You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 89

As I leisurely gazed at the high sky and trees, I turned my head at the sound of commotion in the distance. Looking at the fortress-like main gate, I could see numerous people entering in groups.

Who could they be? As I stared intently with curious eyes, a person who seemed to be an important figure emerged from a stopped carriage.

“Wow…”

My eyes were drawn to shoes with elaborate embroidery on delicate fabric. They exuded an elegant appearance with a touch of old-fashioned splendor. Although I couldn’t see the face clearly due to the long veil worn on the head, it was obvious at a glance that this wasn’t an ordinary appearance.

As I blinked, entranced by the sight, a figure stopping on the opposite side brought me back to my senses.

‘Karhan?’

Karhan had come out to greet this unidentified person. It was unfamiliar to see Karhan speaking first, suggesting the visitor was of quite noble status. After chatting pleasantly from afar, Karhan stepped forward and guided them into the mansion. As the two people who had beautifully illuminated the garden disappeared, even the usually splendid garden seemed desolate.

Who could it be? I tried to think if there had ever been a visitor Karhan treated so gently and kindly before, but nothing came to mind. He had mostly been stiff and businesslike with others. Growing increasingly curious about the visitor, I got up from where I had been sitting on the ground.

I entered my room, rubbing my cold arms. After bundling up in an outer garment, I headed towards the office. Although there was a reception room for guests, Karhan usually met people in his office. As I carefully snuck closer, I saw the visitors I had seen earlier lined up in front of the door like servants.

They didn’t seem to care about my presence, not sparing me a single glance. After quite a long conversation inside the room, the closed door slowly opened. Through the gap, I could hear voices laughing pleasantly.

Karhan came out, followed by the unfamiliar person. Their hair was overall like pale grass, but the ends shimmered with a subtle silver, making it beautiful. I could instinctively tell that this was the person who had alighted from the carriage.

As I stared blankly, captivated by the sight without realizing it, a smile gently appeared on their white face.

Gasp! How rude of me! I hurriedly averted my gaze in surprise, but I heard a small laugh. My face was about to turn red from embarrassment. I cleared my throat awkwardly and lowered my gaze. Only then did the gaze that had been on me shift to Karhan.

“I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“If you need anything, feel free to request it through the servants at any time.”

Are they here for some kind of exchange? As I glanced up, an unbelievable sight met my eyes. After finishing their conversation, the visitor suddenly rose on their tiptoes and placed their lips on Karhan’s closed eyes with a soft sound. Karhan also bent down and kissed the visitor’s closed eyelids.

It was quite a sight to see such beautiful people doing that, but strangely, it felt as if a heavy stone had been placed on my heart. The sunlight streaming through the window beautifully illuminated the two of them, as if blessing them.

As I stood there dazed, the person with light-colored hair turned away from Karhan and bowed their head towards me. Only then did I come to my senses and awkwardly bowed my head in greeting. Having finished their business with Karhan, they passed by me, and I caught the scent of fresh grass.

I thought the fragrant smell suited them well. Although they soon disappeared, leading their entourage that had been lined up at the door, I felt as if their scent still lingered in the corridor. As I stood still, blinking, Karhan approached. A shadow fell across my face, and I felt a cool sensation.

“Come inside.”

“Okay…”

Strangely, my body felt drained, and I responded in a weak voice. I had been feeling fine just a moment ago, but my mood had plummeted. The drastic change in such a short time felt odd even to myself.

Scratching my head, I entered the office and sat in my usual spot. It felt warm, as if someone had been sitting there for a long time.

“What brings you here?”

“Oh, well… nothing in particular.”

I had just come to see who was visiting, out of curiosity. I shrugged and said nothing, and Karhan smiled lightly.

“I still have work left, so I can’t entertain you. Feel free to stay as long as you like.”

“Okay.”

I replied in an intentionally bright voice and smiled, raising the corners of my mouth. Karhan gently patted my head and then sat at his desk. The sound of paper turning and the pen drawing lines earnestly filled the quiet office.

My eyes, which had been wandering around the room with nothing to do, suddenly focused on Karhan. Under his slightly lowered forehead, deep shadows formed, and between them, his gleaming gray eyes caught my attention. Then, his eyes suddenly lifted and turned towards me.

Gasp!

I flinched and quickly averted my gaze to look down at the table. The table pattern is round, and curved… I busily pretended to be interested in it, my eyes trembling greatly. As I fidgeted my fingers meaninglessly, I realized my palms were drenched in sweat and wiped them on my thighs. When did I start sweating so much?

I lifted my head slightly and saw Karhan focusing on his documents again. Phew, I breathed an inward sigh of relief.

The ticking of the clock seemed unusually loud, and suddenly I remembered the person who had kissed Karhan’s eyelids. Who could they be? Would it be okay for me to ask? I glanced at Karhan from the corner of my eye and saw him still concentrating on his work. His dark blue eyelashes, moving gently, were remarkably long.

If they’re close enough to kiss like that, they must be more than just casual acquaintances, right? Wait. Come to think of it, I’m also close enough with Karhan to kiss his forehead. Hmm, but is kissing eyelids something done by even closer people? No, I’ve done other things with him too! The questions in my head kept multiplying, becoming endlessly long.

I gently bit my lip and clenched my fingers resting on my knees. He had clearly said he liked me… Did his feelings fade so quickly because I coldly rejected his various gestures? Is Karhan the type whose feelings change easily?

For some unknown reason, I felt anxious and took a deep breath inwardly, closing my eyes tightly once before opening them.

If he’s that type, it might be for the better. His feelings for me will fade, he’ll notice someone else, and soon his attention will turn to Doel. Once they get together, the story will be complete. Things might work out more easily than expected. Thinking this, I nodded lightly, but strangely, my heart didn’t feel lighter.

An uneasy feeling kept me from staying still. Feeling anxious, I looked at Karhan, but he was focused only on the documents on his desk. His only attention towards me had been that one glance we’d exchanged earlier, as if by chance.

Does he like that person so much? No wonder. Recently, there haven’t been any gift deliveries. Does the concept of “playing the field” exist in this world too? Was I just a goldfish in Karhan’s aquarium? My head was in a jumble, and I felt dizzy. I felt I should stop thinking, but I couldn’t.

After pondering for a while, I finally realized that if I stayed with Karhan, I’d keep getting caught up in these thoughts, so I stood up. As I rose abruptly, Karhan looked up from his papers. I glanced at him and said,

“I’m going back to my room.”

“Leaving so soon?”

Karhan nodded slowly, letting me go without any reluctance. It really seemed like his interest in me had disappeared because of that person. I lowered my head slightly and fumbled with my lips.

Should I casually ask about that person? What would be a natural way to ask? What if I ask and Karhan demands to know why it’s any of my business? What if he thinks I’m strange?

My feet kept getting heavier as I dawdled, but pushed by Karhan’s gaze, I finally left the office without doing anything.

Arriving at my room, I buried my face in the bed and muttered in a nearly dead voice,

“I should have just asked.”

The image of the two of them kissing each other’s eyelids kept swirling in my head, tormenting me. I grabbed the pillow tightly and banged my head against it. Why do you keep remembering? Forget it! I squeezed my eyes shut and pounded the pillow repeatedly. I repeated this several times until I was panting, then pulled the blanket over my head.

Let’s just sleep.

I took a deep breath, my chest heaving visibly, then exhaled. With my eyebrows deeply furrowed, I lay on my side and tried to sleep.

🐤

I spent the entire day in a daze.

Although I went to the training ground on time, I couldn’t concentrate properly on the exercises and got scolded a lot by the instructor. But even the instructor’s voice didn’t register, all of it bouncing off my ears. I nodded obediently even when told to do extra laps around the training ground, which must have seemed quite strange, as I was even asked if I was feeling unwell.

Returning to my room late in the evening, I sluggishly got into bed and curled up like a caterpillar.

“Ugghhh…!”

What’s going on? Get a grip. This is inside a novel. My world is elsewhere, and I’m someone who will soon return to that other place, so why do I keep thinking about those two people? I rolled around, making whimpering sounds.

The kiss between Karhan and that unknown person was like a scene from a movie. Was it because bright sunlight was shining down between them? It seemed to sparkle and shine. They really were a well-matched pair. Incomparably so compared to when he’s with me.

After pondering for a while, I suddenly sat up. Come to think of it, it’s quite upsetting.

How could he invite someone else to the mansion and kiss them in front of me when it hasn’t even been a few days since he confessed? Even if I rejected all those gifts, still. I really didn’t think he was that kind of person, it’s truly upsetting and infuriating.

Breathing heavily in excitement, I pounded the mattress. After doing this for a while, I finally relaxed my tense shoulders and chewed on my lips.

I should go to Karhan and give him a piece of my mind. With that thought, I got out of bed without considering the consequences. I walked to the door, squaring my shoulders confidently.

And just before forcefully opening the door, I paused for a moment.

“While I’m at it, I should ask who that person is.”

With that resolution, I walked quickly towards Karhan’s room. Like a knight going into battle, I puffed out my chest proudly and exhaled hot breath forcefully. Since it was the room right next door, there wasn’t much of a walk.