"Is there something special about him?"
While the duke, Felix got up and sat on the bed, the other man with blonde hair asked him.
"It's that scent. There was a smell coming from him. It's like I got addicted to it. When I followed that smell, I ended up facing him. It was coming from him. I asked him if he used any perfume but he said no though."
"You mean it's a smell that relieves your pain?"
"Mm..."
"Then we must find it out. Maybe it could help us find a cure for your illness."
"Hm..."
"Then I will leave. I brought some pills for your that thing. Here..."
He looked at him from the corner of his eyes, throwing a bottle of pills at him.
"Okay. I will investigate about that smell. If I find out anything, I will send you a letter."
Felix said as he watched him leave.
'Sigh...'
He laid back on the bed, thinking back about that pleasant scent coming from Asher.
'I must find the source of that smell. I can finally get rid of this..'
....
"Brother Ash! My brother is looking for you. Good luck."
Asher watched her thumbs up to him as she informed him that the duke was looking for him. Asher wondered if he would really end up marrying the duke if that was going on.
After he stood in front of the duke's office, he pondered for a while guessing the reason he was calling him must be to talk about last night.
What did he ask last night?
That scent came from him...
Asher had to think about an excuse to give him or else he would soon get exposed.
But what kind of excuse did he have?
He knew that scent was only unique and he had never found out that smell from anywhere else. So he couldn't say it must be someone's perfume since the duke would soon figure out there was no perfume like that.
Then what else could he say?
Tell him he doesn't know how he got that smell?
That was getting himself in trouble rather than treating it as an excuse. If the duke would ask him to find where he got that smell on him, he would be doomed when he failed to find the source of that smell.
So he needed an excuse to get himself away from the duke's suspicion and an excuse that would not put him in more trouble later. He didn't know why the duke had such a reaction to that scent, but Asher felt how surprised and happy he was to smell that scent.
So he was sure the duke would not let go of this matter even though the reason he wanted to know about that was still unknown to him.
"Asher, you must answer my questions honestly. Don't think about hiding anything if you don't want to see your head get separated from your body."
When Asher went inside, the duke sitting on his chair stood up, walking to him, staring at him with a light smirk on his face.
Asher knew why people feared him. He was as dangerous as his expression showed.
He wiped away the goosebumps in his hand, lowered his head and said yes, showing he would be obedient and would not lie to him. But he was going to lie though.
"Was that smell not coming from something you have?"
Of course, he wouldn't think the smell was coming from Asher himself as even Asher felt stupid guessing it when he first realised about that pleasant scent coming from him. Somehow, it still turned into something real though.
"Duke, it must be a coincidence. I really don't have any idea what scent you are talking about."
Asher thought it would be better to know what was his purpose for eagerly searching for his scent. It seemed like the duke liked that smell a lot, didn't he? He even hugged Asher so he could feel that scent so close.
If he were to know the reason, he might at least have some clue and he could do something to protect himself.
But who has the guts to ask him?
Asher didn't.
He saw the duke frowning and sharpening his gaze at Asher expecting he would think harder and give him a straight answer that he wished for.
"Sigh...Do you have any idea where you got that scent on you?"
"I am sorry duke."
"Tsk! You can go. Don't tell any of these to Anne."
"Understood Duke."
Asher walked out of the room and finally sighed in relief.
'That scent is not coming from me now though. Why did it suddenly come up when I met with him at that moment?! How unfortunate!'
He walked to Anne's room straight where she must be still waiting for him.
As expected...
She was glaring at the beautiful cake in front of her, upset mindly, her cheeks pouting.
'Was it me that made her upset?'
Asher felt kind of funny seeing her reaction. She was so adorable.
It was actually him that made that cutie upset. She was expecting to see him soon but he took longer to come back. She even wondered if her brother was bullying him.
"Brother Ash!"
"Shsh! Don't shout!"
Asher was depressed that her affectionate calls always made the other maids give him strange glares even though he didn't know the real reason.
He thought it was because a noble shouldn't be calling a commoner auch closely.
But that little girl never listened.
Sigh...
But he liked her clingy behaviour though...
So adorable...
....
That day he was exhausted from running after Anne all around the garden. She was enjoying his company, and so did he. But these children are way too energetic!
After arriving back at the servant's house, he couldn't rest more when a maid barged into his room yelling at him to quickly go to meet the duke.
He had no idea, but he was already running to the mansion.
When he entered the living room of the mansion, he saw the maids rushing out in fear and some even giving him warning glances making him pause his movements, not going in anymore.
'Why does everyone look scared? I...'
He also wanted to go back. He didn't want to come there either. That maid said the duke wanted to see him. He couldn't go against his order, right?
As he pondered there, he heard a scream coming from the side where Asher was yesterday locked in the duke's arms in a room.
'Did that scream perhaps came from the duke's room?'
What should he do now?
Go and meet the duke or go back for his own safety?