Chapter 70
Lionel carried me in a way that felt very stable and secure.
I remembered the warmth and heartbeat I felt when I moved into the bluebird earlier. Being in his pocket as a bird and being in his arms as a person felt completely different—but the gentle rocking that made me feel safe stayed the same.
Although… his heartbeat seemed a bit fast.
‘Isn’t he overdoing it a little?’
Even someone strong wouldn’t find it easy to carry a person and walk.
I gently moved away from Lionel’s chest and spoke calmly.
“Please put me down. I want to walk myself.”
“No.”
“What? Why not?”
Lionel turned his head to look at me. The moonlight made his face hard to see, but even with his usual calm expression, his deep gaze felt like a muddy pit you could get lost in.
“I just don’t want to.”
“…Just?”
“Yes. Just don’t want to.”
I stared at him, drawn in, realizing only after a moment what he had said. ‘Wow, I got completely mesmerized.’
Even though he seemed oblivious, I had fallen for him on my own. Handsome men really were dangerous.
I looked away and cleared my throat.
“Are you cold? Do you need a heater?”
“I’m not cold. But is this position uncomfortable for you?”
“No, I’m fine…”
I wasn’t sure what to say.
“I said put me down. Don’t blame me tomorrow if you get sore muscles, okay?”
“Sore muscles?”
He tilted his head as if confused, then nodded. ‘So he thinks carrying me won’t cause sore muscles? He must be really strong.’
As I squinted at his arm, a huge greenhouse appeared before us.
This rose greenhouse was only for authorized people, but it had no magical security—just the staff made sure people avoided it. So bringing Lionel inside wasn’t a problem.
‘Sorry, Mother. I’ll keep it clean.’
Inside, the air was similar to outside, only a bit warmer. I pointed to a white table among the blooming roses.
“See that table? Let’s sit there and talk.”
“Understood.”
The bluebird landed on the table and began arranging its long tail feathers. While I looked for treats for it, Lionel sat down with me in his lap instead of putting me on another chair.
“Excuse me?”
He seemed to realize something and held my waist with one hand, interlocking our fingers with the other. Magic began flowing into me.
“Ah… this feels… amazing.”
The feeling of magic filling my empty body was like drinking cold water when extremely thirsty, or sinking into a warm bath after being exhausted.
Being in his arms made the contact larger, and the feeling of satisfaction deeper.
‘How did I just hold hands before?’
I clung to him like a sloth and asked, lifting my head slightly:
“Why did you really come here? To recharge my magic?”
He shook his head.
“I came because I wanted to see you.”
“…Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
It was a question I didn’t expect him to ask, so I felt more curious than flustered. ‘Did he have something else to do? Is that why he wanted to see me?’
He stayed silent for a long moment, looking down, then finally spoke:
“…Just.”
“Just again?”
“Yes.”
So he came just to see me, not for anything else. He nodded slightly, and I stared at him.
“Then you didn’t have a reason—you just wanted to see me?”
“Yes.”
He asked a little awkwardly:
“Do you need a clear reason?”
“No, it’s fine. I just mean you don’t know why you wanted to see me.”
He nodded after a brief silence. The way he avoided my gaze slightly made him seem a little cute.
‘He just wanted to see me.’
Even without a reason, I smiled, trying not to laugh, but eventually burst out laughing.
“You really don’t know? You fool. I think I know.”
“Do you?”
“Of course. You want to see me and be close, just because. Isn’t that love?”
‘I knew it would come to this.’
I smiled proudly at Lionel.
‘Admit it already!’
He blinked nervously, then quietly said:
“Maybe… it is.”
“Yes… it is. You feel it, don’t you?”
“I don’t know.”
He looked down, thinking. The bluebird landed on his head, pecking him as if to prompt an answer. Lionel caught it carefully, but it quickly flew into the roses.
‘Hope it doesn’t get hurt on the thorns.’
As I stood, he pulled me back into his lap. Our faces were now very close. He didn’t seem bothered, staring straight at me.
“One thing I’m sure of,” he said.
“…What?”
“I want to protect you. This time, for sure.”
His words surprised me. ‘He means the “Lily” he couldn’t protect when he was young.’ I felt a little ache in my heart thinking of that old memory.
“And…”
“And? …What?”
I lowered my gaze, nervous about the closeness. I suspected his fast heartbeat earlier was from carrying me. I placed my hand gently on his chest to feel it.
‘…Is it beating faster?’
Suddenly, his lips brushed mine on my forehead. My heart skipped. He didn’t flinch, and his heartbeat was now even faster.
“Someday, I’ll be able to say this feeling is love,” he whispered.
“….”
“Just…”
I didn’t know what to say. I closed my eyes and kissed him back
