Escaping the Archduke of the North’s Obsession - Chapter 4.1

Mei, Isabella’s exclusive maid, entered the room with her head bowed down.

People had experienced tremendous confusion at Archduke Kyar’s orders not to call her name and make eye contact with her for a while.

In the end, it seemed that they had decided to call her “my lady” instead.

She felt somehow awkward, somehow, every time she heard them call her ‘my lady’ when she wasn’t a noblewoman.

“The meal is ready.”

She looked at the notebook that showed her how to make the medicine, but she welcomed the sound wholeheartedly and got up from her chair.

The good thing about staying at Kyar’s castle was that she could eat such incredibly delicious foods every day.

She didn’t need to wander in the mountains and hunt anymore.

She was pleased by the quality of the meals they had served on a timely basis.

However, there was one inconvenience that she had to deal with.

She had to eat with Duke Kyar and see his face every day.

As he entered the dining table,  Archduke Kyar’s unwavering gaze was like sharp arrows aimed at her face.

What if he succeeds in piercing her?

‘That gaze of his burdens me.’ She thought.

Because Duke Kyar had never taken his eyes off her, her stomach had tied into knots throughout the entire meal.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

After a few days of consideration, she finally got the courage to speak to Archduke Kyar in a cautious tone.

He stared at her, one eyebrow slightly raised as if encouraging her to continue.

“I think I need to save time from constantly going in and out of the Dining Hall to make the antidote as soon as possible. Can’t I eat separately in my room?”

“Then I’ll go to your room.”

His adamant refusal even scared her more.

She was already exhausted, with Duke Kyar visiting her in her room a dozen times a day.

“If you keep doing this, the time I will spend on making the antidote will be delayed. It is inevitable. ”

“Please continue making the antidote. It’s all because of the strange medicine you made. It’s just that if I don’t look at you, I don’t have an appetite.”

She was done with him.

Maybe, she was the crazy one for thinking that she could solve her problem by talking to this madman.

Giving up on the conversation entirely, she swallowed a sigh.

Still staring at her,  she noticed how his hand cut the meat with sheer elegance before he swallowed it.

Somehow she felt like she was the one being devoured and not the meat.

Chills ran down her spine, and she immediately lowered her head.

Making the antidote as soon as possible was the way for her to live.

It was a pity to part from these delicious foods that they had served her every day, but if she stayed here a little longer, she would not be able to survive if they kicked her out.

She focused on the meal and avoided his gaze even if the action appeared to be a great obstacle to her plan of living a long and healthy life.

After a 30-minute meal that felt like one month, she returned to the room.

“Isabella! When are you going back to my house? I don’t like this place! I’m scared of Duke Kyar.”

Ignis complained as soon as he saw her in her room.

Ignis was very scared of Duke Kyar, who frequently entered and exited her room as she placed.

“He’s an icy person! If I run into him, I keep getting sick!”

“Come here and eat my energy.”

She felt bad after seeing Ignis, who seemed to have lost some weight here.

Duke Kyar, who had the power of ice, and Ignis, a fire spirit, were bound to be at odds.

She shared her energy more often than usual, but her worries grew after seeing Ignis— who couldn’t keep up with her spirit.

It would be nice if he could take some red medicine himself.

Unfortunately, Ignis could only ingest her energy, so eating real food or potion was out of the question.

Mei, who did not know about the situation, kept bringing her bird feed for him, and it wasn’t just once or twice.

She even thought about preventing Archduke Kyar’s frequent visits to her room for Ignis’ sake.

Like this.

But even a tiger would come if she said so, and, indeed, Archduke Kyar opened her door and entered.

He was an impolite human being who didn’t know how to knock.

As soon as he felt his presence, Ignis, who was next to her, flew to the window and hid behind the curtain.

“Aren’t we supposed to separate after having dinner?” She asked coldly.

Prince Kyar’s handsome face, akin to a perfect sculpture, frowned.

“Don’t think I’m here because I miss you. You made me like this—-”

“So, for you to get out of that poor state, shouldn’t you help me make the antidote as soon as possible?”

Cold air emanated from his body.

Even if she was full of fire energy, it was hard to withstand the cold air around them.

Still, she couldn’t back down like this.