Siena Dating Agency - Chapter 24

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

24.

Of course, the shirt wasn’t so seriously burdensome in its design.

It was just that… Lian himself had such a good physique that the problem was the shirt fitting too tightly.

The silhouette of his muscles showed through the thin fabric, and his skin tone was visible.

‘Clinging to me like a cicada in such a scandalous state, really…’

I’m a Confucian girl, so I couldn’t help but be conscious of this man.

I could feel my heart racing like a runaway locomotive.

I hypnotized myself with a voice that resembled my breathing.

“Please get it together, please…”

Of course, I acknowledge that Lian de Vicelle is handsome and has a perfect physique too.

‘His visuals are beyond words.’

Even his body scent is pleasant, constantly tickling my nose.

But I knew all too well.

What good is it if only the outside is well-made?

This guy’s core is exactly the same as Chase.

Lian must be dressing like that and walking around with the purpose of charming women on the street.

How do I know?

‘Because Chase does exactly that.’

And among the female fish that Lian has his eye on, I would be included too.

I clenched my jaw and made a fist.

A mutter escaped me naturally.

“Me, a fish…!”

Lian de Vicelle.

‘You probably thought that if you approached me in such attire, I’d be interested in a Casanova like you, but absolutely not.’

W-well, of course I’m conscious of it, but I’m definitely not fluttered.

‘It would be shameful as the director of a relationship counseling center to fall for such pathetic tricks.’

So let’s not think about anything.

‘Don’t attach any meaning to what this guy says or does.’

Just then, Lian suddenly whispered in my ear.

“Center Director, do you want to go to the sea?”

It was a random question.

I looked up and met Lian’s gaze.

“Pardon…? The sea?”

“Yeah.”

“Suddenly?”

“Because you just muttered ‘fish,’ Center Director.”

I thought I said it quietly, but Lian must have heard it.

I shook my head quickly.

“Oh, no. It’s just…”

“…”

“It’s hot…, so I guess I want to eat fish dishes.”

Even I could tell it was serious nonsense.

‘Damn, I must look strange.’

I looked elsewhere unnecessarily while making excuses.

“F-fish dishes are said to cool down a person’s body temperature, I heard that somewhere…”

“…”

“It’s a famous story in the southern regions of the Empire. Even if you, being from the Kingdom, wouldn’t know, I, being a native of the Empire, have heard of it, you know?”

Lian stared at me like that and opened his mouth once more.

“Center Director.”

A faint breath touched my ear.

Even though there were only the two of us in the alley anyway, Lian was deliberately lowering his voice and whispering.

I replied with a hardened expression.

“What.”

Then Lian suddenly grabbed my cheek.

My eyes widened at the sudden action.

“Wha, whath? Why are you thoudenly grathbing…”

(Wha, what? Why are you suddenly grabbing…)

Buried in his large hand, my pronunciation became slurred and garbled.

Lian, who had been staring at me intently, pinched my cheek.

“Cold, right?”

Indeed, his hand was very cold.

Cold enough to make me think, ‘Is this person sick somewhere…?’

‘Come to think of it, even though it’s this hot, his complexion is pale.’

Strangely, Lian had sweat beading on his forehead like me, but only his complexion was pale as if he were cold.

Even wearing a see-through shirt because of the weather.

‘What is it, is he really sick somewhere?’

But I didn’t bother to ask.

Lian and I weren’t close enough to worry about each other’s health.

‘What’s the point of me worrying about this person.’

I brushed it off roughly.

“Y-yes. Your hand is cold.”

“I’m adjusting my body temperature so you won’t be hot, Center Director.”

Adjusting body temperature, what kind of nonsense is that…

‘He’s really lost his mind properly.’

It seemed like Lian was only pale in complexion but not actually sick.

I pulled his hand away.

“That’s enough… I’m fine now. Stop it.”

“Hm? Center Director.”

But Lian quickly grabbed my hand.

My hand was covered as if swallowed by his pot-lid-sized palm.

‘I always feel this, but his hands are incredibly large.’

Lian bent his upper body to match my eye level.

“Are you really okay?”

“O-of course.”

“Tell me honestly.”

“What do you want me to tell you honestly? What could be wrong with me?”

“…”

“It’s summer now. It’s naturally hot because it’s summer.”

I babbled anything while rolling my eyes to the side.

In my peripheral vision, I could see Lian staring at me intently.

Finally, he spoke up.

“Strange. You say you’re fine, but why does your face keep getting red?”

It was utterly absurd.

‘My face is red…?’

I quickly rubbed my cheek.

As he said, my face was hot as if a burning coal had been placed on it.

‘Wha, what?’

It’s not hot enough to cause such fever…

Then suddenly, Lian’s see-through shirt caught my sight once again.

And I also felt his blatant gaze looking down at me.

My face heated up once again.

‘No, crazy. Am I going crazy?’

Whether Lian was wearing a see-through shirt, whether he was pressed close to me.

These were all familiar things.

‘So why am I being so embarrassed, myself?’

I made excuses without being able to meet Lian’s eyes.

“What… No. It’s not red. Don’t make things up.”

“But it is red?”

Lian’s index finger poked my cheek.

As his finger pressed into my skin, heat suddenly bloomed at that spot.

“I said it’s not.”

“I can see it clearly with my own eyes. The Center Director’s face is red like an apple.”

“To see someone’s face as red in broad daylight like this, you must have vision problems.”

“Is that so?”

Lian tilted his head slightly.

Making a ‘hmm’ sound through his nose, he said.

“I suppose that must be it. The Center Director has hearing problems, and I have vision problems.”

“…”

“We really are a match made in heaven. Worth choosing to remarry.”

It was another parade of nonsense.

‘Ugh…’

I snapped back with a serious expression.

“Match made in heaven my foot, I can hear just fine, you know? Don’t get the wrong idea.”

Then I turned my head away before Lian could say anything.

‘I won’t make eye contact.’

If I met those crimson eyes, I’d obviously get swept up by this man again.

I stared at the atelier aimlessly.

‘I’m acting like this because of the heat. It must be heat exhaustion.’

Otherwise, there was no way I’d be sweating profusely like I’d entered a sauna just from paying attention to Lian’s shirt.

I fanned myself with my hand to pass the time.

Clop clop, clop clop.

Before long, the sound of hoofbeats could be heard, and a carriage began to come into view.

The crest with a white horse drawn on it—it was the House of Beloster’s carriage.

‘Johan has arrived.’

Johan would wait inside the carriage for a while, then make his entrance at the right time.

Before that, Lian and I had to position ourselves inside the atelier in advance.

I grabbed Lian’s shirt sleeve.

“The Marquis has arrived. Let’s hurry.”

Though I still wasn’t looking at him.

As I strode forward forcefully, Lian’s gentle voice hit me from behind.

“Yes yes, let’s hurry.”

Today too, his tone was completely relaxed as if he were drunk.

But… Lian’s way of speaking and voice didn’t feel particularly unpleasant.

Everything must be because I had heat exhaustion.

* * *

Siena and Lian entered Valerie Atelier.

The employees’ gazes all focused on them at once.

“Welcome to Valerie Atelier.”

One of the female employees approached the two of them.

Siena immediately recognized her.

‘Huh? This person…’

Isn’t this the employee who guided us last time?

“What are you looking for today?”

Reddish-brown bobbed hair and freckles dotting her cheeks.

It was definitely that female employee from before.

Even the employee seemed to remember Siena and Lian.

“…Ah.”

The woman who had been approaching to serve customers stiffened her expression slightly after confirming the two people’s faces.

‘That cold look, those chilly eyes…’

Siena immediately caught on to what the employee was thinking.

‘Oh damn.’

The employee was regarding them as ‘that troublesome couple who made a scene, only browsed without buying anything.’

‘This is bad…’

We need to stay as inconspicuous as possible, but if this happens, we’ll become the ones being watched instead.

‘What should I do about this.’

We hadn’t even started the second commission yet, but we’d run into an unexpected obstacle right from the start.

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