Chapter 91

“I’ll just wait here. If it gets too late, I’ll head back, so don’t worry too much.”  

“But…”  

At Vivian’s firm expression, Rayden eventually gave up trying to persuade her and had to turn away. As Rayden, who had been worried about Vivian until the end, left the Crown Prince’s office, Vivian sat on the sofa and took out the tea she had brought.  

The paper was already crumpled from being read over and over, but Vivian once again slowly read through the recipe Daon had given her.  

Today, the Crown Prince’s office was quiet as usual. Only the distant sound of the fountain outside the window could be heard.  

After reading the recipe, Vivian looked at the setting sun and got up to head to the bookshelf that covered one wall with books.  

There were books she had read and books she hadn’t. She pulled out one that caught her eye and began to read on the sofa. Just as she was nearing the end of the book, the door suddenly opened.  

“Vivian?”  

Louis, who had opened the door irritably, blinked slowly upon discovering Vivian sitting on the sofa reading a book.  

“Oh! Young Lady!”  

Allen, who followed in, poked his head in and smiled brightly at Vivian.  

“When did you arrive?”  

Ignoring Louis, who stood there blankly, Allen walked past and asked Vivian, who closed her book and checked the clock above the fireplace.  

“Not long ago.”  

Louis, following Vivian’s gaze to the clock, unbuttoned his jacket and sat across from her.  

“It seems like it’s been over three hours.”  

The bookmark in the book Vivian was reading was near the end.  

Though it wasn’t a thick book, it would have taken at least three hours to read quickly.  

“Ah… But it was really fine. I didn’t notice the time passing because I was reading.”  

Vivian pushed the book aside, away from Louis’s gaze.  

“You can take that book.”  

“I heard this book is hard to find… It’s okay!”  

When Louis spoke, Vivian waved her hands vigorously.  

Louis chuckled at her reaction and noticed the crumpled paper next to the book.  

“What’s this?”  

“Oh! That!”  

Vivian lunged to grab the paper, but Louis’s hand was faster.  

“Did you go to Daon?”  

At Louis’s slightly surprised expression, Vivian lowered her head to hide her reddening face.  

“It has the tea I used to enjoy.”  

Louis slowly read through the recipe. As he took his time reading, Vivian’s stomach twisted with tension.  

“Ahem. Hmm.”  

Allen’s fake cough finally reminded the two that they were not alone.  

“What are you doing, not leaving?”  

When Louis frowned and spoke, Allen, looking aggrieved, waved a bundle of papers.  

“I was going to organize these and take them. I’ll probably have to stay up all night with them to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting.”  

Feeling sorry for himself, Allen irritably packed his bag with documents.  

“Then I’ll be in the library, so call me if you need anything. If I’m not there, assume I’ve worked myself to death.”  

Bowing his head in farewell, Allen showed his hunched back as he trudged out of the office.  

“I want to drink this.”  

Louis pointed to the middle of the recipe paper.  

“…It might not taste good.”  

Louis was someone who enjoyed tea. Vivian had read the recipe and practiced at home to satisfy his taste.  

However, seeing Louis in person, her confidence plummeted.  

“You’ve looked at the recipe until it’s worn out, so it’ll be fine.”  

Vivian nodded resolutely and approached the trolley with the tea-making tools she had prepared.  

As she carefully opened the lid of the glass jar containing the tea, Louis rested his chin on his elbow on the armrest and watched her.  

With the deepening sunset at her back, Vivian focused seriously on measuring the tea, and Louis watched her without blinking.  

As Vivian tilted her head and timidly added tea leaves, Louis’s tense mouth relaxed.  

It was the most leisurely time Louis had had recently.  

“How did you enter the palace today?”  

When Louis asked, Vivian, who was pouring water into the kettle, looked up and replied that she had been summoned by the Empress.  

When water spilled a little to the side as she answered Louis’s question, Vivian’s eyelashes fluttered in embarrassment.  

Trying hard not to laugh at her, Louis’s eyelids grew heavy.  

“Louis?”  

Vivian turned her head and saw Louis asleep with his chin resting as he waited for the tea to brew.  

“Louis?”  

Vivian recalled Louis’s face, which had looked more tired than usual. She approached him quietly, trying not to make a sound, and gazed at his face.  

Even today, his handsome face bore signs of fatigue.  

Vivian slowly reached out as she watched Louis sleeping with his brow furrowed. But before her fingertips could touch his brow, his closed eyes opened slowly.  

As Vivian met her reflection in his golden pupils, she jumped up to create distance.  

However, Vivian couldn’t distance herself from Louis.  

“Where are you going?”  

Louis caught Vivian’s wrist as she tried to escape.  

“Well, that is! So… Ah! The tea must be ready.”  

Vivian twisted her wrist to free herself from Louis’s grip.  

“Can I ask you to do something else besides the tea?”  

At Louis’s words, Vivian relaxed her body and looked down at him. Louis, who had been sitting on the sofa looking up at Vivian, released her wrist and slowly lowered his hand.  

His hand smoothly moved from her wrist to her hand.  

Though it was less than five seconds, it felt like five minutes to Vivian. The places Louis’s hand touched tingled and felt warm.  

“What request?”  

Vivian squeezed out her voice, which wouldn’t come out.  

Louis gestured to the empty spot beside him.  

Vivian hesitantly moved her feet and sat about a hand’s width away from Louis. Her hand, still held by Louis, awkwardly floated in the air.  

“Over there, at the end.”

“Pardon?”  

Louis pointed to the very end of the sofa.  

What kind of request could it be to make him act like this?  

Vivian, nervous, lifted her hips to move and looked at Louis, who still held her hand.  

“My hand…”  

At Vivian’s words, Louis finally realized he was still holding her hand.  

As if reluctant, Louis released her hand, and Vivian moved slowly to sit at the end of the sofa where Louis pointed.  

“Ah!”  

Vivian screamed and stood up immediately. She was startled because Louis had lain down with his head on her lap as soon as she sat down. Vivian quickly blinked, clasping her hands in front of her chest.  

“Ugh.”  

Louis, who had rolled off the sofa due to Vivian’s sudden rise, groaned while rubbing his elbow.  

“Are you okay?”  

“No, I’m not okay.”  

When Louis spoke, Vivian, who was about to call for a doctor, stomped her feet. Then Louis hurriedly grabbed the hem of her dress.  

“It’s fine. It’s not that bad.”  

At Louis’s words, Vivian examined his face with a worried expression. Seeing him holding his elbow, her startled heart returned to life. Vivian glared at Louis.  

“Why did you suddenly do that!”  

“I said it was a request.”  

Louis pressed his temple with the palm of his hand, which had been holding his elbow.  

“I only slept for an hour. In the office, no less.”  

Louis sat on the floor, leaning against the sofa.  

“Seeing you suddenly made me sleepy.”  

“You could just take a nap in your bedroom…”  

“Who has time for that?”  

Louis closed his eyes and moved his stiff neck back and forth.  

Vivian watched him quietly, then sat on the left end of the sofa and tapped her thigh with her palm.  

When Louis looked at her with suspicious eyes, she tapped her thigh again, promising not to get up this time.  

Louis, who stood up, sent a questioning look, asking if it was okay this time. When Vivian nodded, he slowly lowered his head and lay on Vivian’s lap.  

Louis’s long legs stretched well beyond the sofa, but he didn’t seem to mind much.  

With his arms crossed and eyes closed, Louis’s chest rose and fell rhythmically.  

Seeing Louis close his eyes, Vivian tensed her body and kept her gaze fixed forward. The weight on her lap felt neither heavy nor light. Somehow, it felt ticklish, making her want to wiggle her legs.  

Her heart, which began pounding wildly, felt like it would leap out of her chest, and her fingertips and toes tingled.  

Somewhere in her lower abdomen started to feel ticklish. Vivian wanted to remove Louis’s head and stand up immediately.  

However, remembering Louis’s words about having only slept for an hour, Vivian clenched her fists and decided to endure.  

“Surprisingly, it’s quite firm.”

Louis spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.  

Vivian raised her fist over Louis’s head. But she barely managed to regain her composure and returned her hand to its place.  

As Vivian trembled with suppressed anger, Louis, eyes closed, let out a chuckle.

He shifted and turned to lie on his side.

“Should I bring a cushion if it’s uncomfortable?”  

“No.”  

At Louis’s firm refusal, Vivian, who had been looking for something suitable to support his neck, lowered her head and looked at Louis.  

His ears are handsome too.  

It was the first time she had seen Louis’s ears up close. They were of a decent size and nicely rounded.  

“I…”  

Louis slowly opened his mouth. His voice, thick with sleep, fell softly onto Vivian’s lap.  

“I think I quite like you, Vivian.”  

At Louis’s words, Vivian’s heart thudded heavily.  

“You probably don’t like me anymore, but I…”  

Louis’s words gradually slowed.  

“I thought I couldn’t and shouldn’t like anyone…”  

Vivian couldn’t believe what she was hearing was truly coming from Louis’s mouth.  

Vivian blinked, forgetting to breathe, as she watched Louis.  

Louis’s long eyelashes cast shadows in the sunlight streaming through the window.  

“But… since it’s you…”  

Trailing off, Louis didn’t speak again.  

“Louis?”  

Vivian waved her palm in front of Louis’s eyes. But Louis didn’t move an inch.  

“He’s sleeping like this?”  

Vivian buried her face in her palms.  

Her heartbeat traveled up to her ears, pounding loudly inside.  

When the sun had set about half a hand’s width more, Vivian lifted her head.  

Vivian, her face still flushed, brushed back Louis’s disheveled hair. Clenching her trembling fingers tightly, Vivian spoke.  

“I like you too. Saying I won’t like you anymore was a lie.”  

Her very small voice reached the sleeping Louis.