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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: A Bizarre Proposal
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Click.
The sound of rain tapping against the windowpane mingled with the clinking of a teacup, creating a strange tension.
“I don’t recall inviting a prince.”
“The tea has a wonderful aroma.”
A soft smile played on his lips. Karhel, his eyes crinkling, lowered the cup that had been covering his mouth.
“Since Riana wouldn’t come looking for me, I decided to come myself.”
“And I don’t recall giving you permission to use my name.”
Despite my unwelcoming tone, Karhel just kept beaming.
“Why be so formal between us?”
“And what sort of relationship is that?”
“Hmm… let’s see… the kind where one has touched a very intimate place?”
“Huh…?”
I was so dumbfounded by the sight of him winking playfully and tapping his foot that I was at a loss for words.
‘Is he insane?’
My gaze swept over the heavier rain, the extravagant purple flowers on the drawing room table, and his vacuous smile, and I nodded.
‘It’s entirely possible.’
“What are you thinking about?”
“That I’m going to start hating rainy days.”
“Why is that?”
“Because they make me feel damp and sticky. Utterly unpleasant.”
Thanks to you, Karhel.
When I used Ariel’s words against him, Karhel found it so amusing that he laughed until he had to wipe away tears.
“Ahaha. By the way, did you like the flowers I sent?”
“If I had known they were from you, Prince, I would have sent them back immediately.”
“Why? You don’t like purple?”
“The problem isn’t the color, it’s the person who sent them.”
A grin spread across my face. I smiled, my eyes crinkling, and gestured with my chin toward the large basket Dane had filled with the flowers.
“I’d appreciate it if you took them with you on your way out.”
“Haha, how cruel. I’m hurt.”
With an expression that looked anything but hurt, Karhel’s chestnut eyes slowly raked over me.
‘How revolting.’
Everywhere his gaze landed, I felt a damp, chilling sensation, as if a snake were slithering over my skin.
The unpleasant feeling gnawed at my skin, spreading into a headache.
“Would you mind controlling that look in your eyes?”
As I pressed my temples and spoke, Karhel made an exaggerated gesture as if he truly had no idea what I was talking about.
“What’s wrong with my eyes? I was only looking at you with pure innocence.”
Innocence, my foot.
‘I heard the magic stone contract is all settled now. Should I just pretend it’s an accident and punch him?’
I seriously considered it, clenching and unclenching my fist, before letting out a small sigh and relaxing my hand.
“Hardly. Your gaze is so full of intention it’s practically overflowing.”
“Do you dislike me acting this way?”
“Yes. I believe I mentioned that last time.”
At my words, Karhel twitched an eyebrow, erased his polite smile, and leaned back in his chair.
“That’s odd. Or perhaps, fascinating?”
“What is?”
“Don’t people usually like this sort of thing? When I smile kindly, everyone gets all flustered.”
“People have different tastes. And this is definitely not mine.”
Matching Karhel’s now quite arrogant demeanor, I crossed my legs just as crookedly and rested my cheek on my palm.
“This is more natural than you forcing a smile when you don’t find anything funny.”
“Was it that obvious?”
“Yes. Completely.”
Shaking my head, I stood up and reached for the drawing room door.
“In any case, I have no intention of sitting here amicably and building rapport with you, so would you please leave?”
“Will you marry me?”
“…?”
…Am I going deaf? I think I just heard something utterly ridiculous.
As I kept tilting my head and fiddling with my ear, Karhel repeated himself, as if to confirm I hadn’t misheard.
“Riana, marry me.”
“Excuse me.”
I sat back down and put on a genuinely concerned expression.
“Are you, by any chance, insane?”
He couldn’t possibly say something like that unless he were.
Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case, as his chestnut eyes curved slyly.
“Of course not. I am perfectly sane.”
“I doubt it. I really don’t think so.”
Not seeming to want a war of words with me, Karhel took a sip of his tea.
“A rumor is going around. That His Majesty and Duke’s Daughter Elisha will soon be wed in a state marriage.”
“And? What does that have to do with this conversation?”
“It has everything to do with it. Absolutely everything.”
“?”
“You are His Majesty’s lover, are you not?”
He pulled a flower from the bouquet he had brought and began plucking the purple petals one by one.
“But in this empire, where the system of imperial consorts has been abolished, if the Emperor marries the duke’s daughter, what will become of you, Riana?”
My hand twitched at the unexpected question, and I casually lowered it, staring at the petals scattered like rain on the table.
“A state marriage. His Majesty has no such intention.”
“We’ll see. It seems it would be difficult for him to refuse.”
“Even if His Majesty were to marry Elisha, it’s none of your concern, Prince.”
“I wonder how you’ll manage to live in this empire, unable to become the Empress and branded as His Majesty’s lover.”
“Well, no matter how hard life gets, I don’t think I’ll ever marry you, Prince.”
Unless I suffer some sort of head injury, that is.
When I finished speaking, I forced the corners of my mouth into a smile, and Karhel mirrored me with a forced smile of his own.
A few seconds passed as we growled at each other.
Karhel, who had been tapping his lips, was the first to back down.
“I heard you and His Majesty haven’t seen each other lately, so I thought you’d grown distant. I suppose I was mistaken.”
“Yes, you were gravely mistaken.”
“Still, if you change your mind later, my offer is always open.”
“That will absolutely never happen.”
“…”
That man just cursed at me with his eyes, didn’t he?
I gave a soft smile to his smiling but clearly unamused chestnut eyes, and Karhel snapped the stem, now bare of petals, and tossed it onto the table.
“My, my. I’d believe it if someone told me you were a completely different person.”
“?”
Casually tidying the tabletop, I slowly lifted my head.
“You speak as if you know me well.”
“Oh, dear. Did you hear that?”
Knowing full well I had, Karhel feigned surprise, covering his mouth before leaning forward and whispering.
“I can’t say I know you well, but I can’t say I don’t, either. Are you curious?”
“No. If someone visiting the empire for the first time knows anything, it would just be a few rumors about me.”
“Hmm.”
“If you’re done talking, would you please leave now? I’m getting tired.”
“Of course. Ah, that’s right.”
For some reason, Karhel obediently stood and was about to leave the room when he seemed to remember something, wagging his index finger as he stopped beside me.
“Come to think of it, there is something I’m curious about, Riana.”
“?”
“May I ask?”
“Get your hand off me and—!”
My attempt to shrug off the hand on my shoulder froze as a soft voice whispered in my ear.
A smirk.
His thin lips stretched into a long line, as if he were finally satisfied.
“So, how about it?”
Karhel watched my widened eyes, which failed to hide my emotions, with an amused expression. A sing-song voice then flowed from his lips.
“With this, are you starting to get a little curious about me?”
***
[“Do you know why the Emperor is reluctant to touch others?”]
I recalled what Karhel had whispered in my ear before he left and squeezed my eyes shut.
The moment Karhel said it, my heart sank. I worried he might know about Enoch’s rampages.
But, thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case. Only a single phrase came from his sly mouth.
[“Because he’s afraid.”]
“Because he’s afraid.”
I blankly muttered the words that still seemed to be buzzing in my ears and pressed a towel against my damp hair.
“Is that really all there is to it?”
With those words, Karhel had left the drawing room, but a nagging feeling of unease lingered.
“How does Karhel know something that even people in the empire are unaware of…? This is so unsettling.”
Recalling his eyes, which had glinted just like a snake’s, I threw myself onto the bed.
The bed dipped.
As I sank into the gently swaying mattress, my damp hair tickled my face.
Deciding I had to tell Enoch about my conversation in the drawing room today, I turned over.
“Still, to think it’s because he’s afraid…”
I had always thought he avoided touching others simply for fear of rampaging. Was there more to it than that?
My eyelashes fluttered slowly as I stretched my hand out in front of me.
An image of Enoch’s face appeared vividly before my eyes—the way he smiled gently as he interlaced his fingers with mine.
Enoch, who was afraid to touch people.
And Enoch, whose long eyes would crinkle and a beautiful blush would spread across his whole body whenever he touched me.
Recalling the gap between those two images, I clenched my outstretched hand into a fist.
“Is it because of what happened to his mother?”
Does he fear touching others because he thinks his mother died because of him?
Come to think of it, why did Enoch plant a shard of ice in his own heart?
“Ah… my head hurts.”
A groan escaped my lips as I wandered lost in my sprawling thoughts.
It wasn’t just a figure of speech.
Even though I was sure all the flowers had been removed, the lingering scent at the tip of my nose made my head throb as if it were being squeezed in a vise.
In the end, I stopped thinking due to the pounding headache, curled into a ball, and closed my eyes.
Tap. Tap.
Perhaps it was thanks to the rhythmic sound of the rain tapping on the window. Lying like this, the headache seemed to subside a little.
“Ugh… Why do I still smell those flowers…? They’re so strong, really.”
My mind told me I should air out the room, but my body felt too heavy, so I just scowled.
Drip.
For some reason, the sound of a droplet falling seemed to come from close by, and then a cool sensation landed on my forehead.
“Huh…?”
My eyes flew open at a familiar scent that drove away the pungent fragrance lingering around me like a thick fog. I blinked rapidly.
“Enoch?”
“Why are you lying in such an uncomfortable position?”
“…I must be seeing things.”
Wondering if I was hallucinating because I had just been thinking of him, I rubbed my eyes and shot up in bed.
“Enoch? Is it really you?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“But—without any word, and so late… Did something happen?”
“No.”
Looking at me rambling, Enoch let out a pleasant, low rumble from his throat.
“I missed you, so I came. At this hour, especially.”
