That’s Not What Kissing Means! - Chapter 60

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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 60

Theo placed the clock on the nightstand and reached for the book.

“W-wait a moment!”

He straightened up at Evelyn’s call.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ll clean it up myself, so please go ahead and leave…!”

“There’s nothing for you to do. Just sit comfortably.”

But I’m extremely uncomfortable!

Theo picked up the scattered book. He didn’t touch a single page, leaving it exactly as it had fallen open.

‘Was the title always that big?’

The elegantly engraved letters seemed to show off their presence even more than before.

And why did it have to be gold leaf of all things, sparkling and glittering?

“The paper got wrinkled.”

At that moment, Theo straightened out the page Evelyn had been reading.

Quite delicately, he pressed down the creased areas with his fingers and checked once more to see if it was properly arranged.

That brief moment felt incredibly long to Evelyn.

She couldn’t take her eyes off Theo. She was anxious that he might check the content.

His gaze seemed to be directed at the book, but his expression didn’t change at all.

For the first time, Evelyn realized that hands could get sweaty when too nervous.

“There, that’s better.”

Theo handed it back to her with the pages spread open as they were, telling her to continue reading comfortably.

“…Thank you.”

He didn’t see it, right? He didn’t seem to pay any attention to it…

Evelyn prayed earnestly. Hoping that her wishful thinking would become reality.

She glanced at the novel.

Maybe it had turned to different content when it fell to the floor?

But reality betrayed her expectations.

The two protagonists’ love was still burning at its peak. The same scene that had made Evelyn turn red.

Come to think of it, the male protagonist was also a black-haired knight like Theo.

‘No, black-haired knights are everywhere in romance novels!’

She couldn’t understand why he kept overlapping in her mind. As this random thought occurred to her, her mouth went dry.

The space she shared with Theo felt awkward.

At the same time, her eyes shook violently.

‘I don’t know what to say!’

Would it be better to just let it pass without saying anything?

Should she explain that it wasn’t her book but a gift from Julian?

‘No, I don’t even know if Theo read it!’

She might just be making a fuss by herself and making the atmosphere awkward.

Now her resentment toward Julian reached the heavens.

‘Julian, that bastard!’

Honorifics had long since flown away.

Then, a low bass voice settled over her head.

“I’ll be going now, so rest well.”

“Yes, you too, Theo…”

He smiled gently and left through the door. Seeing him look exactly the same as usual, he definitely hadn’t seen it.

‘Well, if he had seen it, he would have been grinning and teasing me.’

He was always an annoyingly leisurely man.

He would have joked about her having quite the taste.

“Haah…”

Once she was certain, all the tension in her body released.

Evelyn collapsed onto the bed with a thud.

Thank goodness, really thank goodness…

She pulled the blanket over her head. She planned to close her eyes for a moment due to the sudden wave of fatigue.

“…But first, let me check the ending.”

After confirming the door was closed, she opened the book again.

Evelyn was also drawn into the princess’s relentless stream of seduction.

Meanwhile, Theo, who had left the room, stopped in the corridor after walking only a short distance.

Then he let out a big sigh.

A blush was spreading across his face that had been full of composure.

He had a habit he’d maintained consistently since childhood. It was speed-reading all the text in front of his eyes.

It was a habit formed over a long time, and his clever mind vividly remembered what he read for short periods.

Today, his habit shone as well.

The moment he smoothed out the wrinkled paper for Evelyn, the speed-reading began.

He hurriedly looked away from the stimulating scenes that unfolded one after another, but a considerable amount of text had already been input into his head.

Now he understood everything about Evelyn.

The subtle heat he felt, her heated breath, even her pink nape…

As soon as he recognized this, his heart began to beat wildly.

The greatest stimulus to him wasn’t some novel, but Evelyn herself.

He didn’t want to show her his raw emotions again.

Theo drew up all his remaining patience and disguised it as a smile.

He spoke plausibly and left the room.

He had to be careful with every step, lest she notice.

His heart was still beating fiercely.

“…”

Theo, who had been calming himself, tilted his head to the side.

“…Quite bold.”

Was that Evelyn’s taste?

This morning, he had heard from Robert that romance novels for her would arrive.

Evelyn must have found one she liked among them and read it.

How much must she like it to hide away and read it? Not even coming out of her room.

Anyway, the reason for bringing in romance novels was to figure out her ideal type.

It was fortunate that he could unexpectedly get one step closer to Evelyn’s ideal type.

Theo once again recalled the scenes from earlier.

Thinking that now that he understood her taste, he should work hard.

* * *

The Emperor had been spending time in a daze lately, lost in thought.

When handling state affairs or in meetings, he seemed fine for a while, but the Chamberlain could tell.

That he was extremely precarious.

Especially on days when he met with the Grand Cleric, those symptoms became even worse.

He would sit still with unfocused eyes, then even shed tears.

Sometimes he would tremble all over and sob. Just like today.

After shedding tears for hours, he staggered up from his chair.

Whether from dehydration, even walking seemed difficult for him.

“Your Majesty.”

A servant quickly offered him a glass of water.

The Emperor moistened his throat and walked toward the door again. Then he staggered once more.

The Chamberlain supported him with great concern.

“Your Majesty, you must rest immediately. Please, today’s prayers…”

“What did you say.”

Before he could finish speaking, the Emperor’s fierce eyes turned toward him.

It was as if he would cut off his head with just one more word.

The Emperor headed to his Prayer Hall every night. No one knew what he did there, but he would lock himself inside for very long periods without coming out.

Then he would return to his bed exhausted, collapsing weakly.

His gaunt face was dried up without a trace of vitality.

“Withdraw immediately.”

The Emperor’s voice was filled with chilling coldness.

Around his eyes lingered a madness as if bewitched by something.

The Chamberlain had no choice but to follow his command.

“I’ll return soon, so prepare the tea as usual.”

“Yes, understood.”

The tea the Emperor spoke of was a gift from the Envoy.

It was flower tea that only grew in the Holy Kingdom, given as a gift for the Emperor who was struggling after losing the Empress.

After drinking the tea that brought calming effects, he would fall asleep immediately.

Though he seemed to sleep soundly, strangely the dark circles under the Emperor’s eyes only grew darker.

The Emperor left his room and hurried through the Corridor. Servants followed behind, heading to the Prayer Hall with practiced familiarity.

He who had been walking quickly stopped for a moment and muttered.

“The Envoy definitely told me…”

Then he recalled their last meeting.

“Evelyn… he said to send that child and the sacred relic.”

He had to follow the Envoy’s words immediately.

If he delayed even a little, he would forever…

He roughly rubbed around his eyes as if tired.

“Ah, Duke Ashford is the problem.”

This time too, he won’t move easily…

To the Emperor, Theo was a troublesome burden he couldn’t handle carelessly.

The true guardian of the Empire feared nothing.

“A method… I need to find a method…”

He continued muttering to himself.

When he reached his destination, the knights guarding the door respectfully saluted.

The Emperor’s face became hazily relaxed as he entered the Prayer Hall.

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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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