Please Don't Propose! - Chapter 2
Translator and Editor: Hue and Tea
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Chapter 2
Time moved slowly.
Lord Costas stayed where he was.
Whenever I felt his gaze on me, I would excuse myself to the bathroom. I sat on the toilet seat and held on as long as I could, scrubbing every inch of my hands.
“Haa…….”
By now, the director and my seniors are probably looking at my empty stool and saying, “Bibi’s not as constipated as she looks.”
But I have a bigger problem.
Does the Lord know who I am?
‘No.’
If he did, he’d seize me and hand me over to the government. He doesn’t know who I am. He doesn’t even know my real name.
I studied my face in the mirror.
I had changed the color of my hair. I’ve grown and my face is not the same. The same goes for my personality. Otherwise, I’d worked very hard to hide my past.
‘Stay calm.’
Before I left the bathroom, I took a deep breath.
Calm, calm…
“Look, there he is!”
My shoulders jerked at the loud shout. Sure enough, a group of women were gathered outside the reading room door.
“Isn’t this amazing?”
“Yes, it is! Shall we sneak a seat next to him?”
“Someone else is already here, and look, there’s the owner of the salon on Third Street!”
The word about Sir Costas had spread.
It’s unacceptable to cause a disturbance in a sacred library, but it’s good for me.
If more young ladies come to see him, maybe Lord Costas will move his seat to a corner where he won’t have to make eye contact with me. …….
If word gets out, maybe the Lord will notice the stares and never come to the library again.
I entered the reading room cautiously.
Several ladies had already taken seats near the lord. But strangely, none of them took the seat next to him.
“Are you here now, Bibi?”
Julia spoke up as I sat down.
“Sorry, I’ve been away for a while, haven’t I?”
“That’s not the problem. The real problem is those women who came to the library to flirt.”
“I don’t think that’s any of Julia’s business…”
She gnashed her teeth.
“I’m just curious, and I’m not like them. They’re just in it for the love, right?”
Julia grumbled.
True to her word, none of the other ladies looked up from their books. Their eyes were fixed on one thing. Lord Costas!
“But isn’t he just as handsome?”
Julia squealed.
“Isn’t he impressive?”
“Look. He knows how to get a woman’s attention, but he’s looking at a book.”
“O-oh, yes.”
“The only person who can take his place now is the lady who makes eye contact with him first, and he hasn’t done that yet.”
…… So that’s what they see.
I looked at the Lord. He didn’t look up from his book. It was clear that he was determined not to make eye contact with anyone.
It was enough to make the waiting ladies turn away in exhaustion.
…… A man who reads.
〈He’s a tough guy, isn’t he? He hasn’t moved his ass in seventeen hours. Isn’t that right, little lady, and he hasn’t said a word all this time.〉
A memory from the lab.
The girl looked at the young scientist whispering next to her. Then her gaze shifted back to her father. His eyes were wide and his face was dark. His hair was split from lack of washing, but his eyes were alive.
〈Tiago.〉
〈Oh, I’m sorry, that was rude of me, but let’s forget about that and go play cards, little lady〉
The image of her father was still vivid in her mind, even after fourteen years.
“……Bibi.”
“…….”
“Bibi!”
“Ah…… Yes! Yes.”
I snapped out of it. Julia grabbed my shoulder.
“It’s lunchtime, aren’t you going to eat?”
“C-coming.”
I cleared my desk and got up. In front of me I saw the Lord closing his book. At that moment, our eyes locked.
‘……!’
I looked away and immediately regretted it. I looked up and saw a small smile on his face.
‘He smiled?’
But why? Why is he smiling?
“You have a nice view today.”
Julia patted me on the shoulder.
“Nice view?”
“You saw him smile.”
What the hell.
“My heart was racing.”
“You acted like you weren’t interested. Yeah, how could you not be interested in the opposite sex with such a pretty face?”
“Don’t be silly.”
“Forget it, let’s have lunch together. Hmm?”
She smiled a little and showed me the lunch she had packed.
“But the Lord isn’t coming back tomorrow, is he?”
“What, do you really care?”
“No. I’m not interested.”
But somehow the next day, and the next, and the next, and the next, Sir Costas never missed a day in the library.
Always with a clear view of the librarian’s desk.
But why?
“Please, I’m not guilty of anything!”
I remembered my dream today. I dreamt that I was captured by Lord Costas and taken to an institution.
“I don’t know anything, I’m begging you, but please, please…”
No matter how much I begged, the cold man silently pushed me into the chamber.
What if this makes my life unbearable?
There was more: the number of village maidens who had come to see Lord Costas a few days ago had dwindled.
It was because of his iron wall. The lord was a more commanding, angular man than she’d imagined.
With a single word, Lord Costas destroyed the ladies’ efforts to dress up and keep their place in the library.
“My apologies, my lady. This is a library, so please be quiet.”
He repeated the words literally.
Is he a machine?
That’s why the women gave up and fled. The senior librarians also gave up trying to figure out what to do with him.
“After all, he’s a nobleman,” they said, “and he’s so eloquent.”
Their interest in him did not diminish. If anything, it increased.
“He doesn’t even look at women from the provinces who are only the second-born children of barons. That’s what men do. They look for a mate who suits them. I’m sure the old royals couldn’t find their mates and married each other.”
Julia nodded several times in agreement.
“The last guy I met was like that, bragging about his royal heritage and looking down on me when he’s really just a commoner like me.”
“You should never go out with a guy like that. Do you hear me, Bibi? You’re especially pretty, and men will be attracted to you.”
She even offered advice.
“And you want me to make sure you don’t get hit on?”
I heard an angry voice behind me. The seniors’ bodies stiffened.
“D-Director.”
“If you work in the library all day, you won’t have time to meet boys. If you really don’t want to, then get to work and cut the crap!”
Intimidated by his scary expression, we got right back to work. I grabbed my pen for fear of starting a firestorm.
“Bibi.”
The director called me.
“Yes, yes!”
“Take these boxes to the warehouse.”
As the youngest, it was my responsibility to carry the heavy boxes to the storeroom. The director ducked back into the room after assigning me the arduous task.
‘Cheer up, Bibi!’
‘You can do it!’
The seniors cheered as I stood up. If you have time to cheer me on, at least help me. I picked up a box on the wall.
This is the third largest national library in the country. It’s a long way to the storage room.
I picked up the box and left the reading area. The loose box kept moving, and I was afraid it would collapse.
Just as I was worrying, the books in the box fell through the bottom to the floor.
“Aah!”
I stood up and looked at the books on the floor.
Ugh!
So much for getting anything done.
Since Costas Orsi arrived, to be exact!
Costas Orsi……!
Costas Orsi!
“Are you okay?”
“Wahh!”
Costas!
“Bibi?”
“Oh no, I’m fine.”
“Let me pick them up with you.”
His big hands grabbed a handful of books.
“Do you always carry these heavy boxes?”
“Pardon?”
“I see there are men among the librarians. Let them do it from now on. It’s too dangerous for you to move them. If you get hurt, I’ll…”
The lord was now making small complaints in front of me. His eyes met mine. He held me with a steady gaze.
“I think I’m going to lose my temper.”
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lalaela
WOAH CALM DOWN IT’S CHAPTER 2 MY MAN! I’m having gut feelings that he’s after the info about the bomb or he knew her waaaaaayy before…OR BOTH
Weed
Just a question l, is it possible that her name is pronounced as Vivi instead of Bibi. But well bibi is cute.
Reminds me of bibimbap and that made me kind of hungry
Nony
Ulterior motive?? Previous acquaintance?? Love at first sight ?? Color me intrigued.