TPECIAD 09

Chapter 9. The Man Bad for the Heart 

“Your Grace? Where are you going?”

Haim asked as he watched Damon suddenly leave the office. Just moments ago, while discussing a troublesome issue of hoarding and profiteering, his lord had been lost in other thoughts, then abruptly asked about the taste and scent of a kiss—and now he was heading somewhere again.

“Surely he isn’t going to Lady Elise, is he?”

Feeling uneasy, Haim rose from his seat just in case.

“To the training grounds. There is something I need to check immediately.”

An unexpected answer came.

Right now? Is it more important than the hoarding issue?

“However, Your Grace, there was an important matter regarding the estate that I was reporting just now…”

Damon remained silent. That meant the current matter took priority.

Haim quietly followed behind Damon as he left the office.

The Cremian ducal training grounds were extremely vast. There were various training areas scattered throughout, and since the number of private soldiers was the largest in the empire, the scale of the grounds was accordingly immense. When Damon and Haim appeared, many soldiers who had been training or sparring bowed their heads.

“Your Grace!”

“Carry on as you were. We’ll just use a corner for a moment.”

Damon walked across the wide grounds and headed toward a corner adjoining the massive walls of the ducal estate. That area, reinforced beneath especially sturdy walls, had once been used long ago against demonic beasts. Layers of powerful ore were stacked there to form an additional barrier.

Although demonic beasts had vanished centuries ago, the stones had been preserved for another purpose—generations of ducal heads used them to test and refine their magical power.

Just in case, I should only open part of it.

If his intuition was correct, he had to be cautious. To avoid affecting others who were training, Damon deliberately chose the farthest corner. He removed his outer coat and rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong, well-built arms. Turning his back to everyone, he faced the massive ore wall.

Meanwhile, Elise was still in the guest room, covering her flushed face with both hands.

“As long as possible, and as often as possible.”

Damon’s words kept echoing in her mind.

“Are you really okay with that?”

She wanted to ask him. She was curious about his true feelings when he had made such a proposal so calmly and seriously. Perhaps he didn’t mind as long as the curse could be lifted. But even he was human—could he truly remain unaffected by repeated kisses?

“Well… Damon might be like that.”

In the original story, he was completely work-oriented and only showed interest in Psyche, not others. Although that was how he was written in the novel, the Damon she had seen felt slightly different—he had an unexpectedly kind side beneath his cold exterior. Or was that just her imagination?

“Haa… I don’t know.”

Her mind was a mess. She didn’t even know how to respond to his request for permission to kiss her. Moreover, she kept recalling his proposal and yesterday’s events. She needed some fresh air to clear her head.

She pulled the bell cord and called for someone. Soon, the polite butler Jeremy appeared.

“Um, may I take a walk?”

“Of course. I will guide you.”

With Jeremy’s permission, Elise left the room with Reina.

She headed toward the garden, wanting to go somewhere with wind and sunlight. Then she remembered yesterday’s fountain, and her body instinctively curled up and trembled as if the pain lingered. Quickly changing direction, she walked the opposite way.

As she walked further, dull clashing sounds, shouts, and the noise of metal striking metal reached her ears.

“It must be the training grounds nearby!”

Excited to see what she had only read about in books, her pace quickened.

“Hey, wait for me, Elise.”

Reina, who had been walking beside her, hurried to catch up. Running along the long corridor, they soon reached an open terrace-like railing where light streamed in. The sounds of training grew louder.

At the end, Elise saw the vast training grounds filled with soldiers—and in the distance, the black-haired Duke of Cremian.

“Wow! Damon is here too?”

She had just seen him a moment ago, but why did she already feel happy to see him again? Even from a distance, he was unmistakable. His tall, solid figure stood out clearly. His black hair flowed in the wind, and his rolled-up black sleeves gave him a fresh appearance.

“I want to see him a little closer…”

She leaned forward against the railing.

At that moment—flash! Boom! Crash!

One side of the ore wall collapsed, and the ground shook.

“Eek!”

Elise and Reina screamed at the sudden vibration and loud explosion. Smoke rose from where Damon stood. Elise’s eyes widened in shock.

“No! Don’t tell me—!”

Her vision went white, and her mind went blank. Her heart felt like it had stopped. When the smoke cleared, Damon appeared, standing unharmed with his arm outstretched.

“Ah…”

A sigh of relief escaped Elise’s lips without her realizing.

Her scream, along with Reina’s, had drawn the attention of some soldiers. To their eyes, Elise’s appearance seemed even more unreal than the explosion itself—like someone from heaven. Those seeing her for the first time stared in awe, some even losing focus during sparring.

“Hey! Where are you looking?”

Their opponent swung his sword at normal speed.

“Wha—!”

“Ugh!”

Clang.

With a sharp sound, the blade spun through the air and flew away.

“This is bad!”

The sword, tracing a parabola, flew directly toward Elise and Reina. Elise froze as the spinning object came toward her too quickly.

“Danger!”

At that moment, a voice shouted. A gust of wind followed, and a dark shadow fell before them. Elise squeezed her eyes shut as she was pulled into a firm embrace.

“Are you alright?”

It was Damon. His deep, gentle voice resonated through her body, making her heart race wildly. He had flown from afar, wrapped her in his arms, and shattered the incoming sword with his magic. Watching the scattering metal fragments, Elise felt both relief and a stunned emptiness.

How is that even possible?

His magic was powerful enough to destroy a wall and reduce a sword to dust instantly. And the same man who had worried her from afar had now rushed to save her life in an instant.

Her heart, which had stopped, began to beat again—so fast it hurt as if it might burst. Right in front of her, his black hair shimmered in the wind, and his deep red eyes looked at her. His strong arms and body felt warm and reassuring. She couldn’t move at all, as if bound in place.

“…I’m fine. Thank you for saving me.”

Elise managed to regain her composure and stood up, but she staggered.

“Elise!”

Reina called out. Elise’s strength gave way, and Damon caught her again in his arms. Her pale face turned pink.

“Are you dizzy?”

“No, I’m okay now.”

It was partly from weakness in her legs, but also because he was dazzling. Even in a life-threatening moment, her heart wasn’t just pounding—it felt excited, almost joyful.

“This man is bad for my heart.”

Not only were his kisses overwhelming—his very presence was stimulating.

Reina and Jeremy quickly supported Elise.

The soldiers who had dropped their swords earlier rushed over and prostrated themselves before the Duke and Elise.

“We are truly sorry!”

“Apologies, Your Grace! We have no excuse.”

Damon calmly spoke.

“I apologize for frightening you. This is a training area, so it can be dangerous. It would be best for you to rest indoors.”

Though he was displeased, he suspected the incident may have been caused by his sudden release of magic, so he only issued a warning and ordered stricter training.

Haim soon arrived, out of breath.

“Y-Your Grace… h-how were you… so f-fast… huff…”

He had run across the vast grounds trying to keep up with Damon, who had flown across the distance in an instant.

“I’m relieved that everyone is safe… huff.”

From what he had seen, his lord was truly beyond human—perhaps even monstrous in speed.

“But, huff… what happened? Did you fail to control your magic? Could it be… that time is—”

He was referring to the explosion earlier.

“That’s not it. Rather… it became stronger.”

“What? Stronger?”

“Yes.”

Damon glanced toward the entrance where Elise had gone.

“Because of yesterday’s kiss, my magic has grown stronger.”

“—!”

Haim swallowed his reaction in silence.

If that was true, Elise had to remain by his side. She was, without a doubt, the one holding the fate of the Cremian ducal house.

Back in her room, Elise tried to calm her still-racing heart. Reina brought warm water.

“Thank you.”

Her heart finally seemed to settle. Even so, all she could think about was Damon—the man who had held her and saved her life. His red eyes, which made everything around her feel still and quiet.

“At this point, I must be seriously affected… or is this natural?”

After all, it was only natural to feel this way toward someone who saved her life.

“Still… I should repay him somehow.”

Just then, Reina approached.

“Are you okay, Elise? You really startled me earlier. I’m just glad no one was hurt.”

Elise felt deeply grateful for her friend’s concern.

“Are you hungry? You’ll be tired after all that tension. I was thinking of preparing some chicken dishes.”

“Chicken dishes?”

At the thought of warm food, Elise felt her body relax.

“Reina, may I use the kitchen?”

“You? Elise?”

Since becoming Roan’s concubine, Elise had never cooked. There had been no need.

“I think they’ll gladly allow it. But why the kitchen all of a sudden?”

“I want to prepare a small token of gratitude for my savior.”

Elise smiled brightly.

After finishing his inspection, Damon returned to his room, washed up, and changed. Covered in dust from the training grounds, he could not visit Elise in that state. Since they were within the same estate and the curse could activate at any moment, he intended to stay as close to her as possible.

Haim was also in the room, as what Damon had discovered earlier was related to a highly confidential family secret.

Just as they were about to leave—

Knock, knock, knock.

“Who is it?”

Haim answered.

“It’s Elise.”

“Elise?”

Hearing that she had come to see him personally, Damon quickly opened the door.

At the entrance stood Elise holding a silver tray, with Jeremy beside her.

“I was just about to come to you. Are you feeling better now?”

A refreshing scent from him—freshly washed—hit her instantly, making Elise’s heart race again.

“I’m fine thanks to you. I made something I like.”

As she spoke, the aroma of delicious food filled the room.

This dish… could it be?

Damon’s expression turned slightly awkward, making Elise uneasy.

“Um… you don’t eat porridge, do you?”

Porridge?

“No, I will gratefully accept it.”

It was a different name from what he had expected. Still, he accepted the tray.

“Thank you again for saving me earlier. I don’t think I properly expressed my gratitude.”

“I apologize for frightening you.”

When he lifted the white cloth covering the dish, warm steam rose. Damon’s red eyes trembled slightly.

It was exactly what he had expected.

A nostalgic chicken soup.

The same dish his late mother used to carefully make for him whenever he was ill as a child.