[TKOSINM] 237 – Obsession

Irene stood right in front of the door. Seeing his distressed appearance, she became perplexed. He looked like he was about to bolt out of the room if she were not there to block him. Likewise, Noel, who was staring back at her astonishedly, asked.

“Irene, where did you go?”

“Oh, I was….”

Irene rolled her eyes nervously as her voice grew fainter, but she soon completed her sentence.

“I came back from seeing my father. I had something I needed to ask him.”

“I see…”

While answering quietly, Noel suppressed his sigh.

What’s wrong with me?

//Honey it’s love~~~

As soon as he noticed Irene was not where she was supposed to be, Noel felt an indescribable emotion rushing in. He was unsettled when he found out that she had disappeared, along with the impatience to find her right away.

The emotions raging inside him like a vortex calmed down only after Irene’s small figure came to view.

Am I being obsessed right now…?

It was hard to hide his mind’s confusion. Irene looked at Noel curiously and reached out to him.

“Noel, you don’t look good. Are you sick?”

When Irene’s hand touched Noel’s cheek, Noel’s eyes widened. Not knowing that Noel was embarrassed, Irene’s touch remained on his face in an attempt to check his temperature.

“I think your face is a little hot….”

“...no. It’s fine. It’s just….”

Noel blurred the end of his words, took hold of Irene’s wrist, which was caressing his cheek, and gently pressed his lips onto her white skin.

“...I was anxious because you were nowhere to be seen, Irene.”

“Ah…”

Irene’s eyes fluttered.

“That…”

She struggled to organise her thoughts.

Did that mean she was so important to him that he was anxious without her?

I may have misunderstood, but...but there is no other interpretation aside from that.

In which way was she supposed to translate the meaning of his words?

Feeling an electric current from her wrist where his lips touched, Irene looked up at him questioningly.

“About what Noel said…how should I take it?”

No matter how hard she thought about it, she could not understand what he meant. If so, wouldn’t it be better if she asked him directly?

Her heart pounded wildly, and her hair stood on end from the root. But Irene gathered the courage as she looked straight up at him. Were his feelings indeed what she thought?

If not... if it’s not, let’s not be disappointed.

Swallowing her saliva, Irene looked up at Noel and tensed. There was a strange spark in those dark brown eyes as they stared back at her.

A moment of silence followed, and Noel finally spoke up.

“I meant it literally.”

“...”

“Literally, Irene, you are indispensable to me. Without you, I’m overcome with anxiety.”

“...”

Irene did not know what to say. She could barely hold onto her trembling emotions, but his sudden confession made her heart race again.

Tranquillity pervaded the space once more, and as soon as Irene was about to say something.

“Ah...!”

Noel grabbed Irene’s wrist and pulled her into the room. The door shut, and Noel’s lips collided against Irene’s. His weight pressed onto her heavily, and Irene’s mind went blank at how overwhelmingly and addictively he invaded all her senses.

At dawn the following day, Irene hurried to Viscountess Friedan’s room. It was because of the butler’s words that her condition was unusual.

“My father…”

“He left last night.”

“I see.”

Perhaps it was because of her last conversation with him. Though Irene was a little bothered, she soon shook her troubling thoughts. She had made up her mind to not think about that man from now on.

As soon as Irene arrived, she went into her room without knocking.

“Auntie…!”

She rushed towards the pale Viscountess, who looked she was about to die. Her breath was so weak that it seemed as if she was going to pass at any moment.

“D-doctor…”

“...”

Irene asked urgently, but the butler shook his head gloomily.

“He once came and went, but not anymore….”

“Then…”

Irene never had the chance to take care of her properly, and now she had to watch her die. For a brief moment, she had the urge to quibble over it, wanting to express her discontent about this whole situation. But knowing that the one who was suffering more than her was the head butler, Irene bit her lip. She then turned to look at the Viscountess, who was struggling to breathe.

“Auntie…”

There was nothing she could do. A great sense of helplessness weighed on her shoulders. Was she just to watch her die like this?