The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go Chapter 122 - Side Story 6

 

“You really don’t have to worry about it.”  

 

“I’m serious. I’m really fine, and I’m sorry for making you concerned.”  

 

If I kept showing my worry, Cedric would just apologize needlessly again, so I decided to back off for today.  

 

“Alright. As long as Your Majesty is truly fine, then I won’t press further. But please, if it ever gets difficult, you must tell me.”  

 

Only after getting that promise did I finally relax and head toward the wardrobe.  

 

“Then lie down first. I’ll change and be right back.”  

 

“Ah, yeah.”  

 

Not even three seconds after I left to change, Cedric, who had locked eyes with me, jolted up from the bed with a startled expression.  

 

“Ci-Ciel, your buttons…”  

 

“Huh?”  

 

Confused, I stared at him. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again.  

 

After turning his head away and clearing his throat a few times, he finally spoke.  

 

“Um, I think you didn’t fasten your buttons all the way…”  

 

Glancing down at my nightgown, I saw that the top two buttons were indeed undone.  

 

“Oh, you’re right. Thanks.”  

 

I could’ve caught a cold if left unnoticed—I owed Cedric for that. Just as I was fastening them—  

 

Clang!

 

A metallic object hit the floor, followed by a loud crash.  

 

“Your Majesty! Are you okay?!”  

 

Cedric was sitting dazedly beside the completely toppled cabinet and a spilled water bottle, looking utterly disoriented.  

 

He must have lost his balance and stumbled into the cabinet.  

 

“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”  

 

“Ah, I-I’m fine.”  

 

Yet again today, Cedric was acting a little strange. Not only was he unusually stumbling over his words, but he also seemed somewhat out of it.  

 

“Ciel, you’re not hurt, are you? You okay?”  

 

“I’m fine, but… I should call someone. You might have gotten hurt from the fall, so it’s best to get checked.”  

 

The moment I tried to get up to call for help, Cedric suddenly grabbed my wrist.  

 

“No.”  

 

“Huh?”  

 

“I’m really fine, so I don’t need any check-up.”  

 

Then, glancing at the mess on the floor, he added, So you don’t need to call anyone. It’s late—let’s just go to bed.”  

 

The dazed, absent look from earlier was completely gone. His eyes were surprisingly calm and sharp.  

 

“No, what are you saying? After such a hard fall, we can’t just leave it—”  

 

“No.”

  

Cedric’s voice was firm. I was completely baffled, unable to understand why he was being so uncharacteristically stubborn. 

 

At that moment, Cedric’s red eyes flashed.  

 

“I absolutely cannot let anyone else see you in that outfit.”  

 

“Huh…?”  

 

For a while, I couldn’t comprehend what Cedric was saying.  

 

“You absolutely cannot wear that. If you need to call someone, change into something else first.”  

 

Then, as I stood there dumbfounded, Cedric nudged me toward the wardrobe.  

 

“Wait, hold on.”  

 

Flustered, I turned around, grabbed his arm, and looked up at him. Just as I expected, the moment our eyes met, he averted his gaze again.  

 

“Is this outfit… a bit much?”  

 

Almost immediately, Cedric’s face began to flush red.  

 

Then, the image of him persistently avoiding my eyes and turning away from me over the past two days flashed through my mind.  

 

‘Ah.’  

 

Finally, his recent inexplicable behavior started to make sense.  

 

“Ciel.”  

 

Calling my name, Cedric dragged his hands down his face, let out a long sigh, and then spoke.  

 

“To be honest, it’s unbearable.”  

 

His expression was one of complete resignation.  

 

“That outfit looks really beautiful on you. But it’s too—”  

 

His voice slightly strained, Cedric bit his lip before forcing out the words.  

 

“Too provocative… that’s the problem.”  

 

As he spoke, his face was an unusually deep shade of red, as if it might burst.  

 

“Is it really that bad?”  

 

“Honestly, I don’t think I can function normally like this.”  

 

“No way…”  

 

Now, I was starting to feel a little exasperated.  

 

“Your Majesty has stripped off your top in front of me without a second thought before. Compared to that, this is just slightly sheer…”  

 

Since we’ve known each other for so long and will continue to, I thought wearing something like this in front of Cedric wouldn’t be a big deal.  

 

I never imagined he’d react like this.  

 

“That ‘slightly sheer’ is enough to drive me insane.”  

 

Cedric pressed his fingers against his darkened eyes as he spoke.  

 

“Lately, I can’t stop thinking about you in your sleepwear. No—actually, I often think about you even while working, but…”  

 

His voice carried obvious frustration as he confessed.  

 

“The past few days have been especially bad.”  

 

“Were all those late-night outings because of me?”  

 

At that, Cedric silently nodded.  

 

‘Well, this is…’

 

I had been worried lately because Cedric seemed so exhausted—only to find out I was the cause.  

 

And all of this happened just because I changed into a different sleepwear set.  

 

Anyone else would have laughed it off, but Cedric’s condition was more serious than I thought, making it impossible to just brush aside.  

 

“You should’ve told me. I would’ve changed into something else.”  

 

I gently stroked Cedric’s face, which was still flushed, though less intensely than before, but clearly worn out.  

 

‘He really hasn’t been sleeping well.’  

 

He must’ve been agonizing over this alone, unable to talk to anyone about it.  

 

Strangely enough, I even felt a little sorry for him.  

 

“I know this is going to make me sound shameless, but…”  

 

His eyes darted around hesitantly before he finally spoke after a long pause.  

 

“It is provocative, but… I liked it too much to tell you not to wear it.”  

 

My brain short-circuited for about three seconds.  

 

The words ‘I liked it too much’ echoed relentlessly in my head. And then, belatedly, my face burned hot.  

 

“W-what kind of nonsense are you saying?!”  

 

“What can I do? It’s the truth.”  

 

Cedric pouted as if wronged. Hearing him admit it so shamelessly only made my skin prickle more.  

 

“Ugh, Your Majesty, you’re really—”  

 

“Wait, Ciel, don’t hide.”  

 

When I raised my hands to cover my flushed face, Cedric swiftly grabbed my wrists to stop me.  

 

“Ah—let go!”  

 

“No.”  

 

And then he pulled me into his arms.  

 

“I’ve held back long enough. I’m done restraining myself.”  

 

Before I could even push him away, I was already in his embrace, his arms tight around me.  

 

“Now that you know, I’m just going to openly adore you.”  

 

As he buried his face against my exposed shoulder, I thought to myself:  

 

‘He’s finally back to normal.’ 

 

This clinginess is how he usually is.  

 

The man who always held me to sleep after work hadn’t even touched me for two days… Now that he’s confessed the reason, he must’ve reached his limit.  

 

“Alright. I won’t change, so let’s just go to bed.”  

 

“Yeah.”  

 

Effortlessly lifting me, Cedric carried me toward the bed.  

 

Unlike earlier, when he’d crushed me in his arms, his touch was now gentle and careful as he laid me down.  

 

“About that, though—”  

 

“Hm? Oh.”  

 

When I tilted my head toward the water bottle and cabinet scattered on the floor, Cedric made a troubled face.  

 

“Let’s clean it up tomorrow. It’s too late to call anyone now anyway.”  

 

“Fine.”  

 

Then Cedric settled onto the bed as well.  

 

Unlike yesterday, he lay facing me, and I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.  

 

“Ciel, why are you smiling?”  

 

“You’re looking at me today.”  

 

“Don’t laugh. I was going insane these past two days.”  

 

“Okay, sorry.”  

 

But it had been so long since we’d slept facing each other that I couldn’t stop the laughter from spilling out.  

 

“So it’s okay now? Have you adjusted a little?”  

 

“Uh… honestly? No.”  

 

Then he abruptly sat back up.