Chapter 70
‘Surely… it wasn’t all prearranged by both nations, was it?’
What if the official alliance had been a ruse? What if the two countries had joined forces to eliminate Helion? If so, it made sense that their fragile chance at peace had collapsed so easily over a single misunderstanding.
Yet she couldn’t bring herself to believe her beloved homeland would secretly orchestrate something so dangerous. A spy without patriotism was no better than an empty husk. Katie crumpled up her doubts and shoved them deep into the recesses of her mind.
‘No. The alliance was bait—the Empire used the Kingdom to get to Helion.’
The Empire, which saw beastfolk as inferior, wouldn’t hesitate to deceive and manipulate the Kingdom. They never intended to form an alliance—only to pin Helion’s assassination on them.
‘If that’s the case… then Helion might truly be a victim. A weak prince, his life threatened at such a young age…’
But speculation was just that—speculation. She couldn’t twist the truth to fit uncertain assumptions.
‘Get a grip, Katie. Even so, Helion still made things worse.’
Katie clenched her eyes shut, then forced them open—glaring at Helion to strengthen her resolve.
A single word from him could have changed everything. “No.” That was all he needed to say. That it was his own Imperial people who had threatened him. That the Kingdom had, in fact, saved him.
Just that one word, and the Kingdom would have been hailed as the savior of the Empire’s crown prince.
Had that happened, the Kingdom’s future would have been bright. The war would never have broken out. No one would be starving to death like this.
The mere thought made her chest ache so fiercely she thought she might go mad.
Helion had been a child she’d seen for just one day—but her dead neighbors were different. They were the kind souls who had cared for her since the day she was born.
Every time she remembered them starving, their mouths empty even of grass to chew, Katie had wept and clawed at the ground. The resentment festering in her heart was too great to forgive him just because he’d been young.
Glaring at him had been the right choice. Her wavering resolve quickly hardened again.
Yes. The real victims were the people of the Kingdom. There was no reason—none at all—to pity this prince who had survived and lived in luxury.
“Haa…”
Just then, Helion let out a deep sigh. He raised a hand, dragging it down his face, then turned to look at Katie.
“Why do you keep staring at me like that?”
What—does he have eyes on the back of his head? Katie hurriedly schooled her expression.
“I wasn’t staring in any particular way, Your Highness.”
“Like you’re begging me to suck on them.”
“Excuse me?”
For a second, Katie doubted her own ears.
What kind of look? ‘Suck on them’?
Helion met her gaze. The back of her neck prickled under his stare.
That day, when she’d been half-mad with heat—right in this very bedroom—he had sucked on her eyes. The memory of his wet tongue against her pupils flashed through her mind, and she quickly averted her gaze.
“The more you run, the more I want to chase you. Look at me, Kitty.”
Katie squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again. Slowly, she turned her head back toward him.
If she kept avoiding him, Helion wouldn’t hesitate to come after her. Just like before, he might grab her chin and force her to meet his eyes.
“That’s it. Keep looking right into my eyes.”
Helion draped an arm over the back of the sofa, resting his chin on it. His other hand hung loosely at his side.
“Mmm.”
Helion let out a languid groan. The intensity of their locked gazes thickened.
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