Chapter 72 – 72
“I think I’ll be fine if I just rest until today. I’m not planning to go out until evening anyway… and it would be a waste since I practiced dancing so hard.”
“Isn’t that practice exactly why you ended up like this? Please, just rest at home.”
“But there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to see it again next year….”
“…….”
“No, I mean, what I’m saying is.”
Euro had spoken under the assumption that he would have left the mansion by next year, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized that Melione would not interpret them that way at all.
He tried to hurry and make an excuse, but he couldn’t find the right words. Moreover, the look in Melione’s eyes as he stared at him was somewhat piercing, so Euro added in a shrinking voice:
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“There is no need to apologize.”
“I should see it next year, I will see it next year, but… stolen contentit just feels like a waste to miss this year. [stolen content]It’s the first festival I’m welcoming since coming to Silon. And Your Excellency looks healthy for once.”
“Then should I be the one to fall ill?”
“What?”
“If I were to fall ill and then wake up the day before the festival and say I want to go, would you let me go so readily?”
At Melione’s point, Euro fell silent. That, of course, would be impossible. If Melione died, how would the curse placed upon him be broken?
“That’s a different case. I became like this because I overdid the dance practice….”
“Do you truly believe that makes any sense?”
“…….”
“It was barely two hours a day. And not even every day. You’re telling me that such a small amount of effort would leave a person bedridden and unable to rise for three days?”
“…….”
“The antipyretics didn’t work at all. You groaned every night. Do you really think that was solely due to dance practice?”
When pointed out so bluntly, he had nothing to say. Since he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that it wasn’t the curse’s fault, stolen contentEuro was speechless even if he had ten mouths.
However, he still couldn’t miss this festival. Even if Euro divorced Melione, it didn’t mean he could never see Silon’s festival again.
Even if they parted, he could simply visit Silon to watch and enjoy the festival. But there was no guarantee he could actually do that.
He hadn’t yet decided whether to leave Silon completely or stay, but thinking about it, it seemed strange to keep showing his face in his ex-husband’s territory.
Regardless of the feelings he harbored for Melione, once the curse disappeared, there was no longer any reason to stay in Silon. Melione was not an ordinary man; he was someone with the duty to marry and carry on the family line.
He couldn’t continue to stay by such a man’s side as the Duchess. He wasn’t broad-minded enough to quietly watch Melione bring in another person and father children.
Perhaps it would have been possible when he had no feelings for Melione, but at least not now. Even while delirious with fever, Euro had thought of Melione.
He had hoped that the man would stay by his side while he was sick. Once he became aware of it, Euro could no longer ignore his feelings for Melione.
Therefore, he had to leave him before these feelings piled up and grew until he had no choice but to beg Melione for love. This resolve grew firmer upon realizing his love.
“That’s why I want to see it even more this time.”
“…….”
“I want to dance with Your Excellency, too. Since I don’t know how [stolen content]my Read on Read BL Novelscondition might suddenly change again….”
As Euro spoke, he lightly placed his hand on the back of Melione’s hand. At this, a deep furrow formed between Melione’s brows.
“Let’s go together. You even learned a traditional dance for me.”
Normally, he wouldn’t need the man’s permission. He could have just slipped out of the mansion and enjoyed it alone. But not now.
He didn’t have much time left. This moment, while the curse cast its shadow over Melione and himself, was the only time he could be with him.
“This is not something to be stubborn about.”
“I only get stubborn about things involving Your Excellency.”
“…….”
“Yes? Your Excellency.”
Euro lightly stroked the back of Melione’s hand. When he then gripped the hand firmly, Melione lowered his head and let out a deep sigh.
At that sight, Euro beamed. Just the fact that Melione was worrying about him made his heart race. To think he would be so delighted that a man who acted indifferent to everything was so sensitive about his affairs.
Surely, Melione must have been annoyed dozens of times internally, thinking, ‘Who do you think you are to interfere in my business?’ [Read on Read BL Novels]But the human heart was such a fickle thing.
“Does this bring you laughter?”
“I’m just so happy that you’re worrying about me.”
“…….”
“Were you very worried? That I couldn’t wake up?”
Euro asked, intentionally leaning his upper body slightly toward Melione. Watching Euro smile at him, Melione sighed once more.
“Stop smiling. I am in no mood for laughter.”
“Why? You smiled last time.”
“…….”
“When we danced. You looked into my eyes and smiled. Even when I was drifting in and out of consciousness from the fever, I kept thinking of that face.”
Now that he was aware of his feelings, there was no concealment in his words. Since he had already spoken such things fluently as an act, it wasn’t difficult to do so with sincerity. It was actually more comfortable since he didn’t even expect anything in return.
“If you would smile for me once more, [stolen content]I feel like I wouldn’t even [stolen content]need to see the spring [Read on Read BL Novels]festival, but you probably won’t do that for me, will you?”
“Duchess.”
“So let’s go together. I’ll do the smiling for both of us.”
“……I cannot.”
“Your Excellency.”
“…….”
“Melione.”
Melione, who had turned his head away as if to ignore the pestering Euro, suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Euro upon hearing his name called.
It was a shock. It was a voice and a name he had only heard in his dreams. Hearing that call, which he had urged to be repeated many times because he loved it so much, made him wonder if this was a dream.
As he looked at Euro with a surprised expression, Euro burst into a bright, sunny laugh. Looking at that mischievous expression, the irritation that had been strangely swelling and grating on his nerves seemed to vanish.
During the three days Euro could not rise due to the fever, Melione had been perfectly healthy. He was fine without a single ailment and in good condition. However, he could not sleep at night and spent his time pacing around Euro’s bedroom.
He insisted on sending the servants away to stay by Euro’s side, changing the visit our sitecold towel on his forehead [visit our site]time and time again. It was also his task to wipe Euro’s sweat-soaked body and change his clothes.
It was the first time he had seen Euro’s naked body. Yet, strangely, everything was just as it had been in his dreams. But the feeling of strangeness was brief. Euro was certainly wasting away.
He nursed Euro with a feeling that couldn’t be clearly defined—whether it was tenderness or guilt. Unlike his usual self, he even pressured the physician. When he realized that he was the cause of all this, he couldn’t stand himself.
Insomnia experienced while physically healthy was another kind of torture. He had been out of his mind from the moment he was seized by a strange anxiety, wondering what he would do if Euro woke up and suddenly told him to get lost.
What should he do if Euro said he was leaving the mansion? Would it be better to force him to stay and watch him go mad, telling him it was useless and that he would eventually die anyway? Or would it be right to let him leave and die where he was out of sight?
Just as these unanswerable questions were repeating, Euro woke from his long sleep. Then, he began to act coquettishly, saying he wanted to see some trivial festival.
He should have been angry, asking if he had truly gone mad, but he simply couldn’t. He wasn’t angry. Looking at that smiling face, not even irritation rose within him. It felt as if everything had returned to how it should be. It felt as if all of this would last forever.
“Your Excellency, you look like such a fool.”
After laughing for a while, Euro said as he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. Only then did Melione snap back to his senses and nod with a blank expression.
“……I probably do look like a fool.”
“I’m joking. You’re handsome as always.”
“…….”
“Were you very surprised? Because I called your name?”
“No.”
“Should I not call you that?”
At Euro’s question, Melione shook his head.
“No, as you wish.”
“Melione.”
The voice heard once more aimed precisely for his heart. His heart rang as if struck by a heavy hammer, and his mind went blank.
“Let’s go together, it’ll be fun.”
“…….”
“Yes?”
Melione, who had been silent in a visit our sitehalf-dazed Read on Read BL Novelsstate, finally regained his composure and carefully pushed Euro’s hand away.
“Let us speak of this tomorrow morning.”
Melione slowly rose from his seat. Euro shut his mouth at the sight of him suddenly creating distance by pushing him away.
While he liked being worried about, he felt a sense of emptiness and void now that the warmth he felt beneath his hand had vanished.
“……Okay.”
Euro nodded gloomily. At that sight, Melione fought the urge to reach out to Euro and added:
“I am not telling you not to go.”
“…….”
“Provided your body is fine tomorrow. Being ‘fine’ means having no fever. And you must look fine to anyone who sees you.”
At those words, Euro snapped his head up.
“We’re going together, right?”
Color returned to Euro’s face. At that sight, Melione nodded as if he had no other choice.
“Yes.”
“…….”
“We are going together.”
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