Chapter 19
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Those green eyes were slowly growing dark.
“How could I lie to you?”
He gripped both her shoulders and smiled as gently and tenderly as he could. Not knowing that smile would only break her further.
Collette’s face crumpled and she hung her head.
“But you did lie.”
Her mutter was dry. So dry it surprised even herself.
“You must have found it funny—me blaming my own qualifications in front of the person who blocked me.”
“No, no, Collette. That’s not it.”
“What’s not it? You said I could never come here. If that’s true, then my being here makes no sense—and you were so sure because you knew why it wouldn’t work, right?”
Collette felt like laughing. Just seconds ago, her whole body had been trembling. She’d felt like screaming and tearing things apart.
“Haha.”
Now even her voice didn’t shake. Only hollow laughter came out. Yet her heart pounded violently—she didn’t know why it was beating so hard. So hard it made her chest ache…
“Tell me honestly.”
Everything felt absurd.
What have I been doing?
His restless face was still lovable.
I hate you.
I hate you so much I want to hurt you.
“You blocked my applications, didn’t you?”
At her flat tone, Valerian’s throat tightened. His mouth was dry, his fingertips tingling.
“Answer me.”
“…It was for your safety.”
“Safety? Is that all?”
Valerian squeezed his eyes shut. Collette’s voice still had no inflection. That made it even harder to speak.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“…Yes.”
Swallowing dryly, he nodded at her urging. A sharp rebuke came immediately.
“All that time—controlling me, interfering, disregarding my wishes—that was all for my safety?”
“Interference? I only ever did it for your—”
“Do you know why I wanted to go to the Labyrinth?”
Her fierce green eyes stared at the large hands gripping her shoulders. More precisely, at the dark purple wrist faintly visible beneath the black leather glove. The moment Collette’s gaze touched his hideous skin, Valerian quickly hid his hands behind his back.
“I was doing my best too. I was trying my hardest, hoping I could be of some help to you. But you—you ignored me.”
“That’s a stretch, Collette. I was only trying to protect you.”
Valerian tried to pull her into an embrace again. Whenever Collette showed displeasure, holding her small body and patting her usually made her forgive him, even if she was upset. But this time, her small hand sharply pushed his embrace away.
“Protect? Did you just say protect?”
“Collette.”
“You ignored all my wishes, disrespected all my choices—and that was all to protect me?”
Collette could only laugh in disbelief. Look at that face. That face that truly believed it was all for her sake.
“You’re only twenty-two, Collette.”
“So what? You’re only twenty-nine yourself. What’s the big difference that you keep bringing up age, age, age!”
Collette was sick of it. She was exasperated by Valen’s attitude of always seeing her as young. Because Valerian insisted on treating her as someone to protect simply because she was younger, Collette had come to hate her own age.
What did a seven-year difference matter that he kept drawing lines like this?
“Anyone would think you’re my father.”
At her sarcastic remark, Valerian’s sharp brows twitched. But he didn’t act rashly. The Monster Wave could break out at any moment. His top priority was to calm the angry Collette and send her back to the Tower as quickly as possible.
Just as Valerian opened his mouth, Collette spoke first.
“Either way, I came through proper procedures. Even you can’t just send me back as you please.”
“Senior is right.”
“……!”
Reflexively, Valerian grabbed his sword hilt and swung his arm toward the uninvited guest behind him. The long scabbard was about to strike the intruder’s neck—
“Valen!”
Valerian’s hand stopped. Meeting eyes with the flinching fly, he scowled.
“You…!”
Meliano Somerset. Collette’s junior.
I didn’t even notice him approaching this close.
Was it because all his senses were focused on Collette? Clicking his tongue, Valerian tightened his grip on the scabbard.
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