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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: A Sudden Proposal
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After spotting Yugen waving his hand so nonchalantly, I had to let out a silent scream.
‘Why is *he* here again!’
He was obviously here for the same reason as Raynerd.
I could easily deduce as much from what Raynerd had said earlier.
If Raynerd was once again suffering from the bed’s curse, then Yugen must be in the same boat.
Besides, it had been well over a week since he had last slept in my bed.
‘I know. I know, but…’
Why did he have to show up on the same day as Raynerd?
For me, this was a visit I couldn't possibly welcome.
“Charlotte?”
When I didn’t respond after spotting him, Yugen tilted his head in confusion.
I saw him cup a hand to his mouth, and reading his intention to shout, I flailed my arms wildly.
‘No! Absolutely not!’
If he made any more noise, Raynerd would surely wake up.
Fortunately, Yugen seemed to understand when I crossed my arms into an X, and he clamped his mouth shut.
I pressed a finger to my lips and gestured with my other hand for him to come closer.
Just as Raynerd had done, Yugen climbed the tree in front of the terrace and came up.
‘Raynerd said he was a light sleeper.’
Recalling what I had read in the novel, I spoke in a voice as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz.
“Yugen, hello. But I have a situation, so please go home for today.”
“But I…”
“Can you come tomorrow instead? I’m mostly free after 9 p.m. Please?”
Yugen looked visibly disappointed, but like a well-behaved child, he answered, “Okay.”
What a good boy. If only the man in my room were this obedient.
“Sorry. I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s talk tomorrow. I have to go now.”
“Is someone here?”
“Huh?”
“In your room.”
Yugen glanced toward the terrace window, but thankfully, the curtains prevented him from seeing inside.
Though it was nighttime, Raynerd’s visit had to be kept secret, so I had made sure to draw them tightly.
“Ah, well…”
“Another presence. Who is it?”
A presence? Was this that trope common in fantasy or martial arts novels where one could identify others by their presence alone, without even seeing them?
I didn't really believe it, but Yugen seemed certain of someone else's existence.
‘What should I do? Should I just be honest?’
What would I even say? I imagined myself telling Yugen and Raynerd the plain truth.
*Actually, you two are comrades suffering from the same curse. Isn’t that surprising? And here’s something even more surprising! There are two other men besides you who need to sleep in my bed!*
‘Why all four of you in my bed, you ask? I have no idea. But I hope you’ll understand that I have absolutely nothing to do with the curse and am just an innocent citizen.’
No matter how I spun it, the picture looked strange! They would *totally* not suspect me.
Besides, in the novel, Raynerd and Yugen were rivals for the same woman, and their personalities were polar opposites, so they disliked each other quite a bit.
If Raynerd was the calculating type who was different on the inside from how he appeared on the outside, Yugen was perhaps too informal and direct.
In a way, they were bound to clash.
“Is it a secret who it is?”
While I was thinking, Yugen, with his innocent face, pressed me for an answer.
I really am weak to that face. I felt he would be hurt if I said it was a secret, so I decided to make something up.
“My younger brother. He came to ask me to read him a storybook and ended up falling asleep, so I’m letting him sleep in my room.”
Good, a plausible reason. In reality, my little brother Carrion and I weren’t that close, but there was no way Yugen would know that.
“Really?”
But Yugen’s expression was odd as he furrowed his brow.
“Your brother is incredible.”
“What is?”
“I can’t tell for sure, but this is the presence of someone quite strong. I’m certain of it. He’s reached a high level at such a young age.”
Perhaps it was the interest of the man known as the Mercenary King, but Yugen spoke at unusual length, his eyes shining.
“Later, I definitely… want to recommend him for our group.”
And just like that, Carrion, a six-year-old coward who cried at the sight of a big bug, was now facing the possibility of taking an entrance exam for a mercenary group.
“No, no. He’s much older.”
I hastily changed my story.
“He’s already twenty this year. You’ve probably seen him a few times at banquets and such. The one with red hair who walks around glaring at everything for no reason.”
“Ah.”
“That’s him. He’s a bit peculiar, isn’t he? Please keep this a secret. He desperately wants to hide the fact that he can’t sleep at his age unless someone reads him a storybook.”
I’m sorry, Jayden! Please forgive your wretched sister!
“Okay, I get it.”
Whether he was simply open-minded or not, Yugen accepted my lie and nodded his head. His expression was solemn, as if he felt a sense of duty.
“My lips are sealed.”
“I know. But I really have to go…”
The five minutes I had allotted for being away from the bed had long since passed.
“I’ll go now. I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
With those considerate words, Yugen leaped down from the terrace and ran toward the wall. His movements were swift and silent.
Before hopping over the wall, he turned to wave at me one last time. I waved back, then went back into my room.
“Hey.”
What greeted me was a low voice tinged with a subtle annoyance.
“Who was that.”
Raynerd, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed with a hand on his forehead, shot a dry look my way.
“Your Highness…”
My heart sank, wondering if he had seen Yugen, as Raynerd rose from his seat and slowly approached me.
“I was wondering why I was having such a restless dream. It seems it was because the Young Lady had left the bed.”
“I apologize.”
I offered a polite apology and watched him cautiously. He didn’t seem as upset as I had feared.
“It’s fine. More importantly, was someone on the terrace? In my sleep, I thought I vaguely sensed a presence other than the Young Lady’s.”
What on earth is this so-called presence? Everyone seems to be sensing it but me.
“…I wonder. Perhaps it was a cat. I saw a stray cat and tried talking to it for a bit.”
“A cat? Is that so. I must have mistaken the sound of a cat for a human presence.”
He must have been quite groggy, as it seemed Raynerd only had a vague impression of what happened.
He didn't press further and simply patted the empty space beside him on the bed.
“If you’re done with your business, why don’t you lie down? I’d appreciate it if you could consider my feelings, with my eyelids feeling like they weigh a ton.”
I scurried over to the bed.
“It was my mistake. I just wanted some fresh air.”
“How long has it been since the Young Lady left the bed?”
“About 15 minutes, I think.”
“Then it seems about 10 minutes is the limit. For me to sleep in a bed without you in it.”
To me, it had felt like such a short time.
“There are biological needs and such, so even I can’t tell the Young Lady to stay in bed at all times.”
Lying back down, Raynerd pressed his fingers firmly against his eyelids.
“But if possible, even if you leave, please come back within 10 minutes. I’m begging you.”
A handsome man so earnestly begging me to return to him.
It was the romantic situation I had always dreamed of. If only it weren’t for the curse.
* * *
The next day, Raynerd, looking much more refreshed, woke me up.
It was too early for the maids to come looking for me, so unlike a fortnight ago, I was able to have a more leisurely conversation with him this time.
“Young Lady, have you ever considered moving out?”
“Moving out?”
“Yes. I need to sleep in your bed periodically. But I’m not a thief, and I can’t keep sneaking into the Lindsi Marquisate every time.”
Can’t you just sneak in? You seemed quite talented in that department.
“So how about the Young Lady moves out? It would be much easier for me to come and go.”
“Well, I have often thought about wanting to go to our villa abroad and live alone.”
“That’s a bit difficult. Even if it’s the country right next door, it’s not realistic for me to travel back and forth.”
“Well, it’s not like I wanted to go in the immediate future.”
“Right. Regrettable, but it would be best to postpone those plans until I can resolve this curse.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
The moment I heard from Raynerd yesterday that the curse had returned, I had already decided to put my dreams of going abroad on hold for a while.
In this state, I wouldn’t be able to leave peacefully anyway, worrying about the cursed men, and they wouldn’t let me go so easily either.
‘But how on earth do we break the curse…?’
I pondered the problem, which had no clear solution, as I poured water into a glass from the carafe in the room.
It was water the maids brought fresh every evening in case I got thirsty during the night.
I offered a glass to Raynerd just in case, but he shook his head, saying he was fine.
Naturally, he seemed to have more on his mind than I did, his face serious.
“Ah.”
Then, a sudden glint appeared in Raynerd’s eyes.
“Young Lady, I’ve had a good idea.”
Has he already come up with a brilliant plan to break the curse? As expected of the second male lead, he’s on another level.
I stopped drinking my water and leaned in to listen.
“Will you marry me?”
The next moment, I spat out the water in my mouth.
