Chapter 9
“Gah…!”
A strangled cry escaped my lips.
I collapsed right on top of Llewellyn.
The instant it happened, instinct screamed at me to run.
But the man’s strong arms wrapped tightly around me, refusing to let go.
As naturally as flowing water, he rolled over—
Pinning me beneath him.
Still holding me close…
He began planting little kisses all over my face.
The shocking sleep habit left me completely frozen.
What kind of person does this in their sleep…?
I struggled frantically, pounding both fists against his chest.
Only then did he seem to come back to his senses.
Gradually…
Focus returned to Llewellyn’s eyes.
After blinking twice…
He looked down at me with genuine shock.
“Ah… R-Rose.”
“…”
Whoosh.
The man’s face instantly turned scarlet.
Flustered beyond words…
He hurriedly scrambled off of me.
Slowly sitting up…
I stared at him with half-lidded eyes.
Covering his mouth with one hand…
Llewellyn blinked blankly.
Not only his face—
Even his neck and ears had turned bright red.
Lowering his gaze…
He timidly offered an excuse.
“I’m sorry…”
“I was half asleep…”
“I thought I was dreaming.”
It didn’t seem like a lie.
He genuinely looked mortified.
And somehow…
The way he nervously watched my reaction was almost…
Cute.
Cute…?
A wave of self-loathing washed over me.
Burying my face in both hands…
I sighed inwardly.
If only I weren’t such a hopeless sucker for pretty faces.
Apparently…
God had created me with absolutely no resistance to beautiful people.
‘Being cute is a crime.’
‘Being handsome is a crime too.’
‘What a dangerous man.’
Letting out a sigh…
I climbed off the bed.
Looking at the still tomato-red Llewellyn…
I spoke.
“Go wash up.”
“Then let’s have breakfast.”
“I’ll be waiting in the living room.”
“I left your change of clothes over there.”
I pointed toward the bag containing the clothes I’d bought yesterday.
Llewellyn quietly nodded in understanding.
Before he could start looking even cuter…
I hurriedly escaped.
The moment I stepped into the living room…
I collapsed onto the sofa.
The clueless contracted beast immediately trotted over…
Its tail wagging happily.
Using my bare foot…
I pushed against the wolf’s chubby side.
“Go away…”
“You silly dog…”
Then…
Unable to hold it in any longer…
I buried my face in a cushion…
And let out ghostly little whimpers.
* * *
After yesterday’s storm…
Today’s weather was wonderfully clear.
Walking side by side with someone so breathtakingly beautiful…
Should have been enjoyable.
The problem was…
That beautiful person happened to be the one constantly throwing my heart into chaos.
“Thank you for the clothes.”
“They fit me perfectly.”
Llewellyn smiled warmly…
His emerald eyes curving gently.
Every time our gazes met…
He smiled at me with his eyes like that.
‘At first I thought it was just a habit…’
But…
Thinking about it…
I’d never once heard that Duke Lasiane smiled so freely at other people.
Even if I’d spent most of my life hidden away inside the Magic Tower…
I wasn’t completely ignorant of society.
So…
Had I simply been mistaken all this time?
The image I’d built of the Duke of Lasiane…
Was beginning to crumble.
If I hadn’t misunderstood…
Then maybe he was smiling so much because he was still out of his mind.
‘What if he stays like this forever…?’
‘That would be a disaster.’
‘He’s not going to make me take responsibility later… is he?’
Feeling increasingly uneasy…
I answered him anyway.
The clothes I chose really did suit him perfectly.
“I’m glad.”
“They fit exactly.”
“And the style suits you too.”
“Does it?”
“So…”
“Do I look pleasing to you right now?”
“Yes.”
“You look very nice.”
I smiled and nodded.
Llewellyn beamed.
For one dazzling moment…
I could’ve sworn hundreds of flowers bloomed around him.
His beauty was enough to create optical illusions.
At this point…
It was honestly frightening.
‘I should’ve bought him uglier clothes.’
Maybe then…
The gloomy aura of terrible fashion would’ve hidden that ridiculous face.
…Or perhaps not.
After all…
A handsome face completed any outfit.
“I hope I look beautiful in your eyes, Rose.”
“Huh?”
“Well, Your Grace is always—”
I nearly answered,
“You’re always beautiful, handsome, and perfect.”
Thankfully…
I caught myself just in time.
That was close.
I almost exposed myself as the hopeless face-lover I truly was.
Clearing my throat…
I put on a dignified expression.
“You’re the Duke of Lasiane.”
“So of course you’re always beautiful.”
“I see.”
“So…”
“Have you always been interested in me?”
The question came so naturally…
That it somehow caught me completely off guard.
He really seemed talented at steering conversations toward the answers he wanted.
Even crazy…
His conversational skills hadn’t diminished.
I nodded lightly.
“I wouldn’t say I had no interest.”
Because you’re the male lead.
“It’s only natural to know about the Empire’s nobility.”
“It’s basic common knowledge.”
In other words…
About the same level of interest people had in famous celebrities.
Nothing more.
Personally…
I’d never paid him much attention.
I usually wasn’t interested in people I had no chance of becoming involved with.
‘And yet I’ve kissed him.’
‘Twice.’
I’ve completely lost my mind!
If Adrian ever found out…
He’d absolutely lose it.
This had to remain secret.
No matter what.
Just imagining what that mad brother of mine might do…
Was terrifying.
As I shuddered at the thought…
Llewellyn’s gentle voice interrupted.
“So…”
“You weren’t completely uninterested in me.”
“Huh?”
“W-Well…”
“I suppose not…”
He already seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today.
But after hearing my answer…
He looked even happier.
The satisfied smile lingering on his lips softened his features.
And the way he looked at me…
For some reason…
Made my heart itch.
Silently cursing my rapidly beating heart…
I looked away.
Clenching my increasingly warm hands into fists…
I continued walking rather stiffly.
Then…
As though he’d just remembered something…
Llewellyn spoke again.
“Ah, Rose.”
“And…”
“…?”
I turned toward him.
He smiled sweetly.
“The underwear fits perfectly too.”
I froze in absolute horror.
Standing there stiff as a log…
Unable to move…
I watched as Llewellyn gently reached out…
And softly stroked my cheek.
…Was it just my imagination?
Or did he actually look pleased?
Did he bring up the underwear on purpose?
Just to tease me?
‘No way.’
‘That would completely destroy his character.’
The male lead would never do something so shameless!
That would be completely out of character!
This was Duke Lasiane!
The always righteous…
Always honest…
Perfect gentleman!
‘Besides…’
‘He’s supposed to be an innocent virgin who knows absolutely nothing about anything indecent!’
‘The embodiment of restraint!’
‘The incarnation of purity!’
‘I’m sure he’s never even—’
I forcibly cut my thoughts short.
Stop.
I was honestly afraid of where my imagination might go next.
Unfortunately…
My traitorous brain refused to cooperate.
‘Although…’
‘For someone who’s supposedly inexperienced…’
‘He was awfully good at kissing.’
The way he completely left his partner helpless…
‘Aaah! Stop!’
‘Please stop thinking about it!’
Feeling profound shame for vividly recalling every detail of our kisses…
I desperately interrupted my own thoughts.
Apparently I’d started grabbing my hair without noticing.
My scalp hurt.
Just as I hurriedly lowered my hands…
A quiet laugh sounded beside me.
Llewellyn Lasiane was secretly watching me…
Clearly amused.
‘You…’
I wasn’t usually a violent person.
But for some reason…
I really wanted to punch him.
Unfortunately…
Punching that ridiculously solid body would only hurt my own hand.
And using strengthening magic…
Might actually injure him.
‘Hmph.’
‘I’ll let it go.’
‘Only because you’re handsome.’
Llewellyn Lasiane would never know…
Just how many times that absurdly beautiful face had already saved his life.
Purposely walking ahead of him…
I called over my shoulder,
“Let’s hurry and get breakfast.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Rose…”
“Let’s go together.”
Trotting up beside me…
Llewellyn quietly took my hand.
His hand was so large…
It completely enveloped mine.
And it was incredibly warm.
Feeling my face heating up…
I tried to pull away.
But he held on tightly.
Refusing to let go.
I glared at him with an obvious let go expression.
Immediately…
Llewellyn looked up at me with sparkling eyes…
Putting on an adorably pitiful face.
“I’m afraid…”
“I might get lost.”
“…Me?”
“Or you, Your Grace?”
“Not you.”
“Me.”
The sight of a man much larger than me pretending to be helpless…
Was unbelievable.
But his face made it somehow convincing.
Looking at me with such a heartbreaking expression…
Made me want to grant whatever he asked.
Resenting my own weak resolve…
I quickly turned my head away…
And kept walking.
Trying desperately not to notice…
The warmth of our joined hands.
The feel of his skin.
The constant awareness of his gaze resting on me.
I simply kept my mouth shut…
And walked.
The fact that the beautiful man beside me—
Showing off his long legs as he walked—
Looked unbelievably happy…
Did absolutely nothing to improve my complicated state of mind.
The more mysterious he acted…
The more desperately I wanted to know what he was thinking.
What was hidden beneath that relaxed smile?
I was half convinced…
He really had lost his mind.
Yet sometimes…
It almost felt as though he was only pretending.
One thing was certain.
He was an incredibly difficult man to understand.
And dealing with him left me utterly exhausted.
All I wanted…
Was for us to part ways as quickly as possible.
Yet somehow…
I had a terrible feeling…
That wouldn’t happen for a very long time.
‘I’m doomed.’
‘I’m not confident I can keep myself from falling for him…’
Sighing inwardly…
I became so lost in thought…
That before I realized it…
We had already arrived at the restaurant.
Since it was still morning…
There weren’t many customers.
But the few people who were there—
Along with every waiter—
Kept stealing glances in our direction.
It was painfully obvious why.
Because of the breathtakingly handsome man…
Who naturally sat down beside me.
His platinum-blond hair shimmered beneath the morning sunlight.
The moment our eyes met…
His green eyes curved into smiling crescents.
There it is again.
That eye-smile.
Your Grace…
Is it really alright for a Duke to smile so freely?
‘But why sit beside me?’
There was an empty seat directly across the table.
Wasn’t that where people usually sat when eating together?
Unable to contain my curiosity…
I asked,
“Um…”
“Why are you sitting beside me instead of—”
“Ah.”
He let out a short sound.
Then smiled again.
That smile.
The one that looked as though he were hiding something.
For a brief moment…
I wanted to grab both his cheeks…
And demand to know exactly why he kept smiling like that.
Completely unaware of my inner struggle…
He calmly poured himself a glass of water before answering.
“Because those men…”
“Keep stealing glances at you, Rose.”
