"Liana…"
"Yes, Young Master?" Liana replied, her tone gentle and calm, but there was a sharp glint in her eyes.
"How about…" Javier hesitated, trying to read her mood. "...we sleep together tonight?"
Liana raised eyebrow and crossed her arms, showing hint of defiance. "Why don't you ask Lady Gracelle for that? After all, she seems to be your favorite now. You even kissed her in public, Young Master."
Javier blinked, stunned. "But…"
Liana didn't let him finish. With a graceful curtsy, she added, "Now, if you'll excuse me, Young Master, I must return to Madam Francesca. Goodnight."
Before Javier could protest, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing there.
"Crap…" Javier muttered, running a hand through his messy black hair. "I really messed up this time.I just wanted to tease her a bit… How did this backfire so badly?"
For the first time that night, Javier realized he might have pushed the wrong buttons. If Liana was determined to teach him a lesson, he was in for a long night of regret.
"Hmph! Don't ever ask me again for a kiss or to sleep together. Dummy!" Liana fumed inside as she hurried down the hallway, keeping her calm face for anyone who might see her.
Inside, her emotions were a storm." Stupid Young Master! Kissing some random noble girl in front of everyone! What was he thinking? Does he think I'll just let that slide?"
Liana paused in an empty corridor, letting out a frustrated sigh. She placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart race. The memory of the kiss flashed in her mind, and jealousy hit her again.
Why does it bother me so much? I've kissed him before... plenty of times! She blushed at the thought but quickly shook her head, trying to regain her composure.
"No, no, no! He's just being reckless, that's all!" she muttered under her breath, straightening her posture. "He's a dummy!"
Still, as much as she tried to dismiss her feelings, the image of Lady Gracelle blushing after the kiss kept popping into her mind.
Liana pouted, stomping lightly in place before resuming her elegant walk. "If he wants to act like a fool, fine! I'll show him what it feels like to be ignored. Let's see how he likes it!"
Despite her resolve, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered, But what if he really starts to prefer someone else...?
She shook the thought away and whispered fiercely to herself, "No! He's my Young Master, and I'm his personal maid. No one can take my place. Stupid, stupid Young Master!"
Inside Javier's Room
Javier paced back and forth in his room, running his hands through his already messy black hair. His frustration was clear, his normally sharp amber eyes clouded with regret.
"Arghhh! Why did I do that?! Stupid me! She's the only one I want, and now there's another girl involved… ugh, fuck, fuck, fuck! What was I even thinking?!" He threw himself onto his bed, burying his face in a pillow before letting out a muffled groan.
"I'm supposed to be an adult inside! I was Nakamura Junichi! And yet, here I am, acting like a stupid, snot-nosed brat! Fuck this!"
He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted to Liana— She always managed to soothe him, even when he was at his worst.
"Liana…" he muttered, his voice softer now. "She's special. She's everything. A beautiful elf who's practically ageless, kind, smart… and I go and ruin everything by kissing Gracelle, a girl who's barely ten! What the hell is wrong with me?! Oh, wait, right—I'm eleven here in this world, i was reborn as Javier." He slapped his forehead and groaned again.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he shouted into his pillow again, his frustration mounting.
Javier sat up suddenly, gripping his hair. "I don't want any other girl. Liana's the only one I care about. She's the one I see my future with, and now I've gone and made her jealous. Why did I think kissing Gracelle was a good idea?! Damn it!"
His mind raced with ways to fix things, but every idea sounded lame and insincere. "What can I even do? Say I was testing her reaction? Apologize and grovel?'"
Javier let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "I'm screwed."
Javier muttered groggily in his half-sleep, rolling onto his side, his mind hazy with the frustration of the day. "Tomorrow… yeah, I'll think about this mess tomorrow. For now, sleep..." His breathing steadied as he drifted off, oblivious to the brewing chaos outside his room.
Meanwhile, in the dimly lit hallway, Liana stood with her gentle smile, hands folded neatly in front of her.
"Go ahead, Lady Gracelle," she encouraged softly, her tone warm but laced with a subtle undertone of mischief. "Just quietly go in and rest beside him. There's no harm in it at all. After all, the young master already invited you to stay this week, didn't he?"
Gracelle, cheeks flushed and heart racing, hesitated for a moment. "Umm… are you really sure this is okay?"
Liana gave an assuring nod, her emerald eyes glinting under the soft glow of the hallway lanterns. "Of course. You wouldn't want to waste this chance to grow closer to the young master, would you? Especially if you hope to become a potential wife candidate in the future."
Gracelle's eyes widened, her nerves replaced with determination. "You're right! Thank you so much, Miss Liana. I'll do my best!"
Liana stepped aside, gesturing toward the door with a calm demeanor that betrayed none of her inner turmoil. "Go on, then. Just slip in quietly and rest next to him. Everything will be fine."
Gracelle nodded eagerly, smoothing her dress before tiptoeing into the room with all the stealth she could muster.
As the door clicked shut behind her, Liana's serene smile faltered, replaced by a sigh and a brief moment of self-reflection. "Haaa… Stupid young master. If you're going to play games, then so will I. Let's see how you handle this."
With that, she turned and walked away, her footsteps light and her expression unreadable.
Gracelle's heart pounded as she carefully slipped under the covers beside Javier. Her face burned with a mix of shyness and excitement, and she found herself holding her breath to avoid making any noise.
"This is fine," she thought, trying to calm her racing thoughts. "Just sleeping next to him… nothing strange about that."
But as soon as she settled in, Javier stirred in his sleep. Before she could react, he rolled over and wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her close as if she were a pillow.
Gracelle froze, her eyes wide and her face flushed a deep crimson. "W-What's happening?!"
Her heart raced even faster, and she bit her lip to keep herself from making a sound. "I can't… I can't move!" she realized, panic and giddy excitement battling for dominance in her mind.
Javier mumbled something in his sleep, tightening his hold around her. Gracelle eyes darted around the dark room, and her thoughts became a whirlwind of emotion.
"This… this is okay, right? He's asleep! He doesn't know! But... oh no, what if he wakes up?! What should I do?!"
"L-Lady Liana said this was fine, so… it's fine… right?" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible.
Unable to move or decide, Gracelle resigned herself to her current predicament, lying stiffly in Javier's arms while her mind raced and her heart pounded uncontrollably.
( End of Chapter )