Chapter 7
All the standards by which the world defined beauty came crashing down like a waterfall.
I stared, mouth agape, stunned into silence. Even Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, had never shocked me to this extent.
He was beautiful enough to slap Aphrodite across the face three times and still have some left over.
Glossy jet-black hair that fell to his waist, snow-white skin, and beneath sharply defined eyes, irises as blue as gemstones.
If Snow White from a fairy tale had been reborn as a man, this would be his face.
“Um…”
Wow.
I’ve lost it. Even his voice is perfect.
Sweet as though dipped in honey, yet dangerously alluring—a tone irresistibly seductive.
Yes. The Northern Duke!
I knew it. That decadent, cold beauty—I’d seen him before in romance-fantasy web novels. I’d thought the Northern Duke only existed in 2D. Who knew I’d see him in 3D before I died?
Just looking at him felt like my eyes were being purified. Is he secretly a god of healing or something?
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
The Northern Duke spoke to me first! Eek!
“This is… a bit uncomfortable.”
“…Ah.”
If this world were a martial arts novel instead of a gore-fantasy, I’d have suffered internal injuries and coughed up blood by now. Cause of death: sheer embarrassment.
“I-I’m sorry! You’re just so beautiful that I didn’t realize what I was saying—oh my goodness, what am I even saying? I’m so sorry!”
So this is what it feels like when your face catches fire. I was so mortified I wanted to dunk myself in the zombie-infested river just to cool off.
“Ahem. No, it’s all right. Truly.”
My goodness. A handsome man with a good personality, too. Seeing a peerless beauty like this made my string of bad luck today feel suddenly blessed.
While I was busy swooning internally, the handsome man seemed flustered, unsure what to do.
Huh? Why?
“Your blood—!”
“Oh.”
Blood from my nose dripped onto my lips.
But wait—I’m in soul form, aren’t I? Souls can bleed too? Fascinated by this new discovery, I pinched my nose shut.
For someone like me, who coughs up blood as a hobby, a little bleeding was nothing. But the man in front of me looked genuinely shaken.
When the double nosebleed turned into a full-on fountain, he startled and stepped closer.
“Are you all right?!”
“Ah, I’m fine. Really—so please don’t come any closer…”
I wiped the blood away with the back of my hand. He only looked more distressed.
“You’re still bleeding—how can you say you’re fine?!”
I am fine! That’s why I’m telling you not to come closer!
Desperately trying not to show him my unsightly face, I turned my head this way and that. It felt like meeting my ultimate favorite only for my wig to fall off.
In short, my humiliation meter didn’t just max out—it shattered the graph entirely.
This is so, so embarrassing…!
My face burned red like freshly boiled tomato stew, blood gushing from both nostrils. What a first impression.
“Here—use this, at least. Your fine clothes will be ruined otherwise.”
They’re not that fine, but still—one does not refuse kindness from a beauty. Who knew when I’d get a chance like this again?
“Thank you.”
I quickly took the handkerchief and pressed it to my nose. As I applied pressure, the bleeding gradually slowed.
Still, I couldn’t stay like that forever, so I tore up a damp handkerchief from my pocket, rolled it up, and stuffed both nostrils.
Only then could I face him again.
“!”
Suddenly, his upper body doubled over. His shoulders shook violently—it was obvious he was laughing hard.
Why is he laughing? Is something about me funny? As I reached up to touch my face, I realized what I must look like right now.
I wanted to cry.
I looked like a bald man proudly showing off his shiny scalp in front of his ultimate favorite.
“Just… go ahead and laugh.”
In the end, he couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.
A flower-like man laughing like a blossom in full bloom was a feast for the eyes—but this was not the time for me to enjoy it.
My first meeting is completely, utterly ruined…
—
After the wave of laughter passed, I was finally able to talk to him a little more naturally.
His himation was draped over my shoulders. Perhaps he was worried my clothes would turn transparent from the water—or that I might feel cold.
Even though I was in soul form and couldn’t feel the cold anyway, he still did it, knowing full well.
A kind handsome man down to the smallest details—practically an endangered species.
This man. I will claim him.
Clenching my fist in determination, I asked him,
“I gave you a brief introduction earlier, but I’m Leuke, a goddess of the Okeanids. May I ask your name?”
He seemed rather shy for a beauty. Even now, he couldn’t quite meet my eyes.
“Um?”
“…”
Why isn’t he answering?
“…Us.”
“Yes?”
His voice was so quiet it sounded like it was crawling into a mouse hole. When I asked again, he finally managed,
“Idoneus.”
“I… I’m sorry, could you say that one more time?”
“Idoneus.”
His name was really long. Even I—who had memorized the names of three thousand sisters—found it daunting. And the pronunciation was tricky, too.
Seeing my confusion, he slowly enunciated each syllable for me.
“I-do-ne-us. It’s easier if you break it up.”
“I… do… ne… us.”
“That’s right.”
Watching me finally say his name correctly, he smiled softly.
Ugh! Heart attack!
A handsome man’s smile was hazardous to my health. My eyes might rejoice, but my heart and blood vessels wouldn’t survive this level of beauty.
“If it’s too long or hard to say, you can just call me Adis.”
“Then you should’ve just told me Adis from the start!”
After all that effort, this is what I get?
Feeling unfairly wronged, I puffed out my cheeks and glared at Adis. Looking embarrassed, he lowered his gaze and offered an excuse.
“I wanted to see you say my full name, Leuke.”
You mischievous man. What are you doing dropping time-bomb lines like that? My heart can’t take it.
“Was that not allowed?”
His eyes curved into crescent moons. His pale-red lips—slightly lacking in color—formed a gentle arc as he let out a small laugh.
At that moment, a droplet of water hanging from his hair fell—plip—and slid down his throat like a waterslide, coming to rest at his collarbone.
The wet fabric clung tightly to his body, revealing his upper frame in full detail.
A beautiful face paired with that kind of body—it was unfair. Everything about him looked dangerously sculpted.
Staring blankly at his torso, I jolted and quickly turned away. My heart pounded as if it might burst.
What a bewitching man. There isn’t a single thing about him that isn’t attractive.
Clutching his handkerchief tightly, I rolled my eyes upward to look at him.
“Thank you so much for saving me. I’ll make sure to wash this and return it. If you ever come up to the surface, we could meet again and I’ll repay you properly—”
“W-wait a moment.”
Huh? What now?
Adis rubbed his mouth, clearly flustered. He looked awkward and stiff, as though this was far beyond anything he’d expected.
“Is that… a date invitation?”
“What?!”
W-what is this man saying?
A date?
I mean, I wouldn’t mind—but still. This is our first meeting. Isn’t that a bit fast?
“I’d like that.”
“What?!”
Adis darted his eyes around, beads of cold sweat forming. It was hard to believe this was the same man who had been smiling coyly at me just moments ago.
“I said… a date would be nice.”
“!”
I was so shocked I clapped both hands over my mouth and stared at him.
He turned his gaze slightly away, peeking at me from the corner of his eye—apparently too shy to look directly. Did he realize how visible his flushed ears were because of it?
“You don’t have to feel pressured. Answer comfortably. I’m not forcing you.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I shouted,
