Lina, who was startled by the suddenly narrowed distance, stepped back.

“You seemed frail, but I didn’t expect you to be impudent as well.”

However, as if he couldn’t tolerate her moving away, Duke Valige spoke, drawing closer to Lina.

“You attacked the master you serve and even tried to run away…?”

Despite his threatening words, the Duke’s face seemed quite amused as he spoke, one corner of his mouth lifting.

“The crimes you’ve committed aren’t few; how shall we make you answer for them all…? Shall we have a detailed discussion in Teresis?”

‘Teresis?!’

Lina was startled by the familiar word from the Duke’s mouth. Teresis was a place in the empire where those who committed crimes were interrogated before trial, like a prison.

But despite appearing as a prison, it was an infamous place where criminals were interrogated through all sorts of cruel methods.

‘To mention Teresis just because a maid kicked you once! Isn’t that too much?’

Lina had an immortal body, and any deep wounds would heal on their own without treatment given some time.

However, if she were tortured in Teresis, her immortal body might be discovered.

‘And pain is utterly disgusting!’

Lina hurriedly knelt and begged the Duke.

“Please, forgive me, Duke! I’ll do whatever you ask! Just, please, not Teresis…!”

“You’ll do whatever I ask?”

“Yes! Anything!”

“Then.”

The Duke spoke leisurely, smiling.

“Repay me, with your body.”

[This is the time separator]

Clang.

“Oh my, it seems the Duke is looking for you again, Lina.”

Sitting in the dining hall, eating her soup, Lina abruptly put down her spoon at the sound of the bell ringing once more.

“Haah…”

It was already the 13th time today. The continuous ringing of the bell had interrupted her late lunch.

“Lina, did something happen with the Duke?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, how can he keep singling you out like this?”

‘Yeah, it does seem strange.’

The bell that connected to the Duke’s room rang frequently, and when Emma, feeling sorry for Lina, who couldn’t eat or work, went to the Duke’s room instead, it happened.

[The Duke says he’s looking for you.]

But Emma returned only with the Duke’s words, seeking Lina. The butler and other maids and servants received the same message.

[The Duke only wants you, Lina.]

When this happened several times, everyone assumed that when the bell rang, the Duke was looking for Lina.

‘Repaying with my body. So that’s what he meant.’

Since that night, the Duke seemed determined to summon her repeatedly for all kinds of small yet troublesome tasks.

‘I feel like such a fool.’

The Duke’s final words had led her to dangerous fantasies.

But, as if mocking her, all the tasks he gave were just trivial annoyances.

‘Haah. More than that, to have to repeat that act every morning…’

The Duke was always immaculately dressed, ready to greet her as she entered his room.

But that morning, seeing him lying disheveled on the bed, her heart had dropped in another sense.

She didn’t know where to look at the Duke’s disarrayed appearance.

When she tried to leave quickly after laying out his clothes, the Duke’s languid voice stopped her.

[Where are you going?] […Pardon?] [The clothes.] [Ah, I’ve laid them out here. Then, I’ll be going…] [No.] [What, is there something else you’d like me to do…?] [You have to dress me.] […Pardon?] [It’s your job to dress me, isn’t it?]

Normally, her morning duties would end after bringing warm water, a change of clothes, and a simple breakfast.

‘He really didn’t lift a finger.’

Starting from changing clothes to arranging her hair, nothing was left untouched by Lina’s hands.

“Can’t you button yourself up?”

The only thing the Duke had done while dressing her was to lift and lower his arms.

“Taking care of a young noble lady must not have required this much effort.”

It was embarrassing enough to see the Duke’s bare skin in the morning, but it wasn’t an easy task to face him and button his clothes either.

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

Lina pouted and headed for the Duke’s room to do another annoying task.

[This is the time separator]

Soon, the sun began to set, and evening time approached. Lina had not had a proper meal all day due to being tormented by the Duke.

However, since she had to take care of the Duke’s meal, she was on her way to his room with the cart.

Knockknock.

“Your Grace, I have brought your meal.”

“Come in.”

‘To think I have to take care of the meal of a man who doesn’t even let me rest.’

Lina sighed inwardly as she set the food one by one on the table. When the Duke sat down to eat, Lina began to fill an empty water glass.

‘I heard from other maids that once the meal is prepared, he takes care of the water himself…’

For some reason, he demanded more from her.

‘Then I’ll prepare everything before he even asks!’

She was tormented by him at every meal. That’s why she had everything perfectly prepared in advance.

But contrary to Lina’s wishes, the Duke put down his glass after taking a sip.

“The water is too cold. Bring warm water.”