Escaping the Archduke of the North’s Obsession - Chapter 83-1

Touched, Isabella smiled faintly upon hearing Duke Kyar’s words.

It had been a long time since she saw him worry about her.

“Did I hear you laugh just now, Isabella? What if you climb the mountain at this late hour and meet a wild animal? You’re that fearless, huh?”

Duke Kyar nagged as he put her down and settled her feet on the floor.

“No big animals live in this mountain, so I think I’m pretty safe.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’ve lived here for a long time, so I know this place very well.”

“You used to live around this mountain? Is that why you always seem to be here every time I train?” Duke Kyar murmured.

Isabella nodded, pointing at her small cabin in the distance.

“That’s the cabin I used to live in.”

Duke Kyar glanced at what she was pointing at and slightly raised an eyebrow.

He couldn’t see it clearly in the dark, but the lamp she held helped a bit.

“In that cabin? Is your family living with you?”

Isabella shook her head ‘no.’

“I live alone, but I don’t feel that lonely because I had Ignis.” She told Duke Kyar as she glanced at Ignis sitting on her shoulder.

“It’s a decent name for a small and ugly bird.”

“What is he saying now? Did he just insult me? How dare he say I was small and ugly? I will show you my true form, you bastard!”

Ignis cawed angrily while flapping his wings, and Isabella had to diffuse the tension and soothe him.

“ignis, calm down,” Isabella whispered.

Snorting, Ignis screeched. “Hmph! That rude man will cause us misery, Isabella!”

“That bird is loud.” Duke Kyar said while frowning at Ignis’ chirping sounds.

Isabella should change the subject before Ignis went on a rampage.

“What brings you here, Your Highness? Did you follow me because you were worried?”

Her straightforward question hardened his face in an instant.

“No. I don’t care about what happens to you. I came to the mountains to see the meteor shower myself.”

“Really? I didn’t know you were interested in them. Would you like to visit the front of my cabin?” Isabella asked cautiously as she looked at him. “The stars are clearer from there.”

Frowning, Duke Kyar contemplated for a long while before nodding in agreement.

“Well, whatever.” He answered bluntly.

Isabella took it as a positive and gave him a faint smile. “Then follow me.”

Isabella lit their path to her cabin with the lamp she carried while Duke Kyar followed behind her in silence.

Loitering in front of the cabin was her donkey, Lucis, and he welcomed her immediately upon seeing her.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t take him to Rubella Castle, so he let him roam free in the mountains, but the donkey didn’t leave her cabin.

Ignis told her that Lucis would wake up and go to the meadow to play and eat grass, but he would always return to her cabin at night to sleep.

“Lucis, how are you?” Isabella greeted Lucis while stroking his back.

Then, she opened her bag and pulled out the carrot she had brought for him.

“Lucis”?

“It’s my donkey’s name. Your Highness, can I take Lucis to Rubella castle? Please?”

Since the weather was warm, Lucis was alright during the early summer, but it would be difficult for him to survive in the autumn.

It would be cold in the Northern Kingdom at the start of that season.

Even if she made the atmosphere warmer for Lucis with the help of the fire spirits, she just couldn’t bring herself to leave the donkey here alone.

“You can do whatever you want, Isabella. I’ll tell Marc about it. That donkey had a similar name to my baby.”

She couldn’t admit that her donkey’s name was inspired by his stallion’s name, Lacey.

“Wait here for a minute, Your Highness. I’ll have to bring out the chairs.” She told Duke Kyar as she opened the door to her cabin.

She didn’t even notice that the Archduke had followed her inside when she settled the lamp on the table.

Duke Kyar’s brows furrowed when he asked, “You lived alone in a place like this?”

She was sure that he disapproved of her shabby cabin.

“Yes. It might look like this, but it was a fine place to live if you’re alone.”

She didn’t tell him that she felt like living here was an inconvenience in the past because when she first possessed Isabella, she also had a similar reaction to the Archduke.

Still, her life became more comfortable after she returned to this place.

Isabella had earned enough money to make ends meet by selling the medicine she made at the market.

Even if she couldn’t hunt, she still didn’t have to worry about starving to death.

She reached out to the back of the chairs with that thought, but the Archduke’s hands were faster than hers.

Before she could stop him, Duke Kyar took the two chairs and carried them out of the cabin.