Thank You For The Confinement, Grand Duke! - Chapter 13
Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Chapter 13
“…What kind of favor?”
Perhaps because I had a somewhat serious expression that Enfrise wore a serious expression as well.
“Could you… let go of my hand? My neck and back are too tense.”
Of course, he tried his best.
The tall man extended his upper body as far as possible and bent as far as he could while his one knee almost resting on the table. Yet, it was not enough.
Regrettably, my body had to bear the burden of that gap.
Not due to Enfrise trying too hard, my butt awkwardly lifted, not wanting to break the atmosphere. To prevent that, I stretched out my back instead, and I raised my chin as high as possible. Fortunately, Chaperil was tall enough to somehow bridge the gap…
Maintaining this posture for too long made my back and neck ache.
“Ah.”
Enfrise quickly withdrew his hand as if he had been burned.
No, what was this? It wasn’t deliberate, right? Such an audacious action without thinking…! He might be a dangerous man. Maybe he’d had about ten ex-lovers.
Well, no. There was definitely a virgin man in the keywords.
“….”
As if he was about to say something, his open lips remained closed.
I wondered if he wanted to apologize or maybe he was about to make another cheeky remark.
Well, it didn’t matter which one. Just the fact that my back and neck felt better was satisfying enough for now.
Usually, when characters like him became honest, it meant they had completely opened up to that person. If that happened, no matter how much of a man he was, there might be some R-19 situations ahead.
Since it was a possession story, I never knew when the original story might take a twist, so I had to stay alert.
Phew, honestly, I was experienced theoretically, but in reality… well, it was a bit…
Moreover, I remembered from the original story that Chaperil was terrified of this guy. He was described as outrageously large, in typical male lead fashion. While the size wasn’t explicitly mentioned, taking into account other R-19 web novels…
It was definitely not something a human would accept, absolutely not.
…Uuhh.
“Thank you. So, what are you going to do now?”
Enfrise’s eyes turned back to me. His gaze swam in the air with his mouth tightly shut…
Did he forget what we were talking about?
“I mean reading a book.”
“Ah.”
Oh, I really did forget. Surprisingly, I have a foolish side to me.
Indeed, whether it was a male or female lead, being too perfect can actually diminish their appeal. There should be at least one thing they were not good at or awkward about to make their charm shine. Though I already have plenty of flaws, and if there were more, wouldn’t I just become a comedic character?
“…Do you really want me to do it?”
“Yes.”
I answered without thinking, and now the question sounds a bit strange. It felt like I was leaving out the ‘that’ as if I were the protagonist of an R-rated novel.
Well, in a way, R-15 novels were even worse with this. There were quite a few cases where they omitted ‘that’ deliberately, either to give readers some room for interpretation or to create a steamy atmosphere in the text. They even do such things in introductions to lure people in.
Ugh… I thought it was going to be a really spicy story and got excited, but I was betrayed several times. Come to think of it, it’s making me angry again.
“….”
Enfrise seemed to get lost in thought again, but he was sitting on the sofa and tapping his knee with his fingertips.
Was that a habit of his?
His fingers were long, and it seemed like he’d play the piano or keyboard well. I wouldn’t be able to see him playing an electric keyboard since there was no way that exists in this world, but maybe I could see him playing the piano…
Usually, male leads were expected to be able to play at least one musical instrument. Oh, or maybe the violin would suit him.
I would have to ask later.
“If you’re busy, I understand, but… I really wish the Duke would read me a book. Your voice is lovely, so I think the words would sound even more beautiful.”
“…Those kind of words—”
“Ah, it’s not like that. Haven’t you heard that often? Your voice is cool.”
Ah, I might be teasing him a bit too much now, but… as expected, his ears turned red. There’s a subtle pleasure in teasing.
‘He’s cute.’
“You like… my voice?”
“Yes. Is it called a cave voice? Even when it’s low, it’s so smooth and pleasant. It would be perfect for reciting poetry or something, don’t you think?”
Oh, he was blushing even more now.
Maybe because his skin was quite fair for a man, it really stood out. Typically, male leads who were a bit obsessed with their looks were good at controlling their expressions.
Was Enfrise a bit special?
That was why it was even better. It was easier to understand when someone opened up like this rather than being mysterious.
“As much as possible… No. I really hope the Grand Duke would read to me if you’re okay with it.”
I meant it sincerely. With that sentiment firmly expressed, Enfrise hesitated a bit more before getting up.
Seeing him not answering, it seemed like it was a no, after all.
As he picked up the book on the table and walked toward the door, all of a sudden, he stopped.
“… I’ll bring a book at this time tomorrow.”
Before I could respond, he opened the door and left.
Still, I saw it. The nape of his neck, which should have been pale, was entirely stained crimson between his black hair.
“A cluster of flowers, hiding from the sunlight to avoid being seen, perhaps out of fear that its body might be visible. I felt embarrassed when I discovered that one cluster of flowers.”
A lazy afternoon.
After two consecutive days of meat dishes, today’s menu featured fish. Personally, I always found fish more unappealing than meat when I cooked it myself…
That was because at the supermarket, the neatly prepped fish cost a bit more than the unprocessed ones, and often the unprocessed ones were fresher.
With my daily expenses mounting, I occasionally received lectures from my grandmother, and my younger sibling’s spending on video games was increasing by the day, so I had to be frugal. That was why I bought whole fish and gutted them myself…
Ugh, just thinking about it makes me queasy…
But food prepared by someone else always tastes different. Despite having seen many grotesque sights, I found it hard to resist the aroma of the grilled fish that had already been cooked.
When I cooked, I was exposed to smoke for over twenty minutes to avoid the smell. Thanks to that, I devoured a fish that was larger than my palm, leaving only the bones. I also emptied a bowl of vegetable stew with rice in it.
I deliberately saved a piece of bread to clean up the stew, and I even had some strawberries drizzled with syrup, making me feel like my stomach was about to burst.
Already feeling sluggish due to a food coma, I was half-dozing when Enfrise arrived not long after.
….
He entered the room and stood there stiffly without saying a word.
I couldn’t tell if he was feeling embarrassed or if he couldn’t gauge the right time to start. At the same time, I thought I might fall asleep first if I left things as they were, so I asked, ‘Would you like to read a book instead of poetry?’
Instead of answering, he got up and pulled the curtains open.
Honestly, I preferred it when the curtains were closed. Perhaps it was because my nature was that of a creature of the dark, and I found comfort in darkness rather than the light. Moreover, I remembered a past experience under the sunlight…
Hmm.
However, before I could say anything, Enfrise approached the table with quick steps, opened the book of poetry, and began to read it in a soft voice.
The world inside the book was ultimately created by a Korean author. I wondered if there might be a poem I knew, though there wasn’t a single one. The author probably didn’t even set up these details, right?
Surely not.
Anyway, perhaps because of his voice, it didn’t sound too bad, and I tried to focus on listening. But now, the warm sunlight began to torment me.
Even when I kept still, I was already drowsy, and the warmth of the sunlight was making me feel even more lethargic. The low, soothing voice whispered the verses. In such a situation, I considered it only natural for my eyelids to become as heavy as stones.
Unable to bear it any longer, I closed my eyes and nodded my head, like savoring the verses.
My memories after that were sporadic, with occasional gaps. I probably fell asleep at some point, but even after I regained consciousness, Enfrise continued reciting poetry. It seemed I hadn’t disturbed him as I stayed sitting up.
I nodded my head with a faint smile as if I had been listening attentively all along.
“In a field brimming with ripe wheat, I found something red. I tried to pluck that ominous and sinister thing, but my hands were already stained with red. Startled, I stood up, and there was a red mark on my chest. Oh, it was already too late. I realized I couldn’t return to the wheat field that was once full of golden waves and burst into laughter. Laughter was all that came out.”
With those words, his voice trailed off.
When I opened my eyes, he was holding the book’s final page, gazing at me. His black hair appeared even darker in the sunlight. Slightly arched eyebrows and golden eyes staring directly at me. His nose cast a shadow, and pale lips under the sunlight.
Basking in the sunlight, he seemed to glow on his own.
When I squinted my eyes slightly due to the bright light, I could see his shadowed face more clearly. He looked as if…
Just as I was about to recall something, he abruptly closed the book with a sharp sound.
“What story would you like me to read tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow… Umm…”
I wanted to hear a story in Enfrise’s voice. Other than poetry, nothing else came to mind.
Should I really learn to read and write?
At this rate, I might end up only reading poetry. It wasn’t that I disliked poetry, but I also wanted to read novels. I could ask Enfrise to read to me, but… I couldn’t quite imagine him playing the roles of various characters.
He would probably feel extremely awkward.
“Grand Duke.”
“Yes.”
“Is learning to read difficult?”
Honestly, I didn’t have the courage to do it. I wasn’t even sure if that was the right word. It made me realize once again how amazing Hangul was.
Still, it wouldn’t take a whole year to learn, right?
“I was able to finish learning to read and write when I was five years old.”
…No, maybe that was because you were just exceptionally smart? Thanks to the lead’s buff and the author’s favoritism.
“Children naturally learn things faster, and I think the Grand Duke must have been good at studying, too.”
It wasn’t as if male leads were always the strongest beings in the universe or the most handsome men in the universe. If they could read and write perfectly at five years old, they were just a genius.
…Oh, maybe it would be faster to teach him Hangul? But then, I wouldn’t be able to push the amnesia thing until the end.
Hmm.
“Why do you hold me in such high regard?”
How could I naturally teach Hangul to Enfrise? As I pondered this, I heard a frail voice that seemed like it could fade away at any moment in my ear.
—
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible!
Comments for chapter "Chapter 13"
MANGA DISCUSSION
What Are Pilot Novels?
Pilot novels are novels that will only have a few chapters released from our group. We hope that someone else can continue these novels for the enjoyment of everyone!