Minsoo sat up abruptly and hissed when a pang pierced his skull. His head was throbbing painfully, and he had the feeling that invisible fingers were trying to dig into his temples.

He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to subside before opening them again. Then, he looked around. He wasn’t in his chamber, but in a bedroom far more refined. Silk hung from the canopy bed, and an enormous wardrobe with golden inlay was placed against the opposite wall. A double door led to another room.

This isn’t my bedroom. Where the hell am I?

He made to get out of the bed, but in that moment he noticed that he was completely naked. A chill ran down his spine; he didn’t remember anything about the previous night, but he was sure he hadn’t slipped into anyone’s bed.

Wait, I reached the stable to meet the vice-captain. And then…

"Did you wake up?"

The duke’s cold voice made Minsoo flinch. He turned toward the door only to see him enter and close it behind him. He was wearing a plain shirt and a pair of trousers.

Minsoo pulled the bedsheet up to his chest. "W-What are you doing here?"

Duke Corvaliso raised an eyebrow. "This is my bedroom." He reached out a hand, but Minsoo jerked back; he didn’t want to be touched.

"Why am I here?"

The duke pursed his lips, as if he was annoyed, and sat down in an armchair near the bed. "I found you almost fainting in the corridor. You had a fever, so I took you here to let you rest."

"A fever?"

"Your clothes were soaked. Did you throw some holy water at your own face?"

"No!"

The duke narrowed his eyes. "Then what happened? Your fever was a reaction to holy water. Archbishop Sallust told me that you’re currently not on Alaira’s good side, so that’s why you react badly to divine energy. And since holy water is water infused with divine energy, you react badly to it as well."

Minsoo pressed his lips together. So that’s what happened the night before. Vilyan threw holy water at him just to harm him, and his body reacted by raising its temperature. But how did Vilyan know that he couldn’t sustain divine energy?

"Nothing happened," he said in the end. "You have no reason to worry, Your Grace."

Duke Corvaliso narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t reply. Minsoo glanced down at his own bare chest.

"Why am I naked?"

"Because you had a fever."

"So what?"

"Here in the North, we believe that feverish bodies need to be naked in order to heal. Without clothes, the skin can transpire and the heat subsides faster."

"So you didn’t touch me?"

The duke glared at him. "What kind of man do you think I am?"

A man who kills innocents and tortures a young woman, but I can’t say it.

"Well, thank you for your help, but I’m fine now."

"The bath is ready. I have your clothes prepared for you."

He stood up, then he suddenly grabbed his shoulder. Minsoo flinched, but before he could jerk away, the duke placed a palm against his forehead.

"Your temperature dropped to normal," he murmured, while withdrawing his hand. "I’ll wait for you. Lady Loder will be here soon."

He left the room, and Minsoo exhaled and fell onto the mattress. He didn’t know what happened, but right now he needed to focus on the upcoming meeting.

For his own survival.

He sighed, then got out of the bed and reached the bathroom. He washed himself, then dried off. He glanced at a full-length mirror: Archievald’s body was toned and muscular, the kind he would expect from a trained knight. He brushed his pink hair, loose on his shoulders, then tilted his head to look carefully at his own face; he was definitely handsome. Too bad that the original owner of this body was a psycho.

He tied his hair at the nape, then started dressing. The duke had prepared formal attire: a black shirt with a dark red jacket and a cape embroidered in gold thread. They were just perfect: elegant and sophisticated, and they highlighted his body. The original Archievald was a fool not to wear clothes like those; he could have made every single soul fall at his feet.

Minsoo straightened his newly-sewn jacket and checked his reflection in the mirror. He was definitely stunning.

He grinned, combed his pink hair behind his ears, and left the duke’s chamber. As soon as he set foot outside, Cara trotted by his side with an excited face. "You look really good today, sir!"

"Thank you. Where is His Grace?"

"He just went to check a few things. He told me to wait here for you."

Minsoo scratched his neck, wondering what the knight might think since he just left the duke’s chamber. But Cara’s face was so innocent that he might not think anything at all.

"Sir, how are your wounds? Can we train together this afternoon?"

"I can’t. My arm still throbs. But we can talk or take a stroll in the garden."

"Or you can watch me and correct me!"

"Ah, yes, we can do that too."

Cara grabbed his hands and shook them with enthusiasm. "Thank you so much, sir! I won’t disappoint you!"

"Yeah, well—"

"Aide Glennhort." The duke’s cold voice sent a shiver down Minsoo’s spine. "What are you doing?"

Minsoo turned around and tried to smile. "I’m just talking with Cara."

The duke furrowed his brows. "You’re quite intimate."

"Well, I—"

"Should I remind you what I said last time?"

"Of course not. I’m just trying to be friendly."

"There’s no need for it. He’s your subordinate, not your friend." He glared at Cara. "Knight Dervin, go back to your duty. We need to go now. Lady Loder is waiting for us."

The duke grabbed Minsoo’s arm and dragged him along the corridor. Minsoo barely had the time to wave a hand toward Cara before the knight vanished from his sight.

He sighed and looked at the duke; he was wearing formal clothes that suited him very well. He was handsome, with his long, black hair loose on his back; there was no way that the female lead couldn’t fall for him.

"Is Lady Loder already here?"

"Yes. She arrived a few moments ago."

The duke pushed open a door and stepped inside; Minsoo followed him.