/
I followed Lucian to his office. He had yet to hire an official aide, so he was using the office alone.
“But is there something I can even help you with, Brother?”
I’ve never learned anything about work here. I did many things before my transmigration, but it’s different here.
Lucian smiled brightly as a response.
Ah, is this what healing feels like?
Just looking at his smile made everything cozy, as if everything would be alright.
“All you have to do is sit there and sort invitations.”
“Okay, I got it.”
I nodded seriously with a firm expression. Amber always sorted through my invitations first before showing them to me.
Because of the influence that the Duchy had, invitations always piled up like mountains.
Among the invitations that Amber would give me, they’d already been picked through.
In other words, I’d be doing Amber’s work.
But there would be more invitations for the Duke, right?
Because his ascension to the Duke’s post hadn’t been officially announced yet, Lucian must be receiving more invitations as the Duke’s successor.
I sat right next to Lucian’s desk, but really, it looked like we were sitting behind the same desk with two chairs.
From this side, I could see how the Duke’s office was a space that showed a long history.
Well, apart from the door that was recently broken down.
The newly fitted door was colorful and tasteful, but it didn’t have much of the same antique atmosphere to it compared to the rest.
I heard that the desk that only the Duke could use was made a long time ago with wood from a kind of tree that no longer existed.
The subtle varnish over the wood made it look alive in a wonderful way, so over time, it looked even more elegant.
Behind the large desk was a bookshelf that went all the way up to the ceiling.
There was an arched window between the desks, so while sitting there and looking over documents, the passage of time could be felt through the sunlight filtering in right over my head.
It looked like our shoulders would touch if I moved, so I focused on carefully classifying the invitations in front of me.
The sound of Lucian’s pen moving echoed beautifully inside the office.
First, I sorted the invitations that aimed to celebrate Lucian’s ascension to the Duke’s position and I placed them on a silver tray.
“Since Ray’s doing it, everything’s done quickly.”
Lucian praised me even though I’ve done only one. The documents piled up next to him look even more amazing.
With a smile that was more like a pout, I replied.
“Don’t be so surprised. I’m actually an incredibly competent person.”
“Yes, I know that very well.”
What do you mean you know?
Are you going to keep smiling like that?
Since a while ago, he had been smiling every time he looked at me. His golden irises, revealed through his curved eyes, were like crescent moons.
Haa, how kind.
How sexy!
At the end of the day, he looked sensual no matter what expression he made.
He was like that even when he was expressionless, but he looked even sexier whenever he smiled.
I smiled broadly as I inwardly shouted ‘Milky white Lucian!’¹ His appearance right now was a regretful male lead, but his personality was a kind, friendly male lead.
Did I really succeed?
I tried to change the keywords, but it’s not like I could change someone’s personality.
I just started with a vague mindset to change the keywords, but I never imagined that he would change so much that he’d become affectionate.
Glancing sideways towards him, I found Noah’s name on the invitation envelope.
Now that I think of it, didn’t he come together with Noah the other day?
What’s going on between these two?
Right. I’m going to have to check the information I have.
I was curious about Noah’s letter, but I just gulped and categorized it as level 1 priority.
Letters in the level 1 priority were letters that must be checked right away.
As work went on, time passed by faster than I expected. It was already afternoon.
Maybe it’s because I was with Lucian that I was happy to work. It’s been a while since I felt this relaxed.
Somehow, I felt anxious about the day ending.
“Brother, would you like a cup of tea? You also need to take breaks in between. You can’t overwork yourself.”
Lucian, who was focusing on a document, raised his head.
Whenever I saw his expressionless face light up once he turned his gaze towards me, my chest felt ticklish.
With his lips drawn in a soft curve, a nice, low-pitched voice flowed out of his lips.
At the picturesque scene before me, I stared as though I’d been possessed.
“Ray, I want to eat grapes.”
At that, my eyes widened. It was very rare for him to say that he wanted to eat something.
“I’ll be quick then. I’ll get a lot of grapes myself and bring them to you.”
Motivated in an instant, I jumped up from my seat. I rushed out of the office and headed straight to the kitchen.
I met Amber on the way to the kitchen. I had sent her on an errand earlier.
“Milady, I couldn’t find all the books you wanted, but I was able to purchase two books.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I left them in your room. Should I bring them to you?”
“Hm…”
I was almost sorting through the invitations, but I should read them later after drinking tea with Lucian.
“No, I’ll read them later so you don’t have to bring them.”
“I understand. Where are you going, Milady?”
“Huh? Oh, I’m going to get some tea and grapes.”
Amber jumped at what I said.
“Why must you get them yourself? Please wait, I’ll take them to the office.”
“Hehe, alright. Oh! You have to bring really ripe grapes. Brother said he wants to eat them.”
Amber was one of the people who knew how extremely devoted I was to Lucian.
As if she already knew it well, Amber nodded and quickly went on her way.
No matter how well I could move, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with Amber.
Eventually, I returned to the office empty-handed, but the door was slightly ajar.
Huh? I definitely closed it properly.
I hovered by the door out of curiosity and listened in. At that time, the voice of the Duke could be heard from inside.
“You left the categorization of invitations to Ray.”
“Is there a problem with that?”
Lucian replied with a cold voice that was clearly different from what I heard from him.
“Does Ray know? The only woman who sorts through invitations is the Duchess.”
No matter how well I had studied etiquette, culture, and the lifestyle of aristocrats, I wasn’t born one, so I didn’t know a lot of stuff.
In the first place, the habits I gained while living in modern times couldn’t be shaken off easily.
I listened to something I was learning for the first time.
Lucian scoffed at the Duke’s words instead of answering him. I was a little surprised by this as it was something he never did in front of me.
However, the Duke seemed to be familiar enough with his attitude and just continued speaking.
“Just what is it that you want?”
The Duke, who hadn’t come out of the office for a while, had a heavy voice.
Lucian seemed to have risen from his seat after the brief silence. I was flustered for a moment because the sound of footsteps seemed to be getting close to me.
My cheeks burned profusely as I realized that I looked exactly as I was doing—eavesdropping.
I tried to get away in a hurry, but the door opened first. Then, a long arm reached out to grab my wrist.
“What are you doing here, Ray?”
“No, Brother. It’s just, um…”
Of course, people were bound to be at a loss for words when they were taken aback. I couldn’t even come up with a good enough excuse.
Following him, we entered the office.
And half behind Lucian, I faced the Duke.
“Father.”
“Yes, my daughter.”
It was my first time seeing him again after that day, so I felt awkward for no reason.
The Duke looked at me with a benign expression, but as if hiding me from him, Lucian covered me with his body. Then, he spoke in a low voice.
“What I want… You still don’t know?”
When hearing about a question I didn’t know about, I could only widen my eyes. Lucian smiled as he gently swept down my hair.
The Duke looked at us both and smiled in vain.
“That’s right… I couldn’t help but know.”
Somehow, the Duke’s expression seemed to say that he could no longer control Lucian. It was both a dejected yet relieved expression.
¡
After the Duke left, Lucian looked towards Rachel, who was in his arms. If he could tame her little by little like this, she wouldn’t be able to leave the Duchy at all, right?
Rachel must have heard what his father said. That what she was doing was something only the Duchess did.
Would she realize what this meant?
She was smart and wise, but she sometimes showed a tactless, naĂŻve side to her.
For one, strangely enough, she seemed to think that he and Noah were entangled.
He still wondered why she thought this, but Lucian didn’t want to care about it.
He didn’t have enough time to spend with Rachel as it was, so why should he care about that?
“Brother, Amber will bring the tea. And I asked her to bring very ripe grapes.”
Look at this now.
He was sure that she heard it all, but she didn’t even show any signs of curiosity about it.
Whenever he saw her acting like this, as if it had nothing to do with her, Lucian’s stomach would be in knots.
Sometimes, it felt like whenever she looked at him, it felt like there was someone else she was seeing.
And Rachel, who looked at him like that, felt like an apparition.
As if she wouldn’t be here for long, just like that.
At the sudden thought, Lucian embraced Rachel even more tightly.
“Are you tired? Would you like to rest?”
“Ray.”
“What is it?”
“Now…”
Lucian’s throat felt tight for a moment, thinking that he could finally say this.
“I can put you on my schedule now. I’m sorry it took so long.”
——
¹ ‘Milky white’ is something that fans say to their biases/the idols they like to compliment their skin (Koreans value fair complexions).