I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 136

CHAPTER 136

“Uh?”

Betty, who had just peeked open the door and only poked her head in, made a strange noise and then glanced behind her where Lionel was waiting.

“What are we going to do, Duke…….”

“Is she asleep?”

Betty nodded her head awkwardly. 

There was a strong sense of injustice in her tone.

“She was awake until just now, wasn’t she? Really!”

From the way she was trembling, it seemed she truly felt unfairly treated.

He didn’t care whether Betty felt awkward or not.

He just smiled and closed his eyes.

“I’d like to come in and say hello, but I wonder if that’s too much trouble.”

“Well, that’s…”

An uneasy expression crossed Betty’s face.

Even though he was Duke Marcus, it wasn’t appropriate to disturb the princess while she was sleeping.

“…It might be a bit difficult.”

“But, it bothers me to come all this way and not even say hello.”

Clearing his throat lightly, Lionel spoke with a pleading tone this time.

“I’ll just greet her and come out. Isn’t that something I can do standing here?”

“….”

Betty’s lips protruded slightly. 

It wasn’t a pout or anything like that, but rather a thoughtful pout.

Even though Lionel said he would come, it was she who had guided him here.

Betty was now feeling an unnecessary sense of guilt.

“It can’t be helped.”

Lionel nodded his head with a gloomy look.

“I was too short-sighted. I’ll just go back now. I don’t know when I’ll be able to come again…”

Lionel turned his body. And slowly crossed the corridor.

One step, two steps, three steps, and then.

‘Now.’

“Hey…!!”

As expected, Lionel slowly turned around.

Betty, whose eyes were rolling, grabbed the hem of her clothes tightly.

“Just a moment, just a moment!”

Even as she said that, her face showed uncertainty about whether her actions were right or wrong.

Lionel smiled faintly at her.

“I’ll just greet her and come out. If necessary, you can ask for permission from Maid Liena and call for a guard.”

“….!”

When Liena’s name was mentioned, Betty’s face brightened. 

Betty, who had shouted ‘just a moment,’ ran off somewhere in a hurry and soon came running back.

“You can come in!”

Betty smiled widely. 

Lionel blinked.

He expected her to bring a maid, but she just got permission and came.

His master’s maids weren’t usually the most demanding.

Having received grace from the master, if it was something related to her, she would usually be more meticulous, double-checking and triple-checking before proceeding with the task.

‘Is she granting permission so easily?’

His eyes narrowed. 

Lionel’s doubts were soon resolved with Betty’s smile.

“Princess Lottie has instructed that whenever Duke Marcus visits, he is to be welcomed into the room at any time!”

“…Princess Lottie?”

“Yes! Just in case she falls asleep. She said to let him in as soon as he arrives.”

“….”

“I told you. Princess Lottie was waiting for Duke Marcus!”

In response to that, Lionel involuntarily twitched the corner of his mouth. 

But it was quite awkward as his lips kept trying to turn upwards.

Betty cheerfully opened the door for him.

“Instead, just in case, there will be two knights waiting outside.”

She declared firmly, which was not like her. 

Lionel nodded and entered the room.

The room was dark, illuminated only by the moonlight streaming in through the window.

Lionel slowly approached the bed and pulled back the cloth covering it.

Lottie was fast asleep on the bed.

Lionel gazed at the sleeping Lottie intently. 

Half of him wanted to leave her undisturbed, while the other half wanted to wake her up.

There was a chair next to the bed, and a candle was placed on the table.

“…….”

The master has always been sensitive to light, so she would probably wake up if he lit it. 

Perhaps she left it here on purpose as a reminder to wake her up.

After briefly staring at the candle, Lionel put it back in its place and sat down on the bed, causing it to shift slightly.

Although it seemed like he could wake her up, Lottie showed no signs of stirring. 

Her hair was just spread out to one side.

A sense of anxiety flashed through Lionel’s mind as he looked at Lottie.

“…….”

Lionel reached out and touched her nose with his finger. 

He felt a faint breeze. 

Then relief washed over him.

She won’t wake up.

“Master.”

Lionel spoke softly, expressing the thoughts he had been harboring.

“It seems like your disciple hasn’t grown properly according to your wishes.”

His voice continued in a whisper.

“I thought I had grown a lot while searching for you.”

After Lottie tried to save him and died, he lived half like an invalid.

The moment his master died, he felt such pain that he cried every day with regret for his foolishness and anguish that he couldn’t see her again.

Crying and crying, he felt like he would drown in tears.

“Hello, Lionel. You don’t look well.”

He met an evil god. He found hope.

He gained strength with the thought that as long as he was alive, he could meet his master again and live the rest of his life with him.

If they met again, this time he wanted to provide his master with a comfortable resting place and let him rest there, just as he had received before.

“But I keep failing to protect you, and I keep wobbling like this…”

Lionel swallowed his breath for a moment.

“That’s why you don’t rely on me, right? You’ve always seen me as a burden, even when I was a child, and even now.”

His voice, dripping through his lips, carried a deep sadness.

“Because I’m too useless.”

“That’s nonsense.”

Lionel blinked. 

He thought she was asleep, but Lottie was awake.

Through her long eyelashes, her pink irises, devoid of any drowsiness, were revealed.

“…Were you not sleeping?”

“You woke me up when you came in. I’ve been awake since earlier.”

Lottie reached out her hand and caressed Lionel’s cheek.

“Lionel.”

She smiled faintly, meeting his gaze.

“I have never once thought of you as a burden.”

“….”

“It might be a lie if I said it was never difficult. But even so, whenever I was struggling, I found strength in you too.”

Her faint smile grew slightly warmer. 

Her pink eyes sparkled with laughter as they widened.

“You have never been a burden to me.”

Lionel gazed at her smile for a moment, as if entranced. 

Then he felt pain on his cheek.

“And being useless.”

“Ouch!”

Lottie pinched his cheek firmly with her hand.

“Nonsense, huh? Babbling, huh?”

Strange. He could endure most pains now. 

Wasn’t he the one who almost lost his arm but laughed it off? 

Why did this hurt so much?

“It hurts, Master.”

Eventually, Lionel whimpered. 

But Lottie’s grip didn’t weaken.

“I rely on you so much.”

“…Really?”

“Of course. Where else would you find a human mage who can defeat dragons?”

Lottie released her grip on Lionel’s cheek and reached out her hand. 

It was a gesture asking him to help her get up.

When Lionel took her hand, Lottie leaned her head on his shoulder while sitting up.

“And you’re the only one who knows everything about me. You’re the only one I can fully rely on.”

She met his gaze with a slight lift of her head. 

Just that made his heart race as if it would burst.

“And you’re the one I can lean on when I need to.”

“….”

After a moment of silence, Lionel hesitated before uttering a word.

“…More than that dragon?”

He brought out one of his hidden anxieties, but Lottie’s voice sounded cheerful.

“Of course. Was I only concerned about that guy?”

Lottie smiled brightly.

“Ringo and Pendrade are good friends too. But not as much as you.”

He pouted his lips. 

He brought out a little bit of playfulness, blushing his face slightly.

“….A bit more, please.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just saying that I’m the only one.”

After hesitating for a moment, Lottie suddenly hugged Lionel tightly.

“You’re the only one.”

The murmuring voice in his ear was sweet.

“Lionel.”

The restless heart settled down calmly. 

In its place, fulfillment surged.

“In that case…”

While hugging Lionel tightly around his waist, Lottie exhaled.

“I won’t ask you to only look at me. But please let me know if something happens.”

“Huh?”

Lottie shook her head. 

To avoid being separated for even a moment, she held his face with her hand and made him look into her eyes.

“You can just ask me to look at you.”

“… … ?”

“I can’t do something like this twice.”

With a sigh filled with sincerity, Lottie laughed.

“After this is over, let’s go to a suitable place and live quietly together.”

Got it?

The moment Lionel heard those words, his face flushed red in an instant.

Lionel hugged Lottie tightly again.

“I like you.”

He couldn’t hold back from saying it.

“I truly love you.”

Lottie gently stroked his hair without saying a word.

“But later, I’ll be the one to find our home. After all, it’s said that men should take care of everything.”

Lionel buried his face in her white neck, almost whining as he continued.

“And I’ll propose again. You have to act surprised like you did the first time you heard it.”

“Got it.”

Laughter radiated through their connected bodies.

“Don’t you go anywhere, you made me faint too.”

“….”

“It felt strange waking up without you.”

Ah, he can’t stand it anymore.

Lionel raised his head and kissed her, their noses bumping in their haste.

“I can’t even kiss properly.”

With a soft smile, Lottie held his cheeks and kissed him again, their lips meeting.

After a few more breathless moments, Lionel blushed and looked at Lottie.

“…It’s because it’s the first time. Because it’s the first. You were like that too, Master.”

“Huh? Not me?”

“….?”

“I’ve had children, you know? I’ve had more husbands!”

“….!!”

She’s teasing him, teasing herself.

Unable to speak anymore, Lionel kissed her again, and laughter that wasn’t his spread in his mouth.

“Ha….”

After teasing her thick lower lip with his tongue, Lionel withdrew and smiled as Lottie’s eyes twinkled with laughter again.

Just wait and see. 

Next time, he won’t give her such leisure.

Lionel’s eyes narrowed as he vowed revenge.

“But hey.”

Smirking, Lottie continued.

“Why were you absent earlier?”

“Ah.”

That’s right, he almost forgot. Lionel blinked.

“I’ve learned something good.”

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing much, just that statue I showed you earlier, the one that showed the past to our master.”

Lottie nodded. Lionel grinned.

“That statue, it’s the power of the One you were looking for.”

“If it’s her…”

Lottie’s eyes widened. Lionel’s lips curved into a smile.

“The first god my master sought.”

It’s the power of Gaia.