Chapter 65
“At least eating was something I could do without pressure.”
He was someone who thought that if he didn’t win over his lover with his own hands, that person wasn’t truly his.
In that case, it was only right to suppress his impatience and win favor in the way his lover preferred.
“Should I bring some delicacies from various places?”
First, he decided to deliver the seasonal menus from famous restaurants, pastry shops, and bakeries scattered throughout the capital.
He would also make sure not to miss the hidden menus that were only available to regulars or through special reservations.
“I’ll have the investigators compile a list for me.”
There was a knock at the door.
“Lord Byers, are you there?”
“Come in.”
He was so lost in thought that he only realized it was Marien at the door. So, Byers didn’t notice why Marien froze with wide eyes upon entering the room.
◇ ◆ ◇
“Come in.”
Marien, flinging the door open at Byers’ invitation, immediately froze once she understood the situation.
‘What do I do? How should I act? Why did he ask me to come in when he’s like this? Should I just close the door and leave? But I’ve covered everything that needs covering.’
Her gaze fell on Byers’ calves, fully exposed.
‘Stay calm. It’s just a calf.’
Marien tried to brush off the fact that this was the first time she had seen Byers’ legs.
‘Whatever happens, I won’t make a fuss by myself.’
She took a deep breath in her mind. Even after three breaths, she couldn’t decide whether to leave immediately or continue with the conversation as planned.
There was only one reason.
‘He’s in a bathrobe!’
She didn’t know where to look, so her eyes flitted over Byers’ robe-clad form.
‘Goodness…’
She realized something new: when a person is too handsome, even protruding cheekbones can look attractive.
‘It’s not just the skin; Byers’ bones are… beautiful too!’
The more she looked, the more she wanted to poke or touch them. Maybe he was ticklish?
She swallowed nervously.
“Marien, I’ll read off a list. Pick what you’d like to eat tomorrow.”
Byers spun a pen between his fingers as he spoke.
“First, do you prefer something sweet, salty, sour, or spicy?”
“Sour…?”
Marien randomly muttered the first word she heard. Watching Byers frown seriously amused her.
Sour, huh…
“They say the first kiss tastes like a lemon candy.”
“No, I heard it’s strawberry. And when lips meet, you hear a clear bell sound by your ear.”
“Really? Whatever it is, it must be sweet and sour!”
“Marien, have you ever had one?”
“Why are you asking me all of a sudden?”
“Because you’re cute! Haven’t you liked any boys? Outside this place, even outside the academy?”
“Guys, our Marien already has a first-kiss partner who has graduated… eek!”
A memory she didn’t even know existed suddenly bubbled up. Oddly, she was certain it was a memory, not a delusion.
The academy? Marien Didi? She guessed it was the memory of Marien Didi from before she possessed this body. After all, Marien had her own life before the possession.
‘Still… the first kiss tastes like lemon candy.’
She unconsciously laughed. It sounded like a conversation typical of girls interested in romance.
In reality, unless someone has a lemon candy in their mouth, it wouldn’t just taste lemony out of nowhere.
“Marien… Marien?”
“Ah, yes?”
“Choose from lemon cookies, muffins, tarts, cakes, puddings, or sherbet. The same types come in lime, pineapple, and cranberry flavors.”
Just hearing it made her mouth water. Marien absentmindedly rubbed her eyebrows with the hand not holding the pen, watching her lover. It was one of Byers’ habits.
The important thing was that he was wearing only a bathrobe. All he’d done was loosely tie it at the waist—an extremely risky state.
When Byers raised his arm, the robe opened slightly, revealing his chest.
“Can I have both the lemon sherbet and cranberry muffin?”
Marien fixed her gaze and slowly closed the door behind her.
“Of course.”
Byers smiled faintly upon hearing her answer.
“Now that I think about it, Marien really likes frozen treats. Even if it’s hot outside.”
No matter how hot midsummer is, it can’t be hotter than Byers’ room right now.
Huff, huff.
Marien widened her eyes further, afraid she might miss something.
“I have to be careful not to get a stomachache.”
“It’s not like you’ll eat it every day.”
“True.”
Byers smiled again. This man had no sense of danger.
With brown hair damp at the tips, wearing loose clothes and smiling before his lover…
“Roar…”
I’ll eat him, thought Marien, creeping closer.
Even if I’m technically younger, in this situation I’m the older one. The one wearing more clothes is the “older sister.”
Our Byers is so sweet.
Roar.
“Marien, I’ll bring this to you tomorrow.”
“Hehe.”
“Are you really that happy? You’re smiling like one of my own kin.”
“I am. I like it.”
Marien, hiding a mischievous smile, moved closer to Byers.
“You smell good up close…”
She murmured in a voice full of bliss, inhaling the soft mint-soap scent floating in the air.
She was convinced this was exactly how heaven would smell.
“Really? I just washed recently…”
Byers, scribbling in his notebook, looked up.
As his unusually bright eyes met hers, his lips stiffened. His green eyes slowly scanned his own body.
He was wearing only a bathrobe.
“Ah.”
Byers’ focus wavered drastically.
◇ ◆ ◇
Seeing his wildly shaking green eyes, Marien realized:
‘This man really has no self-awareness.’
He was so absorbed in asking her about lemon cookies and such that he didn’t even notice his attire.
‘I wish he’d never find out.’
The pen fell from Byers’ hand. The magic maintaining the situation was ending. The mischievous pink rabbit licked its lips.
‘I’m lucky today. But next time, no chance. Slurp, munch.’
Byers turned in embarrassment, frantically searching for clothes. But Marien, already alert and sharp, noticed first.
He couldn’t beat her at this.
She spotted the loungewear stacked at the foot of the bed: a soft, loose white shirt and black pants. Like a rabbit, she dashed forward and hid the clothes behind her back.
Byers reached out belatedly. Marien shook her head playfully, her face full of mischief.
“Marien, stop playing and give me the clothes.”
“If I give them, will you change in front of me?”
“Of course not. I’ll go into the bathroom and change.”
“Oh, the bathroom. You’re going to lock the door, huh?”
Marien lifted the hidden clothes to her eye level.
“But this material seems see-through.”
“It’s… summer pajamas…”
“The pants are thin too. Will they show through? Maybe black makes it okay?”
Byers tried to speak sternly, but with his ears still red, nothing he said mattered.
“They’re thin, but they won’t show anything. No matter what, I wouldn’t wear something like that. Now give them back.”
“I like it even if you wear thin clothes like bedtime wings.”
“I…”
Byers cut her off in a stiff tone.
“I don’t like it.”
“Tch.”
Marien handed him the pants. Byers, expecting the shirt as well, pouted, flustered again.
“Marien.”
“Even in this situation, you’re handsome, Lord Byers. Too much. I’d look like a drenched mouse.”
“Why would you be a mouse? Marien…”
Byers hesitated mid-sentence. Marien wouldn’t let it slide.
“What did you say?”
“I’ll tell you after you give me the shirt.”
“Tch.”
Byers’ ears were so red they looked like they might bleed. Marien decided to stop teasing and handed him the oversized shirt.
Compared to his usual, it was enormous—could fit 2.5 Marien Didi inside.
“Here, got it.”
Once he had the clothes, Byers quickly regained composure and gave a wry smile.
“My little rabbit lady.”
He bent down to meet her eyes.
“Even when you do something that makes my heart skip, you just look so pretty I can’t worry.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. The touch tickled slightly, making her feel as if rainbow-colored bubbles were forming in her chest.
‘What just happened?’
Marien widened her sky-blue eyes. She stared at his back as he headed to the bathroom to change, only able to speak after a moment.
“You can’t just kiss me without warning!”
Byers replied without turning back.
“I’ll make sure to warn you before a kiss.”
The room had partitions—not weird holes like a minister’s office, but proper partitions.
But Byers, as he said, went into the bathroom and closed the door. There was no sound of a lock, which Marien took as some consolation.
She had thought he would just change quickly in the robe, but he didn’t come out as fast as expected.
When she faintly heard running water, she wondered if he was really taking a bath.
“Did it take long? Sorry.”
Byers emerged from the bathroom, strangely avoiding her gaze. Marien noticed his ears.
Did he wash with cold water?
His previously red ears were now pale, almost white.
“What brings you here at this hour…?”
Marien almost touched his cool, soft ears, but refrained. They felt pleasant, but the question at hand came first.
“Lord Byers, do you want me to tell you everything without hiding anything?”
