#18. Wanna Take It Off?
Inside the door, the conversation between the butler and Wilson continued.
“Hmm… I’m sure the Duke has his reasons.”
“So that weak-looking guy’s got quite the luck. Who even agrees to be a guarantor these days? I thought it was strange from the start.”
“It must be Klein Riden’s good fortune. Both the guarantor and the Duke.”
“Hmph! That guy looks kind of feminine, doesn’t he? That guarantor of his… maybe they’ve got something going on?”
“Hey! What are you saying? That’s indecent.”
“No, think about it. I even remember the name—Kalkus Takan? Different surname too, so they’re not even relatives. Who just steps up to be a guarantor like that? Something’s suspicious. I mean…”
“Enough. I said enough.”
The butler’s voice sharply cut Wilson off.
From outside the room, Hugh Grey had already heard everything. His face was completely distorted.
Nothing Wilson said sat well with him.
feminine-looking, something going on with the guarantor, Kalkus Takan…
It wasn’t hard to understand what those implications meant.
He knew servants spread all kinds of rumors when they gathered. And he also knew Wilson talked too much.
Still… this is way too much useless talk.
Hugh Grey turned abruptly and returned to his office.
If Klein Riden left, he would return to his hometown—and meet his only friend, Kalkus Takan.
He had forgotten that.
He had been so focused on getting Klein Riden out of sight.
Who is taking care of you now?
My friend back home is staying at my house for me. My only friend. He’s a man.
A man.
A man.
I don’t like women! I like men!
Right. Klein Riden likes men.
Does that friend know you like me?
He had asked that just to unsettle him, even though he knew it was a lie about liking him.
No, he doesn’t know. Even close friends don’t necessarily tell each other everything.
At the time, Hugh Grey had unknowingly clenched his teeth.
He doesn’t know?
So he didn’t tell that friend because it was a lie? Or because he didn’t want to?
Then… did he tell Kalkus Takan?
Did he say it the same way he said he liked me?
Come to think of it… he had already left this house once.
To return home.
And at that home, there was that so-called “only friend,” Kalkus Takan. A man. Living in his house.
Irritation and thirst surged through him at once.
Without thinking further, he pulled the bell cord.
“Did you call for me, Your Grace?”
Klein came quickly.
“When you return home… will you be the one caring for your mother?”
He means he intends to send that man away.
“Yes! I will. I owe my friend a great deal. But I still need to repay the salary I borrowed in advance, so even after leaving the Duke’s estate I may have to find work nearby… I’m not sure what will happen.”
“Ah… the advance salary… you’re not sure what will happen.”
So you’re not leaving?
Ha! You can’t leave? Or you don’t want to leave?
“Yes. Still, I don’t want to keep burdening Kalkus… my friend. But why do you ask?”
“Your friend… what kind of help did you receive from him?”
Everything about this irritated him.
“Kalkus has given me more than I could ever repay. He’s someone I’m always grateful for.”
“Received? Caregiving?”
“Not just caregiving… since we were young—”
“Ah. Since you were young.”
I see.
So you’re here only because of money.
And you’re planning to go back to him.
And that man—Kalkus—has been there since childhood, giving you everything.
It was disgusting. Unpleasant. Infuriating.
All those emotions tangled and rose up from his stomach to his head.
“What about your mother’s condition?”
“She got through a critical stage thanks to a core-magic treatment medicine, but we can’t afford more of it… she’s just being kept alive now. I need to earn money quickly…”
“Core-magic treatment medicine…”
So while his mother is ill, he’ll keep relying on that Kalkus.
And keep owing him more and more.
Unpayable debts.
And if someday that man demands repayment in some form—what will you do then?
“What will you do after repaying the advance salary?”
“Duke, why are you asking this?”
Klein looked cautious again.
“Because you’re my attendant. I take an interest in my servants’ circumstances.”
A ridiculous lie. He had no interest whatsoever.
Klein frowned, clearly aware of that.
“Never mind. What’s your plan?”
“Once I return home, I’ll live with my mother and decide then. I haven’t had time to think about it.”
“And Kalkus?”
“Pardon?”
“You said he lives with you. Will you send him away?”
“Ah!”
Klein’s expression stiffened.
He knew.
This man had no intention of sending Kalkus Takan away.
A man he supposedly “likes.”
So he would keep living with him.
And repay his debt in that way.
Hah. Damn it.
If I let him go, he’ll end up in someone else’s arms.
What am I supposed to do?
I can’t allow that.
He had already believed this was just a temporary psychological imbalance caused by hormonal conflict or imprinting.
But that assumption was wrong.
So what if it was wrong!
Once he found his imprinted woman, everything would be solved. Until then, he couldn’t let this one go.
He would never let him go.
It was instinctive—he realized he needed Klein Riden until he found the woman meant for him.
And that no one could take him away.
“Call the butler.”
So the plan to send him back was discarded.
“Right now?”
Klein’s blue eyes widened behind his glasses.
Your eyes are pretty too.
Ah…!
Pretty eyes?
He was losing it.
He was going crazy over this man.
But it was only temporary. He would be fine once he found his damn imprint partner.
“Yes. Right now.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Klein left the room.
Leaving behind a fragrance that filled the space like the sweetest scent in the world.
Yes. For now… it was fine to be a little crazy over him.
That day, because the Duke had ordered translation work to be done in the office, Chloe had been working at a small desk placed in one corner of it for an hour.
Her hand holding the quill had become sweaty.
Is it hot in here?
Only now did she notice the fireplace was blazing fiercely.
It was already getting warm outside—there was no need for this much heating anymore. Ever since that last outdoor meal, the Duke had been keeping the room unusually warm.
“Hmm!”
“Why?”
Gasp!
She had only cleared her throat to ask about lowering the heating, but the Duke answered as if he had been waiting for her to speak.
“Ah, the room temperature is a bit…”
“Cold? Are your hands cold?”
“Pardon?”
No, they’re sweating.
“I’m fine. Are you cold, Your Grace?”
“What? Me? I couldn’t possibly be cold.”
“Then maybe we should lower the heating…”
“Open the window. Leave the heating as it is. You’re the one who gets cold easily.”
“Y-yes? What?”
Startled, Chloe stood up and walked toward the window.
He was telling her to open the window because she was cold?
“Also open the door.”
“Ah, yes!”
Open the window and the door while keeping the heating on full blast?
It would be more efficient to just lower the heating instead.
Well, worrying about heating costs was only something for commoners like her.
Recently, this constant ventilation felt like one of the Duke’s new hobbies.
Every time Chloe entered, he told her to open the windows. Today, at least, he had managed to keep them closed for an hour.
“Your Grace, would you like some tea? It’s tea time.”
Chloe asked as she returned from the window.
“Sure. You’ll have some too, right?”
“Pardon?”
Her heart jolted.
Why is he like this? Not just once or twice—every time.
“No, I won’t.”
“Really? Then I won’t either.”
Honestly, it felt like torture. It was unbearably uncomfortable.
“Then I’ll resume my translation work.”
“…”
The Duke didn’t respond.
So Chloe returned to her seat and resumed working.
“Klein.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
“Isn’t it hard to work with your bangs hanging down over your eyes like that?”
“Oh! Not at all! It’s completely fine.”
“You look like you’d be uncomfortable.”
“I’m not uncomfortable at all.”
“Your efficiency probably drops too.”
“No! I’m almost done with this book translation!”
Chloe quickly protested, sensing danger.
“You’re almost done?”
“Yes!”
The Duke looked down at the desk. His expression was dissatisfied despite hearing the work was nearly finished.
What’s his problem?
Chloe lowered her gaze back to the book.
I need to finish this quickly so I can finally rest.
“Klein.”
Again?
“Yes!”
“Are your eyes very bad?”
“Ah… somewhat.”
She was referring to her glasses.
Her vision was actually excellent, but she couldn’t say that.
“If you take them off, can you not see the book at all?”
“Ah…”
She had to choose between nearsighted or farsighted. Her thick lenses would look like magnification—so she had to claim farsightedness.
But then he might ask why she sometimes didn’t wear them.
“I have… special eyes.”
Special eyes? So am I nearsighted or farsighted? Can someone have both? She wasn’t sure.
The Duke continued.
“Even if you take them off, you can still see the book, right?”
“No, I can’t see well without them.”
“Then can you see my face while wearing them?”
“Yes, I can see it clearly.”
Ah, Your Grace, why are you like this?
“So if you can see the book clearly with them, then without them you should see me better.”
“That… might be…”
She couldn’t possibly say: I can see everything clearly, I just act like I can’t because of the glasses.
She wanted to cry.
“So… why don’t you take them off?”
What?
T-take them off?
Chloe’s whole body broke into chills.
