Chapter 23
“Kendrick! What is this behavior?!”
Beyran could no longer tolerate his son’s rebellion and exploded in fury. Or rather, if he hadn’t spoken first, Father would have been the one to raise his voice.
The cunning Beyran had beaten everyone to it.
“Ha! I told you clearly that I didn’t want to come, Father.”
Every word he uttered carried such force it felt as though it could swallow both the old wolf and the black tiger whole.
Can instinct alone be this terrifying?
“KENDRICK!!”
Beyran roared so loudly one might wonder whether we were still in Ginever territory or Regulus. Father’s forehead creased, as if his land had been stolen from him.
I braced myself, expecting Father to erupt in shouts, and clenched my fists.
But.
“Enough. This is no time for quarreling.”
On the contrary, his voice was calm and measured, like a man hiding a clear purpose while pretending to be noble. Utterly disgusting.
“Oh, my apologies. I raised my voice because of this boy.”
Beyran instantly calmed down. He probably realized he was a guest here.
But that didn’t last.
“Us? Since when did the tiger and the wolf become ‘us’? Oh, what nonsense. Father, haven’t you lost your sight and hearing yet?”
Right, you too?
Those last words were directed at me. I felt Kendrick’s gaze shift toward me again.
“…Indeed. Since when did the tiger and the wolf become ‘us’? I don’t know, Father.”
If he wanted me to play along, then I would. But unlike Kendrick, I don’t live only for the moment. So I quickly finished my sentence.
“However, perhaps this is a good opportunity for us to get to know each other better.”
Words that could be interpreted in many ways.
To Kendrick, it was an invitation to break this political marriage together.
To Father and Beyran, it was a sign of closeness through marriage.
The corner of Kendrick’s mouth rose in mockery. His blue eyes pierced through me with a sharp glare.
I returned the exact same mocking smile, lifting the corner of my mouth.
Had we seen each other’s true nature? Or was our perfect alignment what made this sarcasm enjoyable?
I looked at Kendrick, and he looked at me. We exchanged glances as if trying to uncover the other’s thoughts.
“You two already seem to be in perfect harmony. That makes the marriage all the more anticipated.”
The scene appeared delightful to Beyran, who drew a satisfied smile. In contrast, Father looked back and forth between me and Beyran with suspicion.
“As Lord Regulus says, I hope you two will get along well.”
“Hehe, they will. Isn’t fate always this powerful?”
“…Powerful, certainly.”
“Don’t worry. This is the first time Kendrick has shown this much interest in a woman.”
I frowned. Beyran was completely mistaken.
‘If you think this is interest in a woman, don’t you need glasses?’
If a lover’s eyes looked like those of someone wanting to kill their enemy, I would never want love.
I glanced sideways at Kendrick, then at Father.
I had to separate Kendrick from Father before his suspicions grew. Kendrick was a ticking time bomb right now.
He might be an ally who could stir things up for the moment, but if he revealed that I was planning something else, it would be a disaster.
His mouth was far too loose.
I approached Father and whispered softly.
“Father, how long will you keep our guests standing?”
“…You’re right. I lost myself in the excitement of the welcome. I’ll escort you both to your rooms.”
“So soon? I’d rather talk more with the head of House Ginever than rest.”
“I’m going to my room.”
Kendrick couldn’t hold back his laugh. Beyran shot him a fiery glare, but Kendrick turned toward the entrance, ignoring it and pretending to be indifferent.
Father watched the scene without any visible reaction. He wasn’t the type to overlook rudeness, but it seemed his authority mattered more right now.
“Lord Regulus, if you wish, we can continue our conversation inside.”
“Excellent! I’m ready!”
“Erika, escort the Regulus heir to his room.”
“I was hoping our bride would join the conversation.”
“Erika is busy right now. Regrettably, you’ll have to speak with me alone.”
Beyran looked at me with regret, then signaled surrender with his eyes.
“This way.”
Father turned first. Beyran scowled at Kendrick as a warning about his insolent behavior, postponing the reckoning.
Kendrick responded with a sneer. Just as Beyran was about to speak, Father began walking. Beyran hurried to his side.
They were heading to the office. I made sure Father entered, then turned to Kendrick.
“…Follow me. I’ll take you to your room.”
“Can’t you drop that fake mask already?”
“…”
“You and I are thinking the same thing. Or do you not even want to talk to me?”
Kendrick sneered as he stared at me. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stood lazily. I knew he hated the political marriage, but now I realized he hated me too.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t act this rudely in front of the maids.
‘…Phew. Endure it. You have to endure.’
Kendrick was the heir of Regulus—he wasn’t someone I could treat casually. At least here, in front of watching eyes, I had to show him respect.
Of course, he was supposed to respect me as well.
I gritted my teeth so hard my head ached. I wanted to stop dealing with him.
“…Follow me. I won’t say it again.”
“Fine… I will.”
“This way, then.”
I guided Kendrick to the prepared guest room.
Fortunately, he didn’t speak to me on the way. Because I walked ahead of him, I couldn’t see his expression, and that worried me a little.
‘No matter what, would he really dare do something?’
This was Ginever, not Regulus.
Even if he was reckless, he couldn’t be foolish enough to act rashly in a place like this.
That was supposed to be my last encounter with Kendrick for the day.
I made sure he entered his room quietly, then headed back to mine. I had a mountain of work waiting.
‘When will I meet Priscilla? When will I bring Didier? I have to decide everything today.’
The more precise the plans, the better. The more detailed they were, the more alternatives I would have if something failed.
So today, I would work without any distractions.
I made my firm resolution and entered my room.
* * *
Someone always ruins my plans—whether it’s nature, the gods, Father, or anyone else.
And now, I was clenching my fists, facing an unexpected nighttime visitor.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because you’re wandering around Ginever as if you own the place, aren’t you?”
“Oh, is that the problem? Then I apologize—for slipping past the guards and entering your room.”
…What an insolent man.
In the middle of the night, someone knocked on my window and made this wolf’s heart tremble.
It was Kendrick.
He was sitting on my bed as comfortably as if it were his own, looking around my room like he belonged here.
How utterly brazen! My heart had been pounding from shock. Even if I was skilled at dealing with assassins, Kendrick—who hid in the darkness and tapped on my window—was…
‘…Terrifying, isn’t he?’
I felt fear and awe toward Kendrick. That’s why I didn’t draw my dagger and instead opened the window for him—because he wanted me to.
Just thinking about it made me shudder. If Kendrick had intended to harm me, I would already be dead.
I felt the same helplessness I had felt when I fell from the cliff.
I hated that feeling, so I frowned.
But this wasn’t the time to dwell on emotions. I firmly closed the window and drew the curtains.
Then I glared at the insolent visitor.
It was time to ask why he had come to my room.
