Chapter 109: The Scent of Coffee Lingers in the Soul

Who said that?

It seems like it’s on the tip of my tongue…

Just then, Daniel perched on the thick armrest of the sofa I was sitting on.

“Doctor?”

“This is the only place to sit.”

I looked around, wondering why he sat there, and saw that the books from the sofa table were all piled up on the long sofa.

Is it because he’s eccentric? Why did he put the books there?

While I was distracted by his long legs resting a hand’s breadth away from my arm on the armrest, Daniel called me.

“Duchess.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

His light green eyes seemed deeply immersed behind his clear, round glasses.

“How do you plan to distribute the holy power storage devices?”

“It would be better to go through the temple. If I step forward and the imperial family makes a fuss, it would be troublesome. I plan to release it for free at first.”

“……Will that be okay? As you said, the imperial family won’t just stand by.”

“That’s true. It’s illegal to distribute holy power to the Beast Kingdom for money, but even the imperial family can’t stop a donation to the temple. The Pope will take care of the aftermath.”

“If it’s Melvin, he will surely help.”

“By the way, can you make more of the sunscreen you created before? Don’t worry about the cost.”

“Yes, I can do it right away.”

“That’s a relief. If it’s distributed, it will definitely be very popular. It will also earn a lot of money. Then, I can continue to fund the production of the holy power storage devices for a while.”

As I excitedly chattered, Daniel looked down at me with a low voice and asked.

“Do you know why I decided to come to the Duke’s residence?”

“Because Pope Melvin asked you to?”

Daniel shook his head.

“I wouldn’t have come all the way to the ducal residence from Borgio just because of a friend’s request.”

“Oh.”

“I initially intended to refuse.”

I had no idea. I didn’t expect this innocent man to have such thoughts.

“When I first created the holy power absorbent in my teens, the imperial family bought it at a low price, claiming they would store holy power for the Beast Kingdom.”

“I heard about that from the Pope.”

“They deceived me and seized the opportunity to attack the Beast Kingdom. But Melvin said the Duchess was different. Half-convinced, I came and was moved by your dedication and personal expense for research.”

“Well, it’s not so much as moving.”

“I’m sincere, truly.”

The voice that pierced my ears woke me up. It felt like drinking a latte with creamy milk.

“I think it’s done.”

As I slightly lifted the arm with the blood collection needle inserted, Daniel got off the armrest and helped with the disassembly.

“My husband must be waiting.”

“Ah. Isn’t the Duke opposed? He often interferes.”

Oh, I guess it could look that way.

“It’s because he’s worried about me. Afraid something might go wrong.”

“The Duke seems to have a softer side than he appears.”

“Yes. Yesterday, when I said I was sick, he bought macarons I like and seemed to have lost sleep because of me. He’s a good person despite his grumbling.”

“……I see.”

The conversation suddenly broke off in the middle.

Daniel closed his mouth into a straight line and stared at the floor. He was unaware that his glasses had slipped down to the tip of his nose, staring blankly.

The way his face gradually darkened seemed odd, so I called him.

“Doctor?”

“Uh, uh, uh, what was I saying?”

“No, you were just spacing out…”

“Oh, oh, I was checking how much blood had filled the bag. It’s clear.”

Daniel awkwardly smiled as he pushed up his glasses.

“I’ll remove the needle…”

Just as Daniel skillfully removed the needle and I sat up, he froze in place. His gaze was fixed on the hallway window.

“What’s wrong?”

“A, a scary face.”

“What?”

Frustrated by Daniel’s incoherent response, I turned my head to follow his gaze.

“Oh my!”

There was Xavier, pressing his face against the window, glaring inside.

He must have rushed over as soon as he woke up; his clothes were in disarray, and his hair was unkempt, showcasing a transcendent hairstyle.

His blazing teal eyes especially looked like the flames of hell.

“What are you doing there?”

Startling people.

When Xavier met my eyes, he peeled his forehead off the window and entered the lab without hesitation.

“What are you doing without me?”

“We’re researching. You know that.”

His sharp eyes landed on the bag filled with my blood. Xavier’s furrowed brow warned me.

Daniel also stiffened under Xavier’s piercing gaze as he turned sharply towards him. Daniel, who’s a head shorter, exuded a pitiful charm. He lifted his head before Xavier. Xavier crossed his arms, looking down at Daniel as if to devour him.

The two different shades of green eyes sparked in the air. Just seeing that made fatigue wash over me.

Ah, I want to go back to my room and rest.

Daniel spoke first.

“The Duchess is doing something that will go down in history.”

“Whether it will go down in history or not…”

Xavier, who had clenched his teeth, saw my face looking at the two of them blankly and let out a long sigh.

“Ha, that’s for her to decide.”

Surprisingly, it was Xavier who first stopped the fight.

‘Is it already over?’

Xavier, who usually only stops after several rounds of verbal sparring, backed down so easily!

Xavier uncrossed his arms and approached me, who was sitting on the sofa, and cupped my cheeks with his large hands.

“Are you okay, Yuria?”

Occasionally glancing at the bag of blood, he tried hard to avoid looking, causing ripples to form in his brow.

“I’m fine.”

“Fine, you say. You had a high fever last night.”

“See? I woke up this morning perfectly fine. No fever.”

I shrugged my shoulders, spreading my arms, and Xavier pinched my cheek lightly with his forefinger.

“You stubborn one. You took just the right amount of blood, right?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t sneak around, take me with you next time. It’s scary.”

“Scary? A Swordmaster who dominates the battlefield is afraid of blood?”

I pinched his cheek in retaliation, and Xavier’s lips drooped.

“Not mine, yours. Your blood scares me.”

“Oh, is that so? But if you interfere again, I’ll really come alone.”

“I’ll just quietly watch next time. As your husband, I should support you when you’re working so hard for the Beast Kingdom.”

“You suddenly acting mature is scary.”

“Trying to outdo you? In the Brillante Empire, if there were a competition for maturity, you’d win first place.”

“What?”

Annoyed, I playfully punched Xavier’s shoulder. Even though my small fist couldn’t possibly hurt, Xavier bent over, pretending to be in pain.

Watching this, Daniel turned pale, shook his head, and began working alone at his research desk.

So engrossed that he didn’t even notice us calling him from the side.

Not wanting to disturb his concentration, Xavier and I left the lab together. Walking across the garden path leading to the main building, our steps naturally fell in sync.

“We didn’t get to have coffee together today. The weather’s hot too.”

“I’ll make you iced coffee later.”

“Iced coffee?”

“Coffee with ice. We call it ‘Iced Americano.'”

“Is that what you mentioned when you visited the battlefield?”

“You remember that?”

“Of course. I’m good at remembering even trivial things.”

“Oh, so it’s trivial.”

Ugh, I almost liked it. My heart fluttered for a moment, almost tripping over myself.

I’ve been too complacent since we got rid of the contract.

Noticing my slightly sulky demeanor, Xavier spoke.

“Why are you pouting? I said I remember trivial things well, but I meant that precious memories linger in the soul.”

Xavier looked into my eyes and said.

“Do you know why I like coffee?”

“I don’t know.”

“The scent of coffee lingers in the soul.”

“……!”

“My mother used to brew warm coffee every morning. I remember my father liked it too. Now I can only see her in portraits, but when I drink coffee, it smells similar to her body scent. It’s an unforgettable fragrance.”

“……I see.”

“Now, when I drink coffee, I think of you. That’s why, to me, the scent of coffee lingers in the soul.”

As those teal eyes gazed into mine, trembling slightly, my heart began to flutter.

The sudden warmth, the dizziness after the blood draw—none of it mattered.

Watching Xavier hurry ahead after saying those words, I was sure.

There would be only one person who comes to mind when I see coffee.

And perhaps Xavier felt the same way about me…

＊

The holy power storage devices were completed immediately and sent to the temple as oral and patch products. They would also be delivered to the Beast Kingdom through the temple.

There was no problem with Xavier knowing about the holy power storage devices, but I hadn’t discussed the mass production of the sunscreen.

I had been preparing personally in bits and pieces, but I missed the timing to tell the busy Xavier.

Today, as soon as we finished breakfast, Xavier prepared to go out, saying he had errands. Despite always following me around persistently, the position of Duke was indeed a busy one.

Managing the estate was just the basics; he had to attend military training, occasionally participate in state meetings, and respond to the Emperor’s summons. Although it was calm now, he had to go to war whenever it broke out.

It turned out that the time he spent with me was something Xavier had created with great effort and strain.

Recently, he had become even busier, leaving in the morning and returning late at night after I had fallen asleep.

Having gotten used to sleeping with him every night, my side felt incredibly empty.

‘We’re so busy we don’t even have time to talk face to face.’

All that talk about a new relationship and coffee lingering in the soul…

I wasn’t much different. Occasionally, I fulfilled requests from Joseph of the Graham Trading Company, managed and organized the Duke’s residence as the Duchess, and actively participated in social activities.

‘Of course, the financial matters of the Duke’s household are reported and efficiently handled by Albert, so I have fewer headaches.’

Thankfully, Xavier didn’t complain about me seemingly living a leisurely life.

‘But I need to talk about the business.’

As his wife, I felt a duty to tell him about my business plans.

‘After all, whether my business fails or succeeds, it will affect Xavier.’

When I went to his bedroom, his butler Albert was helping him with his clothes. Albert, buttoning his shirt, smiled brightly at me and bowed. Rexton, holding a file, also nodded at me.

‘What is Viscount Rexton doing here?’