Chapter 5
Kidnapped by My Fan (5)
“Miss, please come over here and sit down. We’ll help you get ready.”
“Ge-get ready?”
From the maids’ point of view, it was only a matter of putting on makeup and fixing my hair, but I was already exhausted.
Even back at my baron’s estate, I hated dressing up and usually wore only a simple dress. Unless my personality had changed overnight, all of this was nothing but tiring and bothersome to me.
This isn’t even a debutante ball…
I sighed to myself, but I had no choice except to sit in front of the vanity.
As if they had been waiting for it, the maids immediately reached toward me.
They dusted powder over my face and carefully brushed my hair. It had been such a long time since I had dressed up like this that the feeling was strangely unfamiliar.
“We’re finished, Miss. You may open your eyes now.”
Only after applying something to my lips did I hear the maid’s proud voice.
I slowly opened my eyes.
A stranger was reflected in the mirror.
The maids of a duke’s household really are different.
Even though I was the first young lady they had ever served, they seemed to have immediately understood what suited me. The beautifully dressed woman in the mirror was proof enough.
I absentmindedly twisted the hair that fell over my shoulder.
Seeing myself all dressed up after so long felt incredibly awkward.
“Do you like it?”
Every maid looked at me nervously.
Just moments ago they had confidently dragged me around, yet now they looked so tense that I couldn’t help smiling.
“Yes. I like it very much. Thank you, everyone.”
At my words, all of their faces brightened.
Since they worked for Duke Abelheim, I had assumed they would all be like him.
Apparently, that had simply been my prejudice.
After admiring myself in the mirror once more, I turned toward Mary.
I wanted to hear what she thought, since it had been so long since she had seen me dressed up.
But something was wrong.
Mary had lost her smile.
She was staring at me, and anxiety was clear in her eyes.
Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, the duke’s maids hurriedly helped me to my feet.
“Miss, His Grace is waiting for you. Please make your way to the dining room.”
The moment I heard that, I forgot about Mary and widened my eyes.
“Th-the… no… His Grace is waiting? For me?”
“Yes.”
Only then did I realize why they had rushed to dress me up.
The duke was waiting, so of course they couldn’t send me looking untidy.
A wave of nervousness suddenly swept over me, making my body stiffen.
When I didn’t move, the maids looked at me anxiously.
In the end, I let out a quiet sigh and nodded.
“Please take me to the dining room.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Before leaving the room, I glanced back at Mary.
She was still hanging her head with a gloomy expression.
I worried about her, but decided I would ask what was wrong after I returned.
For now, I simply followed the maid.
“We’ve arrived, Miss.”
I stopped in front of a massive door standing proudly at the end of the hallway.
As expected of a duke’s mansion, even the dining room door was unnecessarily grand.
Right.
The duke is inside.
I stared at the door.
Not that it helped.
I didn’t have the ability to see through walls.
Even though I couldn’t see him, my heart was already pounding as if I were standing right in front of him.
As I took a deep breath and rubbed my chest to calm myself, the maid beside me looked at me curiously.
After finally settling my nerves, I reached for the doorknob.
Then Mary’s face suddenly came to mind.
I turned to the maid.
“Excuse me… could you look after the maid who came with me? Her name is Mary. She’s probably feeling lost and doesn’t know what to do. Please bring her something to eat and tell her to wait for me in the room.”
“Certainly.”
The maid immediately headed off somewhere.
I watched her leave for a moment before composing myself.
Then I finally opened the door.
The moment it opened, the delicious aroma of food filled my nose.
The table was covered with an extravagant feast.
It was far too luxurious for breakfast.
There was stew, freshly baked panini stuffed with generous fillings, and most eye-catching of all…
A roasted turkey that looked more suited for a grand banquet than a morning meal.
The table looked as though it had been prepared to entertain an honored guest.
I stood there, stunned.
At that moment, the blond man seated at the head of the table noticed me and spoke.
“You’re here, Author.”
I finally looked away from the food and toward him.
He smiled brightly, as though greeting someone he had been happy to see.
For a split second, my heart skipped a beat.
Why does this guy have to be so ridiculously handsome?
I silently grumbled at myself for having such an absurd thought.
I simply stood there.
I didn’t greet him the way a proper noble lady would.
Considering my situation, he wasn’t exactly someone I wanted to greet politely.
When I remained frozen, the duke patted the seat beside him.
“Why are you standing there like a scarecrow? Come sit here.”
After hesitating briefly, I walked over to the seat he indicated.
The moment I dropped into the chair, I found his smiling face much closer than before.
“Looks like you slept well.”
“No. I didn’t sleep well.”
My conscience pricked me, but I deliberately answered coldly.
There was no way my pride would allow me to admit that I had slept comfortably here.
The duke quietly watched me sip my tea before smiling with narrowed eyes.
“For someone who slept badly, your face looks pretty puffy.”
“Pfft…! Cough! Cough!”
The sudden attack caught me completely off guard.
Thankfully, I somehow managed not to spit out my tea.
The duke simply kept smiling as he watched me cough.
After coughing for quite a while, I glared at him as though my eyes alone could stab him.
“M-my face is puffy…? Whose face…?!”
“Whose else? Yours, Author.”
The second attack came before I had lowered my guard.
And this one was just as devastating.
Who in the world would say something like that to a lady?
Especially today, after the duke’s maids had spent all that time making me look beautiful.
Yet after seeing all that effort…
That was the first thing he said.
I was both dumbfounded and humiliated.
What made it even worse was that there wasn’t a trace of teasing or dishonesty on his face.
I was about to snap back, but forced myself to calm down.
Arguing with him would only make things worse.
Calm down, Philia.
That’s Duke Abelheim.
He’s completely insane.
No matter what nonsense he says, you’ll be fin—
“Author, why are you sitting there with your eyes closed? Trying to sleep? How much puffier are you planning to get?”
“……”
I felt the veins on my forehead twitch.
Fortunately, I still managed to keep my sanity.
I slowly forced the corners of my lips upward.
In my imagination, I was giving him a graceful, elegant smile.
Judging by how much my lips were trembling, however, it probably looked more like a sarcastic smirk.
Still, it was the best I could manage.
Maintaining that smile—or whatever it was—I looked at him.
“Well then… I’m terribly sorry for having such a puffy face.”
The sarcastic words slipped out before I could stop them.
The duke blinked in surprise.
For a moment, I realized I had gone too far.
But I calmly took another sip of tea.
If I hadn’t, I probably would have died from sheer frustration.
Then the duke burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
I stared at him as though I were looking at a complete lunatic.
Even under my gaze, he showed no sign of stopping.
I had no idea what he found so funny, so I simply remained silent.
After laughing to his heart’s content, he smiled broadly.
“Just as I expected. You’re really entertaining.”
For a moment, I wondered whether I should thank him or get angry because he was making fun of me.
Neither option felt right.
So I chose to do nothing.
Apparently, he hadn’t expected a reply anyway.
The duke picked up a pair of serving tongs.
Instead of placing the food onto his own plate, he carefully placed it onto mine.
I stared at the neatly arranged food in surprise.
Then he spoke with a smile still lingering in his voice.
“Eat. This is a special meal prepared just for you, Author.”
“A special… meal?”
“That’s right. You’ll need plenty of energy to write diligently after eating this.”
The moment I heard those words, my appetite vanished.
I almost felt like skipping the meal altogether if it meant I wouldn’t have to write.
Whether he noticed my thoughts or not, he simply continued smiling.
“Your study will be finished soon. They’re probably just about done organizing it now. If you’d like, you can go have a look afterward.”
“My… study…”
You mean the prison where you’ll lock me up and force me to write?
The words rolled around inside my mouth, but I swallowed them back.
Instead, I let out a quiet sigh.
Say it.
You have to say it, Philia.
No matter if he’s the infamous Duke Abelheim.
After hesitating for a moment, I looked him straight in the eyes.
He looked back at me as if asking why I wasn’t eating.
I took a deep breath.
Then I finally spoke.
“Your Grace… may I say something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Please send me home.”
His eyes narrowed.
The smile remained on his lips, but that single look alone made my body flinch.
Still, I forced myself to appear confident and continued.
“I truly am sorry that the publication was delayed. As an author, I know that’s my responsibility. But locking someone up isn’t the answer. I’ll do everything I can to finish the next volume as quickly as possible, so if you could just wait until then—”
“When?”
His single question cut me off.
The words flowing smoothly from my mouth came to an abrupt stop.
The duke quietly watched me with eyes that carried a dangerous glint.
“When will the next volume be published?”
“Th-that’s… as soon as possible…”
“I don’t have that much patience. I’ve already waited long enough.”
He gently swirled the drink in his glass while looking down at the rippling liquid.
“Besides, you’re in a slump right now. No one knows when the next book will be finished. Do you really think I’ll just sit around and wait? As one of your readers, that’s absolutely impossible.”
“Your Grace…”
“And I already told you.”
He set the glass down on the table.
Then he suddenly leaned toward me.
His face came so close that I instinctively held my breath.
Apparently pleased by my tense expression, he smiled softly and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.
“I didn’t kidnap you.”
His fingers gently combed through my hair.
For some reason, that touch felt far more dangerous than roughness ever could.
My body stiffened with tension as his whisper lingered beside my ear.
“I simply brought you here so you could write.”
“So I could take care of you.”
His crimson eyes gleamed dangerously.
With one finger, he slowly brushed my cheek.
“So if you use the words kidnapping or imprisonment one more time…”
“I won’t just let it slide.”
“Hic…!”
I was so startled that a hiccup escaped my mouth.
At the same moment, the dangerous aura surrounding the duke disappeared completely.
He smiled warmly again.
“The food will get cold. Hurry and eat, Author.”
“And write for me.”
With that, the duke calmly began eating.
I quietly watched him for a moment.
Then, in the end…
I silently picked up my fork as well.
