Chapter 55
When she turned her head, she saw Crown Prince Claude leaning casually against the window.
Even in the backlight, his red eyes shone brightly.
“I like it here. The sunlight comes in nicely—it feels cozy,” Aselin said.
“That’s good. When I saw you in the restaurant, I thought you liked this kind of atmosphere,” Claude replied.
He stepped forward, the sunlight behind him, until he was standing right in front of her.
His deep red gaze slowly moved from her hair to her neck, then to her face.
The heat in his eyes felt like the midsummer sun, making Aselin swallow without thinking.
“…I didn’t expect you to care this much… Thank you, Your Highness.”
Even as she bowed politely, his eyes didn’t move from her.
The intensity of his stare made it hard for her to breathe; every muscle in her body tensed.
Just as she was starting to freeze from head to toe—
“That dress suits you well,” he said, his voice rich and pleasant.
It felt like a feather brushing her bare skin, making her body twist slightly in embarrassment.
She fiddled with her warm earlobe and tapped her toes nervously.
Seeing this, Claude’s lips curved into a faint smile.
He briefly imagined biting those peach-like cheeks to taste their sweetness—
Her hair, like silver sprinkled with stardust, her eyes as pure as a spring, and lips red as a bitten rose…
He thought he could do anything if it meant keeping this beautiful woman by his side forever.
Then reality hit him.
Forever by my side? How? When the contract ends, Aselin will leave without looking back.
Claude forced the foolish thought deep down.
But then, she looked at him and smiled brightly—so radiant that even the chandelier seemed to lose its shine.
He felt himself sinking into her again and pressed his fingers to his brow, frowning.
“Are you feeling unwell? Tell me if you are—I brought a lot of medicine!” she said cheerfully, rummaging through her luggage.
“This one’s for seizures, this one’s for insomnia, and this is a Lazeraan potion. Do you need any of them?”
She lined up bottles on the table.
Seeing how eager she was to help, a dark thought crossed his mind.
If I never recover, maybe Aselin won’t leave me…
He sighed at himself for being so desperate to hold her back.
“Your face is red—are you dizzy?” she asked, touching his forehead.
It was warm, but not feverish. She started to pull her hand away—
But Claude suddenly grabbed her wrist. His expression had stiffened.
“If you do this, I can’t stop myself,” he said quietly.
“…!”
Still holding her wrist, he slowly lowered her hand until it rested on his chest.
Thump, thump.
His heartbeat pounded like an exploding bomb, and she could feel it clearly in her palm.
“If you don’t want to stop my heart, don’t do dangerous things like this.”
Dangerous?
Her eyes widened in confusion. She had only checked his temperature. She’d done it many times before—why was it dangerous now?
His expression was impossible to read, but his intense eyes were the same as when he had trapped her in the restaurant with just a look.
It seemed like his strange “symptoms” had returned.
So, she quietly nodded and stepped back.
“You must be tired from the first day. Rest now,” he said in an even tone, turning away.
“…Your Highness, will I see you at dinner tonight?” she asked.
He stopped and gave a faint smile before facing her again.
“Eager to play the married couple already? Or do you just want to enjoy a nice meal together?” he asked, his voice slightly harder.
She quickly waved her hands.
“No, it’s not that at all. I just have something important to discuss with you.”
“Oh? So if you had nothing to say, there’d be no reason to eat with me?”
“…?”
She stared at him in confusion, realizing she’d made a mistake by speaking up.
Claude grasped the door handle, then spoke in a slow, deep voice near her ear.
“From now on, we’ll have dinner together every day. I’ll make sure I have something to tell you every single night.”
***
Later—The Imperial Palace
“Your Majesty, where did you even find such an incredible medicine?” the royal physician gasped.
Crown Prince Brefni, sprawled on a bench, frowned.
“I told you already—someone slipped it into my pocket.”
“Your Highness, this medicine is beyond explanation, even with magic. It could make hair grow even on bald beasts!”
“Yes, it’s so amazing that I set people to watch the most suspicious person—the Crown Princess—and look what happened!” Brefni barked, shoving the physician away.
Some of his few remaining hairs fell to the floor.
“Ah!” he yelped, grabbing a mirror in panic. Only a few thin strands were left, making him look even older than the half-dead former emperor.
“Advisor, how much time until the First Prince’s deadline?” Brefni asked.
“Twelve hours. If you don’t abdicate by then, he’ll join forces with both the Eastern and Western continents to start a war…”
“Not the obvious part! I want a plan! A solution!” Brefni snapped, glaring at his silent ministers.
“How is it that none of you are competent?”
He paced in front of them, then suddenly drew his sword and stabbed a diplomat in the stomach.
“How useless must you be for both continents to side with the First Prince?” he sneered, twisting the blade before stabbing the man’s heart.
Pulling it out with a wet sound, Brefni smirked without a trace of guilt.
The room fell silent—until the door swung open and Marquis Spiegel entered.
“Your Majesty, what is going on here?” he asked, eyeing the blood-stained sword.
Brefni quickly hid the weapon.
“Uncle, why are you here? Weren’t you reorganizing your territory?”
Spiegel clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“I heard everything from outside. This is a simple matter—why make it so complicated?”
“A simple matter? What do you mean?” Brefni asked.
The marquis smiled coldly.
“An eye for an eye. Just as the First Prince threatened to take your most precious thing, you should take the thing he treasures most.”
