Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 95- Fake Lovers

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“Why are you just sitting there?”

Jerome pulled his hand back as soon as he saw that I was awake.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, I realized quite some time had passed.

I had no idea how long he’d been there or why he was staring so intently at my sleeping face.

Despite my look of curiosity, Jerome responded casually.

“The sun was glaring.”

“You could have just woken me and told me to sleep somewhere else… What happened to your face?”

It was only then that I noticed Jerome’s face.

The blood vessels in one of his eyes were burst, his lips were chapped and bleeding, and his nails looked on the verge of peeling off.

It baffled me how he could be so calm after enduring all that.

Jerome noticed my growing concern and gave a faint laugh.

“Is life even worth living without a wife?”

“…”

“I’ve been stuck with the Duke for days. He’s an exhausting old man. He kept pressing me about when I plan to get married. He even asked if I was having… certain issues.”

It was rare to hear Jerome complain.

He covered his face with one hand, looking genuinely exhausted.

From what I could tell, although Jerome had the ability to hypnotize others with magic, he didn’t seem able to cast it on himself.

Sitting up on the couch, I gestured for him to lie down.

“Get some rest here. I’ll go find someone who can heal you.”

“No, stay here with me.”

“That’s unreasonable. How can you expect me to just sit here and watch you like this?”

Jerome grabbed my wrist as I started to stand.

When our eyes met, I quickly looked away.

Before, I avoided being alone with him out of fear, but now it was for a different reason.

Noticing my discomfort, Jerome’s grip loosened.

‘I messed up. I didn’t mean to hurt him.’

The silence grew heavy, and I began to feel anxious.

I wanted to tell him that wasn’t my intention, but the words wouldn’t come out.

It was moments like this that made me dislike myself.

Relationships were never my strong suit, and I lacked the courage to resolve misunderstandings or conflicts.

If I found myself annoying, Jerome probably did, too. I lowered my head, disheartened.

‘This time, he’s definitely going to lose interest in me.’

As I tried to pull my wrist away, Jerome grabbed it again, surprising me.

Contrary to my expectations of disappointment, he looked puzzled.

“Jeanne, did you change your perfume?”

“…”

This was almost uncanny.

Lately, I had been on edge because of a guy named Camille.

I was worried he might figure out my real identity, which had me losing sleep.

I’d been using a perfume Layla gave me as a precaution, and it seemed Jerome had noticed the change.

It was so typical of him to notice something small like my scent, even in a situation where he should’ve been feeling hurt.

I also felt a growing unease, realizing, ‘This guy’s resilience just keeps getting stronger.’

Before, he would get angry if I avoided him.

Now, he just seemed to do whatever he wanted, regardless of my reaction.

Jerome pulled me close, pressing his face against my neck. I froze as he inhaled deeply, then whispered with a grin.

“But I like it. This different scent makes it feel like you’re someone else’s lover, which… excites me.”

“…”

“Damn, I feel like I could burst.”

His words were coarse as he gripped my backside through his uniform pants.

With a couch right behind us and Jerome practically radiating excitement in front of me, it was clear what he was implying.

“Fine, I’ll stay. I’ll stay next to you!”

Only after I surrendered did he release his grip.

With a serene expression, Jerome lay down on the couch and closed his eyes, hands calmly folded over his stomach.

I glanced at him, exasperated. In a soothing voice, he remarked:

“Don’t I look like a sleeping princess like this?”

“…”

“A princess who only needs a prince’s kiss. Though, I wouldn’t mind if you did more than kiss me. A little oral… or some risqué roleplay. Maybe even a hard spanking…”

“Shut up and sleep.”

My harsh tone finally stopped the princess’s monologue disguised as flirtation.

For once, Jerome truly seemed exhausted, and he quickly drifted off to sleep.

I realized I’d shown him my sleeping face countless times, yet this was the first time I’d seen his.

My eyes fell to his cracked lips.

Though Jerome had insisted he was fine, I still felt concerned.

If I had a high-quality potion on hand, I could heal him instantly.

‘Come to think of it, I should talk to Marchen about that soon.’

Back then, I’d been distracted by a mysterious man and let it slide.

But since I won the archery competition, I intended to discuss forming an alliance with the Venus Guild again.

After covering Jerome with a blanket, I stood up.

Just then, someone knocked on the guild house door, their cheerful voice ringing in my ears.

“My little grape, are you home?”

---

“It’s been a while, Marchen. Thank you for coming, even though it must’ve been a hassle.”

“Oh, don’t say that, not even out of politeness. Coming to see a beauty is never a waste of time.”

I chuckled at Marchen’s playful response.

He wore an extravagant leopard-print cloak as he stepped inside and curiously looked around the guild house.

After quietly smiling to himself, he muttered under his breath, adjusting his lips with a mischievous smile.

“I’m surprised by the new look of the guild house. Just a few months ago, this place was practically in ruins. Jerome sure lucked out, getting a capable partner.”

“…”

“It’s such a waste to leave my little grape to a psycho like him… Huh? What’s that? It’s not… a body, right?”

Marchen’s gaze finally landed on Jerome, lying on the couch with a blanket covering his face.

He didn’t seem to realize it was Jerome lying there.

‘No need to tell him.’

Even hearing Jerome’s name sent Marchen into a frenzy.

If they were in the same room, he’d probably dash out of here in a panic.

I scratched my cheek, casually brushing off his question.

“Don’t mind him. He’s a new guild member.”

“Hmm, a suspicious-looking sleeper.”

“Take a seat and wait a moment. I’ll make some milk tea.”

I pulled dried tea leaves from the pantry and placed a pot of milk on the stove.

After straining the tea into the milk and adding sugar, the warm, fragrant aroma of milk tea filled the room.

Marchen, who had been watching closely, exclaimed in horror.

“Milk tea first needs milk, not tea!”

“Alright, I’ll pour the milk first for you. But I think it tastes better starting with the tea.”

Ever since I first tried the milk tea Jerome made, I found it better when tea was poured first.

I answered lightly, only to look up and catch Marchen staring at me with a strange expression.

Sipping the tea, he muttered in a disapproving tone.

“Jerome, that guy… he really is… unsettling.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There are things little kids don’t understand about adults.”

Marchen’s cryptic comment was followed by a pause. He looked at me, surprised.

“Wait, this milk tea…”

Instead of answering, he responded with a quiet smile.

Yes, this was exactly the new weapon I had designed for the Luna Guild—tea leaves.

I had gotten the idea from the tea seeds Layla sent me upon reaching the East.

The tea trees there were unique; unlike those from other regions, they had a restorative effect.

The local rabbits even testified that people drank milk tea to restore their vitality when feeling weak.

“Tea leaves from the East have healing properties. If we dry them properly and mix with milk, we can make a milk tea that restores a certain amount of strength.”

Even if I proved my skills, forging an alliance between Luna and Venus Guilds was a different issue altogether.

So, I devised a little plan.

A verbal alliance would be easy to betray, but if business was involved, neither side would abandon the other easily.

I continued, my voice calm.

“Healing potions have always been notorious for their bitterness. If we refine these tea leaves carefully, we might create a recovery potion that tastes like milk tea, don’t you think?”

Marchen, who had been quietly listening to my explanation, sipped his milk tea a few more times.

The tea leaves were valuable not just for their healing effects but also for their excellent taste, making them a potentially lucrative business item.

With a pleased smile, Marchen snapped his fingers and exclaimed.

“Brilliant! A recovery potion with a specific flavor… it’s genius. Milk tea is one of the Empire’s favorite drinks. If a potion shop offered a choice between a regular potion and one that tastes like milk tea, even I would pick the tastier one.”

I gave him a slight smile as he grew animated, his face flushed with excitement.

“The Venus Guild has skilled alchemists, and the Luna Guild has fields for growing ingredients. Together, we could make a pretty solid alliance, don’t you think?”

“…….”

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

The excitement on Marchen’s face suddenly vanished, replaced by a stern look.

He stood up and grasped both of my hands, his expression full of admiration.

“Perfect, absolutely perfect! Ah, my precious gem, not only beautiful but wise, thoughtful, and radiant in every way. Is this how King Rios felt, who lost his kingdom over an ill-fated love? If it were up to me, I’d hand over the entire Venus Guild to you.”

While I cringed at his overly familiar praise, Jerome, who had been lying down with a blanket over his face, suddenly sat up.

Marchen, unaware of the situation, leaned in closer.

‘Oh, you fool! Look behind you!’

Anxious about the possible bloody outcome of this encounter, I shot a quick glance to get Marchen to look behind him, but he was oblivious and didn’t let go of my hands.

I closed my eyes as he kept speaking.

“Yes, there’s no other way. Jeanne, will you be my 164th wife?”

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