If You’re Being Held Hostage, Wiggle the Carrot! - Chapter 64 - No Strings Attached

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“Uh, Your Grace, there’s a different pheromone scent coming from you. It’s quite strong, almost like a female’s pheromone… Do you happen to have good news?”

Mael’s question made Ivan finally realize what the issue was. With the past few days spent alone with Ruby, he hadn’t noticed it until now.

Ivan raised his wrist to confirm the scent. Indeed, Ruby’s pheromone was still strongly present. Considering how passionately he had shared his essence with her and how diligently he had partaken of her fluids, it wasn’t surprising.

As Ivan unconsciously nodded, the people around him burst into cheers.

“Congratulations, Your Grace!”

“Finally, you’ve chosen a mate!”

“Who is it? Did you secretly meet someone without us knowing? You didn’t need to do that!”

“That’s right. With such a vacation, you could have stayed longer!”

“Is it Lady Isabella after all?”

“It very well could be.”

Amidst their enthusiastic exchanges, Ivan, with a perplexed expression, interrupted. “Lady Morado? Why are you talking about Isabelle all of a sudden?”

“What?”

“And I didn’t mention welcoming a mate. Don’t stir up unnecessary speculation with baseless rumors.”

“Yes? Then why are your pheromones…”

Even without hearing the rest, Ivan knew what they wanted to ask. However, unwilling to bring up the topic of Ruby, he chose not to respond further and returned to his paperwork.

“I’ve got a backlog of work from the break, so it’ll take some time to catch up. So I’ll need your assistance. Oh, and I’m planning to hold a meeting soon, so coordinate the schedule as responses come in from those who were invited.”

“Oh, yes!”

“What is our agenda for the meeting?”

At Mael’s question, Ivan’s expression turned serious. He organized the information Ruby had shared in his mind. The feeling that those who kidnapped her tribe and the spirits that attached themselves to him might be connected lingered in his thoughts.

With an indescribable intuition persistently pricking at his brain, Ivan locked eyes with Mael and said:

“The agenda for the meeting will be the Pink Rabbit Tribe kidnapping incident.”

“…Huh?”

Ivan’s unexpected statement left not only Mael but also all the advisors in the office astonished, their expressions reflecting their surprise.

“I can’t go into details yet, but I owe a great debt to Ruby. The Wolf Tribe always repays its debts.”

“Yes, of course!”

There was nothing incorrect about the leader’s words. While the aides were curious about the nature of the debt and the events that transpired, they kept silent.

If their leader desired it, they were loyal followers ready to comply with anything he wished.

* * *

Ruby had slept deeply for the first time in a while and woke up feeling refreshed. As someone who cherished her morning rest, aligning her schedule with Ivan’s had proven to be quite demanding. On top of that, the temporary unlocking of her abilities, coupled with successive estrous cycles as a side effect, had left her feeling notably fatigued.

“Heh, it’s been a while since I woke up on my own.”

Ivan wasn’t around. It seemed like he had left for work without waking her up, thanks to the protective wards cast around the mansion.

Slowly rising from the bed, Ruby rubbed her eyes for a moment and wandered around the dimly lit bedroom. After a brief exploration, she discovered the tightly drawn double-layered curtains. With a soft rustling sound, she pulled them aside.

Whoosh—

“Ugh.”

The sun was already high in the sky, casting shadows that hinted at noon. Estimating the time, Ruby shaded her eyes with her palm and peered outside.

Accustomed to the view from the Duke’s bedroom, she absentmindedly gazed out the window but quickly snapped out of her daze. Not far from the mansion, a wolffolk spirit stood in the garden, watching her.

“Oh… I forgot about Louis.”

Though there was no explicit agreement, she followed his words that day and looked around the Duke’s house.

“I hope he’s not angry.”

She narrowed her eyes as if to assess, scanning Louis’s expression, because when the Duke was angry, he could be a bit annoying. Fortunately, he seemed unchanged from their first meeting. Perhaps he recognized her, as he waved to her in greeting.

“Hmm.”