Chapter 42
Rebecca beamed brightly.
Grace hesitated, trying to read the meaning behind her smile. But in the end, she couldn’t find anything.
In Grace’s mind, there weren’t many things Rebecca could do. At best, sneaking over walls was her limit.
“Well then, if you have nothing more to say, I’ll excuse myself. I have much to do.”
Grace walked past Rebecca. Each step she took made the ring of keys at her side jingle.
Rebecca’s eyes lingered briefly on the bundle of keys that could open every door in the mansion, then she opened her own door.
The moment she looked inside, her breath caught and her eyes went wide.
Furniture was overturned everywhere, and feathers from a ripped pillow scattered through the air.
Rebecca quickly shut the door.
Then Kanna’s chilling voice rang out.
“How dare you bring your filthy body here. I’ll kill you.”
“W–wait! Ugh, such strength…!”
Kanna had a man pinned to the floor, a blade at his thick neck.
Judging by the empty scabbard at his waist, the sword was probably his own.
He bared his bright yellow eyes, growling as he struggled desperately to throw her off.
But each time he resisted, Kanna pressed her knee harder into his chest.
“My God! Julian! Kanna!”
At Rebecca’s cry, Kanna faltered just long enough for Julian to shove her off and spring to his feet.
He quickly ran to Rebecca’s side.
“That woman—don’t tell me she’s not a maid, but a bodyguard knight?”
Julian rubbed his neck where the cold edge had lingered.
“Do you know this man?”
Kanna still gripped the sword tightly, as if she would slit his throat the moment Rebecca said no.
Julian glared sharply back at her, clearly unwilling to back down either.
The tension between them was so thick that Rebecca pressed her forehead and sighed.
“Let me formally introduce you. Kanna, this is Julian, Duke Johannes.”
At the word “duke,” Kanna’s eyes widened and she lowered her blade.
But the hostility in her gaze remained.
“Julian, this is Kanna. She’s the girl I mentioned before. Remember? I thought she was just a maid, but today I see she could serve as a bodyguard too.”
Even after learning each other’s identities, the two glared and huffed at one another like growling beasts.
Rebecca sighed again and tugged both of their hands together.
“Now, shake hands. Say ‘nice to meet you.’ We’re on the same ship, so it wouldn’t hurt to get along.”
Reluctantly, they shook hands.
Then, as though burned, they pulled back quickly with disgusted expressions.
Kanna rubbed her hand against her clothes where it had touched Julian.
“Is he really Duke Johannes? Not an impostor?”
She sneered as she looked him over, and Julian snapped.
“Impostor? Watch your tongue!”
“Otherwise how else would you come barging into a lady’s chambers at this hour without notice? Still, I’ll admit you’re skilled, slipping past such strict guards.”
“Both of you, enough! Please!”
Rebecca trembled with worry that their raised voices might leak outside.
Julian, catching her sharp glare, bit back the retort on his lips and fell silent.
He glanced sideways at Kanna, then leaned in to whisper to Rebecca.
“I have something urgent to tell you, privately…”
“No.”
Apparently, this Kanna had sharp ears as well.
Julian groaned in annoyance.
Kanna stubbornly pushed herself between the two of them.
Rebecca smiled gently at her.
“Kanna, it’s fine. He’s not dangerous.”
“But…”
“What you fear won’t happen. Trust me, all right?”
Rebecca patted her hand.
At her words—trust me—Kanna couldn’t argue. How could she ever say she didn’t trust Rebecca?
Though still doubtful, she reluctantly nodded.
Julian looked down at her triumphantly.
“Understood. But if anything happens, just shout. I’ll come running.”
“Thank you, Kanna.”
Kanna gave Julian a hard thump on the shoulder before leaving.
Rebecca collapsed onto the bed with a sigh of relief, then shot Julian a sharp glance.
“Honestly, don’t just barge in without a word.”
“Sorry. It’s something urgent.”
Feeling like he’d just triumphed over a rival, Julian grinned despite her scolding.
“What is it?”
“The Devil’s Claw. I found it.”
Rebecca’s eyes widened.
She unconsciously reached toward his head.
“Well done—”
But then, realizing what she was doing, she quickly pulled her hand back.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Julian’s face.
“Ahem. Thank you. So when can you bring it?”
“Now.”
He motioned toward the vanity.
Inside a glass dome on it sat a potted Devil’s Claw.
“You’ll need to pluck the leaves today.”
“The color… even the shape of the leaves—it’s really Devil’s Claw!”
Rebecca’s joy was unrestrained; she practically hopped with excitement as she inspected the plant.
Watching her, Julian rose.
“That’s it?”
“Hm?”
“I went through so much trouble to get this. And just ‘thank you’ is all?”
“What… do you want then?”
Rebecca’s eyes flicked to his thick Adam’s apple bobbing in front of her.
She swallowed unconsciously.
“That thing we didn’t finish last time…”
Julian took her hand. Her slender fingers looked fragile against his broad palm.
Her skin was so soft, he felt like he could play with it forever.
Bringing her hand to his face, he murmured,
“Stroke me.”
“W–what…?”
Rebecca stared blankly at him, as if struck over the head.
Did this foolish duke just say what she thought he said?
“Hah, unbelievable. Your face is red as a tomato—what were you imagining?”
He laughed playfully at her dazed expression.
Her cheeks flushed even redder, like plums ripening under summer sun.
“I wasn’t imagining anything indecent!”
“Weren’t you? Then why such a reaction?”
Before she could answer, Julian closed his eyes and rubbed his head against her hand.
His black hair slipped silkily between her fingers.
“No one’s ever stroked my hair before.”
“…”
“Nor has anyone thanked me so earnestly.”
He finally let go of her hand, his eyes hazy with languor.
Rebecca stared at him, puzzled, then sniffed near his chest.
“No smell of alcohol… you’re not drunk again, are you?”
“Do I look it?”
His eyes curved like crescent moons, glowing bright yellow, like amber.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I’m perfectly sober. I’ve held back long enough. I thought I deserved at least this much.”
“Held back? From what?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he tapped the glass dome containing the Devil’s Claw. The glass chimed.
“You said eating this would hurt?”
Rebecca gave a short laugh.
“It will. And I’ll look hideous. The blisters will stink once they burst. I’ll be so wretched that no one will want to come near me.”
Even as she spoke of her impending suffering, her tone stayed steady, as if this was something she had always known she must do.
“Aren’t you afraid?” Julian asked, watching her calmness before the storm.
Yet his own eyes trembled with fear.
“I’m not afraid.”
Rebecca clenched her hand into a firm fist.
Strength glimmered in her clear eyes.
She lifted her head and met his gaze directly.
“I swore I wouldn’t run away again. My future holds only revenge or ruin. So tell me—what could possibly make me hesitate?”
With that, she thrust her hand into the dome and grabbed the Devil’s Claw.
“Not with your bare hands…!”
Before he could stop her, Rebecca smirked bitterly and shoved the leaves into her mouth. The sound of raw leaves being chewed filled the room.
Gulp.
After chewing for a while, she swallowed.
Julian silently handed her a glass of water.
As she accepted it, red rashes had already begun blooming on her hand.
“Ugh, more bitter than I expected.”
She drained the glass, grimacing.
But soon her face smoothed back into its usual calm expression.
“Well, at least when Zeppelin returns, there’ll be no chance of ending up tangled in bed with him.”
Zeppelin wouldn’t be back for another two weeks, but the poisoning symptoms would take a little time to show.
By then, he’d be greeted with her hideous face—a perfect outcome. Julian’s timing had been impeccable.
“Would you like some tea? No one else will come to my room at this hour. And Kanna’s guarding outside, so it’s fine for a while.”
Rebecca moved toward the tea trolley.
The light glinted off the chain dangling from her wrist.
Julian gritted his teeth.
“No, I just remembered something I must do.”
“Still, even for a moment—”
Meow.
When Rebecca turned with the teapot, Julian was gone.
Only Leo sat there, tail flicking, looking annoyed as if he’d been summoned suddenly again.
With a resigned sigh, Rebecca stroked him from head to tail.
Leo quickly relaxed, rubbing his face against her hand before licking the rash that had spread across it.
