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T/N: Today I’d like to thank my Cookie Donor May Ann! Thanks a ton for the sweets ❤

Also, italics will be used solely for emphasis purposes for this chapter!

“Hey Gilles…. Do you think that Liz-san is capable of differentiating between herself and others?” I ponder aloud as we walk down a long, unpopulated corridor.

“Who knows?” he says noncommittally, not even bothering to look up from his book.

Hey now. Can’t you at least pretend that you’re paying a bit of attention to me….? It’s dangerous to read while walking anyway. So closing the book while we’re still moving shouldn’t be that unreasonable, right? What an un-cute little boy.

I’m about to give him a piece of my mind when suddenly I find my feet lifting off the ground.

“Huh?”

Without my noticing, a sturdy arm had encircled my waist and lifted me into the air. Just how strong is he to be able to lift me so easily with only one arm!?

“You really are tiny,” a silky sweet voice murmurs from behind my head. He’s so close that I can feel his breath on my neck as he speaks. I wish he wouldn’t whisper into my ear like that!

Although I can’t see his face, I have a very good view of his wide, well-muscled back.

Please put me down,” I say, miffed.

“But then won’t you just run away?”

Ahh, like I said! Don’t talk from behind me like this. Your breath tickles!

After these last two years, Duke-Sama’s sex appeal is just too overwhelming to deal with now. Back when we first met, it was still at the level of a slightly boyish charm…. can’t we just go back to that?

“Gilles, I’ll be borrowing Alicia for a bit.”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

Gilles–! To think that you’d betray me like this! You’ve seriously lost all hints of cuteness since I’ve been gone!

And won’t at least spare me a glance now? Now that I’m being bodily stolen away!? Shouldn’t my safety at least be more important to you than that book?

Or does he just trust Duke-Sama that much…..?

“Since I’ve gotten Gilles’s consent, let’s go.”

“Go where!?”

As soon as he spoke, Duke-Sama started walking towards one of the classrooms just off to the side of the hallway. He didn’t answer me as he opened the door and carried me in.

I try to object but my voice won’t come out, I’m so astounded by how ridiculously pushy and overbearing he’s being. He didn’t used to be like this….. Can’t I just return him and get the old version back? The sheer amount of mental, emotional, and physical strength I use up whenever dealing with Duke-Sama nowadays is no joke.

Once the two of us are safely inside, the door shut behind us, he graciously lets me down. He then stations himself in front of the only door and proceeds to casually lean against it, his arms crossed over his chest.

Grr. What makes him think he can go around acting so high-and-mighty?

After a quick survey of the room, I note that it’s almost completely empty. There’s a single desk, four chairs, and that’s it. I really can’t imagine what he could have brought me here to do….

I look at him questioningly, but he just returns my gaze. I’m the first to break the silence.

“What do you want?” I ask him, my voice sounding a bit more defensive than I would have liked. I shoot him a light glare for good measure, to show I mean business.

“Nothing. Rather, aren’t you the one with something to say to me?”

“Huh?”

“You seemed like you had something you wanted to talk to me about yesterday,” Duke-Sama says coolly while gazing at me as if he can see right through me.

No way. How did he know….? I thought I had been doing a decent job of maintaining an impassive expression yesterday!

“So? You have my undivided attention.”

“Uhh….. I have quite a few things that I’d like to ask you actually.”

“Oh? Sounds interesting.”

As I hesitate, a merciless, teasing smirk spreads across Duke-Sama’s face.

…..Urgh, this man is really…. so frustrating!

A small sigh escapes my lips.

For now, where should I start? I’d like to ask about Grandpa Will, but I should probably do that when Gilles’s around too…. and I’ve already seen where his priorities lie for now. He chose his book over me. Nope, it’s probably best not to try and get in between him and his precious book at the moment.

Hm, then the next thing I’m most curious about is how he killed those people who were going around badmouthing me. In the end, I have no idea what really became of them…. Did Henry-Oniisama actually see Duke-Sama killing them?

“Umm…..”

“I didn’t kill anyone,” Duke-Sama says before I can even formulate the question. As he speaks, his eyes look seriously into mine, all traces of his rakish smile from before gone.

…..Is he wearing a pair of contact lenses that give him the power to pick my brain or something? How did he know that’s what I wanted to ask!?

Wait, did he just say that he didn’t kill anyone?

My eyebrows shoot up and my eye goes wide as I stare at him.

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T/N: This chapter was tiny…. so why did it feel so hard?? Lol. I’m still not good at transitioning between Alicia’s thoughts and other descriptions it seems. The whole chapter just felt so choppy while I was editing T-T Oh well. At least the chapter was cute XD Sorry to all you Duke haters out there. I think you’ll be in for a bumpy ride for the next few chapters

NOTE: I’m going to stop mentioning italics every chapter. From now on, I’m only going to mention them when an honorific relevant chapter appears. If there is no note at the top, then it’s safe to assume italics are only for emphasis!

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