Chapter 69
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Chapter 69
Kibon stood frozen, barely breathing, staring down at me with wide eyes.
I exhaled sharply through my nose, my expression turning sinister.
"Where could you possibly run to, leaving behind cunning bureaucrats and timid citizens? Where in the world?"
I'd gone to such lengths to keep him alive, and if he dared flee citing some excuse about burden—just imagining it sent me spiraling into an obsessive frenzy.
"Crown Prince, just as you have until now, you must remain in the Imperial Palace with me for a hundred years to come. A hundred years, without fail."
In the midst of this, Kibon muttered in utter disbelief.
"Did you just say a hundred years together instead of a hundred years of marriage...?"
"If Your Highness were to flee...."
I tilted my head up toward Kibon, my eyes gleaming as I whispered.
"I'll chase you to the very ends of the Continent. I'll grab you by the collar and drag you back, planting you firmly in the Crown Prince's Office. I'll keep my eyes wide open, watching so you never escape again."
Kibon's normally expressionless face drained of all color.
"Anyway, I hate negativity, so don't say such things anymore."
That's when a bird chirped from the tree above—chirp, chirp.
Only then did I snap back to reality.
'What in the world.'
Somehow, Kibon had pressed himself flat against the tree, and with my arms extended to cage him in, we were standing far too close together.
Despite his ashen complexion, Kibon's ears had flushed a brilliant crimson.
* * *
"Oh, dear."
Focus returned to Namia's gleaming eyes. Crown Prince Kiaros watched as bewilderment slowly bloomed across her features.
"What do I do.... I'm sorry."
Namia, startled, hastily withdrew the arm she'd extended toward his shoulder, pulling it back to her own side.
"I was far too threatening, wasn't I?"
Crown Prince Kiaros felt an involuntary laugh bubbling up inside him despite everything.
She was a woman a head shorter than him. Painfully thin with barely any visible muscle. And yet 'threatening'? There was no word less fitting than that.
She fumbled nervously, her eyes darting about.
"I was wrong. No matter how infuriating my subordinate's words were, that's no excuse for me to lose my composure like this and act so recklessly. Look at you—you're frozen stiff.... I'm sorry."
Yet despite being anything but threatening, his body truly had gone rigid.
Her sudden proximity and the breath he could feel so close had made his heart stop.
'Is it because of those words about fleeing? Because of that obsessive determination to chase me to the depths of hell itself and pull me back?'
He had sensed sincerity in her gleaming eyes.
Experiencing such overwhelming pressure for the first time in his life, his heart still raced dizzily, making his vision blur.
Coming to her senses, she quickly pulled her body back.
"If I've offended you, report me. Between people in a hierarchical relationship, this is clearly my fault."
Though they hadn't touched even with a fingertip, the fading warmth of her presence felt strangely regrettable.
Suddenly, Crown Prince Kiaros felt an impulse to grab her arm and pull her close again.
"No. Perhaps I should report myself instead? It would keep me alert, and that might be better. I suppose I've been thinking of you too casually...."
She was spiraling into panic, muttering to herself. Crown Prince Kiaros found himself murmuring without thinking.
"It's fine. Really... it's fine."
Fearing he might actually turn himself in, he rambled incoherently, his heart pounding wildly in his chest.
"It's, well, because of your feelings for Crown Prince Kiaros, so, um, that's why you did it."
"Ah... Yes. That's true."
Namia nodded, her expression finally showing relief.
"My feelings for Crown Prince Kiaros are genuine."
She seemed somewhat calmer, but Crown Prince Kiaros's heart remained utterly unsettled.
Those ominous eyes asking 'where would you run to?', that ragged breathing against the nape of his neck....
Whether only he was tormented by those lingering afterimages, Namia continued speaking with composure.
"I simply wish for you to always remain in good health, both body and spirit, just as you are now. Even when I'm not by your side, I'm always thinking of your wellbeing. That's why I became overly excited at the word 'escape,' I suppose."
"...."
"What? Is something wrong?"
Crown Prince Kiaros looked at her and barely managed to respond.
"...No, nothing."
Even when apart, she crossed his mind, and he was always curious about her. He felt the same way about Namia.
He was truly always curious. Despite spending entire workdays together, he found himself wondering about the hours they were apart.
She didn't trust Kibon. The fact that she hadn't told him everything about Jayden's situation proved as much.
It was admirable loyalty to the Royal Family, yet strangely it left him feeling bereft. He was startled by his own sense of loss.
What could possibly be occupying that small mind of hers? That unknowable gap, even when they were together, drove him to the brink of madness with curiosity.
'If Namia suddenly ran away and disappeared one day... I would be no less relentless than her, if not more so.'
Then did they share the same heart? Crown Prince Kiaros gazed at her intently and spoke.
"I think I understand that feeling..."
Namia nodded and stated clearly.
"Yes. This feeling has a name—loyalty. One hundred percent pure loyalty to the Empire and the Royal Family."
...So they didn't share the same heart after all. He wasn't loyal to Namia.
Then what was the name of his heart?
Somewhere along the way, the thought that had plagued him until moments ago—'if only I didn't exist...'—had vanished completely. Instead, in his mind....
[If Your Highness were to run away, I would chase you to the very end of the Continent myself.]
Only that eerily precise voice remained. Those gleaming eyes were so vivid, his heart continued to race.
* * *
'Ah, I really need to be more careful.'
This was the first time I'd ever lost my composure so completely.
'So I'm the type to act recklessly toward subordinates. I never knew because I've never had any before.'
Or perhaps... it was simply because Kibon was so comfortable to be around.
Because in the office, Kibon obeyed my words with an almost blind devotion.
Even just moments ago, when I acted rudely, Kibon's face merely went pale and he didn't know what to do—he never once showed displeasure.
As this repeated, somewhere along the way, the thought 'I can treat Kibon however I want' had begun to creep in insidiously. It was a dangerous mindset.
'The more comfortable the other person is, the more uncomfortable I must be making them. I need to stay vigilant.'
I sighed and chastised myself.
'But seeing him up close, he really does have a good physique.... Ah, wait. Get it together, Namia. Don't do this. If Oson treated me like this, it would be absolutely horrible.'
In any case, the two of us entered the Scroll Department around the time lunch was ending.
Lunch hour hadn't fully ended yet, so only Anastasia was in the Office.
She was diligently reading a book by herself.
It seemed to be the last moment of rest before the afternoon work began.
"Oh, you've arrived?"
Anastasia jumped up and greeted me.
The book she'd hastily covered had the title "I Like You As Much As Our Salary Difference." I decided to pretend I hadn't seen that.
"W-w-would you like some coffee?"
"No, I've already eaten."
I answered with a gentle smile.
"From now on, you don't need to ask me things like that."
"B-b-but... since I... I'm not very good at my work... at least let me do this."
Just like yesterday when Victor asked when I'd be arriving, she seemed very conscious of the fact that her work pace wasn't particularly brisk.
Anastasia fidgeted with her hands dejectedly before asking Kibon.
"B-b-but Kibon. Weren't you scheduled to arrive at two o'clock?"
"Ah... well, about that."
Since Kibon had arrived at the Office around the time lunch ended along with me, he'd actually come an hour early.
Kibon answered with his usual expressionless face.
"I simply wanted to come in early."
At that, Anastasia was so startled she practically collapsed into her chair. She nearly tumbled over completely.
She gasped for breath and cried out.
"Y-y-y-you, are you okay?"
"Pardon?"
"To the Office, y-y-you just wanted to come in early? W-what kind of illness did you catch?"
Now that I thought about it, her point was actually valid!
Simply wanting to come to the Office early was unheard of.
'If it's contagious, this is serious.'
I quietly began backing away from Kibon.
Like a foreigner who didn't understand language well, Kibon tilted his head expressionlessly.
"I'm not sure what you mean... but I'm in good health."
"Th-that doesn't make sense! S-so why are you coming in early?"
Anastasia scooted her chair backward and cried out.
"Th-there's no one here you like! U-unless you're harboring some unrequited love, this makes absolutely no sense!"
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org