Don’t Tame It [Novel]

49.

“Yes.”

Irene nodded reluctantly. It wouldn’t exactly put her in a difficult position if Duke Diego Cassis went around telling people about her practice, but since his illness was meant to remain a secret, it was only a half-truth.

Duke Diego Cassis added in a gentle tone, as if driving in the final nail.

“Besides, I am a very generous employer to my attending physician. As you well know.”

That much was true. Irene, for her part, had never seen an employer as magnanimous as he was.

At that moment, Duke Diego Cassis took a bold step forward. Startled by the sudden narrowing of the distance, Irene instinctively tried to step back but froze. She realized, as if for the first time, exactly who stood before her.

Duke Diego Cassis, smiling languidly, murmured, “Oh my,” and reached out a hand. Irene stared fixedly at the encroaching movement with tense eyes.

His hand stopped right beside her ear. It was close enough to make the fine hairs on her neck stand on end.

He whispered in a raspy voice.

“May I touch your hair?”

“…….”

Irene watched him with a wary gaze. He always asked for permission like this before initiating contact. Although she knew he was not a person to harm her, she couldn’t easily open her mouth. For some reason, it felt as though Duke Diego Cassis were a beast baring its teeth.

At that moment, his smile grew even softer, as if to argue that her thoughts were nothing but delusions.

Irene nodded hesitantly.

He reached out very slowly so she could watch. Without touching her skin, he gently swept her hair back and tucked it behind her ear.

“Your hair had fallen loose. It is dangerous if it blocks your vision; you might trip. Especially since this bookstore has so many stairs.”

Irene looked down at the two books held in her hands, wondering if he had shown her kindness for that reason.

“I can manage that myself.”

“I know.”

Duke Diego Cassis answered readily and brought his hand to his nose. Then, as if savoring a scent, he slowly closed his eyes and opened them.

“It has a sweet fragrance.”

His gaze clung to her persistently. Making eye contact, Irene uncharacteristically averted her gaze and shifted her feet.

Her entire body felt itchy, her skin pricking and tingling as if she were wearing a freshly knitted wool garment.

Duke Diego Cassis lowered his voice further, his tone seeming to take physical shape, binding her.

“There is a very sweet scent coming from your hair. Enough to make me want to eat it.”

For a split second, he narrowed his eyes, as if to confirm whether she understood his seduction. She saw his earlobes flush slightly, and a languid smile settled in his eyes.

“Ah, that must be because I ate sweet potato cake a little while ago. Aunt Juana made it, claiming it was her masterpiece, packed with sweet potatoes. It was so delicious I ate three pieces all by myself. I wanted to eat more, but I was full, so I had to leave it. I’m going to eat the remaining cake when I get back. Ah, after I organize the books, of course.”

Irene’s words tumbled out rapidly. She was aware she was rambling, but she couldn’t seem to stop.

Suddenly, Duke Diego Cassis, caught off guard, finally let out a sigh.

“Sweet potato cake, is it.”

However, a faint smile lingered in his eyes as he looked at her. He raised his eyebrows lightly.

“Shall we stop here for today?”

Then, he whispered in his usual affectionate voice.

“Returning to the conversation we were having earlier.”

Only then did Irene let her tense shoulders drop. The air that had been pulled tight suddenly turned loose. That was Duke Diego Cassis’s ability—the knack for softening the atmosphere.

But what was that just now?

That suffocating feeling, as if someone were pressing down on her, blocking her breath. No, it wasn’t just suffocation; it was as if the air pressure had plummeted, every bit of oxygen sucked out of the room.

“I meant that a gift of this magnitude is no problem between us. Will you accept my favor, Miss Irene?”

Irene, snapping back to reality, wore a thoughtful expression for a moment before pulling a book from the shelf.

“Then, I will accept the Grand Duke’s favor.”

She replied as solemnly as if she were declaring war, then paused. She turned to look at him with sparkling eyes.

“Did you say as much as I wanted?”

Duke Diego Cassis smacked his lips at the sight of her instant transformation—it was hard to believe she was the same person who had been fidgeting just moments ago.

Still, this was enough for today. It required patience to close the distance with Irene, and time was on his side.

“As much as you like. You may not know this, Miss Irene, but in my warehouse, there is money rotting away that I could not spend in a lifetime.”

That was a serious problem. Irene, nodding smartly, said, “Then I will help you,” and began to pluck books off the shelf one by one.

“…….”

Duke Diego Cassis watched in stunned silence as Irene wobbled under a stack of books as tall as she was. He could not fathom where such superhuman strength came from.

Though, seeing as she could slice through a cadaver’s ribs with those same slender wrists, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

“Oh? That one too…….”

Irene reached out to grab a newly discovered book and tilted precariously.

“Oh, oh.”

A flustered sound escaped her. The stack was about to topple, and she looked more worried about the books being damaged than she was about falling herself.

But at that moment, a large hand reached out.

“It would be best to be careful. I would not want my attending physician to die being crushed by books. Are there even statistics for death by accident in a bookstore?”

Duke Diego Cassis held her shoulder with one hand and the collapsing books with the other. The sliding stack regained its balance.

*Startle.*

“…….”

Irene’s body stiffened. But only for a moment; soon, the tension drained from her.

It was not a hand meant to harm her. It was the exact opposite. A firm hand that appeared without fail whenever she descended stairs, carried heavy bags, or lost her way.

Irene stared fixedly at his hand wrapped around her shoulder. It was large and strong, yet entirely different from the hands she had once feared.

The air seemed to pull taut once more. Her mouth went dry, and heat gathered in her chest. If she were to look in a mirror, she would surely find her cheeks flushed a deep red.

Only after a long while did Irene part her lips.

“Thank you.”

Duke Diego Cassis took the books away nonchalantly. He, too, noticed that her reaction had changed.

It wasn’t that she was no longer afraid—that was an instinctive reaction, and she still feared the touch of others. It was just that the duration had shortened. The moment she realized it was his hand, she felt at ease.

At ease.

Suddenly, his eyes softened. A strange sense of satisfaction spread through him, like a stray cat wary of people finally rubbing its cheek against his leg.

Irene wandered between the bookshelves and pulled out a few more. Without hesitation, she placed them on his arm.

“Please give them to me.”

Unable to watch any longer, Javier held out his hand to take the burden, but Duke Diego Cassis shook his head.

“It is fine.”

He felt remarkably pleasant for once. Even to him, there was no logical reason for such a mood. He hadn’t even been able to mention that he’d rented out the entire bookstore, and here he was, playing the role of a porter for his physician. Yet, laughter kept bubbling up.

“I’m insane.”

Only after muttering the low self-reproach did he remember that he had been saying similar things quite often lately.

Irene, holding three books, turned to look at him. She stared at the high stack with a troubled expression before rising onto her tiptoes.

Duke Diego Cassis bent his knees slightly to assist her. Irene stacked three more books on top and dusted off her gloved hands with a refreshed expression.

“This is the last on…….”

She suddenly trailed off, lost in thought. Duke Diego Cassis’s eyebrows twitched.

“What is the matter?”

Irene, slowly lifting her head, spoke with a grave expression. The real reason she had come to the bookstore had finally crossed her mind.

“I missed one book. I will buy just one more.”

“As much as you like.”

He let out a light laugh, as if that were all it was.

Irene, who had been pulling books off with ease just a moment ago, began to walk around, eyeing her surroundings with a cautious gaze, like someone searching for a ghost.

Duke Diego Cassis followed one step behind her. Because of the mountain of books in his arms, he couldn’t see her clearly, so he tilted his head to the side.

Irene was turning her head left and right, carefully examining the spines. It was a view of her back that was very familiar.

*Well, this isn’t bad either.*

Come to think of it, he had never had occasion to look at someone else’s back. Being a member of the royal family from birth, he had always stood in front of others. Even on the battlefield, he had always taken the lead.

Duke Diego Cassis was a man who stood at the front, not someone who followed.

Yet, Irene’s back was more than familiar. She always turned away from him without a shred of lingering attachment.

“…….”

The pleasant mood from moments ago sank instantly, as if a heavy stone had been placed upon it.

“I’m definitely insane.”

Having muttered the self-deprecating words, he turned his gaze back to Irene.

She continued to move forward, perhaps unable to find the book she wanted. It seemed she had circled the entire bookstore nearly once.

“Your Grace.”

Javier called him again, but Duke Diego Cassis had no intention of handing over the pile. Even the bookstore manager was trailing them like a constipated puppy, keeping a wide distance.

He stepped closer to Irene. Instead of her back, he could see her profile, lost in deep thought.

“What book are you looking for? I might be able to help.”

Irene hesitated, but since she could think of no other way, she parted her firmly closed lips. A serious voice flowed from her teeth.

“I do not know the exact title, but I am looking for a book about tacit rules.”

“Tacit rules?”