Chapter 51
The moment I opened my eyes, I rolled them around to check my surroundings.
Fortunately, when I looked to the side, Chester was there, and my anxious heart seemed to calm down, returning to a normal beat.
“Yulia, are you awake? Are you feeling alright now?”
“Yes, I’m fine. What… time is it now?”
“It’s afternoon. Lunch… should I have it brought here?”
“Yes, please.”
He tugged on the cord, instructing the maid who had come in to bring lunch here.
I got up from lying down, stretched to loosen my stiff body, and then climbed off the bed to sit on his lap, leaning my body against his.
Worried I might be too heavy, I hesitated, but Chester wrapped his arms firmly around my waist on his lap.
Feeling his lips brush against my bare shoulder made my body flinch involuntarily.
“Chester!”
“Ah… I thought since you were being so adorable just now, it would be okay to show some affection.”
“…I don’t dislike it, but kisses should be on the lips.”
I muttered lightly, and I could feel him chuckle right beside me.
“Why are you laughing!”
“Because you’re just… too cute, I want to devour you.”
His words made my face flush red. I absolutely couldn’t face Chester at this moment.
Then suddenly, he gently bit my earlobe with his lips without causing pain.
“W-What are you doing all of a sudden?!”
Startled by the unfamiliar, ticklish sensation, I covered my ear with my hand and turned to look at him.
He seemed so delighted that a smile never left his face. I quickly turned my head away.
“Your ears are red. You know your face is completely red too, right, Yulia?”
“Don’t tease me!”
“Look at me while you speak.”
“…Don’t laugh.”
“Alright, I won’t laugh. So please, look at me, Yulia.”
Reluctantly, I turned my body to meet his gaze. Even though he was my lover, he was truly handsome.
While unconsciously admiring his face, I realized his hand had reached my cheek.
“Are you okay now?”
“Really, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”
“Don’t hold back around me. Act as you feel. And like I said before, I want you to rely on me.”
“….”
Hearing him say he wanted me to rely on him made my heart skip a beat.
Could I really rely on Chester? But what if I rely on him and get abandoned? Could I be alright if that happened?
The funny thing was, despite my worries, I felt happy that he said this to me.
I gripped his shoulders tightly.
What should I say here? My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
“Yulia.”
Hearing my name whispered in his low voice made me flinch reflexively.
Unable to meet his gaze, I buried my face in his chest.
In the end, I couldn’t say anything. I couldn’t say I would rely on him, nor could I say I wouldn’t.
“I told you, no matter who you are, I love you.”
“Why do you love me?”
Instead of asking if it was okay to rely on him, that question slipped out.
Part of me felt relieved, because I had so many doubts.
Why did Chester, unlike the original story, love me? What in my actions had moved his heart?
I once thought he desired my body. But now, anyone could see he wanted my heart, not my body.
So my confusion only grew.
That the original story changed so drastically because of one night of deviation before I even turned twenty, without ever appearing at official events…
And why he wanted my heart instead of my body was what I wondered.
“Do I need a reason to love you?”
“….”
“Once I realized it, I was already in love with you.”
To check if he was sincere, I lifted my head slightly from his chest.
Our eyes met.
His eyes revealed genuine sincerity, not a lie, intertwined with deep desire.
Deep desire?
His lips curved softly, and his hands gently cradled my cheeks and hair.
“Ah… Chester?”
“You’re so adorable.”
“…Me too.”
Seeing Chester made my heart flutter and race, and I found myself smiling without realizing it. This must be love.
This sweet feeling I was experiencing—this must be excitement, right?
But speaking these feelings aloud wasn’t easy.
I wanted to whisper to him that I loved him, too.
A little shy, I finally smiled brightly and said the words I had hesitated to speak:
“…I love you too, Chester.”
There was no signal; our faces naturally drew closer, and I could feel his breath.
Just as our lips were about to meet, there was a knock at the door. Reflexively, I tried to push him away, but sitting on his lap, I nearly fell over.
I thought I’d tumble to the floor, but Chester’s hands firmly held my waist.
“Yulia… you startled me.”
He pulled me back securely onto his lap, locking his arms around me so I couldn’t move.
The door creaked open, and the maid entered with food. Our eyes met.
“…Maid!”
I tried to get down quickly, but his arms didn’t budge.
Giving him a few light slaps finally made him release me.
I got down and sat at the chair where she had set the table.
“Maid. Sorry.”
“It’s alright, Your Highness.”
“Really, I’m serious!”
“I should have come later, but I guess I arrived too early. Next time, I’ll take it slow.”
She looked genuinely apologetic.
Nothing happened, yet… it felt like such a misunderstanding!
“Call me when you’re done eating. I don’t want to disturb your time together.”
Without giving me a chance to speak, she left with a meaningful smile.
Feeling movement behind me, I turned my neck, and there was Chester’s face.
So close that I could feel his breath.
His eyes curved gently as he looked at me.
“Yulia.”
“Huh?”
“Shall we finish what we couldn’t just now?”
My heart pounded uncontrollably.
His hand touched my cheek, thumb pressing gently on my lower lip.
“Yulia. Answer me.”
“Wh-What?”
“May I kiss you? This time on your lips.”
I nodded slightly, and his lips pressed against mine.
I closed my eyes fully as he gently explored my mouth with his tongue. The air around us felt like it had heated up.
After holding my lips until I gasped for breath, he finally pulled away.
“Ha… H-Chester?”
A thin thread of transparency stretched from our lips and snapped as we separated.
Chester sat across from me. The look of desire was gone, replaced by pure affection.
He smiled tenderly and whispered:
“Now, let’s eat lunch.”
“…”
Of course, we would eat, though it felt slightly annoying to explain.
Still, I started with the food on the table, sneaking glances at Chester.
I realized how much I had changed.
When I first met him, I never imagined sitting across from him at the same table, sharing a meal.
Unlike before, I no longer trembled at the sight of him.
Even though he was still the “dark lord,” I had the sense he wouldn’t act like the original story’s Chester.
Perhaps it was because I saw the Chester in front of me as completely different from the cold one in my dreams.
Whatever it was, it was undeniable that my relationship with Chester had changed drastically.
“Chester.”
“Yes?”
In the original story, I should have fallen for him at first sight, painfully pining after him.
And he would have only given me a cold glance.
But now, it was different. We had grown into a loving couple.
I wasn’t a nuisance to him anymore; I had become his cherished priority.
“Hmm… Chester, the weather seems nice today…”
“Yes, it’s very pleasant.”
“When we finish eating, let’s go for a walk.”
“Of course.”
He smiled softly and agreed.
He was the perfect example of a kind, affectionate lover—someone impossible not to love.
Perhaps the original Yulia fell in love with him over these small actions and gestures too.
“Let’s go.”
“Yulia. When we’re alone it’s fine… but even though you’re a princess… your outfit isn’t suitable for the garden…”
“Oh! Wait a moment! I’ll change quickly!”
“I’ll be waiting outside.”
Chester left, and the maid brought in a dress for me. I quickly changed, put on low-heeled shoes, and approached him, hugging him from behind.
“Chester! Let’s go now!”
“Yes, Yulia. Will you guide me?”
Arm in arm, I leaned my head on his shoulder and smiled brightly.
“Of course!”
I wished this peaceful moment could last forever.
