The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 27

“Yes. I’d love a cup of tea.”

Kyle spoke, his arms still wrapped around me within his coat. It was only then, caught in the captivating gleam of his deep eyes, that I realized how daring my words sounded.

A cup of tea… What was I even saying?

‘That line… It’s the one the Count and Countess of Diane used the night they conceived Amelia, isn’t it?’

I retraced how things had escalated to this point. After spending the afternoon at the Verd and Strawberry Café, I returned home. The hours slipped by as I contemplated the mountain of debt weighing on the Count of Diane household.

Side note: naturally, the source of our ruin was my father, who foolishly co-signed a loan for an old friend’s business that inevitably failed.

In my room, after my parents retired early to their chambers, I meticulously planned how I might earn enough money to pay off the debt. By the time I finished, it was close to midnight, but sleep refused to come. Despite my exhaustion from the mental and physical toll of the day, the accursed bed offered no comfort.

‘Funny, when I lay on Kyle’s arm at the Duke’s residence, sleep came so easily.’

I glanced out the window for a change of scene, only to find Kyle below, looking up at me with that tender gaze that made my heart flutter. The chill in the air seemed irrelevant as I scrambled down the ladder, and he caught me in a warm embrace. He even insisted I stand on his feet to keep mine from freezing, but I managed to decline.

Looping my arms around his waist, I raised my head to meet his eyes. His expression still brimmed with affection, so much that it was almost overwhelming.

As I tilted my head questioningly, I heard his soft, unspoken confession.

“…Amel. I love you.”

I groaned inwardly. My heart, already struggling with his handsome face, now had to contend with his earnest thoughts.

“Are you unwell, my lady?” Kyle asked, eyes narrowing in concern.

It’s my heart. It’s my heart that’s in trouble.

I stepped back from his embrace and led him to the old ladder tucked behind the Count’s manor. Climbing it would bring us to the hallway adjacent to my room, though it was so worn down that it wouldn’t be shocking if it broke at any moment.

Kyle examined the ladder with a scrutinizing eye, tapping one rung with his fingers, causing a splintered piece to fall away.

“My lady, you climbed down this?”

“Of course. I can’t just walk out the front door in the middle of the night with both my parents home, can I?”

‘The ladder looks like it’s one wrong step away from collapsing… Did she risk her life just to see me?’ he thought.

‘Also… she said lover.’

A blush flared across his cheeks, deepening the natural flush already painted by the cold.

I need some space. Hearing his thoughts is driving me mad.
“Kyle. I’ll go up first, okay? You can follow, right?”

Before he could respond, I placed my foot on the first rung. Despite his aristocratic upbringing, Kyle climbed the rickety ladder with practiced ease, slipping into the Count’s house like he had done it a thousand times.

A thrill ran through me—like a rebellious teenager sneaking in a forbidden meeting. We tiptoed to my room, the creak of the door’s hinges sounding unbearably loud.

If someone in the manor heard us, it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but it would be mortifying for both of us.

“Kyle, wait here. I’ll make the tea quickly.”

“Let me help.”

“No, you’re a guest. I just need to boil water… oh.”

That’s when I realized a serious problem: it was the dead of night, and I couldn’t boil water in my room. The Duke’s mansion had luxuries in every room, including a place to make tea, but my room lacked such indulgence.

To make tea, I’d have to light the stove downstairs, then use the loud, whistling kettle that could wake the entire neighborhood.

‘That would wake everyone, wouldn’t it?’

Kyle was surely expecting the soothing warmth of tea. Feeling a pang of guilt, I admitted, “Kyle, I’m sorry. Tea’s not possible tonight.”

“It’s all right. I didn’t come for the tea.”

Why did that sound so dangerously suggestive? And he looked like he knew it.

“Are you cold?”

“Unbearably so.”

“Strange. For someone freezing, you hung your coat up already.”
“If you’ve noticed, my lady, perhaps you should come here.”

Kyle patted the spot next to him on the bed. Unable to resist the charm in his eyes, I sat down, then slowly lay beside him.
“Not going to lie down properly?”

He stared at me with an expression so full of longing that it was almost innocent, yet not quite.

Our bed wasn’t like the grand one at the Duke’s mansion that could hold five comfortably. This one barely fit me alone, forcing Kyle’s arms and legs to envelop me.

As I rested my head on his arm, sleep, which had evaded me so stubbornly before, now settled in as if I were accustomed to falling asleep beside him.

“Comfy?”

Better than any high-end pillow, actually.

“Yes. Very.”

He drew the blanket up over us, saying, “I’ll stay like this a while, then leave.”

‘If I stayed until morning, she’d be in trouble.’

Kyle was fighting an internal battle.

‘I want to kiss her. Run my lips along her ear.’

‘Or maybe… more than just kiss her.’

I met his eyes, wide with surprise. He spoke with a face so pure it could have belonged to an angel.

“Don’t worry, my lady. I won’t do anything.”

His outward calm belied his true thoughts. The duality made me smile.

I glanced at my engagement ring, its gleaming stone a reminder. It was time to tell him the truth—that the crystal embedded in it granted me the ability to hear his thoughts.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, Kyle…”

“I love you too, my lady.”

“…?”

Was this man serious?

“You were going to confess, weren’t you?”

Kyle tilted his head innocently.

“…Go on, please.”

I opened and closed my mouth, momentarily speechless. Hearing him declare love so openly made me forget what I was going to say. His fingers slid over my hand to touch the ring.

“Isn’t it uncomfortable to sleep with this on?”

“Hmm… the gem is a bit big.”

The enchanted stone had never come off easily, but when Kyle gently tugged, it slipped off as if charmed. The sudden silence of his unspoken thoughts was oddly calming as he set the ring on the side table.

“Still, please wear it when you go out or at our engagement. It would mean a lot.”

“And what if I cause trouble? The Duke of Chaield would have to pay.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”

“Do you like trouble, Kyle?”

“No, I want everyone to know you belong to Chaield. Waiting until the engagement ceremony is unbearable.”

As Kyle spoke, his fingers brushed my cheek, and I could see how much he anticipated the life that would follow. The engagement, planned for three weeks from now, signified the end of the imperial investigation. From then, I’d be moving into the Duke’s residence.

“You mentioned you love lakes, so I had one built.”

“Built? Did you dig it yourself?”

Kyle laughed, carefree. “Yes, in the garden out back.”

“…You’re spending too much money.”

“Perhaps. Become the Duchess soon and help me manage it.”

Kyle hugged me tighter, nuzzling my cheek with a smile. Using charm was unfair, but it worked.

“Now sleep. I’d like to see you at rest before I go.”

“You’re not exactly the kind of man one can peacefully sleep next to…”

With a cheeky grin, I unbuttoned the top of his shirt, only to smile teasingly. “Just to loosen it. Goodnight, Kyle.”

“…”

“No, we can’t. The manor isn’t soundproof.”

“So it’s just the noise?”

Kyle pulled the blanket up, covering both our heads. The dim, enclosed space felt charged, a place where whispers and touch could turn into more.

“My lady. A goodnight kiss, at least?”

“…”

As my eyes drifted shut, he leaned in, capturing my lips. Who knew a simple kiss could chase sleep so completely?

Each shift of the blanket brought a change in angle as he kissed me deeper, tenderly teasing and tasting, drawing out a sigh that mingled with the quiet rustle of fabric.

Thud!

Kyle froze mid-kiss, and I, too, jolted awake at the sudden noise that broke the quiet of the night.

“What was that sound?” I asked, my voice a strained whisper.
“It sounded like something breaking…”

Kyle and I exchanged worried glances. The ladder—the old, rickety one we had used to sneak into my room—had broken. Judging by the noise, there was no doubt about it. Which meant Kyle was now trapped, with no way to climb back out.

“What do we do now?” I stifled a giggle, but Kyle, unconcerned, gave a small laugh and leaned in to kiss me again.

“Did you hear that? The ladder—it leads right to Amelia’s room, doesn’t it?” My father, the Count of Diane, shouted in a voice that rang with urgency.

“It’s old, but it wouldn’t just break on its own… Dear, we need to check on her,” my mother added.

“Whoever dared to intrude on my precious daughter’s room tonight is about to face the wrath of a former captain of the Royal Guard.”

Then came the unmistakable thudding of feet ascending the stairs.

We’re doomed.

Kyle and I sprang from the bed. I hastily pulled down the hem of my dress, which Kyle had carelessly ruffled, while he wiped the lingering taste of our kiss from his lips and glanced toward the window.

“Kyle, no! You’ll get hurt if you jump!”

“But—”

“Just hide! Quickly!”

My room was small and sparsely furnished, offering few hiding spots. Kyle’s eyes darted around before he squeezed himself behind the door, as if inspired by the saying that the darkest place is right under the lamp.

Smart move.

I dove back under the covers just as the door burst open.

“Amelia!”

“Amel, are you all right?”

My father strode in wielding his old, fearsome sword—“Excalibur” they used to call it—while my mother carried a cast-iron frying pan that looked deadly enough to knock someone out cold.

“Wha… What’s going on?” I rubbed my eyes sleepily, playing the part of a girl who had just been roused from deep slumber. To my right, Kyle stood hidden, barely breathing, his tall frame crammed behind the door. The absurdity of the scene was like a moment out of a comedy.

Kyle balanced awkwardly on tiptoes, trying to make himself as small as possible. I had to think quickly to get him out of this unscathed.

“The ladder broke suddenly… We thought someone was trying to sneak into your room,” my mother said, her tone laced with worry.

“Oh, come on, Mother, Father. Who would be foolish enough to climb that rickety thing? It must have been a stray cat.”

“A cat, you say? It is mating season; those creatures do make a racket at night,” my father muttered, looking skeptical, while Kyle’s face twitched in silent protest.

“It’s late, you two should get some rest,” I said, nudging them out with a placating smile.

My mother left without a fuss, but my father paused, his sharp eyes catching something on the coatrack.

“That… That’s a man’s coat!”

Kyle’s coat. He stared helplessly at it from behind the door, as if willing it to disappear.

“So, some wretched fool sneaked into my daughter’s room at this hour and had the nerve to take his coat off?” My father’s voice rose, and he unsheathed his sword in a flourish.

Sching!

The sound was sharp, deadly. I jumped to stand between him and his imaginary foe.

“Father! Please, think of the Lord—mercy, forgiveness! You can’t just draw your sword over a broken ladder in the middle of the night!”

“Hmm…”

It seemed my plea held some weight. Reluctantly, my father snatched up the coat, as if it were evidence of a crime, and turned toward the door. I exhaled in relief.

But then he stopped.

“No. This isn’t right. Anyone brazen enough to approach my daughter at this hour deserves to meet their maker!”

“What?!”

Bam!

My father slammed his fist against the door, unwittingly revealing Kyle, who stumbled forward, caught red-handed.

“Ugh…”

And there Kyle stood, exposed in the dim light, looking every bit like a man who had just been discovered in the most compromising of positions.