Turning around the corner, Cus grasped his beating heart.
‘Why are the Grand Duke and Adelia in the square…?’
He hadn’t expected to see the two of them in the square. After a moment of being stunned by the unexpected encounter, he leaned his head out from the wall toward the place where the two of them were.
Adelia, who received the candied strawberry Cain handed her, shook her head as if it was no big deal.
Cus gritted his teeth at the sight of the two, who looked like affectionate lovers to anyone who saw them. Did that mean they were actually in a relationship? It was a story he didn’t want to believe until the last moment, but now, he had to admit it.
Perhaps, the two of them could have become real lovers…
But in hindsight, it might have worked out better for him now that they ended up together.
“…Yes. So whatever you do, Adelia, keep a firm grip on the Grand Duke.”
Cus’ eyes lit up as he watched Adelia eat the candy. At that moment, he, who had been watching the two of them, almost made eye contact with Cain as he turned toward where he was hiding.
Startled, he quickly ducked back behind the wall.
‘…Not yet, not yet.’
At least until tomorrow, he couldn’t get caught by those two.
As he thought so, Cus curled his fists around the cape he’d removed due to the tightness. His figure could no longer be seen as he disappeared into the thick shadows between the buildings.
˚ ·: * ✧ * :· ˚
“Your Highness, is there something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Cain’s head turned as if he’d sensed something. Then, narrowing his eyes, he scanned the crowd and shook his head at my worried question as if there was nothing.
“I must have been mistaken.”
“Why?”
“It felt like we were being watched.”
“…Hmm, if that’s the case, wouldn’t it be the eyes of the people of the Empire who don’t usually see Your Excellency?”
I responded indifferently to his words before biting into the candied strawberry he gave me. The sugar coating on the strawberries was broken, and I could taste the sweet juice. As I was eating the messy strawberry candy, I glanced at him as he was asking what I meant with his eyes and replied as if it was no big deal.
“Honestly, I’d be curious if I were me as well. After all, Your HIghness is the only Grand Duke of the Empire, and you’re the hero who saved Lian, among other things.”
“….”
“Even if the person concerned didn’t want the title…”
…Regardless of how devastatingly traumatic the war that made Cain a hero was for him, and regardless of how much guilt he felt about the title.
Meanwhile, Cain was still quiet for some reason as I bit into the second candied strawberry. So I carefully raised my gaze, wondering if I’d made a mistake, but the corners of his curved lips were barely visible.
“Wh-why?”
“Looks like it’s delicious.”
“Oh, strawberry lolly? Yes, it’s really good. Does Your Highness not want to eat it?”
Was I acting like I’ve never had it before?
When I spoke with a shy smile, Cain answered with a shrug.
“I don’t like sweets that much.”
“Oh, I see. That’s too bad because eating sweets is the best way to relieve stress.”
I looked at him as if I was sorry after hearing his answer and bit the candied strawberry again. Nonetheless, I could still feel his gaze on me as I chewed on the candy. I rolled my eyes, pretending not to notice his gaze, which felt somewhere blatant, before eventually letting out a shallow sigh.
Forcibly raising the corners of my mouth, I held out the candy I was eating towards him.
“Um, would you like to try some?”
Cain only stared at the candied strawberry as I reluctantly held it up toward him. I quickly took the candy I had offered him and blabbered, feeling embarrassed to see him not saying anything about the candy I had held out.
“As expected, what I ate wasn’t good—”
However, he grabbed my withdrawn hand as he was about to bite it. Grabbing my hand that was holding the strawberry candy, the corner of his mouth raised into a grin.
The mischievous grin on his face made my anxiety rise.
“Nor is it right to refuse what’s recommended.”
His face came closer with a short reply.
As he slowly lowered his head, meeting my frozen gaze with the skewer, the sight of him biting into the strawberry candy I was eating was somehow erotic.
[ T/N: This man makes even eating a candied strawberry sexyyy ( ͡⚆ ͜ ʖ ͡ ⚆)]
My heart raced at his seemingly insignificant action.
“It’s not bad.”
“Ri, right?”
I hurriedly let go of the hand he was holding and gave an awkward nod before biting into the remaining candy to hide my trembling heart. Still, Cain’s gaze glued to my face like sugar sticking to my teeth.
Under his stinging gaze, I glanced around nervously and opened my mouth.
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