Nelia was deeply disturbed by the man’s attitude.
She said she would compensate because she didn’t want this matter to be a big thing, but she actually had no reason to compensate.
Such a little boy couldn’t have broken his shoes just because he stepped on it, it was just a little dirty afterall.
Nevertheless, the reason why Nelia wanted to take care of the situation quietly was because if she revealed this to the duke, he might really have a bad impression on Zenuit.
She was anxious that the duke would find Zenuit annoying.
Then, Zenuit, who was hiding behind Nelia, peeked out and spoke.
“To be honest, the shoes weren’t even clean in the first place.”
“What do you say, you punk?”
“Because your face looks like a mess.”
The man’s face grew red at Zenuit’s words.
The man, who couldn’t control his anger, walked forward and grabbed Zenuit by his nape and lifted him up.
Zenuit clung to the man’s hand. However, Zenuit kept being noisy.
“You’d better take it back by saying nice things.”
“What do you say…….! This little punk!”
She could see steam coming out of the man’s head. Soon after, the man raised his fist in the air and aimed it at Zenuit.
‘Don’t tell me this kid…….’
Of course, Nelia couldn’t watch the child get hit even if the inside wasn’t like that.
Nelia hugged Zenuit as if protecting him. She closed her eyes tightly as if preparing to feel the pain that was about to come.
But…….
“Ahh………”
When she opened her eyes, the man who was about to swing his fist was rolling on the floor screaming.
She looked around to see what was going on. There was no one nearby to help. Zenuit was just looking at him with an annoyed expression.
“Don’t tell me Zenuit was…….!”
Zenuit snatched Nelia’s hand and pulled it away from the man.
“Let’s run.”
Zenuit ran as fast as the wind, different from when he was just strolling around the park.
When he finally stopped walking after taking a long way from where they were, Nelia spent a moment gathering her breath.
When she could finally breathe, Nelia asked Zenuit.
“What the hell did you do to him?”
It wouldn’t be easy either for the adult man who had rolled on the floor and screamed like a child to chase them.
“I might have broken his wrist.”
“Pardon me?”
When Nelia opened her eyes wide, Zenuit continued in a loud voice.
“I was caught off guard because you suddenly stepped forward! How can you attempt to cover me with such a weak body!”
“That man was about to hit Zenuit earlier.”
“I’m a dragon! Such a human is no better than an ant against me.”
“……. Even so, I couldn’t just watch you get hit.”
Zenuit sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, and closed his eyes right after.
“Well, you don’t have to care about what happens to him anyway. After all, he was the one who made a mistake first.”
It’s not wrong, but…….
It was Zenuit who stepped on the man’s shoes first. However, there seemed to be nothing wrong with the shoes except dust, and even though she said she would compensate, she was planning on suing him.
“And……. Do you also swing your fist at a kid like earlier?”
Although Zenuit is a dragon who said humans are like ants, appeared very upset at that moment despite his child appearance.
“I think we should get going now. Or maybe the master will be looking for you.”
The reproachful master, Duke Hart…….
But as he said, it was a while ago, so Nelia tried to move again.
But she heard Zenuit’s voice from behind again.
“And Nelia.”
“What?”
“From now on, you must never do anything as dangerous as before.”
Nellia sighed.
“I’d love to, but……. It just didn’t work out. Especially for those whom I’m attached to.”
So were Duke Hart and Charlotte.
The idea of staying quiet like a typical extra was suddenly volatilized and disturbing.
It was because she saw the duke turned into a monster and helped him find Charlotte’s pendant necklace.
‘My nosiness is also a problem.’
Nelia thought that Zenuit must be whining about her personality, but he appeared somewhat shy.
“I can’t believe you’re already attached to me. You’re more warmhearted than I thought.”
She suspected he might be embarrassed by what she said. Nelia looked at Zenuit as she let out a sigh.
Zenuit’s eyes were sparkling to hear the answer he was waiting for.
“How can I not get attached to you when we’re always together like this?”
At Nelia’s answer, Zenuit’s eyes sparkled, and soon changed his expression to a coy-looking one.
“Yes, I don’t hate you either.”
How could you say that so haughtily?
However, Nelia saw it.
The corner of his honest mouth couldn’t be hidden.
He was grinning.
Nelia thought that if Zenuit had been in his dragon form now, he would surely be wagging his tail.
***
When Nelia and Zenuit went back to the place where Duke Hart was waiting, he was reading a book.
When Nelia arrived, the duke smiled lightly and asked whether they enjoyed the tour or not.
However, the duke’s voice strangely sounded powerless. Nelia thought he was tired.
“You must be tired, should we go home?”
They hurried back to the mansion, but he quickly put down the tableware when they were about to have dinner.
He even went up to the room first, leaving a short remark that he had no appetite.
‘What’s wrong with him…….’
The duke went to the park and was seemingly quite pressured.
Nelia looked at Zenuit in case he noticed anything, but he just shrugged as if he knew nothing.
Nelia eventually left Zenuit in the room and went to Duke Hart’s room by herself.
Knock, knock.
“Your Grace, this is Nelia.”
There was no answer from the other side of the room.
Nelia stared at the door as if she was looking through the door.
‘He wouldn’t have fallen asleep already.’
Nelia eventually put her hand on the doorknob without being acknowledged by the room’s owner. The door wasn’t locked.
Creaks.
The room was dark because the lights weren’t turned on. Nelia looked around the room looking for the duke.
She managed to find the duke in no time. The duke was lying on the bed.
“Are you sleeping?”
Nelia crept up to the bed. He was closing his eyes quietly.
Nelia watched his figure for a moment, not thinking about leaving right away because he just closed his eyes picturesquely.
Then she concluded that the reason why he seemed to run out of energy was because he was tired.
She could tell from the fact that he went to bed so early in the night.
And it was when Nelia was about to leave with such confidence.
“Nelia.”
The duke held Nelia’s wrist.
“Weren’t you sleeping?”
The duke pulled Nelia’s wrist without saying anything. Nelia was dragged to sit on the bed.
Nelia asked with a worried face while looking at his clearly weak gesture which was different from usual.
“Your Grace, what’s wrong?”
The duke’s face was covered with one of his hands, so she couldn’t see his expression properly.
He remained quiet for a while, and then slowly spoke up.
“I’m so tired.”
Nelia failed to hide her surprised expression.
The duke was someone who always said he’s fine no matter how hard things were. As if he doesn’t know how to say the word ‘hard’.
Even before the total lunar day, he seemed worn out, but he never expressed his condition clearly.
“Your Grace……”
Nelia’s face was basked in worry. Instead of answering her, the duke extended his hand and caressed Nelia’s cheek.
Nelia became frustrated when he didn’t tell her the reason.
“What is it, Your Grace?”
“I think Nellia will be disappointed if I tell her why.”
“Why would I be disappointed by the Duke?”
The duke slowly retreated his hand from her cheek.
“No… You certainly would be disappointed.”
The duke exhaled deeply.
“It’s about Zenu and…….”
What does he mean by saying it’s because of Zenuit?
Nelia seemed to know how the duke felt almost immediately.
Zenuit suddenly lived in this house and he was forced to pretend to treat it as nothing, but it was actually not.
The duke must have been getting impatient and on edge lately because he didn’t get any information about Sigrid’s heart. But she couldn’t apologize to him and tell the truth.
“Your Grace……. I’m so sorry.”
“Nelia doesn’t have to be sorry. It’s because of my narrow mind.”
“No, I think I would have done the same.”
The duke asked again after a brief pause.
“…… Nelia thought about doing the same thing?”
“Yes, of course.”
Nelia’s obvious answer made the duke get up from his lying position. One of his eyebrows was bent curiously.
“Nelia……. Why do you think I’m blaming myself right now?”
“Aren’t you feeling guilty about thinking he’s (Zenuit) annoying?”
Duke Hart rubbed his forehead and sighed.
“Nelia……. I’m not bothered by Zenu.”
Nelia opened her eyes wide and tilted her head to the side.
“Then why…….”
“It has nothing to do with Zenu, it’s about my seething jealousy and possessiveness that come out.”
Nelia couldn’t understand the duke’s words.
Nelia wondered why he would feel possessive and jealous when it’s about Zenu.
Of course, she knew well that the duke has extreme possessiveness. The duke had a history of being possessive of the female lead, Charlotte.
But saying this now while mentioning Zenuit…….
Nelia opened her eyes wide when she realized what he meant.
Seeing that, Duke Hart covered his face with his hands as if he was feeling guilty of himself.
“I knew Nelia would make that kind of face……. That’s why I didn’t want to tell you about my feelings.”
“Wait, let me make sure. Your Grace, are you jealous of Zenu?”
He couldn’t be.
Nelia was embarrassed and could barely speak again.
“As you know, Zenu is my cousin…….! Also, he’s just a child!”
The duke slowly began to speak after lowering the hand that covered his face. His eyes were still looking elsewhere.
“I’m jealous of everything you touch, Nelia. It doesn’t matter if it’s a child or just a cousin of yours.”
This was the reason why the duke said it was hard.
No, it was a relief.
However, it was just Nelia who thought that way because the duke still spoke with a dark expression.
“And……..”
Yes? What else is left……?
The duke said with lowly opened eyes.
“I’m nervous because I can’t touch Nelia lately.”
How could he say such embarrassing things with such a silly face?
On the other hand, Nelia’s face quickly turned red at the duke’s direct confession.
“If you try to reach it, Nelia refuses.”
There were several scenes that suddenly passed through Nelia’s mind. When the duke touched her cheek or tried to hold her hand, he was surprised and moved away.
Of course there was a reason.
“It’s because a kid such as Zenu is watching…….”
Nelia was also concerned about Zenu, an innocent child, but she was also told to refrain from loving him directly.
Actually, no matter how transcendent he was like a dragon, she was deeply concerned that he was a child.
“I know. However……. I miss Nelia’s warm body temperature.”
The duke laughed powerlessly.
“Nelia knows…… My skin is too cold. Once I realize your warmth, I think I want it more.”
Nelia felt sorry for the duke’s pathetic words.
“I actually…….”
The duke slowly moved his eyes to make eye contact.
“I still want to reach Nelia.”
Maybe, all the time.
The duke added in a whisper.
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