Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 72
Even though it was the weekend, this was unusual. This had never happened before…
Unable to believe it, she asked again. The fabric was lifted slightly, and the sudden blinding sunlight made her squint involuntarily.
“Why would I lie about something like this?”
His deep voice, usually so clear, was more subdued. Through the gap, Macy saw the white sheets illuminated by sunlight. There were his well-defined yet manly fingers and the long scar running from his forearm to his wrist, revealed by the rolled-up shirt sleeve…
“If you know it’s morning, you should get up.”
As her mouth opened in surprise, her vision went dark again. The fabric completely blocked her view.
“I’ll be out for a while, so wash up and get ready.”
“For what?”
“For breakfast. Since your eyes are covered, something simple would be best.”
Macy froze in place. Eren left the room, leaving her with her mouth wide open. From beyond the door, she could hear him asking Dia to prepare the meal.
“Is this a dream…?”
Macy pinched her cheek hard.
“Ouch!”
She felt a sharp pain. This was all real. Eren had indeed stayed beside her until noon and was planning to have lunch together.
* * *
Dia brought a sandwich. Macy held the sandwich wrapped in parchment paper and took a bite.
Perhaps because her eyes were covered, she felt the flavors more intensely than usual. The texture of the soft bread, the crisp lettuce, the tangy tomatoes, and the sweet jam all seemed to be more vivid…
But despite the deliciousness, Macy couldn’t fully concentrate on her meal. It felt oddly embarrassing to have someone watch her eat across from her.
‘Why is Eren acting like this all of a sudden?’
This was the first time she was eating in front of Eren. Though she had eaten the bread Dia prepared while waiting for him, this was the first time she was having a meal face-to-face with him for a specific purpose. It was strange that he was behaving so unusually. In fact, it had been odd since last night.
From taking the first kiss to accepting her reluctance so easily, Eren’s behavior was out of character. He had continued kissing her softly and affectionately until she said it was enough. He didn’t undress her or say anything harsh. The kisses felt like they were filled with genuine care and affection.
‘But why?’
She couldn’t understand why he seemed to be in a better mood. Yes, Eren didn’t talk much, so it wasn’t obvious, but he did seem to be in good spirits. She could sense it from the subtly softened tone of his voice and his considerate way of asking about her preferences.
“What do you usually eat?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, what do you have for breakfast?”
Look at that. When did he start caring about what she eat?
“I usually keep it simple. I can’t digest a big breakfast well…”
Macy couldn’t feel completely happy about the situation. Excessive happiness that arrives unexpectedly often feels suspicious. She wondered if there was some hidden trap.
“So what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a bit strange to see you acting out of character… Is this because I cried yesterday? I’m okay now. You don’t need to go out of your way.”
“Your words are different from yesterday. You were clinging to me, asking for more kisses.”
“No, that’s…!”
Her voice raised a tone at the blunt remark before she quickly closed her mouth.
“I’m sorry. I won’t do that anymore…”
Yesterday, Macy was emotional, even by her own standards. She was overwhelmed by the feeling that Eren didn’t just see her as a target for his treatment. Now, with his warmth in her grasp, she didn’t want to let it go.
“I told you, I don’t mind doing this with you. I’m doing it because I want to, so don’t worry about it.”
“Really…”
“Yes.”
Her lips seemed to want to curl up into a smile. She bit them hard to hide her joy. She could hear the sound of someone drinking in the front room. Was Eren thinking about having tea or coffee during the day?
“Oh.”
While Macy was focusing on the faint sounds, she felt something fall onto her clothes. It seemed like one of the sandwich ingredients had dropped.
As she tried to get up immediately, Eren gently pushed her back down.
“Careful. Stay still.”
Soon, she felt him wiping her clothes with a cloth. He wiped her mouth, then sat back down.
She awkwardly tried to pick up the sandwich from the plate again, but no matter how she felt around, it was gone.
“Ah, open up.”
“Huh?”
“Open your mouth.”
Macy’s mouth slowly opened. A bite-sized piece of sandwich was placed inside.
“This is better. Better than spilling it everywhere while trying to eat.”
