CH 109

Tea Party and Lorschel (23)

It would be said that the intestines should be rubbed hard enough to be pushed out to cool the stomach as well—at least, in Seroif.

But for Kergel, who had no problem with his stomach, her touch became a stimulus in a different sense instead.

“Ugh…”

“Oh! I’m sorry. Did I rub it too hard?”

When Kergel groaned unknowingly, Roelin was surprised by the sound and quickly apologized before withdrawing her hand. He grabbed her hand again and shook his head.

“No, it’s perfect. I groaned without realizing it because it felt like I was feeling refreshed.”

“Is that so?”

Roelin concentrated again on rubbing his stomach with a bright face as if she was relieved by Kergel’s explanation.

“……”

And Kergel, who looked downwards at the top of Roelin’s head, had the corners of his mouth twitched.

Indeed, she was so naïve that he even wondered how she had been living her life.

It was not like she had lived comfortably with everyone supporting her like a plant in a greenhouse. Rather, she had been abused, she had suffered and lived alone too. Nevertheless, she still trusted people so well.

It was also about the fact that she had been thinking for other people first and worrying about them too……

‘You wouldn’t know that there’s absolutely no one weaker than you in this Palace.’

Seroifians were born with stronger bodies compared to the people from other countries. In addition, it was even more so for anyone in the Palace.

In contrast, Roelin had a much weaker body than those ordinary people back in Rakain itself.

It might have been because she had not been able to eat properly since childhood and had grown up being all neglected.

Now, the chef was paying attention to many healthy dishes, but her already worn-out body still could not be fully recovered.

‘When I think about it, I’m still upset. Do they even know…’

After erasing his smile, Kergel looked at Roelin with a loving gaze and reached out while clasping on her hair as he placed them on his lips. Then, Roelin raised her head and looked at him while still rubbing his stomach.

Kergel, who was now facing the blue eyes, smiled and slipped his hand between her armpits before he lifted her up as he sat her on his lap.

“Ah! Kergel!”

Roelin was surprised by Kergel’s sudden action that she reflexively touched his chest with her hand. Kergel simply giggled and hugged her waist.

“Let’s be like this for a moment.”

“Kergel, I must be rather heavy……”

Roelin rattled her body that was already on his lap in embarrassment. Then, Kergel just tightened his arms and opened his mouth.

“You’re not heavy at all. You’re as light as a feather.”

“……the words you’re telling me are not really believable for me.”

As light as a feather. No matter how soft a person was, they just couldn’t be simply as light as a feather. Roelin pouted her mouth and moved her hand, which brushed against Kergel’s chest, before wrapping them around his back.

Badump.

Her heart suddenly leaped at will. At the same time, she remembered last night when his temperature and his fiery gesture had heated her up.

‘This is crazy!’

She shook her head with those red cheeks of hers. It was a late afternoon and the sun had not even yet set. How could she dare think about this embarrassing idea at this particular time. It was utterly unbelievable to see herself like that.

“Why are you suddenly shaking your head?”

Kergel put his hands on both sides of Roelin’s head and asked a question. Then, Roelin shook her head and stopped. However, she still did not answer the questions and instead, she just looked down.

“What were you thinking that made your ears all warm?”

Kergel continued to speak in a playful tone while gently lowering the hand that had covered her head and began to clasp it tightly around her ears instead.

“Oh, nothing……”

“I don’t think it’s nothing.”

He smiled with his eyes as he mimicked Roelin’s words. Then, he fiddled with her earlobes with the hand that wrapped around her ear and whispered.

“Roelin, I don’t have a knack of reading people’s minds.”

—startled.

Roelin flinched at Kergel’s breath in her ear. As if her reaction was amusing, Kergel chuckled and continued again while ringing with his throat too.

“But now, I’m pretty sure I know what you are really thinking.”

“Ke, Kergel.”

Roelin grabbed him by the hem of his clothes as she was perplexed by the slow sweep that was at the back of her neck.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do it now. You must be tired from suffering with me last night anyway.”

Kergel raised the corners of his mouth and chuckled before adding another question as if he had just remembered.

“By the way, how are you feeling? Doesn’t it hurt, still?”

“What?”

“That…… Last night, I paid attention to being gentle…… but I lost my mind sometimes too.”

“………Khem. It’s okay.”

Roelin coughed while listening to Kergel and stammered back. His words had overshadowed her efforts to shake off her embarrassing thoughts. She immediately changed her mind to forget about last night once again.

“By the way, ah! Why are you saying that the shape of the snack is racy?”

Roelin’s eyes touched upon the Lorschel in the basket. So, she eventually asked the question as she remembered it. But Kergel’s expression became a little strange in return.

“Well… well, I’d rather you read it yourself later.”

“……a book? There was no such thing in the book.”

Roelin tilted her head with a questioning look. Then, Kergel twitched the corners of his mouth before he continued to speak calmly straight away.

“Heinez had it. There’s a little bit more detail that has been written about Lorschel. I’ll lend you the book soon.”

“I appreciate it, but……”

She didn’t want to refuse from borrowing books because she enjoyed reading herself. But somehow, she felt quite strange. She felt like she was already getting caught up in his mischief……

But Roelin just couldn’t go through with her thoughts. It was because Kergel had already begun to kiss her cheeks and lips repeatedly, so she could no longer afford to think of anything else.

* * *

……It was right on the next day that Roelin finally learned about Lorschel’s shape.

It was only because Kergel had immediately borrowed the book from Heinez and delivered it afterwards.

And on that particular day itself, Silloa—the maid in charge who was right next to Roelin—instantly told Lucy, the maid who had already been away for a while.

“I really thought there was a red ripe tomato sitting here instead of the Empress herself!”

It was…