~Chapter 83~
“In a place where foreign dignitaries have been invited, you’re acting so crudely.”
Reyester appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the 3rd place’s wrist with one hand, pulling him away from me.
“Ah, ugh, it hurts, ah…!”
The 3rd place’s grip on my arm loosened, and Reyester gently released his arm with a smile.
“Also, you dare to try to scheme against Relshiz? If you were that kind of person, would I keep you by my side?”
“I-I didn’t mean it like that, Your Highness…!”
With his beautiful face, graceful figure, soft voice like clouds, and light, elegant movements, Reyester was more than just handsome—he was breathtakingly beautiful.
He easily used his looks to win people’s favor.
“Actually, were you trying to insult me? Huh? Answer me, Will Henson.”
But Reyester, who always wore a fabricated smile to mask his true self, wasn’t smiling now. His face was the one he used to show when we were on bad terms.
In other words, he was so angry that he couldn’t control his expression. This was becoming a serious matter.
“Your Highness! The match is about to start. Wouldn’t it be better if you head to your seat now?”
I quickly stepped between the 3rd place and Reyester, trying to stop the confrontation.
“As you said, there are many eyes watching us!”
I gave him a quick, urgent glance toward the direction of the bathroom.
‘Shiz is in there! If the crowd gathers, it could be a problem!’
Fortunately, Reyester seemed to understand, blinking a few times.
With a cold expression, he dismissed the 3rd place.
“Make sure to thank Relshiz. Now, return to your seat.”
“P-Please forgive me…”
The 3rd place quickly disappeared. As the chaos died down, a headache crept up on me.
Reyester, standing in front of me, bit his lower lip anxiously.
“Have you heard those kinds of things about yourself before?”
“Huh?”
“…Like, the ones about being from the orphanage?”
“Ah.”
Well, I couldn’t deny it. Reyester himself had once used my background as a way to provoke me.
“It’s okay. It’s not the first time I’ve been judged by my background.”
I said it lightly, as if it didn’t bother me.
“I don’t care about those ignorant people. I don’t have to deal with them unless we run into them by chance, like today.”
“Did you just ignore those words at the academy too?”
“Yeah, I guess…?”
“So, they made your life miserable back then. Will Henson, Lucy Mode, Evan Briss, right?”
“…”
Well, if the 3rd place’s name was on Reyester’s kill list, that would be a misunderstanding.
“Your Highness, this really isn’t something you should be worrying about. If you keep involving yourself in my matters, misunderstandings will arise.”
“What kind of misunderstandings?”
He should know better than anyone else what I meant.
“Do you want strange rumors about me and you?”
“Rumors?”
I had heard that after the cruise incident, rumors started circulating linking Reyester and me, thanks to Philippa. They didn’t last long after getting smacked down by the intelligence department, but just the thought of it sent a chill down my spine.
I trembled at the thought as my eyes met Reyester’s.
His blue eyes, which were brighter and deeper than usual, were unreadable and dark.
“…Should we spread some rumors then?”
“Eh?”
Suddenly, Reyester started speaking some insane words.
“Then at least people will pay attention to me. You’re my person now, so I have to protect you.”
It was a terrifying conversation, one that made me constantly check if anyone was nearby.
“Please don’t say things like that, Your Highness.”
“Anyway, rumors about me are popping up every day. Most of them are fake.”
“…Fake?”
“Yeah, all the rumors lately are just fiction.”
That was shocking. The Crown Prince, who was always in the spotlight for his relationships, wasn’t dating anyone recently?
‘No wonder he kept coming over to my place.’
Had he suddenly become religious or something?
“So you’re making things up, but why haven’t you stopped it? What will happen if you can’t get married later?”
“If I can’t get married…”
Reyester smiled, his expression like a blooming flower.
“Then you’ll have to take responsibility.”
Unable to hold it in, I shouted out like it was a scream.
“Did you hit your head with a rock this morning?!”
Just as I was getting annoyed by his nonsense, Sabin, Reyester’s aide, approached from a distance.
“Your Highness, excuse me for a moment…”
She quickly walked up to Reyester and whispered something in his ear, ensuring I couldn’t hear it.
I didn’t know what it was, but it was clear that something wasn’t right.
“…I see.”
Reyester’s face darkened as he listened.
“I’ve got something to deal with, so I’ll go. Be careful on your way back with Shiz. And…”
He gave me a meaningful smile.
“You might hear some good news soon.”
“Huh?”
I looked at him, confused, but Reyester didn’t answer and just left.
His retreating figure felt suspicious, but before I could dwell on it, Shiz came running out, and I didn’t have the chance to stop him.
***
Kyle Ellenstier, the young noble from Wincans, had boldly decided to come to Edelheim.
Like most countries in the Southern Continent, Wincans had been slow in developing magic.
Kyle, who had some magical talent and a deep interest in it, decided to join the Edelheim cultural exchange event as soon as he heard about it.
‘If I go to the land where magic is powerful, I’ll definitely learn a lot.’
Proving his point, the Dawn Tower opened a temporary gate to invite dignitaries from all over the Southern Continent. It was an amazing honor.
‘A teleportation gate! They really said this Master of the Dawn Tower would make history as a genius.’
Experiencing such a miraculous magic firsthand was a joyful occasion.
Kyle set off on the journey with excitement, like a child, eager to experience the magic.
Although he arrived a day late due to the aftereffects of the teleportation, he didn’t regret his decision.
In less than a few minutes, Kyle reached the northern kingdom, and he didn’t regret his choice.
He was determined to improve his magical skills here, and hoped that, with some luck, he might even reunite with someone from his past.
‘I wonder how Relshiz is doing. Thanks to her, I’ve learned a lot in Wincans.’
Relshiz Baltain, his teacher and benefactor, was here in Edelheim.
‘I hope I can meet her soon.’
So, he wandered around the arena asking where he could find Relshiz.
Had he known that his actions would lead him to be dragged away like a butchered animal, he would have kept quiet.
“Ugh! Ugh!”
With his mouth covered, Kyle struggled with all his might.
But the red-haired man quickly subdued him with incredible strength.
Kyle tried to use magic to escape, but in his panic, his mana couldn’t be gathered.
He was tied up in a strange-smelling sack and dragged away. Tears streamed down Kyle’s face as he thought, ‘Am I going to die? Will I be sold as a slave?’
He had no idea how much time passed, but when he was taken out of the sack, he saw two handsome men standing in front of him.
“Are you Kyle Ellenstier? The young noble from Wincans?”
The blonde man asked coldly.
Kyle nodded, his mouth still covered.
The man’s unique blue eyes were as cold as ice, and it looked like he wouldn’t change his expression even if someone died right in front of him.
The second man, with silver hair, spoke next.
“You’ll need to answer every question I ask. If you tell the truth, we’ll let you go safely. But if not…”
“You won’t leave alive,” he added, his tone becoming more oppressive.
Kyle nodded vigorously, desperate to leave.
The silver-haired man watched him for a moment before asking.
“Are you married?”
