Duke, Can I Bite You?

The woman placed her belongings on the table. 

Her next move was to pull up a chair by the bed, where she settled down and proceeded to cover Mio’s body with a blanket. 

Mio, who was frail and had a sorrowful look on her face, drew her attention.

“Oh my goodness, how could you get so ill?”

Mio was taken aback when she looked at the woman who treated her so well.

‘There must be something about the woman who was able to overpower Geoffrey.’

When she remained silent, the woman went on, oblivious to her unease.

“My name is Lauren. I used to take care of the duke’s mother, but now I am helping the duke.”

“…I see.”

She’d met Geoffrey many times and gone through a lot, but this was her first time visiting this place. As a result, she had never met Lauren.

‘I haven’t seen anybody other than him in a long time.’

“We’ll get the doctor here as soon as we can.”

“……Ah.”

Lauren smiled when she couldn’t think of anything more to say.

“I heard you came all the way to chase after our duke, is that correct?”

Mio felt uneasy when she observed the woman’s enthusiasm.

‘What on earth is she thinking? It’s nothing like that!’

For the time being, she must remain quiet in order to continue resting on the wonderful bed.

“… I suppose so.”

“It seems that you have fallen in love with our duke. What should I do?”

“……”

Lauren seemed to regard her as a woman who had pursued after Geoffrey.

She felt more ashamed today than the last time she rubbed her head on Geoffrey’s boots.

‘I wish I could pass out.’

Mio lowered her head a little.

In contrast to Mio, Lauren spoke more enthusiastically

“Our duke is nothing like the rumors suggest. This is something you should have figured out by now.”

‘Yes, that’s right.’

Indeed, Geoffrey is harsher than the rumors…

The woman became anxious when Mio let out a little sigh.

“Don’t worry about anything, instead, concentrate on your recuperation. The Caspian never leaves its guest unattended.”

“Th- thank you.”

The woman who introduced herself as Lauren, gave her a beautiful grin in return.

‘…What?’

It was the first time she saw such a kind smile. Mio hurriedly closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, her face flushed with embarrassment.

* * *

The angry Geoffrey, who had just gone down the hallway, kicked the office door shut.

He snatched a dagger from the table and flung it against the ripped paper on the doorframe. The sharp dagger was pierced precisely in the middle of the target’s head.

“……Duke Caspian.”

Geoffrey whispered quietly. It would be better to not have such a title.

He was Crown Prince until his mother was accused of being a witch a few years ago.

“Mother, please just tell them the truth!”

Geoffrey did all he could to rescue his mother, who had been falsely accused.

Their so-called allies, on the other hand, turned their backs on them almost immediately.

He would never understand why they had done such a horrible thing to her.

‘My mother is not a witch! She’s not a monster……!’

Geoffrey screamed, but his mother wrapped her arms around him firmly. 

His mother calmly said,

“Please promise me you won’t reveal the truth to anyone.”

Her mother, who had been sentenced to death, maintained a strong and resolute demeanor until the very end.

However, Geoffrey, who was watching her, was unable to do so.

He saw a crow soaring above the guillotine in his tear-filled vision.

‘Poor mother. You couldn’t even close your eyes until the end.’

Geoffrey was soon abandoned, and the nobles turned their backs on him.

‘What was my father thinking when he did this?’

His father was very cruel.

People think he should be sent away.

Emperor Lucas Caspian said in front of everyone to Geoffrey,

“I’ll give you a chance to prove yourself. If you make a big contribution according to the beliefs of the Caspian Empire, you will be able to prove that you are not cursed.”

Even though Geoffrey’s mother accepted the blame and offered herself as a sacrifice, the emperor abandoned Geoffrey.

In fact, Geoffrey had no choice. If he does not make his way to the outskirts, he will either be imprisoned or forced to flee the Caspian Empire……

“I’m always thinking about pointless things.”

His headaches were usually caused by the events of the past.

He suddenly recalled someone’s face as he strode to grab the paper from the door.

“…Huh?”

He had never saw her before, yet something about her felt familiar.

“I’m a fan of Geoffrey.”

Even after giving it further thought, it didn’t make any sense.

‘She claimed to be a fan, but how could I trust her?’

He’s the Duke of Caspian, everyone was terrified of him.

Aside from rumors that his mother was a witch, the battlefield where Geoffrey used to live was stained with blood. The fearful faces looking at him in the banquet was proof of that.

“She’s weird.”

After putting the paper down, he grabbed the dagger on the desk and grasped it tightly.

‘I didn’t want to bring her here at all.’

He was unable to abandon her due to his reputation.

‘There are a lot of eyes on me in the castle,’