My Unrequited Love Is an Absolute Secret - Chapter 42

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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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Chapter 42

Aemerus’s voice, drowsy from sleep, was languid beyond measure, and his eyes remained half-lidded.
Yet to me, he had never looked more dependable.
“Will you do that for me?”
No, Aemerus was already tired enough—I should just let him sleep.
While I hesitated, he rubbed his eyes and sat up, raising his torso.
As he stretched with a languid motion, his frame was so taut and graceful it seemed impossible he was a high school student.
With just that simple movement, he shook off the remnants of sleep and gestured to me with his chin.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Where?”
Where could he possibly want to go at this hour?
Back in Korea, we could sit on a convenience store terrace and eat ice cream while talking, but this was the United States.
Seeing my confusion, he let out a deflating laugh.
“To your room. We can’t wake your parents.”
“Oh.”
Our voices could have disturbed my parents’ or Robin’s sleep.
Understanding, I led him to the second-floor room.
I had never once thought it was small.
But now, with Aemerus’s presence alone, the space felt completely filled.
Should I not have brought him to my room?
I had invited him, yet now I felt awkward and hesitant.
Of course, Aemerus, with no intention of leaving, confidently claimed the chair in front of my desk.
Naturally, I found myself sitting on the bed across from him.
With only the small lamp beside the bed on, we could barely see each other’s faces, but somehow that felt more comfortable.
“Did you have a nightmare earlier?”
At Aemerus’s question, I nodded slightly.
“I thought I actually heard something. But I guess it was just a dream.”
“That makes sense. What happened today was pretty shocking.”
“For someone saying that, you sure slept well.”
At my retort, Aemerus shrugged.
“Look on the bright side. Maybe this experience will become inspiration for your lyrics.”
“What?”
Whether he noticed my incredulous stare or not, he improvised lyrics on the spot.
“For example, something like ‘You broke into my heart like a thief.’ How’s that? Didn’t I just sound like Taylor Swift?”
“Taylor Swift, seriously?”
Comparing himself to the singer-songwriter who was practically the idol of American girls—was he in his right mind?
I’m laughing now simply because it’s absurd.
Thanks to that, the tension that had been hanging between us somehow dissipated.
“You just focus on Hockey Team.”
I playfully nudged him with a plush toy that happened to be beside me.
“A Golden Retriever?”
He snatched the toy in a blink and asked.
“Oh, that. Jessie bought it for me.”
It was a plush toy Jessie had bought when we went to IKEA together long ago.
“Since I was young, raising a dog has been my dream. But my parents are busy, and Robin is still too young, so there’s no way I could take care of a dog.”
So I was making do with a plush toy instead.
Aemerus listened quietly to my words and examined the toy carefully.
“This one’s blonde too.”
“Huh?”
“So you really do like anything as long as it’s blonde….”
“That’s not true!”
My face burned hot as I understood his words a beat too late.
I snatched the toy from Aemerus’s hands and hit him repeatedly, but he just chuckled and laughed.
“I’m telling you, I don’t only like blonde hair. I like brown hair too, and black hair as well.”
Of course, Aemerus didn’t believe me at all.
“Then name me three or more men with black hair that you like.”
“Marcus Delgado.”
“Good. Next.”
“Dad and Robin.”
“Family doesn’t count.”
He was being unnecessarily picky.
I rolled my eyes and desperately racked my brain.
But since I’d harbored a long-standing crush on Jessie, I never paid attention to anyone unless they reminded me of him—and he had blonde hair.
‘Do I really have some kind of blonde hair fetish I don’t even know about?’
Otherwise, how could I not even name three men with black hair?
I felt a wave of self-deprecation wash over me as I glanced at Aemerus.
“…You?”
“Fine. I’ll believe you now—that you like men with black hair too.”
“This is ridiculous….”
After exchanging such foolish banter with him, sleep suddenly came over me.
This time, it felt like I could sleep deeply without any nightmares.
“I’m sleepy.”
“Go ahead. If you seem to be having a nightmare, I’ll wake you up.”
I didn’t refuse and lay down.
“What about you?”
“I need to make sure you’re sleeping well before I leave.”
“Okay….”
It was reassuring to have him by my side.
I hugged the Golden Retriever plush toy to my chest and closed my eyes.
“Thank you, Aemerus.”
“Just sleep. Then I can go to bed too.”
Despite his somewhat gruff rebuke, I let out a small laugh.
I knew he wasn’t truly annoyed with me.
Slipping my hand beneath the pillow and settling into a more comfortable position, drowsiness gradually began to overtake me.
I surrendered to the encroaching tide of sleep and drifted off.
Even after noticing the change in my breathing, Aemerus remained seated in the chair for some time longer.
Unlike before, I seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.
Though he knew he should leave, Aemerus lingered, using his concern as an excuse.
‘Just a little longer….’
If not now, when else would he ever see me sleeping like this?
Only after indulging his selfish desires to the fullest did Aemerus reluctantly rise from his seat.
It would be far from ideal if he were caught leaving my room.
‘I’ve only just barely made a good impression on Harry’s parents.’
He couldn’t destroy the fruits of his hard work with his own hands.
“Mmm….”
I stirred restlessly in my sleep.
Aemerus straightened the blanket over me, but ultimately couldn’t resist temptation and lowered his head.
Faint breath tickled against his skin.
If he were to lower his head just a little further, he could taste my lips.
How soft would they be?
How sweet?
How….
All his senses converged on those delicate lips.
On the verge of kissing me, he forced himself to stop with every ounce of willpower.
Instead, he gently pressed his forehead against mine, pouring his longing into the gesture.
Even that alone made his heart thunder wildly.
‘I can’t stay here any longer.’
He could no longer fully trust his own restraint.
As he exhaled and pulled his body back, the Golden Retriever plush caught his eye.
‘I don’t like it.’
The fact that Jessie had bought it, that it had golden fur, that it lay nestled in my arms—he disliked it all.
He carefully extracted the plush from my embrace.
The small dog dangled pitifully from his hand, its tail swaying.
“Sleep well, Lili.”
It was a pet name he could only call her by cowardly, after she had fallen asleep.
Aemerus smiled bitterly and left my room.

***

“Haaah.”
I stretched languidly with a yawn, my body extending luxuriously.
Thanks to falling asleep while talking with Aemerus, I’d slept soundly without a single nightmare.
I’d slept so deeply that I didn’t wake until nearly noon.
“Oh, I slept way too long.”
Not long ago, I would have scrambled out of bed in a panic, worried about being late for my weekend shift.
But I’d quit my part-time job after discussing it with the Ice Cream Shop Owner.
Since I’d already purchased Jessie’s birthday gift—my original goal—there was no reason to keep working.
“How long has it been since I’ve slept in like this?”
I was luxuriating in the comfort of my blankets when I suddenly came to my senses.
“Aemerus!”
Surely he wasn’t alone in our house, was he?
He must be bored. And probably hungry too….
Without even bothering to fix my disheveled bedhead, I hurried down the stairs.
[Honey, you’re up? Sleep well—I deliberately didn’t wake you. Your dad did good, right?]
[Huh?]
But it wasn’t Aemerus who greeted me on the first floor.
‘Mom and Robin are at play therapy, sure, but why is Dad home instead of at the Restaurant?’
No matter how much I’d sung his praises about resting at home, my father had stubbornly gone to work at the Restaurant every day.
[You didn’t go to the Restaurant? By the way, where’s Aemerus?]
[They say raising children is pointless. Is your boyfriend more important than your dad?]
[He’s not my boyfriend!]
Seeing me panic at the thought of Aemerus overhearing, my father laughed heartily.
[Your boyfriend already went home. What time do you think it is?]
[What?]
He left without even saying goodbye.
I felt an oddly sharp pang of disappointment.
‘He could have just woken me up.’
What urgent business could he possibly have on a weekend morning?
My shoulders sagged and my lips pouted.
Unaware of my hurt feelings, my father chuckled.
[Aemerus said you were quite shocked by what happened yesterday. Until the culprit is caught, I’ll stay home with you, so don’t worry.]
[Ah….]
Only then did I understand why my father hadn’t gone to work, and I sighed.
[I’m sorry, sweetheart. Something so serious happened yesterday, and I couldn’t even protect you.]
[It’s fine. Aemerus was there.]
[That’s the problem. A grown man and woman out so late at night…!]
[You didn’t say anything when I was with Jessie.]
[Jessie is family. That guy is different.]
But they’re both men—what’s the difference supposed to be?
Harry clicked her tongue quietly in frustration.
[Come to think of it, Aemerus had a message for you.]
[What?]
Harry’s head snapped up.
[He says he’s holding your golden puppy hostage. What on earth is that supposed to mean?]
A golden puppy?
Before Harry could even explain anything to her father, her jaw dropped and she bolted up the stairs to the second floor.

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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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