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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: An Unwelcome Encounter
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“Your heart hurts? How? Does it hurt a lot?”
Surprised by his unexpected words, I grabbed a chair and moved to sit beside him.
Then, I pressed my ear against his broad chest, and just as Enoch had said, the sound of his wildly racing heart echoed in my ear.
“…!”
“Oh no, it’s real! Your Majesty, isn’t this arrhythmia?”
“P-Please, step back a little…”
“Oh, yes, of course!”
At the sound of his strained voice, I quickly pulled away and looked up at him with a worried expression.
“Why is this happening? Could it be a side effect? Have you told the Elder?”
Bombarded by my questions, Enoch gulped down the steaming coffee as if it wasn't hot at all and fanned his shirt, trying to cool down.
“The Elder said it's nothing serious, just a natural phenomenon that occurs as the ice melts.”
“Is it because something frozen is suddenly thawing? You know how when we come inside after playing in the snow during winter, our hands get all tingly and throb.”
“…Is that so?”
As I spoke, recalling the times I'd built snowmen, the look of bewilderment and heat on Enoch's face eased slightly.
“Yes, that's usually how it is… But are you sure he said it's okay?”
Still, it seems to be beating too fast… As I thought this and looked up at him, Enoch's face, which had been returning to its normal color, flushed crimson once more.
“You're turning really red.”
“I'm just… I'm just going to get some fresh air.”
“Enoch? Enoch! What the…? He doesn't look okay at all. Could this be serious?”
Watching Enoch flee the café, I forgot all about being upset and muttered to myself in worry.
Having just experienced my own heart malfunction, I was seriously concerned about his condition as someone with firsthand experience.
Just as Enoch was quickly exiting, someone brushed past him and entered.
“?”
The red eyes of the person who entered the café met mine directly, as if they had been searching for me all along.
“What? I don't know him… Huh?”
As I turned my head to avoid the intense gaze, a thought struck me, and I carefully examined the man standing by the door.
Pale silver hair, almost white, and eyes as red as drops of blood.
Watching the man who had captured everyone's attention, my lips parted.
“A…run?”
Though I was too far away for him to have possibly heard me, the man's lips curved into a sharp arc, as if he had heard his name being called.
At the sight, I quickly hid my face behind a menu, my eyes trembling as if an earthquake had struck.
“No way, what is *he* doing here?”
No wonder he looked familiar the moment I saw him.
The man standing by the door with a wide grin was the first male lead of this novel. The Master of the Magic Tower, Arun.
You might think meeting a main character is no big deal, but the problem is…
‘That guy goes berserk whenever he sees Riana, vowing to avenge Elisha for all the torment.’
Searching for an exit other than the one Arun was blocking, I scanned the café's interior and let out a sigh of relief when I saw a distinctive painting on the wall.
The very painting that was described during Arun and Elisha's first meeting.
Seeing that painting here meant that, thankfully, this was before Arun had met Elisha.
‘So he shouldn't hold any grudge against me right now, right?’
I patted my chest in relief and stood up from my chair to leave.
Even if he didn't know me now, once he met Elisha, there was no telling when he might come charging at me for revenge.
And more importantly… I had no desire to witness their intense first meeting in real time.
I pictured the scene of him biting and sucking on Elisha's neck in broad daylight and shook my head violently.
“That guy isn't normal, either. How could he do something like that with so many people around…”
Deciding I had to get Enoch and leave before witnessing such an embarrassing scene, I ducked down to move, but someone blocked my path.
“Hello?”
“Uh… me?”
“Yes.”
“…I think you have the wrong person. Well then, goodbye.”
I feigned ignorance, gave a slight bow, and tried to be on my way, but Arun blocked my path again, tilting his head.
“You're the Duke's daughter from the Herington family, aren't you?”
Ah, why is that name coming up here?
“No, I'm not. Could you please let me pass?”
Despite my curt request, Arun showed no intention of moving.
He stood there, blocking me completely, and when I tried to sidestep him, he moved to block me again.
“Platinum blonde hair and green eyes. You have to be the Herington Duke's daughter.”
“I said, I'm not!”
As I argued with Arun, who kept blocking my every move, I pointed to a carriage that had just stopped in front of the café's terrace.
“The lady you're looking for is right over there.”
“Oh? So she is.”
The coachman had stopped the carriage to inspect a wheel, and Elisha was stepping out.
His eyes widened at the sight, and I thought he would finally leave.
“Then who are you?”
His interest seemed to fade just as quickly, and his red eyes turned back to me.
‘What's with this guy? Just go find your partner already.’
Tired of dealing with him, I waved my hand dismissively. Arun then lightly tapped his palm with his fist.
“Ah! I know who you are. You're that wretched cousin who's obsessed with tormenting the Duke's daughter, right?”
“…Of course not. I told you, you've got the wrong person. Haha.”
“No. I think I'm right.”
…Seriously, why is he so persistent?
Annoyed for a moment, I looked at the slightly unhinged eyes of the man before me and decided to just walk away.
*Tap.*
But then, Arun grabbed my hand and brought it to his nose.
“Hm? That's strange. From what I heard, you can't use any special abilities.”
Arun pressed his nose into my palm, took a deep breath, and his closed eyelashes trembled.
“So why do you smell so delicious?”
“What do you think you're doing!”
As I tried to pull my hand away, thinking what kind of lunatic this was, Elisha was getting back into her carriage.
“Let go of me! How rude can you be to a stranger? The person you're looking for is over there!”
“Hmm. Strange, very strange.”
But he paid no attention to my words. Arun tightened his grip on my hand and pulled, causing my body to lurch forward.
‘Ah, this useless body.’
So ridiculously frail, this staggering body of mine was no match for Arun's strength.
But I wasn't about to let this inconsiderate rudeness slide.
Thanks to Arun pulling me closer, I was now within striking distance. I took a grim breath.
And just as I gathered all my strength in my knee, preparing to deliver a powerful blow between this rude man's legs…
“Time to eat.”
…he said, like a madman, and a sharp pain shot through my neck.
For a moment, my mind went blank.
Unable to process what was happening, my eyelids fluttered in bewilderment.
Through the blur of my frantically fluttering eyelashes, I saw Elisha's carriage departing.
Next, I saw Enoch's dark hair in the distance as he seemed about to open the door and come back inside.
And finally, I saw the translucent hair shimmering right in front of my face.
As I took it all in, I felt the chilling sensation of teeth sinking into the soft skin of my neck.
‘D-Did this guy just bite my neck?’
Finally understanding the situation, I…
“You—!”
…couldn't hold back the curse and grabbed a handful of Arun's hair, who was latched onto my neck like a mosquito.
***
“Haaah…”
Having stormed outside, Enoch leaned against a cold wall, trying to cool down.
He let out a long sigh, his heart pounding so hard it made his head spin.
“I'm not going to die from this, am I?”
Though it was unlikely, he wiped a hand over his face, which felt hot even through his thick leather glove, and let out a dry laugh.
As if I'd die from my heart just beating a little fast.
Or maybe I could…? Placing a hand over his thumping chest again, Enoch narrowed his eyes.
“When on earth is this going to stop?”
The Elder said it would get better soon if I just went about my days as usual. But looking at the state of his frantic heart, he doubted whether 'getting better' was even possible.
Even though this was supposed to be proof that he was healing, why did it feel so unwelcome?
Unwelcome was an understatement. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that these days were the most difficult he had experienced in a long time.
“I want to touch her, but I can't… haah.”
Perhaps it was the instinct of a cold body seeking warmth.
Whenever he saw Riana, he wanted to touch her, wanted her to touch him.
But every time, his inconsiderate heart would pound as if it were about to burst, making it far from easy.
Especially when Riana approached him, his face would flush before she even touched him…
His gray eyes held a resentful look as he glanced down at his gloved hand, the one that had touched Riana.
It was slightly better when he was the one touching Riana, but only relatively so.
Cursing his heart, which still pounded to an agonizing degree, Enoch confirmed his face had cooled down somewhat and headed back toward the café.
“Maybe I should ask the Elder for some medicine to slow my heart down.”
Thinking that might help, Enoch pushed the door open, and his eyes widened.
“Ria…na?”
The beautiful platinum blonde hair, so easy to spot anywhere, was still in the same place he had last seen it.
Except she wasn't alone. She was with someone.
The moment he saw Riana stroking the head of a strange man whose face was buried in her small, round shoulder…
Enoch felt something heavy drop in his heart with a thud.
