Desire Me If You Can-Chapter 99

"Come on in, Darling!"

Grayson, who had prepared in advance, opened the front door himself and spread his arms wide, pulling Dein into a tight embrace. Calling Dein "Darling" while pretending it was the cat's name was an obvious and transparent tactic. Dein wanted to push him away, but with one hand holding the carrier containing Darling and the other clutching a bag full of Darling's belongings, there was no way to do so. Instead, he muttered in a low, threatening voice.

"Let go, while I'm still speaking nicely."

Despite understanding the meaning of the words, Grayson rubbed his face against Dein's shoulder repeatedly before finally loosening his arms. When he looked up, stepping back slightly, both his cheeks were flushed bright red.

"I've been waiting for you, for such a long time."

"For a long time?"

What is he talking about now? Dein furrowed his brow, asking the question casually, and Grayson flashed a bright smile, nodding in response.

"My whole life."

"Not that line again."

Dein shook his head as if tired of hearing it. The talk of fate and destiny had been constant from the moment Grayson appeared, so he had gotten used to it by now. Whether or not Dein agreed was a different matter, though.

Well, having a dream isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Dein thought indifferently while scanning the surroundings.

"Which way to the room?"

Before the question even fully left Dein’s lips, Grayson turned around and said,

"Come this way, I’ve prepared the room with the best view."

As they ascended the stairs, Grayson hummed a little tune. Seeing his carefree display of happiness, Dein felt a strange unease instead.

After climbing five flights of stairs, the downstairs seemed so distant that it felt almost unreachable. Looking briefly beyond the railing at the dizzying height, Dein resumed walking behind Grayson. If Darling were a bit younger, they would’ve likely enjoyed the day here much more, but as the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head. It didn’t matter; it wasn’t even his house.

The wide and long corridor was filled with only the sounds of their footsteps. The silence, as though there were no other people in the massive house, was striking, though the caretaker was surely somewhere. The statues placed at regular intervals were spotless, and the long carpet beneath their feet gleamed with a polish.

"This is the room."

After passing several doors, Grayson finally stopped in front of one and turned to face Dein. Just when he was about to ask for any random room, this seemed like a perfect timing.

Grayson opened the door and stepped back, allowing Dein to pass and enter first. The moment he laid eyes on the view inside, he immediately stopped in his tracks.

Through the wide front window, an extravagant night view stretched endlessly. The dazzling lights of the distant city painted the black night a deep blue, making the pouring darkness shine like countless stars. It was the first time seeing such a spectacle, and Dein stood there, momentarily frozen, lost in awe. Was there ever such a beautiful night?

The house where Dein had lived was on a small hill, but with a low mountain behind it, making it impossible to see a cityscape. Occasionally, on late-night walks, he would glimpse the night scenery as it passed along the roadside, but to experience it directly through a window in this way was an entirely different experience. Surely, during the day, beneath an endless blue sky, lush greenery would stretch out.

Could there be a more extravagant indulgence than this? Dein idly thought, dazed. The greatest privilege of the rich is said to be buying views.

"How is it, Dein? Do you like it?"

Grayson, who had been silently standing behind him, finally approached and asked. If Dein were to say he didn’t like the room, it would make him an incredibly ill-tempered person, or someone who had no sense of decency, or even an emperor of some foreign country. Of course, Dein wasn’t that bad, and he knew what decency was, but as for being a rich emperor? He was a broke man who had just lost his house.

"There are other rooms too. You can look around and choose. Would you like to do that?"

Without waiting for a response, Grayson proposed the option. Dein opened his mouth to speak but ended up clearing his throat awkwardly as a strange noise came out.

"No, it's fine. I like this one. I’ll take this room."

"Really? I’m glad."

Grayson smiled, looking genuinely relieved. On the other hand, Dein found himself in an uncomfortable situation. The room was much larger than the three living rooms he had in his previous house combined, and it even had folding doors to divide the space. On one side was a bedroom, while the other side had a living room-like area. There were also a sofa, a TV, and a coffee table. If Dein wanted, he could probably live in this room without stepping out at all.

And what about the bedroom over there? It was the first time he had ever seen a bed so large that he could stretch out his arms and legs without worrying about running out of space. Of course, the owner was taller than Dein, so it would make sense to accommodate the bed to his size, but for someone like Dein, who always thought beds were too short when buying standard mattresses, this felt like a bed made just for him.

However, what caught Dein’s attention more than the paintings, decorations, and expensive-looking ceramics hanging on the walls was the cat tower set up by the window.

The very same cat tower that he had desperately wanted to buy for months, but had burned in the fire before he could even assemble it, and that he couldn’t afford to buy again due to the expenses from moving.

"Oh my..."

Dein muttered, almost in disbelief. The massive cat tower had already been fully assembled, even with the wings on both sides. Darling would surely be happy with this. He wanted to place Darling {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} on the tower and take pictures of him, but he held back. Darling had likely been under a lot of stress from the recent moves. It would take some time for Darling to adjust to this new environment, so he had to wait patiently.

Still, feeling the slight regret, he ran his hand over the tower, and Grayson once again approached, asking,

"Do you think Darling will like this?"

"What...?"

Dein couldn’t deny it and trailed off. He hadn’t expected Grayson to care so much. Standing there, lost in complicated thoughts, Grayson spoke again.

"It’s a gift. You can take it with you when you leave."

"What?"

At this unexpected comment, Dein turned his head, and Grayson smiled readily.

"It’s a token of gratitude for you coming here." frёewebnoѵēl.com

Dein silently stared at his face. What is he saying...?

Such gifts were nothing to Grayson Miller. He was the kind of person who would spend thousands of dollars without a second thought. But for someone receiving such a gift, it wasn’t the same. Most of all, it was an obligation, a temporary relationship that had been accepted out of necessity.

"...Miller."

Dein opened his mouth, maintaining a neutral expression.

"I don’t like receiving excessive gifts like this. I appreciate the gesture, but I’ll have to decline."

"It’s not excessive."

"You would think that. To me, it’s too much."

Dein coldly rejected it.

"If you don’t maintain appropriate boundaries, whether you stalk me or whatever else, I’ll leave this place."

He was serious. Grayson noticed that immediately.

"Got it... But still, take this. I won’t buy anything like this again."

Grayson’s voice had a bitter tone. Dein kept his distance but nodded in agreement. This guy doesn’t even have a cat, and throwing things away would be a waste.

Grayson then smiled broadly, and though Dein felt awkward from his response, he didn’t point it out. Instead, he pointed to one of the doors and asked,

"Is that the bathroom door?"

"Huh? No, the bathroom is through that door."

Grayson spoke while his cheeks flushed slightly.

"That door leads to my room."

Dein looked at Grayson without saying a word.

"...What?"

It wasn’t until several seconds of silence passed that Dein finally spoke, furrowing his brow.