Chapter 79

Leaving her alone with Gabriel with only Essen accompanying her had left him deeply uneasy.

He had worried about what Gabriel might do—and sure enough, she was pulling some absurd stunt.

“What are you all doing? Hurry and make a seat! Your Highness, please sit here~.”

Adrian coldly removed Gabriel’s hand as she tried to pull him along.

“Fu fu. You’re being considerate of me because there are so many eyes watching, aren’t you? You don’t have to~.”

“Ha…….”

Adrian barely restrained his hand from moving toward his scabbard.

He was not idle enough to entertain Gabriel’s words.

“Cut the useless talk and continue what you were saying.”

“What might you be referring to?”

Gabriel smiled brightly as if she knew nothing.

‘This one can’t even communicate, so I’ll set her aside―.’

Adrian’s cold gaze swept over the ladies seated there.

They all trembled at the Crown Prince’s aura, which chilled their hearts with dread.

‘Terrifying!’

The Crown Prince they usually saw from a distance at balls had seemed so handsome, but seeing him up close felt completely different.

A merciless aura as if he might cut their throats at any moment. It felt like their lives could fly away with a single wrong move.

Adrian singled one out.

“You there.”

“Y-you mean me?!”

The lady who received Adrian’s gaze turned deathly pale.

“Say exactly what you said earlier. Not a single word different.”

“Th-that is…….”

“I don’t recall hearing any such thing.”

She looked at Gabriel, but Gabriel had her eyes fixed solely on Adrian, not even glancing her way.

She couldn’t properly remember what she had said, but to avoid being crushed by that gaze, she had to recall it.

“We were simply holding Lady Obiedo accountable for…… deceiving His Highness the Crown Prince…… that is all.”

“Deceiving. I’m curious what deception my fiancée committed against me.”

“That’s not what I meant―.”

“Do you dare to doubt my judgment?”

She hurriedly shut her mouth. It was hard to meet the Crown Prince’s piercing gaze.

Adrian let out a low sigh and turned to Artie. His fierce eyes softened in an instant.

‘What is she thinking?’

He wanted to know what was going on in Artie’s head as she looked at him with clear eyes. But he would never know.

‘Was last time’s proof not enough?’

He had thought that after kissing in front of Gabriel, the rumor would have spread far and wide, but the effect was less than expected.

Adrian glanced at Essen, and their eyes met.

‘It’s not that I haven’t thought about it at all.’

In truth, he had suspected it.

That Essen might harbor the same feelings for Artie as he did.

His mood suddenly soured. Adrian turned his gaze back and scanned the gathering.

Everyone except Gabriel was watching his actions intently.

The last to meet his eyes was Artie’s face.

“Your Highness?”

The prudence of not calling his name in front of others somehow displeased him. Even though it was only natural.

In that moment, an uncontrollable impulse seized him. Adrian reached out toward Artie.

“You won’t like it either, but…….”

Artie understood the whispered words immediately. Her small hand gripped Adrian’s collar tightly.

A small nod.

At the faint permission, Adrian slowly lowered his head. Their lips met.

The faint breath of each other was felt. Adrian felt his reason about to fly away at Artie’s soft lips.

‘Knowing this sensation, how have I endured it all this time?’

It was so tempting he didn’t want to pull away.

Adrian’s hot tongue parted Artie’s slightly open lips and probed. Artie gasped and tightened her grip.

His clothes wrinkled, but no one cared. Artie squeezed her eyes shut.

‘Don’t misunderstand, fool. This is just an act.’

An act to quell the rumors with Essen. Nothing more than a display.

But no matter how much she told herself, she couldn’t help but hope.

The hand gently supporting the back of her neck, the consideration of matching her pace—she couldn’t help but entertain foolish thoughts.

‘I don’t want to pull away.’

Artie wished time would stop like this forever.

In the illusion that only the two of them remained in this world, the gasps heard here and there reminded her of reality.

But Adrian closed his ears and devoted himself solely to tasting Artie.

‘I’m not foolish enough to miss an opportunity.’

He thought himself despicable for wanting to touch Artie even like this, but he couldn’t help it.

“I’ve been defeated again.”

Gabriel glared at the lovers locked in a passionate kiss.

She had been defeated by the same trick as before, but the shock was the same.

‘Of course, his intention must be to provoke my jealousy.’

That thought remained. But she couldn’t help the irritation rising in her.

Gabriel coldly swept her gaze over the ladies who were watching the two with envious eyes.

Essen swallowed and took a few steps back.

The sight of them paying no mind to others’ gazes brought up an indescribable emotion.

‘What should I call this feeling?’

Naturally, they were publicly engaged, so a kiss was only natural—yet watching was hard.

‘It’s bitter.’

Essen forced down a bitter smile.

* * *

Returning to Lily Palace, Essen quietly stayed by Artie’s side. Her flushed cheeks betrayed her elated mood.

‘Her feelings are written all over her face. How cute.’

If only those feelings weren’t directed at someone else, it would be cute.

Feeling Essen’s gaze, Artie turned her head.

“You can go back and rest now, Lord Essen.”

“Yeah, I will.”

“You must have had a hard time because of me today. I’m sorry.”

At her weak smile, Essen smiled along. A hard time. In truth, he hadn’t had a hard time at all.

It was Artie alone who fought, with him standing uselessly behind her.

‘How pathetic.’

Self-loathing gnawed at him. After all, the reason Artie had to deal with Gabriel was because of him.

“If I hadn’t run away, you wouldn’t have become Adrian’s fiancée.”

“Probably not.”

“If I had met you first…….”

Essen paused for a moment and looked at Artie. In his deeper blue eyes, his tense reflection was visible.

“Would you have liked me?”

“……?”

‘What on earth is he saying?’

Artie tilted her head.

If Essen hadn’t run away in the first place, she would never have met the Crown Prince or any of his inner circle.

So there would have been no meeting Essen first either.

“No.”

“……Right. I suppose so.”

Realizing that even if he had been first, he would have had no chance, Essen closed his mouth at the sensation of something sharp tearing at his heart.

‘This hurts quite a bit.’

It hurt more than he had thought.

They had no idea that they were interpreting the meaning of the answer differently.

The night of misunderstanding deepened.

Chapter 21. About the Newly Formed Family

Today, as always, Terni had barged into my bedroom and was devouring my cookies.

On any normal day, I would have pretended not to see him and let it pass, but today I had business with Terni.

“Brother, I have something to ask.”

“Oh. Artie! You finally have something you’re curious about this oppa! All right, what is it? My three sizes?!”

I’m not curious about that…….

I lightly ignored Terni’s nonsense and asked my question.

“You probably know this already, but I’m currently the daughter of the Obiedo family, right?”

“That’s right. And you’ll be Obiedo from now on too!”

The fact that in three years she would no longer be Obiedo didn’t seem to affect Terni at all.

“Anyway, to live without problems as Artienne from now on, I think I need to know well about the family and its members.”

“Kuh. As expected of my little sister. Admirable, admirable!”

Terni stroked my head with a hand covered in cookie crumbs. Was he doing that on purpose……?

“I’m serious right now, you know?”

“I’m serious too!”

Serious, my foot.

I’m a fool for thinking a normal conversation could happen with Terni.

“In that sense, please tell me about the other family members. What kind of person is your mother?”

“…….”

Before my question even finished, Terni’s beaming face froze in an instant. Had I said something wrong?

“Mother……?”

“Yes? Yes…….”

“Mother…… went far away.”

“Ah…….”

“Very far…… to a place she can’t easily return from…….”

Ah, she passed away……. No one had ever told me, so I hadn’t known.