Chapter 54
“Hm? Do you like my face?”
It didn’t seem her thoughts had slipped out aloud. Feeling her face grow warm, Ephinia tried to pull her hand away, but Kasselard held on tightly.
“I never said anything like that.”
“But you were staring at me so openly, like you wanted me… I’m in favor. I’d like you to accept me.”
“I’ve told you repeatedly, I never said anything like that!”
His beautiful blue eyes, framed by pale lashes, curved slowly, and his head tilted as if he wanted to kiss her. Ephinia froze. He looked at her lips as if he wanted to devour them, but he didn’t move any closer than that.
“Then let’s leave it at that and go eat! I’m hungry!”
At the cheerful smile and the hand pulling her along, Ephinia felt her heart being drawn along without resistance, to the point that she surprised herself.
Having a pretty face really is an unfair advantage.
Letting out a small sigh, she headed toward the dining room with Kasselard.
* * *
Even after they finished their meal, the Duke and Duchess of Lanas had not returned. They were adults and free to act as they wished, so when they came home was entirely up to them.
Depending on the ball, it could continue for several days, and sometimes rooms were even lent out at the venue for guests to stay overnight. Knowing this, Ephinia grew uneasy.
They’re not coming back tonight, are they?
After the meal, Kasselard grabbed her hand and asked to see the garden. Since he himself had mentioned that this was his cousin’s house, there was no way he didn’t already know his way around the garden.
However, Ephinia had something she wanted to ask him away from other people’s eyes, so she readily agreed to his request for a walk.
Leaving Kasselard’s attendants and the household maids and servants waiting at the garden entrance, the two of them went inside. There were several gardens at the Lanas manor, and Ephinia led him to one where flowers were in bloom for the current season.
Once she felt they were far enough from the others, Ephinia glanced back toward where the servants stood, then turned her gaze to Kasselard.
“What on earth are you thinking… mngh?!”
Her waist was suddenly pulled tight, and in the next instant their lips were pressed together. His tongue slid between her lips like a snake, and the dizzying pleasure that came with it left her too stunned to react. Ephinia struggled desperately, gasping as she tried not to suck on his tongue.
“What are you— ha… mmnh…”
When their lips parted with a soft sound, Ephinia’s face flushed bright red. She tried to pull away from him, but he led her deeper into a more secluded spot.
“Why? We did it where no one could see. You said it’s fine to kiss.”
‘I did say that, but…!’
Ephinia glared at him fiercely and tried to calm her unsettled heart. She couldn’t understand his intentions.
“Your Highness, what are you thinking? Could it be…”
It was humiliating even to say it, but she needed to be certain.
“Are you thinking of making me your mistress?”
At her words, Kasselard’s eyes widened in shock.
“What?! N-No! How could you think that… absolutely not!! I won’t take a mistress, a concubine, or any secondary wife! His Majesty doesn’t do such things either…”
The Emperor of the Karnan Empire had only one Empress, but it wasn’t a strict rule that there could be only one consort. Before the appearance of rifts and Transcendents, there had been imperial consorts and concubines. Some Emperors still chose to have only one wife, depending on their disposition.
“I’ll only look at one woman for my entire life. I’ll only love that one person…”
After saying that, Kasselard looked at Ephinia as if asking her to understand, but she was confused.
Does he even know what he’s saying right now?
It hadn’t even been ten days since the incident at the ball. And she hadn’t received a single apology for it.
Her lips parted slightly, but that thought didn’t come out. Judging by his personality, pointing it out didn’t seem like it would change anything. If anything, he might just push forward even more shamelessly.
The real problem was that she wasn’t in a position where it was easy to refuse him. Status, power… everything was tilted against her. What annoyed her even more was that just because he had softened his attitude, that pretty face of his made her heart soften as well.
‘I can’t exactly punch that desperate face.’
The world was unfair. Some people were born as the crown prince, blessed with countless talents, and on top of that, had a face like that.
“Your Highness, you’re seriously annoying.”
“Huh?”
You’re not moved? Isn’t this the part where you’re supposed to be moved?
Kasselard hurried after Ephinia as she turned sharply and walked away, speaking to her, but she ignored him.
Idiot. You think I’d be moved by that?
There was a thought that kept coming back to her, but Ephinia deliberately denied it. If she admitted that feeling, it seemed like her life would truly fall into ruin.
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