Male Lead, Please Dump Me Three Times - Chapter 20

The table was piled high with various desserts in all shapes and colors.

Strawberry cakes, chocolate cakes, banana cakes, mint cakes, orange cakes, and more.

Alongside them were large baskets filled with various types of tea and fruit juices.

Then, something caught my eye in an instant.

It was a brown box with white cursive writing on its surface.

‘No way. That’s…!’

It was none other than a ‘Lamonde’ cheesecake.

What’s more, it wasn’t just a slice but a whole round cake.

“They only sell 10 of these round cakes a day…”

My mouth started to water.

But could I really finish it all?

First of all, it was definitely not a serving for two, even with an adult man included.

“Ray. Where and when did you get all these?”

I asked, looking at Ray sitting beside me.

He was looking at the table, stacked with desserts, with crossed arms.

The colorful desserts didn’t seem to fit in this place at all.

“My subordinates really enjoy eating.”

Ray said with a serious expression. His demeanor seemed natural but also somewhat suspicious.

‘Well, for knights whose strength is their life, wouldn’t they eat protein-rich chicken… beef… some kind of meat?’

It felt like these foods were layers of fat that would destroy muscles if eaten one after another.

“These desserts? They must be quite disruptive to bodybuilding… That’s strange…”

I commented, finding it unusual.

“Yes, they eat without being picky.”

I see. Okay.

Looks like I was the one full of biases.

“Anyway. I’ll eat well!”

I said as I started to choose my first dessert to eat.

With so many options, it was hard to decide what to start with.

‘I should save the Lamonde cake for later. Let’s start with something light.’

I picked up a cake box with three bright red strawberries on top.

Starting with something refreshing seemed like a good idea.

While I dug into the cake with my fork, Ray’s hand remained still, not making a move.

He just sat there, staring blankly at me.

His intense gaze made me feel uncomfortable.

“Aren’t you eating, Ray?”

“No, I’m not good with sweet foods.”

“Oh, right…”

I nodded awkwardly.

Ray was silently looking at me.

“Wait. Do I look like a pig to you?”

“Huh?”

“You’re telling me to eat all this alone. I’m not that big of an eater…”

Ray chuckled unexpectedly.

My eyes were already ashen as I watched him smile.

“It’s okay to leave some. I’ll give the leftovers to my men, so don’t worry.”

I was usually a big eater, but I felt strangely offended.

Ray glanced at his wristwatch and said,

“Daisy, could you wait a bit longer? It should be finished in about 30 minutes.”

“Sure! Go ahead. I’ll be waiting and eating.”

I replied with a mouthful of cake.

Ray smiled faintly at my words and got up.

As he walked away, the sound of his footsteps gradually faded.

Was it because it’s been too long since I last ate?

My stomach seemed to fill up quickly, leaving me feeling full sooner than expected.

“Oh… I’m too full… There’s too much food… It’s really too much to finish.”

I secretly glanced towards where Ray was.

“……”

He seemed focused on his work. Well, it hadn’t been 30 minutes yet.

I carefully leaned back against the sofa after setting down the fork.

The warm sun streamed in through the half-open black curtains, signaling the afternoon.

I opened the ⟨Encyclopedia of Demons⟩ that was placed beside me.

The book was quite heavy, and I felt like my wrist might break if I held it wrong.

Gently turning the thin yellowed pages with my fingertips, I browsed through the contents and was surprised.

The ‘Author’s Note’ was 30 pages long.

‘Wait, is this for real… Why is the introduction so long?’

The 30-page author’s note was incredibly dull. I read through about 20 pages but soon felt drowsy.

The pleasant feeling of fullness and the boring foreword made my eyelids heavy.

The warmth of the sun on my legs made me feel drowsy as well.

The only sound that filtered into the sunlit room was the scratching of a pen.

The sound felt like a lullaby.

It seemed like a perfect environment to fall asleep in.

My eyelids continued to droop as if weighted down by stones.

As I yawned one after another, moisture began to gather in the corners of my eyes, and even my vision started to blur.

I eventually gave in to my instincts.

‘Just a quick nap… just a moment… I’ll wake up when the work is done.’

With that, I relaxed my body and let my eyelids naturally droop down.

* * *

A refreshing scent tickled my nose.

The warmth of the well-warmed blanket enveloped my body.

The comforting warmth that relaxed my body seeped deep within me.

The blanket was quite firm and heavy for a blanket.

A substantial weight pressed around my waist area as if something was placed there.

Something was breathing regularly around me.

The breath grazed past my head as it reached me at eye level.

As usual, I blinked half-open eyes and raised my eyelids.

‘Swish.’

Something flowed down under my shoulder.

My vision was still blurry, so it was hard to recognize the figure right in front of me.

After blinking a few more times, it suddenly dawned on me.

I realized that I was being held by someone…

And thanks to the familiar scent, I immediately knew who it was.

“……”

What enveloped me wasn’t a well-warmed blanket, but Ray’s firm and solid body.

‘Oh my…’

When you’re extremely surprised or embarrassed, your body freezes up all over.

Just like mine did now.

But even in this state of shock, my eyes, which were darting around, couldn’t be stopped from meeting his gaze.

As I rolled my eyes busily to assess the situation,

I realized that what I was lying against…

Was not a pillow but Ray’s sturdy arm.

‘It felt too firm to be a pillow…’

And although it wasn’t a blanket, something was covering me.

Ray, who was holding me, was dressed in a shirt. His coat collar touched my neck.

I was nestled against him,

His thick arm wrapped around my waist.

‘Oh my god… Is this really okay?’

But I didn’t feel uncomfortable.

I could hear Ray’s regular heartbeat.

Judging by his steady breathing, it seemed like Ray was asleep.

I should have immediately jumped up and said, “Why am I doing here like this!?”

But I couldn’t bring myself to wake up the deeply sleeping Ray.

‘I’m sure he hadn’t slept well for a while.’

He’s probably just dozing off, but I figured I’d better leave him alone, at least for a while.

“…….”

I quietly regulated my breathing while being held by Ray.

My gaze was drawn to the scars visible between his shirt.

It was a long scar as if cut by a knife.

‘Swish.’

Without realizing it, I gently traced and caressed the scar.

‘I wonder how it happened…….’

I felt an inexplicable sense of pity.

The scar on his smooth skin above the well-defined chest muscles looked unpleasant.

My delicate fingertips continued to stroke the scar, hoping it would fade even a little.

Although it was unlikely…

“Are you awake?”

Ray’s muffled voice echoed above me.

Still nestled in his arms, I nodded gently.

My disheveled hair fluttered as I moved in response to his breathing.

I felt a bit more pressure on his arms around my waist.

“Ray, what happened to cause this scar here?”

I asked, feeling the scar unpleasantly located on his chest.

In an instant, Ray’s body flinched.

“Daisy, you shouldn’t touch it like that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did it hurt?”

Surprised, I raised my head to look at him.

Ray gazed down at me with sleepy eyes.

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then?”

I waited for his response, locking eyes with Ray.

His pupils were filled with my reflection gazing back at him.

In an instant, deep wrinkles appeared on Ray’s forehead.

“Sigh…”

Ray let out a deep sigh and then avoided my gaze.

Something seemed to be bothering him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would hurt.”

“It’s not hurting. It’s okay.”

Ray gently held my hand that rested on his chest, then released it from his chest.

His thick fingers pressed firmly against my slender fingertips, just like the last time we lay side by side on his bed.

Our joined hands soon fell onto my waist.

“…….”

“…….”

For some reason, we remained silent for a moment, only the sound of our breathing and heartbeat intertwining in the air.

It was Ray’s muffled voice that broke the silence.

The vibrations passed through our touching skin.

“Daisy.”

“Yes?”

“Can we sleep a little longer?”