**Stalker Duchess Episode 27**
**Stalker Duchess Episode 27**
It would be best to let him know it was futile and make him give up.
"I don't...... know much, but anyway, you should stop. It's dangerous to delve deeper. There have to be side effects. Even now, just borrowing a little of the dragon's power leaves you passing out afterward. No matter how much you train your body, a dragon's and a human's structures are completely different. They even have four hearts managing magic power."
As I continued, the Crown Prince's golden eyes deepened more and more.
His probing gaze felt burdensome, so I averted my eyes slightly and finished speaking.
He stared at me without blinking once before opening his mouth.
"You're telling an interesting story. Where did you hear that information?"
Though he called it an interesting story, his eyes weren't smiling at all.
He looked at me with sharp eyes, as if observing me. Realizing my mistake, I quickly made an excuse.
"From a book......"
"A book? That dragons, whose organ managing magic power is the heart, have four—no one knows that except me, who extracted them myself?"
I paused my hand reaching for the teacup.
He'd extracted them.
To think he'd personally extracted something so gruesome...... What incredible courage.
No matter what I was thinking, the Crown Prince's gaze grew sharper.
So ordinary people didn't know dragons had four hearts.
I'd thought it was safe to mention this much. In the novel, it came up so often I hadn't realized dragons were rarer in this world than I thought.
Sitting across the table, he slowly approached me.
Then, looking down at me with eyes full of suspicion, he pressed.
"Where did you hear that? Tell me. What else do you know."
"......"
I shut my mouth.
My book excuse hadn't worked—what excuse could I make now?
Moreover, he was already suspicious of me. Speaking carelessly could backfire again.
As I racked my brains for an excuse, he irritably raked back his hair and said,
"......Shall I make you talk?"
"......"
My body flinched reflexively at his icy words.
Because I'd realized his intent.
He wasn't talking about torture to make me talk.
He could use a far more convenient and simple method if he wanted.
I looked up at him with a tense expression.
......Those eyes seemed serious.
Dragon Word. The dragon language that could control others according to one's will.
The Crown Prince planned to use it on me again.
Was he that upset that someone like me knew about dragons?
Or had he judged I was hiding information from him?
Either way, he intended to use that method on me again.
He looked at me coldly and spoke in an emotionless voice.
"......It's best not to lie to me. Especially you."
Having already been caught lying to him about hiding my shoulder wound, I fully agreed it was best not to lie to the Crown Prince—but him using Dragon Word on me now was a problem.
Information about dragons wasn't the issue. But a smart Crown Prince would wonder where I got it. There was a high chance I'd be exposed as someone from outside.
In that case, glossing over it would be impossible.
He'd probably shift from researching Dragon Magic Power to investigating my existence.
Anyway, top priority was preventing the Crown Prince from using Dragon Word on me.
But immersed in Dragon Magic Power research, he'd never miss even a small clue.
How, with what logic, could I stop him from using Dragon Word?
How...... how, damn it.
No matter how much I thought, no method came to mind.
"......"
This left all or nothing.
A method my pride refused to use even if I died, but it seemed there was no other way.
"......Hic."
I covered my face with both hands.
If reason wouldn't work, push with emotion.
Even setting aside the trouble from being exposed as an outsider, I never wanted to feel again the filthy sensation of losing body control and being manipulated at will.
A pitiful tear rolling down my cheek right now would be perfect, but my tear glands had dried up long ago, so I just covered my face and let out a plaintive sob.
"I, I really only read it in a book, but if you keep suspecting me like that, I......"
"......"
My tearless glands didn't budge, but fortunately, my voice sounded truly hurt and pitiful.
I was extremely curious what expression the Crown Prince made hearing me, but lifting my head now would ruin everything.
If my blank face, barely covered by my small palms, showed, my acting would be exposed.
If caught this time, no 'just kidding' would save me.
The Crown Prince still said nothing. ......Was this not enough? I should probably go stronger now.
I spoke in a severely trembling voice.
"Th-that method from the cave, you're going to use it again? Hic, no, I don't want...... It scares me because you're not the usual kind Raven, I......"
As I spoke, real emotion seeped into my acting—my whole body trembled. My voice sounded soaked in fear even to me.
Forcing someone looking this pitiful to speak would be more barbaric than anything.
And as far as I knew, the Crown Prince wasn't the type for that.
He'd probably back off soon.
Or call a subordinate to drag me out—that was fine too.
As I calculated inwardly, the Crown Prince suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.
......Huh?
What was this?
I forgot my acting for a moment and made a dazed face. I hadn't anticipated this......
The Crown Prince's body trembled far more than mine.
His touch was gentle and cautious, like handling delicate glasswork.
After holding me briefly, he spoke in a trembling voice.
It sounded full of self-reproach.
"......I didn't know you hated it that much."
"......"
"I never thought you'd even cry......"
"......"
"I kept vowing never to scare you again."
"......"
With the Crown Prince going this far, even the conscience I didn't know I had started pricking at me.
I'd only meant to block Dragon Word to avoid identity exposure trouble, but now I knew his heartfelt anguish. I'd thought he was a good guy, but I hadn't realized he was this fragile.
As I thought that, he suddenly pulled away, gently gripped my shoulders, and met my eyes. I forgot my acting and looked at him in bewilderment.
He kept gazing at my dumbstruck face with pitiful eyes.
After hesitating long, he seemed resolved and spoke.
"......But Serabi, I absolutely wasn't trying to scare you. Don't misunderstand. Because the truth is, the only reason I even thought of controlling Dragon Magic Power was all......!"
"May I come in?"
As the Crown Prince tried to speak seriously, an intruder interrupted.
The voice's owner seemed to ask permission, but his body was already inside.
At that brazen voice, the Crown Prince startled and reflexively released my shoulders.
He looked clearly flustered by the Vice Commander's appearance.
But I didn't glance at him, staring only at the Crown Prince.
"What were you about to say?"
I was too curious about the rest to care about the newcomer.
"Right. The only reason you thought of controlling Dragon Magic Power was all...... What next?"
The Vice Commander grinned wickedly, asking the same question.
It was an evil smile.
I couldn't shake the feeling he knew but was asking anyway.
Realizing he was being teased, the Crown Prince flushed red and shouted,
"......All of it has nothing to do with you, so don't get the wrong idea!"
"......"
I let out a deflated sigh.
The Crown Prince, having finished, wore a self-loathing expression.
I hadn't heard the rest, but I was perceptive enough to guess.
The Crown Prince was clearly feeling guilty over nearly killing me during his last rampage.
A shy person like him would struggle to say that with others present.
I stood, brushed off my folded dress hem, and said indifferently,
"There's a red dragon living in the Dragon Lair at the deepest part of Istal Forest, demon territory. As far as I know, it's the only dragon friendly to humans. I'm not sure if even you, Raven, who killed its kin and absorbed their power, would get a friendly reception...... but if you're that desperate, you'll have to face it directly."
At my words, the Crown Prince's eyes widened slightly.
"Serabi, you......"
"......"
"......No. It's nothing."
He seemed about to ask how I knew, but shut his mouth.
He no longer pressed about dragons.
