were bored.
Everyone depending on him was natural—but he found it dull.
Evelyn looked at him quietly.
He spoke in a tone that expected nothing from others.
For some reason, his violet eyes looked empty to her.
Without realizing it, she threw a small stone into his heart.
“That’s too harsh.”
What did she mean?
He looked at her without much thought.
Her blue eyes met his directly. He couldn’t look away.
“You’re doing most of the work alone. Of course it would strain your body.”
“Are you worried about me?”
Her clear, unexpected voice struck him.
For some reason, he liked the way she looked at him with genuine concern.
He even wanted to draw more worry from her—though he knew it was only passing concern.
The duke let out a sigh.
“It can’t be helped. That’s my role.”
If his subordinates had seen him now, they would have made a scene, calling him fake.
The duke was always interested in new things—but he never became deeply attached.
What he felt toward the woman in front of him was probably only temporary curiosity.
Like a cat tapping at a ball of yarn it had never seen before.
Still, he was surprised at how much he enjoyed their conversation alone.
But he knew himself too well.
Interest would turn into indifference, and he would return to his dull life once again.
‘Trust no one. The only one you can give your heart to is…’
The memory surfaced again, and he shook it away.
The woman before him had a strange talent for bringing back buried memories.
Meanwhile, Evelyn felt sorry for him.
Maybe it was because he looked lonely.
It seemed the responsibility of being a duke was heavy.
“Even the Imperial Knights divide their duties. You don’t have to carry everything just because you’re the duke.”
“……”
She was worried about him—not as a duke, but as a person.
It was the first time in his life he had experienced that.
The moment he realized it, she settled quietly in a small corner of his heart.
Perhaps this short trip would not be boring with her around.
Evelyn carefully spoke again.
“I heard your swordsmanship is amazing, Your Grace.”
Why is she hesitating like that?
The duke listened.
“I have emergency medicine made by the Imperial Palace. And ointment for wounds.”
“So?”
He asked, holding back a smile.
“In case you need it. That’s all I can do.”
In that short moment, she had thought of a way to help him.
And she had even mentioned his sword skills so as not to hurt his pride.
“This kind of consideration is new to me.”
At his words, Evelyn almost doubted her ears.
Is he really a duke? Has no one ever taken care of him?
But his expression looked sincere.
She remembered a heroic story she had heard as a child—about a knight who hid his fatal wound to keep his subordinates’ morale high.
Seeing her expression darken, the duke asked,
“You said you’re unfamiliar with high society in the capital?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Then you don’t know much about me?”
“No, I know you’re Duke Ashford. I heard you’re the greatest magic swordsman on the continent.”
“Besides my family name, do you know my first name?”
She didn’t.
She had only focused on her research. When meeting nobles, it was enough to use their title and surname.
‘Do I really need to know…?’
“Do you really need to know?”
Gasp! Evelyn quickly covered her mouth.
Had she spoken her thoughts aloud?
She was the type whose thoughts showed clearly on her face.
“Find out. By tonight.”
“Is that part of my work?”
“Yes. It’s homework from the person in charge.”
What did that have to do with this trip?
As if reading her thoughts, the duke smiled.
“What’s wrong? It’s fun.”
“……”
His sudden smile made her heart race.
She quickly hardened her expression.
It was her own defense method.
The duke gave a small laugh and returned inside the lodging.
The once noisy first floor was quiet now.
The broken table had been replaced with spare furniture.
He could clearly imagine his subordinates complaining while carrying the large wooden table.
Duke Theo Ashford recalled the meal earlier.
The lunch with the new researcher, Evelyn, had not been bad.
Her bright blue eyes lingered in his mind.
So did her clear voice that truly worried about him.
After lunch, the monster subjugation began.
Theo, the knights, and the three researchers climbed Monster Mountain.
The higher they went, the thicker the fog became.
Occasionally, the ground trembled slightly.
Evelyn remembered the report saying the mountain’s energy was unusual.
“That’s strange. It’s never been this gloomy before.”
One of the knights tilted his head.
But the researchers, who were already struggling to walk, didn’t care about the weather.
There was a huge difference between knights who trained daily and researchers who worked indoors all day.
Evelyn, who had grown up running in the fields, was managing better than the others.
But as the slope became steeper, her foot slipped.
“Careful.”
Theo, who was beside her, lightly supported her back.
At the sudden closeness, Evelyn quickly tightened her expression again.
‘Serious face… serious face…!’
The knights watching them widened their eyes.
“You can be considerate too?”
Theo ignored them and whispered to Evelyn,
“Aren’t you going to worry about me today?”
“What?”
She had been about to thank him.
Isn’t this something the knights should say?
Then she realized something.
As their leader, he couldn’t show weakness in front of his subordinates.
After thinking for a moment, she whispered softly,
“Don’t overdo it.”
She lowered her voice so no one else would hear.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
A faint smile curved Theo’s lips.
His gently curved eyes were captivating.
Leaving the dazed Evelyn behind, he walked ahead.
She paused for a moment, watching his back.
From the first time they met, he had left a strange impression on her.
He always disappeared first, yet left a strong presence behind.
‘That’s enough. We won’t be connected after this trip, so don’t think too deeply!’
She shook her head lightly.
After all, her connection with the duke would end once this trip was over.
