Chapter 38
Chapter 38
The Driving Force of Effort is Payment
“Uwaaaah! This is insane! I’ve completely lost my mind!!”
With her face buried deep into a luxurious goose-down pillow, Lady Frisia kicked wildly into the air.
Thud, thud, thud!
The poor mattress beneath her took the full force of her relentless assault.
No matter how much she rubbed her face into the blankets, the burning heat spreading from her ears down to her neck refused to subside.
Her heart pounded like molten iron, each beat sending waves of heat through her body and leaving her breath ragged.
“Haaah…! What on earth was that just now?!”
Frisia curled up tightly, clutching the pillow.
The scene from earlier in the reception room kept replaying in her head on an endless loop.
From the moment she first saw Nasus, she had thought his base appearance wasn’t bad.
Even covered in dirt, his sharp nose and refined eyes had caught her attention.
But that had only been under the arrogant assumption of “for a commoner.”
Yet after washing him up, fixing his hair, and dressing him in clothes that fit perfectly…
He looked like an entirely different person.
The one most shocked by that transformation was none other than Frisia herself.
Beneath his neatly combed hair, his face looked sculpted like a statue.
His calm eyes carried a strangely decadent allure.
And even with his shirt buttoned all the way up, the faint movement of his firm chest muscles beneath the fabric kept drawing her gaze.
Unlike the pampered noble sons she had always known, he carried a raw, suffocatingly intense masculine aura that wrapped tightly around her senses.
And more than anything—
“Here, straighten this a bit…”
That moment when she had stepped closer to correct his posture.
Their eyes had met at a distance close enough to feel each other’s breath.
The faint herbal scent brushing past her nose, their gazes intertwining—
Just as her legs had nearly given out beneath her, barely holding herself together—
“Please stay still for a moment, my lady.”
Without any awareness of her state, that reckless man had gently placed his hand on her forehead.
…
The sensation of that rough yet strangely warm hand still lingered vividly against her skin.
Though it had been the touch of a mere commoner—
Instead of disgust, it had stolen her breath with an overwhelming sense of intoxication.
That fact alone drove her nearly insane.
Frisia rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand and rolled across the bed again.
“Uwaaaah! This is so embarrassing!”
Her pride was wounded.
Who was she?
A lady whose beauty drew endless poetry and confessions from noble heirs.
Men lined up just to dance with her.
And yet, not once had her heart ever raced for any of them.
She would simply respond half-heartedly, hiding her mouth behind her fan as she stifled a yawn.
But now—
To feel this uncontrollable emotion for a mere hired commoner…
Someone who would disappear once the task was done…
The humiliation of it made her furious—
And yet—
Whenever she closed her eyes, the warmth on her forehead and his face would surface again, making her stomach flutter strangely.
“Ugh… it’s so annoying… but I can’t stop thinking about it…”
Caught between conflicting emotions, Frisia flailed helplessly on the bed again.
Knock knock
At that moment, the tightly shut door slowly opened.
“…My lady. Your… noises can be heard all the way down the hall. Has something happened?”
A calm, gentle voice—laced faintly with amusement.
It was Zaira, the maid who had cared for Frisia since childhood.
“Eek?! I-it’s nothing at all!”
Startled, Frisia quickly fixed her disheveled hair and grabbed her fan to hide her flushed cheeks.
“I was merely testing the elasticity of the mattress! I am, as always, perfectly elegant and composed!”
She lifted her chin arrogantly, forcing her usual noble tone.
But Zaira, who knew her better than anyone, simply smiled.
“Of course, of course. It certainly has nothing to do with that handsome young man training downstairs.”
“W-what?! As if I would be affected by that barbarian!”
Frisia shot up in denial.
Zaira, unfazed, approached and gently straightened her clothes.
“Oh my, a barbarian? I caught a glimpse of him earlier when I brought tea… I was quite surprised.”
“…Surprised? What do you mean?”
Curiosity and expectation flashed across Frisia’s eyes.
Zaira smiled knowingly.
“He was already handsome when he arrived covered in dirt… but now, properly cleaned and dressed, he looks far more refined than most high-ranking noble sons.”
“…W-well, of course! Who do you think I am? If I chose him, results like that are only natural!”
“Yes, yes, as expected of our lady’s impeccable eye.”
Encouraged by the praise, Frisia beamed.
“Exactly! I knew from the start he had potential! Ohohoho!”
But soon, her shoulders slumped again.
“…But he’s still a commoner…”
Muttering, she fiddled with her fingers.
Zaira gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“You brought him for the sake of the upcoming banquet, did you not?”
“…Yes…”
“Then why should his status matter? If you wish your plan to succeed, you must take control as the employer.”
At those words, Frisia’s eyes regained their spark.
“You’re right! I have no reason to be like this over a mere commoner!”
With renewed determination, she stood up.
“I shall go and properly supervise his training like the employer I am!”
With confident strides, she marched out.
But—
The moment she reached the reception room door, all her confidence vanished.
She hesitated… then carefully cracked the door open just a little.
“I’ll try again!”
Nasus’s firm voice rang out.
Through the gap, she saw him in the center of the room.
Despite the butler’s harsh corrections, he stood unwavering.
His serious expression.
The way his back muscles shifted as he bowed gracefully.
His shirt, damp with sweat, clung tightly to his broad back, revealing the defined lines of his muscles.
“Ahh…”
A soft, breathy sound escaped her lips.
Her earlier resolve melted away completely.
Like ice cream left under the blazing sun, she slowly unraveled.
Pressing her cheek against the doorframe, her legs twisted together uncontrollably.
‘W-what am I supposed to do… even the way he sweats is…’
And so, Lady Frisia’s helpless, secret observation continued—
Until the red sunset faded into night.