I Proposed to My Childhood Friend After Regressing - Chapter 57

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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After Regression, I Proposed to My Childhood Friend
Episode 57
—Knock, knock.
“Clyde, Beatrice! May I come in for a moment? I have a letter to deliver…….”
“Shh.”
At the soft knock and the half-open door, Clyde brought his index finger to his lips and gestured for her to lower her voice.
No lengthy explanation was needed.
The maid checked where Clyde was pointing, then promptly set the letter on the table beside the door and closed it again.
In the stillness that returned, Clyde’s gaze shifted to the figure sprawled across the sofa in an odd position.
Beside Beatrice, who slept so deeply she could be carried away without waking, lay a few slices of thinly cut cucumber.
They were the ones he had handed her a moment ago, making an excuse and with great fanfare.
Clyde quietly collected the scattered cucumber slices and set them on a plate, then tapped her forehead lightly with the back of his hand.
“Take it easy. You only closed your eyes for a few minutes—you shouldn’t be sleeping that deeply.”
“Mm……. Tha, thank you……. Sparrow? Me?”
“You’re unbelievable. What on earth are you dreaming about?”
A laugh burst from him at the sudden sleep-talk, and he gazed at Beatrice with amusement.
He noticed her arm draped freely in disarray, her mouth hanging slightly open—though she had definitely been sitting when she fell asleep.
“Sigh.”
How was it that this remained so unchanged about her?
Clyde adjusted Beatrice’s position so she could sleep comfortably, then carefully draped the thin coat he had left on the chair over her.
She didn’t seem to realize it, but from the moment the maid entered the room with him, he had known she was reaching her limit.
The way her eyes blinked more frequently than usual, the way she had jested with bravado but her movements lagged by half a beat—all of it were telltale signs.
‘Most of all, up close, her eyes really were hollow.’
She must have gone without sleep the night before as well, wanting to continue just a bit longer.
After all, she had been genuinely delighted to learn that her recent research into Lumen Muscle Erosion Syndrome was helping people.
‘She must be pouring all her strength and effort into it.’
In the process, she likely glossed over the accumulation of fatigue and the wasting of her body.
‘If I pointed it out directly, she’d probably claim it wasn’t a big deal and pretend to be tough again.’
Perhaps because they had grown up like siblings from childhood, Beatrice had a tendency to become childishly stubborn exclusively in front of him.
‘What was it she said? That there’s something oddly defiant about it?’
No.
She had said it was because she hated the sight of that distinctive languid smile he wore whenever he won.
‘Really, if that’s the case, she could just not engage with me.’
If Beatrice heard this reasoning, she would counter that he did the same thing.
But there was one difference: the reason Clyde playfully acted childish in front of Beatrice was to see her reaction, unlike her—something she did for her own sake.
In any case, this sort of tug-of-war of concern, which would seem ridiculous to others, was like an unspoken flirtation between the two of them.
A wordless dance they would let pass even after discovering they’d been caught.
“……She really does sleep well.”
After watching Beatrice sleep deeply for a long while, Clyde withdrew his gaze and rose from his seat.
He poured Mulled Wine from among the drinks the maids had prepared on the table into a glass and slowly made his way to the window.
The warm aroma of the Mulled Wine mingled softly with Beatrice’s breathing, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
In contrast, beyond the window, a rather bustling scene unfolded.
Servants working for the Marquis Territory.
At first glance, it was nothing more or less than diligent work…….
—Creak.
Through the slightly open window, outside voices drifted in faintly and intermittently.
“……where is he?”
“Can’t see him……. Wait, just now…….”
“Then perhaps…….”
Even without hearing the full conversation, he could guess what they were discussing so seriously.
Clyde closed the window that had been slightly ajar.
Then he gazed down calmly at the people consulting earnestly, his blue eyes serene and composed.
“I haven’t mentioned it separately since there aren’t many days left to stay in the Marquis Territory…….”
To be honest, the way things were unfolding lately didn’t sit well with him.
Especially the manner in which the Downer family was making a concerted effort to pair Cassian and Beatrice together.
It wasn’t jealousy as a man, or possessiveness or anything of that sort. What would be the word?
‘Regardless of intent, it feels like a rabbit drive, and I don’t care for it.’
He didn’t think their intentions or attempts were inherently wrong. After all, the right coincidence and surprise could become a new catalyst.
But surely, to anyone’s eyes, Beatrice right now showed no interest in matters of romance.
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say she lacked the leisure to enjoy such an atmosphere.
If that weren’t the case, she wouldn’t collapse and fall asleep the way she did now.
‘Then shouldn’t they know how to let things be, regardless of what feelings they harbor or what they expect?’
At least, that was how he treated his family and those dear to him.
Clyde had always been adept at noticing the subtle emotions that flowed between people and the small gaps hidden behind outwardly displayed attitudes.
Whether that was an innate talent or the fate of being the second son caught between accomplished siblings, he couldn’t say, but in any case.
He had grown accustomed to reading what others wanted, and as he matured, he had learned the art of resolving matters naturally so the other person wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.
Much like the way he had lulled Beatrice to sleep just now.
‘If, by any chance, Beatrice desired it…….’
As he continued his thoughts while gazing down at the servants, he suddenly recalled something that had happened in the garden not long ago.
That moment when he had seen Cassian and Beatrice picking up a fallen object together.
The instant he saw Cassian handing over the box with a slight pull back and a smile, his body moved before his mind could catch up.
‘……Now that I think about it, why did I do that?’
When he considered it, that wasn’t a situation where someone was pushing Beatrice unilaterally the way they were now. There had been no forced atmosphere created.
‘If he stepped outside his public role as her “husband,” it was a natural and ordinary flow. And yet…….’
‘Could it be…….’
Clyde turned briefly to look back at Beatrice, sleeping so peacefully.
Though he had taken care to lay her down properly, she had already knocked off the jacket he’d draped over her and let her head drop halfway toward the floor.
Reflexively, he caught her forehead with his hand, and in that instant, Clyde dismissed the thought that had flickered across his mind.
“No. That can’t be it.”
It had to be that memories from before the Regression were still etched strongly in his mind.
Until quite recently, he had been so obsessed with Beatrice’s safety that even he found it strange.
‘And it hasn’t even completely resolved yet.’
Moreover, considering that Beatrice was the only fellow Returnee who could fully understand him now…….
‘It’s easy enough to get confused.’
Having reached that conclusion, Clyde picked up the fallen jacket again and draped it over Beatrice.
It was difficult for him to name all the feelings he held for Beatrice right now, but there was one thing on which they agreed: her own reasoning.
‘Honestly, if you really liked me, the feeling would’ve come consistently. You’re just a really kind person! And since I collapsed, I think you also feel sorry toward the Dalton household.’
‘What do you mean the feeling comes consistently?’
‘You know what I mean. When we meet, there’s that—beep beep—and like—whoosh—thing that happens. You know?’
Love was an emotion with such a strong sense of self that one could not help but know when they had fallen in love, so loud was its presence.
While one might not know the exact answer, at least one could know the reason or moment one fell in love.
So that he had unconsciously wedged himself between the two of them at that moment was a kind of protective instinct.
For now, Clyde concluded as much.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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