Grand Duke, Please Stop Obsessing Over Your Wife! - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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37.

 

“What I just gave you is alcohol. It’s supposed to help you speak your true feelings honestly. They say the effects wear off after a few hours, so it shouldn’t be bad for your body. Probably…?”

 

Annelize trailed off.

 

“You kept avoiding me until we met again yesterday. So, why were you avoiding me?”

 

He was absentmindedly fidgeting with Annelize’s fingers and didn’t hear her words.

 

“Your Grace.”

 

The Duke reacted a beat late.

 

At Annelize’s prompting, he reluctantly opened his mouth.

 

“I was afraid I might hurt you. So I tried my best not to touch you… but it ended up like this anyway. I hurt you after all.”

 

He smiled bitterly while looking at Annelize’s bandage.

 

“I expected you would think exactly like that.”

 

Annelize peeled off the bandage from the corner of her mouth.

 

There was a slight reddish tinge remaining, but the bite mark had almost disappeared.

 

“I’m not hurt. You bit me very lightly, so the mark disappeared quickly. I lied about it hurting because I wanted to see Your Grace. I’m sorry.”

 

A look of relief crossed the Duke’s eyes.

 

Still, he shook his head.

 

“You were lucky that time. But you can’t keep being lucky forever. Someday I’ll hurt you badly. I don’t want that.”

 

A complaint mixed with lamentation came back.

 

He’s gotten all dejected. He wasn’t like this before.

 

‘He’s as dispirited as blanched spinach. I wish he’d return to his fresh spinach days.’

 

She hadn’t arranged this meeting just to hear apologies.

 

‘Even if I say it’s okay, he won’t listen. In that case.’

 

A way to ease the Duke’s guilt came to mind.

 

Normally she would only think about it and not act, but perhaps because of the alcohol, her ability to take action strangely surged.

 

Annelize moved without thinking further.

 

When she straddled the Duke’s thigh, he flinched.

 

Annelize cupped the Duke’s cheek with her hand and bit the corner of his mouth.

 

It was the exact same spot where the Duke had bitten her.

 

When she pulled away, their eyes met as he sat frozen in surprise.

 

His face showed he couldn’t believe what had just happened.

 

“There. I bit you just like Your Grace bit me. Now you don’t have to feel sorry anymore. It’s resolved, right?”

 

“Can things be offset like that?”

 

The Duke touched the spot that had just been bitten, looking confused.

 

‘Good. Now he won’t apologize anymore.’

 

He was just speechless, but Annelize decided to think positively.

 

‘Alcohol really is amazing. My worries decrease and courage wells up. I feel like I can do anything.’

 

The Duke stared at her with confused eyes.

 

“You… you’re completely red all the way to your neck.”

 

“It’s because my blood circulation is good. I’m definitely not red from embarrassment. Anyway, shall we move on to the next topic? Why did you bite me yesterday?”

 

The Duke hesitated as he chose his words.

 

Meanwhile, Annelize absentmindedly admired his face.

 

‘He really is handsome. How can someone look like this.’

 

“Why are you touching my face?”

 

The Duke muttered in a tone that sounded genuinely curious.

 

Why? Because I want to touch it, that’s why.

 

Annelize pulled at the Duke’s cheek as she spoke.

 

“Your Grace’s cheeks are quite soft too.”

 

“No. Your cheeks are much softer. So soft I worry they might leave handprints.”

 

The Duke protested seriously.

 

Even when I compliment him, he argues.

 

“Your Grace’s skin has more elasticity.”

 

“That’s not true. I won’t talk anymore unless you admit your cheeks are the softest.”

 

The Duke stubbornly shook his head.

 

‘Seriously, is that really important in this situation?’

 

It seemed to be important to this man.

 

“Fine. I’ll admit my cheeks are the softest in the world. So please give me a detailed explanation of why you bit my cheek.”

 

The Duke let out a long sigh and began his story.

 

“You’re making me strange. At first, I could be satisfied just by looking at you. But it got worse over time. I kept wanting to touch you…”

 

The Duke confessed his sins like a believer at confession.

 

“I couldn’t stand wondering what it would feel like to bite your cheek.”

 

“So you bit me.”

 

The Duke nodded and added.

 

“I want to bite you, hold you, and smell your scent. Rolling you around in my mouth would probably be nice too.”

 

What is he talking about.

 

“Your Grace. I’m not candy.”

 

“It’s just a figure of speech.”

 

Annelize felt dizzy.

 

Whether it was from the alcohol she’d just drunk. Or from the Duke’s candid confession of his impulses. The cause was unclear.

 

Maybe it was both.

 

She held her forehead with her hand and waved it around.

 

“So, you want to hold me, bite me… anyway. You want those things. Why?”

 

Usually the ordinary answer to ‘why’ in this kind of situation would be love.

 

But the Duke was absolutely not ordinary.

 

The pattern on her left ring finger was proof of his extraordinariness.

 

At this point, Annelize was curious too. Was there another context that could explain all this chaos?

 

“When you were in the new greenhouse, I had a conversation with an old man. And I realized it. My feelings for you.”

 

The Duke then told her about his conversation with the village chief. His conclusion was as follows.

 

“It seems… I find you cute.”

 

The Duke confessed with a bitter expression.

 

Just from his expression, you’d think he’d lost a country.

 

Annelize paused for a moment and pondered the Duke’s words.

 

‘The Duke finds me cute?’

 

Her first meeting with the Duke, their second, and the events at the Duke’s castle flashed quickly through her mind.

 

All the incidents were organized into one category. It was neat.

 

“That certainly makes sense. Village Chief Alriksen has good insight.”

 

Annelize nodded.

 

‘There’s no need to question why the Duke finds me cute.’

 

According to the Duke and Isaiah, she was a beauty with aurora-like eyes who could captivate anyone.

 

That was certainly possible.

 

‘I must be someone the Duke would find cute.’

 

And. What’s the problem?

 

At least it’s not love.

 

“Then Your Grace bit me because you found me so cute you wanted to bite me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I see.”

 

“…That’s it?”

 

The Duke looked deflated at Annelize’s calm attitude.

 

“Should I cry and beg you not to find me cute? Anyway, how you think of me is Your Grace’s feelings. You can do as you please.”

 

“That’s true.”

 

“And… I don’t mind being found cute by Your Grace either.”

 

She shrugged her shoulders. It was her inner thoughts spilling out with the help of alcohol.

 

“But you can’t bite anymore.”

 

“…I know.”

 

“If you want to bite again, please tell me. I’ll get you some jerky to chew on instead.”

 

And. What else was left.

 

Annelize asked the Duke.

 

“Is there anything you want?”

 

“Well…may I hold you?”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

Hugs were always welcome. Annelize also liked it when the Duke held her. It was warm and soft.

 

Annelize spread her arms toward the Duke.

 

The Duke carefully took her into his embrace.

 

“There. Now we’re good, right?”

 

“It seems so.”

 

So warm. Annelize rested her face against the Duke’s collarbone and blinked.

 

Were their bodies too close? Was this okay?

 

What did it matter.

 

The Duke doesn’t love me romantically anyway.

 

With her mind at ease, Annelize leaned into him even more comfortably.

 

Still holding her in his arms, the Duke asked himself in a voice still unfamiliar, as if he couldn’t believe it.

 

“I can freely dote on you from now on?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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