SCMBRN Chapter 9

In the silence, I could clearly hear the peaceful sound of Eugen’s breathing.

 

‘So he’s not the type to stay still while sleeping.’

 

I was lying exactly where I had fallen asleep, but Eugen had moved over to my side.

 

“Uuugh.”

 

He stirred once, and our bodies ended up pressed together. The feel of his firm muscles against my upper arm…

 

A silent scream burst forth inside me.

 

‘I take back what I said about him not having tension!’

 

Forget that. I’m so tense I could die. But it’s the good kind of tension. Unlike with the crown prince.

 

On top of that, Eugen had a beautiful face. Charlotte had fairly long eyelashes, but Eugen’s were just as long. Maybe even longer?

 

I remember reading somewhere that camels evolved to have long eyelashes to protect their eyes from desert sand and strong winds. I don’t know for sure, but maybe it’s the same for him, being descended from desert people?

 

I took the time to appreciate his looks in peace. Thinking back to how I had stared at the crown prince’s face in a daze yesterday, I really am weak to good looks.

 

Dear God, You brought me into this world for this very moment. I’m sorry for all the times I cursed You for letting me fall into a romance fantasy world only to be met with endless scolding and zero protagonist-like development.

 

Just as I was praying in gratitude to a god whose existence I wasn’t even sure of, Eugen began shifting more toward me.

 

At this point, he was practically hugging me. And still, he didn’t stop moving.

 

Goodness, this is far too much for the first night… No, seriously, this is physically not going to work. There’s nowhere left for me to retreat.

 

“Ah!”

 

Dangling on the edge of the bed, I finally tumbled to the floor. A dull ache swept through my entire body.

 

“Ow, my back.”

 

Clutching my lower back, I glared at Eugen, who was still sound asleep. This guy made me fall off the bed and didn’t even stir.

 

Well, I guess that can happen. Nobody’s perfect, right? He’s capable, has a great personality, and don’t even get me started on his face and body.

 

“Having a flaw or two just makes you more human. It’s fine. It’s fine. I can just go back to sleep.”

 

I glanced at the spot Eugen had completely taken over and moved to the other side of the bed. No point staring at someone sleeping and drooling over him. Better to just go back to sleep.

 

But things didn’t go as I expected. Not long after, Eugen began advancing from the other end of the bed toward me again.

 

“…What a dramatic sleep habit.”

 

In the end, I had no choice but to switch sides once more. Hoping, this time, it would be the last.

 

Thankfully, Eugen rolling toward me ended there. However—

 

“You’re heavy!”

 

I shot up, pushing off Eugen’s leg that had ended up across my lower body. Because he started sleeping diagonally, our bodies couldn’t help but overlap.

 

“Patience. Just be patient.”

 

My irritation flared, but seeing Eugen’s angelic sleeping face calmed me down a little. I could just sleep at an angle to avoid him.

 

But in the end, my solution was barely effective. Eugen didn’t just sleep diagonally. He rotated a full 360 degrees in his sleep.

 

I had to keep shifting around, barely catching bits of sleep here and there. Eventually, with dry eyes from sleeplessness, I decided to change my perspective.

 

‘I take back what I said about this being nice…’

 

How can a person even sleep like that? What if he’s actually awake and doing this on purpose to mess with me?

 

Thus passed a night of deep sleep for one and complete insomnia for another, and morning finally arrived.

 

There may be people who can go a night or two without sleep and be fine, but I’m not one of them. Definitely not me.

 

Even back when I was a student, I always made sure to get my sleep. If I had to stay up all night cramming, I’d rather just give up on finals or midterms altogether.

 

Is this punishment? For the comments I left that gave people chronic insomnia, is this divine retribution?

 

But come on, how was I supposed to know things would turn out like this when I wrote those comments? Why is this happening to me? It’s so unfair. Unfair.

 

Just as my sleep-deprived mind spiraled into catastrophic thinking, Eugen spoke up.

 

“Did you sleep well?”

 

Do I look like I slept well? The guy who wouldn’t wake up no matter how hard I tried is suddenly wide awake at dawn.

 

When I didn’t answer, Eugen came closer and looked down at me where I lay.

 

“You don’t look well.”

 

In contrast, Eugen looked much better than yesterday, probably from a long-overdue restful sleep. His face practically glowed… And yes, he was handsome.

 

“Are you sick?”

 

His cautious voice was tinged with concern. His brows drooped. Maybe my tired eyes were playing tricks on me, but he started to look like a big puppy.

 

‘Don’t let yourself soften!’

 

I almost left for the couch last night because I couldn’t resist that face. Every time I got up to leave, Eugen twitched like he was having a nightmare.

 

Even if he’s asleep, it seems that the moment I try to leave, the bed no longer feels like his. What a meticulous curse.

 

Though it wasn’t intentional, I suffered all night because of Eugen’s sleep habits. Surely, I’m allowed to voice a little complaint.

 

“Eugen.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Well…”

 

“Do you want some medicine?”

 

“No, that’s not it…”

 

“I’ve seen it a lot. People die easily.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“If you’re sick, you have to say so right away.”

 

He gently but firmly grasped my hand, careful not to hurt me. His hands were covered in scars and calluses, signs of a life full of hardship.

 

I steadied my voice before replying.

 

“I’m not sick at all. I’m fine, so don’t worry.”

 

“But your complexion—”

 

“I said I’m fine.”

 

I couldn’t bring myself to say it. How could I speak harshly when someone was saying such heartfelt things with such an adorable face?

 

‘So what if I didn’t get a little sleep? Eugen had insomnia for months because of a comment I wrote.’

 

Sniffle. Our dear Eugen deserves a lifetime of happiness. Even if the heroine doesn’t choose him, love isn’t everything in life. A second male lead can be happy too!

 

I gently tapped the back of Eugen’s hand.

 

“Did you sleep well?”

 

“Yeah, for the first time in a while.”

 

He glanced at my bed with a dazed look in his eyes.

 

“I like this bed. Give it to me.”

 

I would’ve loved to, but it wasn’t a problem that could be solved by just giving him the bed.

 

“Sorry, but I can’t.”

 

“…Really?”

 

“Want a cookie instead? Wait a sec. I think there’s still some left from last time.”

 

Because Charlotte avoided sweets to manage her weight, I’d naturally become cautious too. Whenever I tried to eat something, the maids would stare with wide eyes. Ugh.

 

Suddenly, Eugen narrowed his eyes and stared at the door.

 

“Someone’s coming.”

 

I checked the clock. It was time for the maids to come wake me. I hurriedly shoved Eugen away.

 

“Hide! No, it’d be better if you just left!”

 

“What about the cookie?”

 

“This is no time to talk about cookies!”

 

Looking disappointed, Eugen dashed out to the terrace.

 

“Thanks. See you again.”

 

He left those parting words and jumped down. Not a single sound as he landed, vanishing swiftly among the garden shrubs.

 

“See you again…”

 

Well, he’s a noble too, so I might run into him someday at some grand ball or another. But I have no intention of returning to social life and plan to leave the capital as soon as I can.

 

Besides, now that the bed’s curse is lifted, would we really meet again?

 

“Still, well. If we run into each other by chance, I wouldn’t mind.”

 

I mumbled to myself. As long as things weren’t like they are now, meeting a beloved character wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

 

Little did I know then that I would soon regret those words.

 

 

 

⚜︎ ⚜︎ ⚜︎

 

 

 

As I sat at the breakfast table, Marchioness Lyndsey looked at me with concern.

 

“You look terrible. Didn’t sleep well?”

 

“No, I just couldn’t fall asleep.”

 

“Of course. After what happened, someone with your temperament wouldn’t sleep easily.”

 

She was referring to the incident with Knight George and the pickpocket. The fact that George had looked down on me and plotted a crime was undeniable. The Marchioness must have thought my pride was deeply wounded.

 

‘…But someone else is the reason I didn’t sleep.’

 

I swallowed the truth and let her remain mistaken.

 

“Bottling up your anger like that will make you sick. The culprit’s been caught. Let it go now.”

 

The Marquis chimed in.

 

“That’s right. Why not go to a tea party or something to take your mind off things?”

 

“But I’m still under probation, aren’t I?”

 

“I heard from the constable that discovering George’s involvement was entirely your doing. You were the one who cleverly drew a confession from the pickpocket.”

 

“You flatter me. It was all thanks to Lord Mont.”

 

It seemed the constable had sweetened the story to lift the Marquis ’s spirits.

 

“Still, the fact that you didn’t cause a scene and called the authorities calmly is impressive in itself.”

 

“I was just doing what anyone should do.”

 

The Marquis ’s eyes welled up with tears.

 

“Charlotte, you’ve really grown. Saying such sensible things…”

 

Maybe because Charlotte had been so reckless before, even just behaving normally got me praise. Should I be happy about that, or sad?

 

“Anyway, I think it’s fine to end your probation now. You’ve been well-behaved these past few months.”

 

He paused briefly before continuing.

 

“I wonder if I’ve been too harsh with you all this time. You’ve always been a tender-hearted child.”

 

“Father.”

 

A rare warmth spread through the Lyndsey family dining room. I appreciated the sentiment, but now it would be harder to refuse his suggestions.

 

I really just liked staying at home, but the Marquis seemed to pity me too much. He called the butler and asked,

 

“Any invitations for Charlotte recently?”

 

All invitations during my probation had been handled by the butler. At first, he’d consult me about each one, but since I didn’t know who they were and couldn’t be bothered, I left it to him.

 

“There are a few.”

 

“Bring them here. My dear, you should go and see some of the friends you haven’t met in a while.”

 

“Master, there is something I must report…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“It’s not an invitation, but a flower basket that arrived this morning for the young lady. And considering the sender, I thought it best to inform you.”

 

A flower basket? Naturally, I perked up at the butler’s words. Jayden seemed curious too, glancing over.

 

“Who sent it?”

 

At the Marquis ’s question, the butler replied.

 

“It was from the famous Archmage, Sir Kyrie.”