Chapter 6 (Part 10)

Lost in these complicated thoughts, Theodore felt his right arm grow heavy.

He turned his head slightly to the right to find out why his shoulder and arm had become heavy, and he suddenly held his breath.

‘Ugh…’

Meia had fallen asleep, leaning on his shoulder and arm. Seeing her sleep soundly, making gentle breathing sounds, Theodore felt as if he could die from happiness and his heart was pounding fiercely.

Gentle breathing sounds.

‘Ah…’

Theodore raised his left hand and touched Meia’s hair. The soft texture and her captivating scent made him feel dazed. He could see her long eyelashes.

When those eyelids lift… he would see his favorite blue eyes. He wanted to see her blue eyes now, but he also thought her sleeping face was beautiful.

Her plump lips moved slightly in her sleep… her skin glowed like moonlight under the library lights…

Just looking at her made him feel extremely happy…

He felt such deep happiness that he could forget who he was, who she was, and where they were.

His heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst. Theodore took a deep breath to calm himself.

He was worried that his heartbeat might wake Meia.

He couldn’t ruin this moment because of his heartbeat. He tried to remain as calm and composed as possible, but his heart continued to race uncontrollably. He couldn’t blame his heart for not listening.

They say a heart suffering from lovesickness cannot be controlled. Theodore fervently prayed to the gods.

He prayed that she wouldn’t wake up from his heartbeat and that this moment would last forever. He kept staring at Meia’s sleeping face without blinking.

Meia had only closed her eyes for a moment. And she quickly realized what position she was in. Her head and entire body were leaning to the left.

She blinked repeatedly to figure out what had happened while she had her eyes closed.

It was clear that she hadn’t just closed her eyes for a moment but had actually fallen asleep!

And her head was leaning on Theodore’s shoulder and arm.

How long had I been asleep? How much time had passed?

Did I snore? Is Theodore also asleep like me?

Was he unable to move because of me?

‘I need to get up naturally, but what should I do?’

Meia felt so embarrassed she wanted to scream. Showing her sleeping face so vulnerably to an unmarried man…

She had committed a grave discourtesy to Theodore that she hadn’t even done with her former fiancé, Crown Prince Patzraelli. She wanted to hide in a hole if there was one.

No, becoming a cockroach might be better. She could hide in any narrow crevice.

And do so very quickly.

“Are you awake?”

Seeing Meia’s rare red face, including her neck and ears, Theodore apologized as she adjusted her posture.

“Please forgive my rudeness.”

As her face left his arm, Theodore looked very regretful.

“You could have slept longer…”

Meia, having adjusted her posture, hung her head low. She couldn’t tell him that she had fallen asleep because she felt comfortable with his scent.

She had shown her sleeping face so vulnerably. In the Carpen Empire, a sleeping face is only shown between married couples.

Nanny Yudy had said that showing a sleeping face to a man means taking responsibility.

Even though they were in a library, she had indeed leaned on an unmarried man’s arm and slept, so she had to take responsibility for this.

“What is it……Lady Meia?”

Meia, flustered, responded.

“Why do you think?”

She was so flustered that she spoke nonsense. 

Why did he ask why!

Meia habitually stroked his left cheek with her right hand.

‘So cute.’

He was taller and bigger than her.

Yet, every time he looked at her with a desperate expression and blushed, not knowing what to do, she found it cute.

“Why do you keep touching my cheek, Lady Meia?”

Why do I touch it? Because your embarrassed face is cute every time I put my hand on your cheek…

But she didn’t want to reveal that she touched his cheek because she found him cute.

Theodore, with a determined expression, spoke to Meia.

“I will… touch your cheek too.”

He liked it very much when Meia touched his face. And he also wanted to stroke her face.

If, for any reason, she said she wouldn’t touch his cheek anymore in response to his statement that he would also like to touch hers, it would indeed be disappointing. However, he thought he could make her want to touch his cheek again with his efforts. That gave him the courage to speak up.

“My cheek?”

Meia, upon hearing his words, reflected on how casually she had been stroking Theodore’s face. Even though he was young, he was the Grand Duke of the Sirius Empire. If he had been uncomfortable, he would have told her not to touch him.

But now he wanted to stroke my cheek?

Meia’s lips curled into a smile. She didn’t know why she felt like laughing. She should refuse, but she didn’t want to reject his desire to touch her face.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but she had already shown Theodore her sleeping face.

“Yes, every time you stroke my cheek, I…”

Theodore looked at Meia with a desperate expression as she just smiled at him without responding to his words. He struggled to speak, showing how difficult it was for him to endure.

“Every time you stroke my cheek, I feel like I’m going crazy.”

Every time Meia reached out to touch his cheek, Theodore buried his face even deeper into her hand. 

She thought he just liked it, but what did he mean by ‘going crazy’?

Could it be that he didn’t like it but found it hard to refuse? Is that why he said ‘going crazy’?

Meia asked Theodore a question in response to his words.

“Then how do you think I felt every time you hugged me, Grand Duke?”

Theodore had hugged and lifted her several times, even in front of people. But she didn’t reject his hugs either. She liked looking at his expression when he hugged or lifted her.

That’s why she didn’t refuse.

Meia liked his black eyes that looked at her with concern. Especially when those eyes were moist and looking at her. Even now, his eyes were shaking in response to her words, and she found it cute. She suddenly felt like teasing him more.

Meia smiled and looked at Theodore.

Their eyes met. His face gradually approached hers.

Neither of them could move from their spots.

Thump, thump.

The box that couldn’t be opened without a key seemed to walk out on its own, find the key, and unlock itself.

The box opened with a clunk, dropping the lock to the floor with a thud.

Meia felt like her heart was the ‘heavy lock that fell to the floor.’

Even though she felt she shouldn’t know what was inside the box, she still wanted to see what was inside. No, she wanted to see it.

“When I touch your cheek, you said it makes you feel like you’re going crazy. So does hugging me in front of others make you feel the same way, Grand Duke?”

His eyes softened into a gentle smile. As Theodore approached with a smile, Meia spoke firmly.

“Tell me.”

“Are you curious, Lady Meia?”

When Theodore was young, he remembered a story his father had told him.

<Theo.>

<Yes, Father.>

<If you ever find someone you love, remember that your love might not always be reciprocated.>

Young Theodore couldn’t understand his father’s words.

<Even if your love is not returned, don’t blame yourself or feel like the most pitiful man in the world.>

Theodore couldn’t understand his father’s words, so he asked.

<If I can’t achieve something I want, wouldn’t it be unfair? I’m studying hard, and if my efforts are in vain, it would feel unfair.>

He couldn’t understand the expression on his father’s face as he patted his head.

<Studying or swordsmanship can be achieved with effort, but love sometimes cannot be achieved with effort alone.>

<If my efforts don’t pay off, then I won’t love.>

<That’s why I want to tell you this.>

<What is it, Father?>

<One of the reasons love doesn’t come true is because you didn’t confess. Even if you confess, it might not come true, but it’s more likely than not saying anything at all.>

Now, he fully understood why his father had said those words with such a serious expression.

“When I hug you, when you touch my cheek, I always feel like I’m going crazy. And…”

“And?”

“If you touch my cheek again, my feelings might go even crazier.”

The lock that had been firmly shut started to open on its own.

The heart is an important part of a person.

And the person who took that important heart was Meia.

Theodore, saying he was going crazy, lowered his head and clutched his left chest with his hand.

It was a different side of him from the usual shy and evasive Theodore. The clear fact was that his words pointed to one thing.

“When you say things like that, it seems like you have feelings for me.”

Theodore slowly raised his head and responded to Meia’s words.

“I do have feelings for you.”

The desperate words came out of Theodore’s mouth.

“I like you.”

Meia’s left chest thudded as she suddenly remembered what Juan had told her.

<Lady… does your heart race when you see the Grand Duke?>

Why do I remember what Juan said?

“I can’t stop thinking about you for even a second.”

Every word Theodore said made her heart flutter.

“I like you.”

After confessing once more, Theodore pressed his eyes with one hand.

Then he lowered his hand and looked at Meia again.

“I’m not asking you to give me an answer right now… or to feel the same way as I do.”

Meia couldn’t say anything in response to his sudden confession.

“Instead, please allow me to confess my feelings to you every day.”

His feelings for Meia were growing endlessly, like sprouts, every day. The roots that had taken hold deep in his heart would sprout again even if they were dug out.

Meia couldn’t think of anything in response to Theodore’s confession, which came without a moment’s hesitation.

What was clear was that her cheeks were getting hotter.

And his confession, which she thought might be burdensome, wasn’t burdensome at all.

‘What should I do? I feel ticklish.’

“You don’t have to give me an answer right now. I can wait.”

Listening to his sincere words, Meia raised her hand and stroked Theodore’s black hair, then cupped his smooth, flushed cheek. The heat from his cheek transferred directly to her hand.

A beautiful smile began to spread across Theodore’s lips.

“I will try my best to make you like me.”

The feelings of ‘I shouldn’t,’ ‘I shouldn’t burden her,’ ‘She might dislike it,’ which he had been suppressing, began to disappear from Theodore’s heart.

“I’m a man with more strengths than weaknesses.”

Meia unknowingly smiled brightly. Her smile filled Theodore with hope.

“Grand Duke, tha…”

At that moment.

Bang, bang, bang!

The hallway outside the library became noisy. And a familiar voice was heard loudly from outside the door.

With a rough knock, the library door burst open, and Juan, Agnita, and Venable entered.

Meia and Theodore, who were sitting on the sofa in a position that lovers might take, looked at the intruders.

Seeing this, Venable gave Theodore a look of approval, Juan stood frozen in shock, and Agnita bit her lip and clenched her clothes, furrowing her brows fiercely.