TLDOWN 08

CHAPTER 8:

 I Didn’t Want to Go This Far

“Go on, I said.”

Tilting his head, the Duke urged Leah to get on with what she had prepared.

“Your Grace, I think there’s been a misunderstanding…”

“Why? Wasn’t this your plan all along?”

The Duke’s hot breath tickled her cheek. Trapped in his arms, Leah couldn’t move an inch.

Leah sighed softly, troubled about how to show him what she had brought.

“Your Grace… could you close your eyes for a moment?”

“And why should I do what you say—”

But before he could finish, Leah’s hand moved first. Her pale fingers slid along her dress, revealing skin that starkly contrasted her black gown.

“You…!”

Was this woman shameless? Or had this been her true aim all along?

Akkia’s face twisted in disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

And then, just as Leah slipped her hand into her dress—

Akkia grabbed her wrist to stop her rash act.

Or at least, he tried to stop her. But then—

“…This is what I wanted to show you.”

What came into his view was—

“A gold coin?”

Leah pulled a gold coin from the sachet hidden inside her dress.

“Yes. This is the gold coin given to me by the person who asked me to spy on you.”

Even in the dimly lit room, the golden glint filled the heavy silence between them.

“I don’t know what you were expecting, Your Grace, but… I’m sorry if I disappointed you,” Leah said with an awkward smile.

“…”

“…”

Silence fell between them.

Akkia stared at Leah, expression unreadable, before rising to his feet as if nothing had happened.

“And what’s the problem with the coin?”

As he asked, Leah straightened and handed it to him.

“As you can see, it’s a coin guaranteed by the Parcia Merchant Guild. But the person who gave it to me was seen meeting with the Magnolia Guild today—on a day when they should’ve been closed. That means it wasn’t business related to this mansion.”

“And?”

The Duke raised a brow, as if telling her to continue.

“I believe the Magnolia Guild might be involved behind this.”

“….”

“It’s possible Parcia and Magnolia, who seem like rivals, actually have a close relationship.”

The Duke exhaled a short sigh as he listened to her confident deduction.

Then, picking up a nearby blanket, he tossed it over Leah.

“You might want to cover up. It’s an unsightly view.”

‘What? Unsightly?’

Leah instinctively looked down at herself.

‘What part of this is unsightly?’

There was nothing objectively or subjectively shameful about her appearance. Pouting, she pulled the blanket tightly around herself.

“Well, what you said today… it’s a plausible theory. I’ll give you that.”

“So, the deposit…?”

“But you only have circumstantial evidence. No solid proof, right?”

“…Excuse me?”

A smirk tugged at one corner of his mouth.

“Bring me something more concrete, and then I’ll give you the deposit.”

‘Ugh. It’s damn hard to get paid around here.’

Just as Leah was grinding her teeth mentally at the Duke—

“Oh, and just so you don’t get the wrong idea…”

His gaze swept her disheveled appearance from head to toe.

“I’m not attracted to women.”

‘What?!’

Leah’s eyes widened in shock. The Duke turned and walked away with prideful strides.

But Leah stood frozen, stunned by what he’d said.

‘Not attracted to women…’

Did that mean…

She stared at Akkia’s back as he walked away, hand covering her mouth.

‘So it wasn’t a problem with his function, but that he likes men?!’

Or maybe… both?

Thus, in Leah’s mind, the Duke’s identity continued to evolve—without her realizing it was all just a misunderstanding.

Recalling the events of last night, Leah furrowed her brows. The road ahead was long.

At this rate, she’d never gain the Duke’s trust, let alone the rest of her payment. She sighed deeply.

Sigh…

She really hadn’t wanted things to go this far…

Leah paused outside the Duke’s bedchamber and glanced at the trolley she had brought—his lunch.

On her way there, she had run into the chambermaid, who eagerly handed it over when Leah offered to deliver it herself.

Rumor had it that the Duke often turned away servants bringing food.

‘Well, with that personality, it’s no surprise.’

Nodding knowingly, Leah knocked on the door.

“Your Grace, it’s Leah. I’m coming in.”

She opened the door naturally, as if it were routine, and brought the trolley near the sofa where the Duke sat.

“What’s this?”

Akkia frowned when he saw food instead of medical tools.

“Your lunch, Your Grace.”

“Did I ask what it was? I asked why you’re bringing it.”

“I thought I’d examine you while I was at it.”

Leah began setting the table in front of him and gave a brief rundown of the menu, then pulled out another set of cutlery from the trolley.

“I’ll try it first.”

“…What?”

She cut off the edge of the Duke’s steak.

‘Never thought I’d be doing taste testing in this life.’

Her plan was this:

Since the Duke didn’t let anyone get close, she would earn his trust by pretending to care for him—by taste-testing his food.

After confirming the silverware hadn’t tarnished, Leah took a bite, then flipped the accompanying hourglass.

“What is she doing now?”

Akkia’s expression twisted into one of disbelief.

“Taste testing. To check for poison.”

“And why would you do that?”

“It’s only right. The royal family always taste tests meals beforehand.”

She smiled with wide, innocent eyes.

“You may be a Duke now, but you’re still the Empire’s only prince.”

“…Ha?”

“Your safety is the top priority, of course. There’s nothing wrong with the food—you may eat.”

Akkia let out a breathless laugh. This was absurd.

No one in this mansion had ever volunteered to taste test his food before.

As Duke Heidern, he was under the watchful eyes of the royal family. Even a single grain of rice entering the estate required imperial approval.

Surely she had seen the hostility from the staff toward him.

‘And yet she wants to taste test?’

Ridiculous.

It was an obvious ploy to earn his trust.

‘She’s less a pharmacist and more a con artist.’

Even after she finished taste testing, he made no move to eat. Instead, he leaned further into the sofa.

“Looks fine.”

“Pardon?”

The sudden statement froze Leah in place.

“Like you said, I’ve been poisoned before. That’s why I don’t eat the food from this house.”

Her eyes darted nervously as she processed his words.

A few seconds passed. Then she coughed.

Hack! Hack!

Her face went pale as she stared at the stoic Duke.

‘Serves you right.’

The Duke smirked at her reaction.

True to his word, the Duke didn’t take a single bite. Perhaps he really had faced poison before.

After finishing her examination, Leah asked:

“Any other discomfort?”

“I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“You’ve always had severe insomnia, right? I’ll prepare some medicine.”

His previous charts showed chronic insomnia. As Leah considered possible herbs—

“Zizyphus seed should work.”

“Zizyphus?”

“Yes. I used to drink it as tea when my insomnia was bad. I just ran out.”

Zizyphus seed, derived from the jujube tree, was a folk remedy from the East.

“I’m not sure if the local herb shops will have it. I’ll check.”

Unfortunately, the recent market day—a once-a-month event—had just passed. Even the evening primrose tea he now drank had been bought then.

Zizyphus wasn’t common in this world either. Sensing Leah’s uncertainty, the Duke’s mouth twisted.

“You’re not planning to buy it, are you?”

“Of course I am. It’s not exactly a common herb.”

“Right. That’s why it’s expensive.”

His strange tone made a fine wrinkle appear between Leah’s brows. That smug little smirk of his was starting to really bother her.

Something felt off.

“How do you see the Duke’s estate?” he asked suddenly.

“It’s… quaint. Preserved with traditional charm.”

She nearly said “shabby,” but caught herself just in time. The Heidern estate was far too rundown to befit a Duke.

Amused by her diplomatic answer, Akkia let out a short laugh.

“Right. With this kind of household, how could we afford expensive medicine? Go and get it yourself.”

Leah’s mouth dropped open.

‘What kind of nonsense is this?! What about that huge payment you promised me before?!’

Just because the mansion was poor didn’t mean he was!

It was obvious now—he was deliberately making her life harder.

“Haha… you’re joking, right?”

She forced a hollow laugh and waved it off. But the Duke’s smirk only deepened.

“You think I have time to joke around with you?”

His low voice echoed in her ears, and the smile slowly faded from his lips.

“If you’re so loyal as to taste test food no one asked you to, surely picking a few fruits won’t be difficult.”

“…”

“I need it by tonight.”

Leah clenched her skirt tightly, suppressing the urge to chuck her stethoscope at him.

He was the goose that laid golden eggs. Until he handed her the gold, she had to endure.

Even as she fumed inside, Akkia casually sipped his tea, elegant and unbothered.

When he set the cup down, he looked at her.

“Well? What are you waiting for?”

‘You pompous lunatic.’

Leah couldn’t say it aloud, so instead, she clenched her teeth and forced a smile.