MPO

CHAPTER LVll-58

Lucas had been in a particularly good mood as of late. It wasn’t just that a single event was keeping him happy for the rest of the day—his heart genuinely felt at peace. And he knew well who was calming his mind and heart.

Leila didn’t think it was strange when he hummed. And since she couldn’t see his messy hair, his mismatched clothes, or the ink stains on his shirt, she couldn’t point them out.

He liked these small things, but what captivated him the most was her attentive listening. No matter what they talked about, he felt so comfortable that he thought, ‘There really are people with whom conversations flow so well.’

Especially when they talked about music, he often wanted to put off his work, so without realizing it, Lucas began treating her more kindly. She understood him well, and naturally, he wanted to do more for her in return.

Lastly, he felt that there was great power in the act of falling asleep and waking up together in the same bed. The initial awkwardness quickly disappeared, and now he felt that it would be lonesome if she wasn’t there when he fell asleep. This change was something he hadn’t expected.

Although they hadn’t had any s-xual relations since her heat cycle, he often felt a strong urge just before falling asleep. It was to the extent that simply thinking about her while looking at documents caused him to unconsciously release pheromones.

Lucas quietly stood up, relieved that everyone in his office were betas, because thinking about Leila made him suddenly want to see her.

Philip, knowing the Duke’s recent routine, asked him to stamp a few urgent documents before letting him go. After leaving the office, Lucas hurried to his room.

Although he was walking, he went up to the floor where his room was at a rather fast pace. From that point, he deliberately made his footsteps louder, hoping that her sensitive hearing would pick up the sound and welcome him.

When he opened the door and went in, he found her asleep on the sofa. Although she didn’t greet him, it felt refreshing to see her napping for the first time. Lucas quietly approached her, stifling his footsteps.

He knelt on one knee in front of the sleeping Leila and looked at her. It was unfortunate that she couldn’t see his jewel-like eyes, but he admired her long eyelashes and cute lips.

Sometimes he felt as if she were looking at him. Even though she probably didn’t know exactly where he was, there were moments when their gazes met perfectly.

“It really feels like you’re looking at me…”

At such times, he felt an overwhelming urge to lower his lips and kiss her.

“Even with your eyes closed, I still want to do it.”

The sight of her with her eyes closed was tempting enough. Lucas quietly watched her sleeping and then lightly touched her lips before pulling away.

In that brief kiss, he felt her breath and sensed a faint trace of her pheromones. It seemed that even while sleeping, the pheromones she had been holding back were leaking out.

The physician had mentioned that Leila, who had been living quietly in his mansion, was gradually regaining her color and energy. He thought it would be good if she could stay in his home longer and become even healthier. He felt it might be time to bring up the topic of their engagement.

Initially, he had brought her here with the premise of a fake marriage, but now he wanted to be with her regardless of whether it was fake or real. The interest he initially had solely in her violin playing had broadened.