Duke, Is This Your First Time?

Chapter 41

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***

“You must have wanted to ask me something. Seeing you gaze at me like that.”

It seemed that she was too blatant when staring at him. Elysia, embarrassed by Iker’s words, contemplated for a moment before speaking her mind.

“Then, may I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“According to the rumor. Ah, it’s simply a rumor.”

Iker laughed lowly when Elysia hurriedly added the next line, just in case he misunderstood it as an investigation.

“It makes me even more. What is it?”

“Do you really have no experience with women? I heard that you’ve never held hands with women with bare hands.”

“……”

Elysia was a little confused when Iker didn’t answer. She quickly added, thinking to say that she just asked for no particular intention.

“I don’t have any particular intentions, I’m just curious. There must have been a lot of women who said they liked your status and appearance, but it was strange to hear it…….”

“You are the first woman I hold with bare hands and spend my first time with.”

Elysia was speechless at Iker’s reply, which cut her timidly shortened words. 

If it was someone else, she would have suspected it was a lie, but the man in front of her couldn’t do that.

‘Am I really the first one? Everything?’

Elysia felt weird. How should she put it, she felt like becoming an awfully bad woman.

She would obviously feel guilty for dragging him by the collar, tying him to the bed, going on top of him and robbing his first time, but her guilt doubled when he said it was his first time holding a woman with bare hands.

She felt like she should be responsible for this guy…….

‘What kind of responsibility should I be responsible for?’

Elysia, who was absentminded and tried to shake her head at her thoughts, unknowingly halted when Iker’s voice came into her ears.

“It’s a shame that you touched my body first before my hand. I wanted to hold your hand first, Elly.”

Was there someone who called her nickname so sweetly like that?

As if possessed, she looked up and saw his attractive lips curled up gently in a crescent-shaped line. The intense and beautiful golden eyes that reflected only her.

“That being said, can I hold your hand?”

A big hand appeared in front of her eyes. His hand was bare without a glove.

At that moment, Elysia was conflicted. Her conflicted mind muddled and confused her.

‘What’s the point of worrying about it, it’s not like I’m going to perish if we hold hands. Think about what this man has done for me.’

She raised her hand at the words of her conscience who told her to pay back for what she had received from him, but.

‘Think carefully, if you hold this hand, you might be misunderstood as lovers. Are you okay with that?’

She hesitated right when his hand was in front of her, unable to hold his stretched hand due to her self-consciousness about her circumstances.

‘What do I do?’

She seemed to act ridiculous and crazy when it wasn’t a kiss nor intercourse, and simply holding hands, but at this moment, it was more serious than anything else.

It was when her fingers accidentally touched the fingertips of the opponent as it twitched in front of his stretched hand, reflecting the owner’s feelings.

The big hand pulled her hand as if it was snatching food.

‘Huh?’

Elysia blinked absent-mindedly. Despite her concerns, her hand was held firmly by Iker. It seemed that he assumed touching his fingertips was a sign of consent.

She felt flustered for some reason, but the warmth that went through her hand made her feel better.

The corner of Iker’s mouth curved up in satisfaction at the sight of her averting eyes somewhere other than him, but gladly she didn’t think of pulling her hand away.

“If your curiosity has been solved, let’s go.”

Iker continued his walk while holding a small, soft hand tightly in one of his hands.

***

Rashian glanced alternately at the pile of papers on the emperor, his father’s desk, and the pile of papers in front of him.

No matter how much he looked at it, he couldn’t believe the amount he took was only around one per twentieth of her father’s.

No, isn’t it one per thirtieth?

When he felt that there was still a long way, Rashian tightened his grip on the quill pen. It seemed that he had to work harder.

As long as she decided to step up and fight, at least he didn’t want to hear that he lacked the abilities as a crown prince.

The emperor’s voice was heard as the boy just dropped his gaze to review the documents.

“Right, do you think the Marquess wouldn’t find you even if you hid here?”

Rashian shook his head at his father’s laughter-filled question.

“I didn’t leave the palace to avoid the Marquess.”

“Then, why?”

“I have no reason to avoid it because Teacher said he would persuade the Marquess. Nevertheless, I came here because I didn’t want to disturb their lovey-dovey moment.”
 

The emperor smiled and stroked his beard at the young prince’s reply, it was considered mature for his age.

“from the way you see it, did the Marquess seem to have stolen your teacher’s heart?”

“Yes. I’ve never seen my teacher look at someone that way before. But I wonder if I would become a hindrance when I get in the way as a student. I don’t know how to help.”

“So you emptied the entire palace? It’s quite big, though.”

The emperor threw into a fit of laughter, liking Rashian’s behavior.

Five years ago, he entrusted Iker with his youngest son, which was really a divine move. Seeing that he had grown up so well.

The emperor, who looked at Rashian while stroking his beard, slowly opened his mouth to speak again.

“Rashian, I’m going to hold the banquet to celebrate your birthday on the first day of the next month.”

“Next…… month?”

Rashian opened his eyes wide as if surprised when finding out the event would be held sooner than the scheduled date.

The young prince couldn’t figure out what his father was trying to imply about the banquet.

It would be his first time to officially stand in front of people. To compete for the crown prince position with his older brother, who was nine years older than him.

The emperor’s dark eyebrows raised slightly at the sight of his youngest son as he was immersed in his thoughts.

‘I guess he’s nervous because it’s just around the corner. It’s understandable if he feels a month is too fast.’

The emperor judged that Rashian was not quite ready from his lack of response. So he opened his mouth again.

“Do you think it’s too fast?”

But Rashian’s answer was beyond the emperor’s expectations.

“No. As long as I’m determined to step forward, I think it’s right to move the date sooner than planned, even if it’s just a day.”

“What is it, then?”

“I was thinking about how to fix people’s gaze on me that day. They wouldn’t be only curious about the appearance of the hidden prince, but I want them to clearly recognize me as a competitor to my brother.”

“……Hohohoho.”

The emperor burst into laughter again shortly after being quiet for a while.

Even after the emperor’s laughter died down, the lingering grin still hung around his mouth.

“Iker, he taught you really well. Don’t worry about that.”

“Pardon?”

“You will be shining more than anyone else that day. Thus, everyone there will recognize you. To whom my will would lean on.”

On the day Rashian showed himself, the emperor intended to light the fire just as he promised to Iker. A colorful red light.

The emperor’s eyes shone gently while looking at his puzzled youngest son.

***

As she walked along Iker, Elysia glanced at their tangled hands.

At this point, the doubt she harbored continuously seemed to have turned into certainty.

‘I guess he really wants to date me. Does he think it’s possible?’

Didn’t he announce there was nothing between them with the help of the next head of the magic tower’s statement a few days ago, no, just yesterday?

They obviously faced each other on the night of the banquet, but on the other side of the stage, there was a premise that they didn’t exchange any sort of feelings. 

So the current situation could cause quite a problem if someone saw them.

And they even hold hands.

‘No matter what, I don’t think this is right. At this rate, if we were to get caught……’

It was when Elysia’s brows were furrowed slightly. All of a sudden, there was a rustling sound from the front.

‘Who is that…!’

As soon as she thought her concern was going to become a reality, Elysia was surprised and quickly pulled her hand out of Iker’s hold.

However, it turned out to be a white rabbit that appeared from the bush, not a person like what she was worried about.

The rabbit looked up at her and Iker for a moment with its long, large pricked up, but soon lost interest and ran away to the different direction.

“What’s that rabbit doing?”

Iker’s gentle voice was heard in Elysia’s ears as he stared at the rabbit, meanwhile she felt relieved and exasperated at the feeling of shock that it wasn’t a human.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Elly. His Highness has cleared off all of the workers. You and I are the only people in this garden right now.”

In other words, he meant that he had gotten rid of the eyes that would possibly spot them, so she shouldn’t be worried about it.

While Elysia thought she was lucky enough, Iker reached out and naturally held her hand again. She raised her head in a state of shock and saw his face filled with a full smile and beautifully bent eyes.

“I don’t think I need to seek permission again because I’ve already been given one earlier.”

“……”

Unsurprisingly, she had nothing to say. She was the one who grazed his fingertips anyway.

Nevertheless, his fingers filled the gap between her fingers and clasped it tightly when she shifted her hand awkwardly.

As if signaling her to not think about getting away again.

She had no choice but to follow Iker’s lead as their hands were entangled tightly.

The warmth from their entangled hands flowed through her vein, which turned into a fluttering sensation and tickled her heart as if she was swayed by it.

‘Where are we going?’

Elysia simply rolled her eyes because it would be vague to ask that since she would eventually find out when they arrived.

Now that she remembered it, didn’t she originally have to meet Iker today?

He tried to communicate with Duke Damos through the butler, but it had to be canceled due to the sudden order to go to the Imperial Palace.

‘How could I forget such an important thing?’

Elysia felt stupid. It was not a random thing, but the one related to her deceased mother.

No matter how surprised she was at the Emperor’s request to be the shooting tutor for the Third Prince, even if she became a flustered mess when bumping into Iker instead of the Third Prince, she shouldn’t have forgotten.

Elysia, who thought she should ask now, looked at Iker and spoke up.

“Your Excellency.”

But Iker beat her faster when she was about to bring up the topic.

“Eyes forward, Elly.”

Elysia reluctantly swallowed back what she was going to say and turned her head ahead, accepting her defeat.

‘I don’t know what this is about, but I have to look through it and ask him…….’

Elysia, whose mind was wandering elsewhere and filled with other thoughts, seemed surprised at the sight.