It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 21
Did Lionel barge into the monastery searching for Serenia Solen specifically, or did he investigate after bringing me back?
I needed to be certain about this detail. Only then could I figure out why he seemed to think I was necessary.
Feeling strangely unsettled, I stuffed my mouth with the chocolate and cookies piled high on the plate in front of me, cheeks puffing out as I chewed.
If my family were here, they’d have scolded me to eat moderately. But right now, no one was around, so it didn’t matter.
Even if I skipped dinner after filling up on snacks, who would truly worry about me?
I felt better as I gorged myself on sweet things to the point that made me dizzy.
It felt like I was consuming three years’ worth of the fancy desserts I could barely taste once a year at the monastery.
I washed it all down with lukewarm, fragrant tea, gulping it down until my cup was empty. Just as I placed the empty cup back on the table, the door to the sitting room opened.
“Apologies for keeping you waiting so long.”
Lionel entered hastily, his strides deliberate as he closed the distance between us.
The faint scent that seemed to linger in this space grew stronger the closer he approached.
I stayed seated on the sofa, watching him intently, until he paused just short of sitting beside me, maintaining a slight distance.
“Priestess, may I?”
“Huh…?”
I blinked, confused by the ambiguous request. Lionel sat beside me, reached into his jacket, and pulled out a handkerchief.
Then, with narrowed eyes, he carefully wiped my lips.
The soft fabric brushed against my skin, sweeping away crumbs. Feeling the heat crawl up my face, I looked down at the handkerchief to find smudges of melted chocolate. My cheeks flushed crimson.
“Thank you…”
When his gaze shifted from my lips to the empty dessert plate on the table, I couldn’t help but duck my head.
‘Why did I do that?’
Embarrassment surged, making me want to disappear.
I wasn’t some child obsessed with sweets, yet I’d devoured everything on the plate—and even got some on my lips.
The image of my father sighing deeply, lamenting how he’d failed not only as the head of the family but also as the educator of his youngest daughter, floated to mind.
“I like them as well.”
“……?”
Caught off guard by Lionel’s unexpected admission, I lifted my head to find a faint smile gracing his lips.
“Candy, chocolate—anything sweet. I enjoy them all.”
Uh…
…Really?
It didn’t suit him at all. Could he be lying?
“You don’t believe me.”
I must have stared at him doubtfully.
“No, it’s just… surprising, that’s all.”
“I see.”
The gentle smile, the way he had wiped my mouth so kindly, and now his fondness for sweets—everything about this moment felt completely unexpected.
“I wonder what kind of person I appear to be through your eyes.”
Good question.
Lionel Luanax.
How much did I truly know about him? What exactly was he like?
For the first time since our encounter at the monastery, I felt a genuine curiosity about Lionel.
The small details, the nuances that couldn’t be gleaned from the brief descriptions in the novel.
‘…More information might just be the key to my survival.’
With that clear reasoning, I suppressed my reluctance and met his gaze directly, determined to catch even the smallest fragment of emotion reflected in his eyes.
The closer you keep your enemies, the better.
And when you’re unsure whether someone is friend or foe?
“Then isn’t it best to keep them even closer?”
“By the way…”
“Priestess.”
We spoke at the same time, leading to a brief moment of silence.
“Please, go ahead first, Your Grace.”
After a slight hesitation, he lowered his gaze before speaking.
“I injured myself during training. Would it be all right to ask for treatment? I’ll pay a special service fee—in gold.”
I couldn’t help but gape at his words.
“Where? Let me see immediately!”
For someone who dismissed even deep wounds as nothing, asking for treatment meant the injury must be severe.
Though he seemed perfectly fine outwardly, my urgency prompted him to start removing his clothing.
He took off his jacket and waistcoat, setting them on the sofa, then loosened his cravat. Finally, he unbuttoned his shirt one by one, revealing a broad chest.
The fabric, stretched taut over his muscular torso, gave way.
