I Accidentally Tamed the Duke

Chapter 8

“Your Grace!”

Talia called to the duke as if to say something, but Yurania held a hand up to stop her. Even Talia couldn’t go against Yurania’s explicit order to stop, so she stayed where she was and chewed on her lip. Yurania spread her palm toward where Casius was standing and waved her hand when he didn’t easily give it to her to emphasize that she had something to tell him. Eventually, he indifferently gave her his broad palm.

—What brings you here, Your Grace?

“Must I have a reason?”

Yurania lightly tilted her head to the side.

“It’s only natural that I go around my castle to ensure what’s mine is safe.”

Aha.

—Yes. I understand you must take good care of your belongings since many valuable items are here.

Casius didn’t reply but stared hard at her for some reason. Yurania shifted her eyes to the side to avoid his gaze, then asked once more,

—Could you take me to Zyle?

“The reason being?”

—I just have a small question for him.

Casius didn’t pry any further. He readily reached his arms out and carried Yurania. She stared endlessly into his violet eyes all the way down to the first floor. She’d been secretly gazing at him as if entranced but flinched in surprise when she realized what she was doing and looked away.

She couldn’t stop herself from staring at Casius these days. At this rate, he would find out that she’d regained her sight, and she might meet her second death at his hand. It might be better for me to confess that my condition’s getting better if I can’t get a divorce right away.

There was another problem as well. Yurania had been suffering from withdrawal symptoms ever since her voice had come back. Her body trembled like it was chilly, and her throat frequently ached. She’d had recurrent nosebleeds after going through the body-trembling symptom in her past life, which was followed by the side effect of her blood hardening from the poisonous drug. It was after all that when she’d met her death.

I have to meet Sade as soon as possible and get introduced to a doctor. This time, news of her leaving the house must not reach Casius’ ears. He would think it strange if he knew she would visit Sade again when she’d recently met him.

Seeing someone in the distance, Casius gave a short sigh and put Yurania down.

“I have a matter to attend to. I’ll see you next time.”

He turned to a maid and ordered, “Escort the duchess.”

Then, he left.

Yurania waved her hand to tell the maid she would walk by herself and arrived at the quiet hall on the first floor. At this time of day, the maids, servants, and attendants ate in the great dining hall. Yurania was alone because she’d also sent Lina off for an errand.

Was this where Zyle’s room was? Yurania searched through her hazy memory and headed to his room, but it was locked, as she’d expected. She slid a long hair clip from her sleeve and nodded with a determined look. She picked at the keyhole using the skills she’d learned from Sade when they were young, and the door opened with a clack.

I’m sorry, Zyle. Yurania carefully entered the room. The room was humbly furnished with nothing but a bed, basin, and table. She looked around the room but quickly sat down when she heard footsteps approaching. The owner of the footsteps was Zyle.

“Why is the door open? Oh… Your Grace. What brings you here? Have you taken your meal?”

Yurania nodded. It seemed like Zyle couldn’t look her straight in the face after the past incident. He swept back his curly red hair and nervously fidgeted after pushing up his glasses that weren’t even askew.

“You should’ve called me if you needed something, Your Grace…”

Yurania strangely felt bad seeing Zyle like that and gave a light smile. She’d meant to reassure him, but he froze instead. Maybe he thinks I’m mocking him?

She quickly wiped the smile away and handed him the note she’d prepared beforehand.

—Has the garden been repaired over the past year?

“Yes. It wasn’t big, but we did tend to the roses a little.”

She followed it up with another note.

—Has anything significantly changed inside the castle?

“Hmm. I’m not sure. Only the extension of the knights’ accommodations comes to mind. But why do you ask, Your Grace?”

Yurania leisurely blinked her thick eyelashes before she said, “I was curious… how and where… the personal fund was spent.”

“You could check the ledger for that— Ahh!”

Zyle yelled but quickly covered his mouth and cleared his throat to pull himself together.

“Ahem! I beg your pardon, Your Grace. I was surprised and couldn’t help it.”

“That’s all right… I was… surprised too… that my voice came back.”

“Congratulations, Your Grace. My goodness! How did such a miracle happen?!”

“I started to feel… a little better every day… after drowning… in the lake. My voice… and sight too.”

“The shock of falling into the lake must’ve been enormous, Your Grace. But whatever the reason, it’s a relief you’re feeling better. Congratulations, Your Grace.”

Yurania took in a deep breath and continued, “Talia… has been managing… the personal fund until now… but she said she doesn’t have… the ledger.”

He swept his chin with a surprised look on his face. “How can that be? I was told that Talia had transferred the personal fund to you, Your Grace.”

“I’m embarrassed to say… that that is how it turned out. You’re the first person I’m telling this, Zyle. Are you going… to report this to the duke too?”

Yurania watched Zyle’s face turn red as she reached for the thick notebook she’d placed at the back of the chair. She’d found it as soon as she’d entered the room a while ago. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary notebook. But it was filled with passionate fire.

“Zyle, how do you… read this? B… Boys’ Love… Story?”

“It’s just some scribbles, Your Grace!”

Zyle rushed forward and swiped the notebook from her hand to place it in a high drawer she couldn’t reach.

She drew her tiny fist to her grinning lips and asked, “Should I… ask the duke… for his permission… if I want to read that book?”

“Your Grace!” Zyle cried out, looking like he was almost about to cry.

“But you’re the one… who went against the rule forbidding side jobs, Zyle.”

Zyle’s cheeks lightly flushed. He must’ve felt awkward making eye contact while our faces were close to each other.

“The medicine I’m taking these days… must be… effective.”

Yurania had decided to use the yahn herb medicine she’d been taking after falling into the Pallack Herb Lake as the reason for her getting better. The secret won’t last for long, since Talia knows anyway. She hated Yurania to the point that she’d wiped her face with rotten rags. Yurania was sure that Talia was racking her brain for ways she could take revenge on her right about now. She had to tell Casius herself before he found out.

Zyle’s eyes glinted. “Ah! That must be it—the yahn herb is also used to eliminate poison. It must have cleansed the toxin from the fire, Your Grace.”

“Do you… think so?” Yurania asked, acting like she didn’t know anything. All the while, she felt her voice getting clearer the more she spoke with Zyle.

“Yes. Does His Grace know?”

It sounded like he was asking when he was already certain that Casius was unaware. It was proof of how distant they were.

“I… haven’t told him yet. I’m going to tell him myself soon. And Zyle, please get me an appointment… with Sade Kalisto.”

Yurania stood up and looked at the book he’d taken from her, then said, “You must make sure... that nobody knows this time.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Your Grace.”

“Also, please look into… Gerard Venice in the immediate order of knights… and the knights’ dormitory expansion.”

“Are you investigating the personal fund by any chance, Your Grace?”

“Yes.”

To be honest, Zyle wondered about the duchess’s sudden change in attitude. It did make sense to think that she might’ve become more confident after recovering from her illness. However, it was still disconcerting all the same. Plus, Her Grace was overwhelmingly beautiful as she met his gaze.

“Ahem, ahem. Is this a secret too, Your Grace?”

“We’ve become… people who share our secrets now, Zyle.”

Yurania also urged him softly to tell her everything he knew about Talia.

***

The day passed in the blink of an eye as Yurania went around, looking into where the personal fund had been spent. Feeling exhausted, she curled up her chilly body into a ball on the bed.

Knock, knock.

“Excuse me, Your Grace.”

Talia had come yet again to attend to her bath today in place of Lina. There wasn’t a bathroom attached to this room, nor was there a maid to escort her to the bathhouse Casius used. Hence, she had to use a portable bathtub if she wanted to take a bath.

The maids came inside with pails and filled the tub with water. Yurania had told Talia to bring her a bathtub because she hadn’t wanted to use the dirty rags again, but this time, they had brought her wastewater. Every now and then, Talia brought her curious bathwater, claiming she’d prepared a priceless medicinal bath for the duchess’s health, and Yurania had to soak her body in the pungent water each time. However, now that she could see the bathwater, she never wanted to dip her body in it again.

The bathtub sloshed with gray water filled to the brim. She’s still doing these things because she doesn’t know that I can see now. Just then, the underground bath crossed Yurania’s fatigued mind. She could enjoy an undisturbed, warm, and clean bath for as long as she wanted, since it was a place only the masters of the house could use. She hadn’t even gone near it before now because she’d been afraid that she might bump into Casius, but she felt braver now.

“Talia. I’m going to the underground bathhouse.”

Talia frowned at Yurania’s sudden command. “But we’ve finished preparing the bath here.”

“Can’t I?”

“I beg your pardon, Your Grace.”

Talia retreated with a bitter look on her face. She didn’t even bother to support Yurania on their way down to the underground bathhouse.

The instant they arrived, Talia said, “Go ahead inside, Your Grace. I must get the things you’ll need to bathe because you changed your mind at the last minute.”

Two maids guarded the door so Yurania didn’t doubt her safety as she went inside alone. She removed her clothes, put them in a basket, and walked toward the enormous bathtub. The air near the tub was so dense with hot steam that her vision fogged. A bustling sound came from somewhere as she dipped her body into the milky, medicinal bathwater. She went to the deeper part of the tub and sat there.

Talia must’ve returned because Yurania heard her voice saying, “Put it over here.”

“Inside, ma’am?”

“That’s right. In the furthest corner. Hurry up!”

The servants carried in a heavy wooden bath at Talia’s command and came closer and closer to where Yurania was. Taken aback, Yurania backed further into the deeper parts of the tub to hide. Then she dove into the water because she didn’t want others to see her head floating ridiculously above the surface. She didn’t know how long she held her breath, but when she felt like she couldn’t hold it in any longer, something pulled her up by the arm.

Splash.

“You’re always reckless.”

A cape was draped over Yurania as she coughed for air.

Casius covered her with his huge body. His voice was nothing less than terrifying when he turned around and said, “Ram your heads to the floor if you wish to live.”

His murderous voice pierced through the air. The two servants carrying the bathtub inside floundered and lay face flat on the ground.

“Crawl back out with your heads shoved into the ground.”

Hidden from view by Casius’ body, Yurania finally calmed down after a few minutes of coughing once everybody had left. She didn’t know if it was a withdrawal symptom or if it was because she’d been abruptly pulled out of the water, but a sudden chill seized her. It’s so cold. She tightened the cape around her with trembling hands. She was fumbling with the floating end of the cape to straighten it out when her eyes met Casius’. It thankfully wasn’t the worst-case scenario because the water came up to her waist, but even this was highly embarrassing.

Casius was gazing at Yurania with an extremely fatigued look on his face. He looked like he was suppressing something as he said with pauses in between, “You… keep making me…”

He must be angry. It was understandable, since Yurania had failed to maintain her dignity as the duchess several times.

“Why on earth—”

Casius turned around without finishing his sentence, as if he were so disappointed in her that he didn’t even want to speak with her. He cut through the hot water in his wet pants. Yurania had a feeling that she wouldn’t get another chance with him if she let him go now. It might be better to bring up the divorce now. She thought he might readily agree to it when he’d seen her at her worst and was put off by her.

Yurania clutched the wet cape and quickly followed Casius to grab his hand. He turned back around to face her. She had never seen his violet eyes so dark before.

“I’m at the end of my patience, Yurania.”