By Some Unbelievable Twist, I Became the Villainess’s Older Brother - Chapter 22.1
The owner of the offending hand freely stroked the skin he had squeezed. Seeing him caress his skin as carefully as if soothing a baby, Enoch abruptly broke out in goose bumps.
It felt as though the cold sweat that had stopped was flowing again. As if kneading Enoch’s side were not enough, Adelio even began inching his hand upward.
Horrified, Enoch hurriedly caught Adelio’s hand in a firm grip. Adelio blinked with an innocent expression, as though he knew nothing. The sight of that decidedly uncute face feigning innocence left Enoch speechless.
“Why? You looked as though you were in pain, so I was going to massage you with the utmost care.”
“I remember!”
“Hm?”
“Didn’t you ask me earlier if I remembered…? I’m saying I do.”
“What did I say?”
Enoch lowered his eyes obediently, as though aware of his wrongdoing. Then he slowly recited what Adelio had said.
“…You told me to inform you at once if anyone from the palace contacted me.”
“Then why didn’t you contact me?”
“That was because…”
How could he possibly say it in this situation? That he didn’t trust Adelio.
After hesitating again and again, Enoch glanced at Adelio and firmly closed his mouth. Partly, it was because he couldn’t bring himself to state the truth aloud. But he also thought that someone as perceptive as Adelio would quickly understand what Enoch meant without his having to say it himself.
“Enough. Don’t say it. I can tell from your eyes exactly how you’d answer.”
Sure enough, after looking at Enoch for a moment, Adelio spoke and waved his hand dismissively.
Enoch, who had never intended to say it in the first place, pressed his lips together again. Then Adelio’s eyes suddenly drooped. Looking like a puppy abandoned by its master, he nearly made Enoch shriek.
As Enoch had often thought, Adelio really needed to stop making such a world-weary, sorrowful expression with that face. Enoch found it frightening rather than pitiable.
Wasn’t that only natural? A man who possessed more than anyone else in the world was pretending to be so pitiful!
What a shameless man. And that thing that had been irritating him for a while now…
His face cold and stiff, Enoch slowly lowered his gaze between Adelio’s legs. More precisely, toward the thing below Adelio’s waist that kept prodding him…
‘I want to deny it. I want to deny it. I said I want to deny it!’
How had things even come to this? The conviction that he must not remain beside this dangerous man any longer grew overwhelming.
Appalled, Enoch inched sideways on the seat, trying to put some distance between them. Of course, he was still beside Adelio’s thigh, but if he did not at least do this, their faces would soon be even closer.
And more importantly, his face was not the problem now. That ‘thing’ below was the greater problem!
He had to get away immediately. Ugh, the mere thought sent such a shiver through him.
“So. What did you think when you saw the First Princess?”
“……”
“Did she seem much more trustworthy than someone as kind as me?”
“……”
“Yes. Your expression tells me the answer this time too. It seems your conversation with the First Princess wasn’t particularly pleasant. Good. Then shall we speak seriously and properly now?”
With that, Adelio effortlessly lifted Enoch once more. Though Enoch looked displeased to find himself in Adelio’s arms again, he said nothing, unwilling to provoke him and suffer for it.
Above all, he couldn’t tell what Adelio might do next. Enoch held his breath and glanced sidelong at the man holding him.
This time, Adelio set Enoch down beside him. Then he leaned back again, propped one arm on the armrest, and rested his chin on his hand.
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