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chapter 37
Xian was clear-minded. He subtly winked with one eye so that Fernando wouldn’t notice. Following Linette’s pleading gaze to play along, Xian pressed his hat down deeper and curved his lips slightly.
“Linette, my little bird, could you tell me what’s going on here?”
“Xian, well… actually, that man is my ex-fiancé, and he suddenly appeared asking to reconcile.”
As she spoke while nestled against Xian’s chest, pouting a little, his large hand wrapped around Linette’s waist with one arm. Then he turned his gaze toward Fernando.
Though hidden by the hat, when his piercing gaze seemed to flash, the lid of the ring case in Fernando’s hand snapped shut on its own.
“If she’s an ex-fiancée, she’s an ex. Why are you offering a ring in front of another man while I was away for a moment?”
His grim voice wrapped around the surroundings. Fernando flinched and immediately stood up.
“D-Don’t be ridiculous! There wasn’t any man around Linette! I watched over her for two years!”
“That’s obvious. I was away on business for two years.”
“Right now, you’re just playing along because she’s pretty, aren’t you?”
Linette flinched at Fernando’s words. Sensing her reaction, Xian smiled softly.
“My love, my little bird, may I kiss the lips I haven’t kissed for two years?”
“What? Ah… of course, my Xian. I’ve missed you so much all this time.”
Expecting her to just pretend, Linette nodded and gave her consent.
Without a care for Fernando, Xian kissed Linette’s cheek. The soft, supple sensation touched her skin and soon transferred warmth to her lips.
“Ah!”
Linette inhaled sharply at the sudden warmth of his lips, stiffening instantly.
After holding her tightly with both hands and savoring the moment, he finally pulled away. Silver threads reflected faintly in the light, connecting the two of them.
The thread that revealed what had just happened soon broke, but Linette’s face was flushed. Dizzy, she nestled against Xian’s solid chest, breathing heavily.
“At this point, it seems like it’s confirmed that we’re a couple. Right?”
“Th-This!”
Fernando, gritting his teeth, swung a broom at Xian but ended up having it snatched from him. Not only that, he got beaten. Holding Linette with one hand, Xian used his free hand to subdue the insignificant Fernando. Seeing Xian’s skill, Fernando quickly ran away.
Xian, having defeated Fernando with a broom using one hand, gently brushed Linette’s cheek.
“You’re fine now. So…”
“X-Xian, even so… a k-kiss… it was my first kiss…”
Startled, Linette didn’t even have time to savor it. Stiffened, she only moved as Xian led.
“Your first kiss? I don’t think so…”
Xian tilted his head in curiosity. Linette exhaled softly and pressed her forehead against his chest. A blush spread across Xian’s face.
“You could have just pretended.”
“But I can’t be caught.”
“Phew, well, anyway, thank you for helping…”
Her heart raced oddly. The heartbeat was so intense she felt it might transmit to Xian. She quickly pulled away, forcing an awkward smile.
“Well, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
“No, I nearly died because I wanted to drink Linette’s coffee. I tried coffee elsewhere, but it wasn’t nearly as good as yours, so it was tough.”
He must have found coffee at the places he visited on business trips.
“Today, I’ll serve the coffee myself, for our returning loyal customer. Will you keep visiting here from now on?”
“Yes, since I’ve returned from a two-year business trip, I won’t be assigned elsewhere for a while.”
Perhaps because of traveling, his face visible under the hat seemed sharper.
“Is there anything special you’d like?”
“A Sepiano without syrup, please.”
Linette, quickly preparing the coffee for Xian, also made a special affogato. She added sweet syrup as per his usual preference, but it seemed his taste had changed. Placing two cups in front of him, she sat down.
“Is this a new product?”
“No, I just made it. I presented it once two years ago, but he… asked me to become his sister-in-law.”
Xian, spoon in hand, froze at her words.
“How could he ask a woman with a boyfriend to be his sister-in-law?”
“Eh? That was part of an act because of that man…”
“It wasn’t me, anyway, I’ll enjoy it.”
Taking a bite of the affogato, Xian suddenly stopped moving. The cold ice cream melted in his mouth.
The combination of bitter espresso and sweet ice cream was heavenly. How could she have presented this to another woman first? His two-year trip suddenly felt wasted.
“Is it good?”
Linette, watching him silently, quickly looked away. Maybe because of earlier, his lips seemed disproportionately focused. Moments ago, her lips had touched those lips—an unimaginable thought.
“It’s sweet, like a kiss.”
“I-I see. That’s a relief. Please enjoy it.”
Smiling awkwardly, Linette turned her gaze, noticing the ice cream on his lips. She offered him a napkin.
“There’s some on your lips.”
As Xian wiped his lips, memories of their collision kept replaying, making her ears heat up. Though she had kissed before in a previous life, this reaction felt unusually intense.
Embarrassed, she turned to the window. The rain seemed heavier, slightly blurring the view. Watching the darkening outside, Linette felt a strange sensation and shifted her gaze.
“Linette, do you… plan to reconcile with that man?”
“Impossible. How could I meet him again after breaking up? What he’s doing now is clearly for money, not for me.”
“Then, if he comes again, will you refuse?”
“Of course. He’s not my type and he cheated on me.”
Linette shook her head, shuddering. Seeing this, Xian gave a meaningful smile.
“Then may I play the role of Linette’s boyfriend for a while?”
“Ah, no, that’s not necessary. He’s timid, and after seeing you, he won’t come again.”
When Linette drew a clear line, Xian’s shoulders drooped slightly. He bowed his head a bit and drank the Sepiano Linette prepared.
“Hm? It tastes better than two years ago.”
“Right? I’ve been researching coffee continuously, even on my days off.”
Drinking Linette’s coffee, Xian felt a warm sense of returning home.
“Linette’s coffee is the best. I always talked about your coffee wherever I drank it.”
“With whom?”
“Of course, with those who tried your coffee.”
Though vaguely evasive, she didn’t press further. Instead, looking at Xian under the rain-soaked hat, she asked what she hadn’t before.
“This might be rude, but… why do you keep wearing your hat?”
She worried about ventilation and possible baldness.
“Finally asking after two years. I thought you’d ask sooner. Are you finally interested in me?”
“Yes… so, why do you wear it?”
“Well, I’m scared. People say my eyes are frightening, so I cover them.”
Are his eyes narrow, or large? Linette, having never seen his true eyes, tilted her head.
“I sometimes think it would be nice if they were black like yours, Linette.”
“Huh? My eyes are ordinary.”
Black eyes, like blue, were common in this world as well. Linette wasn’t impressed by them and chuckled lightly.
“In this world, only one person besides my family hasn’t been scared of my eyes.”
“Who was that?”
“My first love.”
