Male Lead, Please Dump Me Three Times - Chapter 13

“How is it?”

I filled my cheeks with cookies and chewed them with a crunch.

I gave a thumbs up in response to Ray’s question.

He squinted his eyes and handed me some water.

“I’m glad it’s tasty. But just in case, eat slowly.”

I nodded with a pleasant smile on my face.

“But, aren’t you going to eat, Ray?”

“I don’t really like sweets. It’s okay.”

Ah, right. Ray didn’t like sweets.

I’ll have to make a note of it when I get home.

The more time I spend here, the more my memory of the original work fades.

‘It would be troublesome if I missed any information…’

“Are you going somewhere?”

“Yes. I have a date with a friend.”

“A girl friend?”

I nodded at Ray’s question.

“Yes. But actually, I’ve been in a really bad mood today.”

“Why?”

“We went to get our fortune told, and the lady said my future looks dark. But my friend’s future seemed even darker.”

“Do you believe in that stuff?”

“Not usually… but the person was so famous that it bothered me.”

“I see.”

Right.

Now that I think about it, didn’t he say he was busy today?

I feel like I’ve taken too much of his time…

“But Ray, didn’t you say you had work this afternoon? When do you need to leave?”

“Oh, the schedule got canceled. So I suddenly have some free time.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I should be fine until 8 o’clock.”

“That’s just right! It’s my curfew time, isn’t it?”

“It seems so. What a coincidence.”

Outside the window, the sky was dyed with the sunset. The world was filled with warm colors.

“Daisy. Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. Thanks to you. My appetite has come back, and, oh. Thank you for that day! It was an urgent situation and I couldn’t express my gratitude.”

“It’s okay. It was because of me. Did you get scolded by your parents?”

“No. Actually, I threw my friend under the bus. Just so they wouldn’t worry.”

I looked at Ray and grinned sheepishly.

Ray rested his chin on his hand and stared at me intently. His gaze was so direct that I felt embarrassed for a moment.

I explained in detail again, worried that he might misunderstand me as a liar.

“I’m not usually someone who lies? But… I didn’t want them to worry… so I used a friend my parents know well…”

“I know. You did well.”

Ray gave me a languid smile.

At that moment, seeing his eyes narrow into a smile, I realized again the charm of a cold beauty.

The gap between an expressionless face and a smiling one. Isn’t that the unbeatable condition that makes a cold-looking man win over a warm-looking man.

I suddenly realized something.

That I had forgotten the most important thing.

“By the way, why did you come today? You didn’t say it in the letter.”

“I was curious if you were feeling better.”

“Hmm! I’m totally fine. I’ve been taking the medicines you gave me.”

I said, as I opened the seventh bag of cookies.

It was a cookie mixed with strawberry jam and chocolate fudge.

My hand, exploring the cookie bags one by one, moved nonstop.

“By the way, can I ask something I’m curious about too?”

Ray nodded at my words.

“What type of person do you like, Ray?”

I asked while munching on a cookie.

I’m pretty sure he said last time that Delian wasn’t his type…

Ideal types can change at any time, right?

Like an ideal type-breaker, you know.

“Are you curious about that?”

“Yes.”

I nodded energetically to Ray’s question.

“I like cute people. I’m envious of them, too.”

“Wow… envious? Even someone like Ray has something you envy… That’s surprising…”

“Yes. Because that’s something you can’t achieve with effort.”

Delian is the epitome of cuteness walking around…!

“Amazing… And what else? Like, for example, any physical features?”

“Hmm… Well.”

Ray looked at me thoughtfully. He seemed to be seriously contemplating.

“Because I like the color gold.”

Delian’s eyes are amber! They’re golden!

“What else? Any other features?”

“I also like green.”

Green…

I cast my gaze downward.

I couldn’t think of anything on Delian that was tinged with green.

With cheeks slightly puffed from the cookies, I wore a sullen expression.

“What are you thinking about?”

“What!?”

I let out a startled voice, caught off guard as I thought about Delian.

“I was just thinking about green. Wondering what there might be… something green.”

“Hmm.”

Ray seemed to ponder for a moment at my words.

Looking at his eyes cast downward, I suddenly became curious.

Is he sleeping well these days? He must be suffering quite a bit from insomnia.

“Ray, how is your insomnia lately… hmph!”

I hastily swallowed the words that were about to slip out.

“Insomnia…? How do you know about…”

Crazy.

Why did I act like I knew about it!

Ray’s severe insomnia was his significant flaw.

It was also a sensitive setting that affected his entire life.

“I think… you mentioned once that you had trouble sleeping…? Hahaha… Or is my memory distorted…?”

I dodged his penetrating gaze and tried to deflect.

Cold sweat ran down my spine.

Suddenly, the air inside the carriage felt hotter.

“Ah. Have I mentioned it…?”

Perhaps because I was caught, I couldn’t lie. So I just smiled and let it pass.

“Um… So, did you not sleep well today either?”

“Yes. It’s a part of my life now, so I can bear it.”

In the original novel, there was only one place where Ray could fall asleep.

That was in Delian’s arms.

Whether it was the power of love… or because of Delian’s abilities, I’m not sure.

But the only person who could cure Ray’s severe insomnia was Delian.

If my guess is correct, his insomnia would still continue to this day.

And from Ray’s reaction, that was clear enough.

My guess was right.

Ray, who grew up alone without parents…

Still amidst loneliness and pain…

I felt bad for him, thinking about him living in loneliness and pain.

While that guy, Killian, is probably living well…

Even Delian is thoroughly infatuated with Killian…

It seems that’s already gone wrong.

Is there anything I can do to help this person?

“Will you put me to sleep?”

“What???”

I was startled by Ray’s sudden question.

“Could I just borrow your shoulder for a moment…”

Ray dropped his lashes down pitifully.

A handsome man burdened with wounds was enough to stir my heart.

“I’m not sure if it will help… but should I?”

Ray lifted his head, which he had dropped, to meet my eyes.

I walked cautiously to the opposite side and said,

“But I’m much shorter than you, it might be uncomfortable…”

“It’s okay.”

Soon, Ray gently rested his head on my shoulder.

It’s just going to be uncomfortable and he probably won’t be able to sleep…

Despite having a grown man’s head resting on my shoulder, it wasn’t heavy at all.

Was it because his head was small, or because he wasn’t putting his weight on me?

“Ray, you can lean on me comfortably.”

“Mm…”

I felt frustrated not being able to see Ray’s face.

Is he sleeping?

“……”

In the quiet of the carriage, only the man’s breathing could be heard distinctly.

His breaths were quite neat and regular.

“Ray, are you asleep…?”

There was no answer. I could only feel the movement of Ray’s breathing through the skin we shared.

‘Is he really sleeping???’

How could he fall asleep so easily after staying up for days?

Suddenly, Ray’s head moved slightly on my shoulder.

Seeing Ray precariously resting on my shoulder made me feel nervous.

It would be a disaster if he fell over and hurt his handsome face.

‘Swish’

I carefully supported his head and shifted my body slightly to the side.

Then I laid him down so that he could rest on my thigh.

Ray was really asleep.

His red pupils were completely hidden behind his thick lashes.

I sneakily stole a glance at him.

Not a single pore could be seen on his white, smooth skin.

‘Wow… this is just cheating.’

I freely stole a look at Ray as he slept.

Yeah. When else would I get to see a scene like this, and this close?

Suddenly, a desire began to stir within me.

My mischievous hand instinctively twitched.

Unbeknownst to me, my hand reached the tips of his lashes.

‘Wow… really thick. So lush…’

My fingertips tingled.

“Uhm…”

Suddenly, Ray’s body moved slightly, and a faint wrinkle formed on his brow.

Watching him sleep like this, I felt his boyishness, even though he was a grown young man.

I knew I shouldn’t, but instinctively I stroked his cheek.

My body and mind were already acting separately. My reason ultimately couldn’t stop my emotions.

It’s as smooth and as soft as it looked.

‘Soft… It’s really like baby skin. I want to steal it.’

I watched Ray sleep for a while.

I felt like a bad person for tormenting someone who was sound asleep.

Ray’s breathing once again settled into a regular rhythm.

As I watched him sleep so peacefully, I felt an inexplicable sense of comfort.

It was strange.

The pleasant tingling that I felt in a corner of my heart wouldn’t stop.

Was it because of the comfort that another’s warmth provided?

Soon, a pleasant drowsiness came over me.

* * *

My eyelids felt heavy as they pressed down on my eyes.

“Umm…”

A faint moan escaped through my lips.

My voice was deep with sleep.

My vision was blurry. I rubbed my eyes with one hand.

‘Did I doze off…?’

I could still feel the warmth of another person in my other hand. My thigh was still pressed down by something.

“What…!”

I sat up straight, suddenly coming to my senses.

I pulled my head away from where it had been leaning against the carriage wall and looked down.

In an instant, my gaze met the earnest eyes of the man.

His languid red pupils were holding me in their gaze.