Chapter 179
Unfamiliar interest
Kyle was about to kill this insolent Guide right away. But why had she been getting on his nerves so much since earlier? It bothered him even more that he couldn’t quite place the source of that irritation.
He brushed aside the two hissing cat werebeast Guides and stood over the fallen Lea. Despite having rushed over as if he would kill her on the spot, he just stood there, quietly watching. Then, he dropped to one knee.
“What is it? Why is this getting on my nerves so much?”
He grabbed Lea’s chin, locking her gaze with his, and stared at her intently. Kyle fiddled with her small chin, which fit completely in his palm, then let out a hollow sigh.
“Ah, damn it… her face…”
She was exactly his type. Realizing that the strange irritation he’d been feeling was because of this, Kyle let out an annoyed sigh. Why, of all people, did he have to meet her as an enemy? And why did she have to be human?
Setting aside the fact that she was his enemy, he’d never been able to have good feelings for a human woman. Almost without realizing it, he tightened his grip.
“Ugh…”
Lea, feeling the pain of his grip, broke out in a cold sweat and let out a groan. Still, the pain helped clear her dizziness a little, and she tried to pull herself together. Even so, Kyle remained lost in thought.
“Why does she have to be human…”
The threatening demeanor he’d had when he rushed over was completely gone now.
“Meow!”
Unable to just leave Lea behind, the two cat werebeast Guides hovered nearby, crying out.
“Tch, how annoying.”
Kyle, irked by their presence as he tried to think, clicked his tongue and glanced their way. In that moment, Lea took the opportunity to bite his finger.
“…Ow.”
It wasn’t even a bite that would hurt, but Kyle made a show of it, deliberately letting out a sound. With a satisfied look, he spoke to her.
“How dare you bite the finger of a prince. That counts as an offense of regicide against the imperial family.”
Lea looked at him, not understanding what he meant, and Kyle gave her a crooked smile.
“By law, anyone who commits such a crime against the imperial family is to be escorted directly to the palace for interrogation.”
He liked the sound of his own words. Now that he’d found a solution, he had no need to hesitate. Without warning, he grabbed Lea’s wrist and pulled her up.
“Ugh… it hurts…”
Still dizzy, Lea staggered and mumbled as he hauled her up roughly. At the small sound of her voice, Kyle unconsciously eased his grip, but still spoke in a mocking tone.
“Guides really are always whining about how weak they are.”
He easily picked her up in his arms.
“Let me go…”
“Nope. You’re a criminal now. You dared to bite the finger of an imperial prince.”
Kyle held Lea, who struggled in his arms, tightly and didn’t take his eyes off her.
“Commander?”
Hearing his subordinates call as they finished dealing with the Cantabrian soldiers and approached, Kyle quickly offered an explanation.
“She bit my finger, so I’m going to take her directly to the palace for interrogation.”
“…Understood.”
They didn’t seem completely convinced, but knowing his fiery temper, they kept their mouths shut. Lea glanced behind them, and when she saw the Cantabrian soldiers lying on the ground, bleeding, her face turned pale.
Once again, she hadn’t been able to protect her people. To shake off the sense of helplessness, she bit her tongue.
The taste of blood helped her focus. She immediately checked if the other Guides had managed to escape.
Seeing that the two cat werebeast Guides closest to her were no longer in sight, she was just about to sigh in relief when Kyle whispered in her ear.
“I let them go on purpose. I could catch them even now if I wanted… If you’re lonely, do you want me to take your friends to the palace too?”
Lea, taken aback by the absurd question, glared and shook her head. Kyle immediately changed his tune.
“Ha! If you’re not interested, never mind. Let’s move.”
“What about the escaped Guides?”
“They’re a bother. I’m sure I’ve already given the Cantabrian Crown Prince a good blow. Let’s go back!”
“Yes, sir!”
Lea couldn’t understand why Kyle was acting like this. But if he was distracted enough to let the other Guides go, that was actually for the best.
Kyle and his subordinates quickly began to move out.
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