WGMFTR | Chapter 25

Episode 25

“…Is this enough for today?”

At the very bottom of the feelings that made Ilian sometimes consciously try to push Lydia away was fear—nothing else—and that was the part he least wanted to acknowledge or accept.

Because she, too, was someone who would eventually leave—or rather, he had deliberately named her as someone who would.

“Yes.”

To truly accept Lydia, who carried a steady warmth like sunlight, into his daily life was no different from stabbing his own heart with poison.

After all, everyone he had let close either betrayed his expectations or left in the end.

Lydia, too, was obviously someone who was always ready to leave.

So, if there was anything he had learned from his past self who had been foolishly wounded time and again, it was that Ilian should not give Lydia any room at all.

“So please, put your clothes back on.”

“I don’t want to.”

But it wasn’t easy to take his eyes off Lydia, who, in unexpected situations, pretended to be brazen, but at times like this, would blush innocently—someone who presented such a bewildering mix of emotions he’d never seen in anyone else before.

“The night air is still chilly, you’ll catch a cold, Marquis. And I can’t treat that.”

“That’s a shame.”

His enjoyment in talking to her should have been nothing more than a desire to escape the monotonous and dull routine of his original life.

Just a passing interest, like watching a water droplet burst with a curious poke, only to move on once the curiosity faded.

‘She’s just someone who helps ease the symptoms, perhaps that’s all.’

Yes, that was all.

It was only because of her ability to pierce through his weak spots.

Surely, that was why he kept thinking of her.

“I, yaaawn, actually do want to lie back down…”

Watching her nod off again in an instant was such a defenseless sight. Ilian Esteban, nearly burying himself in the pillow, flopped down and stared blankly at her as she suddenly reached out her hand.

“Just hold my hand while we sleep.”

Her innocent words, with drowsy eyes, made Ilian chuckle.

Her breath carried a sweet scent that made him want to lean in and taste it.

“You’re not good with alcohol, are you?”

“Not at all.”

Yet her fluttering eyelids were telling a different story.

Ilian looked at her disheveled hair and said indifferently,

“Enough.”

“You had a nightmare last time, didn’t you? Isn’t a slightly uncomfortable bed better than a nightmare?”

“…”

“You lay beside me before too, remember? Come on.”

“That time, I was awake. And it was brief.”

“Same difference.”

Her face pressed on with that logic-defying insistence, cheeks tinged with a subtle red—perhaps from the wine.

Eventually, unable to resist Lydia’s persistence, Ilian cautiously lay beside her again, just like he had done not long ago.

Holding hands tightly, she quickly drifted off to sleep, breathing peacefully.

Ilian watched her even breathing for a while longer before gently tidying her messy hair.

The way he let go of her hand was full of reluctance.

Settling back into his chair and gazing silently at Lydia, it was clear the night ahead would be long.

The next morning, Lydia opened her eyes on a soft bed, staring at the ceiling with a vague sense of dread.

‘Huh? I’m sure someone was next to me…’

As she traced back her memories, her face flared up red.

‘Are you crazy? “Let’s just hold hands and sleep”? What nonsense, Lydia!’

Internally screaming, it took Lydia quite some time to accept the reality.

Eventually, she sprang up from the bed.

Then she spotted the Marquis slumped in a chair far across the bed, eyes closed in a very uncomfortable posture.

“You stayed there all night?”

Startled, Lydia fully rose from the bed.

Setting aside the minor incident of saying a few embarrassing things after drinking all the wine she wanted, guilt flooded in as she realized the owner of this mansion had spent the night in an uncomfortable chair because of her, instead of his bed.

The Marquis, awakened by Lydia’s nearly screaming voice, spoke in a drowsy tone mixed with a sigh.

“I couldn’t exactly go to another room, could I?”

“But still, the bed is so big… there was no need to…”

Truly, the bed was ridiculously large.

It seemed five people could lie in it without much discomfort.

As Lydia was tormented by guilt for comfortably sleeping while someone cursed by pain sat suffering nearby, Ilian suddenly stood up and approached.

Startled by his sudden stride and climb onto the bed, Lydia tried to retreat, but there was nowhere to go.

“W-wait a moment. What are you doing?”

“Come here.”

Without explanation, Ilian wrapped an arm around Lydia’s waist and pulled her tightly into an embrace.

A faint scent of lilac.

That was the first thought that came to Ilian’s mind as he drew close to Lydia.

While he could blame the wine, truthfully, this subtly sweet scent had always been distinctly hers.

He was merely now putting a name to it.

More powerful than the warmth of her body through the thin fabric was that scent, which gripped his senses.

“Why are you…”

Ilian only realized he was staring down at Lydia in silence when he felt her small hands gripping his shoulders.

Unlike Lydia, who was too flustered to notice, Ilian had heard the bustle of the servants outside and sensed that someone would soon come to their room.

“I heard noise from outside.”

“Oh.”

At that realization, Lydia instantly relaxed. She easily understood the intention behind this setup.

After all, wouldn’t it seem strange if a newlywed couple wasn’t in the same bed on their first morning?

“Still… this looks a little awkward…”

Thinking it was all staged, she figured they might as well make it more convincing.

Ever enthusiastic, Lydia slid her hand from his shoulder and brought her other hand up to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer.

Now it was Ilian’s turn to freeze. Though he had initiated, he was flustered by her bold response and simply followed her lead.

“I just thought… we should be a little closer.”

Holding him so tightly their cheeks were nearly touching, Lydia whispered playfully into Ilian’s ear.

Ilian froze completely, unable to even breathe.

Her innocent, sparkling eyes showed nothing but a strong determination to get through the morning without raising any suspicions.

‘This is driving me insane…’

He had the strong urge to bury his face in the bed, thanks to Lydia’s proud grin that seemed to say she’d done a perfect job.

This overreaction of his was frankly ridiculous.

But it was hard to ignore the way his heart pounded faster by the second, as if he had never been this close to a woman before.

“Lydia, wait.”

He couldn’t tell if it was the warmth of her scent brushing his nose that was suffocating him—or if he simply wanted to lean in deeper.

“…Why?”

Even Ilian himself didn’t know why he was reacting like this, so he couldn’t answer easily.

To Lydia, his response felt new and unexpected. After all, they held hands all the time—what difference would a bit more contact make?

Fortunately, the moment that had felt frozen in time for Ilian was broken when a maid knocked on the door.

“My lord, may I come in?”

“…Come in.”

Ilian leaned toward the door, completely cutting off eye contact with Lydia. From above her head, his languid voice sounded.

“Don’t disturb us. Just leave a fresh towel and new clothes.”

“Y-yes! Understood.”

Lydia took this chance to sneak a glance up at the Marquess Esteban. He looked displeased, frowning slightly.

Well, it did look like a very affectionate position from the outside—but in reality, it was horribly uncomfortable.