Episode 104

Blanche blinked at Ricardo's antics.

In an instant, his large hand pulled Blanche's waist even tighter.

Ricardo, who had used her knees as a pillow, was now pressing against Blanche's stomach.

Blanche could feel Ricardo's hot breath beyond her clothes. The warmth against her stomach made her fingertips tingle unknowingly.

However, this unfamiliar feeling did not affect Blanche's actions.

Therefore, the fact that she didn't push Ricardo away, unlike usual, was solely due to rational and logical judgment.

Blanche couldn't help but consider his stress status after a long time.

"If Ricardo is like this, it must have been difficult to reunite with Giacomo."

Blanche regretted not being able to destroy Giacomo with her own hands.

She looked at Ricardo, who was gasping for breath as if he were dead, with a pitiful gaze.

In an instant, she awkwardly tried to stroke Ricardo's black hair, which was resting on her knee, but stopped.

Ricardo and Blanche.

Awkward tension filled the air between the two.

Time was passing cautiously, as if even a single needle falling would cause a disturbance. Ricardo was the first to break the silence.

"I know, Blanche. I know I fall far short in your eyes. . . . . . . . . . ."

Due to deep suspicion, he still couldn't even meet her gaze properly.

Ricardo murmured again on top of Blanche's stomach.

"I will work harder. So please give me a little more time. Don't push me away. . . Blanche, please."

In an instant, he tightly grabbed Blanche's waist as if he was about to loosen it.

As if she would leave casually at any moment. Moreover, a sigh coming from Ricardo's head.

He hunched his shoulders, making his large build pale in comparison.

But disappointment still lingered.

Finally, Blanche's white hand, which had hesitated above his head for a while, awkwardly began to stroke Ricardo's head.

But that was all.

Blanche couldn't offer a warm word of comfort.

It was closely related to the fact that she was someone who was distant from considering others.

Blanche chose her words carefully and spoke.

"Don't worry, Ricardo. I've known that you're weak since the first time we met."

As expected, it was a word that completely misread the atmosphere, typical of her.

Sure enough, Ricardo immediately became gloomy and weakly released his arms that were embracing Blanche.

It was a powerless action that seemed to be defeated wherever he looked.

Finally, Ricardo turned his face away from her belly and made eye contact with Blanche.

His blue pupils glistened like jewels with moisture. Also, his nose seemed to be deliberately painted with red paint.

Blanche couldn't help but smirk at his appearance. It was a laughter that burst out because Ricardo was cute.

Although Ricardo, the person involved, couldn't hide his melancholy, perhaps that's why.

That's probably why her tightly closed lips naturally opened, not knowing what to say just a moment ago.

There was no need for further explanation. Blancshe liked Ricardo. When the other person feels cute, there is nothing more to say about the relationship between men and women.

Even Ricardo, with his 192 cm tall figure and his restrained handsomeness, couldn't find any cute corners even if he looked closely.

Blancshe finally realized. Six years ago, the emotions she had felt when she decided to save him, the emotions she had thought she had hidden well, had been stirring in her heart all along.

She didn't want to give up this clumsy and cute fool to Anastasia. Moreover, she wanted to have him.

Ricardo was the only man who had stirred up any emotions in Blancshe for the past seven years.

Also, he was the first man who looked so cute, pitiful, and lovable.

In the meantime, Ricardo pouted like an unjust child.

He cautiously expressed his dissatisfaction. "But I feel like I've become much stronger than back then. . ."

Blancshe lightly laughed. "But you're still much weaker than me."

"That may be true, but. . ." Ricardo seemed to have a lot to say.

However, he swallowed the words he had kept in his heart as he gently stroked his own head.

Blancshe gave Ricardo a refreshing and natural smile, like a mountain breeze. "It's okay. Ricardo, you can be weak."

"Blancshe. . . ?" "But I'll still stay by your side." Suddenly, Ricardo felt an unfamiliar premonition.

Perhaps the wish he had always had since getting to know Blancshe might come true today.

Startled, Ricardo's pupils widened.

Blancshe lightly stroked his forehead with her fingertips and asked, "Ricardo, do you still want to be my lover? Even though I can never be your gentle girlfriend from now on?"

"I don't want to become a kind woman for you. You just need to be yourself, Blancshe."

Ricardo immediately responded as if he had been prepared all along.

[system/ Ricardo loves you. ]

So it was a confession that could never be false, and a confession that she had faced for the past 7 years until she was tired of it.

In that moment, Ricardo grabbed Blancshe's hand, which she had been gently stroking her own hair with, and once again made the plea he had made to her before. "Blancshe, please choose me instead of your father. No, it's okay if you don't choose me, just stop hurting yourself."

"You shouldn't be remembered as one of your father's many women, you deserve better treatment."

Blancshe's voice trembled as Ricardo's voice pushed her to the edge.

Blancshe impulsively apologized, "I'm sorry, Ricardo."

Finally, she made up her mind to reveal that she was not part of the Illya government to him. But Ricardo, who didn't know this fact, raised an eyebrow in misunderstanding.

He must have thought that Blancshe had decided to stay by Illya's side again. Blancshe calmly continued her confession.

"Ricardo, it may be hard to believe, but I'm not the boss's woman."

"Huh?"

Blanche added an explanation to the bewildered Ricardo, who only opened his eyes wide.

"The relationship between you and the boss that you believe in is just a baseless rumor. If you can't believe it, go back to the city right now and ask the boss. If not, I'll be eager to tell you the truth."

"What does that mean. . . ?" "You know that the boss knows whether you like me or not, right?"

"I know."

"I don't need to mention separately that I've been rejecting your feelings all this time."

". . . . . . So?"

"I pretended to be in a relationship with the boss and held hands in front of you. But that's all I did."

Ricardo couldn't easily believe the truth.

"H-However, if what you're saying is true, there's no way Silvano wouldn't have told me."

She shook her head. "I asked Silvano and everyone else. No, I ordered them. Act like I'm the boss's woman, at least in front of you."

"So. . ."

"Ricardo. Even if I'm a woman who can deceive you as much as I want for my own convenience, do you still like me?"

Instead of answering, his Adam's apple bobbed heavily.

The situation was clear. Ricardo had been a fool all these past six years.

But instead of blaming Blanche for knowing the truth, he had only one complicated question in his mind. ". . . . . . . . So, Blanche. Can I be your lover or not?"

Finally, Blancshe said, "Okay. Let's date."

He was immediately filled with joy. So he continued, "But for now, it's better to keep our relationship a secret. In fact, there is a GM in this world. . ."

In the blink of an eye, Ricardo half-rose from Blancshe's lap and kissed her.

Blancshe was rarely surprised and speechless, as Ricardo gradually leaned his large body towards her.

Finally becoming Blancshe's lover, his kiss was desperate like someone standing at the edge of a cliff.

In an instant, Blancshe pushed him away.

"Ricardo, wait a moment. . . um!"

It was different from usual. Ricardo swallowed not only her voice but also Blancshe's lips. Moreover, he tightly wrapped his hands around her neck and waist.

He groaned like a dog as he collided his body against her small frame.

Furthermore, whenever their lips inevitably separated for breath, Ricardo desperately repeated her name as if it were the greatest magic spell in the world.

"Blancshe, Blancshe. . ."

Given the situation, it was natural for Blancshe's body to tilt backward little by little.

If Ricardo hadn't firmly supported her with his strong arms, Blancshe would have fallen to the ground.

In his joy, Ricardo kissed not only her lips but also her cheeks, neck, and the hand that pushed him away.

He couldn't restrain his passion and obsession towards her.

While staining her cheeks red, Blancshe couldn't help but push Ricardo away.

Her expression gradually became serious.

"Ricardo, wait a moment. Let's stop here for today."

"Why?"

Ricardo asked with a disappointed expression, while giving Blanche a peck on the cheek. And he tightly embraced her, who no longer hated herself.

He seemed so happy that he could understand why the idiom "feeling like walking on clouds" was created.

"Blanche, please don't do that, can't we continue a little longer? Really, just a little bit. . ."

But Blanche firmly separated herself from his embrace.

This time, Ricardo willingly let her go. So that she could see the pitiful expression she had worked so hard to create.

He knew well how vulnerable Blanche was to certain appearances.

To his surprise, Blanche showed a different side, unlike before. But Ricardo's wish was difficult to fulfill.

Just in time, GM returned. "Blanche, we found Anastasia."

The villainess received the family's worship.

Note: Unrevised