Male Lead, Please Dump Me Three Times - Chapter 56

The moment our gazes met,

I felt dazed, like someone left alone on a beach swept by a wave.

“Are you going to keep standing there?”

“Ah…”

Ray’s voice quickly brought me back to my senses.

I struggled to lift the corners of my mouth and walked towards Ray, who was sitting alone.

“Ray, I’m sorry for leaving you alone. I was so happy to meet an old friend that I…”

I sat down opposite him again, trying to hide my regret for missing the timing.

Ray was still silent.

As expected. Ray was definitely upset.

Because of James who intruded thoughtlessly and because I had left Ray alone to chat with James.

I continued to speak in an attempt to change this awkward atmosphere.

“I didn’t know James had joined the imperial knights… It’s not like him at all. Life is really long…”

“You must be close.”

“Huh?”

“You and James Bondrano.”

“Ah… James and I were in the same class for three years. So we’re quite close.”

“I see.”

Ray answered in a somewhat indifferent voice.

After James left, an awkward air flowed between us.

And no wonder, Ray’s expression and the atmosphere had changed significantly from when we entered Éclair.

Feeling suddenly awkward, I poked the innocent cake with my fork repeatedly.

“Daisy knows a lot of men.”

“Uh… Really? I don’t think it’s that many.”

For a while, Ray asked me an unexpected question.

The men I know…

Just a few classmates and Ian.

Ah. Killian would also count if we’re talking about men I know.

He’s not a woman after all.

Suddenly, the sound of bustling footsteps from people coming up the stairs connected to the second floor was heard.

Eventually, the group of visitors that I had been worried about appeared.

‘…The quiet atmosphere is going to be ruined.’

Soon after, laughter and chatter could be heard. It seemed like a group of noble ladies had come to enjoy their tea time.

Feeling deflated, as if let down by today’s events, my shoulders slumped.

I took a sip of my now cold peppermint tea and asked Ray,

“Ray, why aren’t you eating? You haven’t even touched your drink…”

It was then when Ray’s red lips slowly parted,

The murmuring sound of the lady group far away reached us.

“That person… He’s Duke Croit, right? My goodness… It’s my first time seeing him in person.”

“Really? I heard he even rejected a proposal from the Marquis of Haril family recently?”

“And he flatly refused the engagement talks with that arrogant Lady Meridian as well, naturally.”

As expected…

Ellie’s words were right. There were endless proposals and requests for engagement talks with Ray.

I already knew that Ray had rejected all those proposals.

But still…

It bothered me.

“But, the lady sitting in front… She looks familiar, who was she?”

“Wasn’t she the valedictorian from Lumière Academy? From the Count of Carnelian family…”

“Ah. The one who was praised for her beauty and intelligence?”

“It seems so. That lady is not to be underestimated either. There was a line of men courting her.”

“My cousin also went to the same academy; he was one of those many men as well.”

“Ho ho ho. It’s always comfortable and nice for people of similar status to meet each other.”

Wait a minute…

Why would you say something like that out loud?

Everyone can hear…….

In fact, the voices of the lady and her friends weren’t that loud.

But since the second floor was so quiet, if you paid a little attention, you could easily hear them.

‘So my plan to confess here has burst like a bubble…….’

James was the first bomb. And then the second bomb was from a lady and her friends.

‘How can I confess in this atmosphere…….’

With a feeling of regret, I looked down at the cake full of fork marks.

Ray was still not saying anything.

In the atmosphere that felt like cold water had been poured over us, I sneakily glanced at Ray’s face.

His face, which was focused on the table, was still cold and stiff.

“Ray.”

Ray met my eyes as I called him. His pupils were calmly settled.

Despite the strange atmosphere, I couldn’t control my damned curiosity.

“They said you received a lot of proposals? But you told me before that you weren’t popular…….”

“…….”

Ray didn’t even answer my question.

“You’re not even answering……. Liar…….”

I muttered quietly, looking down.

“Daisy.”

Then Ray called my name in a deep voice.

“Shall we go out? It’s a bit noisy here.”

“Hmph…. Fine.”

It wasn’t my fault that James interfered or that the lady and her group appeared.

I felt spiteful because Ray was suddenly acting cold.

My ambitious plan to confess was disastrously ruined, and I had no reason to stay in Éclaire any longer.

On the table, tea and cake were left almost untouched.

We left Atelier with an awkward air between us.

Before we knew it, the sky was dyed blue.

It was already time to return to the mansion.

Time seemed cruelly fast.

As my ambitious plan turned to naught, my shoulders drooped. Like a soaked cotton.

‘Do I have to postpone it until tomorrow…….’

Confessing is so damn hard.

I swore inwardly as I sighed.

Walking side by side, Ray took my hand. His grip was a bit stronger than before.

“It seems we should depart now.”

I regretted how quickly the day had passed.

“Yeah……. It’s a bit early but I need to be back by 8.”

I was concerned that my disappointment would be noticeable to him.

So, I tried not to show it as much as possible when I spoke.

“I know. I’ll take you home.”

Ray’s expression and tone had become cold at some point and hadn’t returned to normal since.

‘Did I bring up the proposals for nothing……? His expression seemed to worsen since then……. And yet we’re still holding hands…… Cute……!’

A person much taller and bigger than me holding my hand like a pleading child… felt somewhat cute.

But my life’s first date, and my first confession, were completely ruined.  

With a feeling of regret, I headed towards the carriage with Ray.

* * *

‘Clunk’

My feet didn’t even touch the floor of the carriage.

Ray’s carriage barely shook, but it did for a moment because he had suddenly pulled me into his arms.

“Ah……, Ray!”

He skillfully seated me on his thighs.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

“Daisy.”

“Ray, why suddenly…….”

Our gazes met closely. There was a chilling fierceness in Ray’s eyes.

It was the sharp gaze I had encountered before. But somehow, it also felt pitifully tender.

He slowly scanned my lips with his gaze and then asked,

“May I?”

I nodded, meeting his red pupils, and slowly closed my eyes. Soon our lips overlapped.

As always, his lips were soft and warm.

Soon he wrapped his broad hand around my neck and deepened the kiss by tilting his head.

My body shivered under his strong caress down my back.

As his grip tightened around me, I wrapped my arms around his neck, clinging to him.

Soon his tongue freely roamed inside me, stirring passionately.

For a while, the sticky sound of our mingling breaths and tongues filled the quiet interior of the carriage.

Ray swallowed not just my lips but even my breaths in his persistence until I almost ran out of breath.

With a soft sound, Ray’s lips left mine.

“Huh……. Why so……, urgent…….”

Ray buried his forehead in my neck.

“Daisy.”

His heavy breath dispersed over my tender skin, making every hair on my body stand on end.

“Hmm…….”

He kissed my neck several times.

It was more like mercilessly pressing against tender flesh than kissing.

My eyes tightly shut from the explicit and sensual sensation.

“I’m curious about something.”

“Huh……, yeah…….”

I clutched his hair, urging him on.

Ray’s high nose brushed gently against my tender skin as it slowly moved down.

The fleeting touch of his lips made me yearn for more.

As if sensing my desire, Ray slightly bit into my tender flesh.

“Huh, hah…….”

A thrilling sensation rushed through my body instantly. The more it happened, the more I clung to him.

“Is this what close seniors and juniors do?”