Ch#177
"Ah, when did you...... wake up, Necromancer King."
Ardiana, noticing Tie's gaze, began stammering.
However, Dad muttered playfully once more.
"Why are you stuttering?"
"Shut up! You really......!"
Tie watched Dad and Ardiana, thinking.
'Is this a romance drama......?'
She recalled the many dramas she'd watched with Grandma 107 and Aunt 203.
'Oh my, look at them bickering, so cute! Adorable!'
'Aigoo, young love.'
Usually in drama episode 1, a man and woman with many differences meet for the first time, fight pointlessly, and end up sticking together.
Just like Dad and the princess right before her eyes.
And then,
'In episode 8's final scene, they always kiss!'
Curiosity sparkled in Tie's eyes again.
Meanwhile, the conversation between Tese tan and Ardiana continued across from her.
"You must usually be confident in your looks? You seem flustered since my answer wasn't what you expected."
"Y-you're even more rude than I imagined! And you're not exactly handsome enough to judge others' appearances."
Tese tan slowly turned his body.
With a subtle smile on his lips, he leaned slightly toward Ardiana.
"Is that so? I hear I'm pretty quite often."
"What......!"
Ardiana's face flushed red once more.
Her eyes shook, at a loss.
Tese tan's face was so close their noses nearly touched.
Unlike Ardiana, he gazed down at her with a completely calm expression.
Seeing the enchanting smile on his lips, Ardiana swallowed hard.
Her heart pounded—thump, thump.
Perhaps due to the dim surroundings, Tese tan's eyes looked deeper and darker than usual.
Though she'd spent long years in the palace shadows, a few men had approached her before.
But none had teased her this boldly.
Or was it teasing?
Playful, no, clever, or rude......
'I hear I'm pretty quite often.'
His words echoed in her mind again, snapping her thoughts—snap, snap.
Ardiana unwittingly moved her lips.
'How can he say it with his own mouth......'
But she had no choice but to admit it.
Deep, cool eyes beneath sharp brows.
A presence that filled the surroundings even when still.
And the firm leg unintentionally pressed against hers......
'What am I thinking right now!'
Ardiana squeezed her eyes shut and opened them.
Yet Tese tan's unrealistically beautiful face remained unchanged.
'......Think of something else. Something else.'
Ardiana recalled Tese tan's background, which she'd secretly known for a long time.
Tese tan Veronica was the fourth Young Lord of Luminen.
In other words, he was the son of Eleonora, called the empire's greatest beauty, and Valentis.
So it was natural for him to possess such exquisitely unrealistic looks......
"......"
Ardiana realized she'd circled back to thinking about Tese tan's face again.
As she stiffened, Tese tan chuckled and added.
"See. You can't take your eyes off me because I'm pretty, right?"
His gaze drifted to her lips beneath the mask.
"......Now even your lips won't let go."
Ardiana covered her face and pulled her head back.
Tese tan crossed his arms leisurely, lips curled up.
Ardiana stared at him with shocked eyes.
'I fell for it.'
She'd completely taken this guy's bait.
Ardiana gritted her teeth, face red.
"......Lothario."
Tese tan let out a short laugh.
Ardiana bristled even more.
"Do you seduce any woman you see? I didn't know you were this barbaric. How can your words and actions be so lacking in dignity? Spouting such cringeworthy nonsense with that shameless face......!"
Tese tan laughed a bit louder.
His eyes softened as they fixed intently on Ardiana.
"I'm hurt. If you knew how serious I usually am, you wouldn't say that."
"What?"
"But my actions must've seemed like seduction, huh, Association President?"
Ardiana's lips moved beneath the mask.
Tese tan continued.
"But I don't seduce just anyone."
"......"
"Remember that much, at least."
He closed his eyes slowly and leaned his head against the wall.
Ardiana stared at him with a bewildered expression.
Only seconds later did she consciously turn her head away.
Suddenly, she felt a gaze from across.
The Necromancer King was staring at her intently.
Feeling her face flush again, Ardiana glared resentfully at Tese tan's profile.
'Lothario, barbarian......! There were eyes watching......!'
Embarrassed, she pulled her hood down deeply.
* * *
"Good work."
Basto patted the shoulder of the member who'd ridden from the midpoint to the destination.
"No problem! I'll go help set up the tents!"
The member bowed politely to him before heading off into the distance.
It was then that Basto slowly turned from his spot.
"......Ah, sorry."
The Sori Association President, rushing out of the carriage and bumping into him, bowed her head.
For some reason, she hurried to the spot where her tent would be pitched as if fleeing.
Behind her, Tese tan appeared leisurely.
"Strategy meeting tomorrow?"
Basto, who'd furrowed his brow, nodded.
"Yeah."
Tese tan waved lightly as if acknowledging, then walked off into the distance.
Watching his back, Veil—who'd descended last from the carriage carrying Tie—whispered meaningfully.
"Basto. Those two have something going on."
Basto scowled.
Veil nodded toward the two heading in different directions.
"For real. Didn't you see on the way here?"
"See what."
"The Association President deliberately avoiding looking at that guy. She was looking out the window and chatting with us fine up to the midpoint."
"......"
"But after the midpoint, not a word. Face all red, hood never off."
Basto narrowed his eyes.
"And why's that Tese tan bastard keep smirking? What'd they talk about while we were out?"
Veil suddenly shut his mouth.
Then stared at Tie.
"Kid. See or hear anything?"
Tie looked up with a 'Hm?'
And answered readily.
"Yeah!"
"Yeah? What!"
Tie scratched her head with one hand and looked at Veil.
"Well, Vice Leader Uncle and Association President were flirting."
"Doing what?"
"Flirt, flirt!"
Veil scowled.
"What's that."
"Hm?"
"What's flirting."
Tie shook Veil's shoulder in frustration.
"Like this, fighting nicely."
"They fought?!"
"Nooo, not bad fighting! Nice fighting!"
"What're you saying. How's fighting nice?"
Tie, cheeks puffed, sighed.
The child turned toward Tese tan and Ardiana in the distance, as if giving up.
The two stood alone before the tent being set up.
Dad looked as nonchalant as ever, but Ardiana seemed a bit more tense than usual.
"Veil! Over here!"
Nordics called the members from afar.
"Yeah! Coming!"
Veil started walking that way.
Tie, held in his arms, kept staring at Dad and Ardiana until the end.
* * *
That evening, before bedtime.
"Leader! Aleric! Crazy news! Crazy news!"
Libia entered the tent where Tese tan, Aleric, and Victor stayed.
"Ha."
Aleric, changing clothes, hurriedly turned his back.
But Libia ignored it and plopped onto Aleric's bed.
"Guess who I was just talking to?"
Amid the indifference with no reply, Libia continued excitedly on her own.
"The Association President? She asked to share a tent with me?"
At those words, Tese tan, who was maintaining his weapons, slightly lifted his head.
