To My Gentle Dictator – Chapter 007
She remembered meeting Ulrich again in front of the NSS building and then collapsing.
But after that, she couldn’t remember what happened.
And where was she, exactly?
As she tried to clear her dizzy head, she heard a soft, cotton-like rustling sound from somewhere.
Sasha cautiously rolled her eyes toward the source of the sound.
A white, round table elegantly stood by the window where golden sunlight streamed in.
And sitting in front of it was Ulrich.
Ulrich sat with his long legs crossed beside the table, gazing at a newspaper. The sunlight, broken into small pieces, caught on his long golden lashes.
‘What on earth happened…?’
Something was definitely off. She couldn’t believe she was lying in such a luxurious room, watching Ulrich, especially after she had made such a scene in front of Lyudmila.
‘Is this… a dream?’
The refreshing scent of shaving soap tickled her nose.
Sasha stared at Ulrich blankly, still feeling the smell.
She thought she hadn’t changed at all, but seeing him like this, he seemed to have changed a little.
He had always been large, but now he seemed even bigger. His jawline seemed sharper than before.
The black uniform of the NSS tightly hugged his sleek, leopard-like physique. His build was similar to Vasily’s, but instead of a bulky, massive feeling, it had a sharp, agile quality, which was fascinating.
How long had she been staring at him?
Without any warning, Ulrich, flipping through the newspaper, looked up and met her gaze.
The moment their eyes met, Sasha flinched in surprise and quickly sat up.
Ulrich blinked his blue eyes at Sasha, who had suddenly sprung up.
“You’re quite energetic.”
“…”
“Are you feeling better now?”
She had difficulty understanding what he was saying. Desperately trying to clear her confused mind, Sasha hastily scrambled for words.
“Umm, here, where is this…?”
“This is my townhouse.”
“Pardon…?”
“You’ve been here a few times when we were kids. Don’t you remember?”
His voice was soft, like a gentle tickling in her earlobe.
Sasha blinked blankly and glanced around. She remembered visiting Ulrich’s house several times with her brother, but she had never been in a bedroom like this one.
“It’s a bit disappointing that you’ve forgotten.”
“I didn’t forget…”
Ulrich mumbled lightly at her, then pressed the bell under the table.
“Come here.”
‘Why is he asking me to come over?’
The habitual fear crept into Sasha’s still-confused mind.
‘He must have been upset. After all, I barged into his workplace and made a scene…’
It was inevitable that she would feel uneasy and cautious.
The Ulrich she met after a long time still seemed kind, but she couldn’t be sure what kind of person he was now.
After the world changed, everyone she knew had changed. There was no reason Ulrich would be any different.
Reluctantly getting off the bed to follow Ulrich’s request, Sasha finally realized she was wearing clothes she had never seen before.
‘Ah…’
Instead of the ragged sweater and skirt, she was wearing a flowing white muslin dress.
As she noticed the hem of the dress fluttering below her knees in line with the current fashion, her mind instantly cleared.
‘What should I do?’
It was ridiculous to still have any pride left in this situation, but she couldn’t bring herself to show Ulrich her battered calves.
It was obvious that they were bruised, and what woman would want to show such a thing to the man she admired?
But soon, she realized that this worry was unnecessary.
‘I’m not in a position to care about such things right now anyway…’
When she glanced over, Ulrich had already returned his focus to the newspaper. His expression was unreadable, and it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.
Just a day ago, her calves had been throbbing with pain with every step, but now they felt much better.
Sasha tried not to think about the pain in her legs and timidly walked toward Ulrich.
Ulrich, lowering his gaze, stared at Sasha who had quietly knelt by his feet. He then spoke.
“Things are moving too fast.”
“Pardon…?”
Sasha, confused, raised her head.
Her expression was so innocent that it seemed impossible she was up to any mischievous tricks.
Ulrich uncrossed his legs and folded the newspaper, giving a slightly awkward smile.
“It hasn’t even been a day since you accepted my proposal, and already, this is too much of a rush.”
“Pardon? Proposal?”
“You proposed to me last night.”
What on earth was he talking about?
Sasha, who had even forgotten the pain in her bruised calves, now looked up at Ulrich with a face filled with utter confusion.
“I—I proposed to you, Ulrich? Me?”
“Yes, it was you, Shura.”
She wondered if he was just joking, but the serious expression on Ulrich’s face as he lit a cigarette made it clear he wasn’t.
The cap of his lighter made a sharp, crisp sound as it flicked open.
Sasha, with her mouth hanging open in disbelief, desperately tried to recall what had happened. She vaguely remembered waking up briefly last night and saying something, but she couldn’t recall exactly what.
‘What on earth did I do…?’
Had she, in her unconscious state, babbled some insane nonsense out of sheer joy at seeing Ulrich again? That seemed like the most likely explanation.
“I—I’m really sorry, I…”
“No need for apologies.”
Ulrich, leisurely inhaling his cigarette, leaned forward and met her gaze.
“You’re responsible now.”
“Y—Yes?”
“When you kept begging me to take you in my arms, I ended up saying yes without thinking.”
“…”
“But now, this.”
Ulrich lowered his blue eyes slightly, and with a casual movement, he cupped Sasha’s chin in his hand.
“You’re trying to act cute and get away with it, aren’t you?”
His thick fingers gently brushed against her parted lips, and Sasha’s pale, delicate skin flushed bright red.
Her face, neck, and even the skin beneath the thin muslin fabric all turned a deep shade of red.
The reason she had knelt and sat by his feet when he told her to come over was because it had become an ingrained habit she couldn’t shake.
For the past three years, Vasily, who had been managing Sasha, never allowed her to sit or stand awkwardly in front of him.
Such behavior was seen as a sign that she still hadn’t learned her place and was holding onto her pride.
There had even been a time when she sat in a chair carelessly, only to be punished so severely that she couldn’t sit properly for days.
It was a complete reversal of roles.
Before the revolution, soldiers with medals on their shoulders would kneel and kiss the feet of the imperial princess. But now…
“Alright, sit down now.”
Ulrich chuckled softly and withdrew his hand, lifting Sasha up.
Sasha wobbled and sat down across from him at the table. Her head was spinning, and everything felt like a disordered mess.
‘I must be really out of my mind.’
No matter how disoriented or in pain she had been, she couldn’t believe that she had clung to this man and begged him to take her. How on earth could she fix this situation?
While the servants pushing the cart set the table, Sasha sat there, blankly staring with a lost look on her face.
Her soul felt half scattered, and she couldn’t properly register who had entered the room or what was going on around her.
“Shall I give you coffee first?”
“Y—Yes…?”
At Ulrich’s question, Sasha’s scattered mind came back just slightly as she blinked in surprise.
“I’m not sure if your taste is still the same. Here.”
Ulrich gave her a gentle smile and handed her a coffee cup.
Sasha absentmindedly accepted the cup and stared down at it.
It was real coffee. Not some fake coffee made with muddy, unidentified liquid, but a rich cup made from freshly ground Aparshan beans.
‘I can drink this… right…?’
Sasha carefully glanced over the top of her coffee cup at the man sitting across from her.
Ulrich placed a cup identical to hers in front of him and finished smoking his cigarette. He looked relaxed and elegant, radiating a calm, poised demeanor.
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