Private Tutoring for the Duke’s First Night - Chapter 41

Of course, even that had become meaningless now. Since they had started sleeping in the same bedroom, they also went down to the dining room together to eat breakfast. Julia simply nodded along, thinking that perhaps that was so, at Duke Drexton’s firm insistence that it would actually draw less suspicion that way.

“I’ll come get you before breakfast.”

Saying that, Duke Drexton finished putting on his clothes and left his place. After seeing him off as he went down to check what was going on, Julia sat on the wide, cozy bed and drew her knees up.

Julia did not think of it as that serious either. There were no visitors who would come to Duke Drexton’s manor. Moreover, Duke Drexton was someone who disliked uninvited guests entering his domain. If someone wanted to come to the manor, they had to request a meeting weeks in advance and wait politely.

The reason for a loud noise, then…

It was surely one of the clumsy servants causing an accident. Something like the lower staff getting into a careless fight among themselves.

If it was something like that, Duke Drexton would resolve it quickly and come back up.

Julia rubbed her languid body lightly against the bedding, then came to her senses and put on the clothes she had brought yesterday, one by one. She did not forget to wipe between her legs with soft cloth before putting on her undergarments.

She thought that by the time she finished dressing, the Duke would come back up, but her expectation was wrong. Even after sitting for several minutes fully dressed, Duke Drexton did not return.

Did something serious happen?

Worried, Julia sprang to her feet without realizing it. Even though she knew it was not something for a mere private tutor to intervene in, the urge to check came first.

Julia opened the bedroom door. She looked around in case she might run into someone, but it was a pointless action. Servants did not show themselves in the corridors the master used.

Julia let out a sigh of relief and hurried along with her hands clenched tight.

And then, as she went down one flight of stairs.

She heard Duke Drexton’s voice.

“Why are you doing something like this on your own, without even asking for my consent?”

There was anger in his voice. A cold anger.

‘But, that formal tone?’

Julia bit her lip in surprise. It did not sound like he was speaking to a subordinate. Come to think of it, the place the sound was coming from was not the servants’ area either.

It was toward the reception room.

“A guest?”

It seemed a guest had come early in the morning. To Duke Drexton’s private stronghold. And it seemed to be someone the Duke could not simply throw out.

“How long do I have to ask for your consent, Duke? Forever, while you do nothing but hesitate?”

A middle-aged woman’s voice followed. It was tinged with sarcasm, but her pronunciation and tone were refined. Julia’s heart dropped.

“Aunt!”

Duke Drexton’s exasperated exclamation made it clear who the woman was.

‘His aunt…’

Julia’s chest went cold.

A member of Duke Drexton’s family had come.

She wanted to run away somewhere. But at the same time, an inexplicable desire to hear the conversation between the two arose, so after checking her surroundings, she slipped into an empty room next to the reception room.

‘This is insane. You shouldn’t be doing this. It’s not proper behavior, Julia.’

She scolded herself, but she could not bring herself to return to her room. Standing pressed flat against the wall, Julia listened to the conversation between Duke Drexton and his aunt, the Marchioness Alleguleur.

“I heard that someone who has supposedly made up his mind to marry is holed up at home and not even going out to gatherings where he could meet women. Do you think this aunt’s heart wouldn’t burn with worry?”

The Marchioness Alleguleur spoke sharply.

Julia’s lips trembled uncontrollably.

It was true that even after deciding to marry, Duke Drexton had not gone out to look for a bride.

‘It’s, it’s because of me…’

Once the contract with the private tutor ended, he would have properly sought a bride. Julia suddenly wanted to rush into the reception room and defend Duke Drexton.

But she was not in a position to do so.

From the start, her existence must not be revealed.