#18. Want to Take Them Off?

Inside the door, the conversation between the butler and Wilson continued.

“Well… His Grace must have his reasons.”

“That weak-looking guy seems born lucky with people. Who would even provide a guarantee these days? I thought it was strange from the start.”

“Must be Clyne Liden’s fortune. Both the guarantor and His Grace.”

“Hmph! That guy looks somewhat feminine. Maybe there’s something going on with this so-called guarantor?”

“Hey! What are you suggesting? How improper.”

“Well, it’s strange, isn’t it? I even remember the name, Kalkus Tarkan? Different surname means they’re not relatives, so who would provide a guarantee? That guy is suspicious. Surely…”

“I said that’s enough. Stop it.”

The butler’s voice was firm in restraining Wilson. But outside the door, Hughgray’s face was already completely crumpled from hearing every word of Wilson’s.

He disliked every single word Wilson had uttered.

<Looks feminine, something going on with the guarantor. Kalkus Tarkan.>

The implications couldn’t be more clear.

He knew that when servants gathered, all sorts of gossip flew around. And that Wilson was particularly talkative.

But still… this was unnecessarily too much.

Hughgray turned sharply and returned to his office.

He had forgotten that if he sent Clyne Liden away, he would return to his hometown and meet Kalkus Tarkan, his only friend.

He had been too focused on the thought of getting Clyne Liden out of his sight.

<Who’s taking care of her now?>

<A friend from my hometown is staying at my house in my place. My only friend. He’s male.>

Male, he says.

Male.

<I don’t like women! I like men!>

Right, Clyne Liden likes men.

<Does this only friend of yours know that you like me?>

He had asked that question just to fluster him who kept mentioning his ‘only friend’, even though he clearly knew the confession of liking him was a lie.

<Well, I wouldn’t know about that. Even close friends don’t necessarily talk about such things.>

Ugh. Hughgray unconsciously clenched his jaw.

‘I wouldn’t know about that,’ he says?

Did he not want to tell that guy that he likes me? Because it was a lie?

Then would he have told Kalkus Tarkan that he liked him?

Like how he told me he liked me?

Come to think of it, you’ve already left this house once before.

To return to your hometown.

And in that hometown is that male, your so-called only friend. Right in your house.

Irritation and thirst hit him simultaneously. Without further thought, he pulled the bell rope.

“Your Grace, did you call?”

Clyne came running immediately.

“When you return home, will you be the one taking care of your mother?”

Meaning, will you kick that man out of the house?

“Yes! I must. I’ve been imposing too much on my friend. But even if I leave the mansion, I’ll need to find work near home to repay the advanced salary. Though I’m not sure how that will work out.”

“Ah, the advanced salary… not sure how it will work out, you say.”

So you won’t leave?

Ha! Are you saying you can’t leave, or you don’t want to leave!

“Yes. Though I feel I shouldn’t impose on Kalk… my friend anymore. But why do you ask?”

“You say you’re indebted to your friend, what kind of debt do you owe him so much?”

None of this sat well with him.

“I’ve received so much from Kalkus that I can never repay him. He’s always been a friend I’m grateful for.”

“Received? For taking care of your mom?”

“No, not just that, but since we were young…”

“Ah! Since you were young.”

I see. So you’re only staying in my house because of money.

You’re only thinking about going back.

And there’s this Kalkus guy who’s been so precious to you since childhood and has done everything for you.

It makes me sick. It’s unpleasant. It makes my blood boil.

All these negative emotions tangled and knotted together, rising from his lower abdomen to his head.

“How is your mother’s condition?”

Clyne tilted his head slightly and watched Hughgray’s expression. That gesture looking cute again annoyed him.

“She got through the crisis with the monster core medicine, but we can’t afford more medicine now, so she’s just hanging on. I need to earn money quickly…”

“Monster core medicine…”

While your mother is sick, you’ll have to keep relying on that Kalkus guy. You, who clearly love your mother, will keep owing him debts.

Debts you can’t repay.

So, if someday he tries to collect those debts from you in some way, what do you plan to do?

“What will you do after you repay the advanced salary?”

“Your Grace, why are you asking such things?”

Clyne watched his expression again. He always does this when asked questions.

“Because you’re my personal attendant. I tend to be quite interested in my servants’ circumstances.”

What nonsense. He had never had the slightest interest in such things.

Clyne furrowed his brow at the answer. Even he must know that his master had no interest in servants.

Regardless.

“What are your plans?”

Answer me.

“Well. I suppose I’ll just live with my mother when I go home and think about it then. I haven’t had the luxury to think about such things.”

“What about Kalkus?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re living together. Will you make him leave?”

“Ah!”

He could see Clyne’s face freeze.

I understand now.

That guy has no intention of sending Kalkus Tarkan away. This guy who claims to like men clearly planned to live with that man Kalkus.

It was also clear that this would be how he repaid his debt to that guy who had given him so much that he couldn’t repay.

Ha! Damn it all.

If I let him go from my hands, he’ll go throw himself into another man’s arms.

What to do.

I can’t allow that.

He had clearly thought this was a temporary mental confusion due to hormonal imbalance or imprinting, causing his mind and body to be drawn to that guy, and that this state was dangerous and wrong.

But that thought was wrong.

What’s wrong with it!

When he finds the woman he imprinted on, all his problems will be solved. But until then, he can’t let this guy go.

Absolutely cannot let him go.

Hughgray instinctively realized that he needed that guy until he found the woman he had imprinted on. And therefore, he couldn’t let anyone take him away.

“Call the butler.”

So the plan to send him back is scrapped.

“Right now?”

At the sudden order, Clyne’s blue eyes widened behind his glasses.

Your eyes are pretty too.

Ah…!

Pretty eyes, he says. He’s completely mad now.

Mad about that guy.

But this is just temporary. He would be fine. Once he finds that damned imprint partner.

“Yes, right now.”

“Yes.”

Clyne left the room.

Leaving the sweetest scent filling the room.

Yes, for now it’s alright to be a little mad about this scent, about that guy.

* * *

Since the Duke had told her to do the translation in his office today, Chloe had been working for an hour at a small desk placed in a corner of the office.

After being deeply focused for a while, her hand holding the quill pen became sweaty.

Is it hot in here? Looking now, the fireplace in the office was blazing.

The weather has improved enough that such strong heating shouldn’t be necessary. Since that last outdoor meal, the Duke had been keeping the heating unusually strong.

“Hmm!”

“What is it?”

Oh my!

She had just cleared her throat slightly to ask if the heating could be reduced, but the Duke responded as if he had been waiting for her to call him, startling her.

“Ah, the room temperature is a bit…”

“Are you cold? Are your hands cold?”

“Pardon?”

No, my hands are sweating.

“No, Your Grace. Are you cold?”

“What? Me? How could I be cold?”

“Then, the heating…”

“Open the window. Leave the heating as is. You get cold easily.”

“Yes! What?”

Chloe, who had immediately stood up and headed to the window at the order to open it, stupidly repeated the question. He was leaving the heating on because she gets cold?

“Open the door too.”

“Ah, yes!”

Keeping the heating so strong while opening both windows and doors? It would be more economical to reduce the heating and keep the windows closed.

Well, worrying about heating costs must be something only commoners like Chloe do.

These days, opening windows for ventilation seemed like the Duke’s new hobby.

He would order the windows opened whenever Chloe entered. Today he had managed to hold out for an hour without ordering the windows opened, surprisingly.

“Your Grace, shall I bring you tea? It’s tea time.”

Chloe asked as she returned to her place after opening the window.

“Yes. You’ll have some too, right?”

“Pardon?”

Chloe’s heart thumped heavily.

Why is he acting like this? It wasn’t just once or twice, but every time.

“No, not for me.”

“Really? Then I’ll pass too.”

Wow. This isn’t torture or anything. It was just incredibly uncomfortable.

“Then I’ll continue with the translation work.”

“……”

When the Duke gave no response, Chloe returned to her place and resumed working.

“Clyne.”

Though the Duke’s call made her have to lift her head and look at him again.

“Yes! Your Grace.”

“Isn’t it uncomfortable working with your bangs hanging down to your eyes like that?”

“Ah! No! It’s not uncomfortable at all!”

“It looks stifling.”

“No, it’s not stifling at all.”

“Seems like it would reduce work efficiency too.”

“No! I’m almost finished with translating this book!”

Chloe energetically refuted the Duke’s words, feeling somehow ominous.

“Almost finished?”

“Yes!”

The Duke lowered his eyes and looked at his desk. He seemed displeased that the work he assigned was nearing completion.

I really can’t figure him out.

Chloe looked back down at the book.

I need to finish this work quickly so I can get even a little rest.

“Clyne.”

Though the Duke interrupted again by calling.

“Yes!”

“Is your eyesight very poor?”

“Ah, somewhat.”

He must be asking because of the glasses. Though her eyesight was actually very good, she couldn’t tell the truth.

“Can you not see books without glasses?”

“Ah.”

She needed to choose between farsighted or nearsighted, but the thick-lensed glasses would clearly look like reading glasses. Then she should claim to be farsighted.

But then he might ask why she doesn’t need glasses normally.

“My eyes are a bit special.”

Special… so should I say nearsighted or farsighted? Are there cases where both are hard to see?

However, having such good eyesight herself, this was an unfamiliar area for her.

She had never thought the Duke would interrogate her so thoroughly about her glasses.

“Can’t you see books even without them?”

“No, I can’t see well without them.”

“Then, can you see my face with them on?”

“Ah, I can see well with them on.”

Ah, really. Why are you doing this, Your Grace.

“If you can see books well with them on, you should see me better with them off.”

“That’s… probably…”

Actually everything is perfectly visible but the glasses make everything slightly harder to see, but she absolutely couldn’t say that.

She wanted to cry.

“So want to take them off?”

What? Ta… take them off?

Goosebumps rose all over Chloe’s body.