Kidnapped By The Crazy Duke Chapter 9

Noah was sitting at his desk in his office early in the morning, deep in thoughts.

There were quite a few formal reasons and triggers for Noah to bring Diana here, contrary to his existing plans.

He thought of Diana's soft, yet unflinching, gray-green eyes that seed to have given everything up.

Her face under her pitch black hair was so pale it looked like a blank sheet of paper. It couldn't be separated by cold or warm, as it seed to lack sothing, an impression of apathy without even a motive.

Even though she was kidnapped, she made formal requests with a lukewarm attitude and lukewarm eyes, without crying or fear.

She seed to be unconcerned and didn't care if she stayed or left.

She was crying, and it was beautiful. Maybe it was because she was crying for him. He rembered the tears trickling down her doll-like face with an innocent expression.

For the first ti, she showed tears and needed him to protect her, who had not cried or pleaded even though she was held at gunpoint or left unattended for several days.

It stimulated joy, as if he had acquired a unique work of art that ant sothing different than its outward appearance. It also gave him a sense of accomplishnt.

In any form, he wanted to see the real expression on the pale, dull face, to be emotionally upset because of him and not others.

He liked her. Because he was self-centered and unkind. Noah felt strange, as if he had found a clue to what he had been looking for a long ti. He knew what he wanted.

Fortunately, the mad Duke's desires took a gentlemanly turn. If it had been the other way around, the two of them would have had qualifiers like exhaustion, thriller, and horror. She had nothing, and all he needed from her was herself.

He also liked that possibility that she could be the one and only. Of course, there were quite a few people striving to be special and unique to Noah. But no one gave him enough satisfaction, no one was perfect. Not even his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Rothsilde, could do it.

I got her first, and now shes mine. It's a promise.

Noah's mouth relaxed as he thought of a promise he had once made to soone else.

"Vincent.

Yes, sir.

Vincent, the secretary standing in front of Noah, looked nervous, wondering what kind of serious conversation he was going to have.

Do you have a girlfriend?"

Vincent's eyes, which were very serious, beca vacant.

"I'm too busy with work to be in a relationship."

I see.

"You've been in love before, haven't you?"

"I only t her a few tis because you asked to. What kind of love is that?"

Vincent sorted through a set of papers, tapping them on the desk with a fuming expression. He gazed out the window for a mont, reminiscing about sothing.

"You've made them all cry. Even the Princess of dea."

The words "You bullied Claire at gunpoint to make her cry too," ca to his mouth, but he swallowed them.

"Her? I only t her to say no because she kept sending troubleso courtship letters."

"What do you an? dea's successor to the throne is only allowed to marry dea, so you should et her. If you marry another nation, you will lose your eligibility for succession."

"The princess is Diana."

Vincent pretended to listen roughly, as his head hurt from trying to understand Noah's peculiar thought.

Yes.

"What can I do to keep her from running away? In a good way.

Are you talking about Miss Claire?"

"Yes.

Vincent rembered that there were a lot of books on romance in the recent assortnt list. There was no way the man would read them, Diana must have requested them. Stories about bonding and romantic feelings? It must be a ans and thod to keep her here.

Do what won like.

What should I do?

"You dont know?

"I've never given a woman a gift before."

Noah nodded and smiled. Vincent, who hadn't even had ti to fall in love and had been alone for quite so ti, spat out a few words that he rembered at random.

They like jewelry, accessories, and dresses. They like n with ability. She won't run away. Dont worry."

"I know that. Dont answer randomly."

Noah narrowed his eyes and tapped his cheek. Vincent, who was caught, looked embarrassed.

"I'm sure shed like sothing shed never received before. They discriminated against the eldest daughter."

"So I tried to give her one of the things the Admiral's eldest daughter has, but she didn't want it. I said I will make a carpet out of bears skin."

"A woman who likes animals might not like it."

"If she likes animals, why wouldn't she like that?"

"Because she wouldnt want her favorite animal to die.

She wears fox fur well though.

Noah raised his chin and sighed. Vincent looked out the window at the mountain ridge. This place was surrounded by mountains and forests and was quite far from the city.

"She can't escape anyway.

"She doesnt even want to run away.

"Anyway, just give her sothing she likes. Won like n who co by every day and ask if they're okay, and won like n who care about them. In fact, if it's heartfelt, won even like flowers picked on the street.

Vincent's polite answer made Noah chuckle.

"Then go out and buy sothing. I'll write it down for you."

It took at least two hours by car to get to the city, but four hours round trip. Vincent nodded with a gloomy face at the thought of another confird night shift today. Noah, his face tilted at an angle, asked.

"Vincent, where can I get so flowers? It's winter and there are no flowers on the streets."

"Then you will have to wait until spring.

Is it possible? You can buy them at the florist and say we picked it on the street?

Vincent sighed at Noah's words and put his hand on his forehead.

***

I could feel the warm rays of the sun on my eyelids. I seed to have fallen asleep as if I were passing out. Noah told he was going to tell sothing, but I couldn't ask him what it was. It was too much of a shock and I was too tired to think. My whole body was still sore and heavy as cotton after drinking so much water.

Is it morning?"

I looked out the window and was surprised. The red sky was not a sunrise, but a sunset. I slept for a very long ti. My head felt like it was going to crack and I gulped down so water. I pulled the string and called Molly, and she brought a al.

After dinner, I got up slowly and took a hot bath. I imrsed myself in a bathtub filled with warm water, I felt that the remaining fatigue was relieved. Molly, who had lted the bath salts for , asked a personal question for the first ti.

"Did you injure this on your wing bone?"

What? What's there?"

"It's a butterfly-shaped scar. It's been there since I first saw it, did you know?"

There was no way I would know every single thing about this body. The owner of this body was a side character who died early in the story. Did she happen to have a hidden birth secret and wasn't a runaway slave? This was stigmatized.

"I don't know."

Molly didn't ask any more questions and silently helped with my bath. After I washed and dressed, Vincent ca in, looking very tired. Behind him, there was a line of maids with their hands full of sothing.

"What is it?"

Anything you like.

What do you an?

Molly and the maids peeled off the wrapping paper, opened the box and took out the goods.

There was a hint of joy on their faces. Hats with elaborate corsages, gowns, dresses made of various high-quality fabrics, coats with fur, and all kinds of jewelry and accessories are piled up like Christmas presents.

"The Duke gave them to you."

Ah.

I looked at them with an uninterested expression on my face. I just took out the thick pajamas, woolen knitted socks, and fluffy indoor shoes. Vincent's brown eyes wavered a bit at my tasteless reaction. He cleared his throat considerably.

"Dont you like it?

"There's no place to wear any of that.

The maids, who looked excited for no reason, beca quiet and the room was engulfed in cold silence. I added in a calm tone.

"And there is no mirror in this room."

There was a saying that one of the ways to tornt people is to decorate them glamorously and not show them a mirror. This must be an elegant harassnt of an educated person.

"I'll bring it to you in a mont. This is where we keep trophies of war and artifacts."

Am I among the trophies of war? It seed that the many death flags and hardships have turned into a pessimistic person. I felt a little queasy and pouted my lips.

"Yes, yes, I'll dress up like a trophy."

"What are you so negative about? Youre living a life of luxury as a hostage.

Vincent replied in a clerical voice, confirming that he had purchased the goods and ordering the servants to organize them.

"I'll report the inconveniences you've ntioned to the Duke."

"Yes.

After Vincent and the maids left, I lay down on my bed again. I don't know why he kept trying to be nice to when he was going to throw away if he lost interest anyway. Would this body have a century of beauty?

In terms of the character I saw in the original, he did well as a hope advisor. He was also soone who enjoyed inflicting despair. It was the mischievous indulgence of only those who had it.

As the sun completely set and a quiet darkness was setting in, I heard a light knocking.

"Co in.

Has Molly co? I stretched out to the bed in a very lazy manner and roughly answered.

"Are you going to sleep again?"

Noah, wearing a navy blue lounge suit under a long black coat, walked in and tilted his head.

The atmosphere was so fraught it was like watching a scene from a movie. He took off the gloves he was wearing, put his bare hand on my forehead and asured my temperature.

"It's not a cold.

This man..Unlike the original, he ca here often. I put on a grim face and raised my upper body.

"What's the matter?"

"I heard you were sad because you had pretty clothes but nowhere to go.

The secretary seed to have a tendency to exaggerate.

I wasnt sad"

Vincent said your expression was sad."

"I was born that way.

Yes. Its pitiful.

Noah looked at with a sympathetic, sorry expression. I sighed and ruffled the bangs that covered my eyebrows.

Yes, yes, I admit it.

"I'm here to go out with you. I'm going to make you a place to wear it."

". Wow, Im excited.

I clapped my hands a few tis in a soulless reply. Going out was one of the things I hated most about being an indoor person.

"But I have shaggy hair.

"Molly will make you pretty again, I'll wait outside, so co out when you're done."

I went out of my way to induce him to cancel the outing, but it didnt work. Noah went out and Molly ca in to help change my clothes and straighten my hair with a heated iron rod.

As she took out the powder, I waved my hand in rejection and applied only lipstick, which was made of beeswax and flower petals.

"Looks like I'm going on a date, huh?"

"Yes, youre."

Molly replied succinctly, her hands sincere in comparison to the heartless, cold expression on her face. I don't know what she did, but she put her best effort into it, and sweat beaded on her forehead. Molly made a low hissing sound as she brought the erald necklace and a set of earrings.

"Your ears are not pierced.

Oh, that's right.

"I'll pierce it for you now.

"No, wait!"

I scread in fear at the sight of Molly's strong arms, but fortunately she pierced my ears quickly and painlessly, and even disinfected them.

"Ill get you the small earrings. I'm sure the big earrings will hurt."

Molly, who had put on my earrings and necklace, led to the full-length mirror she had brought earlier. Her face looked subtly proud. I looked in the mirror and was a little surprised to see a strange woman I hadn't seen often in a long ti.

Her dry skin, crow-like figure had gained so flesh. Her cheeks, which had been pale and hollow, were now plump and pink. Her dark hair, which had been dry now turned silky, and the shadows under her eyes, tired from hard labor, faded away.

"It looks good like this.

"Yes, youre beautiful."

Molly responded to my monologue with a blank expression, but she did look a little excited. I was dressed in a dark purple velvet dress with a coat of fine fabric on the outside and a brooch fastening at the collar. The lining was coyote fur.

On top of that, I wore elbow-length silk gloves and high heel shoes that made look like an urban conglorate woman. After all, the fashion was complete with short hair. Noah, who was reading the newspaper downstairs while waiting for , took a mont to admire my figure and nodded.

It looks good on you. You look beautiful no matter what you wear.

"Havent you seen in white pajamas day and night?"

"Theyre all different. Different laces, different buttons, different materials."

I didnt understand such small differences. I just wore what I was given.

I saw a classic black car parked at the entrance of the mansion. Vincent was sitting in the driver's seat with an expressionless face. A sowhat apathetic look of impending world destruction.

"Please get in. Princess."

Noah opened the backseat door and smiled prettily.

It's our first date, just like ordinary couples.

"A date? Lovers?"

Did I end up dating this man without even knowing it? With one fake word, "I love you ?

As if I had been hit in the head, I stared blankly at Noah's face.