HOFC 04

Chapter 4

The romance fantasy novel ** The Duke’s Only Companion ** had been an enormous hit, earning rave reviews throughout its serialization.

It was a classic “contract first, love later” romance about Sierra, a beautiful commoner blessed with divine power, who entered into a contractual relationship with Llewellyn Lasiane, the Empire’s one and only Duke.

The story itself might have seemed rather cliché.

But there was one irresistible charm that made even the most overused tropes impossible to stop reading.

That charm was the male protagonist, Llewellyn.

“Please… won’t you look at me? I’d do anything for you…”

Heart-pounding, desperate confessions were only the beginning.

“Don’t leave me… You’re all I have. You’re my entire world… Without you, I…”

A hopeless heroine-lover who only had eyes for the female lead!

A gentle, affectionate man who could make your heart flutter so much you couldn’t sleep—

Yet also an obsessively possessive lover whose jealousy was completely maxed out.

“You can look forward to tonight. I’ve studied very hard for it.”

Despite being an innocent virgin who had never even hugged another woman…

He was so unbelievably skilled that he could leave the heroine in tears.

“Ahhh! This is driving me crazy! He’s so perfect! Aaaah!”

In my previous life…

I was probably so obsessed with the male lead, Llewellyn, that I rolled around on my bed in excitement, fell onto the floor, smashed my head against the corner of my desk…

…and died.

I couldn’t remember clearly.

That was simply my last memory.

Anyway…

That wasn’t the important part.

‘The family of villains that constantly committed evil deeds and repeatedly clashed with Llewellyn…’

That family…

Was the Hill family.

The prestigious house of mages led by the greatest villain in the original novel—

Adrian Hill.

And I…

Was the treasured young lady of House Hill.

Rosenia Hill.

The one and only younger sister of Adrian Hill.

Which meant…

The man lying here…

Was the fated nemesis who would one day cut off my head.

‘But he’s way too handsome!’

Llewellyn Lasiane.

Your Grace, Duke Lasiane…

You should thank that absurdly beautiful face of yours.

If you were even two percent less handsome…

I would’ve left you here to die.

‘There’s no way I can just let someone this gorgeous die…’

“Up we go.”

“Woof! Woof!”

“Quiet.”

Using strengthening magic, I effortlessly hoisted the male lead onto my shoulder and carried him into the villa.

The contracted beast kept trying to stop me.

But the moment I threatened,

“No mana spheres for you.”

It immediately tucked its tail.

At this point…

I wasn’t sure whether it was loyal to its master…

Or to my mana spheres.

Either way…

I headed straight into the living room and unceremoniously dumped the male lead onto the sofa.

He’s soaking wet.

If I put him on the bed now, the mattress would be ruined.

Better sacrifice the sofa first.

Once I cleaned him up, I could move him to the bed.

‘Alright… first, I’ll take off his clothes…’

“…”

My hands froze halfway to rolling up my sleeves.

W-Wait.

I actually have to…

Undress him?

His underwear must be soaked too…

So I’d have to remove that as well…

‘Damn it… this is way too indecent!’

There was no helping it.

But personally stripping an unrelated man…

Please don’t let anyone mistake me for a pervert.

With trembling hands…

I slowly began undoing the buttons on his white shirt.

…

Wait.

Was it just my imagination…

Or did the shirt look like it was about to burst apart?

‘How can someone have a body like this?’

Was this the legendary physique of a male protagonist?

His muscles looked unbelievably solid.

I kind of wanted to poke them.

No…

Surely anyone would think the same after seeing a body like this.

R-Right?

I’m not a pervert!

After painstakingly undoing every button…

I carefully removed the shirt.

My gaze immediately landed on his exposed abdomen.

…

Those abs were unbelievable.

Just how many sit-ups did this man do every day?

How does someone even build a body like this?

Is this another protagonist cheat?

‘His face is already ridiculously handsome, and now his body is this good too…!’

Thank goodness I almost never attended banquets.

Otherwise…

I definitely would’ve fallen head over heels for this man.

He was simply…

Too handsome.

Too cool.

Damn it.

‘Alright. The shirt’s off. Next is…’

“…”

T-The pants…

I have to take off…

His pants…

‘How am I supposed to take off a man’s pants with my own hands?! That’s way too shameless!’

What do I do?

My hands hovered helplessly over his waistband.

If I didn’t remove all the wet clothes…

I couldn’t change him into dry ones.

Maybe I should just leave the pants and underwear on?

But…

What if he caught a cold?

No matter how healthy someone looked…

Colds spared no one.

‘…Wait.’

‘I can just use magic.’

“…”

I slowly lowered my hands.

Am I an idiot?

Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner?

‘This is all Duke Lasiane’s fault for being unnecessarily handsome.’

Blaming everything on him…

I stepped away from the sofa with a sigh.

His ridiculously beautiful face had completely short-circuited my brain.

Fortunately…

Using magic meant I didn’t have to touch him.

Or even look at him.

I turned my back toward him and quietly cast the spell.

Removing someone’s clothes without looking…

Was easy.

In an instant…

Every wet garment was gone.

I quickly dried him with a towel…

Then changed him into the loosest tunic Adrian owned.

Putting pants on him seemed considerably more difficult…

So this would have to do for now.

After finishing…

I slowly turned around.

…

I’d deliberately chosen Adrian’s largest tunic.

So why…

Did it still look so tight?

How were his muscles this ridiculously obvious?

‘And it’s so short it looks like I’ve put him in a mini dress.’

Were this man’s basic human rights going to survive today?

Haha…

Well…

At least be grateful I didn’t leave you outside to die, Duke.

“Up you go.”

Using strengthening magic again…

I lifted him onto my shoulder and headed toward the bedroom.

The first-floor bedroom normally belonged to Adrian.

If he ever found out…

He’d probably explode with rage.

But I didn’t have much choice.

Even with strengthening magic…

Dragging a giant man all the way to the second floor was exhausting.

‘If I lose my footing and fall…’

I’d probably end up crushed underneath him.

I might actually faint.

For several different reasons.

‘Come to think of it… I never gave him underwear.’

Well…

I’ll just buy some at the market later.

No matter what…

Borrowing Adrian’s underwear would’ve crossed the line.

“Phew… you’re heavy.”

Reaching the bedroom…

I practically tossed him onto the bed.

The heavy mattress bounced dramatically beneath his weight.

His tunic rode up slightly…

Exposing a pair of firm, muscular thighs.

I hurriedly pulled the tunic back down…

Then yanked a thin summer blanket all the way up to his neck.

My entire face—

Even my neck—

Burned with embarrassment.

‘No wonder he’s the dangerously charming male lead…’

I really needed to be careful.

Otherwise…

I might accidentally devour the male lead myself.

‘He’s Duke Llewellyn Lasiane.’

‘The righteous hero who hates my evil family…’

‘And definitely hates my brother and me.’

‘Absolutely do not fall for him.’

Even now…

His sleeping face looked so angelically beautiful…

That my eyes kept drifting back toward him.

I forced myself to look away and turned toward the door.

Before he wakes up…

I’ll hurry to the market, buy him some clothes…

Then throw them at him and send him on his way.

That was my simple plan.

Just as I was about to leave the room—

“Ugh… ngh…”

A painful groan suddenly echoed behind me.

I froze halfway across the doorway…

Then immediately spun around.

The man was writhing in obvious agony.

His brows were tightly furrowed…

Painful groans escaping through clenched teeth.

“Ngh… ugh…”

“H-Huh…? Excuse me?”

Flustered…

I hurried back to his bedside.

Only then did I notice beads of cold sweat covering his forehead.

Hesitantly…

I reached out and touched it.

“My goodness…”

He was burning up.

‘Why did his fever spike so suddenly?’

“Can you hear me?”

“Just wait a moment.”

“I’ll bring a cold compress and some fever medicine.”

Had he collapsed in the rain…

Only to catch some local disease?

Come to think of it…

I vaguely remembered hearing that an epidemic had once spread through this region.

‘He isn’t seriously going to die from a fever, is he?’

‘The male lead dying because of a high fever? That can’t happen!’

I dashed into the bathroom…

Filled a silver basin with cold water…

Dropped a soft towel into it…

Then sprinted to the living room and grabbed the fever medicine from the cabinet.

Fortunately…

Because I caught colds so often…

The villa always kept medicine stocked.

I hurried back to the bedroom.

His cheeks were flushed bright red.

Painful groans escaped his lips one after another.

‘Oh no…’

It was bad enough that the male lead had suddenly developed a dangerous fever.

The bigger problem…

Was how devastatingly attractive he looked while sick.

His pale cheeks were delicately flushed.

His vulnerable expression made me want to tease him.

His slightly parted lips released hot, feverish breaths.

‘Your Grace… your attack power is way too high!’

So this was how he bewitched the heroine…

With this absurd face.

My heart pounded uncontrollably.

C-Calm down.

He’s the male lead.

The righteous Duke Lasiane.

He almost certainly hates our family.

Don’t make his already terrible opinion of you even worse.

Please.

With trembling hands…

I uncorked the bottle of fever medicine.

I wanted to pour the whole thing straight into his mouth…

But that would obviously spill everywhere.

So I fetched a tiny teaspoon…

Poured a small amount…

Then gently held his chin open with my free hand.

I pressed the spoon to his lips.

“This is medicine.”

“Drink all of it.”

“Don’t leave any.”

I wasn’t sure whether he could hear me.

Even so…

I slowly poured the medicine into his mouth.

Gulp.

Gulp.

His Adam’s apple moved gently as he swallowed.

Thankfully…

Even half-conscious…

He obediently swallowed every drop.

But when I reached the final spoonful…

My hand slipped.

A little medicine spilled…

Running down the back of my hand.

‘Ah… I’d better wipe that off.’

After emptying the last spoon into his mouth…

I tried to pull my hand away.

Suddenly—

A large hand grabbed my wrist.

“…?!”

His broad hand firmly wrapped around my much smaller wrist.

His eyes remained closed.

Even so…

He gently pulled my hand closer…

Then slowly began licking the medicine from my skin.

“W-What…?!”

I froze…

My wrist still trapped in his grasp.

His crimson tongue slipped between his lips…

Slowly tracing over my fingers…

Licking away every drop of medicine.

The sight was so dangerously alluring…

That I nearly fainted.

Then—

His eyes suddenly snapped open.

Before I could react…

He pulled me toward him.

Losing my balance…

I tumbled straight into his arms.

As though instinctively supporting me…

His strong arm wrapped firmly around my waist.

And then…

At an impossibly close distance…

Our eyes met.

“…”

His eyes…

Were a breathtaking shade of emerald green.