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‌‌ A villainess locked away ‌‌‌in a desolate tower—I had possessed her body. Chapter 87 "Hmm." "...." "Sigh." "...." ‌‌"Ah." With each successive sigh erupting from the Blaire Grand Duke's desk, his Aides flinched visibly. Liam, who had been ignoring the Aides' resumed note-passing, finally rose from his seat at the increasingly rapid scratching of the quill pen. He approached Kaian Blaire quietly and lowered his voice to ask. "Your Grace, is there something troubling you?" "...Troubling me?" "Perhaps you're concerned about tomorrow's visit from the Tower Master and the Mages of the Magic Tower to the Grand Duchy?" At the sudden question, Kaian Blaire finally realized what ‌‌he had been doing. Judging by the pallid complexion ‌‌of his Aides, ‌‌they had clearly misunderstood—attributing his behavior to the towering stack of reports on his desk. "I misspoke. There's simply something I've been contemplating privately." At those words, Liam's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. 'Something to contemplate privately,' he mused. Though he knew Kaian Blaire's every move, he was unaware of any recent matter that would warrant such personal deliberation. Then perhaps this newfound concern stemmed from a shift in his psychological state. 'Has he finally become aware of ‌‌‌it?' He knew it, the ‌‌maids knew it, the servants knew it. Even the head chef knew, the Knights knew, and even some of the Aides—those too consumed with overtime to notice much else—had caught on! Yet the two ‌‌parties involved seemed utterly oblivious to that subtle, sweetly tense current flowing between them. It had long since become a matter of interest among the perceptive residents of the Grand Duke's Residence. So ‌‌had this wooden Kaian Blaire finally noticed that he behaved differently when dealing with April Salt? "I see. Since ‌‌‌‌none of the reports submitted since yesterday morning have been processed, I wondered if there might be an issue." "Ah, yes." "Of course, there's nothing urgent, so please take ‌‌‌‌‌your time." At Liam's words, the Aides' eyes widened in disbelief. If they ‌‌‌didn't ‌‌secure ‌‌‌approval on the reports quickly, a deluge of paperwork would crash down upon them next week. Yet Liam, who understood this situation better than anyone, showed not the slightest wavering despite ‌‌the ‌‌‌‌intense stares from his colleagues, and continued speaking with unruffled composure. "Your Grace, please continue with your personal contemplation. Should anything truly urgent arise, I shall inform you ‌‌‌separately." "Then..." Kaian Blaire glanced briefly at the documents before him. Consumed by his thoughts, he found himself unable to concentrate on work at all. Normally, if there were no irregularities, he could simply stamp and move ‌‌‌on, yet strangely, the words refused to register. This was why the reports that had arrived since yesterday morning remained stacked, unprocessed, on his desk. But he couldn't leave matters ‌as they were. He resolved to work through the night if necessary to finish everything, and gave his response. "I'll have them all processed ‌‌‌‌by tomorrow. Everyone is dismissed for the day. ‌Now that I think of it, it's grown quite late." "...Your Grace?" The Aides, bewildered once more, alternated their gazes between the Blaire Grand Duke and the window outside. The bright sunlight streaming through the windows hardly suggested a late hour, no matter how ‌‌‌one looked at it. The Aides' speculation wasn't entirely off the mark. After all, Kaian Blaire's perception of the light and shadow outside barely registered in his awareness. Liam, noticing that his lord's state was far from ordinary, shook his head. Surely this was the moment for Liam Gray, the loyal retainer of Blaire House, to step forward. Even if his own dignity suffered somewhat for his lord's sake... he was prepared to sacrifice everything for Kaian Blaire. "Ahem, well. Your ‌‌‌‌Grace, might it not be wise to take a brief respite? It is still early to depart for the day." "Ah. I see... very well then." As Kaian Blaire nodded readily, the Aides exhaled in relief and began moving ‌‌‌toward ‌the door. They intended to escape to the hallway and engage in idle gossip, avoiding their superior who was ‌emanating an unusually intimidating(?) atmosphere. But at that very moment. "I find myself in need of your counsel on a matter. Might you be willing to assist?" Liam suddenly posed the question. ‌‌‌‌His voice rang through the Office with such volume that it seemed to reverberate off the walls. "...?" In the instant when everyone's—that is, Kaian Blaire's—gaze converged upon ‌Liam. He unleashed a bombshell declaration. "I am a solitary soul who has walked a lonely path from within my mother's womb, never knowing the stirrings of affection until now. Yet it seems I have come to harbor feelings for a certain woman. Might I seek romantic counsel from those of you who have taken a partner for ‌‌life and built a household together? Particularly regarding h.o.w. t.o. w.i.n. a. w.o.m.a.n.'s. h.e.a.r.t." How to win a woman's heart. I ask." Liam, who had rattled off his rehearsed words like ‌‌rapid gunfire without drawing a single breath, finally closed his mouth after emphasizing the ‌‌final phrase with particular force. A chill seemed to ‌‌‌‌sweep through the Office ‌‌‌for a moment, but soon one of the more affable Aides opened his mouth. "Hehehehe, Liam. Well, you've lived your entire life without knowing women, so it's only natural you'd be flustered by these newfound romantic feelings. Truth be told, winning a woman's heart is not difficult. Simply buy her delicious food." "Buying her food is rather old-fashioned, is it not? I hear that in the neighboring country, a popular genre of pulp novels features something called a 'beast man' that's ‌‌all the rage." "Our Grand Duchy has monsters and magical beasts aplenty, but I'm not certain we have any ‌‌‌beast men...." As the elder Aides fell into contemplation, Kaian Blaire likewise sank into thought. 'A beast man, is it.' He too had heard mention of such a thing before. Specifically, it had been briefly referenced in 【Safety ‌‍‌Protocols of Goedam Duchy】. A muscular physique exuding raw, primal strength—that was what a beast man was. But such a ‌‌thing was becoming fashionable? 'Perhaps I ought to change tailors.' While he contemplated this matter seriously, a younger Aide ventured a careful ‌‌‌question. "Liam, might I ask what sort of temperament this woman possesses? The method ‌of winning her heart would likely depend greatly upon her personality, after all." "Ah, her temperament is... well...." Liam furrowed his ‌‌brow and explained the 'objective facts'. "She ‌‌dislikes troublesome matters, pursues efficiency, appreciates money, yet shows little interest in superficial appearances." It ‌‌‌seemed there were more commonalities than expected between the woman Liam favored and April Salt. If that were the case, then the Aides' counsel would prove all the more useful. Kaian Blaire perked up his ears. "Ah, in short, she pursues practicality." "...One might ‌‌say so." "If that is the case, then the method of winning her heart may prove simpler than one might think." Simpler than expected? What do you mean by that? His gaze fixed upon the young aide's lips. "Liam, do you happen to have some savings set aside?" "Money... you mean?" "Yes. ‌‌‌‌What if you invested in April Salt's business ventures and shared the ‌‌‌‌investment stake with her? If she values efficiency and has ‌‌‌‌‌‌a fondness for wealth, I suspect she would be impressed by your shrewd financial acumen." ...In conclusion, it was a method he could not employ. Yet the approach the young aide had conceived was not entirely without merit for Kaian. After all, he too had witnessed April Salt's eyes glaze over with avarice more times ‌‌than he could count. "Hehehehe, once this ‌‌‌month's settlement comes through, I'll finally be able to buy a house...." "Ugh, I understand it's an ‌‌investment, but... my blood... my lifeblood!" "Please, just reduce the room and board fees ‌‌‌a little!" The moment he deemed the aides' counsel regarding Liam's romantic predicament to be of genuine value, his course of action became inevitable. "Ahem, hem." "Ah, w-well, shall we return to work..." ‌‌‌‌At his feigned cough, the aides exchanged knowing glances and quietly retrieved their documents. But then. "What are you doing?" "Sir?" "Is this not a critical moment—one ‌‌‌where Liam, who has devoted himself to the Blaire House all these years, may have finally found ‌‌‌‌‌his destined companion? Surely, all of us should step forward and ensure his romantic success." Kaian Blaire declared with absolute conviction. ‌‌‌‌"Therefore, we shall commence a proper meeting at once."

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