Please Don't Propose! - Chapter 4
Translator and Editor: Hue and Tea
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Chapter 4
I sat down on a bench by the lake. It was a quiet and relaxed place compared to the library.
“Ouch….”
“Are you alright?”
The lord stopped moving and looked at me instead of applying medicine to my arm.
“I’m fine, really.”
“Let me know if it hurts.”
The lord moved his hand again. His gesture of touching my wound was more careful than ever before. Anyone would think he was dealing with explosives. I couldn’t help but laugh at the concentration in his eyes.
“Ouch.”
Still, it hurt.
After applying the medicine, the lord wrapped my wound with a pad and medical tape. His gesture was not that of an amateur. I admired the neatly attached bandage inwardly.
“Thank you, your Lordship.”
“Apply the medicine once in a while, and if it hurts, go to the hospital. The wound may become infected.”
“Yes, I’ll apply it and not forget.”
From antiseptics to alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, I picked up the medicine that he had brought.
“Let me know if those guys come again.”
Was he talking about the protesters?
“To you, Your Lordship?”
“I’ll handle it.”
“Don’t the police usually do that?”
“The military does it, too.”
‘Then what do the police do?’ I wanted to say, but I held back.
I looked at the wide lake. I never had time to sit back and enjoy the lake due to my busy schedule. How long has it been since I had a leisurely time like this?
By now, the librarian would be waiting for me, biting his nails, but… why should I care? If he asks where I went, I can just say I went to the police station.
“Please, please let me know.”
At his firm plea, I finally nodded my head. He then relaxed his stern face.
“I’m in your debt.”
“You were so amazing back there, Bibi.”
“…….”
“I saw a new side of you and that was a little nice. The wound makes me angry, but that’s all.”
The conversation ended there. How long would this silence last?
“Forget about today’s incident.”
Looking back, there were many embarrassing things. The lord fell in front of me, and on top of that, he raised his voice.
“It’ll be unforgettable for the rest of my life.”
His voice was mixed with laughter. When I looked at him, he burst out laughing. His laughter was more pleasant than I expected, and any remaining anger disappeared.
“Bibi.”
He smiled, but his face looked angry. I admired his beauty with a renewed appreciation.
Well-groomed black hair with grey eyes. The deep color of the hair and eyes gave a more respectful impression. His thin, long hands were more graceful than a woman’s.
His shoulders were the broadest of the men I had seen, perhaps due to his customary grooming. Not only his shoulders, but also his chest, hidden under his clothes, caught my eye.
It was possible to guess the size of his chest. The shirt could not contain his entire upper body and looked a bit uncomfortable.
“……Bibi.”
“Uh, sorry. That was… you probably get this a lot, but Your Lordship, you’re really handsome.”
I felt like I was stating the obvious.
When he didn’t answer, I slowly raised my head. His expression, which I thought would be indifferent, was strangely stiff.
“Um, my lord?”
Sensing something wrong with his condition, I leaned closer. The lord finally turned his head away from my approaching face. Then I noticed that his ears were completely red.
“I think you are the one, not me, Bibi.”
His lips parted slightly.
“You’ve always been beautiful.”
With that one sentence, I felt heat rising from my face and body. Even I, who was as stiff as the Lord, couldn’t answer and just stuttered.
“I have always thought that when I see you, Bibi. You are very beautiful, with your light brown hair and blue eyes.”
He drove a wedge between us. I remembered the gentleman’s direct gaze from the library. Had he always had such thoughts?
This was strange.
I had heard compliments about my beauty from other people, but his voice made me think that I might be the most beautiful person in the world. His tone and look made me want to fall over, even though I knew it wasn’t true.
Ding.
The sound of the bell announcing the hour came from the clock tower.
“Shall we get up now?”
After picking up the medicine, I stood up. He followed me from behind.
“Are you going to the library, too, my lord?”
He nodded his head. I hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“You come to the library quite often these days, my lord. Do you like books?”
It was the question I had always wanted to ask. Even though I phrased it as a casual inquiry, my real intention was to find out why he came to the library every day. I waited patiently for his reply.
“Yes, I like it.”
His brief yet resolute response caused me to hold my breath for a moment.
Since earlier, I had been feeling my heart temperature gradually rise.
As my heartbeat accelerated, even breathing became difficult.
My body stiffened naturally, and walking became challenging. I forced a smile, inwardly resenting the sunny weather.
“What I mean is the books,” he said, a bit slower than before.
“Ah, right… the books,” I replied awkwardly.
So, he really, really, really likes books.
When I chuckled awkwardly, he smiled back at me. I hoped he wasn’t making fun of me just now. He often wore a serious expression, even when smiling.
“But you didn’t come to the library just for books, did you?” I said, still smiling.
“Huh?”
“But isn’t it late?” he teased me.
My spirit sank, and all the strength drained from my body.
The lord spoke naturally, as if he were born to do so.
“It’s probably better to walk faster, Bibi.”
After three days, the library was still very busy. As the youngest, I was responsible for various odd jobs in addition to my assigned duties. For example, every morning I made coffee for the head librarian, and during the busy lunchtime I took orders and packed sandwiches or simple bread for everyone.
But these were relatively simple tasks. The hardest part was taking each of the heavy books to the storage room to be sorted.
“Bibi.”
The lord appeared out of nowhere and startled me as I carried a box out of the reading room.
Not only did he come to the library every day, he knew everything I did. Today, as yesterday, he had intercepted my box without fail.
Thanks to him, it was more comfortable, but I was still aware of the stares around me. I scanned the quiet corridor and followed the lord into the warehouse as if nothing had happened.
“You don’t have to help me!”
I had said those words before, yesterday and the day before.
“It’s okay.”
That was the same answer Lord Costas had given yesterday.
“It’s not OK!”
“This box is too heavy for Bibi.”
“Yes, but…”
I couldn’t rely on him forever.
Even though he had taken my box, I still had to get some books from it. I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing like I was doing now.
“Ah!”
The lord had already noticed my thoughts and lifted the box up.
“My Lord.”
“Bibi.”
Neither of us relented.
As frustration built up within me, I stretched my arm as far as it would go, and the higher I reached, the higher the Lord lifted the box. As the tug-of-war continued, our bodies drew closer together. The Lord turned his back to me to prevent me from taking the box from him. As a result, I ended up holding tightly to his back.
When we both regained our composure, the Lord and I looked into each other’s eyes. To an outsider, it might have looked like a sweet, romantic struggle between lovers.
Tap, tap.
That’s when it happened.
Someone was tapping on the window right next to us. The lord and I instinctively turned to the source of the noise.
Three unknown men were grinning through the window.
“This is…!”
“My lord!”
Startled, he dropped the box he was holding, making a loud noise. Fortunately, no one in the reading room seemed to hear it.
“Are you all right, my lord?”
I was not only surprised by the sudden appearance of the men, but also worried that the books on the floor might have injured the lord’s feet.
But the lord was busy waving enthusiastically at the men on the other side of the window. Did he know them?
The lord scowled.
“…damn it.”
I couldn’t believe my ears at the Lord’s coarse language. He glared at the men as if they were his enemies.
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