TLDOWN 40

CHAPTER 40….

 Overwhelming Thrill

Akkia braced both hands against the wall, leaning over Lea.
When his gaze—its depth unreadable—met hers, her heart involuntarily tightened.

‘What?’

Trapping her between his arms, the duke murmured quietly in a low voice. Lea froze.

What on earth had happened last night for him to be like this?

“Um, Your Grace… I don’t know what happened yesterday, but this is a little…”

She shifted slightly out of the direct line of his gaze.

“…too close.”

“So?”

Akkia let out a faint, knowing chuckle as if to say there was no way he’d back off. Words like “After what we did last night?” rose to his throat, but he swallowed them.

Lea, however, thought differently.

‘So? What do you mean so? I’m telling you to move your face away…!’

What exactly had happened last night to make him act so differently? She couldn’t bring herself to ask.

Regardless of her flustered state, his face drew closer and closer. The moment their lips were about to touch, Lea squeezed her eyes shut as a dizzying rush awakened every nerve in her body.

– Thump, thump.

Her heart pounded irregularly, so loudly she worried he might hear it.

But then… nothing happened.

‘Huh?’

Something felt strange. She opened her eyes cautiously. Her blurry vision cleared, and she found the duke looking straight into her eyes.

“Lea.”

“…Yes?”

The corner of his mouth curled into an easy smile, as if amused.

“Remember what happened yesterday… on your own.”

With that cryptic remark, Akkia withdrew his arms from around her.

‘Remember on my own? What does that mean?’

Her heart was still thundering like it might burst.

Her face flushed red, and she fanned herself awkwardly. But seeing the duke so composed made a strange wave of disappointment wash over her.

‘Wait, disappointment? What exactly was I expecting?’

No way… had she been expecting him to actually kiss her again?

Oh no.

While she was still sorting out her tangled emotions, his low voice reached her again.

“So, what brings you here? You’re earlier than mealtime today.”

Lea snapped out of her daze, hurriedly rummaging through her medical bag.

“Ah, that’s… here.”

Still flustered, she pulled out a clinical trial report and handed it to him.

“It’s the progress report on the new antidote.”

“Progress report?”

Scanning the document with a skeptical look, Akkia’s expression suddenly hardened.

“This…”

“I succeeded in making an antidote using the venom of the poison spider. But before giving it to you, I had to make sure there were no side effects and that it worked properly.”

“And so…”

His gaze turned icy, completely different from before.

“You tested it on yourself?”

The air around him seemed to shift. A chilling aura emanated from him, and Lea’s face registered confusion.

‘Why does it seem like he’s angry? Well… he has seemed angry for a while now.’

Had she made some kind of mistake without realizing it?

Seeing his stony expression, she tried to think it through—but quickly gave up. She could never truly read this man.

“Yes. There were no issues in mouse trials, but humans are different. Just in case, I drank a high concentration of Polarium first, then tested the new drug…”

Akkia raised his hand, cutting her off mid-sentence, as if it wasn’t worth listening to anymore.

His expression was darker and more threatening than ever.

‘Why is he acting like this? I can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s wrong.’

Her frustration grew.

“Are you insane?”

He ran a hand over his head, as if trying to cool his temper. Lea’s eyes hardened with resolve.

“…Why are you angry at me?”

“You really don’t know?”

Why was he angry?

“Of course…!”

He barely stopped himself from blurting “Because I was worried.”

Worried?

Ever since that kiss, he’d felt as if they were lovers. Akkia had never once in his life worried about another person. He had always been too busy surviving for himself. The most important person in his life had always been… himself.

And now I’m worrying about her safety instead of my own?

Conflicting emotions flickered in his eyes, making Lea tense up.

‘What’s his problem?’

She had drunk poison and tested an unverified drug—for his sake. Yet instead of a word of praise, she was met with scolding. The more she thought about it, the more upset she became.

“I did it because I was worried about you, Your Grace.”

“…”

“I was afraid you’d take the antidote without knowing what side effects it might have…”

Even as she explained herself, he remained silent for a long time, making her all the more anxious.

At last, he spoke.

“…I understand. Just… leave.”

It was a dismissal. He even turned his head away, as if he couldn’t stand to look at her.

Her chest tightened at the cold reaction, and she slammed the door behind her on her way out.

– Bang!

As soon as she was gone, Akkia slumped onto the sofa, running a hand through his hair.

“…Ha…”

He looked again at the antidote trial report he still held.

[To ensure accurate testing, ingested high-concentration Polarium extract]

She must have taken enough to match the level of poisoning he’d suffered.

Even at risk to her own life.

He could feel heat rising in his face. Why? He was definitely angry at her recklessness, but…

Why… did it also make him feel… good?

An overwhelming thrill surged through him, heating his whole body. Lea’s casual self-sacrifice infuriated him—yet made some corner of his heart tingle.

“I almost showed her something pathetic.”

If he hadn’t turned his head away, she would have seen his emotions plainly.

He placed a hand on his chest and felt the rapid pounding of his heart.

“Lea.”

He murmured her name, brushing a hand down his face.

‘I… you…’

He couldn’t put the rest into words. Confusion clouded his mind.

❀ ❀ ❀

A few days later, a new wind blew through the quiet routine of the duke’s mansion.

“Who’s here?”

“By order of His Majesty the Emperor, Marquis Rodrigo has arrived.”

Tch. Akkia frowned deeply at the report from Rickel. A recent letter from the imperial family came to mind—bearing the seal of the Emperor, his cousin Illey.

It had commanded him to return to the capital, a command he had easily ignored. Of course, he’d known that sly fox wouldn’t give up so easily.

“And now he sends someone to bother me.”

Tapping his fingers on the desk for a moment, he rose to his feet. If the emperor had sent the marquis personally, there was no avoiding him.

“Bring him to the drawing room.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

After straightening his attire, he headed there. When Akkia entered, Marquis Rodrigo bowed politely, his sharp gaze never leaving him until he sat down.

“Once again, I greet you, Your Grace.”

[What’s your business here?]

His curt note implied he wanted to get straight to the point. The marquis smiled knowingly.

“His Majesty was most disappointed when you refused to come to the capital.”

Disappointed? What nonsense.

He let the marquis’s false courtesy wash over him—until the man had a servant bring forward a large box.

“But His Majesty respects your decision. Instead, he asks that you at least accept this gift.”

Akkia eyed the box—neither too big nor too small—guessing it might contain health supplements for the summer heat.

He opened it carelessly… and his face hardened instantly at the contents.

The marquis’s lips curled in a subtle smile.

“Oh my. Wolf fur. How fortunate for you.”

“…”

“I’ve heard the winters in Haidern are colder than in the capital. His Majesty hopes you’ll wear it warmly.”

Wolf fur, in the middle of summer. Akkia stared at it for a long time before masking his expression.

The wolf was the emblem of his late mother’s family—the former empress’s house.

In short, if he didn’t return to the capital, the emperor was threatening to suppress his mother’s family.

Calling it a gift… it’s a threat.

Now there was no avoiding the imperial summons. That man had always been clever with his schemes.

He shut the box and began writing.

If you want me in the capital so badly… I’ll oblige.

[Such a precious gift… I should thank His Majesty in person.]

“Oh, that will surely please him.”

The marquis smiled in satisfaction.

“I’ll make preparations for your immediate departure. We’ll also assign you new servants for your stay in the capital so you’ll be comfortable…”

Akkia raised a hand to stop him. The marquis looked puzzled.

[Not necessary.]

The marquis narrowed his eyes slightly at the hastily scrawled note.

“Why not?”

Akkia had no intention of living under the imperial family’s watch again. Five years of suffocating surveillance had been enough.

[I’ll choose my own household staff.]

The marquis shut his mouth.

[Tell His Majesty I’ll accept only his goodwill.]

An unfamiliar pressure radiated from Akkia, something the marquis had never felt before.

The Duke of Haidern has changed.

What he had vaguely suspected was now certain.