Honey, I Believe That’s Your Misunderstanding

Even when she concentrated all her thoughts towards him, she still couldn’t hear his voice.

Um, maybe this wasn’t how it’s done?

“No, then what on earth makes it happen? And really, where is he?”

Just when Grace was rumpling her messy hair.

—…This early?

Suddenly, she heard the languidly voice of a man who very obviously sounded as if he just woke up.

“Your Excellency?”

Startled, Grace sat upright on the bed, straightening her posture unknowingly.

—A-hem…

It was such a new experience to hear his voice sound this low. He cleared his throat as though he was overcoming the haze of slumber.

The sound was so close that, if she were to close her eyes, it sounded as if he was waking up right beside her on the bed.

Grace’s ears turned bright red.

—Why… A-hem. Why did you wake up so early? Perhaps, did you feel uncomfortable while you were sleeping?

Whether or not he had truly woken up, his voice sounded so deep and husky, even more than usual.

His voice was so charming that Grace felt that it was no different than a weapon.

It was strange. Unlike his scary atmosphere, the more he whispered in her ear with a saccharine voice as he was half asleep, she felt as if he was truly a sweet man.

And his sensual voice kept adding to the heat in her body that she had never felt before.

‘Oh my gosh, I must be going mad. Sensual?’

Raising both hands, she pressed her palms against her red cheeks and tried to speak as casually as possible.

“…No, it’s just. I could hear your voice one moment, but not the next. I called you just in case.”

—I see. Actually, I’m curious about that, too. Sometimes, I can talk to you, and sometimes I can’t. Do you have any clue as to why this is?

“Yes. I believe it happens whenever I think about you.”

—Aha.

He stayed silent for a moment, then he spoke again, sounding as if there’s a smile adorned upon his lips.

—Then, can I take it that you thought of me as soon as you woke up?

Grace’s heart skipped a beat.

Once again, she tried to keep herself calm before she answered.

“I-It’s only because I happened to think about you as soon as I woke up. I remembered that today’s the day Your Excellency promised that I could go to the library. So it’s not as if I thought of you as soon as I woke up, but I just—I just happened to think of you. That’s all.”

…Ahhh, shut up.

Shut up, Grace. Please.

Why was she making such excuses?

Grace lightly hit her mouth with her palm, silently berating it for speaking without her consent.

She should have just answered simply! She happened to wonder about him as soon as she woke up! Just that!

But her mouth already dealt the damage, like an arrow that had already been propelled by the bowstring.

“…That’s what happened.”

Grace waited for Lucas’s voice. He had yet to reply.

Even though she wasn’t in the same room as her, strangely enough, she started to look around.

‘It’s hot.’

She paced in front of the window for no reason, fanning her feverish face.

She started to feel even more embarrassed the longer he stayed strangely silent.

What in the world was that man thinking about her?

Whenever she thought about him, she somehow just talked about anything and everything…

Now that she thought about it, it’s very awkward.

Why did she say that she could hear his voice only whenever she thought about him!

Even when she’s not really thinking about anything particular.

‘…I’m doomed.’

She should just refrain from thinking about Lucas Blacke from now on.

No, but how could she not think of him when she’s living in his house?

And, well… Willing herself to not think about him was the same thing as thinking about him, wasn’t it?

Given her situation, was it actually possible not to think of Lucas Blacke?

‘…What is this. Seriously. Pull yourself together.’

At that moment, the silent Lucas finally spoke.

—Really, what a relief.

“Huh? What’s a relief?”

—I’m so glad I can’t go and meet you right now.

What did he mean by that?

“Why?”

Hearing the innocence in her response, Lucas laughed.

He didn’t say anything for a moment as though he was choosing his words, but soon after, with a low voice, he spoke frankly.

—Well, if you’re in front of me right now, I might get us in a bit of an accident that I won’t be able to stop. And I mean, a big accident.

He was speaking in riddles yet again, as though he was playing a children’s game of twenty questions.

He kept giving her various hints, seeming as if he wanted her to guess the meaning behind those words, but she couldn’t understand.

Grace thought for a long time. Then, she asked seriously.

“What kind of accident are you talking about?”

—No can do. I can’t say it. If I do, you might truly think that I’m a beast.

“Huh?”

—…Hm, so to speak, I am one, but. No, I’m just an animal now. Huu.

“Your Excellency, don’t just say things that only you know. Can’t you please speak in a way that I’ll understand?

He laughed.

—Later. I’ll tell you everything soon enough.

Curiously, Grace felt that it was nice to hear him laugh.

It was tingling and soft like a spring breeze that’s gently brushing against her ears.

She couldn’t see him right now, but it felt like her image of him was changing.

Much softer, more affectionate than before.

—It’s just, I don’t want to say or do anything that’ll make you run away from me.

“Run away?”

—Yes. But if you do run away, I’ll chase you like crazy, and you’ll be frightened… In any case, no. Please forget what I just said, Grace.

What could it be?

What in the world was he thinking of saying or doing to her that she’s going to run away?

Grace felt chills running down her spine.

For a moment, it’s as if he had become a predator that would devour her.

‘Seriously, you’ve gone mad, Grace.’

She’s scared of him, and then not, and then scared again.

Even if it was her own heart reacting like this, Grace was so confused.

* * *

“Right here, Lady Grace. It’s Milord’s private annex.”

Opening the door of the annex for her, Gabriel showed Grace around.

Within the grounds of House Blacke’s townhouse was a main building, an annex and the servant’s lodgings, which was called ‘red roof house’.

Originally, there was just the main building and red roof house, but a few years ago, Lucas built a separate annex for himself, so the townhouse’s grounds now had three edifices. He said that he needed his own space.

‘This is Lucas Blacke’s exclusive space.’

Gabriel explained to Grace that it was only a two-storey building and it’s not very big, but it was a place that only Lucas could freely come and go to.

Grace wondered if she was really allowed to be here. She was told only now that this was a personal space.

“Gabriel, it might be better if I instead peruse the central library of the main building. It would be rude of me to intrude upon His Excellency’s space when he’s not here.”

—But I’m right here.

Lucas grumbled quietly, but it was a voice that only she could hear.

Grace replied only in her mind, which was inaudible to him.

‘It’s because no one else can hear you.’

It wasn’t just that.

Grace really didn’t want to touch any of his belongings in his absence.

She herself treasured her personal space, so she wanted to respect others’ space as well.

—I’m sincere when I say that it’s alright for you to go wherever you want. You can search through my stuff here and there.

…Although that guy kept whispering in her ear to the point where he’s bothering her about walking around freely.

—You can touch anything. You can touch here and there. You can also lie down here and there, Grace.

“What? Lie down where?”

Grace was so startled that she replied out loud without realizing it.

Gabriel, who was walking ahead of her, turned around and looked at Grace.

—…No, well. If you don’t want to lie down, you can just sit down.

His playful voice kept tickling her ears.

Grace quickly closed her lips and smiled awkwardly at Gabriel.

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s so clean that I thought there’s no place to lie down here.”

“Haha. There is also a separate bedroom here. His Excellency prefers to keep things neat, so everything’s spick and span. Would you like to go there?”

—My bedroom is on the second floor, at the end of the hallway to the left. The white door.

‘You’re driving me crazy. What are you talking about now?’

Why would she even go there?

Grace couldn’t even respond to Lucas. She just looked up frantically and faced Gabriel.

“Gabriel, I think it would be better if I just leave.”

“Oh, are you uncomfortable? Just up ahead is His Excellency’s private library.”

As Gabriel said this, he pointed towards the door nearby.

“You might find many fun books in there, Lady Grace. I heard that you’re quite interested in botany, yes? His Excellency also has a number of books that are already out of print. Perhaps there are a few on the subject.”

It was a tempting offer.

Grace felt a faint desire to go, but she tempered the urge and endured it.

“No, it’s alright. Next time, I mean, when His Excellency’s present, perhaps I will go.”

“Oh my, what a shame. I was going to show you a little of His Excellency’s secret. It’s a secret that you won’t be able to see if Milord is here.”

Now, this was tempting.

As Gabriel spoke with a secretive tone, Grace also lowered her voice unknowingly.

“His Excellency’s secret? In that library?”

“That’s right. It can be seen only in that library. Aren’t you curious about what it is?”

She was curious about it only because it was a secret.

But since it was, after all, a secret, she knew that it was all the more reason not to go there.

—My secret, huh… What’s that?

Even the owner of the secret didn’t seem to know what it was.

As Grace hesitated for a moment, she eventually shook her head.

“No, thank you. I’m curious, but still. His Excellency isn’t present…”

—But I’m curious, too. I want to know what this secret Gabriel’s talking about. Just go in, Grace.

Lucas once again urged Grace.

And she was now at odds.

To go, or not to go?

“It is Milord’s childhood portrait.”

His childhood portrait?

Grace was about to mechanically say once more that she shouldn’t go, but her lips froze as they were.

Even Lucas Blacke was a child once.

It was a strangely unfamiliar thing to think about, even though it was an obvious fact.

What was he like when he was a child?

She couldn’t help but wonder.

Sharp, cold eyes. Dark brows. A high, angular nose. A manly chin.

Those were the features that she immediately thought of whenever she thought about him, but they were aspects of an adult man. What exactly did he look like when he was younger?

She’s curious.

As a matter of fact, she’s really curious.

But for her to just change her stance on the matter…

“Considering how he is now, it’s impossible to think that he had once been such a loveable young master. If I tell Your Ladyship that he always carried a stuffed bunny everywhere, you won’t believe it, will you?”

—Gabriel!

“I can still remember how he would run to the Madam’s arms to hug her tightly, crying as he begged her to find Bunbun. I know how difficult it would be to imagine it now, but at that time when he was still our young master, he was much cuter than you could imagine, and—”

“So, this is the library, right?”

It was very easy.