Thank You For The Confinement, Grand Duke! - Chapter 25
Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi
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Chapter 25
Surprisingly, nothing happened.
…No, was this a joke?
Shouldn’t something come out of this? Like, ‘In fact, Enfrise had planted hidden knights,’ or ‘In fact, Enfrise was lurking, waiting for my voice and then popped out!’
What kind of novel was this? I knew it from the beginning, from when they didn’t give me any explanation about Chaperil’s memories! There was no situation explanation, no supporting characters, and the male lead was only interested in whether I ran away or not!
Though why wasn’t he coming now?
“I said it was useless.”
Aahh, the sky was blue.
As my sight swayed on the back of the man crossing the forest, the sky came into view. It was so blue that my eyes tore up unintentionally. Did I have to be dragged away like this? Did I really have to go like this, leaving this paradise?
I’ve only tried on one dress. I’ve only worn one earring. I haven’t even tasted the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate yet.
Did I really have to go like this…?
“….”
Tears flow down again.
Was I always this tearful? Tears flow down without me even thinking about it, like a steady stream.
I had been imprisoned for twenty-five years. In a dreadful prison, bound by blood and flesh, unable to escape. Someone might have called it a luxurious prison, though to me, it was like hell. It was like a swamp I couldn’t escape, no matter how much I wanted to.
I was so grateful to finally escape from there and enter this paradise.
…To think that my small paradise would be taken away like this.
“Miss… I don’t know what kind of nonsense you heard from that filthy b*stard, but he deceived you. Please come to your senses.”
That didn’t matter. It wasn’t an issue that was important to me at all, but it might be an issue that concerns Chaperil, though.
Rather, to me, you who came to rescue Chaperil seem like the enemy. Not only did he put his hand on that small and fragile Frii and pull me out of paradise, but it seemed like he did something to Tambor as well.
I would never forgive you. Even though I didn’t know what would happen to me in the future, I would definitely seek revenge against you.
With that determination, I gritted my teeth.
“Ppiririppik. Ppippi—!”
Somewhere, a bird-like sound came as if someone was playing a flute directly above. Although I wanted to see where it was, Chaperil’s delicate abdomen still didn’t move properly.
However, strangely, the sound of Frii crying came to mind.
Frii… please be okay.
“Ugh!”
“….?”
Suddenly, the man waved his arm. What’s going on?
“Go away! Go away!”
The man vigorously waved his hands as if trying to drive something away. Thanks to that, my body swayed, and I felt it gradually sliding down. If I jump from here… I would probably hit the ground headfirst, right?
It would hurt, wouldn’t it?
Still, there was a chance…
“Ku-ugh!”
“Ppiriri ppik! Ppippi—Ppiririppik! Ppik ppik!”
There was a fluttering sound… a very faint sound. Compared to that, the crying sounded fierce and brave. Could it be that the bird was rushing to attack the man to save me?
No, that was unlikely.
Even if Chaperil was the heroine, such a plot twist was too…
Amidst the flute-like cries of the bird, another sound is heard. A more solid sound.
Like…
The sound of hooves pounding the ground.
“Stop right there!”
…It was a familiar voice.
This jerk. Why was he coming now? How scared I was.
Uwaah.
“D*rn it…! Why is that dirty guy…?!”
Despite the fact that the man tried to turn around, the bird tormenting him didn’t seem to retreat. In the meantime, a familiar attire entered my sight.
Always the black pants, always the white shirt. Unfamiliar boots.
“No way, I hoped it wouldn’t come to this. I wanted to believe…”
A disdainful voice.
It was the same voice as when I first met him. I could understand what misunderstanding he might have, but that wasn’t my concern right now.
“Why are you coming now!”
As I shouted in a half-crying voice, Enfrise fell silent. He seemed like he was saying something, but it wasn’t important right now.
“Do you know how scared I was? I… I—Huwaaaa.”
“Chaperil…?”
My name came out of Enfrise’s mouth, which always used to call me ‘you.’ Just that made the burst of crying even louder.
I didn’t know why.
“How much have I looked for you! How much have I called for you?! Why now? I thought I was really going to be caught. I thought we were going to be separated… Huwwaahh.”
It had been a while since I cried so mournfully. It felt like I was crying out for nearly twenty years’ worth. What was even more surprising was that this wasn’t a fake cry. Tears burst out when I heard his voice… the voice I thought I’d never hear again.
Crying spilled out at the sound of him calling my name as I felt relieved. I thought it was over.
He was such a presence to me.
“And this person harassed Frii and Tambor, too!”
With a voice mixed with crying, I complained.
You’re dead now. Our Enfrise, whom I haven’t seen but is undoubtedly the strongest in this world’s setting?!
“…What are you—”
“Hurry and save me. My stomach hurts. Even though I asked him to let me down because it hurts, he won’t let me down…”
Whether it was because of the grumbling tone or not, Enfrise didn’t move for a while. Seizing the opportunity, the man tried to draw the sword at his waist.
“Grand Duke, hurry! Hurry! Draw your sword!”
I didn’t know where I got such strength. Chaperil, who couldn’t lift her upper body and only saw the corridor carpet, unexpectedly pulled the man’s arm towards her according to my will.
In that unexpected movement, the man couldn’t draw the sword.
“Miss! Please release this…! Ugh!”
While I didn’t know what Enfrise did, the man’s body staggered. At the same time, the arm that was holding me in place lost its strength, and I slipped down.
I was falling… but I didn’t fall.
Because…
“….”
As I expected, Enfrise caught me firmly before I could fall. Unlike the man’s arms that bound me, his embrace was gentle and careful. In that embrace, all the tension melted away the moment I saw his face.
“…Are you really crying?”
“Then, was I fake crying? I’m telling you, it was really scary….”
I quickly wiped my face with both hands, rubbing the tears-soaked face. The still hot tears and cold tears mingled, wetting my hands. As I sniffled with a slightly runny nose, Enfrise looked at me with a complex expression when I let go of his hand.
“You weren’t… trying to run away?”
“If I wanted to escape, would I have been hanging onto that man’s shoulder like a sack? I would have run with my own feet.”
“That’s…”
Surprisingly, Enfrise seemed emotional. Perhaps it was a situation where his logical judgment wasn’t so straightforward.
Well, the current situation was somewhat, as they say, awkward. It might have looked like I ran away. To make that understandable, I purposely crouched down and didn’t resist when Enfrise embraced me.
“I called you a lot.”
“Me…?”
“I called you a lot. Enfrise! Help me! Like that.
“Did you…?”
To be honest, the actual number of times I called probably wasn’t that many, though let’s add the numbers from when I called him in my mind.
That wouldn’t be a lie, right?
“Oh, that man won’t suddenly get up and attack?”
“It’s fine. His neck might be broken… or he might be unconscious.”
It was a bit scary to say such things without hesitation.
In a fantasy world, human life may be as trivial as a fly’s life, but when it became my reality, it was frightening…
“…I’m sorry for not coming earlier.”
“It’s okay. It’s not too late, so I’ll forgive you.”
If he had come late, I might have resented him a lot. That scoundrel, passing me over so easily because I wasn’t the real Chaperil?
I thought so. But still, it was not too late, so it was fine.
“…I’m really relieved that it’s not too late.”
Enfrise’s lips, who said that, curled up slightly.
It was completely different from the clumsy and strange smile he had shown so far. It was also different from the satisfied smile he had shown last time. His golden eyes glistened under the sunlight as if he could cry at any moment.
It was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.
“….”
For some reason, the words that came easily last time wouldn’t come out now. The blocked words seemed to have gone to my heart, throbbing and pulsating as if they were about to burst out.
So, we stood there looking at each other for a while.
“…No, this is crazy! Absolutely crazy!”
Why was my heart pounding like crazy there!? Sure, he was cute. I already thought he was cute, yet those eyes and that smile were just… the atmosphere was incredible. Even exuding a lead-like aura! He looked incredibly beautiful!
Still, this wasn’t right!
My goal was to live quietly under Enfrise’s protection, doing whatever I wanted without any interference and eating whatever I wanted. I didn’t want any thoughts about getting along well with him or doing romantic novel-like things!
That kind of thought was just an eyesore…!
Ah, though honestly, wasn’t it strange if my heart wouldn’t pound in a situation like that?
The embrace of the man I held for the first time was much firmer than I had imagined. In addition, the fragrance emanating from Enfrise’s body… the refreshing scent that I thought resembled a forest, tickled my nose.
Being in Enfrise’s embrace made me feel the reality of that scent more vividly.
…No, what was I thinking right now?!
“No! I said no…!”
Being a lifelong single for twenty-five years. I didn’t flutter with the senior in high school who was cheered by all my friends, nor was I excited when doing group assignments with the older brother who was the talk of the college…
No, comparing Enfrise to those guys is a bit weird. I shouldn’t compare Enfrise, the male lead of a romance fantasy, to real guys.
After all, Enfrise was a bit exceptional, with a good personality and kindness…
“This isn’t the point!”
Why did the conversation keep going in that direction?! I’ve lived twenty-five years without any romance! Why was everything suddenly flowing toward Enfrise—!
Oh, right.
That was it. The misattribution of arousal.
It was because he came to rescue me in this frustrating situation. I’m just momentarily, very momentarily, feeling a flutter, although it wasn’t really a flutter!
Get a grip, me!
As I grumble to myself, Enfrise’s voice comes to my ears.
“…May I come in for a moment?”
With a soft knock, his voice resonated.
—
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