Give Me Back My Glass Shoe - Chapter 49

Hello everyone! there are changes in the chapter numbering, I had edited it to the correct arrangement as there was confusion in the chapter count. Apologies and enjoy the translation!

Paiki felt a heat rising in his gut. He thought it would be hard to hold back if he kept watching these tears.

“Calm down, Aniella. Shh.”

He tried to soothe her, but Aniella only cried harder, tears falling in drops. She had mistaken his strained expression, from holding back his excitement, for anger.

“Duke! Duke, I’m sorry. Please, spare me.”

Aniella pleaded, her breathing unstable and uneven.

Paiki clicked his tongue and stroked her pink lips. Gently covering them with his own, Aniella flinched and tried to pull her head back. He held her, sat her on his lap, and tenderly rubbed her back.

“Open your eyes. It’s alright.”

Paiki reassured her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Aniella’s eyebrows fluttered.

“I thought you’d gotten bolder, asking for this and that, but it seems you’re still a scaredy-cat after all.”

Hearing his voice, which sounded almost playful, Aniella cautiously opened her eyes. The man, who had been clicking his tongue waiting for her to gather her courage, smiled with his eyes when their gazes met.

“Good girl. You listened well, so you get a reward.”

Paiki covered her lips with his.

Aniella was bewildered. She had clearly opened the door he told her not to, and had even witnessed the Emperor’s secret. For him, it was a headache-inducing problem. Judging by the rumors of his methods, witnesses should be mercilessly eliminated.

Yet, he was giving her a so-called reward—a kiss. A tender kiss, like the ones lovers share.

“Are you… sparing me?”

“By all rights, I should kill you. Blind the eyes that saw the secret, tear out the tongue so it can’t speak, and bury you alive.”

“Hic.”

At the spine-chilling words, she shook her head rapidly. The corner of Paiki’s mouth lifted slightly.

“Fine. Since you’re begging like this, I’ll let it slide just this once.”

“Really?”

“I don’t lie.”

Aniella looked at him with eyes full of distrust. She had lost count of the number of big and small lies he had told her. And they were mostly not light, playful lies, but the kind that sent shivers down her spine.

Seeing her unbelieving gaze, Paiki shrugged his shoulders.

“Not this time.”

“……”

“I swear upon His Majesty the Emperor.”

Paiki said confidently.

A man notorious for doing anything for the Emperor was invoking his liege lord. It seemed this time it really wasn’t a lie. Aniella’s lingering suspicion and wariness crumbled away instantly.

In truth, this man didn’t hold the Emperor in as high regard as she thought. He merely pitied the middle-aged man who enjoyed being whipped by tentacles. He had never once in his life genuinely respected the Emperor.

There was no figure more suitable for lip service than the Emperor, so he always used him, and it seemed to have worked again this time.

Paiki pulled up the corner of his mouth and wiped her cheek, now completely free of tears. Her eyes, still glistening with leftover moisture, were beautiful.

He had thought her scared, crying face was dangerous, but that wasn’t it either. The face staring back at him, mouth slightly agape to breathe because her nose was stuffy from crying, stirred his heart even more.

“Am I really going to be okay?”

“Yes.”

“And you won’t punish me?”

Aniella asked, blinking slowly.

“Why? Do you want punishment instead of a reward?”

Even to his teasing question, Aniella felt relieved. Though her hands were tied and she found herself trapped in his embrace, unable to move, she wasn’t scared.

When Paiki pressed his lips to her collarbone and sucked gently, Aniella’s heart began to flutter for a different reason. She flinched and twisted her body slightly.

He didn’t like her movements trying to escape his hold. Paiki gritted his teeth and nibbled the spot he had just sucked. Leaving a red mark finally brought a satisfied smile to his face. He nibbled around the area, extending the marks.