The Creditor Is My Husband? - Chapter 23

“Cough! Cough!”

Giselle choked on the remaining piece of biscuit she was about to put in her mouth.

“So careless… Drink some tea. Or should I get you some water?”

“Ugh, whose fault do you think it is that I choked?”

Annoyed by Lucas’s teasing, Giselle glared at him and picked up the teacup in front of her. Only after emptying the last sip of tea did she calm down a bit.

“What you said… If another woman heard it, she would definitely misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand?”

He tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand her words.

“That, what you just said. If you say things like that carelessly, what if someone misunderstands?”

“What do you mean… Oh, you mean when I said you’re pretty?”

Lucas frowned and was about to ask again but then understood her meaning and chuckled.

“Yes, that… Don’t say things like that carelessly. If someone takes it seriously and misunderstands…”

“I meant it.”

Giselle’s face turned red at his words, and she fanned herself with her hand. Lucas casually repeated his words.

“…!”

“You’re pretty.”

“What, what did you…”

“You look prettier in your usual appearance than when you’re overly dressed up like today, but you don’t look bad now either.”

Giselle was left speechless, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“…Uh, um.”

She barely managed to make a meaningless sound and shook her head before changing the subject.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever spent a weekend so leisurely.”

“What do you usually do on weekends?”

Lucas pretended not to notice Giselle’s flushed face and asked.

“Well, I’ve been doing various side jobs.”

“Side jobs?”

He frowned at the unexpected words. Giselle, whose cheeks had cooled down a bit, smiled awkwardly and continued.

“I had no time to rest if I wanted to pay off even a little of my debt.”

Since it was her debt to pay off, she couldn’t rely on anyone else. So she did whatever work she could find that paid on weekends.

Of course, there were limits to what side jobs she could do as a woman.

Teaching children from wealthy commoner families, helping with bookkeeping at the merchant guild, or making quilt blankets with the nanny and selling them.

“Oh, quilts…”

Giselle suddenly remembered something and looked back at him with a question.

“Do you need a quilt blanket by any chance?”

“…?”

“I’m quite good at making quilt blankets. I’m good at matching colors and such.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It would look pretty on your bed. It’s also cozy in winter.”

Giselle didn’t have the financial means to give Lucas a gift.

To be more precise, she had no financial means and was burdened with debt, so it was impossible to give him anything bought with money.

Even if she had money, there was no way she could give a gift that would satisfy the richest man in the kingdom.

Anyway, for these reasons, Giselle put all her effort into persuading him. It was an impulsive idea, but she was excited to think there was something she could do for him.

“The advantage of a quilt blanket, as I said earlier, is its excellent insulation. Even though it’s thin, if you layer it, it’s really warm.”

“…”

“And it’s easy to manage because it’s thin. Oh, that might be a good point for your servants? Anyway, it’s practical in many ways.”

“…”

“But the best part about a quilt blanket is that it’s unique.”

Since it’s made by piecing together fabric scraps, no two blankets are the same. It becomes a unique blanket just for you.

Giselle continued talking excitedly.

How long had she been talking? She suddenly realized he was silently watching her without any response.

She had been talking excitedly by herself.

…To exaggerate a bit, like a merchant selling quilt blankets.

“Why, why aren’t you saying anything?”

Giselle stammered, feeling awkward. But Lucas just sat there with his legs crossed, raising one corner of his mouth, remaining silent.

“Say something. Don’t just stare… Ah!”

Feeling awkward, she was fiddling with the front of her coat when she caught the edge of Lucas’s coat. She had been wearing his coat all this time.

“Right. Senior, this coat…”

“Just keep wearing it. It’s still chilly.”

Giselle hurried to take off the coat to return it, but Lucas quickly refused.

“Um, but…”

She hesitated, fiddling with the coat, looking embarrassed. At that moment, Lucas chuckled and mumbled to himself.

“A bed… You’re the one who should be careful about what you say.”

“…Excuse me? What did you just say?”

Giselle, busy fiddling with the coat, didn’t catch what Lucas said and looked up at him. But he just waved his hand with a light laugh.

“Nothing important.”

“…Hmm.”

Giselle stared at Lucas for a moment, then turned her gaze to the small cage next to his chair. He had brought it himself.

It was to put the cat in once they caught it and take it home.

“Senior, you’re surprisingly meticulous.”

“…?”

“You even filled the cage with cushions.”

She pointed with her eyes at the cage. The bottom of the cage was lined with soft-looking cushions.

“The cat will feel less anxious inside.”

“Well… I didn’t prepare it myself.”

Lucas looked embarrassed at her praise and frowned slightly. Seeing this, Giselle smiled brightly.

“Of course, your secretary must have prepared it. But it’s because you were considerate that your secretary took care of such details, right?”

“Ahem.”

He cleared his throat and stroked his chin. A hint of embarrassment crossed his otherwise indifferent expression.

Giselle watched him quietly and smiled.

“If you’re done eating, let’s get up. If more people come, someone might recognize us, and that would be troublesome in many ways.”

Lucas touched his nose awkwardly and changed the subject. Giselle laughed again at his behavior and nodded.

“Alright, senior. Let’s hurry and catch the cat.”

* * *

“…This can’t be. How, or rather, why isn’t it coming today?”

Giselle sighed deeply as she sat on the steps in front of the building, then grabbed her head with both hands.

The beautifully styled pink hair, which the nanny had proudly called her masterpiece, was ruthlessly ruined by her own hands.

Lucas, who was sitting beside her, chuckled at the sight of her disheveled hair.

“Don’t laugh, senior. Help me think of a solution.”

“Is this something that can be solved by worrying? It’s not like we can send a telegram asking the cat to come here.”

“Are you serious right now?”

Giselle got angry at Lucas’s silly joke. He chuckled again, stood up, and extended his hand to her.

“…?”

Giselle stared blankly at the hand extended towards her, not understanding its meaning, until he spoke.

“Let’s go somewhere else for now.”

“Somewhere else?”

“It seems like the cat has sensed something. Maybe instinctively it knows we’re here to catch it?”

Lucas lightly shook his hand up and down, urging her to take it.

“It might be watching us warily from somewhere right now.”

“…Oh, come on.”

Giselle frowned and shook her head at his words. But deep down, she seemed slightly convinced, as her gaze wavered.

The cat, which always appeared at mealtime demanding food, was acting out of character.

She began to think that maybe, as Lucas said, the cat was hiding because it was wary of them.

‘Yeah, it’s kind of smart, isn’t it?’

Giselle blinked her green eyes and looked up at him.

“Do you really think so?”

“We won’t know until we check.”

“How?”

“We need to ease its wariness. Instead of staying here waiting for it to come, we should leave for a while to show that we’re not here to catch it.”

“Hmmm…”

She thought over his words and then nodded.

He had a point. Even if he didn’t, they couldn’t just sit here doing nothing.

Giselle took Lucas’s hand and stood up, noticing that the bottom of his coat had gotten dirty from dragging on the steps. She made a face.

“What should we do? The bottom is dirty.”

“It’s fine. It can be cleaned.”

He glanced at his coat and replied nonchalantly. But her expression didn’t brighten easily.

“But this coat is expensive.”

The clothes Lucas Taylor wore could not be ordinary. They might be worth more than her monthly salary.

No, maybe even more than two or three months’ salary…

As her imagination about the coat’s price grew, the color drained from Giselle’s face. Lucas sighed and replied, seemingly exasperated.

“Just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it can’t be cleaned.”

Despite his nonchalant answer, she kept dusting off his coat.

“Giselle…”

He started to tell her to stop but then closed his mouth and just watched her.

She was diligently dusting off his coat without caring about getting her own hands dirty.

His gaze fixed on her small hands which were busy with the coat.

Her disheveled pink hair, her not too high or low nose, the round tip of her nose, and her slightly puckered lips as she concentrated on the coat…