It Seems Like The Infamous Trash Can is Right Here! - Chapter 121
No matter how busy Halid might be, I doubted he was busier than Lionel.
He didn’t regularly attend Imperial Councils or oversee extensive merchant guilds.
Unlike Lionel, he wasn’t occupied with managing new mines practically monopolized through endless regressions.
He had so much on his plate that he should have three or four bodies to spare.
And yet he never failed to pick me up every day. He never missed our daily meals, and on days that he was not at the Council, he took me out on luncheons and walks. Despite this, he never showed signs, whether he was stressed or relaxed.
His attention always remained on me, so much so that every time I turned my head, our eyes immediately met.
“At least that much is necessary to make someone feel, ‘Ah, this person is genuinely trying to win my heart.’”
“Is that truly how Duke Luanax behaved…?”
Halid stared at Lionel in disbelief.
The problem was Lione’s equally stunned reaction.
“I… did that…?”
I couldn’t help but smile at his bewildered response.
“See? That’s what happens naturally when you put your mind into truly caring. You’ll have to imitate it at least halfway if you want even a fraction of that sincerity.”
I accepted Lionel’s proposal because I could tell he was very much in love with me.
What man escorts a priestess everywhere? He took my hand so casually, and I could feel his heart beating so strongly through the skin where our arms met.
Even if he wanted to hide it, he couldn’t. That raw, unfiltered emotion.
“One-sided affection fades quickly. Choosing to marry a Duke means leaving behind your family and friends, moving to the far North. And if you couldn’t even expect affection from your husband, why would you want to marry him at all?”
If the one in question were Dantère or Ardin, I wouldn’t have even bothered to offer advice. But Halid was the only male lead in A Night of Entwined Serpents whose stock I’d actually invested in while reading, so the words came out before I knew it, and I wasn’t sure if it was wise to do so.
Maybe the childhood connection made it easier to feel a bit of closeness.
Halid sank into thought, then slowly nodded.
“I suppose you’re right. I only saw Vivian as a tool, so it’s no wonder she would have been displeased and asked to break the engagement.”
I thought he might offer excuses or try to defend himself, but surprisingly, Halid accepted it right away.
“I’ve already gone far off course. I don’t know if I can turn it around now. Viscount Dantère is skilled at charming women, and Sir Ardin seems to have already made considerable progress with Vivian…”
“You have strengths of your own, Your Grace.”
“My strengths… Do I really have any? My territory is a frigid wasteland crawling with dangerous beasts, and I don’t know a single thing that might interest Vivian.”
I was about to list Halid’s appealing traits that might work on Vivian, but I glanced at Lionel first. I was worried he might misunderstand my intentions.
I truly had no feelings for Halid, not even a sliver, but if I started talking about what made him attractive, wouldn’t it sound like I liked those traits myself?
“Um… well, for me… I really liked that Lionel had no romantic entanglements.”
So I chose a safer angle.
“It made me happy to start from the beginning, even if things felt awkward at first. If he had been tangled up with a bunch of other women, it would’ve really bothered me, and not in any good way.”
“I see…”
“And also… his body. That strong, disciplined body! It’s amazing, right? Some women might prefer a man with a delicate, beautiful face, but I think this type tends to be more popular.”
The front of Lionel’s shirt stretched tight across his broad chest, looking as if the buttons were being tortured. Leaning against that solid chest, there was nothing left to fear.
Though I couldn’t say it aloud, Lionel’s back was equally breathtaking. Those wide shoulders tapering into a slender waist, and his back muscles, furious with tension.
As for what was beneath that… I didn’t have the courage to look, but some things don’t need to be observed to be understood. Why even say it out loud.
With a body that perfect, how many women must dream of being held in those arms, even once?
