CH 15

Chapter 15 ( Two interpretations of confession )

Doha slowly lowered her eyes by pressing down on the rising spirit of Duke Kandel and slowly lowering his head. He even gave a polite greeting according to the etiquette.

“I see, the Duke of Alteon.”

That’s why he had to wear glasses. Today, unlike usual, he wanted to wear a particularly neat and modest outfit, so there was a good reason for that.

There was nothing good about being discovered by the Duke of Kandel now. Therefore, he once again abandoned his pride and claimed to be a feeble, low-level priest.

“Hiccup!”

Lariette tried desperately, but in the end, she couldn’t stand it and let out an inconsiderate hiccup.

Asrazan appeared so quickly, it was unreasonable not to be surprised.

Even the timing of his appearance was not very good. It was because she had an attitude that could be misunderstood.

“Rie, here.”

Although he killed his pride, Doha, who was a bit grumpy, handed her a glass of water in a kinder tone than usual.

Lariette covered her nose and mouth to stop the hiccups and grabbed the glass.

‘… Rie?’

On the other hand, Asrazan frowned at the way he called her nickname so naturally. A gloomy energy flowed over Doha as if it were going to rip apart at any moment.

Lariette drank water in a hurry, apparently wanting to dry her teeth, and opened her mouth.

“Asrazan, that’s a misunderstanding!”

“… What do you mean?”

“Just go to sleep! He was just healing.”

It might be mistaken, but Doha and I are just friends! She added waving her hand.

For Asrazan, it was the sound of laughter. What kind of guy looks at his friend with that kind of gaze?

However, he knew that he was not in a position to question her now. Lariette also stopped making excuses as if realizing this.

“Priest. Go back.”

“Yes, sir.”

Doha bowed deeply and answered.

He left his seat in a docile manner, but his face turned bitterly dark. Wherever his usual relaxed eyes went, his wildly distorted expression took its place.

‘I thought you had no heart.’

Doha clenched his fists and moved forward. It didn’t feel very good to see what I thought I could have at any moment slip through my fingers.

But at the same time, it was also very interesting. The woman who even changed the heart of ‘that’ Duke of Kandel. Indeed, she deserved special consideration.

It’s going away now, but it won’t be known until in the future. He rolled up one lip and gave a sullen smile.

Meanwhile, when Doha completely left, Lariette looked at Asrazan with a slightly recalled expression.

His actions were clear. Therefore, there was a hidden expectation in the voice that asked the question.

“… Jealousy, if you don’t.”

“… I don’t.”

“Liar.”

Lariette replied with a snort. Then she got up from her chair and approached him, who was standing firm.

Asrazan looked at her as she approached him with a confused expression. As she got closer, his heart raced.

“Then why did you frighten Doha and kick him out?”

“… Only for wizard.”

“For me? I didn’t mind having Doha face to face, so why is that for me?”

At her logical point, Asrazan couldn’t find a way to respond and remained silent.

As she said, it wasn’t for her. He just couldn’t stand the fact that Lariette and the priest were so close.

Why? Asrazan asked himself. Why couldn’t you stand it?

As soon as he saw that scene, it felt like something in my heart was suddenly cut off. An unbearable passion engulfed him and made him move.

I wanted to cut off the head of the priest who held Lariette’s forehead right away, and at the same time, I was afraid that she would hate me if I did.

I didn’t want to be hated. And he hoped that only him could enjoy those friendly gazes and voices.

Asrazan knew it was time to admit it. The time had come to say the words that I had been avoiding until now because I was afraid that once I admitted it, I would not be able to go back.

“Shall I go for a drink with Doha?”

Lariette asked skillfully, rolling her eyes. Suddenly, she was right in front of him.

“Should I go, Asrazan?”

The whispers that followed were full of wind in her voice, as if seducing him. She slowly placed her slender fingers on his shoulder.

And just then, Asrazan opened his mouth.

“… Don’t do that.”

The eyes, which had only been indifferent, were filled with a pitiful heart. He repeated his words as if convincing himself.

“Don’t go, Lariette.”

At the rustling voice calling out my name for the first time, Lariette widened her eyes and looked at Asrazan. His gaze toward her was particularly hot.

“… It was the first time I noticed that my heart was beating so fast.”

“Yes?”

“My eyes are all focused on one place, and my thoughts are endless, even if I don’t want to.”

Asrazan lowered his eyes as if confessing his sins and spoke softly.

“When I imagine you being with someone else, my blood boils. I want to cut off the hand that touched you right away.”

“Asrazan.”

“If this is jealousy, yes. I’m jealous.”

His voice was like boiling iron. There was a thick layer of heat that seemed to devour everything at any moment.

Asrazan slowly reached out his gloved hand towards her face.

Lariette blinked at the touch that seemed to reach at any moment, but his hand only circled around her cheek and chin, but he couldn’t reach it.

As if it was too precious to be touched, or as if he feared that his contamination would get on her.

“… It was a very unfamiliar feeling, so I was lost for a while.”

Asrazan bowed his head and looked at her with infinitely serious blue eyes.

“Lariette.”

Lariette couldn’t afford to swallow dry saliva, so she focused on his eyes, lips, and fingertips.

A second passed like a minute. The moment his lips fell was too slow.

“The suggestion of dating. Is it still valid?”

The end of his question trembled slightly. He seemed worried that he might get an answer he didn’t want.

But for Lariette, that concern was only very funny. Because she had only one answer.

“Absolutely!”

Lariette quickly jumped into his arms with a bright smile in full bloom. Despite the sudden action, Asrazan held her with his firm arms.

Thump, thump, thump 

At her answer, his heart pounded rapidly again at the touch of her.

I couldn’t believe it. that this moment will come to me. To have a feeling of affection for someone, and to get it back.

“I look forward to your kind cooperation, Asrazan.”

Lariette said with her eyes curved beautifully. Asrazan looked at her with a trembling pupil and answered slowly.

Illustration 

“I mean it.”

I’m looking forward to working with you. He whispered softly in her ear.

However, the ‘forward’ they spoke of was quite different.

Lariette thought he had accepted the offer of dating for just three months, but Asrazan didn’t feel the need to set a time limit for the relationship.

In other words, if it was three months for Lariette, to Asrazan, it meant eternity as long as he had that passionate heart.

Lariette, unaware of this difference, just smiled brightly, not knowing that she would hit the ground and regret it in the near future

* * *

Flip.

A luxurious notebook unfolded in front of Asrazan’s eyes.

It was a notebook full of almost empty blanks, but when he moved to the back, the black text was dense.

Asrazan glanced at the notebook spread out in front of him with an expressionless face. Then he raised his gaze and stared at Lariette’s face.

Suddenly, she burst into the office and stood in front of my desk, looking at him with twinkling eyes filled with anticipation. Then, as if seeking persuasion, he asked in a recalled voice.

“What do you think?”

“… What is this?”

Asrazan slowly began to read the letters in the notebook.

<Go to the concert> (Complete)

<Reading a book together in the library>

<Swimming>

<Go to a hot spring>

In addition, it was a long list. At the top, the title was “What I want to do!”

“We have to do this together.”

Seeing her innocent face, Asrazan gently bit the inside of my lip. Because there were too many things for him.

He flipped through the papers in the notebook to examine the contents thoroughly. As he was about to go to the front page, Lariette hurriedly grabbed his hand and stopped him.

“That’s a different story. You can start from here.”

“Yes.”

Lariette smiled gracefully, pretending to be relaxed, but inside her heart was pounding.

It was because the front page had the contents of her bucket list and her limited time.

‘I almost got into trouble.’

She let out a small sigh and rubbed her chest. At best, I had been dating him, but I didn’t want to get caught because my condition was discovered right away.

Asrazan answered calmly and read the list she had written down. But even then, he found a sentence that bothered him and frowned.

<City Tour> (Completed)

City Tour, she have never done it with me, but I didn’t quite like the completion mark.

As he looked up at her as if asking for an explanation, Lariette gasped and moaned as if he had just discovered.

“Looks like you had a lot of fun.”

Look at what you marked. Asrazan muttered in a cold tone.

“No, no, this is just a list I’ve been wanting to try, and I don’t have to do it with my lover to get in….”

“Then you don’t have to do it all with me.”

Asrazan replied with a quick glance, turning his gaze to the side. Seeing this, Lariette burst out laughing at once.

“Puha! hahaha, sorry But being jealous is so cute.”

She quietly sat down next to him and made excuses.

Cute? Asrazan thought there must be something wrong with her eyes. Because it was a word he had never heard before.

Lariette rested her arms on his desk, clenched her chin, and looked at him intently. Her eyes were gently curved, expressing a happy heart.

“I want to do it with my lover. You don’t like that, Asrazan?”

As she finished her tempting question, Asrazan clenched his fists involuntarily.

He didn’t mean to say it that way, but it was because the content was too open for interpretation.

It is against the law to look at you like that. Asrazan sincerely thought so. As long as the purple eyes twinkled towards me like that, I couldn’t resist.

“… I will tell them to prepare a carriage.”

“Huh! As expected, I love jt!”

Lariette cheered and rested her head on his wide shoulder.

It was a light touch to her, but not to Asrazan.

His lips twitched against his will, and his ears became hot. He had no idea why his body kept getting tense.

“I’m going to get ready.”

Asrazan hurriedly made excuses and stood up. Because it seemed like something was going to happen.

Lariette couldn’t even imagine that he had deliberately avoided her, so excitedly went to her room. It was an official first date with him, so she couldn’t help but be excited.

They rode the carriage to the downtown of the capital.

Lariette burst into laughter again at the obvious destination he had decided out of jealousy, but Asrazan remained silent.

But the final destination was not what she expected. Lariette got off the carriage and looked at Asrazan with her eyes wide open.

“Why a boutique?”

“Didn’t you say you don’t have anything to decorate?”

We arrived at Artiz, a boutique called the best in the Kharshan Empire. It was also famous for taking orders only from women of the imperial family.

Lariette diligently recalled Asrazan’s words. Because she couldn’t remember when she said that.

And then, on the day I went to see a performance with him, I vaguely remembered that I said that to him, who came out before me.

“Hehehe.”

It’s so kind to remember what she said while passing by! Lariette, who was very satisfied, smiled softly and gently reached out to his arm. It was to cross arms.

“Go in.”

However, Asrazan naturally escaped and opened the door for her. It was such a gentle attitude that she didn’t even think that it was part of it.

Lariette was a little disappointed, but now he thought it was an action that could be done at any time, so she was not impatient and went into the building with his escort.

“Your Excellency, are you here? Oh, is it this person?”

“Yes. Please serve her without shortage.”

“Of course.”

Madame Charbet, the owner of Artiz, came out to greet them. She was a person that was more difficult to meet than any high-ranking nobleman.

Madame Charbet quickly scanned Lariette up and down. It was difficult because the identity and appearance of the woman accompanying him were not disclosed, but she was surprised because she looked much more well-managed than expected.

She brought dozens of dresses and accessories in front of Lariette, who sat on the sofa. All of them were gorgeous and beautiful. Lariette opened her eyes and continued admiring it.

“I think these lines will suit you. Try it on.”

“Oh, yes. Asrazan, I’ll be back. You can’t  be lonely without me.”

“… Yes.”

It was a flirtation that would have been ignored before, but now it was the whispers of a lover. So he answered quietly and leaned back on the sofa.

Lariette, who followed Madame Charbet, tried many dresses against her will.

She was moved to wear Artiz’s dress, which was said to cost a fortune per pair. Even when she was a princess, she couldn’t wear it because of her family’s financial situation.

After thinking for a while, all that was left was a gorgeous blue dress and an elegant beige dress.

Madame Charbet suggested to Lariette, who couldn’t choose between the two, to show it to Asrazan and ask.

“Asrazan, What do you think?”

Lariette asked, smiling shyly, wearing a blue dress with delicate frills.

I forgot for a moment. That he is Asrahan.

“…….”

Asrazan just stared at her without answering. A familiar silence lingered in the boutique.

Madame Charbet smiled awkwardly and looked at Lariette and Asrazan. In such a case, it is polite to say that you are pretty right away, but it was impossible for the Duke of Kandel to say such a thing.

“Which one do you think would be better, this or beige?”

“… You don’t have to choose.”

Lariette kindly provided a look for him. However, Asrazan looked at her with wonder and continued.

“Everything you liked, I will buy it. All the ornaments that caught your eye.”

He ordered naturally, as if buying some fruit at the market.

Lariette opened her mouth wide to dissuade him, but this time her twinkling eyes were of no avail.

* * *

The time spent together passed so quickly.

As the shadows grew longer and darkness gradually fell on the street, they got into the carriage to return to the mansion.

Lariette, who had been chatting about other subjects for a while, suddenly narrowed her eyes and looked at Asrazan. Her voice rose as if questioning.

“By the way, why didn’t you answer me earlier?”

“What answer do you mean?”

“I asked if I was pretty in a dress.”

Lariette poked his stomach with his finger and asked. Meanwhile, her stomach was so stiff that she admired it.

“… It’s pretty.”

Asrazan replied, leaning back to avoid her touch. He didn’t give in to her and came closer.

“The answer is late. This is an insult! An insult!”

Lariette continued speaking with a grim expression on her face. However, ger lips were full of a playfulness she couldn’t hide.

As her fingers kept poking his body, Asrahan felt cornered. The tickling touch was too much of a stimulus for him.

In the end, Asrazan could not stand it and grabbed Lariette’s wrist to stop it.

“It’s pretty.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

I want to dig the eyes of the coachman who saw you right away. He barely swallowed the words. Just in case she is afraid of me.

However, the fearless rabbit continued to urge the command, unaware that she was sticking her head in the jaws of a beast.

“Then kiss me.”

“… Yes?”

Asrazan could not believe what he had heard and asked.

Lariette stared at him with wild purple eyes and opened her mouth again.

“Let’s kiss.”