I Unintentionally Cured the Grand Duke’s Insomnia - Chapter 158
79. — Because I Like You (2)
“It’s okay. I’m just not someone you can depend on, so there’s no need for you to apologize.”
“Michael, that’s not the reason I didn’t tell you…!”
She quickly shook her head, startled by the emptiness in his tone. Abel watched Irene’s startled face in silence for a moment before slowly standing up and speaking.
“But Irene, nothing has changed. It was like this five years ago, and it’s still the same now.”
“Michael…”
“I’ve always been ready to share the burden, but the people I care about keep telling me it’s not something I should worry about.”
“….”
“You’ll probably never know how miserable it feels to realize that I’m not someone they can depend on.”
Irene bit her lip as she looked at Abel’s face, which was filled with hurt. It wasn’t that she didn’t tell him because she couldn’t trust him.
“I wondered the same thing five years ago. How much more do I have to grow before my brother finally trusts me?”
Irene’s eyes widened in surprise at the word brother slipping from Abel’s lips.
‘…Brother? What is he talking about?’
“But lately, I can’t help but wonder… will there ever be a day when my brother or you actually rely on me?”
“….”
“To you, I’m just some helpless guy who lost his memories and needs to be looked after. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“But Michael, I really didn’t mean it like that…!”
“Abel.”
“….”
“Abel Destro. That’s my name, Irene.”
Abel turned away and walked ahead, leaving Irene frozen in place. The fact that she was the one who saw the side of him he wanted to keep hidden the most left him feeling both ashamed and guilty.
̊ · : * ✧ * : · ̊
For someone who had passed out from sheer exhaustion, I woke up feeling oddly refreshed. It was strange that I actually felt better than I had before passing out, and judging by his expression, he thought so too.
“My arm’s not broken or anything… right?!”
Before I could finish my sentence, Cain suddenly lifted a spoonful of soup and fed it to me, almost as if he were trying to stop me from talking.
Since waking up, I’d noticed him glued to my side, so I hesitantly spoke up.
“Did I almost die or something?”
“….”
“From what I remember, the wound wasn’t that deep… was it?”
I absentmindedly touched my neck, only to freeze in surprise upon realizing there wasn’t even a scar.
‘I’m sure there was supposed to be a wound somewhere around here…?’
Seeing me feel around my neck with both hands, Cain simply lifted another spoonful of soup and fed it to me as he spoke.
“You can worry about all that later. Right now, just focus on eating. The doctor said you’re weak and need to regain your strength.”
“…Did they actually say I should be eating soup?”
“What do you mean?”
“No, I just thought… if I need to build my strength back up, shouldn’t I be eating something like meat instead of soup?”
As I wondered if that was really something someone who had just woken up should be saying, embarrassment washed over me.
Noticing my awkward smile, Cain gestured toward the door and spoke.
“It’ll be here soon. I figured you’d ask, so I had them prepare it in advance.”
Pleased with his answer, I smiled brightly and obediently took another spoonful of soup. The soup was soft and rich, and its flavor wasn’t bad.
Just as I reached the bottom of the bowl, the door opened, and a plate of steak was brought in. The delicious aroma hit me, making my mouth water without even thinking. As I quietly watched Cain slice the steak, the last look on his face before everything went dark resurfaced in my mind.
“Were you worried?”
Cain, who had been looking down, raised his head at my sudden question. Seeing the confused look on his face, I added in a teasing tone.
“No, I mean… I promised you, didn’t I? That I wouldn’t die.”
“….”
“Well, obviously, if I grow old and die naturally, that’s a different stor—!”
Almost like he was trying to silence me, he stuffed a piece of steak into my mouth with his fork.
I took the fork out of my mouth and turned to him with a question.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you? So I’d stop talking and just eat.”
“That’s right.”
“…You’re actually admitting it?”
“I don’t care if it’s from old age or something else, I don’t want to hear you talk about dying. I don’t even want to think about that day ever happening.”
His expression didn’t waver.
When I looked at his face, it didn’t seem like he was throwing an unreasonable tantrum at all.
“It’s amazing that even though I know you’re being stubborn, it doesn’t sound that way at all when you say it with that face.”
I chuckled and stabbed a small piece of steak with my fork.
Cain silently observed me as I slowly ate my steak, then spoke in a low voice.
“Because I like you.”
“…Huh?”
“I like you, Lia. Enough to say something completely unreasonable.”
“Your Highness the Grand Duke—”
“Cain.”
“….”
“Call me Cain. I don’t want to be a grand duke to you anymore, I just want to be a man.”
The way he smiled at me made my face flush instantly.
Thump, thump.
My heart pounded so loudly that I was afraid he might hear it.
Please consider sending some love to the translator through Ko-fi!
≪ Discord ≫
≪ Novel Updates ≫
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
