The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 49

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“Are you really sure she’s not here?”

“I saw her leave the room a little while ago.”

Celonia and Tan held their breaths as they heard faint voices from beyond the door.

She pressed herself against the door with Tan, stopping all movement and straining to listen.

Forgetting for a moment that her face was against Tan’s bare chest.

“…….”

It was Tan who was more troubled by this.

He had pulled Celonia into the bathroom because he sensed something strange earlier.

And soon after, feeling someone right outside the door, he had instinctively embraced Celonia, but upon realizing it, the impact was greater than he had anticipated.

Her face was touching his bare skin. This time, completely bare without any clothes.

Moreover, whether she knew it or not, she had one hand on his chest, focused on the conversation beyond the door.

Tan couldn’t hear the conversation outside at all. Only the sound of his own racing heart.

Besides, her regular breathing was tickling his chest.

Each time, his shoulders twitched from the intense sensation.

Tan gasped, unable to move, and tried to pull his lower body back as much as possible. He could feel himself hardening rapidly down there.

He desperately counted sheep in his head. Even without memories, it was instinct.

“L-let’s drop it off quickly. I’m scared we’ll get caught.”

Along with a voice trembling like a goat, there was the sound of something opening and then closing again.

Finally, with the sound of hurried footsteps, no more conversation could be heard.

“I think they’re gone.”

Celonia, who had been focusing intently on the conversation beyond the door, even holding her breath, raised her head and spoke.

“How did you know?”

He was so tall that her neck was strained every time she looked up to meet his eyes.

“Tan?”

Celonia was puzzled to see him avoiding her gaze as if he was ignoring her question.

What’s wrong? Why……!

Momentarily feeling something strange and hard below, Celonia slowly lowered her gaze.

Soon, she realized how closely she was pressed against Tan.

And when did this hand go onto his chest?

Startled, Celonia quickly pulled away from him.

“Um…….”

Without giving the ambiguous towel another glance, she tried to say something, but couldn’t think of anything to say in this situation, so she simply closed her mouth.

Even though Celonia had moved away, Tan couldn’t shake off the strange heat and roughly ruffled his wet hair.

His red eyes were hotter than usual.

“…….”

“…….”

Both of them blushed and avoided looking at each other, averting their gazes.

An awkward and strange silence fell between them.

After a few seconds, it was Tan who broke the silence first.

“Even if my body is good, isn’t it too much to touch so freely? I knew it since then.”

“What are you talking about? Since then……!”

Celonia, who had touched his chest, was taken aback and raised her voice, then suddenly closed her mouth.

“I see you’ve realized.”

Tan smirked, seeing Celonia’s shaking eyes.

So, he was talking about the first day they had dinner together in the dining room.

He was talking about the day she wondered how he maintained such a body without eating and unconsciously scanned his body.

“Why are you bringing up something from so long ago now…… You were the one who pulled me in first.”

Celonia felt a little wronged.

She had put her hand on his chest, but Tan was the one who pulled her in first.

That’s why her face and body touched his.

And why does he keep smirking? He’s been smiling at me a lot lately.

“Anyway, get dressed and come out. We need to find out about what happened just now.”

Feeling like she would be at a disadvantage if she talked any longer, Celonia quickly left the bathroom.

Left alone, Tan stared blankly at Celonia’s disappearing figure with a smile on his face, and touched the area of his chest where her breath had reached.

The warmth, like her hand that he held every day, lingered in his chest as well.

* * *

“Duke, how about this? Does it suit me?”

Grace picked up a pin she liked at the jewelry store and shyly asked, putting it in her hair.

However, Ian, who was next to her, was looking at a necklace decorated with blue sapphires on the display stand, not Grace.

The blue necklace, which resembled Celonia’s eyes, reminded him of her.

And furthermore, he thought that the necklace would look very good on Celonia’s neck.

Why?

Ian felt strange.

He had never thought about Celonia since meeting Grace.

But ever since the incident at the Denroha estate, the image of Celonia with that guy kept popping into his head, making his stomach churn.

Moreover, as expected today, that guy was plastered all over the newspaper.

There was a strong person who defeated the monsters at once, and the knight order was noisy with that story today.

How dare he, in front of me…….

“Duke?”

“…….”

“Duke!”

Only when the shrill voice hit his ear did Ian’s gaze turn to Grace.

However, Grace’s feelings had already soured.

“Really, what’s wrong with you today? You can’t seem to focus on me at all…….”

Grace rebuked Ian with a very sulky face.

How many times was this today? He was the one who asked her out on a date, but Ian had been spacing out all day, wondering what he was thinking.

He wouldn’t have taken his eyes off her face normally, but today he didn’t even make eye contact once.

“It suits you well.”

Ian said dryly, looking at the pin in Grace’s hair.

He had asked to meet Grace in the hope that he would forget about Celonia and that guy, who kept coming to mind when he saw Grace, but it wasn’t.

Rather, Celonia came to mind even more.

And the determination became even stronger. The determination to take her back.

“Ha…….”

A burst of laughter came from Grace’s mouth.

Originally, he would have been flustered, apologizing for not being able to concentrate and saying that everything looked good on her, trying to make her feel better.

But, what?

Without a word of apology, he said it suits her well in an emotionless tone?

Grace bit her lip as she looked at Ian, who had turned his gaze away again.

Why is this man suddenly like this?

Could it be that he’s acting like this because I haven’t answered and avoided the question of setting a wedding date?

“Duke. Shall I go to the Duke’s residence tomorrow?”

Grace skillfully managed her emotions and put her arm in Ian’s.

“Why?”

“I don’t have a way with words, but I want to have a good time with the Duke’s parents. We’ll be seeing each other often in the future.”

Grace said with a blushing face as if she was embarrassed.

The words implied that she was thinking positively about becoming a family soon.

“Well. I’ll think about it.”

However, Ian responded indifferently to Grace’s words.

It was only a while ago that he had suggested that Grace visit his parents first, but suddenly he changed his attitude.

It was not easy for Grace to hide her shock.

This can’t be happening?

Grace gnawed at her fingernails and flashed her vicious eyes.

She was once again reminded that she should just keep this man in her grasp.

In order to keep the new person she had already set her sights on by her side, she would have to move up the plan.