#24. Crazy Man
What did he do to me?
Why… is he like this to me?
Countless unanswered questions swirled in Chloe’s mind.
It was a chaos similar to the moment when the Duke had last dined outdoors, when he had taken her frozen hand. That day, it had felt like fire was running through her hand; today, it felt as if her entire body had frozen solid.
Yet the very man who had thrown her into confusion had already walked past her and was heading toward the bathroom.
Chloe hurriedly followed behind him. Her spiraling thoughts had completely left her head, leaving her body feeling like a block of ice.
Stop.
The Duke suddenly stopped as he was about to enter the bathroom and turned around, nearly causing her to bump into his back. Chloe quickly stepped back and looked up at him.
“…?”
Her face was full of confusion, as if asking why he wasn’t going inside.
“Why are you following me in?”
“Pardon?”
“Are you planning to serve me while I bathe?”
“Eh…? So I don’t need to serve you?”
“….”
The Duke tilted his head slightly and stared at her, as if trying to read her intentions.
Wasn’t she supposed to serve him during his bath? Now that she thought about it, he had only said, “Prepare the bath water.” Why did she interpret that as serving him during the bath? Come to think of it, he usually just ordered her to prepare bathwater—he never explicitly told her to serve him during baths…
Chloe felt heat rising from her neck to her forehead.
She didn’t even need a mirror to know her face had turned red.
Given the Duke’s intimidating presence earlier, it was probably natural that she had misunderstood his orders more than usual—but it was hard to explain that to him.
“Ah, I thought I was supposed to serve you during your bath… In that case, I’ll take my leave.”
“Why?”
The Duke didn’t let her off easily and asked again.
“Well… I thought you might be especially tired today. It was a long journey for just a day’s trip.”
“You’re not saying that because you want to see my body?”
“…!”
This man!
When did I ever say I wanted to see his body?
Chloe felt her already cooling face rapidly heat up again.
Of course, she had made a mistake a few days ago. She had blurted out that she was attracted to his face and body when he directly asked what she liked about him.
She had panicked, and the truth had slipped out. When she first saw him, she had been drawn to his face and body.
But wasn’t that only natural? If you asked anyone in the world, they’d probably say the same. There was likely no one in the entire Empire who wouldn’t be enchanted by the Duke’s appearance at first glance.
And yet, annoyingly, the once composed Duke had twisted her words and was now teasing her with them.
“I said it before, didn’t I? I can show you everything.”
Before she could even respond, Chloe’s face flushed again as the Duke smiled—an intoxicating, almost bewitching smile.
“I don’t want that! I don’t want to see your body! Absolutely not!”
Startled by how dangerously close she was to losing her composure from his smile, she raised her voice in protest.
“What do you mean ‘absolutely not’? Haven’t you already seen it a few times?”
“Duke!”
“Hahaha!”
The Duke burst into laughter. It was no longer the forced smile from his office earlier—it was a genuine, refreshing laugh.
Still… at least he seems to be in a better mood.
“…!”
No, wait! Why is that a good thing?!
Right now, this Duke—who claimed to like men, and even said she liked him—is teasing his servant in a very cruel way!
Chloe snapped herself out of her thoughts, startled by how easily she had thought it was “good” that his mood had improved.
“Your Grace, if you don’t need anything else, I’ll take my leave.”
“….”
“Your Grace?”
“Fine. Do as you wish.”
Without another word, the Duke turned away and went straight into the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.
“…!”
Watching the door slam violently in front of her, Chloe was left stunned for the second time today.
What was that supposed to mean? Just a moment ago he was acting like he’d show everything, and now he was acting completely cold.
The door had shut so harshly it felt like she had been begging to be let in and had gotten struck in the face instead.
Honestly. Even though the Duke was her benefactor, and she felt guilty about all her lies… and even though he looked especially tired today so she felt a bit sorry for him…
It felt like she was dancing on the palm of his hand.
Because of his weary, almost fragile appearance today, she had been completely taken in by his striking beauty.
…!
No, what am I thinking?!
Meanwhile, inside the bath…
Duke Hugh Gray leaned back in the tub, eyes closed, lost in thought.
It had almost been a month since the marking. He would likely go into heat again within the week. That was why he had desperately hoped Chloe of Kinden would be his fated mate.
However, he had already realized she wasn’t his mate even before seeing her face properly—her scent wasn’t right.
Just entering her room had made him feel sick, the air itself pushing him away. He had only stayed for a minute due to protocol, yet even that was unbearable. He had wanted to leave immediately.
Even in heat, no wolf would ever lie with a woman they rejected.
Joyce had, upon noticing his reaction, apologized and asked whether they should go straight to Solline. If Chloe of Kinden wasn’t his mate, then the original plan was to leave immediately for Solline to check the other Chloe.
The route made sense, and more importantly, there was no time to waste—the next heat could come at any moment.
But he couldn’t do it.
At that moment, when anxiety and unease over not finding his mate threatened to swallow him whole, he realized he needed something.
Or rather… not something.
Someone.
Even if Chloe of Solline turned out to be his mate, even if the search was delayed further, it no longer mattered after he decided to return to Royzen.
He had to return to that person as quickly as possible.
See her face. Hear her voice. Breathe in that intoxicating scent.
Only then could he suppress the suffocating anxiety.
Even the burning thirst.
It was instinct—no, not instinct. Something like intuition.
And that intuition had been right.
When Klein had awkwardly suggested taking a bath, his mind had cleared. All that anxiety and restlessness disappeared.
Even in a crisis where he had failed to find his mate, he had found himself genuinely laughing just by seeing that fool’s behavior.
He had even felt like dragging that idiot straight into the bath.
Like holding him in his arms and inhaling his scent deeply.
And…
Ah. Stop it.
What the hell am I thinking?
I’m going insane.
No more. Thinking further would make him completely mad.
He was a wolf beastman bound to his mate. Wolves did not take male lovers.
And above all, he was an Alpha—the leader of one of the few remaining wolf clans on the continent.
He had a duty to produce an heir.
The idea of him being interested in men was absurd.
If he weren’t an Alpha, he might have grabbed that fool’s wrist and dragged him into the bath.
But he was an Alpha. He had responsibilities.
So he suppressed the terrifying desire that nearly made him break down just from seeing that man a little longer.
Like slamming a door shut.
Even if his identity as a normal male wolf was shaken, he could not abandon his duty as clan leader.
So Klein had to remain a temporary refuge until he found his mate.
A temporary madness was acceptable.
But nothing beyond that.
The peace he felt while looking at him, while breathing his scent, while believing he had found his mate…
That was only temporary insanity.
Not true, lasting peace.
Even if he desperately needed that peace right now.
Even if stepping away from it felt unbearable.
Even if he wanted it so badly it frightened him.
“Did you sleep well?”
The Duke asked.
Sleep well? Really?
She had been woken far earlier than usual by the bell and had rushed here without even washing properly, eyes barely open.
“Yes, I slept well. Did you sleep well, Your Grace?”
“Yes. Fortunately…”
Fortunately?
He always slept well, didn’t he?
Though confused by his muttering, Chloe simply nodded.
“By the way, why did you call me? Is there something you need me to do?”
Normally, she would come to prepare his washing water before he called her. The fact that he had called her an hour early meant there must be a reason.
“By the way… you… didn’t wash…?”
“…Pardon?”
Ah. Do I smell dirty?
Chloe looked at him quietly, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Strangely, at that moment, the Duke turned his head away.
Huh?
As if avoiding eye contact with her.
That couldn’t be right.
