Chapter 68
As he spoke to Rachel, his gaze kept flicking toward Killian behind her. Since the two of them had gone on a “date” yesterday, he naturally assumed the marks on her wrist were left by his lord.
At the question, Killian glanced briefly at Rachel. He showed no outward reaction to the marks on her wrist. No, his body remained still, but a cold glint began to appear in his eyes. Soon after, a low voice slipped through his lips.
“…In a single day, how many men do you meet?”
The tone was laced with sarcasm. For a moment, Rachel flinched, but indignation rose faster than embarrassment.
He’s the one who drove me away…
Come to think of it, it was all because of that man that her wrist had ended up like this. Filled with frustration, Rachel shot back sharply.
“What business is it of yours, Your Majesty?”
Sensing the tension, the imperial physician quietly stood up. He moved as if he weren’t there and disappeared.
Alone, the two of them were plunged into a deeper silence. Through that stillness, Killian’s voice rang out once more.
“Indeed… it’s not my business. I already knew you were frivolous.”
At the end of his words, Killian regretted speaking. Just because he was in a bad mood didn’t mean he needed to attack her like that.
Tired, are you…
He clicked his tongue, using fatigue as an excuse. Any further conversation would only make tempers flare. Deciding it was better to focus on Semensty, Killian turned toward the bookshelves.
He’s just going to read… like nothing happened?
Seeing his back again, Rachel pressed her lips tightly together. It felt as if someone were hammering into her chest.
Finally, the suppressed emotions in her wounded heart erupted. She couldn’t hold back and raised her voice.
He… he’s not looking at me… That’s right, I’m frivolous. I…
Thinking back on yesterday, Rachel’s eyes heated rapidly. Killian noticed the change and stopped moving. Hesitating, he slowly turned back. As their eyes met, she poured out a jumble of words like a lament.
“I was frivolous, I showed strange tendencies, and that’s why you drove me away yesterday. Then you could’ve just ignored me. Why pick a fight… What business is it of Yours, Your Majesty…”
Her rapid speech gradually slowed and finally faltered. At the corners of her moist eyes, a single tear formed.
As it traced down her cheek, Killian realized the misunderstanding. She seemed to believe she had been cast out because of her own nature.
Swallowing a sigh that threatened to escape, he lent his voice to Rachel’s dwindling words.
“That’s not it.”
“Huh?”
“…It’s not because of that.”
His expression had softened considerably. Tearful, Rachel looked at him with curiosity.
His eyes toward her were still cold, but they no longer held the sharp edge from before. There was no sarcasm, no scorn.
She sniffled lightly. At his slightly changed demeanor, her heart began to ease on its own. Before her sense of injustice could fully fade, a tiny spark of hope welled up. Rachel steadied her trembling voice and asked,
“Then… why were you like that when we went on a date?”
“….”
Killian couldn’t answer. He couldn’t possibly admit that he hadn’t been able to maintain an e******n. He shifted his dry lips and lowered his gaze. Finally exhaling the sigh he had been holding in, he forced himself to change the topic as if nothing had happened.
“…I already knew that you had that kind of tendency.”
Rachel’s expression went blank. In the span of a few blinks, a single tear slipped from her eye and dropped beneath her chin.
But this time, it wasn’t sadness or frustration that caused it. Rather, the quietly growing expectation inside her was swelling even larger.
“Even… before yesterday?”
“Almost from the very beginning.”
“But… even though you knew… it still, you know, got bigger—”
Rachel quickly drew her gaze away from Killian’s stern expression. She knew her words had slipped out awkwardly, but there was no reclaiming them now.
In this situation, I’m really losing my mind…
She squeezed her eyes shut, scolding herself silently. Seeing her scrunched-up expression, Killian’s own brow creased involuntarily.
“Are you… truly a beast?”
“…I guess so.”
Rachel opened her eyes slightly and admitted it. When Killian shook his head as if giving up, she hesitated but added another question.
“Am I… not strange?”
“You do seem a bit like a she-wolf, but other than that, not at all.”
“But… I like it when you’re angry, and now… saying it like that feels good too… I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Rachel began to tremble again. As her sobs escaped, Killian’s leg muscles tensed instinctively.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.