CH 24.1

As the wind blew Cherryl’s bright hair through the open window, she tucked the stray strands behind her ears and smiled softly. “Yes.”

How could she forget the first time she kissed Cade?

Was that all?

She almost grabbed his hand and kissed him on the cheek, but he might think she was strange.

A strong-looking liquor bottle came into view when Cherryl lowered her eyes to the desk.

“Here’s another drink, My Lady.”

Conscious of last night’s events, Cherryl smiled blandly.

Cade, who stood close to her, lifted one eyebrow.

“You don’t want it?”

“No. I don’t want to drink for a while.”

“For a while? Why don’t you stop drinking at all from now on?”

“I don’t like it when you say that. You’d better give up drinking first. You always drink alcohol instead of eating food.”

“I don’t get drunk like anyone else.”

“At least, I’m not an alcoholic like someone else!”

“If you’re angry at me just admit it.” Cade said as a parting shot.

Then, he turned around the desk, sat down in a chair and searched the documents surrounding him as if nothing had happened.

Cherryl realized Cade was a gentleman until she pushed him recklessly.

“I have something else to show you.” Cade lifted a bunch of envelopes. “We received many letters congratulating our engagement so I was about to send each of them a reply. Would you like to take a look?”

“Yes. I’d better look.”

Their wedding would continue the lineage of the  founding hero, the prestigious Blkanov, who had ruled Carlsvik for more than eight hundred years.

On the surface, the adopted son had occupied the dukedom since all the family members of the previous Duke were killed.

The only powerful man left in the Blkanov family was Cade.

It would be good to understand what kind of politics they were in if she read the letters the empire’s aristocrats had sent.

However, Cherryl faltered.

She agreed to look at the letters at once, but she realized she had no space to sit beside the desk or on the other side.

The only place to sit in front of the large mahogany table was the chair where Cade was seated.

“Where should I sit, Your Grace?”

As Cherryl hesitated, he tapped his thigh.

“Here, My Lady.”

“?”

“You can sit here.”

Following his hand gestures, Cherryl cast his eyes over his thick and solid thigh.

His countenance held no shame when he offered his lap without hesitation.

“Are you going to keep standing there? Your legs must hurt.” Cade glanced deftly at the bundle of letters. “There are so many letters. It takes quite a while to check everything.”

“Ah.”

“Well, I can’t help if you feel comfortable standing there for hours.”

Then, did she have to sit on the man’s thigh for hours?

Cherryl shouldn’t have thought that far because she was busy contemplating whether to sit down right away or not.

Cade extended his hand patiently as she drew closer.

Attracted by his subtle but never-overpowering force, Cherryl stuck her butt on his hard thigh.

His muscular arm wrapped around her back so naturally as if supporting her so that she wouldn’t fall backward.

Cade showed her a letter one by one as she sat on his thigh.

“This is a letter from Count Kelly. Have you met him by any chance?”

“No. He was my father’s longtime business partner. He stepped down from the business world due to his chronic illness.”

“It says here that he’s still struggling from the disease, so his successor will take over by proxy. He also notified us that he would attend our wedding ceremony. And this is….”

His subsequent low voice gradually sounded like it came from underwater.

Cherryl’s full attention was now on Cade’s handsome face, right before her nose.

It surprised her that there wasn’t much distance between them.

His silky black hair slightly covered his straight eyebrows and golden eyes beneath long eyelashes.

His high nose was straight, and the angle of his jawline was chiseled to perfection.

The man’s upper body was balanced with broad shoulders, a solid chest, and muscles she would love to touch.

Not only that.

His body’s masculine scent was warm and mysterious, and she would love to be surrounded by it all day.

As several senses of hers were stimulated at once, Cherryl’s breathing became faster.

Her heartbeats were steadily narrowing the gap to the point where she thought Cade might catch her checking him out.

‘I’m so nervous.’

Cherryl’s focus on the desk was as dim as a mist.

“After Maldin, a letter came from another sender.”

As Cade stretched out an arm to pick up the letter at the corner, he came so close that she could feel his breath.

Cherryl was so nervous that she stopped breathing without realizing it.

His side profile, which the afternoon sunlight had fallen against, was trimmed to a sharp angle without an inch of squareness.

Possessed, Cherryl glued her lips to Cade’s cheek.

“…….”

“…….”

Her soft lips landed on his roughened skin, and the smacking sound was cute.

Cade stopped moving as if he had hardened into a statue.

At that moment, Cherryl hadn’t realized what she just did because her mind felt like it was bleached white.

She couldn’t think of anything else.

Cade turned his chin slowly to look at Cherryl.

His golden eyes seemed to tremble as his pupils dilated.

“Why did you do that?”