WDHTMU |CHAPTER 15

Chapter 15

“!”

Startled like a cat seeing an unexpected shadow, Marsha jumped up. 

He asked her,
“Did you do this kind of thing even when I was unconscious?”

“Th-This kind of thing?!”

She trembled, placing her hand on her chest as she answered. 

Claudio groaned, frowned, and sat up.

“Touching a sleeping person’s lips… I’ve witnessed a lot, but this is the first instance of harassment I’ve experienced.

He grinned as he leaned back comfortably. 

The reddish glow of the lamp made his strangely red eyes shine like fire.

“Teasing! I was just trying to give you medicine…!”

“Then why not just wake me up?”

 “I did! But you won’t wake up!”

“Me? That’s strange. I’m a light sleeper…”

Claudio shrugged indifferently. 

The lamp light hit his sharp jawline.

 “Hard to believe. Normally, people just leave medicine at the door, right? Why go this far…”

He slowly ran his thumb over his lower lip and stared intensely at Marsha. 

His gaze was so strong she felt like prey in front of a wolf.

“…touch someone’s lips like that.”

Tensing up, Marsha replied,

“I wasn’t touching them. I was opening them.”

“That sounds even naughtier.”

Claudio chuckled softly.

 Marsha’s face instantly turned red.

“W-What are you saying? I was just trying to give you medicine!”

“Then why bother? You could have just left it, and I would have taken it later.”

“That’s because if you don’t take medicine on time, you…”

Claudio smirked. 

No matter what she said, he looked like he wouldn’t believe her.

“So frustrating!”

Marsha honestly had no other reason. 

She worried that if he moved too much, his condition might worsen. 

Also, medicine works best when taken on schedule.

“Phew…”

Marsha sighed, frowning. 

Claudio’s eyes sharpened as he smiled.

“I only touched you for medical reasons. If I touched you without permission and it upset you… Well, I’m sure it did.”

If it makes you uncomfortable… well, I guess it did.”

She felt wronged to the point of shaking, but she also knew his discomfort wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

 “I’m sorry for what just happened. And I won’t touch you again. I won’t even step into this room anymore. But in return—”

Her eyelids trembled as she forced herself to finish.

“Take your medicine on time. It works best that way.

Her large green eyes looked slightly distorted, as if asking, “Is that enough for you?”

 “Anything else you want to say to me?”

Claudio opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Marsha didn’t wait. 

She turned around without hesitation.

Though a bit annoyed, she didn’t slam the door this time.

“Hah…”

Left alone, Claudio stared at the door, forgetting to blink.

Meanwhile, Marsha covered her face with her hands outside the door.

He wouldn’t wake when she kept calling, but just then he opened his eyes.

“What terrible timing!”

She’d been misunderstood in every possible way.

“I must never give him any reason to criticise me again.”

As she walked toward the sofa, she glanced back once.

“…Who exactly are you?”

Is he a criminal? 

Or someone unfortunate from the duke’s household?

Marsha was curious.

It was natural, since it concerned her safety.

Yet, ironically, that made it impossible to ask. Pretending not to know was best.

“I shouldn’t have brought him here.”

Then all this fear, pain, and worry wouldn’t exist.

“……”

Left alone, Claudio found it hard to take his eyes off the door. 

He still felt like she was standing right there.

Claudio had been awake even before Marsha knocked. 

He had frowned at the sound of the curtains fluttering in the wind. 

Naturally, he had trouble sleeping because of all of her talking and whispering.

Still, he didn’t answer her call because he was curious.
“If I don’t respond, will she come in or leave?”

He had expected her to come in.

Most—no, all women not related to him wanted his attention.

Some wanted just a glance or the edge of his coat; some even did foolish things without knowing better.

“Even if I died because of you, I would’ve died happy, Your Grace.”

Recalling that sickening memory, Claudio scowled.

“Is this woman different?”

Ignoring her call was a kind of test. 

She probably thought a normal person would hear him sleeping and leave. 

But Marsha insisted on entering his room, and Claudio thought, “As expected.” She acted cold but was only pretending.

…but then, “What?”

Even with closed eyes, he could sense that the woman standing by him was just worried because he didn’t get up. 

She even came in and called him several times, begging him to wake up.

“She wants me to get up.”

She brought a chair too.

If she just wanted to stare at him, she could’ve done it standing. 

There is no need for noise.

“…Now that I think about it, I smell medicine.”

He had noticed it before, but now that she sat close, the scent was stronger.

“Trying to make me take medicine?”

Before he could wonder more, her cold hand touched his lips. 

It was careful and dry, without any desire.

“She must have done this to give me medicine when I was unconscious.”

If he remained with his eyes closed, she would slowly pour medicine into his mouth, as if it were a chore.

Even if it took a long time, she would keep going until the medicine was gone.

But strangely, Claudio didn’t like this.

How to describe this strange discomfort?

 So many people had longed to touch his lips, yet this woman touched them so plainly, like it meant nothing.

“It’s kind of insulting.”

“It hurts my pride.”

Until he opened his eyes, he fell. 

But strangely, seeing the surprised face staring at him in the dim yellow light made his discomfort vanish fast.

Instead, a playful curiosity took its place, like wanting to poke a puppy just to see it react.

“I was curious too.”

What would her reaction be? 

Would she blush, just be embarrassed and make excuses? 

Or notice it was a joke and angrily scold him?

Honestly, the last guess was the most likely. 

It must have felt strange to open her eyes just then.

But this woman was so innocent, she didn’t realise he was teasing her.

“I wasn’t expecting an apology.”

Yet she did. And not only that—she declared she’d never touch him again, or even step into the room.

“She’s… something.”

Claudio found it fascinating—this woman who looked at him without that usual desire or greed. 

He was annoyed and disgusted by women’s interest in him, but being ignored like this hurt his pride a little.

“And I wonder…”

Why did Marsha keep Claudio’s identity a secret from her friend?

“Did she want the reward money all to herself, even though she pretended not to care about her friend?”

Or was there some reason she couldn’t act openly?

“That conversation earlier was strange.”

Claudio’s eyes lit with interest as he recalled the exchange between Marsha and Berry.

“Marsha…”

He muttered softly. 

An ordinary name.

But the person who carried it did not seem ordinary at all.

“What kind of secret are you hiding?”

Claudio lifted his head.

Shadows flickered along his long neck in the light.

He looked again at the door. 

Beyond that old door, he imagined the rather pretty woman huffing and puffing.

Claudio gave a sly smile.