Liking men. Is this really the best option?

But I’ve already thrown the words out. Now I have no choice but to push forward in this direction.

After crossdressing, now I even have to act as a man who likes men.

Life is tough.

“What?”

The duke blinked his eyes while looking at Chloe. As if he had heard something he shouldn’t have.

“To be honest, I’m not interested in women. If I’m being completely truthful, I like men. That’s why I was trying to leave this mansion.”

“What, what do you like?”

“I’ve been admiring you all this time, Your Grace. Since you didn’t have any women you were seeing separately, and showed no signs of it, I thought that maybe you also secretly liked me. You even gave me the position of personal attendant despite my lack of experience.”

The lies flowed smoothly.

Just as the duke had twisted all the situations to fit his misunderstanding and delusions, she too neatly fit the situations to match her lies.

Strangely enough, it all fell into place perfectly.

Although while continuing to speak, the urge to slap her own mouth was raging.

“What? What…?”

The duke stuttered like a broken machine.

“Actually, there were rumors that Your Grace engaged in male relationships, and you even placed my room right next to your office. And every holiday, you gave me extra money to use as travel expenses. Couldn’t I have thought that you considered me somewhat special?”

As she spoke, she even became emotionally invested, delivering a soulful performance as if she had really believed this. Everything fit together so perfectly, there was nothing to stumble over.

“What? What nonsense are you spouting now…?”

In the end, the duke’s face turned ashen.

To the point where she worried if her acting had gone too far.

“If that wasn’t the case, I apologize. It was all my fault for nurturing these emotions on my own.”

“Ha!”

The duke seemed at a loss for words.

“Yes, that’s right. You slept with a woman, Your Grace. You weren’t someone who liked men like me. Moreover, seeing you search for that woman. That’s why I tried to let go of my admiration and leave this mansion. I wanted to leave before you brought that woman back. I just couldn’t bear to watch that…”

“Nonsense! Lies! How shameless!”

The duke shouted, his face turning bright red. Where had his usual cool demeanor gone? Seeing his flustered state made him seem almost like a child.

“I really don’t know anything about the blonde hair. Could it be that you were mistaken, Your Grace? Or did someone come to my room without my knowledge?”

“Do you think that makes any sense?”

There was no way to resolve the issue of the hair. When logic fails, the only option is to proceed illogically without giving time to think.

“In fact, haven’t you been capricious with me these past few days, Your Grace? Telling me to come close, then to stay away. Do you know how much of a torture that was for me? Filled with hope, then plunged into despair. You wouldn’t understand that pain, Your Grace.”

Chloe kept rambling on, feeling as if she had discovered an unexpected talent for acting. It felt like her mouth was moving on its own, without even the minimal brake of the brain.

“You even told me I had the same scent as the woman you slept with, said I resembled your mother, and asked if my mother was beautiful! Why on earth did you do that?”

“…”

The duke opened his mouth to say something, but ended up just closing it again.

“Yes. That’s right. I… I… I love you, Your Grace.”

She finally threw out that word. Love.

But saying that word wasn’t easy, even for a brain-disconnected mouth.

To end up making her first love confession like this.

Sigh… life.

What made her want to cry in this situation was that even though it was a lie, her whole face turned red as if she had really made a love confession.

She could feel the heat rising in her face without needing to look in a mirror. Of course, this heat was due to embarrassment, not the excitement of confession.

But to the duke’s eyes, it would look like excitement, right?

“Such nonsense…”

The duke’s face looked as if his soul had left his body.

It was an understandable expression.

For a duke who didn’t even like women, to have a man, and his personal attendant at that, say he loved him – it was natural to be creeped out.

“That’s why I tried to leave. To let go of my feelings. I really didn’t want to leave, but I couldn’t burden you, the one I l…love, any longer.”

It was strange.

While her self was trying to disappear, her mouth survived and the words flowed smoothly.

Yes, this is who I am. So be shocked and drive me away.

“I’m sorry for serving you with impure thoughts, Your Grace. But I only… felt that way about you in my heart, not once did I…”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d take a few steps back. You’re too close.”

Unable to bear the psychological discomfort and rejection, the duke waved his hand.

It was a good reaction.

“I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. So someone like me…”

Chloe continued speaking while stepping back,

“…Get out.”

The duke said the words she wanted to hear before Chloe could finish speaking.

Success!

“Get out right now.”

“Yes, then.”

Chloe quickly bowed her head, lest the duke change his mind.

“Your Grace, farewell.”

She turned her body immediately after saying her farewell.

Just then, a breeze blew in from the window. Even the wind is blowing to say goodbye.

Perhaps because she had given such a passionate performance that her hands were sweating, the breeze felt refreshing.

“…Wait!”

Dark clouds suddenly gathered over her refreshed mood.

Why again!

“You!”

“Yes?”

“Farewell? What do you mean by that?”

“Pardon?”

“I told you to get out of this room.”

“What?”

“You can’t take a single step out of this house until I find that woman.”

What does that mean? You clearly had a creeped out expression earlier.

I thought you meant to get the hell out of this house right now!

“No, I love you, Your Grace…”

“Silence! Stop telling these strange lies and return to your room! Until you properly explain about the blonde hair, you cannot leave on your own accord. Bringing a woman into the house violates employment regulations, and you must take responsibility for that.”

“…!”

This isn’t right. Why did he suddenly change his mind? I even acted like a man who likes men.

How can this be?

A male attendant who comes and goes day and night and stays in the room next door says he likes him! Someone who disliked having not only women but also men close should be disgusted and drive him away!

Why are you so sure it’s a lie? What if I really do like you!

“Get out of my room right now. Come running when I call.”

The Duke made it clear not to run away.

Don’t come close, don’t go far. What, is that it?

Why is he really like this!

Chloe wanted to tear at her hair in frustration at not being able to follow the Duke’s intentions.

But she couldn’t, since it was a wig.

[This is the timeline separator]

Clyne Liden left the room with a pale face. Truly, a completely white face.

Was that fellow’s face always that white? White and small and cute… What?

Crazy.

You’ve gone mad, Hugrey Ulpaz! Completely mad. You’ve really lost it.

Cute, you say. The attendant who just confessed to you is cute? It seems like I’ve caught a mental illness rather than an imprint.

I was so shocked by the strange words about liking men and loving the Duke that I almost let go of the fellow I had just caught.

I came to my senses thanks to the wind that suddenly blew, carrying the scent that fellow was emitting strongly.

He needs to find his imprint partner, and that fellow is certainly connected to that woman.

So he absolutely cannot let that fellow go. Because he needs to find the woman he imprinted on.

Yes, that’s the only reason.

To find the woman.

There’s no other reason. Yes, there couldn’t be!

Liking men, liking me, those are all blatant lies. Lies spouted to hide his relationship with the woman.

Insolent fellow.

Emitting that woman’s scent so strongly, yet daring to lie about liking me?

Liking me, he says. It doesn’t make sense. A man liking a man. What nonsense.

But… Of course, there are such men in the world. Could it be that fellow really likes me?

No! What are you thinking, Hugrey Ulpaz!

What does it matter? Why is that fellow’s sexual preference so important?

Hugrey kept repeating the same thoughts over and over, back and forth, endlessly.

Clyne Liden was kept here because of his connection to the imprinted woman, and his claim of liking him was just a lie.

Even if it wasn’t a lie, all he needed to do was find the woman who was clearly connected to that attendant.

He kept repeating this to himself, as if brainwashing himself.

[This is the timeline separator]

Two hours after Chloe had holed up in her original room, next to the Duke’s office, the Duke pulled the bell cord.

Chloe ran to the Duke’s room out of habit.

The Duke calmly instructed her to prepare tea, as if nothing had happened. He acted as if he didn’t care that Chloe had tried to quit being an attendant.

Come to think of it, it was time for afternoon tea.

Was that earlier statement simply meant for me to resume my duties as an attendant?

“Um, Your Grace. Does this mean I’ll continue working as an attendant until you find that woman?”

Chloe asked cautiously. If she was to be held here unable to escape, this was clearly an issue that needed to be addressed. After all, she should be paid even for working one day.

Tap tap tap.

The Duke stared at Chloe’s face while tapping the desk with his left index finger.

“I don’t think I’ll find her that quickly?”

“Pardon?”

“Finding my woman, I mean. Why don’t you just explain about the hair? Didn’t you say you needed to go home?”

“I know nothing about it.”

Tap tap tap.

The Duke tapped the desk again.

“Then, continue working as an attendant. If you don’t like it, tell me what you know about the woman.”

It seemed the Duke didn’t believe his words about liking men, especially the Duke himself. He still thought he was secretly meeting the woman he had slept with. That’s why he was telling him to work as an attendant.

“I know absolutely nothing about any woman or hair.”

“Do you really not have a woman you’re seeing? Look me in the eye and tell me.”

“There is none. As I said earlier, I…”

Chloe answered while staring straight at the Duke. Since there was no woman she was seeing, she had no fear in meeting the Duke’s eyes.

“Just bring the tea.”

Despite seeming like he would press further, the Duke unexpectedly turned away first, breaking eye contact with her.

When did his ears turn so red?

The Duke’s reddened ears were particularly noticeable as he turned his face to the side.