The Male Lead Knelt Before Me

As I could feel both my cheeks burning hot and my heart pounding like crazy, this moment seemed real but unreal at the same time.

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That just showed how much I couldn’t believe this situation.
Caleb has not only confessed to me, but he has also said that despite knowing everything, he still likes me.

In my mind, I want to rush over to Caleb, who would have returned to the next room by this time, and confirm everything with him once again.

I wanted to know if he actually liked me or if this is just a dream.

‘Ugh, I guess I’ll just have to put up with it! If I visit him at this time, I might really cause an accident.’

Even though it was difficult, I was able to make up my mind before because I was swept away by the mood.
But now that I’m relatively in my sane mind, I don’t have the courage to do that.

In this case, I should pinch my arm, right?

Because if I can sense the anguish, I know it’s genuine.

“……it hurts.”

Well, my skin certainly hurts and stings.

The red nail imprints on my skin made me grin.
I had a tingling ache, but I still like it.

Because it implied that this is the reality.

‘Caleb likes me!’

If I was just a little crazy, or if there was someone next to me, I would have held on to that person and bragged about it.

Because I was so glad!

While still putting my blanket over me, I repeated everything Caleb had confessed to me.

Everything, from the moment he stated I’d despised him through the moment he said he desired me till when he asked whether I disliked him.

 

“I am serious.
I dare hope for you.”

“For me, there’s no one but you.”

 

I resisted the urge to scream at the voice that had popped up in my head.

Instead, I rolled around on the bed hugging the pillow.

 

Volume 12: It’s pouring

“This is the ice you requested.”

“Thank you.”

I took an ice bag from the maid and put it on my face.

‘Ugh, it stings.’

I moaned about the sting, as if the cold ice was tearing my skin apart.

But I ignored the pain and pressed the ice bag on the inside corners of my eyelids.

That’s because my eyes were in bad condition.

Well, I guess I deserved it right? Last night, after crying profusely in front of Caleb, I couldn’t sleep so……

After massaging the eyes with the ice bag for a while, the swelling went down quite a bit.

Following that, I was groomed with the help of the maids.

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Because the dress and shoes I wore yesterday were not dry enough, I had to wear what the Imperial Palace had provided me, and the Imperial Palace’s clothing was inadequate for me to wear alone.

When I finished dressing up, the maid said that I had to go down to the dining room to eat breakfast.
It was the time when I just opened the door.

Coincidentally the door of the next room also opened at the same time.
Then our gazes met.

“Elena.”

As soon as he sees me, the tail of his eyes, which had been elevated without emotion, gently curves.

Obviously, I’d heard him call my name before, but it felt different now.

“Did you get a good sleep last night?”

“Yes, I had a good sleep.”

I had a good sleep last night? Such nonsense……

I laughed inwardly at the lies that came out naturally without even spitting on my lips.

Who was the one who had trouble sleeping the entire night and only came out in the morning after applying ice packs?

“Did you have a good sleep, Duke?”

“I couldn’t get a good sleep.”

My heart hammered for a second when I heard the unexpected response.
Because I was wondering whether he couldn’t sleep for the same reason I couldn’t.

“Aside from that, how are you feeling?”

That question reminded me of what happened yesterday.
The moment I had my face heated up because of my severe own imagination.

“I’m perfectly well.
Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

“Is it alright if you don’t get any treatment from the therapist?”

“Yes, I am alright.”

Caleb continued to gaze at me with concern despite my response.

I would have appreciated Caleb’s concern if I was really sick, but since that was not the case, I just felt guilty about his concern.

Let’s change the topic immediately! Let’s talk about something else!

“But, Duke, why couldn’t you get a good sleep?”

“Ah, it was because of what happened yesterday.”

“If it’s what happened yesterday then……?”

“I am talking about the fact that you feel the same way as I do.
I couldn’t believe it, that I thought it was all just a dream.
As a result, I wished morning could come sooner.”

Caleb gently held out his hand and clasped my hand.

His callous bare hand was rough, but warm.

“That’s why I want to keep seeing you and touching you like this.”

“So I could believe that this is real.”

I seemed to understand Caleb’s feelings somehow.

No.
More like there’s no way I couldn’t understand Caleb’s feelings.

Because I’ve been behaving the same way all night.

“To be honest, it still feels like a dream right now.”

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“……there’s no way this is a dream.”

“I know.
But I keep wanting to make sure and confirm it.”

Caleb raised his arm.
He automatically lifted my hand, which he was holding.

There, I quietly watched what Caleb was doing.

He bent his upper body a little.
A hot breath ran across the back of my hand shortly after.

My whole body trembled, but I didn’t move my hand away.

I didn’t do it since I had no reason to.

His somehow rough, dry lips brushed across the back of my hand before falling away

But he just withdrew his lips away from my hand, and he was still holding my hand.

Caleb smiled at me in that situation.

My cheeks and eyes were on fire from his lovely smile, which blazed like the sun.

‘My heart is going to burst……’

My heart was pounding furiously enough to make me go crazy.

While I couldn’t even breathe properly, Caleb let go of my hand and asked me.

“If you are going to have breakfast, why don’t we come down together?” With his dazzling smiles all over his face.

* * * * *

……Although it was good to come down to the dining room together with Caleb like that……

I put down the tableware.
The portion was close to the amount I usually eat, but I couldn’t eat at all.

It’s not because there were a lot of people around.
Since only two of us, me and Caleb, were eating in the dining room.

Rather, it was a problem that there were no other people around us.

Because eating with Caleb face to face made me more aware of my circumstances.

Everything, from the way I eat to the way I grab the dinnerware.

As I climbed the stairs after leaving the dining room, Caleb asked me.

“Didn’t you like the food?”

“Yes?”

“I asked since you didn’t appear to be eating well.”

“Ah.”

I laughed awkwardly.

“No, the food was delicious.
It’s just, um…”

I couldn’t think of anything to say.

I was too embarrassed to admit that I couldn’t eat well because I was conscious of him.

What am I supposed to say?

Should I say that I have no appetite? It can’t possibly be this one.
As I already said, the food was delicious.

What should I do, ugh?

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While I was pondering, time passed, and I began to feel pressure as the silence became prolonged.

I guess I’ll have to say something……

Dang, I don’t know! Let’s just be honest about it.

It’s not a big deal to hide.

“Because I was conscious of you, Duke.”

“What do you mean by being conscious of me……?”

“Because I was worried I’ll make a mistake.
And I wanted to show you the best of me……”

The more I spoke, the smaller my voice became.
The more I spoke, the more embarrassed I was.

And at the end, I lowered my gaze.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at Caleb’s face.

After a brief silence, Caleb opened his mouth.

“Elena, I’m delighted you’re paying attention to me and putting up your best efforts for me.
But I don’t want you to skip your meal because of that.”

“But it concerned me a lot that……”

“You have nothing to be concerned about.
To me, you are always beautiful.”

“……”

“Whatever you look like, and whatever you do.”

I lifted my head at the sound of a voice that penetrated into my ears.

But I couldn’t meet Caleb’s gaze.
Because Caleb slightly turned his head away from me.

And as a result, I was able to view his cheeks more clearly.

And the corner of his eyes which were red, unlike his usual.

‘Don’t tell me, is he being shy?’

When I thought like that, I guess that was the case.
Ah, how cute……

The unexpected response amazed me.

Caleb, on the other hand, was a man far from the words ‘cute’.

Because, first and foremost, he is tall and muscular as a result of his regular training.

More than that he doesn’t have a cute face.

Caleb’s face, on the other hand, is harsh and cold, handsome-type.

The corners of his eyes were raised, and I had the feeling that he was cool when I glanced at the hardened corners of his mouth and eyes.

But I’m not sure why he looked so cute just now.

‘Is what it feels like having one’s eyes covered with a bean pod?’
(T/N: 콩깍지가 꼈다 ‘having one’s eyes covered with a bean pod’ means to be blinded by love.)

As I promised Caleb that I wouldn’t do that anymore, I struggled to suppress my laughter.

* * * * *

Before I realized it, we had climbed all the stairs.

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I spotted an unknown man standing in front of the room I was staying in as I walked down the hallway.

‘Who’s standing there?’

With an ominous premonition, I clutched Caleb’s arm.

“What’s the matter, Elena?”

“There is a man I don’t know standing in front of my room.”

Caleb, who had been staring at me bewildered for a moment, spotted the man in front of my room and made an expression as if he realized what was going on.

“You don’t have to be concerned.
That person is an investigator.”

“Why is the investigator in front of my room……”

“I apologize for not telling you beforehand.
I asked for an investigator regarding your drowning case yesterday.”

“Ah……”

Only then, relieved, did I return my hands to their original positions.

As Caleb said, the man who came to me was an investigator.

He said he had a few questions for me, and I had a feeling we’d be talking for a while, so I invited Caleb and the investigator into the room.

The Investigator said to me as soon as we entered the room and took a seat.

“I apologize for coming so early.
Also, thank you for your willingness to participate in the interrogation.”

“It’s all right.
Rather, I sincerely thank you for your efforts.”

“Thank you for your understanding.
Is it okay if I start the interrogation right now?”

“All right, go ahead.”

The investigator drew a little piece of paper and a quill pen from his arms in response to my answer.

Then, with his quill pen raised, as if to write down my answers, he asked me some questions.

“The first question.
Lady, did you see the perpetrator’s face before you fell into the water?”

“I couldn’t see the face.
I fell into the water because someone pushed me from behind.”

I didn’t even consider looking back since it happened so quickly.

And I was already in the water before I realized it.

“What about their hair color, their eye color, or the clothing they were wearing?” If you remember anything, even small things are fine, so please tell me.”

“Forgive me, but I didn’t see anything.”

The investigator then proceeded to ask me a few more questions.

Why did I leave the banquet hall, or was there anyone who had a grudge against me?

I calmly answered all of the questions.

When the investigator questioned if anybody had a grudge against me, the men who had tasted my kick in the theater passed into my mind.

So, I listed several names carefully, but the investigator shook his head.

“Aside from males, Lady, were there any women who harbored a grudge against you?”

“Women……?”

“Yes.
Lady, according to an eyewitness who saw the person who pushed you, the perpetrator was a woman.”

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