Your Grace, It Was a Mistake! - Chapter 10

Lennox wanted to snap the ropes on his wrists immediately, pull her close, and devour those lips. He wanted to bite her, taste her, and then…

‘I’ve truly become a madman,’ Lennox mocked himself. If he ever lost his mind completely one day, it would undoubtedly be because of Vivian Lewis.

He exhaled a long breath and repeated himself. “I like it when Vivian bites me.”

“Really…?”

“Yes, really.”

Vivian beamed as brightly as sunlight. Looking at her joyful face made Lennox feel as though his heart had stopped.

“Then I’ll bite you, Your Grace.”

“Do whatever you wish.”

Slowly lowering her head, Vivian pressed her lips against his again. This time, following his instructions, she nibbled lightly on his lower lip.

‘She could bite harder if she wanted.’

He wondered what that would feel like. With her personality, she probably won’t bite hard… Even so, after that single nip, she remained still with her lips pressed against his. Lennox wondered if she truly didn’t know how to kiss, or if she knew the theory but found the practice difficult. Given she was an avid romance reader, it was likely the latter.

‘500 Shades… what kind of novel is that anyway?’

Deciding he would have to find a copy and read it later, Lennox softly blew his breath into the space between her lips.

“…!”

Startled, Vivian hurriedly pulled away. Her face was dyed a deep crimson. Lennox gave a broad smirk.

“This is how you do it.”

“Aaaaah!”

Vivian let out a low scream, looking as though she might die of embarrassment. Lennox was delighted. She was this flustered by such a small gesture; he wondered how red she would turn if he did something even more intense.

After a moment of thought, Lennox asked abruptly, “Vivian, do you want to marry me?”

Vivian’s eyes grew as large as full moons, and she gaped at him with a look of pure shock.

“Marry…?” she muttered blankly. “Me? With the Grand Duke…?”

She looked as though she couldn’t believe her own ears. Lennox listened intently to her mumbling.

“How could I ever marry the Grand Duke…”

Vivian suddenly began to tear up. Lennox shifted restlessly, panicked. He wanted to reach out and hold her, but with his hands tied, he was helpless.

‘Dammit, this rope… should I just snap it?’

While he wrestled with the decision, Vivian suddenly crashed her lips into his again.

“Ugh…!”

It was so forceful it actually hurt, leaving his lips stinging. But it didn’t feel bad. In fact…

‘…I actually like this.’

Lennox questioned his tastes for the first time. Was I the type who enjoyed being bullied? No, I definitely prefer being the one in control.

‘Is it just because it’s Vivian?’

If it were her, it felt like being the “bully” or the “bullied” were both equally fine. Lennox had awakened to a new preference. He truly, desperately wanted to read that 500 Shades book now.

Meanwhile, Vivian kept her lips pressed against his. She opened her eyes slightly, seemed to think for a second, and then cautiously began to move her lips.

“…!”

Lennox’s mind went completely blank. This was on a different level from when he had initiated it. The fact that Vivian had kissed him first was an immense stimulus. A thrill ran through his entire body like a shower of sparks.

Lennox barely held onto the thread of his sanity. But soon, he instinctively began to suck on her lips.

“Mmm…!”

Her soft moan only fueled his heat. Vivian, gripping his shoulders tightly with both hands, trembled slightly. Lennox hungrily explored her lips as if he were a man dying of thirst. That he managed to not snap the ropes even then was a testament to his superhuman mental strength.

“Huuu, haaa—”

Lennox broke the kiss, and Vivian gasped for air. It seemed this lady didn’t even know how to breathe through her nose while kissing.

As he slowly returned to his senses, Lennox let out a dry laugh, feeling a twinge of self-reproach. He felt like he had committed a crime.

‘You’d better snap out of it now, Vivian.’

There was nothing good to be gained by her provoking him further. He was confident he wouldn’t make a mistake, but then again… He wanted to protect her. And…

‘I want to claim her formally.’

He had endured five years for this. Lennox knew the status gap between them was vast. Therefore, he had to show the world that he was serious about her. Only then would people refrain from whispering nonsense. He didn’t want Vivian to ever hear the words “a woman the Grand Duke played with and discarded.”

‘I’ll kill anyone who says such things, but still…’

Lennox’s blue eyes turned cold for a fleeting second before warming again. He smiled at Vivian.

“Vivian, when are you going to snap out of it?”

“…I can’t marry the Grand Duke.”

“Why? You can just do it.”

Vivian shook her head. She spoke with a gloomy face. “Father won’t allow it.”

Lennox’s eyebrows twitched. “Count Lewis?”

Vivian nodded and answered, “Your Grace’s status is too high. Father said people can only be happy if they marry someone of similar standing.”

“That’s the Count’s opinion. Mine is different.”

Vivian stared at him as if asking him to elaborate. Looking at those transparent eyes, Lennox wondered if she was actually back to her senses. He spoke in a soft, soothing voice.

“You like me this much—do you think you’d be happy marrying someone else?”

“…”

Vivian had no answer. Her face slowly distorted until she looked ready to cry. Seeing that, Lennox’s composure crumbled instantly.

‘Ah, dammit. I made her cry.’

Thick tears began to fall from Vivian’s eyes. The transparent droplets rolled down onto Lennox’s chest. Lennox spoke in a voice that was uncharacteristically flustered.

“Vivian, don’t cry. You can just marry me.”

“Sniff… Lennox Glen, you idiot!”

Vivian, sobbing loudly, suddenly called him by his name and insulted him. Lennox’s eyes went wide. He asked in a voice tinged with amusement, “Vivian, did you just call me by my name?”

“What do you know! You don’t know anything!”

“Vivian…”

As Lennox tried to speak again, Vivian began to pummel him.

Pound! Pound!

She beat his chest mercilessly. But instead of being painful, it felt refreshing. It felt like his stiff muscles were being massaged.

“…Vivian, are you giving me a massage?”

“…! No, I’m not!”

Vivian began to hit him even harder. Looking at her resentful face pained his heart, but he couldn’t stop thinking she was cute.

“It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Ack!”

“It feels like being swiped by a rabbit’s paw.”

“Ugh…!”

Insulted, Vivian glared at him with a flushed face. Lennox smirked, finding it fun to tease her. Ah, I shouldn’t be doing this. We were having a serious conversation.

Glaring at the laughing man, Vivian said resentfully, “Your Grace, I hate you, you’re so annoying…”

That sounds about half-sincere, Lennox thought. He laughed lowly and made an impulsive confession.

“I love you.”

“…?”

“I love you, though.”

“…What?”

When Vivian asked back in disbelief, Lennox pondered for a moment. Love? Yes, this was definitely what love felt like. His heart raced when he saw her, he felt crazy with excitement, and she was so precious he could hardly stand it. If this wasn’t love, what was?

Lennox nodded, satisfied with his conclusion. “I think I love you, not just ‘like’ you. Yes.”

“What…?”

As if suffering from cognitive dissonance, Vivian seemed to glitch. She stood there with her rabbit-like eyes wide and her lips trembling.

“…Your Grace,” she finally said after a long silence. “You shouldn’t tell such lies…!”

Lennox was taken aback by her face, which looked truly wounded. A despair far deeper than before clouded her features. Lennox sensed that now was the time to untie the ropes. He had to hold her and comfort her. Just as he was about to exert force on his bound hands—

“…Vivian?”

Vivian’s eyes, which had been glaring at him, suddenly glazed over. She looked dazed, as if her soul had left her body. Lennox’s heart sank. Surely, her mind hasn’t been damaged?

“…No, no, Vivian. Snap out of it!” Lennox shouted urgently.

Just as he was about to snap the rope for real, a spark of life returned to Vivian’s eyes. Lennox held his breath and looked up at her. He had never been this afraid in his life.

“Uh…?”

Slowly, reason returned to her eyes. Vivian examined her own body and then looked down at him. Lennox swallowed a sigh of relief, realizing she was finally herself again.

‘Haa, thank God!’

Before he could finish the thought, Vivian’s sharp scream rang through the room.

“Aaaaah!”

She scrambled off his body and scurried to the corner of the bed. Lennox felt a bit slighted. She was the one who pounced on me and bit me just a moment ago.

She stared at his body, froze stiff, and then tumbled off the bed with a loud Thud. Lennox winced at the sound. She isn’t hurt, is she?

He looked down anxiously, only to hear the sound of hysterical laughter from the floor.

“Ah, ahahaha…”

‘…Did she hit her head?’

He wondered if she remembered what happened while she was bewitched. Lennox thought for a moment and decided to test her.

“Why? Why didn’t you finish what you were doing?”

He would never forget the look on her face when he said that.

Afterward, Lennox had been reckless, teasing her because she claimed not to remember anything.

‘Didn’t you say you wanted to make a mess of me?’

He even made things up just to fluster her. It was wicked, but he couldn’t stop because her reactions were so adorable. And thanks to Vivian falling for his bait hook, line, and sinker, he had gained an unexpected prize.

‘A contract relationship…’

Returning from his flashback, Lennox’s lips curled into a wide, satisfied grin. A maid organizing his clothes almost fainted at the sight, but Lennox didn’t notice.

‘A contract relationship is still a relationship.’

Vivian was probably still deluding herself, but Lennox intended to date her seriously. And exactly one week later, he would send a formal marriage proposal to the Lewis estate.

“Break up after a year? Not a chance.”

Lennox laughed darkly. He had let her be because her little brain was working so hard, but he was never the kind of fool to be satisfied with a mere contract.

“Of course, we’re getting married.”

What do you think I waited five years for? Vivian wouldn’t know. During those five years, she was his target, and he had no intention of ever letting her go.

“I’ll catch you perfectly and never let go, so just wait, my lady.”

Just a little longer and they would be together. Lennox looked out the window toward her home with a satisfied smile, blissfully unaware that a rumor was spreading among his vassals that “the Master has finally lost his mind.”

The next morning, two knights woke up and smiled at each other. They had both had incredibly sweet dreams… What happened before they fell asleep? They remembered a gentle-looking lady approaching them and putting candy in their mouths…

“…Wait, what was that candy?”

“I don’t know… but where are we?”

They thought they were in the barracks, but they were outside. Looking around, it seemed like the Grand Ducal gardens, but there was a chilling draft.

“Are you awake?”

At the desolate voice that sounded as if it were waiting for them, the two knights slowly turned their heads. Their master, radiating a demonic aura, stood with his back to the sun, looking down at them. Both knights saw “that” master give a wide, terrifying grin.

“You’re dead.”

That morning, screams begging for death echoed throughout the Grand Ducal estate.

‘I will send a letter and a gift tomorrow morning. Please look forward to it.’

A gift…! I’m getting a gift from the Grand Duke for the first time in my life! And even a handwritten letter! What do I do? I’m so happy. My heart is racing so fast I can’t stand it. I wouldn’t be this happy even on my birthday.

‘It’s a goodnight kiss. Have sweet dreams, Vivian.’

The Grand Duke kissed my cheek, and I smiled like an idiot with my face burning, and then—

“Gasp.”

I woke up.

‘Ugh. I actually dreamed about what happened yesterday.’

And specifically, the part where the Grand Duke was being kind… My subconscious is certainly honest. Does it really like him that much? I shook my head vigorously.

‘Let’s have breakfast first.’

I’m hungry. My stomach was growling fiercely, demanding food. I threw a robe over my pajamas and pulled the cord next to my bed to call a maid.

“Did you call, My Lady?”

“Yes. I’d like some breakfast first.”

“Yes. I’ll prepare it for you.”

Emma, who has been my personal maid since I was a child, was quick on the uptake. As I waited for her, she soon appeared with a large tray.

“You slept in today, My Lady,” she asked as she set the table.

“Mmm.”

I turned my head away, avoiding her gaze. I pretended to look out the window, and Emma didn’t ask any more questions. But I could feel her eyes on me, and I knew she was curious about last night.

‘She must be wondering if the Grand Duke and I are really dating, right?’

Dating. The word felt so surreal. Me, dating the Grand Duke! Even if it was just a contract.

‘Still, I must be the first person to ever be the Grand Duke’s lover, right?’

He was well past marriageable age, but he had never been in a deep relationship with anyone until now.

‘Well, until a few hours ago.’

In the early hours of yesterday, the Grand Duke got a girlfriend. And that’s me. Hehehe. I poked a grilled sausage with my fork and grinned. I felt Emma looking at me strangely, but I ignored her and put the sausage in my mouth. The meat snapped, and savory juices flowed out. I proceeded to devour the fried eggs, bacon, and tomatoes. It was so delicious I could cry. Haa, I must have been really hungry.

“Phew…”

That was a good meal. After drinking some cold herbal tea to finish, I was about to sigh when Emma approached. “Are you finished?” When I nodded, she smiled and began to clear the table. “I’ll help you with your bath in five minutes.”

“Okay, thanks.”

By the time I finished my bath with Emma’s help, it was 11:20 AM. Ugh, I really did sleep in. If I ran into Cassian outside, he would definitely tease me.

‘That brat.’

He was cute when he was little, but he became more annoying as he grew up, and now he bullies me at every turn. Wait, what did he say in the early morning?

“My sister is so cute that I might just go insane one day, yes.”

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