I Wish You Well In Your Next Love, My Love - Chapter 32
Even if he was currently a penniless runaway with nothing to his name, his essence was still the second son of the Castion Grand Duchy.
No commoner would dare place a mop in the hands of a man who was a noble among nobles.
“Just think of me as a boarder. That’s about it.”
As if he had read my thoughts, he spoke lightly.
“I think I’ve said this several times, but I’m not in a position to host you, Lord Castion.”
“You said I could stay until the rain stops.”
“……”
Gerard flung the closed curtains wide open. At the same moment, a loud crash of thunder struck. The house flashed brightly, illuminating his ill-tempered face in stark white.
“This late monsoon is pretty persistent, isn’t it?”
* * *
I reflected on my choices in the past.
If I hadn’t refused when Gerard came to treat me to dinner, would things have turned out a little differently?
Would something like this, sitting across from each other at my narrow dining table and eating together in my house, never have happened?
While I portioned the food I had bought onto plates, Gerard searched around the house for a mop.
He had the strength of a bull, and every time he opened a door or rummaged through a room, it sounded like the house itself was breaking apart.
Afraid that this shabby home of mine might meet its end at Gerard’s hands, I eventually went to the storage room myself, took out a mop, and handed it to him.
He looked at the floor, polished until it shone, and proudly said he seemed to have a talent for cleaning.
‘Of course you do. You’re the one who swept and cleaned our house for seven years.’
And that wasn’t all. He had repaired the ceiling, pasted new wallpaper over moldy walls, and even replaced the light fixtures himself.
“Let’s hear the reason.”
“For what?”
“The reason you’re so desperate to kick me out.”
My throat suddenly felt dry, so I took a sip of water. While setting the cup down, I quickly thought about what I should say.
“Because I brought my friend’s lover into my house…”
A sweet smile formed on his lips.
“Did Arvina say that? That I’m her lover?”
The words I was about to say froze on my tongue. Arvina had never directly called Gerard her ‘lover’. But still,
“Well… everyone thinks so.”
“By everyone, you mean you too?”
His sharp eyes narrowed. I pressed my lips together and gave a small nod.
“Anyway, it feels like I’m doing something wrong to Arvina. It feels like I’m doing something bad.”
“Something bad.”
He met my gaze, amusement lingering in his eyes. For a moment, I felt as if a mischievous light flickered in his ash-blue eyes.
“Am I cheating right now?”
“……”
“With you.”
Gerard added quietly.
I was at a loss for words. That wasn’t what I meant. I had thought mentioning Arvina would make him flustered, but instead, I felt like I had been caught off guard.
He watched my reaction with a relaxed smile.
Don’t get involved.
That was the only thought in my mind.
“…That kind of joke isn’t funny.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
As if my feelings didn’t matter at all, Gerard took my risotto plate.
“I don’t want to do something that feels like betraying my childhood friend. Even if it’s not actually that serious, I don’t want to give even the slightest room for misunderstanding.”
“Don’t worry. Arvina herself probably isn’t suspecting anything.”
Using his unused spoon, Gerard carefully picked out the onions from the risotto and placed them onto his own plate.
“Yes, of course she isn’t. Still, I don’t like it.”
“How did you end up getting close to our princess?”
“After I registered as a trainee, it turned out Arvina was at the same temple…”
After removing all the onions, Gerard set the plate back down in front of me.
Only after I heard the faint sound of the plate touching the wooden table did I come back to my senses.
…What did that man just do?
Realizing his own action belatedly, Gerard also looked unusually flustered. The steady flow of conversation cut off abruptly.
My heart pounded.
I don’t eat onions. And the only person who knew that was Gerard before he lost his memory.
Then why was he naturally picking the onions out of my food?
I realized then that when you’re too shocked, you can’t say anything or react at all.
