A Relationship Without Feelings but with a Desire to Possess
Hyde, having escaped from Khan, was delighted to have fled the merciless workload.
He had been yearning for a solitary glass of beer so much it made him shudder.
However, as Hyde crossed the garden, the subject of the report appeared before him.
“Hello?”
“Huh?”
The black-haired beauty greeted him with a radiant smile.
“I think we have something to talk about.”
Hyde’s face crumpled into a frown.
‘Why? I was just about to clock out.’
He couldn’t understand why something as simple as clocking out, so easy for others, was so difficult for him.
With a gloomy expression, Hyde slumped his shoulders.
*** *** *** *** ***
Under the shade of a tree in the sunlit garden, Hyde and Rose sat together.
On the table were pretty pastries and a cup of rich black tea.
“Ahh.”
Hyde took a sip from his cup and widened his eyes.
“It’s… delicious.”
“I’m glad.”
He tasted the pastries and cake, and his eyes closed as if he were finally relaxing.
The exhaustion that had made his face look so haggard seemed to ease, making him appear much better.
As he slowly savored the treats, he looked at Rose with a troubled expression.
“So, what is it you want to talk about?”
“The Duke said I could do whatever I wanted.”
“…Uh, okay. And?”
“Hyde, you know everything, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t.”
Hyde’s eyes widened as if he were ready to jump up and leave at any moment.
‘That’s a face that looks like he’s about to have a heart attack.’
He must be a very sensitive person.
Rose recalled what the head of the Chaos Merchant Guild’s intelligence division had said about her unexpected connection to the mysterious leader of Aytan’s intelligence unit.
‘He’s much more timid than he looks. To put it bluntly, he’s kind of… pathetic. Quite a lot, actually.’
Before Hyde could get scared and run away, Rose asked her question.
“Hyde, I want to win over Jack. Can you help me?”
“Jack?”
Hyde, relieved that it wasn’t about the Duke, hesitantly picked up his teacup.
Since his affiliation with the intelligence unit had already been exposed, his expression seemed to say he might as well finish what he was eating.
“The butler is off-limits.”
“Why?”
Hyde rolled his eyes and subtly lifted himself from his seat.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Hyde, you want to clock out on time, don’t you?”
Instead of answering, Hyde quietly sat back down in his chair.
But his expression wasn’t pleasant.
“Miss, I can’t do it.”
“I’ll make it happen. Punctual clock-outs.”
When Hyde looked at her with a suspicious expression, Rose whispered like the devil.
“Imagine recovering your tired body and mind on a warm Southern island… All the fatigue you’ve built up will just melt away. Don’t you think?”
“A vacation… a warm Southern island…”
A glimmer of life began to return to Hyde’s previously lifeless face.
However, a trace of doubt still lingered in his expression.
“W-what is it you want, exactly?”
“Just… something simple.”
Hyde blinked and stared at Rose.
After a moment of blankness, he rubbed the dark circles that covered half his face and muttered.
“There’s no such thing as simple in this world.”
Overwhelmed by endless overtime, Hyde slumped his shoulders.
His sorrowful eyes looked at Rose.
It was as if he were asking what on earth she meant by simple.
Seeing the distrust in the eyes of the intelligence unit leader, who looked ready to shout ‘Workplace hell!’ at any moment, Rose smiled softly.
“What’s Jack weak against? Like, does he have any weaknesses?”
Hyde’s dull face suddenly brightened.
He answered with a wide, happy smile.
“The Duke.”
It seemed the Duke was truly terrifying.
Even after giving such a shameless answer, Hyde’s eyes darted around nervously.
Rose struggled to hold back her laughter while trying to speak sternly.
“Hyde, telling me what everyone already knows isn’t an answer.”
“But I-I did answer! You have to keep your promise!”
Hyde looked desperate, on the verge of tears, as if complaining that she was changing the terms of what was supposed to be a simple request.
His face looked so pitiful that even Rose felt troubled.
“You’re surprisingly weak-willed.”
“Well, I am a spy after all.”
The intelligence unit leader said innocently with his gloomy face.
And quite proudly at that.
Finally, Rose gracefully admitted defeat.
“…Fine, it’s my fault. You’ll get your vacation.”
“R-really?”
Seeing his suspicious look, Rose went as far as writing him a formal note.
“Wow! Wow! Thank you!”
Hyde, overjoyed, tucked the note into his breast pocket.
Then he began sneaking glances around.
The way he was fidgeting to lift himself from the chair—
He was literally trying to grab the bait and run.
When Rose stared at him directly, it seemed he had at least a shred of conscience.
He cast an awkward glance her way.
After hemming and hawing, Hyde gulped.
“Uh, I’ll be going now. Um… may you live a long and healthy life, Lady Rose.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hyde made a swift escape.
Afraid that Rose might stop him, he scaled the wall in one go with his scrawny body and fled.
“This isn’t easy.”
These men of this household, all of them.
In truth, she hadn’t really expected to learn any real weaknesses from Hyde, whom she was meeting for the first time.
She could use her own people for background checks if needed.
Her goal had been to build familiarity and leave a good impression, so it wasn’t a bad start.
Above all, it was natural for him to be more cautious than Jack or others, given that he was someone who held sensitive information.
‘He’s quite cute, actually.’
She smiled, amused.
However, she was troubled by her inability to gauge the Duke’s intentions.
What did this young Duke want from her?
Rose’s gaze deepened.
Then, sensing a presence and turning around, she discovered a young boy.
The boy had silver hair and blue eyes.
“Who are you?”
There was no answer.
When Rose extended her hand, the boy took a step back.
After studying her with an expression full of wariness, he turned and ran away.
“Just like a startled puppy.”
Rose looked briefly at the garden that had swallowed the boy, then smiled wryly.
This place has so many secrets.
And she liked that.
It felt like a place that could bury her secrets too.
*** *** *** *** ***
Guided by a maid, Rose arrived at her room, exhausted from the day’s events. She washed up and went straight to bed.
Fortunately, the Duke hadn’t invited her for a meal, so she could rest until early evening.
When her weary body finally rose, she put on light casual clothes and opened the window. Sitting on a nearby tree branch, Casa waved a hand holding an apple.
“Hello, pretty lady. Want an apple?”
Rose chuckled and extended her hand, and he sliced the apple in half and handed it to her.
As she bit into it hungrily, Casa snickered.
“The head maid said earlier to let her know anytime you’re hungry. Should I go tell her now?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll get indigestion if I eat too much.”
“Is this place uncomfortable? If so, the place the merchant guild prepared isn’t far. Want to go there?”
“No, it’s better to stay here and get a sense of the Duke. There’s no better place for that.”
“Alright, suit yourself.”
Rose noticed an unusual glint of amusement in Casa’s eyes and frowned.
“What is it? Spill whatever you’re scheming.”
“I just think you’re impressive in many ways.”
“What are you talking about?”
Casa pointed to a connecting door.
“That’s the Duke’s bedroom. To put it simply, this is where the Duchess of the household stays.”
“What?”
“Yep, your breathtaking beauty seems to have truly captivated our dear Duke. Looks like he’s planning to ruin your life with his charm.”
Rose reached out to swat at the laughing Casa’s arm, but he nimbly flew up to a higher branch, perching there smugly.
“Hey, I just gave you good information. No need to hit me.”
“Good information, my foot!”
“Ha! You’re lounging around so carelessly you’ve forgotten you’re in a wolf’s den. Tsk tsk, Rose, Rose. Do you know how rare it is to find someone who cares about you as much as I do? So ungrateful.”
“You, you, you!”
As she glared at him with flushed cheeks, Casa grinned and came back down closer.
“Why? Why? Why?”
Seeing his playful face, Rose couldn’t stay angry and muttered in defeat.
“Fine, just help me block the door.”
“Ugh… Why bother? Oh, are you afraid the Duke will pounce on you at night?”
As soon as Casa climbed through the window and stood beside her, Rose spun around and grabbed his lips tightly with her hand.
“You little rascal! Have you forgotten I’m your benefactor? Keep this up, and I’ll shut down your personal forge!”
Instead of backing off, he leaned in closer, rolling his eyes dramatically.
Finally, Rose burst into laughter, shaking her head. She told Casa to bring her a toolbox and leaned her tired body against a chair.
Blocking the door wasn’t difficult.
What bothered her more was the Duke’s behavior toward her. It felt uncomfortably intimate for someone dealing with a contract lover.
If she could figure out his intentions, she could either avoid or confront him, but she had no clue what he was after.
‘Did I end up with a dud instead of the Duke?’
Frustrated by her endless thoughts, Rose decided to stop overthinking.
After all, unless the Duke revealed his intentions, she wouldn’t reach any conclusions.
“Alright. Later is later. Let’s deal with what’s in front of me first.”
If she danced a few times at the ball and kept the young ladies from clinging to the Duke, their time together would significantly decrease.
“Still, I really don’t want to fight with young ladies.”
She wanted to resolve things smoothly, but seeing Isabel earlier gave her a bad feeling.
“Wow!”
“Ah!”
Startled by the sudden noise, Rose lifted her chair, only to hear Casa shout hurriedly.
“It’s me, it’s me!”
Her mind still tangled, she squinted at the red fox-like man with a dark glare.
“One day, I’m going to kill you. For real.”
“I brought the tools.”
When Rose lowered the chair, Casa quickly set the toolbox on the floor.
After a moment of thought, she told him.
“First, block the door with the wardrobe.”
Casa, looking slightly annoyed, moved the wardrobe to block the connecting door, then slowly approached the window.
“I doubt this will stop a Sword Master, but if it makes you feel better, go ahead. I’ll check the perimeter to ensure there are no issues. It’s chilly here, so make sure to cover up and sleep well, alright?”
Before she could say anything, Casa disappeared out the window.
Rose sighed, glancing between the wardrobe blocking the door and the toolbox on the floor.
“I guess I’ll have to nail it shut?”
“It’ll come off.”
“That’s…”
Rose stopped mid-sentence and swallowed hard.
It was the Duke.
Even with her back turned, she knew no one else could mimic that voice, which could enchant even the gods.
She quickly hid the toolbox under her skirt.
As the sound of his purposeful footsteps grew closer, cold sweat trickled down her back.
When he finally stood before her, Rose forced a smile and asked.
“Why… have you come to my room?”
“Because I wanted to.”
Khan had come after hearing her startled voice, but seeing that nothing seemed amiss, he didn’t mention it.
Looking at the hem of her dress, he remarked.
“A hammer is sticking out.”
Seeing her ears turn red, the Duke suppressed a smile and gestured toward the connecting door.
“A wardrobe? Do you think so little of me?”
Leave a Reply