Chapter 7
‘…What if I end up falling for the male lead?’
Honestly…
I wasn’t confident I could resist.
Llewellyn Lasiane was simply too handsome…
So captivating that he could make someone forget reality itself.
And I actually kissed a man like that.
‘I really must have been crazy.’
‘Next time, it really has to be just a peck.’
Letting out a weary sigh, I lowered my head.
My heart was still beating unevenly.
* * *
By the time the rain finally stopped, the sun had already set and darkness had fallen.
But I was a strong, capable mage.
A little night road wasn’t scary at all.
I stopped by a clothing shop and bought several outfits that looked like they’d fit Llewellyn.
Then I picked up a few snacks from a street stall.
Nibbling leisurely on a waffle overflowing with whipped cream…
I walked back at my own pace.
By the time I reached the villa, everything around me was completely dark.
‘I should hurry and take a bath before bed.’
What an eventful day…
‘I wonder if Llewellyn…’
‘…is sleeping peacefully by now?’
For a brief moment…
I caught myself wondering what his sleeping face looked like.
Then I hurriedly shook the thought away.
That wasn’t the kind of curiosity I should indulge.
For… several reasons.
‘This time we only ended up kissing because of the circumstances.’
‘There won’t be a next time. Absolutely not.’
From now on…
I absolutely had to avoid any physical contact with him.
What if I ended up falling for him too?
I’d already suffered enough from obsessing over the male lead back in my previous life.
My favorite character should stay exactly that—
A favorite from the past.
I had no desire to waste away lovesick.
‘Let’s just take a bath.’
‘That’ll help me calm down.’
After removing all my clothes, including my undergarments…
I slipped on a bathrobe and entered the bathroom.
My plan was to fill the tub with hot water first…
Then head to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk.
But…
“…?!”
“Ah…”
The instant I stepped inside…
I came face-to-face with him.
For some reason…
The bathroom felt chilly.
Llewellyn stood there completely naked…
Water dripping steadily from his silver hair.
Frozen stiff…
I could only move my lips soundlessly.
W-What are you doing here?!
‘Why are you in the bathroom?’
‘Weren’t you supposed to be asleep?’
Smiling awkwardly…
Llewellyn walked toward me.
Still wearing absolutely nothing.
‘Oh my God!’
Startled out of my wits…
I jumped backward—
Only to nearly slip.
Llewellyn quickly caught me before I fell.
The large hand supporting my shoulder was ice cold.
…Had he seriously taken a cold shower?
‘He had a raging fever earlier!’
‘Has he lost his mind?!’
As I stared at him in disbelief…
He smiled gently.
“I woke up…”
“And I didn’t think I’d be able to fall asleep again.”
“So I washed up.”
“I’m sorry for using your bathroom without permission.”
A faint scent of soap drifted from him.
He was already breathtaking enough…
Why did he have to smell so nice too?
It was almost dizzying.
I hurriedly pulled away from him.
My face felt hot enough to burst into flames.
“I-It’s fine that you used the bathroom.”
“But…”
“Did you wash with cold water?”
“Ah…”
“Yes.”
“I needed to cool down a little.”
“…”
Something about the way he answered…
Felt oddly meaningful.
Determined not to think too deeply about it…
I awkwardly continued.
“F-First…”
“Please put some clothes on.”
“And…”
“I’m about to take a bath…”
“I see.”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll excuse myself.”
He nodded politely…
Then walked past me toward the door.
I was so flustered by the entire situation…
That I remained rooted to the spot.
Then, just before leaving…
Llewellyn stopped.
Without turning around…
He asked,
“If you happen to need any help…”
“…Huh?!”
“N-No!!”
I shouted so loudly…
My voice echoed throughout the bathroom.
Llewellyn simply smiled as though nothing unusual had happened.
Then he quietly left.
Click.
The bathroom door closed behind him.
“…”
Staring blankly at the closed door…
I slowly collapsed to the floor.
Need help…?
What was that supposed to mean?
Was he seriously offering to help me bathe?
‘Is he really the male lead?’
‘Or is he some magical beast pretending to be him?’
I was so confused…
I could barely think straight.
I honestly couldn’t even remember how I’d managed to fill the bath…
Wash myself…
And finish.
Drying my damp hair with a towel…
I absentmindedly stepped out of the bathroom.
A man was sitting in the living room…
Waiting for me.
Naturally…
That man was Llewellyn Lasiane.
There were only two people in this villa.
Him…
And me.
Just the two of us.
The moment that fact truly registered…
An unbearable tension gripped my chest.
I clenched my trembling hands into fists…
Pretending not to notice him as I walked past.
I needed a glass of cold water.
Every time I looked at him…
My stomach felt strangely hot inside.
I had no idea why.
And I didn’t want to know.
Finding out felt…
Far too dangerous.
So I practically fled toward the kitchen.
Then I heard footsteps behind me.
They were calm…
Leisurely…
Like a predator slowly cornering prey it had already caught.
‘What’s going on?!’
‘Why are you following me?!’
At this point…
I almost wanted to cry.
Just being in the same room with him made it hard to breathe.
Having him this close…
Was downright lethal.
Was Llewellyn Lasiane trying to make me faint with nothing but his face?
Why had I picked up such a dangerous man?
My trembling hands reached for the kettle to pour some water.
Then—
My grip slipped.
The kettle flew from my hand toward the floor.
At that exact moment…
A large hand caught it effortlessly.
The speed was unbelievable.
My eyes widened.
Following that hand upward…
I met the gaze of its owner.
Llewellyn Lasiane smiled at me…
Like sunlight itself.
That smile alone nearly made me pass out.
Just how had the heroine managed to spend a night with a man like this?
She hadn’t even fallen in love with him at first sight.
Meanwhile…
I felt like I was about to.
‘The heroine really was…’
‘…an extraordinary person.’
As I found myself admiring the heroine all over again…
Llewellyn set the kettle on the table.
“Are you thirsty?”
“Huh?”
“Ah… yes.”
Because of you…
I swallowed those words before they escaped.
Completely oblivious to my inner turmoil…
He smiled brightly.
“Would you pour me a glass as well?”
“O-Of course.”
“Just a moment.”
“I need another cup—”
“No.”
“…?”
As I hurried to find another cup…
Llewellyn suddenly took my hand in his.
“You should use it first.”
“I’ll use it afterward.”
“…What?”
“This cup.”
He pointed at the glass I’d already poured for myself.
I stared blankly…
First at the cup…
Then at his clear, innocent face.
‘…Is he serious?’
His fever was gone.
He looked perfectly sane.
…Wasn’t he?
Still confused…
I slowly picked up the cup.
I’d simply drink the water…
Then wash the cup afterward.
‘The male lead has definitely gone crazy.’
‘It must be a side effect of the mana rampage.’
Unexpectedly…
The fact that the male lead seemed to have lost his mind left me at a complete loss.
House Hill and House Lasiane had never gotten along.
They’d been enemies for generations.
If word spread that I—
A daughter of House Hill—
Had coincidentally rescued Duke Lasiane…
Coincidentally calmed his mana rampage…
Only for the Duke to seemingly lose his mind…
How would House Lasiane react?
‘This is bad…’
‘I guess I’ll have to keep hiding the male lead a little longer.’
I’d planned to contact House Lasiane once morning came.
But now…
It seemed wiser to observe Llewellyn’s condition a bit longer.
I gulped down my water.
The cold liquid soothed the unbearable heat inside me.
Feeling slightly better…
I carried the cup toward the sink.
Then…
A large hand suddenly reached into my vision—
And snatched the cup away.
I froze.
Looking up blankly at its owner…
I saw Llewellyn smiling.
“Thank you.”
“…?”
For a moment…
I couldn’t understand what had just happened.
Then…
Still frozen…
I watched in horror as Llewellyn naturally poured himself water…
Into that very same cup.
W-Wait…
Why are you using the cup I just drank from?!
Just before putting it to his lips…
He paused.
Then slowly rotated the cup…
As though checking something.
Apparently satisfied…
He smiled.
Then deliberately placed his lips against it…
And slowly drank.
Gulp…
Gulp…
Without realizing it…
I found myself staring at the movement of his throat.
His neck was unmistakably masculine…
Yet graceful and beautiful.
His Adam’s apple rose and fell…
Like the pit of a peach.
A droplet of water slid from his chin…
Down his neck…
Then disappeared beneath the collar of his bathrobe.
It was…
An absurdly indecent sight.
I could only stare.
‘Come to think of it…’
‘That bathrobe…’
It belonged to Adrian.
“…”
Brother…
I’m sorry…
It looked just a little short on Llewellyn.
Maybe he was even taller than Adrian.
‘I thought he was around six foot one…’
‘But maybe he’s another inch taller.’
…That wasn’t the important part.
The important part…
Was that Llewellyn had deliberately drunk from the exact spot…
Where my lips had touched the cup.
No matter how I looked at it…
He’d intentionally searched for that spot.
‘Has he completely lost his mind…?’
And he did it openly.
Right in front of me.
Without the slightest attempt to hide it.
Why?
“Thank you for letting me use the cup.”
“Ah…”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll wash it.”
“Go ahead.”
I stared blankly as he calmly carried the cup to the sink…
Washed it…
Placed it on the drying rack…
Then turned back toward me.
His smile was as pure as ever.
“I feel much better now.”
“Thanks to you, Rose.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Thank you.”
As he stepped closer…
I instinctively stepped backward.
…Why was I always running away?
No—
Why did this man keep coming closer?
Couldn’t we stay at least two steps apart?
Why was he doing this to me?
“Ah…!”
Still backing away…
My feet finally tangled together.
I fell backward.
Damn it.
I knew this would happen eventually.
Bracing myself to smash the back of my head…
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Instead…
Strong arms gently wrapped around my shoulders and waist.
Someone had caught me.
There was only one person in this villa…
Who could have done that.
Slowly…
I opened my eyes.
Immediately…
I found myself staring into those breathtaking emerald eyes again.
Another cliché.
Our faces were so close…
I could feel his breath.
“…”
“Are you alright?”
Am I alright…?
I couldn’t look away.
Not from his face.
Not from those fresh green eyes…
Like leaves in early summer.
Not from those pale, beautifully shaped lips.
I wasn’t alright at all.
Not because of anything else.
Because of you.
My heart raced wildly.
Tears nearly welled up from sheer frustration.
Then…
A surge of emotion burst through me.
Llewellyn Lasiane…
Was he doing this on purpose?
Or was he simply oblivious?
Did he even understand how awkward…
How impossible…
Our relationship should have been…
Considering the families we belonged to?
And on top of that…
He already belonged to someone else.
He was supposed to be with the heroine.
So why…
Why did he keep shaking my resolve?
“…!”
I grabbed him tightly by the front of his robe.
Llewellyn flinched…
His eyes widening.
Overcome by emotions I couldn’t even put into words…
I impulsively crashed my lips against his.
Then…
Every trace of reason disappeared.
I’d only intended to press our lips together.
But as though he’d been waiting for it…
The man’s heated breath immediately invaded my mouth.
There wasn’t even time to react to my brief moment of surprise.
The sensation that swept over me…
Was incomparably more intoxicating than our first kiss.
This time…
The man was rough.
As though something had stirred him to his very core.
