Duke, Please Fail! - Chapter 96

Episode 96

After midnight, I started to worry. 

Some knights also mentioned that they should go and see. 

Several more hours passed before Leonel returned, heavily intoxicated with the support of Prince Adelhardt.

“Have you been drinking?” 

I asked with a surprised look.

Adelhardt awkwardly chuckled.

“Yes, he doesn’t usually get drunk this quickly. It’s strange.”

“Well, it hasn’t been long since he recovered from Agathium Van poisoning, right? Is it okay?”

“You’ll have to ask him that. Here. Leonel.”

Adelhardt handed Leonel over to me as if passing an object. 

Leonel’s long and strong arms wrapped around my back and waist in an instant. I swayed briefly under the sudden weight but managed to stay on my feet.

“Nelly…”

He called my name in a softer voice than usual. It was almost hypnotic, but there were too many eyes on us, which made me a bit uncomfortable.

I gestured to Adelhardt to leave quickly. He looked at me with a mysterious expression, then smiled as usual and disappeared. 

At the same time, Joseph pushed the knights forward.

“Let’s go to bed as well.”

The knights bid their farewells one by one and left in a hurry.

First, I needed to lay Leonel down. I walked while holding him.

“Leonel, why did you drink so much?”

“Nelly.”

“Yes, I’m here. Is everything cleared up now?”

Leonel nodded with me still in his embrace. It felt like he was pressing his body against me even more.

With my face buried in Leonel’s chest, I stumbled backward, looking at the ground with my limited field of vision. We were heading towards the bed, but I couldn’t see where it was.

As I blindly stumbled backward, I accidentally hit the edge of the bed with my calf. It wasn’t a strong impact, but Leonel, due to his weight and the sudden movement, caused us both to fall. 

Of course, Leonel too. 

He didn’t seem to have a strong grip, as he crouched and buried his face in my neck.

“Nelly.”

Every time he nuzzled his face, his eyebrows, and bangs tickled my neck, all the while continuously murmuring my name.

‘I’ve never seen you this drunk before…’

He felt like a big, well-trained puppy. 

I patted his back and extended my hand a little higher to gather his jet-black hair between my fingers. The sensation of it slipping gently between my fingers was rather pleasant.

“Hmm…”

As I continued to stroke him, Leonel made a peculiar, soft noise and shifted his body. He lay on his side, legs entwined, and bent his body, resting his forehead on my shoulder.

‘He’s cute, but what should I do?’

I couldn’t leave him like this. I had to at least take off his vest. Leaving cuff buttons undone would be uncomfortable for his wrists.

“Let me go for a moment.”

“No, I won’t.”

He was incredibly resolute, and his arms, which had relaxed a bit, tightened even more. 

Why was he acting like this all of a sudden? 

Maybe their misunderstanding had been cleared up, but things had become even more awkward between them. Or perhaps something had happened that had made him upset?

As I pondered, snuggled up in his arms, he lifted his head. 

Leonel, with one eye half-closed, gazed intently at my face and suddenly, gently placed his forehead against mine.

“I can’t express how shocked I was when I woke up and you weren’t there.”

His pronunciation was so clear that he didn’t sound like a drunk person. Moreover, his flushed face had a peculiar allure.

I squirmed and buried my face in Leonel’s embrace. While I could hide my heated cheeks, I couldn’t conceal my steadily rising body temperature.

“I was surprised too when I woke up in an unfamiliar place.”

“Yeah. I sternly told him never to kidnap you again.”

“Um, thank you.”

“The one who should be thankful is me.”

His fingers, charged with warmth, delved into the strands of my hair, slowly brushing my scalp.

“If it weren’t for you, I might have forever resented Adelhardt.”

I couldn’t deny that. 

Before, I never saw the prince’s face.

Leonel hadn’t mentioned him either.

But isn’t that a virtue of returning to the past rather than my virtue? Or maybe it’s thanks to Adelhardt who kidnapped me.

“The territory will not develop this fast.”

“It’s thanks to Leonel, who gave me a desire for revenge.”

“It’s all thanks to you for failing to seek revenge.”

Leonel chuckled lightly. His breath carried a sweet, alcoholic scent.

Thanks to my uncle, I’d grown to despise the smell of alcohol. 

Strangely, the mingling of alcohol on his breath didn’t bother me. It was making me feel a little tipsy, too.

My face reflected in his eyes, filled with a deep crimson, made my heart race.

The touch of his hand trailing down my spine sent pleasurable shivers down my back. When I lightly shook my shoulder, he climbed up on top of me.

Tilting his head, he briefly pressed his lips to mine and brushed my hair aside.

“Where did a treasure like you come from?”

His nose brushed against my cheek. 

“You shine so brightly; I’m afraid someone might steal you away, Nelly.”

His lips touched my neck, and I gently pulled Leonel’s cheek in my hand. 

“Who said one of us is brighter than the other?”

I whispered, moving my lips to meet his. As I softly caressed his cheek, his half-closed eyes closed completely. Leonel pressed his lips against my palm, leaning his cheek against it.

“I’m anxious.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good. Don’t leave. Even if you wanted to, I wouldn’t let you go.”

Leonel held me close as he lay beside me. 

“I love you, Nelly.”

“I love you too.”

A smile graced his lips. Lost in the beauty of the moonlit fantasy he presented, it took me a moment to regain my composure.

I continued to stroke his hair and back until he fell asleep, then carefully slipped away. I cooled my flushed face with my hand and unbuttoned his cuffs, hanging his vest on the chair.

‘This should be enough for breathing.’

I returned to the bed, perching on the edge. Leonel, tossing and turning, reached for my waist.

‘I was going to sleep on the couch…’

I hesitated and pretended to struggle, then lay down next to him. I gently removed Leonel’s hand from around my waist, nestled into his arms, and soon fell asleep.

Leonel’s warmth, despite his inebriation, was comforting, and I quickly drifted into slumber.

* * *

A constant tickling sensation brushed against my face. The feeling of my nose being wiped made my eyelids twitch involuntarily.

I wanted to tell him not to touch me, but my mind was foggy, and I couldn’t articulate the words.

“Uhh…”

I made a sound and exerted more pressure on what I was holding. A subtle vibration pulsed against my forehead, accompanied by laughter.

The sensation of fingers stroking my hair was soothing, and I could hear a steady heartbeat in my ear. Someone was enveloping my entire body in warmth. I was beginning to drift back into slumber when something moist and soft brushed against my eyelids and then withdrew.

“Nelly.”

“Mmm…”

“They said to come down for a meal in an hour.”

The comforting touch was slow and gentle, making it hard to tell if it was trying to lull me back to sleep or wake me up. I smiled faintly, and our lips met.

Despite the slow and gentle movements, I found it hard to breathe, perhaps because I was still partially asleep. I struggled to raise my heavy eyelids, revealing crimson eyes that were only half open. He stared at me intently without even blinking.

‘I love you, Nelly.’

The memory of his blushing confession filled my mind. A current seemed to surge through my spine, and my entire body felt like it was covered in goosebumps.

‘Why are your eyes open?!’

I pushed Leonel’s shoulders away and lowered my head. My neck stung, and I felt breathless. 

The surroundings were quiet, and the only sound I could hear was the sound of my heavy breathing. As I raised my head to shake off the strange feeling, I was suddenly embraced tightly.

“Leonel?”

“Heh…”

He hugged me tightly for a moment and then let go.

“I’ll go wash up.”

Leonel kissed my forehead and left the bed.

Come to think of it, I haven’t washed up either!

In a rush, I tidied up my eyes and hair, but Leonel had already entered the bathroom. I quickly glanced at the bathroom, heard the sound of water, and then hurriedly dashed to the mirror.

‘Alright, it’s not as bad as I thought.’

I was combing my tangled hair when the bathroom door opened. Through the mirror, I could see Leonel emerging in a bathrobe. The robe clung to his body, and it seemed like he hadn’t dried himself properly.

Under the thin fabric, every curve of his muscles was on full display.

‘Insane, really!’

Staring at him like this would seem utterly perverted. I forcibly held my head back to maintain my composure and walked into the bathroom.

“Heh, I’ll, um, go wash up too.”

“Take your time.”

“Sure.”

I answered and quickly entered the bathroom. When I saw my reflection in the mirror, my face was still flushed.

After taking a deep breath and washing my face with cold water, my complexion improved. My heart, which had been beating rapidly as I hurriedly moved, began to relax. 

Only then did I regain my composure and finish my shower.

Leonel was being attended to by someone when I came out. They were the people who had been with Adelhardt yesterday.

‘He doesn’t have a sword at his waist.’

It felt liberating. I couldn’t help but grin, and our eyes met. He reached out to me after dismissing the people. I naturally approached him and took his sleeve.

The cuff button should be around here. I fumbled for it, and our eyes met. 

Leonel’s left eyebrow twitched slightly.

“Why?”

“Come to think of it, last time…”

Leonel paused, releasing my hand and taking the towel I was holding. He used it to wrap my wet hair while speaking in an annoyed tone.

“Who helped you with your clothes during the big event?”

The emphasis on ‘who’ was particularly strong.

“Not with my clothes, just the cuff button.”

“…Was it a man?”

Leonel covered my head completely with the towel. My vision was obscured, and he was doing it on purpose to prevent me from seeing his expression.

‘He’s jealous. How cute.’

I smiled, put some strength into the corners of my mouth, and folded the towel, revealing my forehead and slightly furrowed brows.

It seemed like I was about to burst into laughter.

“That’s right. Cuff buttons are usually for men, after all.”

“So, who was it?”

Appearing nonchalant, he was engrossed in drying my hair.