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Chapter – 04
Bedroom.
A man and a woman.
Her reason screamed that this was an absolutely terrible idea, but her mind was now completely blank — she couldn’t think of anything anymore.
“Let’s organize the situation. Quickly. You said this world has a class system, right? What’s your exact status?”
“Duke.”
“Duke… that’s high-ranking, right? Are you married?”
“Not yet.”
“Engaged?”
“No.”
“A lover?”
He shook his head.
“Good. So at least this situation isn’t one where I’ll get slapped and dragged out by the hair.”
“As I said earlier, you are my guest. No one would dare treat you that way.”
“I know. Still…”
“Still?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she smiled with her brows knit like she was about to cry, and tugged on his shirt.
“Give me this. I need to wear it. And…”
Her slender fingers reached up and tousled his golden hair.
“Just to check, you don’t happen to have any lip balm or something, right?”
She sighed at his dry, expressionless stare and waved her hand.
“Never mind. Forget it. Just hurry and take it off.”
Outside, the commotion was growing louder. If they waited any longer, someone might really break down the door.
He obediently removed his shirt and handed it to her, tilting his head.
“Is this, by any chance, the solution you mentioned before?”
“Partly, yes. You said you hated women who fall head over heels for their lord, and women who crave power, and women who know nothing but you.”
She ran her fingers through her unfamiliar crimson-red hair — the one now attached to her head.
“This is about solving that marriage problem—”
“Not marriage. Just pretending to be lovers for a while. If you’ve got a lover, it’ll quiet all the talk about marriage and heirs.”
He stared at her quietly.
Her cheeks were pale — almost bloodless — and her lips had turned violet.
The only difference from the woman in his dreams was the now-blooming rose-red color of her hair.
But still—
She was the woman from his dreams.
The only one who could make him smile.
The only one who spoke casually to him, and talked as though they were equals.
He thought of the countless people who must be flocking from all across the Empire right now.
“Let’s make it marriage.”
“You don’t have to go that far! We can buy time first and then figure out something else—”
“The search for the Grand Duchess begins the day after tomorrow.”
“What? Grand Duchess—as in, your wife?”
She grabbed the hem of his pants like she was about to stop a runaway train.
“Yes. Young ladies from across the Empire are already gathering to take that seat.”
“You didn’t mention that yesterday!”
“Because that man is always the biggest problem.”
“Still… so, there’s a party in two days?”
“Yes.”
“Cinderella?”
“What?”
This time, he looked puzzled.
“You’re holding a party to find your bride, and women from all over the country are coming to attend!”
“As always, your grasp of the situation is… precise.”
“So at midnight on the second night, you’ll find a glass slipper, huh!”
“What are you—”
Bang!
Bang, bang, bang!
Before he could even finish, a violent knocking shook the door — loud enough to break it down.
The man and woman locked eyes without blinking once.
And at that moment, they realized that silent communication — the kind that only worked in dreams — was apparently possible in real life too.
“Ughhh…”
She let out a small groan and reached for him. He pulled her close and whispered:
“You always give me the answer.”
“Marriage, seriously? You’ll need more than a scalp massage for that!”
“Then I’ll just have to find a new addiction.”
He smirked, pulled her a little closer by the waist, and looked toward the door.
“Come in.”
At his short command, the door burst open.
“Your Grace! Is something wrong—”
“You’re actually in the bedroom for the first time in eight years—are you feeling unwell?”
“Your Grace, these documents must be reviewed today—”
The three people who burst through the doorway fell silent all at once.
In the Duke’s arms was a woman — pale-cheeked, crimson-haired, and wearing his shirt.
The last to enter, the Duke’s butler Sebastian, spoke in an exceptionally calm voice.
“I’ll have a late dinner prepared for the two of you.”
The Duke turned to look at her. She pressed her trembling lips into an awkward smile.
Dinner? In this situation? You think I could eat right now? If I tried, the food would probably go up my nose instead of down my throat. You feel the same, right?
He shook his head slightly — no words needed.
“No need. I’m not hungry. More importantly—”
Sebastian bowed at his signal.
“I’ll prepare appropriate clothing.”
After Sebastian left through the open door, a deep silence fell over the room.
The Duke — with his desert-dry face — said nothing.
Neither did she, her head half-lowered, leaning the back of it against his chest.
And the other three — the Duke’s aides — stood frozen, gaping like fish, before hastily bowing their heads.
They each stared at their own feet, then furtively glanced at one another — only to find equal parts confusion and panic staring back.
“Eye talk” clearly didn’t work for them like it did for the Duke and the woman.
They didn’t even dare try to speak.
Before entering the Duke’s bedroom, their minds had been filled with worry and dread.
But now—
Even after confirming that His Grace was safe, their heads were completely blank.
It’s unsettling for anyone to witness their master’s private life…
But especially so when it’s someone you’ve served for over a decade and have never once seen show a hint of private life.
The realization made one of them swallow hard, his stiff neck jerking.
Then they remembered: the party in two days.
A party to choose the Grand Duchess — open to every noble lady across the Empire, regardless of rank or age.
And now, here in his arms, was a woman—
They stared, dumbfounded.
A woman. In the Duke’s arms.
A man who had never held even a cat or dog close to him — now holding a woman?
“So. What exactly is your reason for barging into my bedroom?”
His voice, dry as desert sand, broke through the stunned silence like a whip.
All three aides flinched.
They had a lot to say a moment ago, but now their minds were blank.
His gaze swept over the tops of their bowed heads.
It wasn’t sharp as a blade, nor cold as ice — but still, chills ran down their spines.
Cold sweat poured down their foreheads.
Finally, the eldest aide, who had served the Duke the longest, forced his parched throat to open.
“There are documents requiring your approval today, sir.”
“And?”
As if rehearsed, all three bent deeply at once.
“Please forgive our intrusion, Your Grace.”
They’d served him for half a lifetime, yet none had ever seen him sleep properly.
Eight years ago, at least, he didn’t sleep in the study — but that was about it.
And today, he had announced, ‘I’ll sleep in the bedroom tonight.’
The aides had stared blankly at the closed door, unable to process it.
“Did His Grace just say… the bedroom?”
“As in, to sleep?”
“Calm down—”
Even the one saying calm down looked anything but calm.
They remembered the past vividly:
“Please, Your Grace, rest.”
“You’ve only slept two hours in the past three days!”
“The poison’s already been administered — there’s nothing more to do but wait. Please, at least sleep!”
No matter how much they begged, he never did.
And now, for the first time, he was going to the bedroom to sleep.
Rather than relief, they felt confusion, even dread.
They’d rushed to the bedroom door, waiting anxiously outside.
When he hadn’t answered their knocks, they’d imagined finding him collapsed inside.
Then finally, he’d given them permission to enter — and this was what they saw.
Now, standing here, they didn’t know whether to rejoice or panic.
The Duke glanced over the flustered aides, then down at her.
She looked calm, but her eyes were unfocused — wild inside.
She wanted to scream, to grab her hair, to shout like a madwoman.
But she couldn’t.
So instead, she tried to calm herself — mentally splashing cold water over her head.
“You can just leave the documents—”
Before he could finish, she spoke up in a drowsy, low voice — barely audible unless you leaned in.
“I’m thirsty.”
All three aides’ ears twitched.
They didn’t dare lift their heads.
When they’d first entered, they hadn’t realized — but now they knew all too well that the Duke’s shirt she wore didn’t leave much to the imagination. They had nowhere to look.
Her eyes met the Duke’s again.
Once more, no words were needed.
“There’s nothing drinkable here,” he said softly.
At his subtle glance, the youngest aide bolted toward the door — practically rolling out of the room.
