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CHAPTER 126 - No matter how distorted it may seem.
Even after boarding the carriage to the Duke's mansion, Gerard's overprotectiveness showed no signs of stopping.
Under the somewhat baffling reason that “The vibrations might be harmful to your body,” Ortansia was seated on Gérard's lap.
In this position, pressed so tightly together that their body heat mingled, Ortansia's heart began to beat faster.
‘Ugh, what if my brother hears my heartbeat…’
She desperately wanted to avoid any scenario that might make Gérard even more overprotective, like him thinking, ‘is it Arrhythmia...? Is it an aftereffect of the injury?’
“Um, Big Brother... I'm really fine!”
She tried to insist, but Gérard had no intention of releasing her.
“You're still recovering. What if you overexert yourself and your injury worsens?”
“But the doctor said it was fine to return to my normal life! And you can't keep me like this forever, can you?”
Ortansia felt she had made a perfectly reasonable point, but Gérard merely blinked at her, as though he couldn’t understand a word she was saying.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’ve no issue with treating you this way for as long as it takes.”
“B-but I do have a problem with it!”
Ortansia was no longer a little child.
She appreciated Gérard's concern, but she couldn't keep troubling him forever.
That was what she had been trying to say but just then, Gérard’s hand reached out, and the words caught in her throat.
“You…”
Gerard's fingertips gently caressed Ortensia's temple.
The way he caressed her, gentle and affectionate, as though he were reassuring himself of her very form. Ortansia’s heartbeat quickened even more.
“…Do you dislike it?”
For a moment, she didn't understand what he was referring to.
But she quickly realised he was continuing from earlier.
‘…That’s unfair.’
Ortansia lowered her gaze, her cheeks flushing.
Because once he put it like that…
there was no way she could possibly refuse.
‘After all, I don’t dislike it.’
Being cherished so excessively by Gérard made her feel embarrassed, even a little helpless… but it wasn’t something she hated.
That was precisely why she was troubled.
“R-rather than how I feel, I was just worried that I might be causing you trouble, brother…”
Murmuring those words with her head still bowed, Ortansia felt Gérard’s hand come to a sudden stop.
When she looked up in surprise, she found herself meeting Gérard’s gaze at extremely close range.
At that moment, it was as though time itself had frozen, leaving Ortansia unable to move.
As if reasoning with her, Gérard spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words.
“I do it simply because I want to.”
They were brief words, but their meaning came through to Ortansia perfectly.
In other words, whether it was lifting her up to carry her down the stairs, or seating her on his lap in the carriage to soften the jolting ride, he did it all simply because he wanted to.
That was the sole reason.
"Huh...!"
This time, Ortansia flushed bright red and lowered her gaze.
As if to drive the point home, Gérard's voice came down from above her.
“Understand?”
“…Yes.”
All Ortansia could manage was to murmur her agreement and give a slight nod.
‘I can't win against my brother, can I…’
While she was glad that Gérard cared for her, she knew that such excessive treatment wasn't good.
But... she couldn't possibly reject his feelings.
If that was what Gérard wanted, then accepting it was the only choice for Ortansia.
No matter how twisted it might seem, she found herself thinking that if Gérard was fine with it, then that was enough.
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Translator Note:
Hope you enjoyed the read!! If you did, please vote on for this novel on novel updates, leave reviews, and support; pretty please.
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