Episode 82
A strange tension filled the air as his fingertip traced a delicate line down to the center of my lips.
“Ce…”
As I uttered the first syllable of his name, his eyes crinkled at the corners, making me gulp.
I had casually called him names in my mind – “Hey, bad owner, Cesar” – but now, actually saying his name felt difficult.
“Ce-sar.”
I barely managed to say his name and looked at him, anticipating his reaction, but Cesar remained silent. Then, he said something absurd,
“You actually called me by my name just because I told you to? How brazen.”
He told me to call him by his name, and now he was calling me brazen.
‘What do you want from me? You told me to call you that!’
“…Y-Your Grace told me to!”
“I didn’t expect you to actually do it.”
What the…
As I stared at him, dumbfounded, he chuckled, his shoulders shaking. Only then did I realize he was teasing me.
‘This bad owner!’
I glared at him, clenching my fists, wanting to peck his annoying face, and he flicked my forehead.
“You can’t even control your anger; it’s all over your face. You were just thinking something disrespectful, weren’t you, Valerie?”
“I wasn’t.”
I quickly looked away and suppressed my rising anger.
He was still the same, with his wicked habit of teasing someone smaller than him. I was a fool to be flustered.
I sulked and tried to get off his lap, but his arm wrapped around my waist, holding me firmly.
“Are you sulking?”
“No. How could a lowly maid like me sulk at Your Grace?”
My status was my sin. He was a terrifying owner as a bird, and now, a high-ranking noble as a human.
“You keep calling me ‘Your Grace.’”
He was nitpicking. I grumbled,
“That’s how it should be.”
“Isn’t it also improper for you to be sitting on my lap?”
He was right, but come to think of it, it was Cesar who put me on his lap in the first place.
“You’re the one who put me on your lap, Your Grace. That’s abuse of power!”
“Is that so? Then I’ll abuse my power even more.”
“What are you going to do…?”
I started to worry about my impudence. As I nervously watched him, he rubbed my eyelids.
His touch tickled, and my eyes fluttered. His hand flinched, an unusually clumsy gesture, and as I blinked, I saw his purple eyes gleaming.
“Has any of the servants here… made advances towards you?”
“Pardon?”
What was he asking?
“Advances? There are many kind people here.”
“How were they kind?”
His questions were persistent, just like Heron’s. His possessiveness was truly something else.
“They speak to me kindly and help me carry heavy objects. I promised I wouldn’t run away. And besides, who would be interested in someone like me?”
“Why wouldn’t they be? I’m interested.”
His words struck me like a bolt of lightning.
“…I think there’s something wrong with my hearing.”
“I told you you were precious. It’s only natural that I’m interested. I’m concerned that someone else might take you away. You call others by their names so casually, but you keep your distance from me; it bothers me.”
“Are you jealous?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I covered my mouth in surprise. Jealous? What was there about me to be jealous of?
“I misspoke!”
Even though I immediately corrected myself, he paused for a moment as if in thought and then replied,
“Jealous… Yes, I think I am. So when I send you back to the County, I’ll change your hair and eye color back, too.”
His nonchalant words made me want to hide in a hole.
‘Was Cesar this straightforward in the novel? No. The Cesar I know would carefully plan and slowly trap his target, not letting them escape.’
I was confused. Was this really Cesar, acting so differently after calling me lovely?
As his face came closer, the gap between us narrowed. As if our lips were about to touch. His hand gently caressed my ear, and I closed my eyes.
A teasing voice, laced with amusement, reached my ears.
“Lily, why are you closing your eyes? Do you think I would really do something to you?”
I was starting to feel indignant.
‘He’s teasing me again. Again!’
Saying sweet things and then acting mean, playing pranks to make me nervous. He was clearly doing this because he thought I couldn’t retaliate.
“If you keep teasing me, I won’t let you off the hook.”
“What will you do?”
His question snapped my reason. I had been diligently begging for my life for this bad owner, my face flushing at his every word!
Indignant, I grabbed his collar and pulled him down, planting a kiss on his cheek.
Having accomplished my mission, I released my grip on his collar.
“…I’ll do this.”
My reason returned as soon as I said that.
And now, I blinked, facing the current situation.
‘Uh. What did I just… Is my neck still attached?’
I touched my neck, checking if my head was still there. Fortunately, it was.
For now.
I’m screwed. That was the only thought in my mind as I processed the situation. I had just rubbed what used to be my beak against his cheek? I must have lost my mind.
As I was about to beg for forgiveness with trembling hands, I felt a soft touch on my lips. I blinked in surprise, since there shouldn’t have been anything there.
A pleasant scent filled my senses, and warm breath brushed against my lips.
It seemed like I was kissing someone. With whom?
With my bad-tempered owner.
‘…?’
I was still frozen, unable to process the situation, when Cesar’s lips slowly parted from mine.
“Breathe.”
At his words, I realized I had been holding my breath. As I exhaled, his lips moved from my lips to my cheek, my nose, my eyelids. His gentle kisses, filled with affection, like those for a lover, made my face burn.
He was telling me to breathe, and yet…
“W-what are you doing…?”
He replied nonchalantly, knowing my face must be as red as an apple,
“I’m just reciprocating your prank.”
“S-since when have you been so generous as to reciprocate my pranks?”
My head spun. Of course, I had kissed him first, but I hadn’t expected him to kiss me on the lips.
But unlike me, who was flustered, Cesar was incredibly calm. He held my head, preventing me from looking away, and asked gently,
“Lily.”
“Y-yes?”
“What did you eat?”
“Uh… They gave me some fruit, so I ate it.”
I wondered why he was asking such a question. But his next words made the situation, which hadn’t fully sunk in, become real.
“It’s sweet.”
His gaze was scorching.
It was supposed to be a prank, an accident, but why didn’t I want it to be just that? I hid my feelings and carefully moved my lips,
“Is it really sweet? I couldn’t tell.”
I didn’t want him to know how I felt. But it didn’t seem to matter anymore.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and met his gaze. I asked nonchalantly, as if clueless,
“Then, wouldn’t it be okay to check again?”
Before I could get an answer, Cesar’s lips covered mine. I wasn’t sure if my lips were sweet, but his lips tasted slightly bitter, like coffee.
“I’m sorry, Cesar.”
Sylvia, who had rushed in, apologized to Cesar. Her eyes were downcast with regret.
“It’s okay. It seems like you had something urgent to attend to.”
“There were so many things I had to take care of at the mansion today. I’m sorry for making you wait so long…”
“It’s alright. I had a good time.”
Sylvia was relieved, but his words made me choke.
“Cough, cough.”
Her gaze shifted to me, and she asked with concern,
“Lily, are you alright?”
“I-I choked.”
‘I should have just assigned another maid to serve them and hidden somewhere.’
My lips were already chapped and bothering me. Cesar, seemingly shameless, continued speaking.
“Sylvia.”
“Yes?”
“It seems Lily still likes sweet fruits. Make sure she has plenty.”
Her eyes widened in surprise at his sudden request.
‘That damn villain!’
I hurriedly called out to Sylvia,
“Sylvia, I’m not feeling well. Could you call another maid?”
“I don’t mind calling another maid, but… did something happen between you two?”
I quickly replied, preventing Cesar from saying anything more,
“We just talked a little while you were gone! That’s all. Then I’ll be going now.”
“Yes, take care and rest. I won’t call you today.”
I nodded and glared at Cesar. He was smiling, seemingly amused by my every reaction.
Annoyed, I was about to turn away when,
“You can prank me again, Lily.”
His lips, as he spoke, were unusually red. The memory of a moment ago made me flee.
As I left, his whispered words echoed in my ears.
‘Your childish pranks make my heart race. What is this unfamiliar feeling if not love, Lily?’
His sweet confession, as he kissed my flushed cheek, lingered in my mind.