She retracted the faint smile and pointed to the washboard on the floor.
"Am I supposed to kneel before you?"
"No."
Malcolm neatly removed his dark gray coat, threw it backward, and it fell on the rack in the corner accurately.
His pure white shirt was very close-fitting, outlining his waist to be just right. And his figure was perfect and enchanting.
Without even thinking twice, he thrust the whip into Lyra's hand, bent his knee to the washboard, and knelt steadily.
His eyebrows tightened almost immediately, and he quickly regained his composure. He looked up at Lyra with his handsome face. "I'm kneeling."
Lyra was stunned. She did not expect him to be so decisive. She reached out to pull him up. "Why are you doing this for no reason? Don't your knees hurt? Get up."
Malcolm shook his head, with his long eyelashes clouding his eyes. "I made a mistake."
"What?"
"I shouldn't have lost you. I shouldn't have deliberately picked on you with cigarettes..."
Lyra sighed. It wasn't his fault this time. The smoking thing had been settled at the countryside house.
As she was just thinking, she felt her calf being held suddenly.
She looked down and saw that it was Malcolm's arms around her calf. He was bending over lazily, with his head resting gently on her lap.
"You..."
"Rara, don't move. Let me hold you."
There was a distinct sob in her usually calm voice, and Lyra froze. She let go of the whip he had thrust at her, and raised a hand to rub his short hair, soothing him.
"I'm sorry I wasn't more vigilant. The day you had the accident, I wasn't even happy that you were defending for Anthony."
"Knowing that Frank has been on the run for so many years, and that he might take revenge, I didn't protect you in time, but hurt you, made you... lose your memory."
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry..."
His voice trembled uncontrollably.
Chagrin and remorse pressed against his chest.
He was eager to atone for his sins and to find some comfort through punishment.
He buried his red eyes deep in her lap, and didn't want Lyra, who lost memory, to see him being out of control. He was afraid she will be disgusted and despise him, but he really choked up uncomfortably.
Ten days of repressed emotions broke out instantly.
Only in front of her, he was sobbing helplessly, and his broad shoulders trembled.
Lyra's eyes turned red. Her lips parted, and she hesitated several times.
After struggling, she patted Malcolm on the back and comforted him. She chose to tell the truth. "Malcolm, you're not a saint. There's always something you can't think of. You didn't do anything wrong this time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
"Can... can I hug your waist?"
Before he could react to his frustration, Lyra changed the way she called him.
Lyra was amused. "Of course."
His strong arms let go of her calf. He moved his upper body, and his knees that were resting on the washboard did not move at all. His forearms firmly wrapped around her waist, and he gently sniffed the familiar fragrance on her body.
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