I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 133

 

“What?”

 

Carson removed his hand from covering his face and faced me.

 

There was a violent spark in his pupils.

 

“Why, why with me?”

 

Why? To tease you, of course.

 

I gave him a hurt look and shook my head.

 

“Caon. Do you hate sleeping with me that much…?”

 

Until yesterday, we slept together just fine.

 

Carson stuttered at the sour addition.

 

“Well, you were mentally distressed back then, and I was trying to comfort you…”

 

“You made me into someone who can’t sleep without you, and now you’re going to kick me out?”

 

Carson gulped at my comment.

 

“Leen!”

 

Oh, what a surprise.

 

“What, did I say the wrong thing?”

 

Carson shuddered and spat out an apologetic response, his face deep red.

 

“It’s weird when you put it like that, I was just trying to reassure you, innocently enough…”

 

“So you were lying in the same bed with me, and you didn’t mind?”

 

“That…!”

 

Carson opened his mouth to say something, then hastily closed it again.

 

Too bad. I could have teased him more if he’d said something.

 

Now that I think about it, I’m starting to feel a bit sleepy. It was time to end this pointless war of words.

 

It was a fight I was going to win anyway. The teasing could continue a little longer in bed.

 

I switched my expression to a grim one.

 

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine, but even if we’re in a relationship, I can’t just force myself on you…”

 

I chewed my bottom lip slightly and hugged the pillow tightly.

 

“I’ll go…”

 

I slowly placed my hand on the doorknob.

 

“Wait!”

 

Barely able to suppress the smirk that threatened to form on my lips, I looked up at him innocently.

 

“Huh…?”

 

“If you don’t mind!”

 

Carson choked out the words, his face flushed profusely.

 

“Let’s… go to bed.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Instantly, with a wide grin, I sprinted over and claimed the bed as if I owned the room.

 

Carson looked at me with a look of betrayal on his face.

 

But then,

 

“Ha, I also love the fox-like Leen… I should have gotten a picture of that requesting look.”

 

I smirked at him and gently nudged him on the bed.

 

“Come on, honey.”

 

“Leen, please stop…!”

 

Now he was almost pleading.

 

“Hurry up.”

 

At my continued urging, he staggered over to the bed like a man walking to his deathbed. I wondered how long he could hold out.

 

My eyes narrowed savagely. It was a sign that the innate mischievousness had risen to the surface.

 

He lay down on the bed with the stiff movements of a broken teddy bear.

 

…at the end of the bed, not in front of me, but on his back.

 

The bed was big enough for five adult men.

 

I was about to get a little grumpy about this intentional behavior. But it went away like a wave when I noticed his ears and haunches, which were burning red.

 

It seemed like if I cracked an egg and placed it on his back, it would be soft-boiled in no time.

 

“Caon, if you lie on the end like that, you’ll fall off in your sleep.”

 

“…”

 

I buried my chin in the pillow and pressed my index finger into his back to make sure he was still alive.

 

It was hard and rigid, like I was touching a log.

 

“…It’s okay, I’m a light sleeper.”

 

“Hahaha!”

 

A burst of laughter erupted. It was said that among the young nobles, a doll that could be pressed on its belly and a recorded voice would come out.

 

I wondered if the dolls were pressed for this kind of fun.

 

“Caon, I have a favor to ask.”

 

“…I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do it.”

 

Oh my gosh. Most of the time, he nodded without even hearing what it was.

 

But I wasn’t about to back down now. I grabbed both of Carson’s cheeks and turned his head.

 

His eyes snapped open and stared at me.

 

“Ugh!”

 

He turned to face me, eyebrows knitted together, eyes pleading.

 

“Are you sure you won’t listen to me?”

 

“Whew, ha… Can I hear what it is and then decide?”

 

‘Ugh. That didn’t work either.’

 

But at least it gave me a foothold to tease him.

 

“Umm.”

 

I pretended to hesitate, trying to think of something to say. I hadn’t really decided what to ask for.

 

What could I do to tease Carson to the limit?

 

1. Locking lips in a passionate embrace.

 

He doesn’t have a control spell on him, so he might faint from the sudden touch.

 

2. Tease him about having a real baby.

 

…He’s been having a hard time grieving the loss of a baby he never had, so it’s probably best to refrain from baby talk for a while.

 

3. Make fun of him enough, and he’ll let it slide.

 

Well, of course not. I’m having fun, but it’s impossible. 

 

I eventually compromised with something he could live with.

 

“I want you to give me your arm.”

 

“…Leen, are you going to kill me?”

 

“Sorry. When I was a kid, I liked to fall in my parents’ arms to sleep, and then I remembered.”

 

“…So do you prefer the left arm or the right?”

 

Wordlessly, I pulled Carson’s right arm into position and laid my head on it, then wrapped my arms around his stiffened body.

 

The warmth made me giggle uncontrollably.

 

Yes, I was looking for this warmth. I hadn’t realized I was cold before. I was used to sleeping by myself, used to being alone.

 

But Carson had seeped into my life and was now indispensable.

 

He was my salvation, my love.

 

“Caon, I love you.”

 

“…”

 

He didn’t answer, not sure if he was stunned or too ashamed to speak.

 

I wasn’t disappointed. I’d heard him say I love you just fine the other day.

 

Maybe later, when he’s less shy, he’d say it more often. I thought to myself, and burrowed deeper into Carson’s arms.

 

🍃

 

Finding Leen sleeping peacefully, Carson kissed her forehead.

 

“I love you more.”

 

He stared at her sleeping face for a long moment, then let out a deep sigh that drew from his lungs.

 

“Whew…”

 

I knew better than anyone that Leen had meant to tease me. But even though I knew it was a joke, her words made me feel hot.

 

It felt like the heat wouldn’t dissipate. Neither would she, for the one who caused it was still embracing me tightly.

 

Even my arms are being held hostage.

 

Most embarrassing of all, the material of Leen’s négligée was very thin.

 

I don’t know how she could trust me to do this.

 

In truth, I could have gotten away with it after casting a control spell on myself.

 

But I didn’t, because I knew Leen didn’t like the idea of me touching her with control spells.

 

I did not want to do something she didn’t like. I could be a little less stubborn, but what the hell, it’s the path I’ve chosen.

 

Carson tried to ignore the pulling sensation in his stomach.

 

‘This was going to be a long night.’

 

🍃 

 

I buried my head in my research for the cure, which had been spinning in place for days.

 

I yelled suddenly, waking up Dobby, who had been sleeping peacefully next to me.

 

Feeling sorry for him, I grabbed a sausage from the drawer. Dobby’s eyes lit up, and he lunged at me.

 

A gentle child, not at all what you’d expect from a fierce wolf.

 

…except for his female.

 

“I’m sorry, I know I scared you, but I was just venting.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

My research stalled because I didn’t know where to start.

 

All the cures I’d tried as a child had failed. It’s not that my research didn’t help, but it was a failure, and I had to find another way.

 

Herbal and Alchemy medicines are very delicate, and if you change one gram of herbs in the formula, it becomes a completely different medicine.

 

Do I even know what other herbs work for that disease?

 

I had written it down when I was younger, but it wasn’t enough.

 

“If I had known this, I would have taken the trouble to draw blood from Nancy’s father before he died.”

 

A few days ago, I received a letter from Nancy informing me of her father’s passing.

 

By the time the letter reached me, Nancy’s father’s funeral was already over.

 

I sent her a large check, hoping that she would be able to recover slowly and not worry about money.

 

Along with my apologies.

 

I felt bad for giving her hope that I could cure him, and for not being able to do anything about it.

 

“Dobby, why don’t we go for a walk?”

 

Carson had said it would be safe to take Dobby out of the Lysianthus estate.

 

It wouldn’t faze them, they’re used to seeing all sorts of weird things among the wizards.

 

Some wizards are even aware of the existence of unusual creatures like Dobby.

 

“Of course you’re taking me on that walk, right?”

 

I turned toward the source of the familiar voice and saw Carson leaning slowly against the door.

 

Dobby ducks behind me at his entrance.

 

I shrugged and answered, “I’m going to the herb market, if you don’t mind, I thought you might be bored.”

 

“How can I be bored when I have you?”

 

…Call it romantic or call it clingy.

 

“That’s a good thing.”

 

We took Dobby outside without any other preparation. Muzzles and leashes were a must for everyone else, of course.

 

For the first time in a while, I had arrived by carriage, not teleportation, and had just gotten off at the herb market.

 

My eyes were shining with anticipation, and I narrowed at the suddenly foreign taste in my mouth.

 

“Does it bother you?”

 

“Uh, nothing, just a little discomfort from the recent dental treatment.”

 

I probed the area with my tongue, which didn’t seem to be particularly uncomfortable.

 

“Did you say you had a cavity?”

 

“Yep. That’s why I put something over it. It’s made of alchemy, so it feels a little strange.”

 

Carson narrowed his eyes, a pitying look on his face.

 

“I should have done a steady stream of clean magic before you got to that point…”

 

“By that point, anyone would think I’d never brushed my teeth.”

 

I smirked and kissed his cheek lightly before pulling away.

 

“Surely, if you kissed me every day, I’d brush harder?”

 

Carson blushed and lowered his head, murmuring softly.

 

“…I’ll try.”

 

My frustration began to melt away. I gently took his hand and walked toward the center of the herb market.

 

With Dobby’s leash in one hand and Carson in the other, I couldn’t have felt more secure.

 

It was then. I found the last person I expected to encounter.