ONE NIGHT STAND WITH HOT DUKE-Chapter 21: A pair of eyes behind the fox

The fox suddenly curled its lips in what looked suspiciously like a playful smirk, something no normal animal should be able to do.

As if mocking Noel.

Valerie stood there, unsure if she should be afraid... or enchanted.

"Noel..."

"Yes, Lady?"

"If it is a demon... why is it so cute?"

Noel closed his eyes briefly, clearly rethinking all his life choices.

"Lady Valerie... please do not approach potentially dangerous creatures just because they are cute."

"But look at him—"

"No." This time, the word was sharp.

The fox let out a soft, melodic

kyuu-

Tilting its head as if saying "Come on, take me home, pretty human."

Valerie nearly melted.

But Noel lifted his sword just slightly not to attack, but as a warning.

The fox flicked its snowy tail, turned, and darted into the dark forest disappearing like a wisp of light.

Valerie exhaled slowly. "I only wanted to touch it..."

"And I want you to remain alive," Noel replied flatly.

Valerie pouted. "You’re being dramatic."

"And you are being reckless."

Despite the exchange, Valerie wasn’t upset. If anything, she smiled a little.

Somehow, that brief moment made the ruined forest feel a little less bleak.

Neither of them noticed it but from far between the trees, a pair of mismatched eyes, gold and blue, watched them silently.

As if judging. Or waiting.

After they left the scorched clearing, where the forest had turned to nothing but ashes and charred earth, the image of the fox with mismatched eyes lingered in Lady Valerie’s mind.

That creature’s golden and blue gaze had pierced through her, leaving a cold shiver trailing down her spine.

Noel walked a respectful step behind her, observing silently. Yet even from that distance, he noticed the subtle change in the way she moved: her steps were unsteady, her breath uneven.

"My Lady... are you feeling unwell?" Noel asked carefully, his voice low but laced with concern.

Lady Valerie did not answer. Her eyes seemed unfocused, her lips paling rapidly.

Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through her body. It hit her without warning an intense, suffocating agony that felt as though something inside her was being wrenched apart. The world tilted, the ground swayed beneath her.

"No...el..." she whispered faintly.

Then her body collapsed.

"Lady Valerie!" Noel lunged forward, catching her before she hit the ground. Her skin was burning hot, unnaturally so, and yet her face had drained of all color.

Without hesitation, he lifted her into his arms and hurried back toward the encampment. The soldiers straightened instantly at the sight of Noel carrying Lady Valerie, their expressions tightening with worry.

"Fetch the Doctor! Now!" Noel commanded, his voice cracking slightly under the weight of fear he refused to show.

The atmosphere erupted into urgency. Lamps were lit, tables cleared, water prepared. The camp’s physician rushed in, his eyes widening as he saw Lady Valerie unconscious in Noel’s arms.

"What happened to her, My Lady?" he asked while checking her pulse, which beat erratically beneath his fingers.

Noel set his jaw. "She... encountered a strange fox in the forest. Its eyes were of different colors. After that, she weakened immediately."

The physician froze for a moment, brows knitting tightly. He checked her temperature, then looked up at Noel with unmistakable unease.

"Her body is overheated... far beyond normal. And something inside her is reacting, something that shouldn’t be there."

The soldiers exchanged tense glances. No one dared to speak. Only Valerie’s strained breathing and the physician’s clipped instructions broke the heavy silence.

Noel stood at her bedside, hands clenched so tightly the veins on his arms were visible. "Do everything you can," he said in a low, firm voice. "The Duke will not tolerate anything happening to Lady Valerie."

And in that moment of heightened fear, Valerie’s chest rose, not in pain, but as though something within her stirred awake.

Something that did not belong to her.

Lady Valerie never regained consciousness. Hours had passed, and her body was trapped between burning fever and violent chills, like two opposing seasons battling inside her.

Cold sweat dampened her temples, her breathing came in strained gasps, and every time her body twitched in pain, everyone in the room froze in terror.

Sera pressed a cool cloth against Valerie’s forehead again and again, her hands trembling. Lira hovered nearby, mixing a herbal tonic that she already feared would do little to help such an unnatural condition.

"Lady Valerie... please hold on..." Sera whispered, her voice cracking.

But as Valerie’s condition worsened instead of improving, Sera finally looked at Noel, who stood tensely at the entrance of the tent. He kept his expression firm, but the strain in his eyes betrayed the fear he refused to voice.

"Noel... shouldn’t we report this to the Duke?" Sera asked, hesitant yet frightened.

Noel fell silent. His jaw tightened, and his hands curled at his sides."The Duke is on the battlefield right now. It is not... wise to disturb him over something we cannot yet explain."

"But this is Lady Valerie," Sera insisted, almost pleading.

"I know," Noel replied quietly, drawing in a sharp breath. "And because it’s her... I cannot risk distracting His Grace in the middle of a war."

Sera lowered her head, understanding even if she didn’t like it.

Noel continued, firmer this time, "Sera, Lira, stay with Lady Valerie. Do not let anyone near her without my permission. And if anything changes, anything at all, you send word to me immediately."

"Yes," they answered in unison.

Once he confirmed Valerie would be guarded, Noel stepped outside. The night wind was frigid, but the tension hanging over the camp was even colder. Several senior soldiers were already gathered near the fire, their faces grim.

One of the captains spoke first."Noel, My Lady’s condition... it isn’t normal. What exactly happened out there?"

Noel exhaled slowly, choosing his words."Lady Valerie encountered a fox in the forest, not an ordinary one. Its eyes were different colors. And shortly after that... she collapsed."

A soldier shuddered. "That sounds like sorcery. Or a curse."

"A heterochromic beast...?" another whispered. "There are legends about such creatures. But... I thought they were just stories."

"No story remains a story in the forbidden woods," Noel replied sharply.

Silence fell over the group. The fire crackled, casting flickering shadows across their tense expressions.

A tactical advisor spoke next."There is another possibility. The enemy may have set a trap. They know the Duke cares greatly for Lady Valerie. If anything happens to her... it could destabilize morale."