Chapter 43
Beth collapsed to the floor alongside him and moved closer to Debert on her knees. She couldn’t distinguish whether the pounding in her ears was the sound of her own heartbeat or the echo of the footsteps from earlier.
All she could see was Debert’s forehead, bowed low in front of her. Beth suddenly felt the urge to cry. Even when she placed her trembling hand on his shoulder, he wouldn’t meet her gaze.
It felt as though the sense of fulfilment she had held within was crumbling. It had always been like this. Whenever something good happened, something bad followed right after. Anyone who came close to her would inevitably suffer, and then they would drift away.
Was this the price for being too happy?
She hurriedly opened the medicine bottle and patted his back a few times. Even then, the trembling in his shoulders did not subside.
But something was amiss.
The slight trembling of his shoulders gradually grew more intense. She could hear a faint, hiccupping sound, as though he was struggling to suppress something. At first, she thought it was due to unsteady breathing, but that wasn’t it.
Beth suddenly cupped Debert’s ears and chin with her hands, lifting his head. His face followed her touch willingly, and the moment their eyes met in the air, he burst out laughing. The deep dimples beside his upturned mouth seemed to ripple with his laughter.
Beth could only watch in a daze. It was as if someone had fixed her face in place; once her gaze locked onto him, she couldn’t tear it away.
Leaning his head against the wall, he looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep sigh. He seemed to be trying to stifle his laughter, but it wasn’t working.
“Were you scared?”
He lightly stroked her cheek, which looked on the verge of tears. Normally, she would have slapped his hand away or glared at him from a distance, but this time Beth remained still.
Debert tilted his head, locking eyes with her more intently.
“Were you really that scared?”
Is he seriously asking that?
Beth clenched her fist around the medicine bottle, trying to suppress the emotions welling up inside her. She had known it all along—this man was not in his right mind.
He doesn’t even know what she’ve been thinking.
She bit down hard on her lip, trying to keep it from trembling.
“Sorry. I was just messing with you.”
Debert’s tone was slightly more serious as he spoke, holding her wrist when she tried to stand up. Though there was still a hint of laughter in his voice, the apology seemed to soften Beth’s anger a bit.
“I wanted to rest for a while, but this was the only place I could come.”
His words were sincere. Even though her friend, that schemer, had signalled him subtly, he couldn’t just accept it outright. After all, a gentleman had his principles.
Now that the shock seemed to be wearing off, Beth’s round eyes turned cold. For some reason, Debert found that expression charming, but he continued speaking as if nothing had happened.
“I mean it. Resting anywhere else… would be dangerous.”
His thumb, which had been caressing her cheek, slowly brushed down the side of her red lips, gliding lower. He stroked her slender jaw once and then gently cradled the delicate nape of her neck.
Debert’s eyes narrowed slightly. He removed his hand without further hesitation.
Any more would be too dangerous.
Beth let out a deep sigh. It was better that it had been a foolish joke rather than an actual breakdown. Still, she had no intention of letting him off, so she maintained her stern expression as she flipped his hand over.
[Are you sure you’re not hurt?]
She deliberately pressed her nails into his palm as she wrote the words. A small act of revenge that this man probably wouldn’t even notice.
“If I say I’m hurt, will you be more gentle with me?”
Holding her small hand, Debert began tracing his finger across Beth’s palm. The unfamiliar tickling sensation made her hand flinch, but he didn’t let go.
Invisible emotions were being drawn on her palm.
[Listen carefully.]
What could he possibly say now? Beth waited anxiously for his next words.
In the quiet storage room, the only sound was Debert’s hand subtly moving, as if time itself had slowed.
[Have you sobered up yet?]
He had acted like he was going to say something significant, but it turned out to be a silly remark about drinking. Beth’s energy drained away.
Debert caught her hand as it started to fall and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her up. Despite her will, Beth’s feet lifted off the ground.
He effortlessly placed her on the side table. Leaning down with his arms braced beside her, their eyes met on the same level.
The atmosphere, which had been light-hearted just moments ago, now felt strangely intense, making Beth’s eyes dart nervously. Debert waited patiently until her wandering gaze returned to him. Even in the darkness, her fluttering eyelashes were as vivid as a butterfly’s wings.
“You can’t get drunk.”
His voice sent a chill down her spine.
“I can’t propose to a drunkard.”
Propose. Beth tilted her head in confusion at the surreal word that had just escaped his lips. She must have misheard.
A proposal? And from a man who is a Duke of the Empire, no less.
Debert’s index finger touched the furrowed brow of the woman in front of him.
“Don’t frown. It’s a good day, isn’t it?”
Beth thought to herself that it wasn’t her who was drunk, but this man. He must have been so intoxicated by the joy of the war’s end that he didn’t even realise what he was saying. With that thought, she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
Perhaps both of them were just caught up in this unusual atmosphere, just like the people enjoying the small gathering inside.
Beth took hold of the man’s arm and pulled it down.
[You’re drunk—]
“I’m not drunk.”
Debert’s breath came closer.
“I’m not joking. And I’m certainly not playing around. I’m not the kind of man who finds such things amusing.”
As he looked into her widening eyes, Debert found himself caught between a fleeting desire and reason. The crude temptation to crush his lips against hers, which seemed just within reach, scratched at his chest.
He could feel the suppressed lust beneath the surface, writhing against the restraints of gentlemanly decorum.
Faces of those he had previously scorned as nothing more than rutting beasts flashed through his mind. In the end, he was just another man among them.
Debert decided to delay his desires for a bit. Everything was moving too fast for her.
“When the war is over, come to the Duke’s estate.”
Instead, the feelings that were already overflowing were channelled into a brief kiss on her smooth forehead.
At the soft sound of the kiss, Beth hurriedly cupped her forehead with both hands. Debert’s expression remained stoic.
“I’m proposing to you right now.”
At his words, accompanied by a kiss, Beth’s lips moved silently. Her red lips twitched nervously in the darkness, unaware of how difficult it was for the man in front of her to resist. Beth bit and released her lips repeatedly, unable to keep them still.
Debert, with a soft sigh, reached out and gently touched her lips, which had been bitten without cause, as if consoling a child. Beth quickly pulled her lips back in and tried to calm her heart, which was now pounding loudly. This time, she was certain it was her own heartbeat.
Did this man not understand the weight of a proposal?
His eyes were serious as he assured her that he wasn’t joking.
In his gaze, where she could see only herself, Beth was even more confused. Why her, of all people?
Beth knew Nexus all too well.
She understood better than anyone how precise the hierarchy was within it, and how little room it left for deviation.
Breaking through one of its rigid barriers required every ounce of strength one could muster. And yet, here was this man, telling her he was willing to do just that for her.
[Why me?]
Why would you do this for me?
Beth wished more than anything that this was just the ramblings of a drunken man. If his feelings were going to fade with the dawn, it would be better to let them drift away on the winter breeze.
“Because it’s you.”
His firm voice settled deep within Beth’s heart.
It was as though he had planted a seed there, one that would soon bloom.
“I need you, Beth Janes. No one else will do.”
It was a pure confession. Beth shook her head slightly, as if to say it made no sense.
Debert gently grasped her small chin. Even in the darkness, the hairpin in her hair sparkled like moonlight. He tenderly brushed aside a few strands of hair that had fallen onto her forehead.
“I mean it. I don’t want anyone but you.”
Debert’s voice dropped to a lower register.
“You didn’t just pass me by.”
The dark eyes questioning his reasons were endearing. He didn’t care if it was out of sympathy. Whatever it was, he wanted to keep this woman by his side.
Even if she didn’t share the same feelings, he could accept that.
“No matter where your reality lies, it doesn’t matter.”
Debert recalled how Beth had collapsed over nothing more than a letter. He remembered her wandering gaze when asked if she had somewhere to go after the war.
If her heart was lost, he wished it would find a place within his own. If it meant that, he was willing to latch onto her vulnerabilities repeatedly.
He felt no guilt about it.
“If you need somewhere to run, hide with me.”
Debert’s head tilted closer.
“I’ll hide you so no one can find you.”
His words were sweet, a confession that could easily shake Beth’s heart. Suddenly, Beth realised she wasn’t at all frustrated by her inability to speak in that moment.
She raised her hand and traced the man’s prominent brow, the straight bridge of his nose, and the shallow dimples on his cheeks. Debert swallowed dryly as her fingertips brushed lightly over his features.
“You shouldn’t keep doing this.”
His grey eyes flickered. His heart, unable to contain his feelings, swelled to the point of bursting. He gently cupped the back of her exposed neck and pulled her towards him.
“There’s no windowsill to push me out of this time.”
With those words, Debert’s lips met Beth’s. The heat of their lips pressed together was fully transferred to each other.
Beth’s hand, which clutched the collar of Debert’s shirt, trembled slightly. Without breaking the kiss, Debert guided her hand to his neck. Soon, her fingers were entwined in his soft hair.
Each time they turned their heads, shallow breaths escaped. Veins stood out on Debert’s hand, visible through the rustling fabric of her dress. As the deep kiss lingered, soft kisses trailed from Beth’s chin down to her neck.
When Debert’s lips settled on her pale collarbone, he buried his face in the curve of her white neck. He could feel the rapid pulse of her breath against him.
“This is driving me mad, really.”
He pulled Beth tightly into his arms. Their chests pounded together. Only after inhaling deeply the scent of Beth did he feel the intoxication rising within him.
He tightened his arms around her, determined not to let her escape.
He had no intention of letting her go anymore.
(T/L: This chapter is so sweet. But the remembering the description always make me anxious TT)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TRANSLATOR:
Read exclusive chapters (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 59) on ‘Patreon’ (click on the image for the link).
Guys moonlight is a free website, and we only earn money through ad revenue please do show support on my Patreon too.
If you find any mistakes, please let me know in the comment section.
