Chapter Twenty-Three: The Identity of the Gentleman

“Haa… I feel better now.”

After happily munching on the sandwich, Lord William plopped down on the sofa with me still on his lap. Then, he squeezed me.

While I was still restless, Lord William told me that it’d alleviate his fatigue, so I did my best to endure it. By the way, Lord William had dismissed everyone, so neither Elsa, Ariana, nor Frederic—who arrived late—were there. There were only the two of us in the room.

Although it wasn’t as bad as when he lost his memory, Lord William seemed weary. Just like with Cedric, he buried his face in my chest. Left with nothing to do, I gently caressed Lord William’s satiny amber hair. When he asked me to continue, I did as I was told.

“It’d be nice if Ceddie could’ve come too.”

“Cedric also wants to visit Lord William. Unfortunately, he’s scheduled to have a lesson with Oswald, his tutor, today.”

I was a bit anxious, but Lord William seemed happy to hear that. After a while, he moved away.

“By the way, did nothing really happen between you and that man?”

Lord William worriedly touched my cheek.

“He looked terribly ill. …Uhm, shouldn’t I have done that?”

“No, it’s fine. He also seemed unwell when I met him. He’s Duke Fuchsberger—the minister in charge of foreign affairs. He’s the highest-ranking official in this country’s foreign affairs.”

“T-the minister?”

Even I knew that title was important.

After all, Duke Fuchsberger was the son of the king’s older brother. In other words, the king’s nephew, and Alphonse’s cousin…

“I-I’d been uncouth to him… I even handed him some cookies!”

“It’s alright, Liliana. He’s strict in men, and is a picky eater, but he’s kind to women. Besides, he was truly in a pinch back then. I don’t think he’ll harbor any ill will to those who helped him.”

Lord William patted my head.

He seemed strict, sure, but he didn’t look like a bad person. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but worry that I’d offended the duke.

“He came to talk to me as the boss of the man who was arrested in the newspaper case. The incident came as a surprise to him. He must’ve been busy with handling the case. At first, it started as a small embezzlement case, but after some investigating, we found out that the man was using his position as a diplomat to engage in human trafficking.”

I gasped at the chilling news. Was it alright for him to tell me that?

“It’s alright. It’s going to appear in tomorrow’s paper.”

Perhaps guessing from my expression, Lord William giggled and told me. But soon, he became serious.

“I don’t want to restrict you, but I want you and Ceddie to refrain from going out for a while until the incident settles down. I wish I could remain by your side, but I’m truly busy.”

“It’s fine. I don’t go out much to begin with, and Cedric will surely understand if I explain properly. Also, please don’t overdo it, Lord William.”

“Simply having you in my arms makes me feel at ease.”

His large hand caressed my cheek. His warm, big palm was always so reassuring, yet my heart was noisy. However, he suddenly removed his hand. Before the loneliness could set in, his hand moved to the sapphire that shone in my chest.

“You’re wearing this today, too.”

Lord William said with a smile.

The large blue sapphire reflected even the slightest amount of light, making it sparkly and very beautiful.

Because of its simple design, it could be worn with any dress, so I wore it every day. The only time I took it off was when I took a bath or when I went to sleep. When Cedric saw this necklace, he’d beam, “It has the same color as my brother-in-law’s eyes!”

“I’m always at ease because it bore the same color as Lord William’s, eyes…”

In the middle of speaking, I realized that I was saying something very embarrassing, and began to stutter. I could no longer face Lord William. My face was searing.

“…I—forget it…”

“That’d be unwise of me, my dear Liliana.”

He dropped a kiss on my hair. Lord William kneeled, before peering into my face from below. I immediately tried to conceal my face with both hands. But before I could lift my hands, which were clenched on top of my lap, Lord William seized them.

His blue eyes gently took me in.

“Let me ask you a question… Did you miss me like Cedric? Tell me, Liliana.”

He whispered softly into my ear.

My heart was about to explode. My chest hurt so much, I couldn’t seem to muster any words.

“I was lonely.”

“…Huh?”

At the unexpected words, I looked up at him, only to be greeted by his morose blue eyes.

“Even though it’d only been a week, I was so lonely because I couldn’t see you.”

Before I knew it, his lips were on me, dropping feverish kisses on my forehead, the corners of my eyes, and the tip of my nose.

“I heard that before I lost my memory, we only met each other once every six months. But if that were to happen again, the loneliness from not being able to see you might drive me insane, my Liliana.”

Amidst the torment of embarrassment and happiness, I caught a glimpse of his blue eyes. They harbored intense emotions that I didn’t know, which truthfully scared me a little. Yet for some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off them.

After releasing my hand, he cupped my cheek, before caressing my lips with his slightly rough thumb. Everything he touched burned, as if being lit by fire.

“…So tell me, Liliana. Did you miss me?”

I was ensnared by the ferocity of his blue eyes, and had no clue how to escape, so I half-consciously nodded at his words.

Still, I wasn’t lying. In front of Cedric, I tried to act mature. However, deep inside, I longed for his smile—for the warmth of his embrace. Every night, I felt so alone.

As our breathing overlapped, I took in Lord William’s handsome face. We were so close that even my pathetic expression was reflected clearly within his gaze.

“…I felt so lonely when I couldn’t meet Lord William.”

Suddenly, the hand that was wrapped around my cheek drew me closer.

I saw his face approaching, and I closed my eyes—

“—Is it true that Lily is here? I want some cookies, too!”

The door opened with a thud, and I heard a familiar voice.

Lord William immediately pulled me into a hug.

“Youuu—!”

“Eh, sorry, did I disturb something? But c’mon, I can see everything from the courtyard…”

At Alphonse’s chirpy tone, Lord William shot a glance at the courtyard window. Briefly, I could see a bunch of knights peering out from the shadows of the trees.

“I’ll remember this! Prepare yourself for the next training!”

At Lord William’s scream, the knights scattered like ants.

I was so embarrassed, I kept my head down. Luckily, Lord William hugged me, so I was shielded from everything. At the same time, I had no other choice but to entrust myself to him.

Was he trying to kiss me…?

After all, he was leaning in towards me, and I could feel his breathing against my lips. Furthermore, that atmosphere was very similar to what I read in romance novels. My cheeks, which were already flushed, heated up even more.

Then, my head began to spin, and my vision became black—

“—Huh? Ah, Liliana? Liliana!?”

Despite how panicked Lord William was, I was too powerless to answer him. In the end, I couldn’t bear the shame and fainted.

---

***T/N: Lmao here comes Elsa

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