The Price of Saving a Vicious Beast - Chapter 34

He wanted her to say that he was the most important person in Adelaide’s life.

‘Say you won’t go.’

If Adelaide would just give him that certainty, if she would only say those words, Killian was willing to concede a great deal.

He would allow the outside life he had long forbidden her. He could even tolerate sharing her with Elise, with Rose, with a select few.

‘So say it. Say you won’t go.’

With barely concealed anxiety, Killian stared at Adelaide.

He had always been the one who chose, never the one who was chosen. And he had never imagined that Adelaide would be the one to decide his fate.

Each passing second, as he waited for her to speak, stretched into an eternity.

“I love you.”

The words slipped out before he could stop himself.

Whether he truly loved her or not didn’t matter. If it would bind her to him, he could say those words a hundred times over.

Adelaide’s eyes widened. Her green irises trembled faintly as her lips parted in shock.

“Killian…”

“I love you, Adelaide. So don’t go. Stay with me.”

The way she wavered meant that his confession was working. Without hesitation, Killian dropped to one knee before her.

He pulled off the ring he was wearing and held it out to her.

“I’m not joking, Adelaide. This is all I have on me right now, but a proposal isn’t complete without a ring… I’ll get you a proper one next time. So—”

“No! Killian, don’t do this.”

Adelaide cut him off with something close to a cry as she shot to her feet.

“A proposal? You know better than anyone that I can’t accept that. Have you forgotten what people say about me?”

“That doesn’t matter. What does it matter what others say?”

“It matters to me.”

She bit down hard on her lip. She didn’t fully understand why he was acting like this all of a sudden, but it was clear that her decision to leave had shaken him.

A proposal… this wasn’t something to be decided on impulse.

And more than anything, someone like her, born a commoner and looked down upon as having low blood, could never be a suitable match for someone with Killian’s future.

“I’ve never thought of you that way. To me… you’re just a good friend.”

She forced the words out, biting down on her lip as she did.

The truth was, his confession had made her happy. So much so that, for a moment, she had almost nodded without thinking.

But she couldn’t.

“You’re mistaken. We’ve just spent too long with only each other. If anything, this makes me even more certain that going to Clayton is the right choice. You need time to clear your head. It’s not like I’m leaving forever… I’ll write often. I’ll send gifts. I can’t be with you on your birthday this year, but next year we can…”

Be together. She never got to finish the sentence.

Killian was staring at her without even blinking. The look in his eyes was so cold, it was hard to believe he had just proposed moments ago.

An awkward silence settled over the room. Uneasy, Adelaide stood up.

“I almost forgot, I prepared a birthday present. Just a moment.”

Killian watched her with lifeless eyes as she moved to open a drawer and retrieve the gift. Then his gaze flickered to the jewelry box resting atop the dressing table.

By the time she returned, he looked like someone who had already given up.

“Killian…”

“Adelaide. Don’t say anything.”

There was something in his voice that was so unlike his usual confidence. It made her fall silent.

For a long moment, Killian lowered his head, quietly breathing in and out. From the outside, he looked defeated.

But in truth, he was buying time.

How do I keep Adelaide Eport by my side? And finally, he lifted his head.

“Adelaide.”

“…Yes?”

“If you can’t accept my feelings… then at least take this ring. If you’d rather, think of it as a birthday gift instead. Tomorrow is my birthday, after all. Shouldn’t I have at least one good thing happen to me?”

With a somber expression, Killian set the ring down beside the gift box she had prepared.

It was a calculated move to shake her by invoking the meaning she placed on special occasions. And just as he intended—

Adelaide hesitated, but in the end, she accepted the ring. She placed it inside her jewelry box.

Killian watched the entire thing without blinking. Like a snake watching its prey, in the dim shadow cast by clouds covering the sun, his eyes glinted sharply.

“…Thank you.”

“Killi…”

“You don’t need to say anything else. I’ve heard enough.”

And it was true.

He had heard everything he needed. He had given her a choice and she had thrown it away.

So whatever happened next was something Adelaide had brought upon herself.