Imprinted with the Obsessive Male Lead - Chapter 62

Why is he giving such short answers today? Could he be a little embarrassed? But for that, his voice sounds far too composed.

“But you bought them for me, right?”

“…No.”

This time, his answer came slightly late, and his brow twitched a little.

“Then where did you get them?”

Chase slowly closed and opened his eyes, then turned his gaze away and brushed his hair back.

“Just. Well. Picked them up on the way.”

I pressed my lips tightly together. After blinking a couple of times, I looked again at the bouquet and the jar of candy.

There’s no way he just picked these up. Anyone, no matter how oblivious, would know that.

The wrapping paper was crisp with the scent of fresh paper, and the bouquet was tied perfectly with skilled hands. Where would you even pick something like this up? And things that are exactly what I need, at that? Even if I give a hundred, no, a thousand concessions, there’s no way a man who went to the capital for documents would suddenly receive these from someone else. And even if he did, it would be strange for him to give them to me.

I set down the glass jar and walked up to Chase.

“You pick up a lot of things, don’t you?”

“It’s a hobby.”

“Since when?”

“Do I have to explain something like that in detail?”

“You do. I’m your precious mage, after all.”

So just say honestly that you bought them for me.

“You were picked up too, so there’s no reason I couldn’t pick up flowers or candy.”

Ah. So that’s how he’s going to argue it. He can shamelessly say he knows when someone compliments his looks, yet after buying something like this, he pretends otherwise.

I don’t know what his standards are, but somehow the way he acts feels rather cute, so I burst into a smile.

“Anyway, thank you.”

Chase stared at me silently, as if at a loss for words. Just as I had the strange impression that the tips of his ears were turning a bit red, he suddenly stood up.

“Get dressed.”

“Why?”

“You’re drunk. If you’re not going to sleep, then sober up a bit.”

Led by Chase’s hand, I stepped out into the garden. I wasn’t drunk at all, but as I walked in the cool winter air, it felt like the heat that had covered my whole body was fading.

Rustle, rustle

I could hear the sound of the winter wind brushing through the dry leaves. I hadn’t noticed while going around purifying, but as we walked, Chase’s pace was quite fast. Maybe it was because his legs were long.

I hurried in small steps to catch up beside him and asked,

“Chase, when does the first snow fall?”

“Do you like snow?”

“Yes. The air is this cold, but there’s still no snow, so I was curious.”

“Well, it should come soon. Timing-wise, about a week?”

While we exchanged a few words, Chase had already moved a couple of steps ahead again. I quickly ran to catch up to his side once more.

“Really? Then when it snows, it’ll be hard to travel by carriage, right? Then can you let me ride your horse?”

“A horse? It’s not that I can’t, but…”

Chase glanced down at me and trailed off. I stopped my hurried steps to match his pace and looked up at him.

“…I’ll let you ride. If you’re not afraid.”

He had clearly hesitated, but Chase continued as if nothing had happened.

“It won’t be as scary as being on your shoulder.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Chase let out a light laugh, and we continued walking. After a few more steps, I realized something. He had slowed his stride to match mine.

“What.”

When I looked up at Chase, he frowned slightly.

“It’s nothing.”

I let out a quiet laugh. I hadn’t meant to, but it slipped out without me realizing.

After making one round of the front garden, Chase bent down and leaned closer to me.

“Feeling less drunk?”

Maybe it was because of the soft garden lights faintly illuminating his face, but his voice sounded unusually gentle.

“Can we walk a bit more?”

“How drunk are you?”

“I’m not drunk, but I like walking. Now that I think about it, I’ve been staying inside the room most of the time except when going out to purify.”

With the thought that Michael might appear anytime, anywhere, I had mostly stayed inside the mansion. Even when going out to purify, I was always with Chase.

Of course, there were many other knights around, including Logan, but the only person I could truly trust is this man. Chase knew that too, which was probably why he told me not to leave the castle. Maybe that’s why I liked this kind of leisurely walk.

I didn’t think I was drunk, but as the wind brushed against my body that had been wrapped in heat, I felt much better. I had the feeling that it would be a shame to go back inside like this.

“You don’t say.”