Chapter 10
“…Hey.”
Suppressing his anger, Killian called out to Adelaide.
But she didn’t so much as flinch, burying her face deeper into her book.
Should he just tear that damn book to pieces? No, if he did that, his entire plan would fall apart.
Killian dragged a hand down his face, his expression strained as he stared at her.
This situation—this ridiculous, infuriating situation where he was the one growing restless because of her—had never once crossed his mind.
When he left the palace, he had been in high spirits. Now, that feeling had long since plunged into the depths.
“Hey!”
“It’s not ‘hey.’ It’s Adelaide. My name is Adelaide Eport.”
“…For f**k’s sake. Who said I cared about your name?”
“Mm. Same here. So don’t talk to me.”
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.
The veins in his clenched fist bulged sharply. His whole body trembled, he had never felt like this before. For the first time in his life, faced with a situation that refused to bend to his will—
Killian learned to compromise.
“…What do I have to do, then?”
Only then did Adelaide lift her gaze from the book.
The moment their eyes met, Killian felt, briefly, as though time had slowed.
Yes. Those eyes were the problem. Eyes that didn’t fear him. Eyes that didn’t try to please him.
He simply wanted to know how that light would change in the end.
“…What?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t understand. What do I have to do… for you to be my friend?”
“Apologize.”
“…What?”
“You heard me. Don’t act like you didn’t. Apologize. For what happened that day—to me, and to my brother.”
Apologize? To apologize?
Killian had never apologized in his life. He had never even acknowledged being in the wrong.
Hearing that word, he laughed in disbelief.
Adelaide watched him with an exasperated expression, then turned her gaze back to her book.
As expected, from the moment she met him, she had already suspected that there was something fundamentally wrong with him.
‘If he wants to hit me, then let him.’
She wasn’t unaware of the dangerous, chilling look in his eyes. She knew he was angry. She knew he might do something unpredictable.
Of course she was afraid. But she refused to bow her head to someone who didn’t respect her.
Her fingers trembled slightly around the book, but she clenched her teeth and held on.
If he’s going to hit her then fine.
If taking a blow meant never seeing him again, it would be a small price to pay.
The sound of his wild and unrestrained laughter, abruptly stopped.
And yet contrary to Adelaide’s expectations, Killian didn’t lash out.
Instead, he stepped closer. Then, he bowed.
It was a greeting more refined, more flawless, than anything her etiquette tutor had ever demonstrated. For a moment, Adelaide forgot that the person before her was Killian.
“…I’m sorry.”
Killian smiled softly as he continued.
“I thought it over, and I did go too far last time. My uncle forced me to come here, and I was in a bad mood. But that’s no excuse. I’ll apologize to him too.”
“…Him?”
Adelaide’s eyes narrowed slightly. Killian furrowed his brow, as if trying to recall.
“Ah… what was his name again? Roem? Right. I’ll apologize to Roem as well.”
“…Really?”
It didn’t seem like a lie. His expression, his tone, even his posture, everything about him looked like someone genuinely apologizing.
And yet something didn’t sit right.
Why? Why all of a sudden?
No matter how much she thought about it, Adelaide couldn’t see through the deeper intentions behind his actions.
His eyes, as he looked at her, seemed perfectly clear, as though nothing lurked beneath.
At last, Adelaide stood. With clumsy, still-unpracticed manners, she returned the gesture.
“…I’m sorry too. For pushing you that day. It was too rough. And… today, um… for ignoring you.”
“Then we’re friends now, right?”
There was something in his tone, as if he needed confirmation. As if he was determined to make it so.
Adelaide hesitated for a moment at the strange insistence in his voice.
But in the end, she nodded.
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