Escaping the Archduke of the North's Obsession

“I like the way you used to be, Ignis. The mountain cabin seemed smaller next to you. Ignis, can’t  you shrink yourself again?”

Isabella held her hands together, and Ignis snorted with excitement.

“No! I prefer this look, Isabella! Great Spirit of Fire!”

At that moment, red energy enveloped Ignis’ body, and he returned to a smaller size she was familiar with.

“Ignis. I told you to stay small, didn’t I? Yet, you couldn’t resist it changing to your original form?”

Isabella heard a familiar voice.

She looked back in surprise and saw Ifrit standing there carrying a bag full of bread.

She looked somewhat human without the red wings on her back.

The loss was quite noticeable since Ifrit looked majestic when she had them.

“Ifrit! How could you be so mean? I’m happier if I assume my true form after a long time.” Ignis cried while he wiped his tears away with his wings.

Ifrit ignored Ignis’ complaint and turned toward Isabella.

“You took your sweet, sweet time to wake up that Ignis and I started to worry. I also knew that you would be hungry, so I bought some bread.” Ifrit said as she offered the bag containing the bread to Isabella.

Isabella had almost forgotten her hunger upon seeing Duke Kyar, but now that she remembered, Isabella accepted the food.

“Thank you for the meal, Ifrit.”

When she first possessed Isabella’s body, she thought about making the porridge while boiling some herbs.

Fortunately, thanks to Ifrit, she could fill her stomach with this bread this time.

“Have you retained all of your memories?”

Isabella nodded with a smile.

“Fortunately, I remember everything. What about Duke Kyar? Is he alright?” Isabella asked urgently.

“Yeah. I investigated his whereabouts. Don’t worry. He’s fine. People here live their lives the same way they normally did three years ago. If you want to see him, you must eat first, and visit the mountain lake afterward. He’s training there…….”

Isabella’s knees weakened when she heard that Duke Kyar was training at the same spot where she first bumped into him.

She got out of the cabin immediately without letting Ifrit finish her story.

She hadn’t eaten these past few days properly, so she almost had no strength to walk.

Yet, Isabella didn’t stop there.

She was determined to see him in person.

Breathing heavily, Isabella climbed the mountain and walked through the winding road before she saw a lake in the distance.

She hurried towards the large tree near the lake where Duke Kyar was training and saw him sitting there with his eyes closed.

This was the time when he had no idea who she was.

Duke Kyar and Isabella met under this tree.

When she first possessed Isabella, she had never imagined involving herself with the novel’s male protagonist, Duke Kyar.

She regretted the moments when she wanted to run away from their whirlwind relationship in the past.

She wasted a lot of time not expressing her love for the Archduke.

She should have been nicer to him.

She should have shown her emotions.

She shouldn’t have hidden her feelings.

She should have loved him as much as she could.

‘Was she too late?’  Isabella thought as she approached Duke Kyar.

Repressing the urge to reach out and caress his cheek, Isabella settled her gaze on his face chiseled to perfection.

Just looking at him like this, still alive and breathing, made her cry.

Isabella didn’t want to blink or close her eyes for fear that this was just a dream and that he would disappear from her sight.

Isabella kept her eyes on his face, not even thinking about wiping away her flowing tears.

It was then that the Archduke’s closed eyes opened.

She made eye contact with him without avoiding his gaze.

Embarrassed, Isabella hurriedly raised herself and wiped her tear-stained cheeks.

Duke Kyar was staring at her warily and the way he looked at her felt very strange to Isabella.

He would stare like this if he looked at someone he wasn’t interested in.

It’s alright.

Still, Isabella felt grateful just to see him alive and breathing like this.

“Who are you to cry in front of me?”

Hearing that familiar voice made her want to burst into tears.

Isabella slowly opened her mouth, struggling to them back.