It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 41
I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep in an unfamiliar bedroom—especially in the Duke of Luanax’s bed—but I ended up dozing off without even realizing it.
When I opened my eyes, feeling completely refreshed, the room was already shrouded in darkness.
As I turned toward the faint glow of the lamp, I saw a man sitting in a chair, reading a book.
Just as I noticed him, he seemed to sense my gaze as well. He lifted his head and closed the book.
“You’re awake.”
The moment our eyes met, Lionel rose from his seat and strode toward me.
Dressed in loose indoor robes, his slightly damp hair suggested that he had just finished washing up.
His casual appearance starkly contrasted with his usual meticulously dressed self, making me all too aware of whose bed I had been sleeping in.
The moment he sat down on the bed, I bolted upright.
“Your Grace, when did you return?”
“Hmm… It’s been a while.”
Lionel briefly glanced toward the curtained windows before answering.
“And you didn’t wake me…?”
“You were sleeping soundly.”
Not only was his attire uncharacteristically relaxed, but so was his expression.
He looked… satisfied. Pleased, even.
I could only assume the noble assembly had gone favorably for him.
From what I had gathered from Baron Sinnet earlier, he had come to fetch me in the middle of an important meeting. At least he didn’t seem to have suffered any losses because of it.
“It was an unusual sight, seeing someone asleep in my bed.”
“Oh… Is that so?”
Well, it probably wasn’t a common occurrence. Unless he had a lover.
‘Come to think of it, has Lionel ever been in a relationship?’
I hadn’t.
But thanks to my extensive reading experience, I could at least call myself a well-informed beginner.
Just then, he leaned in slightly.
“It seems you’re quite fond of my bed.”
I opened my mouth but found myself at a loss for words.
As I hesitated, his hand reached out toward me, as if he were about to cup my cheek.
‘Wait….’
His deep, unreadable gaze locked onto mine as the distance between us steadily shrank.
‘Wait, wait….’
Time seemed to slow.
A quiet, darkened room.
A man and a woman, drawn to each other, sitting together on a bed….
‘Could it be…? Is it happening… tonight?’
We had already held hands. If things were progressing beyond that, there was only one possible thing.
It’s my…
‘My… my first kiss!’
His hand finally touched my cheek, moving slowly as my heart pounded in my chest.
Should I… close my eyes? When would it look the most natural and pretty?
As I agonized… his fingers brushed against my cheek— then smoothly swept past my ear before retreating altogether.
“……”
Only then did I realize what had actually happened.
He had merely tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
A first kiss? What first kiss?!
Embarrassment flooded through me. At least I hadn’t closed my eyes and puckered my lips like an idiot. Avoiding his gaze, I bit my lip and stared at my lap. A moment later, I heard the soft rustle of fabric moving closer.
When I cautiously glanced up, I found Lionel tilting his head, studying my expression.
“If we marry, you can sleep here every night.”
“…What?”
I blinked wide-eyed at him. Lionel smiled.
“No need to be so startled. It was just a joke.”
A joke…?
“Are you saying your proposal was a joke?”
Did that mean the last time was a joke too?
I doubted it, considering how serious he had been back then… but still.
“Who would joke about a marriage proposal?”
…And just like that, I let myself relax.
Because right before I had fallen asleep, I had already made up my mind.
I had decided to accept his proposal. If he had suddenly claimed it was all a joke—if he had asked whether I had actually believed it—I would have been disappointed and mortified.
“I simply meant that even if we marry, we don’t have to share a bed.”
Lionel rose from the bed as he spoke.
“So if that’s what’s been troubling you, I’m telling you, you needn’t worry.”
Why did he assume that was what I had been worried about?
