Chapter 64
“You just said I fell in love with you!”
“You did.”
His tone was confident. Aniella didn’t understand. When he asked if she loved him too, she hadn’t been able to answer. He had seemed very disappointed then, so it was strange he had gained confidence in such a short time.
“I have never once told you that I fell in love with you.”
“I know. But you didn’t deny it either.”
So you do love me.
Paiki grinned and handed the glass back to her once her coughing subsided.
“I admit that I felt flustered by you at times, Your Grace. But I would never…….”
“Did you like being called ‘cotton ball’? Or ‘my sun’? ‘My beautiful star’?”
“What? No! Those cheesy lines didn’t make my heart flutter at all!”
“Cheesy……?”
Paiki’s smiling face stiffened. He furrowed one eyebrow and glared at Aniella.
She met his gaze squarely and stood her ground. She understood now. No matter how much he pretended to be mischievous or glared at her with sharp eyes, the look in his eyes directed at her was incredibly soft.
“Then what did make your heart flutter?”
“…….”
“It was ‘cotton ball’, wasn’t it? No matter how much you deny it, I know.”
“It was the kind actions you did naturally, as if they were nothing. Looking back, you were always kind to me.”
She already felt awkward for saying something so embarrassing, and upon hearing it, Paiki fell silent. When he just stared at her for a long time without saying anything, Aniella couldn’t bear the awkwardness and asked.
“What are you thinking about?”
“How I can suppress your freedom and make you mine.”
Aniella’s eyes widened in surprise. Paiki grinned and said he was joking, but his eyes looked so suspicious it was hard to believe.
“Anyway, it seems you were flustered by me every day, like a girl experiencing her first love.”
“I, I never said it was to that extent!”
Aniella strongly denied it. Paiki slowly shook his head as if he couldn’t hear her, smiling with satisfaction. Every time she grabbed his arm and shook it, saying ‘No!’, his heart felt ticklish.
Maybe I should just whisk her away, lock her up, and keep her? No, I can’t. If I lock her up, this woman who’s acting so cute right now will say she hates someone like you, words that would stab me in the heart.
“I should head back now. I have a curfew.”
Aniella announced this to the man who wasn’t listening to her at all and was just smiling slyly. As she hurried out of the banquet hall with quick steps, Paiki followed her.
“There’s still time.”
“I’ve gotten tired because of you and want to go back now.”
Aniella went down the stairs, huffing and puffing. Her shoes fit perfectly, and she walked slowly, so there was no risk of falling this time.
“Wait, Aniella. Lord Mullier isn’t home anyway, is he?”
Aniella stopped short. She whirled around to look at Paiki. He was right; her father still hadn’t returned home.
“How do you know that, Your Grace? Don’t tell me you also…!”
“Are you suspecting me right off the bat? That’s too much. Don’t assume I’m behind every bad thing.”
Paiki frowned deeply and let out a sigh.
The truth was, Lord Mullier had secretly borrowed money from a loan shark twice, behind his family’s back. It was because he had reached a point where he could no longer borrow from people around him.
He had intended to make money through a business venture and repay it quickly, but he failed. With no money to repay immediately, he was desperately avoiding the loan shark when one day, he heard news of an old friend.
It was a friend he hadn’t borrowed money from yet. The Viscount thought ‘great’ and went to meet him. But the person waiting for him wasn’t his old friend.
“Your father is being held by the loan shark.”
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