"You know it was me?" Lesley asked Gusion once they got back to the imperial library.

"I only guessed it was you the first time I saw you." Gusion answered, "But I confirmed it when I first held you."

Lesley tried to remember the first he held her. "That one when I misstepped getting in the carriage?"

That was over three months ago! He already knew that long?

But Gusion didn't answer, instead, he just gave her a smile.

"Am I right?" She asked since she wanted to know if she was right.

"Way back more." He shortly answered.

"Way back more?" She frowned in confusion, "When? I'm pretty sure we didn't touch when we first met in the Southern Library."

"Don't think about it anymore. Anyway, do you feel fine? I thought you will pass out earlier when you used purification." He asked her gently.

She shook her head, "I'm fine, Your Gra—"

"Gusion." He cut her.

"Please, I'm still not used to call you with your name without title." Lesley said while avoiding his gaze.

She didn't hear Gusion answered. Instead, Lesley felt a pair of hands cupped her face and tilted her head upward and there she faced Gusion who was crouching towards her.

Lesley gulped and felt her blood rushed to her cheeks.

She closed her left eye when he brushed away some of her hair strands away from her face. That hand of his sneakily went to her waist and pulled her closer to him, startling her.

She held her breath with their proximity. Especially when she felt his hand caressing her waist which was tickling her and at the same time, sending an unknown sensation to her spine.

"I-I really don't wear corset." The words barely came out from Lesley's mouth.

"Which is perfect. I believe there is a downside of wearing corset all of the time." Gusion said in his low voice, making Lesley flinched since she felt something unexplainable upon hearing that low voice.

He then lowered his head to the crook of her neck, "Mother and Reign only wear corset when there is a banquet."

Lesley squirmed a little since his breath was tickling her, "T-they seem not to need to wear corset b-because they already have perfect curves."

"So are you." And there was his low chuckles again.

Ah goodness, is he seducing me? Lesley thought. Please, I'm too weak against low chuckles and low voice.

She remembered on why she was single in her first two lives. Aside from she had an overprotective brother— she was so into mangas, manhwas, novels, and anime— making her standards so high that no man made her interested with them.

"I-I just simply can't breathe wearing one that's why I don't wear corsets." Lesley said, "I am more concerned about my breathing than pretending I have an ideal body figure."

She felt Gusion sighed and his hot breath fanned to her neck. Lesley was very sure it made her blushed even more, if that was impossible.

"You must have not seen yourself in the mirror." Gusion whispered, before taking a deep breath— or more on like, inhaling her.

There was silence between them after. But oddly enough, it wasn't an awkward silence rather a comforting one. They stayed in their position— with Gusion's right arm wrapped around her waist while his left hand was buried in the locks of her hair and his face on her neck while her hands were barely touching his arms.

"My lady." Gusion broke the silence between them.

"Yes?"

"Let's stay like this a little longer. It's getting out of my control now. I need to calm down." He said and she didn't understand what he meant but she just said okay.

Another silence wrapped around them. But Lesley couldn't stop squirming because she could feel that Gusion was gliding his nose up and down her neck. And it was not only his nose, because she could feel his soft lips were brushing against her neck too.

She also lost the count on how many times Gusion had inhaled her scent.

Lesley broke a giggle because she couldn't help it anymore. What he was doing was tickling her.

"Please stop doing that. That tickles me." She said as she tried to push his head away from her neck but he buried his face even more to her neck.

"Hmm..." Gusion hummed deeply, sending another unknown sensation to her.

And the Grand Duke even pulled her closer by tightening his arms around her, as if they weren't close enough.

"We should start preparing for the engagement party." Gusion said, his lips brushed against her neck while he was speaking.

"Is that necessary? This is only temporary." Lesley asked, "That would be too much money. We should just used it to help people."

"We can do engagement party and I will still have more than enough money for the people."

"You must be really close to your brother to do this much of help."

"Not really." Gusion said and hugged her even tighter, "Need to stake a claim on what's mine."

Lesley didn't understand what he said because she was having a slight diffuculty in breathing because of his hug, "Let me go for a while, please. I-I can't breathe."

"Oh, I apologize, my lady." Gusion quickly put a little distance between them but she was still in his arms. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, avoiding his gaze.

And again, he made her looked at him by holding her face.

"Don't avoid my gaze." He softly said, "Look at me."

Lesley had no other choice and looked at his pair of teal orbs that was looking softly at her.

But she noticed that his pupils were dilating. And she didn't know if hers too.

"Ah. This is bad." Gusion suddenly said.

"What?"

"This made me crave for more." He said and his face went closer to her.

Her eyes widened. Oh my goodness.

"My lady." He called her in his low voice.

"Y-yes?"

"I want to kiss you." Her breathing hitched when she heard that. "May I?" He asked her gently.

"A-ah—"

What the heck! What kind of question is that?

Lesley lost her mind when she saw him smiling at her reaction. Taking advantage of her frozen state, his lips slowly landed on her right eye, to her left eye, before it landed on the tip of her nose.

Her eyes were shut at the whole process. His lips felt warm and unexpectedly, it have her a comfortable meaning.

"If I take another advance step now, I'm pretty sure you will lose your consciousness." Gusion chuckled, "You had enough today."

Lesley sighed in relief. Oh goodness, I thought I would have a heart attack.

But the back of her mind was a little disappointed. She was expecting—

No! This is so wrong!

"Enough for you but not for me." He said and brushed her lips with his thumb, "Once I claim this, I know for sure that I wouldn't get enough."

He then brought that thumb that he used to brush her lips to his and kissed it.

Miss Author, did the male lead you wrote is really such seductive like this?

=====

"Come out here you sneaky tyrant Grand Duke! How dare you!"

Lesley was startled when she heard that voice while reading a book in the imperial library. It had been two weeks since they started their fake engagement.

Nothing had really change in their set-up— she would read in the imperial library thrice a week because there were lots of interesting books and Gusion would bring his work in the library to acconpany her.

As an exchange, Gusion would visit the Vance Mansion in the remaining days to see her. Although those visits would end in chaos because of her overprotective father and little brother.

There were actually rumors already circulating that they might have relationship while many think it was for business only since it was no secret that the Vances were the loyal vessel of the imperial family.

They still had not officially announced that they were engaged, they would announced it in the engagement party two weeks from now.

She didn't win the argument regarding that engagement party since Gusion said it would be a strong proof against the arrange marriage that the empress was pushing.

"Is that... Guin?" Lesley said and tried to peek to the window but the Grand Duke stopped her by firmly holding her hand.

Ah, she forgot that she shouldn't lost physical contact with Gusion while inside the imperial library.

Because this scammer Grand Duke snatched away the imperial pass from her before they got in earlier.

"Your Grace, it's Guin." She told him.

"And? What should I do?" Gusion asked nonchalantly as he continued reading papers.

"I want to explain to her the situation—"

"No." He cut her and looked at her, "Sorry for cutting your sentence, my lady. But just let her be. I'm sure he already told her."

"He?" She asked in confusion.

"What are you doing here? Calm down, milady." She heard Granger's voice outside.

"Bring out that damn Grand Duke, Ger! I want to punch him and hit him with my Magic Superpower in the face! How dare him steal my beloved Lesley!"

Granger sighed, "Who is your true lover here, milady?"

"Sir Granger?" Lesley blurted. She badly wanted to take a peek outside but this sulking Grand Duke was stopping her from doing so.

"We will go out once he calms her." Gusion said while still reading papers but then he brought her hand he was holding to his lips and kissed her knuckles, fingertips, palm, and wrist.

Lesley gasped, "Gusion!" She blurted out of shock and panic.

Why he is being so touchy?

"Oh?" Gusion reacted and he raised one of his eyebrows as if he found something interesting, "So one way to make you say my name is to shock you huh."

She blushed and Gusion chuckled.

"I already have a first plan but I won't be doing that so soon." He said while smirking but Lesley couldn't understand its context.

Lesley gulped and felt nervous for an unknown reason.

Why do I feel that it isn't a good plan?

=====

Here we go again. Lesley thought as she was put in an awkward situation again.

They were in the office of the Grand Duke in the mansion with Gusion of course, glaring Guinevere, sighing Granger, naughty Dexter, Claude bugging Irithel who was silently watching in the corner.

Actually, Guinevere dragged Irithel in the Grand Duke's mansion when she learned that Lesley was already engaged with Gusion. Guinevere first visited the Vance mansion but when the people there said that Lesley was in the Grand Duke's mansion, she dragged Irithel with her.

Guinevere then snatched Lesley's left hand and there she saw the ring with rare blue diamond, startling Lesley.

"Hey! Are you trying to hurt her?" Gusion quickly reacted and glared at Guinevere.

"How dare you! I'm not letting you marry my lovely Lesley!" Guinevere whined.

"Did you tell her?" Gusion asked Granger instead.

"Yes, but she already knew it when I told her." Granger answered.

Gusion sighed, "Of course, it was him. That's not surprising."

"It doesn't matter who told me but I'm against this engagement!" Guinevere said in her high pitch voice.

"G-Guin, listen. This is only—"

"She is already wearing the ring. You can't do anything about it." Gusion said.

"I'm hundred percent sure you forced her to agree with you!" Guinevere glared at him.

Gusion sighed again and looked at Granger as if he was telling him to leash this angry Guinevere.

"Vi, calm down." Granger reached for Guinevere and made her turned to him.

And in an instant, Guinevere smiled at Granger, "Okay, Ger."

"Good girl." Granger said before patting Guinevere's head.

Lesley's eyes widened. Vi? He has a nickname for Guin? And Ger? When did they become close? Are they already lovers? But what about Gusion? Why isn't he making his moves?

There were so many questions in Lesley's mind that she held her head because it gave her a headache.

"Are you okay, my lady?" Gusion asked her gently and held her hand that was on her head.

He was completely ignoring Guinevere and Granger being so close and had his full attention on her.

This is all messed up.

"Hey! Don't touch my Lesley!" Guinevere noticed them and became angry again.

Gusion sighed for she didn't know how many times already.

"Hang on to me, my lady." Gusion whispered to her.

She was confused and before she knew it, he teleported them back to the imperial library.

"Ah, peaceful at last." Gusion said while still his arms were around her.

He let out a sigh of content as he buried his face to her hair.

She patted his back as consolidation because she knew the feeling. It was really chaotic earlier. Her introverted self was internally crying earlier.

Lesley unintentionally looked over the window and saw something there. It was the view of the hill at the back of the Grand Duke's mansion.

"Are you renovating or something that hill, Your Grace?" She asked him while he was still hugging her.

"Gusion." He corrected her before answering her question, "Yes, for quite a while already."

Lesley mumbled okay while still looking at the hill.

Because there was one thing she noticed.

She didn't know if her eyes were tricking her, but she definitely saw Nemophilia flowers planted on the hill.

~~~~~

A bit delay on the update because I'm having a hard time to write this fluffy chapter while I'm in a bus. HAHAHAHAHAHA. I can't stop grinning although I'm wearing mask. I'm afraid to scare the person sitting next to me. HAHAHAHA.

Enjoy this fluffy chapter! *evil smile*