Chapter 12
“Uh… your face…?”
Liriope tried to ignore Theo’s sly smile as she answered, and a small laugh slipped from Theo’s lips.
His languid yet calm laugh sounded unusually pleasant, and Liriope, almost hypnotized, added without thinking,
“Your laughing voice is really nice, too.”
“Hmm—.”
Theo drew out the sound, seemingly surprised, and let out another soft laugh.
That relaxed, almost lazy attitude melted away any lingering tension Liriope had felt.
She turned her body toward Theo and, eyes sparkling, began speaking again.
“Actually, I like your body too.”
“……My body?”
“Yes. You’re way more muscular than Crown Prince, right? I don’t like lean, model-like bodies. I prefer someone like you with… crazy chocolate abs.”
Once the words slipped out, they poured forth unchecked, bypassing any thought filter.
The image of Theo’s abs forming in her mind, combined with the perfect physique before her eyes, fueled her imagination far beyond what was reasonable.
Her mouth moved freely without restraint.
“And I realized here that your hands are really my type too. I don’t like men’s hands to be too pale and delicate, but I also don’t like them overly rough and veiny. Yours are just… perfectly balanced, and I like that.”
Theo’s expression gradually stiffened, but Liriope didn’t stop talking.
“And I’ve always had a thing for black hair… oh.”
Whether by fortune or misfortune, she was cut off there.
The moment her fingers pointed toward Theo’s black hair and their eyes met, she bit her lips in embarrassment.
She had gotten carried away, letting everything spill out, even calling him without the honorific “-nim” just now.
And now she admitted to a thing about black hair… it was a completely crazy statement.
Liriope didn’t know how to recover from the mortifying situation, blinking rapidly and biting her lips.
Theo, looking at her with a stunned expression, blinked a few times like her and cleared his throat once.
Then, as if defending himself, he crossed his arms.
His two noticeably protruding ears flushed bright red, and Liriope realized he was embarrassed.
It must have been because of her comments about “chocolate abs” and such.
Or perhaps he thought she had spied on him somewhere she shouldn’t have and was a pervert.
Quickly, Liriope tried to explain so Theo wouldn’t misunderstand.
“Ah, when I said I saw your body, I didn’t actually see it. It was just… imagination.”
But saying it was imagination sounded even more perverted, so she bit her lips again.
Theo, seemingly flustered at the word “imagined,” leaned back in the carriage seat, trying to create as much distance from her as possible.
His arms remained firmly crossed.
Damn it, this mouth of hers moved without thinking whenever she got excited.
“I-I’m not a pervert! Don’t misunderstand. I’ve never actually seen you naked, and I haven’t imagined anything that extreme…”
She tried her best to explain in a tiny, timid voice.
But the more she spoke, the deeper she felt she was falling into a pit, frowning as she struggled.
There was no other way to explain herself, so she continued.
“The imagination I just mentioned doesn’t mean I, like… imagine taking your clothes off piece by piece like a pervert or anything…”
“Enough.”
Thankfully, Theo cut off her nonsensical, desperate explanation.
“You don’t have to say any more.”
“Ah… okay.”
Liriope quickly nodded.
She felt her face burning like it was about to explode. Even without a mirror, she knew it was red as a tomato.
Theo, who had seemed a little startled by her unfiltered words, rubbed his eyebrows with his index finger and stared out the window.
For a brief moment, an awkward silence filled the carriage.
“Uh… well.”
Theo was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat as he tried to say something.
Liriope looked at him, and his black eyes fixed firmly on hers.
“If you want, you can always say so.”
‘…Huh?’
Liriope’s eyes widened slightly, and Theo scratched the end of his eyebrow, looking a little troubled.
There was a faint smile hidden in that expression.
“You don’t need to make perverted imaginations; I can show you anytime.”
At his words, Liriope’s eyebrows shot straight up.
…He’s the one who said it wasn’t a perverted imagination.
By the time Theo had infuriated Liriope with his teasing in the carriage, they had already arrived at the bustling city center.
The same Theo who had been teasing her about perverted thoughts now stepped down first, offering her his hand politely.
Even though she had vehemently insisted she hadn’t imagined anything perverted, Theo, claiming it was natural for anyone to imagine naughty things, had infuriated her, yet in this moment of escorting her, he was the epitome of gentleness.
Liriope took his hand and stepped down, her eyes widening at the unfamiliar sights.
The city streets in this fantasy romance setting resembled those she had seen in a webtoon.
Rows of shops stretched along the streets, people bustling back and forth, and children playing mischievously between them.
Despite never seeing it before, the scene felt strangely familiar, giving her a peculiar feeling.
“Do you know where it is?”
Theo asked as he glanced around, standing beside her.
She shook her head.
“I’m not exactly sure, but it’s next to that general store… I think.”
“Do you know how many general stores are here?”
“There was a potion shop across the street.”
“Is it the combat uniform street?”
“Oh, I think so.”
“Buying tea leaves on combat uniform street?”
Theo asked in puzzlement, glancing at her, and Liriope looked up at him.
She had to lift her head slightly, given the two-heads-taller difference in height.
“That’s not generally sold there. It’s like a bakery selling fish on the same shelf as bread.”
Theo nodded once and began walking.
She followed him.
“Do you know where you’re going?”
“If it’s the combat uniform street, then yes.”
“Oh, I see.”
As Liriope nodded, understanding, Theo called out to her.
“Lipe.”
At the same moment, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to his chest.
Liriope suddenly found herself in Theo’s embrace.
Her eyes widened at the sudden situation, and a carriage passed by quickly beside them.
“Are you okay?”
Theo looked down at her.
Her heart pounded as if it would burst from her chest, and she only nodded instead of answering.
Even though she had only leaned against him lightly, her heart was racing painfully.
Was it his solid chest? The subtle scent emanating from him? Or the warmth she felt from being so close?
Whatever the reason, her heart raced as if it might explode.
“Lipe, really… are you okay?”
‘D-Don’t call me that. My heart’s already about to explode, and now it’s racing even more.’
She quickly pulled away from Theo, inhaling desperately.
“Lipe?”
Theo, unaware, continued calling her by that strange nickname as she hurriedly walked ahead, keeping her eyes forward.
He followed behind, still calling after her.
“Are you really okay? Were you startled?”
Liriope shook her head vigorously, quickening her pace.
After walking for a while, Theo suddenly grabbed her arm, turning her body toward him.
“That’s not the way.”
“…Ah.”
She glanced at the direction she had intended to go, letting out a faint sound, while Theo stared at her intently.
His gaze felt piercingly uncomfortable, but Liriope couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. She kept looking at where she wanted to go, her arm still held.
Seeing her behave strangely, Theo tilted his head slightly.
Liriope instinctively looked up and immediately made eye contact with him.
“Lipe.”
“…Yes?”
“Your face is red.”
Reflexively, she covered her cheeks with her hands and shouted,
“I-I’m just startled! That’s why!”
Theo let out a small laugh.
“You haven’t imagined anything perverted from being in my arms, right?”
‘I haven’t imagined anything perverted!’
She clenched her jaw, restraining the urge to shout, and looked up at him sharply. Theo straightened his slightly tilted head and muttered something unclear.
“This makes me think that you really like me.”
