Perhaps it was because I was thinking of such things as I walked.
I returned to my room as usual and let out a deep sigh. Just then there was a knock on the door and I opened it without even thinking.
“Yes, who is… Ahh!”
“There is no point in confirming it after you’ve already opened the door, Kiara.”
It was Reggie who was standing there.
“Is it not a little hurtful of you to be surprised at the sight of my face?”
“Ah, no. I just hadn’t expected it at all, and was surprised…”
While I was still answering him, he once again invited himself inside the room and closed the door shut. Um, I’m pretty sure I saw Grol waiting outside the door again as well!?
“Reggie. You and I are now grown adults. Don’t you think this is troublesome?”
I said as I pointed to the door. But Reggie’s expression did not change.
“I don’t think it is. Do you, Kiara?”
“Uh, well, you are the prince. What if there should be rumors…”
That would be trouble would it not? A person who was to one day become king, visiting the quarters of servants. He would be seen as a debauchee, it would harm his reputation wouldn’t it?
“I do not care about rumors. But perhaps I should be worried about your reputation instead? Would you hate it for there to be rumors about us?”
I couldn’t say that…
If anything he was handsome, close friend that I almost wanted to boast about to everyone. I’m sure there were many who would love to have such rumors about them. Even I did not hate the idea.
But on the other hands, Reggie was much too advanced. I couldn’t ever think he would seriously care for me as I was now. Completely powerless.
Perhaps it was because he had no intentions towards me that he could so casually walk into my room?
Such doubts entered my mind as Reggie continued in a whisper.
“Nevermind that. Where have you been all this time?”
It was a sudden change of direction and I was almost unable to follow him.
But it seemed that my inability to immediately answer had made him suspicious.
“Was it something so terrible, that you cannot tell me?”
“A-, I…”
Can’t say.
I could not tell him! I had almost said ‘As if could tell you!’ but thankfully, I stopped myself!
I had broken my promise with Reggie and attacked a magician, captured one of his men(though it was actually Cain who did it), and was currently thinking about capturing a magician again depending on the results of the prisoner’s questioning.
Even though I hadn’t spilled anything yet, it seemed like Reggie’s smile was darkening by the second…
“I did say that I would have to punish you if you were bad, did I not?”
Reggie, you do realize you sound like some ogre trying to scare children!?
Even as I poked fun at him in my heart, my mind was in the eye of a storm.
Eh, what? Was he saying that because he knew everything?
I could feel the sweat running down my back now.
Reggie came one step closer. I instinctively began to take a step back.
“Why do run if you haven’t done anything underhanded?”
I stopped once he said this, then he pulled me over to the sofa to sit down.
Right next to him. His hands were still covering mine. It was the perfect position for him to question me. Inside I was shaking, but I was determined to not allow myself to accidentally confess.
“First, it was a good thing that you helped my aunt. But I hear that while you acted as a decoy, that you rolled up your skirts?”
“I did no such thing! As it would be very difficult to run, I just want to free my legs a little… Ahhh!”
I nearly covered the sides of my face with frustration after refuting it. But Reggie grabbed both of my hands before I could. And now he was leaning forward towards me.
“Well, it seems that you were saved from the danger because of it. So I will have to endure it.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“The matter is on hold… I will unleash whatever feelings I have about it on Alan instead.”
I found myself leaning backward on the sofa as his face got ever closer.
It was quite amazing that the beauty of his face held up at this distance! Though, perhaps I was only thinking of such nonsense because I wanted to escape from this fearful moment.
Also, he would what with Alan? I didn’t understand it, why was Reggie so upset about all this in the first place?
“Um, why are you… You’re not even my father and…hhh.”
Reggie’s lips were right by my ear.
“It was me who advised it and had Alan and the Margrave pick up you. Why should I not feel a sense of responsibility? I feel that it is my role to inform you if your actions are inappropriate. In the end, I am your guardian.”
“Uhh…”
I suppose I would have to be satisfied with that. It was true that the Margrave took me in due to the prince’s wish to help a poor child. Perhaps he did have a responsibility as it was he who had pushed this burden onto the Margrave household.
“So, where had you been earlier today? In fact, I’ve heard that you and Wentworth have been leaving the castle grounds regularly?”
He, he…clearly knew. I understood now.
He had heard about my actions from someone and knew that I had broken our promise. That was why he was questioning me. That was the only explanation for this.
“Of course, you would not be at fault if you were acting on orders. I even asked you know? And then the Margrave told me that I better hear the story from you.”
Lord Vayne… That was no help at all.
He had put me in a most hopeless situation.
“So…you already know?”
I say. Reggie’s face is so close that I can see his pores as he frowns.
“…About how you broke the promise you made with me, you mean? There should have been no need for you to rush, Kiara. I’ve been doing everything that I can to change the situation.”
“You mean the place to conduct negotiations with Salehard?”
He nods.
“Salehard is also sending a member of the royal family to negotiate. They will surely bring a sizable escort as well. I have also asked that two nobles with neighboring lands station their men near their borders. It is possible that the monsters appearing in Everal will attack them as well. Or so I told them. I have also called reinforcements of my own men, so they will slowly be making their way through the Everal territories. Though it is under the pretext of monster slaying, so it will not be too many.”
“Reinforcements? Really!?”
If there were reinforcements, perhaps the enemy would not be able to penetrate the castle even if it were under a siege.
I couldn’t help but smile in relief. Reggie smiled back.
“You finally smiled, Kiara.”
He said as he let go of my hands and then gently caressed my face.
It was the kind of gesture you’d imagine to occur between two lovers. My heart started to pound furiously.
“But, I suppose that my efforts were not enough for you. I wonder how far I must go until you are satisfied.”
“That’s not it, Reggie. I too do not want you to die. And so I must do everything that I can…”
I tried to explain because I wanted him to understand, but my words were cut off.
It was because Reggie had embraced me, his hands supporting my head.
My mouth was now buried in his shoulder and I couldn’t say anything, but I felt his lips brush against my ear and a chill went down my spine.
“Even though the Princess of Thorns refused to say anything, there is no guarantee that you will come out safely. It’s not a definite thing. If you…if it turned you into sand. If it happened to someone else, perhaps I would be able to accept it as their own decision. But, I don’t know what I should do when it comes to you. And so I stopped you by making you promise. What promise would it take to prevent you from doing it? Must I lock you up in a room somewhere? But I’m sure that you would find a way to escape. I would keep you away with chains if I could, but I don’t want you to hate me.”
I was overwhelmed by the passion in his voice.
He wanted to keep away from the path of death so much that he would lock me in a room with chains. It was a fearful thought, but at the moment I didn’t feel like I could have rejected him. I was being washed away by his passion.
He didn’t want me to die. It was only I who made him feel this way.
I did not think that hearing those words would cause me this much pain. There was a burning in my chest and I felt like I could not breathe. If this was Reggie’s idea of a punishment, then it was much too cruel.
I face upward, searching for air. My eyes meet his blue ones.
There was a longing in his eyes, I was sure that my own eyes were looking at him in the same way at that moment.
And so, we were probably both thinking of the same thing. We didn’t want the other to die. And there was nothing we wouldn’t do for that purpose.
We had the same wish, but we could not come to an understanding.
But even then, I wanted to at least express the strength of my feelings. Those feelings were bringing our bodies closer together–.
But then there was a strong knock on the door.
At the same time, there was an echo coming from the window. It was the sound of a hammer striking the alarm bell.
I returned to myself and quickly pulled away from Reggie and opened the door.
Grol was standing there with a severe expression.
He addressed me and Reggie who had now stood up.
The man that I and Cain had captured had finally confessed.
Ruain’s army was approaching and had already reached the border.
Perhaps it was because I was thinking of such things as I walked.
I returned to my room as usual and let out a deep sigh. Just then there was a knock on the door and I opened it without even thinking.
“Yes, who is… Ahh!”
“There is no point in confirming it after you’ve already opened the door, Kiara.”
It was Reggie who was standing there.
“Is it not a little hurtful of you to be surprised at the sight of my face?”
“Ah, no. I just hadn’t expected it at all, and was surprised…”
While I was still answering him, he once again invited himself inside the room and closed the door shut. Um, I’m pretty sure I saw Grol waiting outside the door again as well!?
“Reggie. You and I are now grown adults. Don’t you think this is troublesome?”
I said as I pointed to the door. But Reggie’s expression did not change.
“I don’t think it is. Do you, Kiara?”
“Uh, well, you are the prince. What if there should be rumors…”
That would be trouble would it not? A person who was to one day become king, visiting the quarters of servants. He would be seen as a debauchee, it would harm his reputation wouldn’t it?
“I do not care about rumors. But perhaps I should be worried about your reputation instead? Would you hate it for there to be rumors about us?”
I couldn’t say that…
If anything he was handsome, close friend that I almost wanted to boast about to everyone. I’m sure there were many who would love to have such rumors about them. Even I did not hate the idea.
But on the other hands, Reggie was much too advanced. I couldn’t ever think he would seriously care for me as I was now. Completely powerless.
Perhaps it was because he had no intentions towards me that he could so casually walk into my room?
Such doubts entered my mind as Reggie continued in a whisper.
“Nevermind that. Where have you been all this time?”
It was a sudden change of direction and I was almost unable to follow him.
But it seemed that my inability to immediately answer had made him suspicious.
“Was it something so terrible, that you cannot tell me?”
“A-, I…”
Can’t say.
I could not tell him! I had almost said ‘As if could tell you!’ but thankfully, I stopped myself!
I had broken my promise with Reggie and attacked a magician, captured one of his men(though it was actually Cain who did it), and was currently thinking about capturing a magician again depending on the results of the prisoner’s questioning.
Even though I hadn’t spilled anything yet, it seemed like Reggie’s smile was darkening by the second…
“I did say that I would have to punish you if you were bad, did I not?”
Reggie, you do realize you sound like some ogre trying to scare children!?
Even as I poked fun at him in my heart, my mind was in the eye of a storm.
Eh, what? Was he saying that because he knew everything?
I could feel the sweat running down my back now.
Reggie came one step closer. I instinctively began to take a step back.
“Why do run if you haven’t done anything underhanded?”
I stopped once he said this, then he pulled me over to the sofa to sit down.
Right next to him. His hands were still covering mine. It was the perfect position for him to question me. Inside I was shaking, but I was determined to not allow myself to accidentally confess.
“First, it was a good thing that you helped my aunt. But I hear that while you acted as a decoy, that you rolled up your skirts?”
“I did no such thing! As it would be very difficult to run, I just want to free my legs a little… Ahhh!”
I nearly covered the sides of my face with frustration after refuting it. But Reggie grabbed both of my hands before I could. And now he was leaning forward towards me.
“Well, it seems that you were saved from the danger because of it. So I will have to endure it.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“The matter is on hold… I will unleash whatever feelings I have about it on Alan instead.”
I found myself leaning backward on the sofa as his face got ever closer.
It was quite amazing that the beauty of his face held up at this distance! Though, perhaps I was only thinking of such nonsense because I wanted to escape from this fearful moment.
Also, he would what with Alan? I didn’t understand it, why was Reggie so upset about all this in the first place?
“Um, why are you… You’re not even my father and…hhh.”
Reggie’s lips were right by my ear.
“It was me who advised it and had Alan and the Margrave pick up you. Why should I not feel a sense of responsibility? I feel that it is my role to inform you if your actions are inappropriate. In the end, I am your guardian.”
“Uhh…”
I suppose I would have to be satisfied with that. It was true that the Margrave took me in due to the prince’s wish to help a poor child. Perhaps he did have a responsibility as it was he who had pushed this burden onto the Margrave household.
“So, where had you been earlier today? In fact, I’ve heard that you and Wentworth have been leaving the castle grounds regularly?”
He, he…clearly knew. I understood now.
He had heard about my actions from someone and knew that I had broken our promise. That was why he was questioning me. That was the only explanation for this.
“Of course, you would not be at fault if you were acting on orders. I even asked you know? And then the Margrave told me that I better hear the story from you.”
Lord Vayne… That was no help at all.
He had put me in a most hopeless situation.
“So…you already know?”
I say. Reggie’s face is so close that I can see his pores as he frowns.
“…About how you broke the promise you made with me, you mean? There should have been no need for you to rush, Kiara. I’ve been doing everything that I can to change the situation.”
“You mean the place to conduct negotiations with Salehard?”
He nods.
“Salehard is also sending a member of the royal family to negotiate. They will surely bring a sizable escort as well. I have also asked that two nobles with neighboring lands station their men near their borders. It is possible that the monsters appearing in Everal will attack them as well. Or so I told them. I have also called reinforcements of my own men, so they will slowly be making their way through the Everal territories. Though it is under the pretext of monster slaying, so it will not be too many.”
“Reinforcements? Really!?”
If there were reinforcements, perhaps the enemy would not be able to penetrate the castle even if it were under a siege.
I couldn’t help but smile in relief. Reggie smiled back.
“You finally smiled, Kiara.”
He said as he let go of my hands and then gently caressed my face.
It was the kind of gesture you’d imagine to occur between two lovers. My heart started to pound furiously.
“But, I suppose that my efforts were not enough for you. I wonder how far I must go until you are satisfied.”
“That’s not it, Reggie. I too do not want you to die. And so I must do everything that I can…”
I tried to explain because I wanted him to understand, but my words were cut off.
It was because Reggie had embraced me, his hands supporting my head.
My mouth was now buried in his shoulder and I couldn’t say anything, but I felt his lips brush against my ear and a chill went down my spine.
“Even though the Princess of Thorns refused to say anything, there is no guarantee that you will come out safely. It’s not a definite thing. If you…if it turned you into sand. If it happened to someone else, perhaps I would be able to accept it as their own decision. But, I don’t know what I should do when it comes to you. And so I stopped you by making you promise. What promise would it take to prevent you from doing it? Must I lock you up in a room somewhere? But I’m sure that you would find a way to escape. I would keep you away with chains if I could, but I don’t want you to hate me.”
I was overwhelmed by the passion in his voice.
He wanted to keep away from the path of death so much that he would lock me in a room with chains. It was a fearful thought, but at the moment I didn’t feel like I could have rejected him. I was being washed away by his passion.
He didn’t want me to die. It was only I who made him feel this way.
I did not think that hearing those words would cause me this much pain. There was a burning in my chest and I felt like I could not breathe. If this was Reggie’s idea of a punishment, then it was much too cruel.
I face upward, searching for air. My eyes meet his blue ones.
There was a longing in his eyes, I was sure that my own eyes were looking at him in the same way at that moment.
And so, we were probably both thinking of the same thing. We didn’t want the other to die. And there was nothing we wouldn’t do for that purpose.
We had the same wish, but we could not come to an understanding.
But even then, I wanted to at least express the strength of my feelings. Those feelings were bringing our bodies closer together–.
But then there was a strong knock on the door.
At the same time, there was an echo coming from the window. It was the sound of a hammer striking the alarm bell.
I returned to myself and quickly pulled away from Reggie and opened the door.
Grol was standing there with a severe expression.
He addressed me and Reggie who had now stood up.
The man that I and Cain had captured had finally confessed.
Ruain’s army was approaching and had already reached the border.
