Looking for a Husband to Confine Me - Chapter 44.1

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Chapter 44.1

Damian’s familiarity with the Crow Knights was evident from my previous visit to their headquarters, but I hadn’t considered that connection might extend to the Crown Prince.

‘Or rather, I hadn’t truly considered it important.’

I paused, falling silent. Damian’s gaze lingered, but no response came. I’d expected a languid smile and a playful, “Ah, you’ve caught me.”

The silence stretched, and I wondered if my words had sounded accusatory. I’d only voiced my organized thoughts. Forcing a smile, I turned to him. “Then perhaps you could have arrived a little sooner? I thought I was going to die.” I deliberately kept my tone light.

I anticipated that lazy smile, but Damian averted his eyes the moment our gazes met. His flickering eyelids hinted at something like embarrassment. He seemed to be gauging my reaction.

This was an unfamiliar response from Damian, leaving me bewildered. Why this sudden shift in his demeanor? He seemed so unlike himself, stripped of his usual composure.

“Sir Damian? Is something hurting?” The wounds were gone, but the pain might linger. The healer had confirmed as much. I examined his shoulder and hand as I spoke.

His response, however, was completely unexpected. “…Are you angry?”

“What?”

“Are you angry, Amelia?”

“…Why would I be?”

“For deceiving you.”

Strictly speaking, Damian hadn’t deceived me. He’d simply omitted details about today’s events. Besides, he had no obligation to tell me anything. “You haven’t deceived me.”

“…Then for using you?”

That hadn’t bothered me either. There’s a saying about deceiving those around you to deceive your enemy. And he hadn’t used me for anything untoward, so it was fine. I shook my head. “I’m not angry.”

“Truly?”

I nodded, the intensity of his gaze making me uncomfortable. But his seemingly crestfallen expression prevented me from protesting further, so I continued nodding.

Gradually, life returned to Damian’s dark eyes. The languid smile reappeared, composure settling back onto his features. “I see,” he murmured, as if to himself.

What had that been about? Considering Damian’s usual demeanor, I doubted he’d be so affected by my reaction.

“As you said, I did orchestrate things to make it easier for Pazl to make his move. I wasn’t certain he would actually act,” Damian, fully composed once more, finally answered my earlier question. “I certainly didn’t anticipate him summoning a monster.” He spoke as if even the Crown Prince hadn’t foreseen this. No one in the Empire would have anticipated the summoning of a monster. The potential consequences were too severe.

“So… I apologize for the delay. Ultimately, I allowed you to get hurt.” He uttered my name, “Amelia.”

The wound had healed instantly. A mere scratch, less than a handspan long. And I had inflicted the initial injury. Compared to what Damian had endured, it was insignificant. Yet, he seemed deeply concerned.

“I wasn’t blaming you. I was just… organizing my thoughts about you.” As I recalled Damian’s tardiness and the information I had on him, my thoughts had naturally led to those words. But spoken aloud, they sounded strange.

I paused, frowning. “So…” How could I explain this? That I was updating my information on Damian Ditronil? That I’d discovered his connection to the Crown Prince? That I was formulating a hypothesis that the Crown Prince himself might have facilitated Damian’s entry into society?

“…I happened to be thinking about you.” That sounded even worse. Adding anything further would only make it stranger, so I closed my mouth.

Glancing at Damian, I saw a smile playing on his lips, a pleased glint in his dark eyes. “Amelia, you want to know more about me?”

“…I am curious about many things.”

“I see. You’re curious.”

“….”

It wasn’t a lie, so I couldn’t deny it. The unusual shift in Damian’s demeanor had been unsettling, but his usual self was starting to feel just as disconcerting. Come to think of it, I’d found Damian difficult to understand from the beginning. It wasn’t as if I was worried because a strange person had acted strangely.

“Perhaps if you addressed me more casually, you might learn more.” His voice, low and intimate, sent a shiver down my spine. The lowered tone tickled something within me.

“…I prefer to take things slowly.”

“Yes. Taking our time isn’t a bad idea.”

No matter what I said, Damian’s smile remained fixed. In moments like these, it was best to pretend to admire the distant scenery.

Suddenly, Damian leaned against my shoulder, careful not to touch my left arm. It was barely a lean; I could hardly feel his weight. His body heat, however, was unmistakable. “Forgive me, I seem to have lost more blood than I realized. I’m dizzy.”

“…Liar.”

He hadn’t shown any signs of weakness until just now, yet he delivered the lie with perfect composure. I didn’t push him away. He had been injured today, after all. Offering my shoulder was the least I could do. Besides, I still had questions for him.