I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 142

 

After dismissing Carson from the room, I sat on the edge of the bed.

 

Dazed. I couldn’t believe I had just dealt with Rex, the man who had been holding me captive.

 

And I had done it with my own hands.

 

It was strange to be alone with him. I wondered if I hadn’t actually dealt with Rex, but with an illusion.

 

What if Rex appeared in front of me again?

 

Maybe I shouldn’t have sent Carson out of the room. But I couldn’t bring myself to listen to the recording with him.

 

I was shivering with anxiety, wrapping myself in the covers.

 

I heard something tapping on the window. Likewise, I whipped my head around in surprise, and Dobby came into view.

 

“Dobby!”

 

More excited than usual, I quickly opened the window to let Dobby in.

 

As soon as I open the window, Dobby lunges at me. I lost my balance and fell backward.

 

Luckily, I landed on a plush rug and didn’t hurt myself. Dobby was on top of me, licking me with his tongue. His tail wagged wildly.

 

Dobby relaxed me, and I let out a hearty laugh.

 

“Haha, Dobby, stop it.”

 

Dobby only got off me after licking me for a long time.

 

Then he picked up something he had briefly placed elsewhere while licking me and brought it back in front of me.

 

“What’s that?”

 

I asked, and Dobby dropped it in front of me as if he’d been waiting for it.

 

It was my sock that Dobby had taken.

 

Seeing it brought me back to reality and lifted my spirits.

 

‘Yes, Rex is over, and he’ll never appear in front of me again.’

 

It’s okay not to be anxious. I clutched the sock tightly in my hand and hugged Dobby.

 

“Thank you.”

 

It was the moment I was freed from the shackles of Rex Begonia, and I knew I was free.

 

🍃

 

Late at night, Carson came to my room.

 

It was not a surprising visit, for it had been some time since I had slept with him every night. I opened the door to find Carson with reddened eyes.

 

He stared at me wordlessly, even though he had so much to say. I sat down on the bed, smiled weakly, and beckoned to him.

 

“Come here.”

 

Carson came to me like a well-behaved puppy.

 

“Did you finish listening to the recording?”

 

“…Yeah.”

 

“Mmm. Good.”

 

I ran my hand through his hair, and a strand of silky pink hair slipped between my fingers.

It felt ticklish.

 

Not a bad mood to bring up this story.

 

“My parents died the year I turned ten. You knew that, didn’t you?”

 

Seeing that Carson nodded slightly, I continued, “It was a disease with similar symptoms to the monstera that is currently ravaging the Empire. I’m not sure, but it may have been the same disease.”

 

They weren’t so lucky.

 

“We tried everything to keep them alive, but in the end, they died.”

 

“…Leen.”

 

Carson looked at me, unsure of how to comfort me. His eyes were glazed over, and I could feel my stomach churning.

 

So I slipped into his arms. His strong embrace calmed me once again.

 

“Then, after my parents died, I went to stay with my aunt and uncle, who, once again, are very nice people.”

 

If only he didn’t like me, so I could ditch him and run away.

 

“Even Luca, whom you don’t like, welcomed me, except for Erhan, who didn’t like the idea of me being a member of the Count’s family.”

 

My voice quivered slightly.

 

“That’s okay, I wasn’t really their child.”

 

“…I know you weren’t okay, Leen.”

 

I didn’t argue with Carson’s words. He was right. I had wanted to be a child of my aunt and uncle, to be part of Erhan’s family.

 

But I didn’t want to tell him that I had harbored thoughts of becoming a part of Erhan’s family.

 

“One day, I met Rex, and after our first meeting, he became obsessed with me.”

 

That was the beginning of all their misery.

 

“Rex Begonia. He said it was love at first sight.”

 

But was it really love?

 

“Erhan spied on me under Rex and relayed my routine to him.”

 

Carson flinched at my words. I smirked.

 

“How’s that, you have a lot in common with him?”

 

Despite my smirk, his voice was bitter, as if he remembered something he’d done when he was at the Academy.

 

“What did I do to you…”

 

“But not like you. Rex tried to force himself on me the more I pushed him away, and he raised his hands on me.”

 

Carson gulped at the direct admission that he had laid hands on me.

 

The hand holding me tightened. His body trembles slightly, as if he’s holding back anger.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, Caon. I was counting on you, but it took courage to tell you.”

 

The words felt too terrible and painful to even utter.

 

“Leen. I, I…”

 

At the panic in his voice, I pulled out of his arms and studied his expression.

Carson was crying. I knew it.

 

“Don’t give me that look. I can talk to you now, without fear. And…”

 

I put my hand on his cheek and felt the warmth.

 

“I like it when you smile.”

 

Then Carson forced his lips up. I smiled a little at the way his eyes were crying, but his mouth was forcing a smile.

 

Wiping a tear from his cheek with my hand, I told him my honest impression.

 

“This is a secret, but I actually like the way you cry.”

 

“It kind of ruins it, Leen.”

 

“But it’s so pretty.”

 

He’s looking at me, his face red, tears streaking his eyes.

 

Carson buries his face in the nape of my neck as I stare back.

 

“…I’m sorry I didn’t know your pain beforehand.”

 

“I didn’t say that because I wanted to hear an apology. I just wanted to be comforted.”

 

Putting my hands on his face, I pulled him closer to me.

 

The moment our eyes met inside the darkened space, I forced a smile and pressed my lips to his.

 

His eyes widened in surprise, but then he lowered them to take me in.

 

As our breaths began to intertwine in earnest, I instinctively gripped his shoulders hard.

 

“Hah….”

 

He was so hot, I felt like I was going to melt, something I felt every time our lips met.

 

But today, it wasn’t enough; a kiss couldn’t fully satisfy my thirst.

 

I needed more, greedily. I needed something deep and intimate.

 

So, I decided to devour him in the name of comfort.

 

“Comfort me, Caon.”

 

Tears streamed down my face. But I was so happy at this moment.

 

I couldn’t hide my laughter. I beamed and seduced him.

 

“Fill my mind with memories of you, so that there’s no room for anything else.”

 

🍃

 

Carson stared at Leen, who slept soundly beside him, for what seemed like hours before he slowly sat up.

 

He got out of bed, careful not to wake Leen.

 

It had been a wonderful night. The fact that it was without a single control spell made it even more meaningful.

 

‘Yesterday had been emotionally fraught, and I can’t promise I’ll be able to do it without a control spell next time.’

 

I wanted to stay with Leen until she woke up.

 

But I had work to do. With a flick of my hand, a magic circle formed beneath my feet, and the background changed in an instant.

 

“Rex.”

 

It was a sin to even utter the word.

 

Carson looked at Rex, who glared at him through a gag, his eyes cold. He could see the one eye he’d destroyed, but it wasn’t very pleasant.

 

He could have made it a little more painful.

 

Too bad.

 

“I knew you had an insane obsession with Leen.”

 

Crazy enough to murder his parents to put Leen in her place as Duchess of Begonia.

 

But what I didn’t know was that he’d raised his hand to her.

 

The sound of Leen’s recorded screams still echoed in his ears, leaving him speechless.

 

It was unimaginable in Carson’s mind.

 

“How could you lay your hands on such a precious body.”

 

If he had fallen for Leen, he would have at least been gentle in her presence.

 

A shiver of guilt ran down his spine.

 

If I’d known, I wouldn’t have extended his life to give Leen a chance at revenge.

 

“Huh? Answer me with your filthy mouth. Why did you put your hands on Leen?”

 

A maniacal grin spread across his face as Carson ungagged Rex.

 

“It’s funny.”

 

Carson felt a surge of nausea at the way he rolled his eyes in amusement.

 

Rex looked him up and down.

 

“…But you’re the one who got Leen after all.”

 

Carson muffled the words with magic, as if they weren’t worth hearing.

 

“Wrong. I belong to her, not her to me.”

 

He should have known, even if Leen hadn’t told him. He should have never let him see her face.

 

Carson’s eyes flashed sharply in the darkness.

 

“My father always preferred a clean kill, but I’m different.”

 

I was glad he was in my hands now.

 

Leen had asked me to make his death as painful as possible, so there was nothing to worry about.

 

It was time to make him pay for messing with Lysianthus.

 

🍃

 

My eyes widened at the sudden emptiness I felt.

 

“Ah…”

 

Carson wasn’t beside me. I felt a pang of sadness wash over me as I realized that.

 

No matter how busy he was, he shouldn’t be able to be with me on a day like this.

 

Biting her lip, she choked back a sob.

 

A magic circle appeared on the floor, and Carson appeared in front of her eyes.

 

“…Caon!”

 

Carson blinked softly, as if he hadn’t realized I was awake.

 

Then his gaze flickers to the flowing sheets and he looks away. It’s funny to see him blush, even though he must have seen it all yesterday.

 

He fidgets with his hands, fidgeting.

 

“Ah, are you up already? I was hoping to get here before you woke up.”

 

“I woke up, and you weren’t there.”

 

The corners of Carson’s mouth twitched in amusement at my honesty.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Where had he been? Was he making breakfast?

 

Carson often cooked for her, even after the pregnancy misunderstanding was cleared up.

 

Then I noticed something red on his cheek.

 

“Caon, did you make spaghetti today or tomato juice?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Carson tilted his head in confusion. I pointed to his cheek.

 

“You got red stuff on your face.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Embarrassed, he quickly cast a clean spell to erase the mark.

 

“Oops. I didn’t want you to know I made breakfast. I was in a hurry.”

 

I giggled at his cute little face.

 

“What a secret.”

 

I gave him a coy look and waved him off.

 

“How about we save breakfast for later and pick up where we left off last night?”