Chapter 43
‘Is it because I held back during the guiding session with her…’
According to the numbers, his waves had not dropped that much, and it was not as if Ephinia had used excessive guiding energy. Then why…
‘This is making me uneasy.’
He hadn’t wanted to send Ephinia back to the Lanas residence earlier either, but now it was even worse. What if, while his eyes were off her, she bumped into something somewhere… or fell down the stairs and died!
He knew this was an abnormal level of anxiety. Even so, his mind would not calm down. It felt like if he held Ephinia tightly in his arms, he might be able to settle down…
‘There’s no way she’d allow that.’
Just now, she had softened because he helped her, but that didn’t mean she had truly become close to him. Even after doing that kind of guiding twice, Ephinia still found him uncomfortable.
That was only natural. He had ruined what was practically her debutante ball.
Originally, starting from that ball, Ephinia would have formed connections with many nobles. Invitations to balls and banquets would have poured in every day, and as the Empress instructed, she would have attended various events to solidify her position as the future Crown Princess.
He had ruined all of that. He had deliberately ruined it because he was wary of her becoming his consort.
‘I thought she was a country bumpkin who wouldn’t even take anyone’s notice…’
The more he spoke with her, the more he felt she was not a foolish woman. Even if House Lanas attached tutors to educate her, without basic intelligence there would be a limit to what she could understand.
Her face was starting to look prettier and prettier, her mind didn’t seem bad, and her personality was tolerable enough.
He preferred women who flared up and got angry rather than those who only shrank back. He hated people who only endured things in silence.
‘No. This is my judgment getting clouded because of guiding. That woman has a frustrating personality.’
She was a shabby and rigid-looking woman. Someone who seemed dull no matter how you looked at her, someone whose days together would surely be boring.
Kasselard tried to hold onto his first impression of her, but as she seemed different day by day, his resolve wavered.
“……”
As he rested his chin on his hand and stared out the window, Ephinia suddenly spoke.
“We’re almost there. That’s the Duke’s residence!”
The bright look on Ephinia’s face somehow felt unbearably irritating. Even though he felt resentful toward her, the face she showed in happiness looked indescribably beautiful, and he stared without even blinking.
“Are you that happy to part from me?”
When the words slipped out before he realized it, Ephinia blinked.
“You’re happy too, Your Highness.”
What are you talking about?
Kasselard’s face twisted instantly. After I’ve gone this far saying all this!
“I told you I like you, you idiot! How many times have I said it!”
When he shouted, his face flushed red, Ephinia’s expression hardened again.
“Get a grip! The guiding is over!”
“S-So what?! Just because the guiding is over, does that mean my feelings have to end too?”
As he fired back in disbelief, Ephinia instead looked at him as if she were the one who couldn’t believe it. The way she reacted as if he were suddenly acting strange made Kasselard extremely irritated.
“Of course it does!”
“What?”
Kasselard flinched and stared at her. Her clear golden eyes were shining brightly.
“The reason I guide Your Highness is so that I can part from you forever. You said you didn’t want to keep me as your Guide either! We agreed on that together, so why do you keep saying different things?”
Get a grip!!!
* * *
“…Your Highness, Your Highness!”
Kasselard jolted at the touch on his arm. His aide, Christian, was looking at him with a worried expression. The carriage door had already opened, but since he had not come out, Christian must have entered the carriage and shaken him.
“Christian.”
“Were you sleeping with your eyes open?”
“No…”
Ever since hearing Ephinia say that she was guiding him in order to get away from him for good, he had been sitting there in a daze. Because of that, he had not even managed to say a proper goodbye when they parted.
Ephinia had looked completely unconcerned whether he was absent-minded or not. She only seemed happy to be free of him, and with a bright expression, she entered the ducal residence together with her guard knight.
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