Episode 12
As the sun set and the office grew dim, he stood up and lit a candle. Even though the outside world might throw everything away, Clyde did everything here.
“Oh, that tag is a more important indication.”
When Edith pulled out a file, he recognized the one with a red tag and a star from a distance. It meant he personally attached the tags and remembered each one.
There was no room for hesitation. Life was becoming more and more difficult.
A deep sigh involuntarily escaped Edith’s rough mouth.
Even the suggestion to take a break sounded awkward in the current situation.
Time had long passed the point for leaving work. She folded documents at her desk, just like she did at 4 p.m.
Although her neck stiffened from reading and her wrists ached from jotting down thoughts, she reluctantly remained in her seat. She had never studied so hard, even at the academy where she often occupied the top position.
No one suggested to the upper-ranking officer to go home. The insult of being a corrupt superior resounded naturally.
“Should I just go home? Clyde told me to take it easy.”
After contemplating, she reluctantly opened her mouth.
“Excuse me, I’ll take my leave.”
The person who had been scribbling in front of Edith, deep in concentration, finally lifted his head belatedly.
“Leave? Is it time already?”
Edith’s pupils shook like saucers.
“Leave… time?”
“Edith was so focused that I found it hard to interrupt. I told her to take it easy.”
After efficiently clearing his desk and standing up, he extended his hand to Edith like a gentleman escorting her.
Now, she thought, ‘Is this a joke? He told me to go home easily, when he forced me to work overtime from the first day. And now, he says it was hard to interrupt because I was too focused? But the opponent was a prince. Even if I’m frustrated inside, I smiled, expressing my longing to leave work.
He laughed inside, feeling annoyed, but maintained a positive expression, despite the frustration rising within him.
Entering the main game of social life, she vividly revived memories of her past world.
Self-evaluating herself as proficient in social skills and even boasting of having max-level political power, she comforted herself, ‘You can do it, Edith. Even if fireflies sing outside the window, you can go home now.’
“So, I mean, I’ll go home now.”
“Why go through any trouble on the dark streets at night? How about just closing your eyes and taking a nap here for a moment?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Let’s see… I feel a bit bad making you sleep on the couch. Edith tried to create a resting space, but the construction isn’t finished after just three days.”
A resting space is unnecessary. I said I’ll leave work.
“Your Highness.”
“Should I lend you my bed instead? I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“That’s unreasonable. Absolutely…”
Feeling like unfiltered remarks were about to pour out, she grabbed her own mouth with her hand. The inner voice seemed to be firing directly without passing through the brain.
This shouldn’t be happening. It felt like Clyde’s bombastic remarks had stunned her into silence.
Strictly speaking, the prince’s bedroom wasn’t a private space. He received reports here and sometimes called someone to show off his close relationships. In neighboring countries, even an emperor openly shared his bedroom with all the nobles.
Therefore, Edith occupying the prince’s bed was out of the question. Even if she got Clyde’s permission and lay down, she would inevitably be caught up in various rumors and eventually get fired.
After all the awkwardness, Clyde continued his nonsense.
“Edith, it must have been a tough day. You should rest well. Feel free to use my bed.”
“That’s not possible, you know.”
As if preparing something without permission, he tried to take Edith to his bedroom. He stood by, ready to pull out the chair when she got up.
“Why can’t it be done?”
Did he really need to say it out loud?
“First of all, there are a lot of servants coming and going.”
“No one will come until I call. Even in the morning, there won’t be anyone big enough to wet the curtains of the bedroom. I made sure they don’t disturb me, even if there’s an important event.”
It was a bit surprising. Was Clyde someone who valued privacy?
Now that she thought about it, she had never heard of anyone discussing national affairs in the prince’s bedroom.
“Still… if I lie on the bed, it will cause a big problem.”
She gestured with her thumb, making a motion as if scratching her private parts.
He decided to take special action against Edith, who showed no sign of moving. He grabbed both of her upper arms and briskly lifted her up. Then, like a train game, he pushed her from behind towards the bedroom.
“Nothing bad will happen. In case someone sees, my aides are all tight-lipped.”
“But, Your Highness.”
“Prepare enough water for two people to wash. The lower ones will sweep through once, but can you endure that much?”
It felt like a newlywed game. Why did he talk about using the couch and then head to the bed like this?
“No!”
She turned around quickly and glared at Clyde.
Wash together with the attendants? That’s absolutely not acceptable. Could there be such a thing as sharing a bath between the prince and servants? That would surely spread rumors throughout the town.
“Your Highness, please prepare for your sleep. I’ll finish organizing and go home.”
Drawing a firm line, she dropped the hand that had wrapped around her arms, showing a somewhat regretful expression.
However, instead of calling someone to get into bed with him, he went back to his private room without calling for anyone. Holding a book, he half-laid on the couch, seemingly lacking in thoughtful consideration. While doing so, he teased Edith with a mischievous tone.
“Edith, I know you’ve worked hard. But didn’t you have to report on the amount you reviewed today?”
“There was no mention of reporting.”
“I just remembered. It’s not like you have to do it every day, but anyway, I want you to check the report. Attach your opinion.”
Only after realizing he wasn’t an idiot could she understand why he was acting capriciously. It was because he didn’t follow the advice to go to sleep.
Why is he acting like this towards me?
Does he have an interest in me? The words circled in her mouth like a newborn’s cooing. She agonized over whether to ask or not.
Oh, forget it. I have to report anyway. It’s not the right time to ask him directly about Clyde’s thoughts. It’s better to confirm later when there’s an opportunity.
Edith responded with a chewing tone, clenching her molars.
“Okay, the report.”
Now that she had come this far, she threw away any formalities.
Whether she behaved politely or acted casually, he didn’t care at all.
She returned to her seat and sat down with a thud. Whether Clyde heard the sound of her frustration or not, he didn’t even turn his head. Soon, the shoes she had been restraining all day were vigorously thrown off. A pair of shoes rolled under the desk.
It seemed more comfortable without shoes. She wiggled her toes buried in the soft carpet, confidently unfolding the paper.
The sound of pens scribbling on the paper echoed in the quiet study room until late at night.
When the bell announcing bedtime sounded from afar, the pen on the paper, now halfway filled, stopped.
Edith’s eyes, which had closed in the silence of the starry room, didn’t even blink.
Clyde, who had appeared by her side, didn’t seem to notice whether she heard the sound of the pens or not. He gently caressed her platinum hair and carefully removed the ornament attached to the back of her head.
He gathered her loose hair in a handful and secretly touched it to his lips.
“Why endure it like this?”
The whispered voice dripped with honey. It was completely different from the mischievous person a while ago.
“It would have been enough to just lie down when I told you to sleep.”
Clyde bowed his head, bringing his face parallel to hers.
His finely crafted facial features and the round tip of his nose were cute. The more she saw him, the more lovely he seemed to have retained his appearance from his girlhood.
Her lips were drawn magnetically.
She held her breath, stopping her breath to avoid stealing her kiss recklessly. She had to consciously control her desire not to take her kiss without permission.
She bit her own moving head.
“Now I’ll take you to bed.”
It should be okay to steal a glance at her fluffy ear with her eyes.
Just looking isn’t a mistake.
“I hope you don’t wake up.”
A few days ago, Edith seemed to be sleeping deeply, but it didn’t seem easy to move her by hugging.
“I’ll be careful, but just in case you wake up… Can you pretend to be asleep? Then I’ll pretend not to know and lay you down.”
Judging by the posture of lying on the desk, it seemed like a skill he had practiced a lot at the academy. It must have been a common practice during school days. You could lie down without sticking your back to the bed and still fall completely.
Clyde slid his arm between her armpits. The other arm gently supported under her knees.
He embraced her as quietly and gently as possible.
Rather than exerting force, Edith’s weight didn’t seem to decrease much, and her upper body almost leaned backward.
She wavered for a moment but regained her balance. He hugged her round and soft body in his arms.
A faint, intoxicating fragrance.
The unique image felt from the sleeping Edith reached him through warmth and scent.
When he had teased her before, he had only caught a whiff of soap. However, as he hugged her tightly now, a clear sensation pierced Clyde’s nasal mucosa.
It was a lively floral fragrance.
It was different from artificially produced perfumes, a scent that could only be understood by getting close and smelling the natural aroma emanating from the skin.
‘Is this Beta’s scent? Absolutely… it can’t be.’
A warm temperature accompanied by a unique fragrance wafted through. It seemed like a wildflower or a dewdrop flower.
The natural aroma emitted from the skin was entirely different from what he had smelled when teasing her.
The desire to bury his nose into her neck and inhale greedily surged within him, feeling sensual and tempting.
