They Say an Age Gap Like This Doesn’t Even Need Matching - Chapter 94

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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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They say a age gap of nnn years doesn’t even warrant checking compatibility.
Chapter 94
It was a delicate creation layered atop a small pastry—thin slices of meat, cheese, fruit, and fresh cream stacked in careful tiers.
I had no confidence I could feed it to him in one bite without utensils causing it to crumble.
“Would it be alright if I… fed you with my hands?”
“I think that’s the only way this will work.”
I nodded and picked one up carefully.
I brought it to him with meticulous care, ensuring not a single decorative herb leaf fell.
“Elhart, say—”
He blinked, then opened his mouth obediently.
Concentrating intently, I succeeded in placing the food into his mouth without mishap.
‘Perfect!’
I was withdrawing my hand, delighted that nothing had spilled.
My fingertips grazed his lips—barely, almost imperceptibly.
At such close proximity, I could see his pupils trembling with unmistakable clarity.
“…!”
I jerked my hand back in alarm, and his gaze pursued my fingertips with stubborn persistence.
“I should feed you too.”
I said this while hiding my hand beneath the table.
I was desperate to restore normalcy before the atmosphere became something I couldn’t control.
“Ah.”
He, who had been gazing at me as though entranced, finally came to his senses and reached toward the plate of food.
He picked one up and carefully placed it into my mouth.
Naturally, his hand brushed my lips again, and we both went rigid simultaneously.
Even as I reflexively chewed and swallowed what was in my mouth, his hand remained suspended awkwardly in the air.
Instead of calling out to him, I bit his finger.
“…Ah.”
He came to his senses belatedly and let out a vacant sound.
“I’m sorry.”
Wait—shouldn’t I be the one apologizing for biting his finger?
I quietly released his hand.
He stared at his finger, now marked with bite indents, then quickly picked up another piece and placed it in my mouth again.
But for some reason, he didn’t withdraw his hand immediately—he lingered.
“…?”
Wondering what he was doing, I bit his fingertip again, and his eyes widened considerably.
That expression… it looked almost delighted.
Why was he enjoying this?
Did he find it amusing to have his finger bitten?
“Next time, I’ll bite harder.”
At my warning, his eyes grew even wider.
Then, without warning, he quickly grabbed another piece of food and held it out to me.
‘Why does he look so expectant…?’
It was a reaction I simply couldn’t comprehend.
In the end, he had me bite his hand countless times until the plate was empty.
Later, even when I bit down quite hard, he seemed to enjoy it—which suggested that unless my teeth actually severed his fingers, he felt no pain at all.
‘I suppose he thought I was joking.’
I watched him intently as he sat there with flushed cheeks, eagerly twirling noodles on his fork.
‘He looks genuinely happy.’
In a sense, it was a waste of time.
An order whose meaning I couldn’t even grasp.
And yet.
This moment wasn’t unpleasant.
No, rather, I found myself wishing time would stop right here—it felt too precious to let slip away.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away, wanting to etch into memory every nuanced expression of his that I’d never seen before.
In this space adorned with delicate decorative touches, beneath the sunlight filtering through the window, that large man smiling softly was beautiful.
Endearing and lovely.
It felt as though I were receiving some form of comfort or reward.
“Ser Brin, you have cream on your lips.”
Without thinking, my hand moved toward his lips, but he urgently caught my wrist.
“Let me wipe it away.”
He gently brushed away the whipped cream smudged on my lower lip with his thumb, then licked it clean.
“Wait, why would you….”
Stunned, I stared at him, and he slowly blinked before speaking.
“Well, this is a public place, after all.”
“…?”
“I didn’t think it would be appropriate to lick your lips with my tongue.”
“…That’s obvious.”
This man, who seemed utterly oblivious to what the actual problem was, is supposedly the Prince of this nation.
When I return to the Capital later, I’ll have to summon Elhart’s tutors one by one for a serious conversation.
“You don’t actually believe the five-second rule applies to food dropped on the ground, do you?”
“Ser Brin, what do you mean….”
Elhart looked at me with shocked eyes.
“Were conditions in the Black Rift really that dire?”
…Why did I suddenly want to bite that fool’s head off?
I deliberated for a long while about whether to explain that you shouldn’t put something in your mouth that was just on someone else’s lips, but ultimately chose to keep silent.
‘He’s probably doing this on purpose.’
I felt certain he would never behave this way with anyone else.
Elhart was normally quite fastidious in his habits.
If he only acted so foolishly when he was with me, then perhaps I could simply let it be.
After finishing our meal, we sat together conversing over fragrant tea and dessert.
Excluding work-related topics, our conversation was limited to a narrow range of subjects.
Books that had moved me, favorite dance pieces, the weather, food.
Everything revolved around learning about each other.
Yet it was remarkably engaging and enjoyable, so we lingered there for quite some time before finally leaving.
As we exited the restaurant, we linked arms and continued our walk.
We didn’t have any particular destination in mind.
That was what Kei’s second memo had suggested.
[Walk around aimlessly, taking in the sights.]
It was unfamiliar territory for both Elhart and me.
We were people accustomed to rushing breathlessly toward predetermined goals.
Leisurely strolling through the streets, observing passersby and browsing nearby shops felt unnatural to us.
Then, suddenly, a sharp scream pierced the air from somewhere.
Elhart and I exchanged a quick glance before racing toward the source of the sound.
The sight that greeted us left us utterly speechless.
“What in the world is happening?”
It was atop the Bell Tower in the Square.
One child was clutching a cat with both hands while another child barely held onto that child’s legs.
And then a third child was clinging to the second child’s waist.
The three children and the cat looked as though they could plummet from the roof at any moment.
The adults below, having discovered the situation, could only stand helplessly, shifting their weight from foot to foot.
“They were trying to rescue the cat.”
They must have climbed up without realizing how slippery the roof was.
“Should we catch them from below, or should I climb up and bring them down?”
Elhart was deliberating on the safest way to retrieve the children.
“I’ll climb up. Stay at the base of the tower just in case.”
He nodded at my suggestion.
If the children tumbled down while I was ascending, Elhart would be the one best positioned to catch them safely.
Seeing the color drain from the children’s faces, I wasted no time and began scaling the tower.
I gripped the protruding bricks along the outer wall and propelled myself upward with speed.
“Huh? What—?”
The crowd gasped in surprise.
But they quickly fell silent once they recognized my climbing prowess.
Though the surrounding buildings were quite tall, they were only about five stories high at most.
I reached the roof in mere moments.
I first snatched the child whose wrist was being gripped, dangling precariously in the air.
After setting the child and cat safely inside the tower, I hurled myself back onto the roof.
The children clinging desperately to the sloped roof let out sighs of relief upon seeing the child and cat they had barely held onto were safe.
‘The roof is structurally unsound.’
If I climbed up as well, it might cause problems.
“Children, I’ll catch you. Can you slide down toward me? Pretend you’re going down a slide.”
One of the two children nodded, but the other shook their head vigorously, fear etched across their face.
“N-no, I can’t!”
“I’m confident I won’t drop you. It’ll be incredibly fun.”
I could say it with absolute certainty.
This would be an experience of joy those children would never forget for the rest of their lives.

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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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