Thank You For The Confinement, Grand Duke! - Chapter 64.2

His hand gently slid under mine, taking some of the weight off. It didn’t seem like he was putting in much effort, but somehow, my arms felt much lighter. Although, the hand now sandwiched between the books was probably under a lot of pressure.

“Of course…”

Enfrise leaned down just a little, bringing his face closer. Without thinking, I found myself staring right at him.

Oh really, this guy’s ridiculously handsome…

Wait, no! Was I supposed to close my eyes at a moment like this? Isn’t that what usually happens? But if I closed my eyes, wouldn’t it be typical for the male lead to pull back and whisper something in my ear, like, ‘What are you expecting?’

And then the female lead would open her eyes wide, all surprised…

“How about granting me one wish?”

…Well, that was anticlimactic.

I hadn’t even finished my little fantasy, and he’s already moved on to talking about rewards. Enfrise, are you really a tragic novel’s male lead?! In those stories, the guy usually sets the mood and drops some misleading lines, making it hard not to misunderstand!

Still, I guess I prefer it this way.

Even if it kind of ruined the vibe. Okay, maybe really ruined it.

“It depends on what your wish is.”

I answered as calmly as I could.

Okay, he totally didn’t notice how flustered I was. Sometimes, this guy gets so wrapped up in his thoughts that he forgets about personal space, and it’s definitely not good for my heart.

‘Next time he leans in like that, I swear I’ll kiss him.’

…Ahem, it was definitely not for my own satisfaction. It was to teach Enfrise just how dangerous and seductive that kind of behavior was!

It was totally not because I wanted to.

“You might… not like what I have in mind.”

“Hmm, and you’re not going to tell me?”

“No.”

‘Ah, I see what this is.’

He was making a secret of his own just because I made one first. How childish… and cute!

“What if I say I no? What then?”

“Well… if you truly don’t like it, I suppose I wouldn’t go through with it.”

That was right. That was the difference between us.

I didn’t hide anything, and once I decided to do something, I followed through. Enfrise, on the other hand, kept things to himself, yet when he finally opened up, if I disapprove, he stopped.

It was funny, Enfrise.

It seemed liking someone could alter your preferences and behavior. The old me would’ve scoffed at him, saying something like, ‘Stand your ground!’ or ‘Even if the female lead doesn’t like it, you should push ahead!’

But now? I found this part of him adorable.

“Alright, I get it.”

I smiled, and Enfrise, unable to help himself, smiled back softly. It was so cute that I couldn’t resist. Then, I leaned in and brushed a light kiss on his cheek before whispering in his ear.

“Then wait patiently, okay?”

* * *

Enfrise didn’t come back to his senses until long after Chaperil had left.

“…Where on earth did she learn to do things like that?”

If she’d heard him, she probably would’ve thought to herself, ‘I learned it from books!’ Enfrise covered his eyes with both hands, not to cool down his heated face…

“Ha.”

Because he didn’t want to erase the image that lingered so vividly in his mind. The playful way she’d smiled as she kissed his cheek… She didn’t seem like an angel at all—more like a devil, really. How could she tease him like this after he’d already given in to his desires and dirty impulses?

Or maybe the real devil was him, for feeling so much from such a simple, fleeting kiss.

“I’m… really scared of her.”

When his father passed away, Enfrise thought he would no longer need to seek affection from anyone. The only person whose approval he had ever wanted was now gone from this world. And he never imagined a day would come when he’d see someone as a woman or that he would fall in love.

That was why it scared him.

Was his growing affection for Chaperil hurting her? Was he trapping her, taking away her freedom? Was he secretly enjoying her captivity?

“I’ll… get her out of here as soon as possible.”

‘If, even with your wings of freedom, you choose to stay by my side…’

Then I would do anything to protect those wings. Even if it costs me my life.

Enfrise clenched his fist tightly, remembering his conversation with Elmare.

And then…

“…Ha.”

With a deep, controlled breath, Enfrise opened his eyes and glanced at the space where Chaperil had pulled out the books.

He had organized this study himself and knew roughly where every book belonged. The shelves were categorized according to the type of book. Out of the eleven books Chaperil had taken, five were cookbooks, four were animal and plant guides, one was a children’s storybook, and the last one…

It was a history of the Empire.