CHAPTER 12……………….
A Dangerous Magic Potion
The carriage continued on for nearly another week, just as he had said.
Along the way, we spent one night sleeping outdoors, but otherwise stayed at high-end inns in the towns we passed through. Today—one day before entering the ducal estate of Northdian in the eastern part of the empire—was no exception.
The carriage, surrounded by escort knights, came to a stop in front of a luxury inn.
“Please disembark.”
The one who extended a hand to escort me down today was not the Duke of Northdian, but his aide, a man named Jace. With brown hair and black eyes, he felt oddly familiar—perhaps because of memories from my previous life.
I was grateful for the escort, but still, why was it his aide and not the duke himself offering his hand?
“Thank you.”
Holding his hand, I stepped down from the high carriage. The place we would be staying was a clean, well-maintained three-story building. Judging by the number of guests around, business seemed to be booming.
As I quietly looked around, Jace spoke.
“If you stay at the inn just for tonight, you should be able to enter the ducal estate tomorrow.”
“All right.”
His tone was casual, without any hidden intent. Like the escort knights, he didn’t seem to harbor any particular prejudice against Notches.
“Is it because they serve the duke?”
Just then, the duke—who had disembarked earlier and was giving instructions to his subordinates—returned.
“Jace, guide the young lady to her room.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“At least he speaks casually to his subordinates.”
He’d been so consistently polite to me during the journey that I’d wondered if he spoke formally to everyone. Apparently not. Still, the fact that he treated everyone fairly regardless of status or whether they were a mage was surprising in its own way.
“Oh! Your Grace, you’ve arrived!”
An elderly man came rushing out of the inn. He looked to be around sixty, neatly dressed as befitted the proprietor of a high-class establishment.
“Noah. Thank you for your hospitality today as well.”
“You’re too kind. Please, come inside. I’ve prepared the room you usually use.”
The room he usually used?
Puzzled, I turned to look at Jace.
Noticing my questioning glance, he immediately explained.
“His Grace prefers inns over the estates of nobles. They’re more convenient in many ways.”
“I see.”
“Now that I think about it, we stayed only at inns the whole way.”
Normally, nobles traveling would stay at the residences of local nobles, partly to build connections. Ordinary inns were inconvenient, lacking magical tools like heating devices or magic lamps.
But the duke chose inns instead. Probably because staying with noble families would invite all sorts of troublesome attention from them.
“And perhaps also out of consideration for you, my lady—”
“Yes? What did you say?”
Someone laughed loudly just then, and I couldn’t hear him properly. Jace looked at me for a moment, then shook his head.
“It’s nothing. Please come inside. I’ll show you to your room.”
He seemed to gloss over whatever he was about to say, but escorted me once more and led me to the room.
And exactly ten minutes later—
I ran into an unexpected obstacle.
“We’re sharing the same room? You mean, the duke and I?”
When I asked blankly, the duke—already inside—nodded.
“Coincidentally, this is the only remaining deluxe room. There’s to be a banquet at the imperial palace next month, so many people are heading to the capital.”
His tone was anything but apologetic.
This was no time to admire how spacious and luxurious the room was. Since we’d had separate rooms throughout the journey, I’d let my guard down.
To think I’d be sharing a room with the duke just one day before entering the ducal estate. I’d been bracing myself for today in particular—if this continued, all my plans would fall apart.
“I don’t mind a small room. I’ll ask for another one.”
As I turned to leave, the duke stopped me with his words.
“There won’t be any vacant rooms. This inn didn’t have many to begin with; even the stables are probably full of horses.”
“Ugh.”
I froze, my hand still reaching for the doorknob. In an instant, I had nowhere to go.
“How am I supposed to sleep in the same room as you, Your Grace?”
When I asked like a cat with its fur standing on end, he smiled gently.
“Is there a problem? We’ll be living as a married couple for the next year anyway. Think of tonight as a rehearsal.”
His soft tone and warm smile made me almost reply, There’s no problem at all.
“No, Eloa—get a grip!”
If I fell for a man whose face looked angelic but was anything but, I’d be doomed. Putting aside my plans for the night, sharing a room with this terrifying duke was absolutely out of the question. I’d surely be unable to sleep a wink.
“Especially since I haven’t been sleeping well lately because of the pain.”
My entire body was screaming from the unfamiliar carriage travel. I couldn’t exactly ask to stop midway, so I’d been enduring it through sheer grit.
Just then, the murmur of people outside the window reached my ears. As I’d seen earlier, there really were many guests.
“Ah. Are you worried about running into other nobles?”
I said it half as a joke, but after saying it, it sounded surprisingly plausible.
“I suppose it would be the perfect opportunity for rumors. Nobles do tend to have loose tongues.”
It was clear that laying the groundwork through rumors would be more convincing than suddenly announcing to the emperor that he had a woman.
As I mulled over whether I could really play the role of the duke’s fiancée with nothing but the etiquette I’d learned as a child, there was no response from him.
“Your Grace?”
The expression on his face as he looked at me was strange.
“No, it’s just that you seem more sincere than I expected.”
“What? This was a contract, wasn’t it?”
“That’s true, but still… you’re truly hard to read.”
“Me?”
You’re the one who proposed a contract marriage. I just don’t want to fail to carry it out properly and end up imprisoned—or quietly eliminated later.
The duke chuckled softly and answered.
“In that regard, you needn’t worry. Everyone at the entrance already saw us together. By tomorrow, rumors will be spreading all over the capital—that I stayed at an inn with a woman. As you said, nobles do have loose tongues.”
“Oh.”
Since I hadn’t even covered my face with a hood, that meant anyone who mattered had already seen me.
“So that’s why he made me get down last.”
He must have stepped out first to draw attention, then had them see me alight from the carriage afterward.
“You work fast.”
At my half-lamenting compliment, he grinned.
“I’ll take that as praise.”
Then he added,
“I’ll have knights stationed at the floor entrance, so you won’t run into any nobles here. Please rest easy.”
“No, that’s not the point. I can’t rest easy if I’m with you.”
If only I could shout that out loud—how beautiful the world would be. I was inwardly wailing when—
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the duke started taking off his clothes. Faced with this unfolding scene in real time, I froze.
“Why is he undressing…?”
He removed his coat, unclipped his vest chain, loosened his tie, and even undid the buttons at the collar of his shirt. Judging by his smooth, unhesitating movements, it looked like he intended to strip completely.
“Is he planning to take off his shirt too?”
A silent scream—somewhere between delight and horror—escaped me.
That night, the image of the duke’s sensual upper body, faintly visible beneath his thin shirt in the moonlight, replayed automatically in my mind. Startled by the sensation of drool threatening to spill, I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and cried out,
“W-why are you suddenly undressing?!”
He turned to look at me with a creakingly stiff expression, then tilted his head.
“I was simply going to change into more comfortable clothes.”
Then, as if realizing something, he smiled crookedly.
“What were you thinking that your face turned so red?”
“Th-that! No, I wasn’t thinking anything like that!”
“And what kind of ‘that’ would that be?”
“W-well, I mean—!”
As I desperately tried to pour out excuses, I realized there was mischief in his expression.
“Ugh. How embarrassing.”
It felt like steam was rising from the top of my head.
I gave up on explaining and hid my face behind the bundle of luggage I was holding. Inside were spare clothes and basic supplies the duke had prepared for me along the way.
“Hm. Were you imagining my naked body?”
“No!”
Startled, my voice cracked.
At least not fully naked. Just shirtless. Please give me some credit.
“Ahem! As if I’d dare. I just thought you might be planning to bathe first.”
“Ah. If you’d like, shall we bathe together?”
As he said that, he undid one more button of his shirt. Through the gap, his firm collarbones and smooth chest muscles were briefly visible.
“……!”
I immediately turned my gaze away.
“What is wrong with this man?!”
My face must have been redder than a tomato.
I heard a soft laugh.
“I’m joking. Just because we’re sharing a room doesn’t mean anything will be different from usual.”
When I looked back, he shrugged at me.
“I prefer older women. You’re too young.”
“……!”
I’d just been treated like a child. Thanks to that, the heat rushing through me cooled instantly. At the same time, a spark of irritation flared up. Even if this was a contract, that was awfully blunt—almost insulting.
“Oh, is that so? Then I must have signed a marriage contract with the wrong person.”
Even if I was technically a minor now, I’d be an adult next month—and my mental age was already well over twenty-five.
At my sulky reply, he seemed momentarily at a loss for words. I hadn’t intended it, but landing that hit felt oddly satisfying.
Then, suddenly, he started walking toward me.
“Come to think of it.”
Startled by the strange force in his steps, I backed away.
“What—why is he suddenly coming closer?”
In an instant, my back hit the wall.
“There’s one thing I forgot to tell you.”
Bang!
For the first time in my life, I experienced a wall slam. But—
“This isn’t romantic at all! I’m terrified!”
From right above me, his dark red eyes looked down without a trace of laughter.
Just a moment ago he’d been joking, smiling with his eyes—what is this now?!
