Thank You For The Confinement, Grand Duke! - Chapter 8
Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi
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Chapter 8
I opened my eyes in the gloomy darkness.
As sunlight seeped faintly through the thick curtains, even though I didn’t have a watch, I could be sure. It must have been 5:00 in the morning when I always woke up. However, for some reason, I couldn’t wake up easily today.
After blinking blankly for a moment, I jumped up.
…It wasn’t a dream.
‘It’s not a dream! I’m not on that narrow, hard bed!’
Moving my hand, I could hear the clanking chains.
Yesterday, I spilled things, so the shackles were taken off and the inside was wiped clean. The cloth that wrapped the shackles was changed so they weren’t sticky. However, it was still a bit heavy.
And the sound of the cold iron, the heavy feeling, and the cold touch on the fingertips awakened a sense of reality.
Since I made a mess yesterday, spilling things everywhere, they removed the shackles and thoroughly cleaned the insides as a consequence. It seemed that they even replaced the cloth that covered the shackles so they were no longer sticky.
Nonetheless, they still felt somewhat weighty.
The sound of the cold iron, the heaviness it carried, and the chilly touch on my fingertips all served as a stark reminder of the reality I was in.
Aahh.
‘…I’m really here.’
“Ha, haha.”
I wasn’t in my house. I was really out of the house now.
‘Really, now, I’m…’
My eyes suddenly grew hot.
I knew the reason, so I closed my eyes and pressed my eyelids tightly together, hoping to contain the overwhelming feeling, but it proved futile. Sorrow and suffering could be endured that way so they wouldn’t be spilled out. However, tears of joy didn’t seem to follow the same rules.
Drip.
As tears streamed down my face, I observed them flowing between my slender fingers. Chaperil must look beautiful even when she cried, unlike me.
Just when I pondered over that, a faint sound reached my ears.
With a click and the door opened.
“….”
The air felt like it had changed.
Not long ago, the atmosphere was clear and serene. It even carried a sense of warmth. But now, inexplicably, a cold, weighty chill enveloped me. I cautiously removed my hands from my face and gradually opened my eyes, trying to see past the blurry vision.
There he was, with his black hair and golden eyes—an embodiment of unrealistic beauty akin to a finely crafted blade.
Enfrise.
At first glance, he appeared composed. However, the furrowed eyebrows and trembling eyes betrayed his confusion.
Well, it was probably embarrassing to witness someone crying first thing in the morning.
“Good morning, Grand Duke.”
Wiping away my tears and getting up, I smiled brightly at him.
“It doesn’t sound like a very good morning to you.”
It was a sarcastic tone, but in those eyes, I could see something other than sarcasm.
…Doubt or worry?
I smiled lightly and shook my head.
“I yawned a little. I woke up too early, and I am still sleepy.”
I couldn’t say that I cried because I was happy.
It was strange enough to calmly accept being confined and bound like this, so what if I said that I cried for joy? He might think I had gone crazy, not lost my memories. While even a hospital was better than that hell, I didn’t feel like it because I had already spent the day in this house.
“Why is the Grand Duke awake already?”
“I am…”
Was he here to make sure I didn’t run away or…?
“Did you come because you were worried about me?”
I was just joking with him.
Since I would continue to stay here from now on, it was good to get along well with Enfrise. What if I have a lot of things to ask for, and I get kicked out for being extravagant or annoying? So, it was a joke to lighten the mood.
“…How can it be? I’m just here to make sure you don’t run away again.”
Still, why was he reacting like that?
His words were calm like he was scolding me though his expression was cute. Like a restless person, he tilted his head away with a slight frown. Then, unable to find a place to put his hands, he crossed his arms.
That lobe, burning red as if it were on fire, wouldn’t lie.
‘I guess he came because he was really worried.’
“I don’t remember anything yet. But don’t worry, I’m not confused.”
I wondered what he was worried about…
Seeing him react so cutely, he must have been worried about my condition. Although I had the feeling that he was a mad grand duke because of his unrequited love, after experiencing it, my impression of it changed a bit.
After all, people have to experience it to know.
“I mean, I—!”
“Ah, Grand Duke. Would you like to eat together while you are here?”
“….!”
Enfrise, who had been stiff with his mouth open, quickly closed his mouth.
This time his neck turned red.
He was pretty funny.
“It is better to eat together than to eat alone.”
“I…”
“Whom am I going to eat with? There is only the Grand Duke, so please eat with me. Okay?”
When was the last time I ate with someone? Was this the first time since I’ve had lunch with friends in college?
In the morning and evening, I would fill my stomach in a hurry with leftovers after my younger brother and grandmother had finished eating. Time was too tight just to cook lunch and return to work, so I often starved myself.
While I uttered half-heartedly, after talking about it, I really wanted to have a meal with Enfrise.
‘At times like this, the female leads usually say something like this.’
With that thought in mind, I rose from where I was sitting and approached him. Looking up slightly, my eyes were filled with pleading as I gazed at him.
In response, he took a step back and turned his head away, avoiding my gaze.
“…If you wish.”
“Wow, really? Thank you. I really love it.”
Delicious food and someone to eat with.
Despite the fact that his words were a bit thorny, that much is not a big deal. At least Enfrise didn’t undermine me or hurt me. He was just a little bit disingenuous.
“Well, hmm, it’s a bit early, but should I tell them to prepare a meal?”
Hm…?
What time was it now? Didn’t he usually eat around seven o’clock? Or did Enfrise eat earlier?
“When do you usually eat, Grand Duke?”
“…clock.”
“What?”
“Seven o’clock.”
Still, why would we be eating now? Had my biological clock been broken by possession? Usually, I used to get up around five o’clock to prepare food.
“What time is it?”
“…Five, o’clock.”
The more he talked, the more Enfrise’s neck turned red as if his neck was going to burn. Why was he so embarrassed…
Ah.
“Did you want to eat quickly because you were looking forward to having a meal with me?”
“…Ugh, that, that’s not it! I just… thought you got up early and were feeling empty—”
Aha, was that true~?
‘In the novel, he is heavy and cold, but he is actually cute.’
“I just woke up early. I want to sleep a little longer.”
This wasn’t meant to be a joke, I genuinely meant it.
During my high school days, I had to wake up at five in the morning. We had the zero period, which meant I had to get to school early, and time was always tight.
I once asked my grandmother if I could prepare breakfast the night before, but she scolded me with a fly swatter, saying I dared to feed her only son cold food. So, out of habit, although I opened my eyes early in the morning, all I wanted was to sleep in and roll around in bed until late.
It was actually my dream to have some extra time for sleep.
“All right. Then, at the time, I… I will come to your room.”
“Yes. Then later… Ah!”
Come to think of it, I almost forgot to ask him for something.
“Grand Duke, can I ask you one favor?”
“Favor…? What is it?”
“Well… actually, the bedding is so soft that I can’t sleep well.”
“…What?”
A faint sound escaped from his mouth.
Was he really that surprised that he couldn’t even control his voice? Besides, his facial expression was clearly giving away his shock. It must have been even more shocking than when I asked him to have dinner together earlier.
Should I not have said it?
No, if I didn’t say it, then I wouldn’t be able to sleep properly until I got used to it, right? After all, good food, good sleep, and good digestion are essential factors for a good life!
“The blanket is too thick and the pillow too soft… so is the bed. Since the bed is expensive, it can’t be changed but at least the bedding… Can you change it to something less good? Oh, and I wish I had a book as well.”
“A… book?”
He made a silly noise again.
While he still looked cool because of his low-pitched voice, it didn’t feel dignified or sharp. He was just repeating what I said like a parrot.
“Yes, I can’t get out of here, right?”
I raised my wrist. The shackles around my ankles were a little hard to lift, so I didn’t bother.
The next moment, Enfrise looked at the shackles on my wrists and turned his gaze back to my face with complex emotions before biting his lip. Oh, did he understand that I was trying to express my dissatisfaction with this situation?
“Ah, I told you yesterday. I don’t mean to ask you to let me go… but I need something to pass the time.”
“…What?”
No… don’t tell me he thought I could escape with the book? What was I going to do with a book? Of course, I wanted to read it, so why would he keep replying with such a bewildered face?
“I mean, to put it simply, I’m bored! The only people who enter this room are the Grand Duke and Lady Tambor. However, both of you will have to work, so I will be alone most of the time.”
Of course, I was confident that I could spend days just appreciating Chaperil’s beauty though that was something else.
I couldn’t just appreciate beauty for the rest of my life, could I?
In addition, I wanted to check if I could read here. The thing that made sense was that it should be a basic option in this genre—some could, some couldn’t. If I couldn’t read, I’d have a lot of trouble in my confinement life.
I wouldn’t have a cell phone or a TV, so what was I supposed to do to pass the time?
Oh, should I write a novel in Korean? But then I would be admitted to a mental hospital again for writing strange letters…
“Any book is fine, okay?”
For some reason, Enfrise was staring at me with eyes full of bitterness as I pleaded with the most pitiful voice possible.
Excuse me, sir…
Don’t look at me like I was a crazy person, Grand Duke…?
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sly
she gets me fr i wish that was me too! i dont wanna work anymore, a handsome grand duke can take me away too!! 。・゚゚*(>д<)*゚゚・。