That’s Not What Kissing Means! - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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That’s not what kissing means!

Episode 12

Warm sunlight poured over the head of the bed.

Theo just lay still despite the brightening morning.

He had been swept up in an indescribable feeling since yesterday.

The familiar air felt sweet, and the gray world was changing into something colorful.

In the end, he had stayed awake all night with his eyes open.

Evelyn’s afterimage had tormented Theo terribly.

Her slightly curly pink hair, and her straight, piercing blue eyes.

He already missed her cheerful voice.

But the moment he would never forget was…

When Evelyn came running to save him.

Her worried face repeatedly unfolded in his mind.

“Trust no one.”

Theo muttered to himself. Words he could never forget.

“You can only give your heart when you can feel the other person’s sincerity completely.”

Then he tilted his head.

“Rather than giving it, it’s been completely stolen.”

Falling for Evelyn was like an unexpected accident.

The solid walls he had built up over the years had melted away in an instant.

The sincerity Evelyn offered came rushing like a tidal wave and swept over him.

It was an ecstatic moment he couldn’t let go of, even if his whole body got soaked and he might drown.

Theo touched his own lips.

The soft sensation he had tasted yesterday still felt vividly real.

He suppressed the urge to go to Evelyn right away.

After the difficult mountain trek followed by a hangover, she must be very tired.

‘I noticed yesterday that she likes to eat.’

At the lodging and at the restaurant, her eyes lit up every time she ate something delicious.

Theo naturally thought of the first-class restaurants in the capital he could visit with Evelyn.

But that was all.

He couldn’t think of any other date courses beyond that.

He had never experienced difficulties in human relationships before.

He was skilled at conversation that maintained superiority without revealing himself, and easily handled given tasks.

Moreover, he had never felt longing for another person.

But this time was different.

He wanted Evelyn to think well of him.

Beyond simple favor, he wanted to develop into a deeper relationship.

That’s why he had revealed all of his feelings after kissing her.

He confessed his sincerity with all his might because he wanted to persuade Evelyn.

Even after returning to the capital, he hoped to become her person.

Evelyn was a wonderful and lovable woman.

To become someone equal to her…

‘I’ll have to work tirelessly.’

It would be more difficult than all the battles he had fought so far.

Theo sat up.

It was the breakfast time he had been waiting for.

He moved his steps while thinking of Evelyn who would be seated at the dining table.

Perhaps due to his excited mood, his chest felt ticklish as if filled with cotton.

When he came down to the first floor of the lodging, his subordinates were sitting sparsely around the wide table having conversations.

Among them was Oliver, who had lost his vitality and was trembling.

Theo looked around and asked.

“Where is Evelyn?”

Is she still sleeping? She shouldn’t skip meals.

However, Victor’s response blew away Theo’s worries.

“She returned to the capital.”

What…?

Theo’s eyes, which rarely showed surprise, widened.

And he doubted his own hearing.

“Why did she leave…?”

Victor was busy knitting and didn’t see his lord’s hardened face.

So he opened his mouth indifferently.

“I don’t know. This Olive guy here told us.”

At the words pointing to him, Oliver shrank his shoulders completely.

He didn’t even have the leisure to dare correct, ‘I’m Oliver, not Olive!’

“…”

Theo was silent for a while.

The subordinates raised their heads one by one at the cold air emanating from him.

Their lord’s face was serious, unlike usual.

Theo stroked his chin and made a thoughtful sound, “Hmm.”

“Olive.”

“Y-Yes!”

It was the first time Theo had called Oliver directly.

He hadn’t wanted to show even a speck of presence to the duke…

Soon the questioning directed at him began.

“When did Evelyn leave?”

“About three hours ago…”

“Did she meet you before heading to the capital?”

“Yes, she came looking for me with the chief earlier. Said they were leaving immediately…”

“Why, when there’s still time left in the business trip?”

“That, I don’t really know…”

It was like an interrogation with rapid-fire questions.

Oliver felt wronged in his own way.

He knew Catherine was returning to the capital first, but he didn’t know Evelyn would leave too.

The two had notified the sleeping him of their departure to the capital and immediately left this place.

‘Th-then what about me?’

‘Can’t be helped. One researcher has to stay to finish the work.’

I should have clung to them and followed along!

Regret was already too late.

When he came to his senses, the knights had barged into his room and pushed his back to seat him at the table.

And why was the duke doing this to him…

Forget breakfast, even one bite would probably give him indigestion.

In any situation, the duke always wore a smile. He was so consistently the same that one might suspect it was a mask.

But now he couldn’t read anything from him.

There was no expression at all.

Theo stood there and pondered something deeply.

The bored knights went back to chattering among themselves.

Only Oliver was terrified.

As time passed, breakfast was placed on the table.

Soon, Theo cast his gaze toward his subordinates.

“Vanessa.”

“Yes, my lord.”

She answered with a reluctant expression.

“After the meal, come see me.”

“Understood.”

After giving the order, Theo left them.

Once their lord disappeared, the knights focused on Vanessa.

“What did you do wrong?”

“Did you seduce another royal knight?”

“Or maybe they came looking for you again like last time…”

Unable to listen any longer, Vanessa slammed her fist on the table.

Bang!

“Speak properly. I didn’t seduce anyone – they’re the ones who came after me!”

Since joining the order, Vanessa had constantly been spreading romantic rumors.

The problem was that her passion cooled as quickly as she threw herself into romance.

Men who fell head over heels for her charm often came to the Ashford ducal house, wailing and crying.

Fortunately, not touching fellow knight order members was Vanessa’s iron rule.

“Then why does our lord want to see you separately?”

“I don’t know, but anyway, I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Feeling better after her own words, Vanessa began eating.

The simple-minded knights also picked up their utensils following her lead.

It was then that tension flowed between them.

“Then that leaves three portions? Two researchers’ meals and our lord’s.”

At Victor’s words, the knights’ eyes sharpened.

A heated discussion began about who would claim the leftover food.

“Let’s throw knives and score points!”

“How about whoever holds up the table the longest!”

While they were chattering among themselves, Oliver quietly rose from his seat.

He simply wanted to escape.

* * *

After the chaotic meal ended, Vanessa headed to Theo’s room.

What on earth could this be about?

Their lord was quite an easygoing person as a superior.

Because he had no interest in whatever his subordinates did.

Moreover, he didn’t care about status or connections, evaluating knights purely on skill alone.

This was why the Ashford Knight Order had gained one of the continent’s most formidable military powers.

In other words, he was absolutely not someone who would call a subordinate aside for personal matters.

As she climbed the stairs and approached the duke’s room, Vanessa began to feel nervous.

‘What is it, what could it be!’

After taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Their lord was sitting at his desk, gazing toward the window.

He remained expressionless as always.

Vanessa slowly approached Theo.

“…You called for me.”

“Yes.”

Then silence again.

The longer the quiet stretched, the deeper Vanessa’s thoughts became.

Retracing what she might have done wrong, she began digging into memories from when she first learned to walk.

Of course, that was from a time when she had no connection to Theo.

It was then.

Theo let out a sigh.

Then he quietly parted his lips.

“What does it mean when someone disappears the day after being proposed to?”

“…”

Vanessa realized something. When facing an unexpected situation, her mind didn’t work very well.

“Could you explain in more detail…”

“A man proposed to a woman he liked. They exchanged their true feelings. But the next day, that woman left without a word.”

“Ah.”

It’s nothing serious! Vanessa’s heart felt lighter.

With her tension released, she answered without any filter as usual.

“It’s a rejection. How much must she have disliked it to disappear without saying anything?”

She must have been disgusted!

At those words, Theo’s face crumpled miserably.

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