#20. Chloe’s Body Type
The next morning.
Chloe placed a teacup on the duke’s desk.
The duke glanced at it briefly, then, without even lifting his head, returned to whatever he had been reading.
“Good work. You may go.”
It was the same reaction the duke had shown in the past, when nothing had yet happened between him and Chloe.
Back when he would usually just tell the servant to leave the tea and go. Back when he had no particular interest in the attendant.
“Oh! You don’t need to attend meals either. I won’t be calling for you again today, so feel free to rest.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Chloe bowed her head and left the room.
Something felt strange.
She didn’t know why, but everything just felt… off.
In the late afternoon, as the duke had predicted, Sir Joyce arrived at the ducal estate.
“I’ve narrowed it down to areas within a six-hour travel radius centered around Arne. It seemed unlikely that a woman traveling alone would go farther than that.”
He immediately began his report upon arrival. Chloe stood close behind Sir Joyce, trying not to draw the duke’s attention.
If the duke ordered her out, she wouldn’t be able to hear the report—so she intended to stay as quiet and invisible as possible.
“Continue.”
Fortunately, the duke didn’t even glance at her as she followed Joyce inside.
“A woman named ‘Chloe,’ matching the criteria of long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a height of 168 cm—there are five in total. Four are commoners, and one is a noble young lady from the Kinden region.”
The duke simply nodded without comment.
Then Sir Joyce suddenly turned his head and looked at Chloe.
Chloe looked back at him with a questioning gaze—What is it?
He tilted his head slightly, then turned away again.
Chloe immediately sensed it. He had likely found out something about her as well.
Her heart began to pound. Her mouth went dry.
“Continue.”
The duke urged him on.
“We were unable to investigate a shoulder injury. It would require undressing, so no one mentioned it during inquiries. However, if she is a woman, it is unlikely she would openly reveal such a thing.”
“Hm… that’s true.”
Chloe suddenly felt a dull pain in her shoulder.
She had assumed that information wouldn’t be useful anyway. It was difficult to learn such details about a woman’s body through hearsay alone.
Even her shoulder wound was something only she herself knew about.
Her mother had only just regained consciousness after being in a coma, and she hadn’t told Karkus about the injury either. If it had been serious, she might have had to ask for help—but it had healed quickly, leaving only a scar, so she had managed without involving anyone.
Come to think of it, it healed faster than expected.
“There are five who meet the criteria, but their heights vary slightly. Still, I narrowed it down to between 165 and 170 cm. Duke, could you describe the woman’s physique? That might help narrow it down further.”
Chloe, who had been thinking about her shoulder, frowned slightly at his words.
The “woman” he was asking about was her body.
She tensed immediately, wondering what the duke would say.
“Physique… hmm.”
The duke leaned on his elbow, resting his chin on clasped hands.
“If you could give even a rough description, it would help narrow it down from five.”
Still, the duke only gave a faint nod—no words.
“Something like… thin or well-built,” Sir Joyce prompted again.
At last, the duke spoke, cutting him off.
“She was thin.”
“Thin enough that she looked like she might break if you bent her. Her collarbones and ribs were distinctly visible, and her neck was so slender I could wrap one hand around it completely. Her skin was soft and very fair… though I’m not certain of her exact complexion. It was dark at the time. Her ears were quite small compared to her eyes, nose, and lips. And… no, that is enough.”
After a moment of heavy silence, the duke spoke in startling detail.
With each word, Chloe’s slender body—soft-skinned, very pale, fragile as if it might snap—felt like it was being laid bare in the air.
Did he really look at me like that during the day?
Why is he describing it so specifically?!
Not just her silhouette, but even her facial features, neck, skin texture, and complexion. And the tone at the end sounded like he had more to say—but chose not to.
It made her wonder why he hadn’t mentioned body type when first ordering Sir Joyce to find her.
Ah! It wasn’t that he didn’t know or remember—it was that he simply didn’t want to say it.
Well, the duke was a Swordmaster.
A being capable of sensing an enemy’s heartbeat and body heat even in pitch-black darkness.
So perhaps the man who had spent the night with her had remembered her body more clearly than her face.
He had even known her eye and hair color in the darkness, as if it were obvious.
At this point, it almost felt like a miracle she hadn’t already been discovered.
Chloe Leaden, stay calm!
She steadied her wavering mind.
At least the duke still didn’t realize she was a woman, and her body was hidden beneath multiple layers of undergarments, a men’s shirt, and a thick jacket.
“Ah…! Hm, hm! If she was that thin overall…”
Sir Joyce cleared his throat awkwardly, then murmured while glancing down at his papers.
“There are two women matching that physique. One is a noble lady from Kinden, and the other is a commoner from the Solain region—Chloe. These two fit the criteria. However, I’ve only personally met four of them. I have not seen one in person.”
As he said this last part, Sir Joyce turned to look at Chloe.
Chloe immediately realized she was the one he hadn’t met.
“The two women who fit the criteria—describe their appearances in more detail. I’d like to compare them with my memory. We’ll start with the more likely candidate.”
“Uh… hmm.”
Sir Joyce hesitated again, clearing his throat.
Unlike his usual decisive self, he seemed strangely reluctant.
“…?”
The duke raised one eyebrow slightly.
“There was a noticeable difference between the two women.”
“Stop dragging it out and speak.”
“Well… one is very small, and the other is large.”
“Large what?”
Chloe’s eyes snapped to Joyce.
What is he talking about?
After clearing his throat once more, Sir Joyce finally answered bluntly.
“Her chest.”
A completely unexpected answer.
“Hah!”
A laugh slipped out of Chloe’s mouth before she could stop it.
What did I just hear?
Is that what he’s been investigating?
This pervert.
The once stern and professional Sir Joyce now looked like a vulgar, lecherous scoundrel in her eyes.
Both the duke and Joyce turned to look at her.
Her sudden laugh had drawn their attention.
“Oh… I’m sorry.”
Having to apologize for something like this—after hearing such a description of a woman’s body—was humiliating. She just wanted to leave the ducal estate immediately.
Chloe clenched her fists tightly.
“Hm…”
The duke looked away from her, lost in thought.
His brow furrowed slightly.
Wait—don’t tell me… is he thinking back to that night?
Her face grew hot just at the thought.
“Which one is more… well-endowed?”
After a few seconds of contemplation, the duke finally asked Sir Joyce.
Ha.
Chloe almost laughed again, but barely held it in.
A conversation about her body size between two men.
She wanted to cover her ears. She didn’t want to hear any more of this report—but she couldn’t leave now either.
“The noble lady from Kinden, Chloe. She is the only noble among them. She doesn’t have a profession, but she did travel through Arne recently.”
Sir Joyce’s voice somehow sounded lighter now.
Chloe felt a faint irritation. He clearly preferred that the duke’s one-night partner be a noblewoman.
What did it matter—noble or commoner? It was just a single night. Yet here they were, making such a big deal out of it.
“This so…”
But the duke’s response sounded somewhat displeased compared to Joyce’s tone.
What is he unhappy about?
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The duke tapped his index finger on the edge of the desk, deep in thought.
“Which one is the woman you never saw in person?”
After a brief silence, Chloe turned toward Joyce.
Finally, it was her turn in the conversation.
“Ah…”
Sir Joyce turned his body slightly to look at her.
“…Is it Chloe Leaden?”
At the duke’s words, Joyce’s gaze snapped back to him.
“Ah! How did you know? Yes, it is Chloe Leaden, the younger sister of Klein. Did Klein report this to you, my lord?”
He asked Chloe with a stiff expression, clearly displeased at the idea that Klein’s younger sister might be the duke’s one-night woman.
He couldn’t even hide his discomfort.
Good grief. I didn’t want this either.
Chloe suppressed the urge to snap back, irritated by his attitude.
“No.”
She replied firmly.
“So, Klein didn’t tell me.”
The duke confirmed her words as well.
“But Klein…”
And then, with a sharp gaze, he called Chloe directly.
For some reason, it felt ominous.
