I Stole The Duke - Chapter 14
“My hat flew away…”
“In that case, you could’ve just let it go.”
After spewing such vulgar words at him, the man didn’t even seem to regard Goldman as worthy of notice.
“What the…?”
Tall, broad, and annoyingly handsome—the man seemed familiar with the silver-haired “fairy.”
Goldman scanned him carefully.
A plain white short-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and a simple sword with no special embellishments. Either a bodyguard from a poor noble family who couldn’t afford a proper knight’s uniform or a mercenary hired as a temporary escort.
‘A mere free knight, is it?’
Convinced by the man’s humble appearance, Goldman’s anger flared even more.
“I asked you—what kind of rudeness was that?!”
Unable to endure the blatant disrespect, Goldman shouted.
“So?”
Michalis slowly turned his gaze toward Goldman, unbothered by his raised voice.
“Are you going to challenge me to a duel?”
“I…!”
The moment Goldman locked eyes with those icy cobalt-blue irises, a chill ran down his spine.
The man hadn’t even touched his sword, yet Goldman’s neck tingled as if a blade had grazed it.
“I won’t, but I still demand an apology for your insult.”
Summoning the last remnants of his pride, Goldman barely managed to speak.
Michalis didn’t reply, but his glowing eyes seemed to sneer—‘You? Demand an apology?’
Goldman broke into a cold sweat under the strange, oppressive pressure weighing on him.
His eyes darted to the sword still sheathed at the man’s hip. Only now did he notice a tiny crest engraved at the end of the hilt—so subtle it was easy to miss.
He had seen that crest before. It was the same as the one embossed on the wedding invitation from House Ascher.
“An apology, huh?”
Michalis’s lips curled faintly, his voice lazy—like a well-fed predator.
“……”
It was the calm, confident smile of a cat toying with a mouse.
“Y-yes. Apologize.”
Despite being openly mocked, Goldman couldn’t get angry. Standing before this man felt like being naked in front of a wild beast.
“Michalis, let’s go back.”
At the sound of Eliana’s clear voice, the oppressive atmosphere lifted, and Goldman could finally breathe again.
“Understood.”
“Thank you for catching my hat.”
The man naturally offered his arm and escorted Eliana away. The tension that had gripped Goldman’s body vanished in an instant.
‘That man…’
Watching their retreating figures, Goldman came to a realization.
A Northern woman… a man carrying House Ascher’s crest… and the name “Michalis.”
‘He’s Michalis Ascher—the Duke himself.’
To think he had just witnessed the most anticipated couple in the Empire—the stars of the upcoming wedding. This was huge.
The fear that had consumed him moments ago quickly turned into elation. One of his closest friends was the heir to the Empire’s largest newspaper. Suddenly, he had the perfect way to erase the humiliation he had just suffered.
Rustle.
Goldman pulled a small image recorder from his pocket.
“Image save.”
He slotted in a thumbnail-sized magic stone and muttered the activation phrase. The miniature recording device activated silently.
“……”
Feigning casual movement, Goldman crept after them and hid around a corner, aiming the device at Eliana—the one he believed to be the future Duchess.
It was a shame he couldn’t capture her beauty properly; her hat still obscured most of her face.
‘This should do.’
Satisfied with his secret footage, Goldman tucked the recorder away and couldn’t stop the smug grin twitching at his lips. Tonight, he’d be the star of the party, armed with an exclusive scoop.
Thunk!
Grinning slyly, Goldman turned—and smacked into a wall that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
“What the—?!”
A massive shadow loomed over him—a giant of a man, even by the standards of the capital.
“Hand it over.”
The man stepped in front of Goldman and extended a hand—massive, like a bear’s paw.
“Guh!”
Goldman stared at the hand, larger than most men’s heads, and instinctively knew:
‘If he hits me with that, I’m dead!’
Goldman staggered back, and the giant took a step forward. His eyes were too wide to notice the coachman’s outfit the man wore.
“I said—hand it over.”
His voice was low, rumbling like a black bear’s growl.
“H-here! Take it!”
Cornered against the wall, Goldman had no choice but to surrender the recorder.
“Hmm…”
Crunch.
The massive hand curled into a fist, and the metal device crumpled like jelly.
“Ugh…”
Faced with overwhelming strength, status meant nothing.
“Get lost.”
“AAAAH!”
Goldman could only watch in despair as the 30 million reum device was crushed before his eyes. He turned pale, too terrified to protest, and fled in a panic.
‘What the hell… That bear of a man! He’s not following me, is he?!’
Goldman, having fled a long way from the towering man, finally emerged onto a busy main street. He glanced over his shoulder.
‘Gone?’
It seemed he hadn’t been followed.
“Heheheh.”
A snide laugh escaped Goldman’s lips as he checked over his shoulder again.
“Heh, he had no idea I had a second one.”
His hand dipped into his pocket, confirming the familiar shape.
The image recorder.
He was disappointed that the footage of women at the beach had been destroyed, but compared to the scoop, it was a small loss.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
A carriage, appearing no different from an ordinary rental, pulled up in front of the bench.
“Careful.”
“Yes.”
Eliana took Michalis’s hand and stepped into the carriage, settling into her seat.
Across from her sat a box she hadn’t seen before. Michalis climbed in after and sat opposite her.
“You can take it off now.”
“Oh, right.”
At his words, Eliana removed her hat and placed it on her lap. She let down her hair, which she’d pinned up for the hat’s sake. The dreamlike outing was over.
“Not the hat. Your shoes.”
Michalis’s voice came again, quiet but firm, as he observed her.
“Ah…”
Eliana’s face flushed hot.
‘What… why the sudden request? What if my feet smell?!’
“You need treatment.”
Seeing her hesitate, Michalis opened the medical kit beside him.
Clunk.
The carriage began to move.
Tap. Tap.
He didn’t press her, but under the weight of his gaze, Eliana reluctantly slipped off her shoes.
“……”
Without another word, Michalis applied disinfectant to her wounded heel.
“Ow.”
Eliana flinched at the sting.
‘Sigh.’
Michalis sighed inwardly. The wound was worse than he’d thought. How had she managed to walk with such delicate, fragile ankles?
‘She should have said something.’
Eliana glanced at him, then quickly turned her eyes to the window.
Her heart thumped loudly.
“All done.”
“Thank you.”
Eliana inspected the neatly wrapped bandage, then kept her eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside.
‘Why does he have to be this considerate? It’s… confusing.’
She didn’t dare look at him, afraid her fluttering heart would show.
“……”
An awkward silence followed.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
The sound of hooves echoed without interruption for a long time.
“Why are you so kind to me?”
Eliana finally turned from the window and broke the silence.
What had started as a playful date now felt intimate, like something shared between lovers. Because Michalis had matched himself to her pace the entire day, she had been lighthearted all along.
“As long as you’re in my estate, your safety is my responsibility.”
Still avoiding her gaze, Michalis spoke as he finally looked at her.
“Your injury, too.”
“…I see.”
Her elated mood deflated at once.
‘Responsibility?’
Her eyes shifted back to the window.
‘So it’s just responsibility…’
They’d danced, gone on a date, even chatted easily. She’d thought they’d grown closer.
‘What was I expecting?’
He was just a man with a strong sense of duty.
‘Get a grip, Kim Eunchae. Don’t go looking for affection where it’s not given.’
She felt foolish. He’d been a bit kind, and she’d allowed herself to hope.
‘You idiot. You should’ve kept your distance. You’re swayed by his face, really?’
She regretted asking him out for a date on a whim.
‘You just needed somewhere to stay, remember? No more expectations.’
Eliana steadied herself.
‘I’m going to log out anyway. Feelings won’t do me any good.’
“……”
While Eliana wrestled with her thoughts, Michalis was trapped in his own sense of failure.
‘Sigh.’
Staring out the window, he exhaled a silent breath.
He should have noticed sooner.
He was angry—not just about the injury, but that he had created the kind of life in the duchy where she had to hide it to avoid returning.
He’d pretended to yield when she’d been bold. Accepted the engagement, but ignored her for over a month.
‘What was I afraid of?’
He’d avoided her on instinct, not even realizing it.
A 98:2 male-to-female ratio. The duchy, filled almost entirely with men, was never a place for a noblewoman to thrive.
‘All of this is my fault.’
Only now did he fully feel the weight of his responsibility.
She had become his fiancée overnight, and he hadn’t known how to approach her. He’d had no answer.
He just didn’t want to live like his father—or make someone suffer like his mother had. He had planned to end the old ways, never giving thought to love or connection.
‘How did it come to this?’
Now, Michalis sat in silence, overwhelmed by the complexity of everything.
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