“If I said I’d keep you by my side even through threats, would you let me?”
“I don’t like being threatened.”
He lowered the hand he’d extended toward me.
“Then what should I do? How can I keep you with me?”
“I’m a greedy person.”
I stepped closer to him.
“When I want something, I don’t care about the means or methods.”
Only a step remained between us. I paused, looking up at him.
“Even if it’s the crown prince of the empire.”
His golden eyes widened. I raised my arms, slowly wrapping them around his neck. Despite his confusion, he yielded, lowering his head.
A soft, slightly dry sensation brushed my lips. His eyes grew impossibly large. I pulled back and whispered, “Don’t think of escaping my grasp, Sys. If you do, I’ll kill you.”
His rough, urgent breath covered my lips.
Our tongues intertwined, hot saliva mingling. He pressed against me, leaving no gap, as if unwilling to miss a single breath. Pushed back by the force of his ravenous kiss, his arm wrapped tightly around my waist. Unlike his aggressive lips, his touch was delicate, as if handling fragile porcelain.
“Haa.”
His tongue, which had been devouring me like a starving beast, softened and withdrew.
I seized the moment to catch my breath. As I steadied myself, he pressed his lips to mine again—a light, playful peck, like a child’s, soothing my swollen lips.
“If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up.”
His whispered wish, laced with longing, sparked a mischievous urge. I tapped his shin with my shoe.
“If you want, I can make it feel very real.”
“…Thrown back to reality in an instant.”
He sighed, resting his head on my shoulder. His fine hair tickled my neck.
“Don’t laugh. It makes me want to devour you.”
My giggles grew louder at his whiny growl, so different from his earlier fiery anger.
“Eek!”
A different sensation brushed my neck, sending a shiver through me. A warm, soft mass traced my collarbone, lingering near my ear.
“Sys!”
Calling his name, I felt sharp teeth nibble my earlobe. The electric sensation made me flinch, but he, amused by my reaction, chuckled with satisfaction and burrowed into my neck more persistently.
I pushed against him, but his solid chest didn’t budge. Instead, a moist, soft touch teased my ear, marking its territory.
“Haa.”
A sound—half sigh, half moan—escaped me, met by a pleased hum from his throat.
The control I’d briefly held slipped back to him. He pounced on the slightest opening, more like a cunning cat than a loyal dog.
Letting him take the lead pricked my pride. A naughty cat needed to be tamed from the start.
I grabbed his waist, my fingers slowly tracing over it—not too fast, not too slow. His body stiffened under my touch.
He stopped teasing and lifted his head. His eyes, now burning with passion, gazed down at me.
I wrapped one hand around his neck, his soft hair curling between my fingers. Smiling, I slid my other hand to his back.
“Ugh, Bii…”
Through his thin shirt, I felt the ridges of his spine. I traced them slowly, one by one. His composed face twisted—not in pain, but in another kind of intensity.
His immediate reactions pleased me. Standing on tiptoe, I brought my lips to his ear.
“If you don’t stop now…”
Like he had done, I lightly bit his earlobe and released it. His body trembled faintly.
“I’ll bite you.”
He froze like a statue. I stepped back without hesitation, smiling brightly at his stunned expression.
“I’m a proper lady, you see.”
“…Haa.”
After standing dazed for a moment, he let out a heavy sigh and sank to the floor. Muttering curses, he looked like a street ruffian, utterly natural. I crouched in front of him, resting my chin in my hand, watching.
“You curse quite fluently for a prince.”
“And you play with hearts masterfully.”
“So, do you dislike it?”
He stared at me, and I met his gaze with a confident smile.
“Damn it, I love it too much.”
He pulled me into his arms. The familiar scent of spearmint wafted softly from him.
“If I could, I’d marry you tomorrow.”
“There’s something to settle first, isn’t there?”
“Damn it, yes.”
He ground his teeth. I laughed in his embrace, and he held me tighter.
“Please, I beg you, don’t do anything dangerous like this again.”
He pressed his lips to the crown of my head, whispering. His voice carried worry, anxiety, and fear.
“I can protect myself just fine.”
“Haa, I wish you were someone who couldn’t do anything.”
He pulled back, gazing at me intently.
“With those jewel-like eyes, looking only at me.”
His lips brushed my eyelids like a feather.
“With these sweet lips, calling only my name, I’d die happy right now.”
As his face drew closer, I closed my eyes.
—
The report from Evan was brief but heavy. The butler, standing before me, lit a candle on the desk.
As the flame flickered, wax dripped. I held the report to it, and the oil-soaked paper burned to ash instantly.
“Where’s Father?”
“He left for the palace earlier.”
Brushing the ash from my hands, I watched it dance briefly in the air before falling. As I stood, rubbing the ash under my shoe, the butler swiftly pulled out my chair.
Leaving the study with him, I saw Rant pacing anxiously by the door.
“Rant.”
“Big sister!”
He brightened, rushing to me. His large eyes were filled with worry.
Though he’d grown taller than my shoulder, he was still my sweet, soft puppy.
I ruffled his hair as he hesitated a step away. He instinctively nuzzled my hand against his cheek, seeking affection.
I pinched his soft cheek, stretching it like rice cake before letting it snap back. His startled brown eyes widened.
“Isn’t it history lesson time?”
“But…”
“Skipping class?”
“No!”
He puffed his cheeks indignantly. I tapped them lightly, guessing why he was lingering outside my study with such a worried look.
Last night, a summons arrived from the palace. Unlike invitations from the emperor or Sys, which could be declined, a summons was absolute. Ignoring it was an insult to the emperor, risking not just the individual but the entire family with charges of disobedience, potentially leading to the house’s destruction.
A summons meant attending a formal meeting at the palace—essentially a public trial. Such trials occurred only when royalty was involved, as they were exempt from standard laws. High nobles, marquises or above, could attend as observers, but only those listed in the imperial registry could convene such a meeting.
The convener typically presided, though a proxy could be appointed if needed. This meeting was called by the empress, its subject: stripping me, the crown prince’s fiancée, of my status.
Sensing my mood, Rant looked at me with teary eyes. I tousled his navy-blue hair again.
“Don’t worry, and focus on your lessons. I’ll be back before dinner.”
“Really?”
His eyes sparkled. I patted his cheek, smiling reassuringly.
“When have I ever lied to you?”
“Never!”
