Chapter 173
Alice startled and quickly set the parchment down on the desk.
“Lien.”
Kylus, who had approached the desk in just a few steps, called to her.
As his gaze turned toward the parchment she had just put down, Alice hastily spoke.
“I was just passing time while waiting for you… and suddenly got curious. I’m sorry for touching your things without permission.”
He looked at Alice with a faint smile and said.
“It’s fine. They’re nothing particularly important anyway.”
But contrary to his words, Kylus moved the parchment to the far end of the desk, away from Alice.
However, Alice failed to notice this suspicious action.
Because Kylus’s appearance, now properly facing her, was in such disarray.
He must have rushed to the office, as the shirt buttons that were always neatly fastened were undone by four.
Moreover, his hair wasn’t properly dried, and water droplets from his disheveled black hair were trickling down his face.
‘Strange, I’m sure I only told the servant to inform him I was waiting in the office.’
Kylus’s appearance made it seem as if she had asked him to rush to the office immediately.
Alice moved past the desk and approached Kylus.
She untied the handkerchief from her wrist and wiped the moisture from Kylus’s face, unsure if it was sweat or water.
“Why did you come in such a hurry? You could have come slowly…”
“I heard Lien was waiting, so I thought perhaps something urgent had happened…”
“There’s nothing urgent. I just wanted to see your face and had something to give you…”
As Alice was thinking she shouldn’t have said she would wait in the office, Kylus took hold of her hand that was wiping his face.
“You don’t need to apologize. Actually, I didn’t rush here because I thought there might be something urgent, but because I wanted to see you.”
“…”
Alice hesitated, feeling Kylus’s warm body temperature from his tight grip.
“We haven’t had proper time to see each other for a while, have we? So when I heard you were waiting, I became impatient without realizing it.”
He continued.
“Because I wanted to see Lien as soon as possible.”
At his deep, low voice, Alice’s golden eyes trembled faintly.
Not just her eyes—her heart pounded, and a subtle heat rose in her body.
The Kylus before her now was too alluring.
Perhaps because he had rushed to the office, his lips were as flushed red as his warm body temperature.
Add to that his unbuttoned shirt and wet hair.
Imagine how sexy Kylus must look right now.
Just looking at him made her swallow hard—and he said he had rushed here because he wanted to see her.
‘Yes, this isn’t just alluring; he’s deliberately seducing me.’
‘So… at this point, I should succumb to the seduction… wait, what? Get a grip.’
‘This is an office.’
‘Not a bedroom—we shouldn’t do that sort of thing in an office.’
‘There are servants outside, and Aileen too. What if they hear any sounds?’
Alice, who had imagined things in her head to a level that would embarrass Kylus if he heard, swallowed dryly and came to her senses.
She pulled her hand free from Kylus’s grip.
Kylus released her hand willingly. But when Alice took another step closer to him, she saw tension enter his face.
They were close enough to hear each other’s breath.
Alice observed Kylus hesitating, just as she had moments ago.
Suddenly feeling playful, Alice exhaled a languid “Hmm” and slowly raised her hands to his shoulders.
Then she leisurely traced down his loosened shirt collar and grabbed the hem of his shirt.
“…Lien.”
As heat flashed in Kylus’s black eyes and he was about to lower his head toward her…
Alice firmly gripped his shirt with both hands and pulled it closed, as if fastening it.
Once his chest was completely covered, Kylus’s face filled with confusion.
He seemed unable to understand the situation momentarily.
That’s how completely he had fallen for her playful seduction.
Alice let out a soft laugh and gave him a sideways glance.
“My, Duke. This is your office. You must maintain your dignity.”
When she teased him with a slightly nasal voice, Kylus finally seemed to grasp the situation and smiled ruefully.
“You were teasing me, Lien.”
“Teasing? I’m just stating facts.”
Alice shrugged nonchalantly and began to button his shirt one by one.
After fastening the last button, she looked into his eyes and said.
“Besides, we can see each other anytime. I’ll always be here, and you’ll always be by my side. So don’t be impatient.”
For a moment, Kylus’s dark eyes wavered slightly.
Alice simply smiled and gently caressed his cheek.
She thought he was just moved by her words.
Eventually, a calmer Kylus brushed back his wet hair and lowered her hand from his cheek.
Then, as if returning to reality, he asked her.
“Lien, you said you had something to give me? What is it?”
“Ah. My little gift that I prepared for you.”
“A gift?”
Seeing Kylus’s puzzled expression, as if this was unexpected, Alice curled up the corners of her mouth into a grin.
Then, interlocking fingers with the hand he held, she led him to the sofa.
After seating Kylus in the place of honor on the sofa, Alice opened the dome lid of the silver tray on the table with a bright voice and a flourish.
“Ta-da!”
“This is…”
Kylus let his words trail off as he looked at the food heaped in what appeared to be a soup bowl.
It was a dish he had never seen before in his life.
Just then, Alice said in an excited voice.
“This is my gift. It’s called galbi-jjim. A dish I specially made for you myself.”
Kylus’s eyes widened slightly.
“You made this yourself? This dish?”
“Yes.”
Alice answered calmly, but Kylus seemed genuinely surprised.
And for good reason.
The noblewomen and ladies of this world never cooked.
For one, they looked down on kitchen work as servants’ duty, and most noble households had chefs, so there was no reason for them to cook.
So for Kylus, it was astonishing that Alice had personally made such a perfect dish.
Just like how the kitchen staff had been shocked watching her cook.
Though, Kylus didn’t seem as surprised as the chef, who had nearly dropped his jaw in astonishment.
Alice sat on the sofa and answered nonchalantly.
“Well, the world I originally lived in was very different from here. There wasn’t such a rigid class system, so women could pursue careers much more freely.”
“I see.”
Kylus’s eyes changed, seemingly quite interested in hearing about her world for the first time.
He seemed to want to hear more, but unfortunately, she had no intention of telling him detailed stories about her world.
It wasn’t exactly taboo, but she didn’t think it would be good for him to know too much about another dimension.
And it wasn’t like… she had many happy memories to share anyway.
So Alice ended her explanation succinctly.
“And my profession there was a cook. That’s why I can make dishes like this quite easily.”
Alice scooped some galbi-jjim onto a small plate, placed sliced bread on it, and handed it to Kylus.
“Try it.”
“Aren’t you going to eat, Alice?”
“I ate a lot while tasting it during cooking. This is just for you, Kylus. Eat it before it gets cold, Kylus.”
Kylus smiled at Alice’s golden eyes sparkling with anticipation, then picked up a piece of meat with his fork and ate it.
Then, with slightly widened eyes, he spoke softly.
“…It’s delicious.”
“Right? It’s good, isn’t it?”
Alice, who hadn’t missed his quiet murmur, asked again, and Kylus nodded.
With a serious expression suggesting he wasn’t just complimenting her to make her feel good, but that it was genuinely delicious.
A smile spread across Alice’s face too.
Though she was confident in her cooking, it had still been a long time since she had prepared food.
Plus, the ingredients were different, so she had been slightly worried that it might not suit Kylus’s taste.
Alice served him a large helping of galbi-jjim on his plate with a triumphant smile.
“I’m glad you like it. Eat plenty. It seems like you’ve been so busy lately that you haven’t been eating properly.”
“You seem to be quite concerned about me, Lien.”
Kylus looked at her with upturned lips. Alice gave him a slight sidelong glance and said firmly.
“Stop creating a strange atmosphere and just eat.”
‘And how could I not be concerned about someone I love?’
Alice added softly.
Kylus, who heard her words clearly, had a deep smile on his lips.
And Alice, overcome with embarrassment, cleared her throat, “Ahem,” and slightly averted her gaze from him.
Finding her bashfulness adorable, he chuckled lightly, “Heh,” and lowered his gaze to the galbi-jjim before her face could redden further.
Thus began a time where he properly started eating the galbi-jjim while Alice quietly watched him.
‘He must really find it delicious.’
And for good reason—Kylus was eating the galbi-jjim at quite a rapid pace.
Though, of course, without ever losing his elegance in the process.
‘I should make this for him often.’
Alice, wearing a satisfied smile, spoke up when he had almost finished eating.
“Kylus, I think we’ll soon be able to eliminate the evil thing beneath the Empress’s Palace.”
