Chapter 6
"I-I'm sorry!!!"
I hurriedly started to lift myself off his lap, but Julius-san's arm around my waist didn't budge an inch.
I couldn't exactly squirm around on his lap, and as I anxiously wondered how to get down, he held out a cup of tea without changing position. "Here you go."
It smelled sweet, as if it had honey in it.
Remembering my throat, parched from crying, I gratefully accepted the cup and took a drink. It must have been left to cool a little, because it was lukewarm and easy to drink.
The mild sweetness spread across my tongue, and I let out a relieved sigh. Then he gently wiped my eyes and cheeks with a fine white handkerchief.
My heart leaped as I looked at his handsome face so close to mine.
(He's... really taking care of me...!!)
After bawling like a child, now I'm sitting on a handsome man's lap while he looks after me. This is just piling embarrassment on top of embarrassment.
It'd be a heartwarming scene if I were a little kid, but I'm a full-fledged college student, you know...!!
"Um... Julius-san... I'm fine now—Mmph...!"
Before I could finish, he fed me a sandwich cut into small pieces. The slightly thick ham and crisp vegetables were delicious, but if possible, I'd rather sit by myself in that iron chair over there and eat.
I swallowed, and before I could say another word, he brought an egg sandwich to my mouth.
(This is bad...! I can't escape...!! What is this humiliating ordeal?)
Julius-san gazed down at me as I chewed with my cheeks puffed out. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he had a very happy, beaming smile.
Seeing him like that made me feel like I could put up with a little embarrassment, so I went blank and let him keep feeding me.
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"...For now, Riko's main job is to eat well and grow up healthy and happy."
He said this after I finally brought the embarrassing feeding session to an end by guarding my mouth with my hand and declaring, "I can't eat another bite!"
At last, I was allowed to sit by myself. As I ate fruit jelly with a spoon, Julius-san gazed at me and murmured under his breath.
(A child-rearing policy...??)
He must have noticed how skinny I was when he held me on his lap earlier.
Perhaps he was imagining that I'd grown up without enough to eat, because Julius-san looked utterly serious.
(This is what happened after I started living alone and got careless about my meals...!)
There were days when I got too lazy to shop for groceries and spent the whole day eating a single donut I had at home.
This was the result of my own laziness, so I felt uncomfortable and decided to change the subject.
"Um... I'm already nineteen, so I'm not exactly at an age where I'm still growing..."
"You're more of a lady than I expected... That's good news."
Good news? I tilted my head, but he deflected the question with a knowing smile. Instead, he told me that he and the prince were both twenty-five and cousins.
The prince's hair was a different color, but I thought his eyes had been yellowish too. As I gazed at Julius-san's yellow-orange eyes, a large palm suddenly blocked my view for some reason.
"If you keep staring at me like that, you'll make me blush..."
His sweet, slightly husky voice was almost sultry. My shoulders jumped, and I hurriedly turned away.
Before I looked away, I'd seen the area around Julius-san's ears through the gaps between his fingers. It was slightly red, but I must have imagined it.
"S-sorry for staring so rudely! Your eyes are like honey—they're sparkling and beautiful, so warm and lovely. I couldn't help being captivated...!"
"...Was that unconscious?"
"Huh...? Un...conscious...?"
With a slightly exasperated tone, the hand in front of my face moved to my head.
He gently stroked my head two or three times, then cupped my cheeks with both hands and softly tilted my face up.
Right in front of me were sparkling, honey-colored eyes.
"...Your job here at House Ashford is to eat well, grow up healthy and happy, and enjoy every day."
"Y-yes...!"
He'd just added another item to what sounded like a child-rearing policy, but all I could do was fidget nervously with this handsome man so close to me.
"...And then..."
Julius-san leaned even farther forward and whispered in my ear, his breath brushing against it.
"Let me spoil you?"
"――――!?!?!?!?!?"
"...Apparently, I like it when you let me pamper you."
He said it in a sweet voice, and something soft pressed against my burning earlobe—squish... squish...
"Eeeeeek!!!"
I'd hit my limit and finally let out a pathetic scream.
The maids heard me and hurried over to the gazebo, bringing our lunch to an end.
As for me, I could do nothing but press a hand tightly over one ear and stagger back to my room, my face bright red as I muttered "Otherworldly handsome men are scary..." like a mantra.
"...I'm glad you came to House Ashford, Riko."
By then, I was too panicked to hear even those words murmured behind me.