Cesare completely opened his palm and wrapped it around one side of Lionel’s cheek, starting to knead it vigorously.
“Mmph, stop.”
“Kekeke.”
At the chewy yet soft chiffon cake-like texture and Lionel’s funny face flattened on one side, kekeke sounds kept coming from Cesare’s mouth.
“Shtop…”
“Stop?”
By now he should wake up, but Lionel persistently hid under the pillow, refusing his touch.
“Mm. Please stop.”
“You’ll regret it? I’m Cesare Yanox, you know.”
When he whispered very softly in his ear, Lionel, who had been shaking his head, froze. Thinking he’d finally woken up, Cesare also stopped and stared at him intently. But Lionel didn’t even open his eyes and pushed the pillow away smoothly, starting to grin foolishly.
“If it’s Cesare, anything. Whatever is fine…”
At Lionel’s stupid appearance, grinning while unable to wake up and being weak, something ticklish rose from below his belly. Barely putting strength into his face that was about to twitch, Cesare whispered even more stickily in Lionel’s ear.
“I might demand even more than that, you know?”
“More… what kind…? Hehe…”
“For example.”
At Lionel’s hazy voice that seemed to accept anything, as if dreaming a sweet dream, he felt a sense of superiority that only the top male could enjoy, even feeling a kind of pleasure.
“Right. For example… advanced geometric calculation assignments.”
“Geometryyyy!”
At that answer, Lionel let out a huge scream and bolted upright. At the same time, Cesare finally couldn’t hold back his laughter and started laughing loudly.
“Hahaha! Ahahaha!”
“I hate geometry! Uwah?! Huh! Cesare…?!”
At Cesare’s loud laughter, Lionel finally regained consciousness, blinking his eyes and hurriedly gathering his wits. The emerald eyes clearly showed bewilderment, so there was no need to try hard to read Lionel’s emotions.
His own eyes were a red color close to black, so emotions rarely showed through, but that guy’s emotions were always too easy to read. So maybe that easily understandable guy suddenly deciding to cut ties touched his competitive spirit even more.
“Get up, you idiot.”
The earlier conflict nowhere to be found, when he greeted him as usual while mocking the guy to the fullest, Lionel anxiously bobbed his head up and down, then finally grabbed Cesare’s face firmly.
“You, burns. You didn’t get burned, right?! Is your throat okay?! Ah, say it. Huh? I’m sorry!”
Seriously, to think the first thought upon waking is worrying about the other person’s well-being instead of your own—are you really an idiot? Aren’t you curious why you’re lying down? At the foolish question, Cesare answered in a somewhat annoyed voice and pushed Lionel away.
“Hey. What do you want me to do? Why are you making such a fuss, Lionel? I got divine treatment right away so I didn’t get hurt that badly. Calm down.”
“Ugh. Sorry. You’re really angry, right…?”
Immediately deflated, looking up at him with drooping eyes, he looked like a well-trained hunting dog, so Cesare ruffled his hair lightly. Obedient dogs need praise, after all.
“Do I look like someone who gets angry over something like that?”
“You got hurt though…”
“External wounds can heal quickly with divine power. Aren’t you worried about why you’re lying here? You collapsed after crying, you slime.”
At Cesare’s thorny words, Lionel rolled his drooping eyes around, then scratched the back of his head shyly and laughed.
“I’m, fine even if I collapse. I just need your face… no, Cesare Yanox! As long as you’re not hurt!”
At the verdant eyes tinged with shy color the moment he recited his name and the bright voice worrying so much about his well-being, Cesare felt an indescribable embarrassment rushing over him.
Not knowing how to react, Cesare hurriedly cleared his throat and wrapped up the situation.
“Ahem, hmm. I really can’t live because of you. Get up quickly. A grown man sits down and cries his eyes out then faints.”
“Ugh.”
Was it because he wasn’t of noble birth? The guy’s words and actions were always lacking about 2% somewhere. Not that he was lacking in a bad way, but in the sense of being more free-spirited. Cain was also quite free-spirited, but Lionel was, how to say, a bit more pure.
“If you’re that worried about me, go out and buy me ice cream waffles or something.”
“Cesare! If it’s for you, I can buy hundreds of ice cream waffles. Even thousands. No, I’ll even buy the shop!”
“I don’t need the shop! Please stop making a fuss, Lionel!”
“Okay!”
“Next time, fill up the ice water properly too. I saw you wake up, so I’m going to find Cain. Come to the shop’s lounge later to eat waffles.”
Like that, Cesare didn’t even hear the answer and turned his back coldly fast enough to leave the infirmary. But his mood as he turned around was somewhat unpleasant.
Cesare searched and searched for the cause of the inexplicable displeasure and finally turned the arrow to Lionel’s dazed face. Do people all change to ugly faces like Lionel when they fall in love?
‘He was already ugly, but he got even uglier.’
So I should never do something like love, Cesare thought as he walked away.
* * *
Going out with Cesare wasn’t something you could do just by paying for food.
The cost of the luxury carriage to ride out, the cost of the cafe’s private room, the generous service tip—going out once easily cost at least 500 torka.
Of course, I don’t think that money is wasted. The economy runs when a nouveau riche like me spends money lavishly.
Besides, if it’s an outing with him, I could do it thousands of times. As long as my money isn’t being used for the monthly wages of soldiers for rebellion, construction of garrison sites, supply goods and weapon support, and such.
“I thought you’d make up right away. Obviously Rye would just apologize day and night.”
Cain said discontentedly while taking a bite of a parfait loaded with sprinkles.
“Rye. Try liking me even half as much as you like Cesare.”
“Why should I?”
Of course, Cain was handsome too, but he wasn’t a striking orthodox handsome man. If I had to say, he had the looks and personality that people with slightly dangerous tastes would go crazy for.
“Not even half. Even if you liked me half of half… ‘The fearless Astol will stand by your side!'”
Cain repeated the military song sung by the knights of Count Astol’s family while noisily pounding the table, and Cesare and I burst out laughing at his ridiculous appearance.
“Having Astol on your side must be reassuring, Lionel. Try being nicer to him too.”
“No thanks. You’re already more than enough for me.”
“Our Astol knows no fear and no shame! Two more fruit parfaits here! Three more waffles too!”
“Cain, stop eating!”
After noisily devouring desserts, we prepared to return to the academy. The cafe staff brought the bill and I reached into my crossbody bag to sign and pay.
“Huh? Fountain pen…”
Only then did I realize my special custom fountain pen was with Cedric.
“What’s wrong? Did you leave your fountain pen behind?”
“Uh…! I must have left it because I came out in a hurry.”
“Ugh. Totally showing you don’t study. Really.”
“Use mine. I’ll go out first. Come out after paying.”
When I roughly made an excuse to keep meeting Cedric a secret, Cesare handed over his fountain pen and left the cafe first.
‘Huk. Cesare… gave me his fountain pen…! Is it my birthday today?’
Cesare-nim, gave Lionel, a fountain pen! I almost hopped around, but I barely maintained my dignity and signed the bill.
I’m planning to pretend I forgot it and keep it, then return it when Cesare mentions it. So this is absolutely not stealing but borrowing.
Having obtained Cesare’s fountain pen and feeling like I hit the jackpot, I came out humming to the point that I completely forgot about my fountain pen.
I have several spare fountain pens anyway, so I can just consider one thrown away—not knowing how much this complacent thought would torment me later.
* * *
After that, for several days I became Cesare’s shadow, sticking right next to him and attending to him, so I couldn’t make any escape plans or anything.
“Ah, ah. Do, re, mi. Bad guy~. Bad guy~. Bad guy~. Cesare Yanox is the most despicable and bad guy in the world~.”
All I could do during that time was steel my heart every morning with this self-composed song including 3-stage high notes. Name: Self-brainwashing.
I felt like I had to do this or I’d fall for Cesare helplessly. No, my body had already fallen in with a splash, but I had to hold onto my reason somehow.
Cesare isn’t your average bad guy. Yesterday too, when I came to my senses, I had gone shopping together and bought him two outfits for no reason. 1500 torka in expenses. Money that an average commoner family could live on for a month.
But an ivory ruffle shirt that fits him crisply, pants that vividly show his firm butt line, and even black leather sleeve garters that emphasize his solid arm muscles!
Right. Thinking about it carefully, it’s not a useless expense. If I don’t buy and dress him in such well-fitting clothes, that’s wasting that wonderful face. It’s the crime of waste!
Remembering Cesare smiling with his eyes and asking if the clothes I bought him suited him well, I had to firmly hold my chest to not lose my mind.
No, honestly, a villain who shows cold gazes or contemptuous looks to others, but for the sole reason that he’s his right-hand man, lets down his guard and shows a ‘killer smile only to me’—who wouldn’t fall for that?
Of course, the problem was that killer smile actually commits murder…
*Thud.*
While lost in such useless thoughts on the way to the cafeteria, I bumped my nose into someone’s back.
“Ow! What bastard walks around without properly washing their eyes from morning? Don’t you wash your face properly? What are you trying to use the time saved from washing your face for?!”
“Sorry, Lionel! The path ahead is blocked so I can’t get out.”
“What. What’s going on that people are gathered like this? Are they giving two omelets each today?”
Ahead, students were gathered like clouds. Holding my throbbing nose from bumping into someone, I peeked out my head to look at the culprit, and a familiar and cheerful melody automatically played in my ears.
Ah, the chest is amazing, the chest is amazing.
A tall man with dazzling silver hair and called a legend of chests stood at the cafeteria entrance wearing a neat black academy uniform.
‘Ce-Cedric?!’
Why is that bastard at the cafeteria?
