Male Lead, Please Dump Me Three Times - Chapter 9

“What’s wrong? I didn’t see anything.”

It was then.

A warm liquid was trickling down beneath my nose.

In his trembling eyes, I could see my reflection with a nosebleed.

I instinctively got up.

“Ah. Damn.”

A slight exclamation escaped my lips in my fluster.

With adept hands, Ray pulled the cuff of his shirt and pressed it to my nose.

“Don’t tilt your head back.”

He gently wrapped one hand around the nape of my neck, while pressing down on my nose with the wrist of his opposite hand.

His touch was gentle, contrary to his urgent actions.

“Ha ha ha… Why is my nose bleeding all of a sudden… I’m not usually someone who gets nosebleeds, really.”

Ray looking down at me seemed full of doubt.

“It’s true.”

My indignant protest went ignored.

Ray applied a little more force to the hand that was covering my nose.

“I really didn’t see anything, okay?”

It was difficult to open my lips because of the handkerchief pressed tightly against my mouth, but I insisted.

I didn’t want to remain in his memory as someone who got excited and got a nosebleed.

“Okay.”

Somehow.

It was as if he was reluctantly agreeing with me.

His eyebrows twisted, and wrinkles formed on his forehead, marring his handsome face.

“You do believe me, do you…?”

“Yes. I believe you. So don’t speak while I stop the bleeding.”

I could do nothing but nod.

Ray’s eyes were filled with my reflection.

Fortunately, the bleeding seemed to have stopped quickly, as there wasn’t much blood flowing out.

“The bleeding has stopped now.”

“You never know.”

“It has stopped.”

I persistently removed Ray’s hand that was clinging to me.

“Ray. Do you want to take off your shirt?”

Suddenly, Ray’s pupils shook imperceptibly.

“Why the shirt all of a sudden…?”

“I’ll wash it for you. It got dirty.”

“Ah. You don’t need to worry about that.”

Ray exhaled a breath, dumbfounded.

Then the night sky outside the window caught my eye.

“Ray. Don’t tell me… what time is it now…?”

He checked his wristwatch with a relaxed motion.

“It’s nine o’clock.”

I’m doomed.

The Count of Carnelian household has a curfew.

It’s strictly 8 o’clock.

In other words, one should be home before the sun sets.

And the curfew applies to both me and Dermian.

“Ray… my curfew is at 8 o’clock…”

A deep shadow was cast on my face. And the same was reflected on Ray’s face.

* * *

“Daisy! Do you know what time it is? Where in the world have you been…”

“Ah, Mom! I’m sorry. I was in a rush to visit Delian’s place, and it got late…”

“When you go out, you should at least tell us where you’re going and when you’ll be back. You know well enough how dangerous the world is!”

“Ahem.”

Mom and Dad were dressed as if they were about to rush out of the house.

“Phew…”

It was Dermian’s sigh.

Dermian stood as naturally as a passerby.

That guy was shaking his head at me with a look of pity in his eyes.

‘That bastard…’

But…

After all, receiving concern and attention means that I am loved…

I consoled myself with that thought.

But is it really a good thing? This.

“Huh? Dad, you’re home from work early today?”

I teasingly asked my father.

“My daughter, it’s already 10 o’clock.”

Dad was the champion of leaving work on time.

He had a somewhat stuffy and conservative rule that ‘one must spend time with family outside of work hours, excluding overtime.’

‘Our family is really… warm. Too warm, warm enough to burn everything down.’

Deep wrinkles were etched on each of my parents’ faces.

Now that it’s come to this…

I approached my parents and took both their hands in mine.

“I’m sorry for worrying you. You missed me a lot, didn’t you, both of you?”

For a moment, Dad’s twisted eyebrows slowly returned to their place, and at the same time, Mom’s lips began to twitch.

“It’s just that Delian urgently needed me, so I went over for a bit and got delayed.”

Dad averted his gaze with a reluctant expression, and even Mom, who had been angry, seemed to have softened.

“Eh? But I was just at Delian’s sister’s house…”

It was then.

Dermian, who had been quietly standing behind Dad, seemed like he might say something unfavorable to me at any moment.

I avoided my parents’ eyes and sent Dermian a strong glare, widening my eyes.

‘This XX, I’ll kill you if you talk. Just shut up and stay quiet.’

Dermian then looked down and scratched the back of his head.

“Hmm-hmm. We’ve been apart for quite a while, and our house does have a somewhat inhumane curfew.”

My parents seemed to acknowledge that point and didn’t nag any further.

“I’ll be more careful in the future! Okay?”

I looked back and forth between the two, making eye contact. As I looked at my parents, a smile naturally formed on my lips.

The corners of their mouths also began to turn up.

Soon after, Dad cleared his throat with an embarrassed voice and said,

“Hmm. That’s enough. But what is all that cumbersome stuff over there?”

Dad gestured toward the entrance door.

“Ah. That is…”

<“You should keep taking medicine for a while. I’ve prepared a few things, so make sure to take them.”>

When Ray said that, I thought he would give me just one bottle of medicine…

It seemed as if he gathered every kind of medicine sold in the empire.

“Dellian gave them as a gift. She said she’s worried about my health.”

There was no need for my parents to worry for no reason.

In my opinion, a well-intentioned lie is not a lie.

“Sure. Just go up and rest. It’s already late. Leave the luggage for the servants to take care of.”

While my dad pretended to be less angry, the content of his words was pure kindness.

‘You’re so cute.’

“Yes! Good night! Ellie, let’s go.”

I smiled happily and said goodbye to my parents. Then I urged Ellie to hurry up, softly whispering.

I thought it would be over when I reached my room.

Next in line was Ellie.

“Miss! Oh my, look at your sweat!”

Ellie began to press the back of her hand against my cheek and forehead here and there. I pulled my head back and said,

“Ellie. I’m really soft and smooth right now, you know?”

“Oh my, heavens… In just one day, your delicate and pretty face has become half what it was!”

My reflection in the mirror looked the same as usual.

My golden locks shone as always, and even the pebble-like radiant skin had not changed.

Even my emerald-colored eyes were still shining clearly.

“What are you talking about? I’m fine. Are you teasing me now?”

“How could I! If even a small scratch were to mar Miss’s refreshing and fair face, I would rather just die.”

I clicked my tongue at Ellie’s flattery.

Maybe Ellie is the strongest in this world.

“Ah, right.”

Ellie took out a white envelope from her pocket. It seemed to be a letter envelope.

My name was written on the surface of the envelope.

It was then.

Sudden doubt filled Ellie’s eyes.

“Miss, did you really go to Miss Delian’s house?”

“Huh? Of course. What, do you think I went to some strange man’s house?”

As expected, the old saying doesn’t lie.

Since I’m not used to lying, my voice trembled like a thief caught red-handed.

“No, Miss Delian sent a letter? It’s strange that someone who just saw you sent a letter…”

Indeed… Ellie’s perceptiveness is no ordinary perceptiveness.

“Oh, really? Maybe there’s something I forgot and left behind. Can you just leave it there? I’m tired and I’m going to bed early today.”

If Ellie were to notice my lie, it would become quite troublesome.

In the end, I almost pushed Ellie out by the back and sent her away.

After Ellie left, I opened the letter envelope that was placed on the table.

Did Delian have something urgent to tell me?

Ah, and speaking of Delian, that guy.

She played a huge prank on me, didn’t she?

⟨’To Daisy.

Did you get home well today?

I’m really sorry, and sorry again.

I’ll apologize more when we meet.

It’s not that, but I’m pressed for time, so I’m sending this letter.

Do you remember the promise we made 3 years ago? This weekend happens to be that day, right?

Let’s meet at Bern Street at 12. I’ll be there on time.’⟩

I mulled over the events of three years ago in my head.

“Wow. Is it already that day? Time flies.”

I had completely forgotten about it.

The promise I made with Delian during our academy days.

That day had already arrived.

Thinking about what would happen this weekend made my heart begin to swell.

* * *

“Delian, is this the right place? It’s kind of creepy.”

There was a staircase leading down to the basement at the entrance.

The inside was quite dark, and it was so eerie that it wouldn’t be surprising if a ghost jumped out at any moment.

I was going down two steps ahead of Delian. She was following behind me, clutching at the hem of my clothes.

“It’s definitely here… The map points right here. Isn’t this the only place around here that leads underground?”

“Ouch.”

It was a place where light hardly came through, perhaps because it was underground.

I focused all my attention on each step down as I descended to the next staircase.

Only the weak light from the old lighting hanging on the wall faintly illuminated the inside.

In the corners of the wall and near the lighting, there were heavily stretched spider webs.

‘Tak-tak-.’

Only the sound of our footsteps echoed softly in the quiet underground.

“Is this the place?”

The place we stopped at was in front of a dark brown wooden door.

“Let’s go inside.”