CH 64

Within three seconds of the question popping up, I knew why.

Suradel was too impure in his intentions.

If Sir Hanu held me for the plain purpose of helping me move, Suradel was one who would hold me to fulfill his self-interest.

‘The me of the past, I was cutting him off well…’

Rather, after becoming human, I allowed him too much.

Even when I was a penguin, he was always cheating. When I became human, it became more frequent. 

“Wheeng. (Get out.)”

I was very upset that he wanted to touch my stomach, but I was too tired to get angry.

I took my eyes off him and laid down on the bed, closing my eyes.

Then, feeling a presence, I lifted my eyelids, and found Suradel was lying next to me and staring at me.

“If you don’t like me touching your belly fat, can I stroke your head?”

‘How annoying.’

Ignoring my grim gaze, Suradel slowly reached out. It landed on my head and gently swept down my back.

Contrary to my blunt expression, when he touched me, I closed my eyes.

In fact, after feeling the presence of mana in the body, I felt strangely recharged when I was with Suradel.

Besides, his hands were cool, and I felt the heat go away a little.

Even in human condition, I tend to get hot, so living as a penguin with dense fur was not easy.

Haam.

It took just a few minutes of petting for drowsiness to set in.

Although I was tired from the constant flirting, I felt at ease when I was with him.

As I was about to completely relax, something gently lifted my body. It was a blanket.

Seeing how cool it was, it seemed Suradel had put a cooling spell on the blanket to cover me, who was sensitive to the heat.

“…I like the human Lia better, but I can’t give up on the penguin Lia either. It’s so cute.”

I fell asleep, his murmurs were like a lullaby.

…….

….

Bwak.

Without saying a word, I raised my eyelids, and as soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Suradel’s face with blurry vision.

It was dark, so it seemed like it was late at night. He seemed to be sleeping next to me.

‘Last time, I climbed onto the bed in your room and slept, so I’ll let it slide this time.’

As I lay down, I stared blankly at Suradel’s face.

‘Handsome.’

I felt like I knew why Suradel stared at my face whenever he had a chance.

‘Just looking at your face can be so much fun.’

‘Of course, he likes me, so it might be even more.’

The urge to touch Suradel’s face arose. I stretched out my hand, perhaps possessed by sleep.

Then, in an instant, I saw a slender hand instead of a penguin’s thick wings, and any drowsiness I had left.

‘…What.’

When did I become human?

“Lia?”

To make matters worse, Suradel’s eyes twitched and opened slowly as if he had just woken up, and he called my name in a locked voice.

Seeing my hand hanging awkwardly in the air, he smiled slowly.

“You are back to your human form. See, Lia can do it.”

The half-asleep face and voice were deadly to my hearing and vision.

If I was immune to Suradel, it seemed like I would be able to seduce Theodore, the male lead of the novel.

“You, don’t go elsewhere and make that face.”

“Why?”

“I mean don’t flirt with the wrong person. You have to think about that person’s life too.”

Suradel’s eyes curved in delight.

“Then will Lia take responsibility for my life?”

“You stayed still, but you are still twisted.”

Hmm.

Come to think of it, I was shy when I first touched him.

‘He can’t see it because I am covered with a blanket, but does he know that I’m in my natural state right now?’

“Su.”

“Hmm?”

“This is my bed. Are you going to sleep here the rest of the night?”

“…Is it okay with you, Lia?”

He answered, eyes darting around as if he was worried that he might be kicked out.

‘But I’m not going to kick him out. Though, I don’t know if he will run away.’

“Are you really going to be okay?”

“Huh…?”

As he blinked innocently, I whispered something softly into his ear. Then I gave him a seductive smile.

“…Even like this?”

Suradel’s face instantly turned red.

His eyes wandered here and there, not knowing where to look, and finally, he closed his eyes tightly.

No matter how much I think about it, I feel like I should be ashamed.

Just as expected.

Despite being still unsure of what to do, Suradel eventually jumped up.

“It’s late, so I’ll be on my way, Lia.”

With movements like those of a machine’s, he tried to get out of my room.

I paused for a moment, looking at Suradel with a smile.

“Su.”

Stop.

His hasty steps towards the door stopped like a knife at my call.

“…Yes, Lia.”

‘I think I prefer this kind of Suradel rather than the smirking Suradel.’

The corners of my mouth weren’t going down.

Feeling so good, I said something I would never normally have said.

“Good night.”

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

I woke up earlier than usual and started my day with a sigh.

I wish I could find a raccoon today.

As I stretched, I thought.

‘There’s over an hour left until Iprus comes to wake me up.’

‘What should I do till then?’

I was too wide awake to close my eyes again.

“Come to think of it, Sir Hanu trains at the gymnasium from dawn to early morning.”

We go around together every day because of the escort mission, so I was wondering when he trained.

When I expressed my curiosity, Hanu’s vague answer suggested that he trains at dawn.

‘Shall I go sight-seeing?’

It was a fleeting thought, but it didn’t seem like a bad way to pass the time.

‘…Sounds fun!’

With a playful smile, I started walking.

‘I have to surprise Sir Hanu.’

“What.”

Arriving at the gymnasium, I blinked rapidly.

There was someone unexpected.

Suradel.

Hanu was gasping for breath in front of him, as if the sparring had already ended.

“Next, who will compete with me?”

When Suradel spoke with his signature ominous smile, a heavy silence fell over the arena.

Everyone desperately avoided his gaze.

Suradel’s smile deepened at the blatant refusal.

“Haha, everyone has lost their discipline. Do you hate sparring? Then you have to train. Go round the gymnasium 20 times.”

“…Yes!”

However, the knights all started running without saying anything, as if they thought it would be better to run around the gymnasium than to spar with Suradel.

Suradel poured oil on it.

“Ah, the last person to come in will get… a kiss?”

Hee-ik.

At his word, the gymnasium was filled with fearful gasps and screams. 

The knights’ eyes changed completely.

They started running like crazy as if they would die if they didn’t.

The only people that were relaxed was Suradel and an elderly knight standing next to him.

The latter admired and praised Suradel’s methods.

“Haha. I was worried about laziness these days. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them participate in training with a clenched fist.”

Hearing that, Suradel tilted his head as if curious.

“Why are you laughing? The kiss is not from me, but from you, the leader.”

Then, realizing that it was not the time to laugh, the captain’s face instantly became contemplative.

“What… What? What did you just say…”

One corner of Suradel’s mouth raised crookedly as he nodded and looked at the knights circling around.

“You can run with them, and I’ll let you go if you finish in third place.”

It was a smile reminiscent of a devil’s.

I had been wondering when he was going to tease the staff again. He must have been working hard when I wasn’t looking.

The captain ran off without looking back. It was a speed that showed the will to be in third place.

I thought it ended there.

Suradel approached Hanu, who was still sprawled on the floor of the gymnasium.

Then, without exception, he striked.

“Oh, does Sir Hanu want a kiss from the leader? You seem quite relaxed?”

With a yelp, Hanu jumped up and started running.

Suradel clapped while watching the knights and repeatedly shouted, ‘Good job, good job’.

‘He is crazy.’

“Wow, he is really bad.”

“Lady Lia. You got up early.”

Iprus, who suddenly appeared, put a parasol on me and handed me popcorn.

Seeing that the viewer’s posture was perfectly set, it seemed that she had not been here just once or twice.

I watched the amount they did while chewing on the popcorn that Epress gave me.

It was more fun than I thought to watch Suradel play around..

‘I’m not the one suffering.’

Just then, Suradel spotted me in a corner of the gymnasium and waved with a bright smile.

“Lia!”

As he smiled brightly and came running like a puppy chasing his owner, the eyes of the knights in the gymnasium were focused.

They glanced at this spot as they worked hard touring the gymnasium.

‘Hmm. Shall I play the hero?’

I hardened my face as I looked at Suradel who had arrived before me.

“Suradel.”

“Huh…?”

He was a little taken aback when I didn’t call him by his nickname.

“Don’t bother the knights too much.”

“Why?”

I didn’t know ‘why’ would come out right away, so I stared at him, speechless.

It was a sin of overlooking how he did not have a normal way of thinking.

My eyes darted here and there and eventually, I decided to walk the path of personality breakdown.

“…Just because it’s bothering me.”

Ame: Maybe… Just maybe… Lia is the same as Bella? She likes her man to be in tears? xD I might be struck by lightning for thinking this…