46. I like you, too. (1)

Sohee pondered what the problem was.

How on earth did she set up the male lead’s character to think like this?

When she said that her ideal type was a man whom she could take care of and one who evoked a maternal instinct in her, she didn’t expect him to get injured and pretend to be a patient even after being healed.

It wasn’t something a sane person would do.

Oh, of course, she knew that he was already insane before all of this but doing this much?

His unimaginable behavior was too shocking that it rendered her speechless for a while.

Still, Joshua tried to persuade her calmly with a ridiculous excuse.

“I kept lying because I liked how you worried about me.”

Although, he said it in such a beautiful voice that made her want to believe it——even if he insisted that the sun rose in the west——she shook her head and came to her senses.

“Joshua, I don’t want you to get hurt!”

So-hee, who raised her voice, cleared her throat afterward as she stared at him.

Yes.

She didn’t want him to get into an accident in the first place.

This man must have known very well how ignorant he was in terms of love.

He had tried to keep the woman he liked in captivity, so there was nothing more to explain.

Therefore, she realized that she shouldn’t be reckless in pushing him to do things correctly.

She had to teach while appeasing him at the same time.

Making up her mind, Sohee spoke again.

“Joshua, women get scared when you act like this. Look at this. Don’t you see the goosebumps on my skin?”

So-hee raised her arm for his perusal.

Once he saw her smooth skin, she hurriedly lowered the sleeves of her dress.

“Since we already argued about this, you should know that what you didn’t bring good results. What do you think?”

After enough contemplation, the man replied.

“I should have been more careful so that I won’t get caught.”

“What?”

“You wouldn’t have caught me if I didn’t hug you.”

“Hey!”

She aimed to teach and appease but she ended up screaming at him.

Joshua smirked in front of her face.

“What we did was good. Was I the only one who liked it?”

“What do you mean?”

“In the bathroom.”

The smut scenes in the bathroom last week crossed her mind and she agreed.

After recalling the past, she willed her thoughts to the present.

She was determined to stop this man.

“Hey! Why are you saying that now?”

Whether it was out of anger or embarrassment, her skin started burning up.

The man, who was watching the change in her countenance with interest, held out his arm and pulled So-hee.

She lost her balance as the carriage shook from the rocky road.

When she regained her senses, she found herself clinging unto Joshua’s arms in an embrace.

He lowered his head and whispered. “Stop being angry, Ariad. I’m sorry.”

One of his hands held her wrist while the other clutched her waist.

Joshua leaned his face against Sohee’s shoulder.

“I know what I did was wrong. I won’t do it anymore.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Well, after studying this man for a month, she couldn’t trust his at all.

His promise was uttered in a quiet and calm manner and it sounded like he meant it, making her heart all soft and mushy.

“Joshua, you don’t have to….”

Sohee lowered her gaze to look at the hand, that had his arm circled around her waist, fiddling with the back of her pale hand where blue veins were exposed.

“Now my ideal type is you.”

“What?”

Strangely, such words came out well now, even though she wasn’t good at lying.

Maybe it became possible because she was talking without looking into the man’s eyes.

“I like you, too.”

The conversation didn’t go on any further because she didn’t have any response to that.

Only the chest of the man touching her back went up and down as the hot breath at the back of her neck made her shiver.

Amid the silence, she could only hear the sound of the carriage rolling along with their irregular heartbeats.

* * *

In the space between the leather sofa and the desk, a familiar long-haired man was seated on his knees.

After skimming the man lightly, Joshua leaned against the sofa cushion.

The ensuing Macon approached.

“It is said that the Marchioness Petrine  bought it.”

“Petrine?”

“Marquis Petrine once had an affair, and the woman seemed to be Ariad…. She seemed to have that in mind.”

Macon stuttered for a moment, looking around.

JOshua didn’t seem surprised.

It was a bit funny how he got used to listening to these stories but what was important now was not the obvious fact of Ariad’s extramarital affairs.

The scene of the red liquid covering Ariad’s body remained vivid in his head and that dizzying moment made his heart drop.

In the meantime, Joshua’s eyes were sharp.

He caught the face of the criminal who sprinkled blood from the second-floor railing.

He was one of the servants who guided him to the opening ceremony.

“It’s not something that Marquis Petrine can do by herself.”

“That’s what I think. It’s the one in charge of the opening ceremony———”

‘Her Majesty, The Empress.’ While trying to bring up the name, Macon paused again.

He shouldn’t pin the blame on her in front of her son.

Still, Joshua knew without hearing him say it.

On that day, it was definitely strange that she was calm even though such a big deal happened at the event she hosted.