Chapter 12

Episode 12

TL: Jasmine

“Duke…..”

“Should I go right or left?”

Hounds were running in a row next to them. Chloe frowned in the wind and caught her breath. If it was a more comfortable road, they had to go to the left. This is because if they go to the right, they have to cross a shallow but wide stream. Just before Chloe opened her mouth swallowing her dry saliva, the duke turned the reins to the right at the crossroads.

“Ah…!”

When the Duke’s horse jumped vigorously over the stream, Chloe had no choice but to close her eyes. Her butt hurt from the shock from the saddle, but her fear was greater.

“M, mom…!”

Words that didn’t go through her head squeezed out from her vocal cords. The thumping hounds quickly caught up as they excitedly broke through the shallow stream.

It was as if she heard the Duke laughing above the wind that was hitting her face. With the sound of horseshoe hitting the ground, Chloe’s heart pounded hard with a thump, thump as if it would pop out of her chest. The duke did not give her time to be ashamed of shouting for her mother in front of him. It was a crossroad again.

“Which side is it this time?”

“Left…! To the left!”

Chloe shouted loudly without thinking. Then the Duke’s horse ran toward the left road at high speed, The speed of those who followed him in a row was also formidable, but the duke was incomparable to them. Only the hounds he led were barely chasing his tail.

The duke, who found a fairly large deer, whistled a little and lowered his body further. Chloe was now completely crushed between the horse and his body as he grabbed the reins. When she buried her face in the soft mane of the horse, it gave Chloe an illusion that she had become the same part as the beast she was riding on.

“Haa…Haa…”

His hand, clutching the reins, appeared right before her eyes. He always wore gloves that fit his hands, but today he was bare-handed. A dark vein protruded on the back of the beautiful hand holding the leather strap as if to control the running beast. Chloe couldn’t take her eyes off his hands for some reason. She just felt that everyone would die regardless of whether they were humans or beasts if they were all caught in that hand.

At that moment, as if knowing where her gaze was headed.

Ssk.

The duke’s thumb brushed against Chloe’s flushed cheek in the wind. It was a soft touch like a feather that didn’t match his hand. Chloe’s eyes narrowed, due to her heart that pounded as if it was about to come out of her mouth, and heat spread all over her body.

Is it mercy right before killing her? As if a tickling, soft touch was a dream, the Duke’s hand fell from her face. When he pulled the reins hard, the horse cried loudly and raised its front legs high.

“Haa…haa…”

In the wind, when Chloe lost the grip on the mane the Duke quickly held her tightly in his arms. When the horse stopped, the hound rushed as if it had been waiting. Just before breaking the beast’s breath, the Duke’s big hand covered her frozen eyes. Chloe’s breathing was rough as if she was running wildly. The Duke buried Chloe’s head on his shoulder, who could not breathe properly due to hyperventilation

“Shh…Chloe. Shh. It’s over now.”

Listening to the sound of hounds barking and the breath of the Duke in excitement together, Chloe was captivated by the feeling of being the target, not the subject of hunting.

His words that said it was over was a perfect lie. On that day, the Duke freely released his hunting desires to her. When Chloe returned to the castle, her body was completely exhausted.

Chloe slowly took her unwilling steps, holding a wellwiped tray in her hand, Is this how a prisoner on death row feels? As if representing her mind, the old floor cried with a squeak, squeak sound.

The Duke, who hunted seven foxes and two deers, attacked the wild boar himself with a sword at the end. The angry beast tore his arm. The duke acted casually as if it was common, but for Chloe, who was worried about the hidden wound bleeding throughout his shirt, she considered it a mistake of his. Without being able to stand it, she spoke out loud at the dinner table.

“I will call the doctor as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”

“Doctor? What’s wrong, Chloe?”

“The duke was injured, father.”

“What!”

Alice, who was next to him, calmly helped Viscount Verdier, who had his eyes wide open, then the Duke lightly replied that his arm was only a little torn.

“If it’s not a big wound, my sister can sew it herself. Only if the Duke can endure the pain, because there is no anesthetic at home.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand Alice’s desire to cause pain to the Duke. But it was ridiculous.

“Alice, what are you talking about?”

“It’s summer, so there are cases of food poisoning every day, but sister always said that we shouldn’t keep the only doctor in the estate busy for personal, reasons. That is why she learned nursing from Mr. Wharton to help out.”

Alice’s sharp words in a pungent voice were not wrong, but the Duke’s injury could not be treated very lightly.

“Then can Miss Chloe take a look at my wounds? After dinner.”

Even before Chloe could open her mouth, the duke said it out. She shook her head in panic.

“Duke. It’s safe to call the expert in many ways.”

“It’s because you shouldn’t harm the people of the territory to satisfy your personal greed.”

I am screwed.

Chloe realized that Alice had completely touched the Duke’s mood.

“What do you mean by harm? That’s absurd. Your Excellency, the Duke. Right now, Mr. Wharton…”

“When my soldiers stayed at the castle the other day, I was impressed with Miss Chloe, when she treated a soldier whose arm had been blown away, in the barracks. If it is your daughter, I think I can leave my wounds to her with peace of mind.”

Viscount Verdier’s face, who had a worried expression on his face, was full of pride.

“Do you remember that?”

“Of course. I remember everything that happened in this castle.”

Looking at the Duke’s face, who spoke meaningfully while looking at her, Chloe thought she should prepare the largest needle she had.

“You look like a prisoner waiting for the death penalty.”

The best guest room where the Duke stayed was a little open. Chloe did not deny what he said, while pretending not to hear, she tried to approach him calmly.

“Show me your wound, Duke.”

“See it for yourself.” “To do that, you have to lower your shirt.”

“You don’t have hands?”

Chloe’s eyes widened. She responded calmly to the duke, who was once again testing her own patience, while sitting half reclining on the bed.

“It’s embarrassing, but I’m not married, so I can’t touch a man’s body.”

“Yeah, that’s how it should come out.”

The duke smiled and stood up and threw his shirt off himself.

I said to raise his clothes a little and see the torn wound, not completely throw it off.

She tried to stop him, but the duke’s movement was faster. Chloe’s face reflected in the candle quickly heated up.

“I think you’d better stop appreciating it.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and lowered her hand to the silver tray. The wound on the forearm cut by the fangs of the sharp beast was unexpectedly deep. At this point, she understood that it had bled enough to make his clothes get wet. However, she didn’t understand at all how he continued hunting and eating casually even after suffering such injuries. Maybe he’s numb to pain?

“It can be painful.”

As Chloe struggled to open her mouth calmly, pouring disinfectant into the wound, the Duke replied,

“Try to hurt me as much as you can.”

Chloe was rather encouraged from the tone of voice that said the pain of stitching flesh was insignificant Trying to forget any sympathy she had for the patient, she began to carefully sew through his savagely torn skin.

“The family teacher was a doctor?”

The duke spoke to her. When Chloe replied briefly, “Yes,” he continued the conversation.

“That’s what helps you live in this kind of place.”

“It’s true that I’ve gained knowledge from Teacher Wharton, but I think something else has helped me, more in this situation.”

“What is it?”

Chloe replied briefly, poking a needle into the open wound without hesitation.

“Embroidery.”

Pfft, the duke laughed, due to which his body shook. Chloe frowned as she saw blood leaking out and stopped the wound with a muslin cloth.

“It’s the first time in my life that embroidery was considered a useful hobby.”

“My deceased mother said. There is nothing useless in this world. Even a single piece of grass or even a stone can be a wonderful piece of work from someone’s point of view.”

“Your mother was an idealist.”

“….. can’t she be one?”

“I never said no.”

Chloe realized that she overreacted and cleared her throat. Supporting his head with one free hand, the duke looked at her and continued.

“I just thought you wouldn’t look like your mother.”

“Why?”

“Chloe Verdier is a realist. I can tell by the way you are doing this in my room right now.”

Chloe tried not to look him in the eye. The reason why her heart began to beat again is because of the Duke’s words that seemed to read her mind. This means that the Duke is very well aware of the fact that Chloe is forced to please him when she is unwilling.

“Does your sister still enjoy secret meetings at night?”

Chloe’s hand flinched and penetrated the skin deeply, She looked at him in surprise, but the Duke’s eyes were calm as if he were drinking tea. She cleared her mind and quietly opened her mouth.

“Please don’t speak. It can bleed a lot”

“Answer the question.”

Comments from Korean readers

Let me be honest, I hate Alice more than the duke …she has an older sister who is still terrified of the incident that Alice caused. Alice of course can be grumpy towards the Duke but she should be responsible for what she did

Woah, a hunting scene can be like this….as expected of kimppa’s novel….

He is not being rude….but he is strangely sexy….it is the power of kimppa’s novel?

The younger sister is good for nothing and knows how to cause trouble for her elder sister. She only has good face that’s all

Almost feels like they are having s*x om horse