《I Accidentally Kidnapped The Ultimate Villain》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°Kylian!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Rats¨C Even rats will bite a cat when cornered!¡± Of course, that rat was me. ¡®If you keep acting this scary, I can snap at you too!¡¯ I couldn¡¯t say that, so I just spoke in a roundabout way. No matter how much I reflected on it, I couldn¡¯t think of what I did wrong, but he was definitely angry. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Ye-es.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to bite Arya.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ ¡°I was kidnapped, and I lost my memory, but Arya was spending time with another guy in the same room, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡­¡± ¡°Besides, when I came back, something like this¡­¡± ¡°Aak!¡± My body shuddered from the pain as he touched my ear again. ¡°You¡¯re wearing something like this.¡± ¡°Th- then if you bite me, will your anger be released?¡± ¡°Yes. I think so.¡± He brushed his hand over my hair, the color of blood. My tied hair was loosened by his action and scattered around my shoulders. He gently grabbed the loose hair behind my neck with one hand and, ¡°Nngk-!!¡± He dug his teeth into my neck. ¡°Ah! Du- Duke!¡± My body recoiled in surprise as he chewed the nape of my neck. Forgetting how to breathe, I stood still, startled by the sharp touch of his teeth. ¡°W- wai- waa- aa- it¡­!¡± However, any resistance was truly futile. Because he wasn¡¯t listening to me at all. Her life was pretty smooth. She wasn¡¯t bad at studying, and she was able to graduate from a university that was beyond her abilities because she was lucky and did well in the test. She was also able to get a good job without difficulty thanks to the professor who cared for her too much and quickly established herself as a prosperous office worker. But maybe because she was accustomed to such a smooth life, she had to pay the price for living so comfortably up until that day. The lunch break at the company she worked for was one hour. She had to use that hour to stop by the bank because it was the day the savings account expired. She was going to use that money to return the money from her mother¡¯s flower shop, paying up from the monthly rents to the deposit lease. After sending the money to her mother, she rushed to work again. It was broad daylight, and she was caught in a car accident. As she saw the car approaching, she noticed the driver dozing off as if sleepy. Strangely enough, there was no pain, all she felt was her body floating in the air. At the same time, there was no sense of body strength. As if all the senses in her body were completely dead and she couldn¡¯t feel anything. After falling back to the ground, all she saw was a rainy sky. The traffic light blinking in the rain looked painfully garish. Her awareness began to fade as if sinking into water. As if falling into a bottomless swamp, feeling helpless and tired, she felt her mind blurring and she fell asleep. ¡°¡­ess¨C in¡­ ess!¡± The next thing she heard was a hum as if someone was talking to her under the water. ¡°Princess!¡± Eventually, when she realized that it was real and not some waterlogged dream, her vision brightened as if she had just woken up from sleep. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of what you ordered.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± A strangely dressed, brown-haired man handed her a key as he finished speaking. Whether he was afraid she wouldn¡¯t receive it, he placed it in her palm, squeezing her grip, and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. Nothing.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The first person she saw was saying strange things to her. ¡°Ex- excuse me!¡± ¡°You can go downstairs with that.¡± ¡°What? Why me?¡± ¡°Please hurry and go ahead.¡± His speech was rather forceful, but somehow he was trembling. So, the weak-hearted woman couldn¡¯t just coldly throw away the key and demand an explanation of the situation. Because he looked troubled too. ¡°I¡¯m going down¡­ does that mean you¡¯ll stay here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With such a firm way of speaking, it was unlikely he would explain to her why she had to go down the stairs. Above all else, his clothes were strange. He was dressed like a medieval knight. So, out of hope, she looked down at her own clothes thinking ¡®No way¡¯ and, ¡®What is it?¡¯ She was wearing a loose gown. The hair flowing down her shoulders was bright red like rubies. ¡®My original hair was dark brown, almost black!¡¯ ¡°Hurry up and go down.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± Somehow, she decided that it would be better to follow his urging and go downstairs than to be alone in that shady place with him, so she went down the stairs. The sound of her creaking footsteps echoed through the walls. As if there was water near the place, the sounds rang loudly like walking inside a cave. There were lights all around, but the place seemed to be unmanaged. There were many spider webs near the ceiling, and the walls were full of dust. She was afraid of going down those stairs. As she pondered for a second, thinking about going up again, she stopped because of the key in her hand. I definitely was in a car accident. So¡­ is this a dream? ¡®Come to think of it, I was hit by a car and lost consciousness. People say you can dream when you¡¯re in that state. Probably this is the dream.¡¯ With that thought in mind, she wasn¡¯t afraid to descend anymore. ¡®If it¡¯s a dream I can wake up from anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be good to have some fun? I Just hope it isn¡¯t a terrifying dream.¡¯ But if you look at it as if you¡¯re just dreaming, your body will be fine. She smiled, grabbed the key, and started down the stairwell. ¡°This is a dream. So it¡¯s okay.¡± She wiped her chest and laughed deliberately. She always said that laughing made her feel better, even if it was a fake laugh. So, although she was afraid, she decided to enjoy this dream. She wondered if it was because of the book she read before she died that she was having this sort of dream. She liked those kinds of books, so she read a lot. But how can dreams be so different from imagination? The skirt was a lot heavier than she had thought, and she felt uncomfortable as if her waist was tightened with something. The hair that flowed down her back was soft and had a good texture, however. She wanted to see herself, but it didn¡¯t seem she would find a mirror nearby. So, holding her skirt¡¯s hem with both hands, she reluctantly walked down again. She could see her shadow waddling back and forth as if it had become a duck. The skirt was so large it could be a goose. ¡°Hehe. It really looks like a duck.¡± The shadow was funny and she purposely uttered silly words. That was her way to relieve her tension. ¡®Obviously, this is a dream, and I am having an interesting dream. So don¡¯t be afraid and continue down these stairs.¡¯ She tried so hard to think that way. However, her heart was beating loudly as if her body already knew she was forcing herself to endure this scary dream. She tried to deceive her body with her head, but her body was already trembling with fear. A very terrifying dream. She tried to fool her head but her body, which couldn¡¯t lie, was already shaking hard. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have sleep paralysis again¡­¡± She had always been on the weak side. Maybe that was the reason she often had sleep paralysis. She had never seen a ghost in person, but whenever she experienced the paralysis, her body felt as if a real ghost was pressing down her whole body. When she was in college, even when she fell asleep on her stomach in the classroom, she experienced it. ¡°Mo- mooom!¡± The stairs were slippery and she fell, but the thumping sound felt more shameful than painful. No one was watching, even though she knew she was embarrassed because of how silly she sounded while falling. Her tailbone hurt badly, and her ankle hurt, too. She was relieved there was no one nearby, so no one would have seen such an unsightly appearance. Thinking positively, she stood up. Suddenly, she questioned whether she really had to go down, so she looked at the place she had started. However, the door seemed blocked as if she couldn¡¯t return, and on the stairs, only the dim shape of the door could be seen as if the light had gone out as soon as she left that level. Light below, darkness above. She knew because she had many terrifying dreams. If she climbed back to the dark, something terrible would appear. Usually in the dreams she had while she had sleep paralysis, something happened whenever she went to the dark side. Maybe that¡¯s why she was heading downwards, like a survival instinct. She hinted to herself that it would be a race-like dream that ended only when she reached the bottom. She forced her trembling body down the stairs. After falling once, she continued focusing her efforts not to fall again. Surprisingly, the heels she was wearing were too high, and she was worried that the stairs might be slippery for those shoes each time she took a step. If it¡¯s a dream, I can light up the LED lights. Nothing was clearly visible, perhaps because of the dim light. ¡°No. I¡¯m glad the light is on, even if it¡¯s dim.¡± Thinking like that, she found her way to the bottom landing, and this time she saw a door. She clenched the key in her hand. ¡®It seems like he gave me the key to open it.¡¯ Growl~ She was startled by the sound and stiffened. Behind the door, there was a sound like a beast. ¡®What if this is a nightmare? What if a monster appears the moment I open the door? No, I¡¯d rather be a monster. What if it¡¯s a ghost? No! I hate monsters and ghosts¡­! But that guy told me to open this¡­¡¯ ¡°Maybe, if I open this, I will wake up?¡± With that thought, she tightly gripped the key she was holding. Even if she took a deep breath and thought about it again, it really seemed her dream would end if she opened the door. Because the nightmares she had were often like that. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not¡­ scary at all¡­ it¡¯s not scary¡­ ugh¡­ scary¡­¡± She was a coward. A coward who never walked in the back alley at night because she was afraid of cats. A coward who runs when hearing steps behind her. But she had to wake up from her dream. It is said that a person who died came back to life from the crossroads of life and death because he followed the place full of light, so it must be like that. She thought hard. Taking a deep breath, she put the key in the keyhole, closed her eyes, and turned it. When she heard a ¡®clack,¡¯ she quickly removed her hand and crouched down. 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds¡­ After a few minutes had elapsed and not a sound came out, she slowly opened her eyes and peered inside. There she saw iron bars. And beyond those bars, A handsome man in a black uniform was lying unconscious on the floor. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¡°Hey!¡± Not knowing if he was okay, she called out loud. Yet, the strange man didn¡¯t move. ¡®No way. He isn¡¯t a ghost who will suddenly get up to haunt me, right? Right? Please don¡¯t!¡¯ With sleep paralysis happening often, she was used to such nightmares. ¡°He- hey¡­? You¡¯re not a ghost¡­ right?¡± She looked closely, trying to figure out if he was human or not. The man lying unconscious was sweating profusely and had a handsome face. She looked at the key she was holding, wondering if it would work on the lock¡­ But it didn¡¯t open. Somehow, she felt relieved. And then, her body suddenly lost balance as if tired and the floor seemed to be rising upwards. It turned out that the ground was not rising, but her body had collapsed. Her shoulders were sore, yet she lost all strength. When she opened her eyes, she saw weird embroidery above. It looked really expensive as if it were sewn with expensive gold thread. It was all over the bed and the ceiling she had first seen. The ceiling of her room in her apartment was painted white. On it, apartment-exclusive broadcast speakers and fire sprinklers in case of fire were installed. However, there was an unfamiliar pattern on the ceiling she was looking at now. The elaborately embroidered sheets ¡ªlike the Middle Ages¡ª were obviously high-quality fabric. On top of that, the canopy on the ceiling was also full of various intricate patterns. There was gold thread and seemed to be of the same fabric covering her. There was also a strange picture attached to the top right. She forced her body to move because it felt strangely unfamiliar and heavy, and then, she heard a creaking sound. ¡°Huh?¡± Upon closer inspection, it was some sort of restraining device. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Tied to the bedpost, she was restrained by one arm and leg. ¡°Ple- please sa- save me-!¡± She shouted in surprise, but soon realized it was a mistake. She thought she might have been kidnapped, but on second thought, the room was too luxurious for a kidnapped person. ¡°Save me!¡± Then, she hesitated for a moment wondering if she should shout. If she had been kidnapped, screaming would be like summoning the kidnapper. She broke into a cold sweat. She felt sore because she couldn¡¯t move her body. She could feel her body temperature cooling quickly, but being able to bend just half her body, she couldn¡¯t secure a proper view. Knock knock¨C ¡°Milady.¡± She was about to lie down again at the sound of a voice coming from the door, but the loud cracking sound bothered her. After arranging the restraints a little, she quickly lay down and closed her eyes. Rattle~ The door opened, and there was a sound of wheels rolling as if something was being dragged. When she opened her eyes and looked up, a woman with brown hair and a strange outfit was entering. ¡®Why did that woman kidnap me? I did have a good life but¡­¡¯ But I have lived well enough to not be worthy of someone¡¯s grudge! Even if I lived at a loss, I am confident I have never done anything against anybody. But what? Kidnapping? Looking back, I do think I was in a car accident, but my body was fine¡­? No, I mean, I was hit by a big truck, how can I be fine? Her head was spinning. ¡°Milady, are you awake?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Milady is trying to surprise me again, isn¡¯t that so?¡± Staring so intently, the intruder seemed to know that she had opened her eyes. It didn¡¯t seem like that person would do any harm, so she decided to open her eyes. ¡°Sa- save me¡­¡± ¡°Yes? Mi- milady you¡¯re still dreaming.¡± ¡°What? No! I don¡¯t know who you are, but please release this!¡± As she asked her to release the restraints tied to her limbs, the intruder hesitated for a moment, then said with a serious face. ¡°I¡¯ll release you when you wake up, Milady.¡± ¡°¡®I¡¯m awake! Release me quickly!¡± ¡°Aiiish, haven¡¯t you woke up yet?¡± The intruder sat nearby, smiling gently at her, and seemed to be really waiting for her. So she continued to look at the woman with a pathetic expression on her face as if asking for help, and the woman looked at her for a while before subtly changing her expression and saying, ¡°Would you like it if I released your arm?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Then the intruder matched the key to the restraint device on her arm and pulled it out. Thanks to this, she was able to bend over and sit down. The touch of the bed against her buttocks felt softer than on her back. ¡°Wake up, Milady.¡± As the intruder stroked her hair, she noticed that her hair was still red. The aching in her body felt all too real, but her hair was still the red of her dream. Am I really in a coma? If I was really dreaming, I shouldn¡¯t feel pain like this. ¡°Milady.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Miss Arya?¡± ¡°Why do you call me that?¡± ¡°Of course, because Miss is Arya Deloraine.¡± ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Arya Deloraine. Arya¡­ Deloraine? It was a name she didn¡¯t forget easily. Because that name appeared in the novel she had read the day before her accident. ¡®No way, did I come into the novel? ¡­Then this brown-haired, brown-eyes is¡­¡¯ Then this woman with brown hair and brown eyes. ¡°Velosia?¡± ¡°Yes! Are you awake now?¡± Oh my God. ¡°I- with blue eyes and a very pretty face? Is it right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course! Milady is the prettiest in the Kallendia Empire!¡± She looked down and, ¡®Oh god¡¯ she saw a nightgown embellished like an evening dress. ¡°Ple- please release me right now!!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When Velosia loosened the restraints on her ankles, Arya¡¯s body was freed. The first thing she did was run toward a mirror. Oh my God. Could it be that I¡¯m really in a coma? I heard people dream when in a coma. ¡­Slap! Slap Slap!! She slapped herself and it hurt, so she did it two more times in a row. Each time hurt so much!! This isn¡¯t a dream? What about this pain? ¡°Milady! Please stop it!¡± Looking back, the intruder in front of her had brown hair with many freckles and was wearing a maid uniform she had seen elsewhere. It was a European black and white maid outfit, with a scarf hanging around her neck. ¡®¡­Come to think of it, I think in the novel there was a maid who used a scarf?¡¯ She tried to deny it somehow, but this seemed to be a place inside the novel. ¡°Bell. Maybe I¡­ have a very difficult personality, bully other Young Ladies, and use my status as the Duke¡¯s Princess to harass knights? And I cling to the Crown Prince asking him to marry me, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Milady¡­ um¡­¡± Arya interpreted the sight of Bell averting her gaze as an affirmation. ¡°Perhaps, did- did I¡­ kidnap His Highness the Crown Prince?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know. You did pick up something yesterday.¡± ¡®It seems I gained a new life¡­ To die again! The villainess who kidnaps the Crown Prince and commits all kinds of evil deeds only to die in the end after being pierced by a sword!! She screamed inwardly and tore out the hair from her temples. Arya urged Velosia to help her change her clothes as quickly as possible, and then she returned to the basement. There, a man was lying on the floor. Please don¡¯t be, please¡­! ¡°Is this the one you picked up yesterday? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes, Milady. And please speak informally. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re fully awake yet because you are being respectful.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess Deloraine.¡± The man who had the same voice as the knight she had seen before fainting, answered immediately after Velosia¡¯s words. She remembered him giving her a key. If so, then it was all real. The Crown Prince was a ferociously handsome man with silver hair and red eyes. He was so beautiful that anyone would fall in love upon seeing him. Thus, the real Princess Arya fell in love at first sight and tried many times to seduce him, but since he remained disinterested, she kidnapped him to pressure him for marriage. However¡­ ¡°He¡¯s not the Crown Prince?¡± The person who had been abducted was curled up on the ground, but even at first glance, his hair was clearly not silver. As she got closer, she noticed his black hair gleamed, begging to be touched. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Thank you, God. It seemed that Princess Arya had not yet made a mistake. That¡¯s good! It¡¯s before she created that huge trouble! ¡°Hahahaha¡­!¡± She really hated the feeling of being on edge with her heart pounding wildly. Her dream was to live a long and smooth life. After all, if it was a new life where she was the daughter of a wealthy family. All she had to do was bid farewell to the dangerous male lead, not bully and avoid the female lead, and live a good life as she pleased. Just by reading the novel, she knew Princess Arya was terrified of Duke Deloraine. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± At that moment, the man in front of her groaned and shook. Arya momentarily grabbed her startled chest. Feeling her heart pounding, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him, and she kept looking at the man twisting his body as if his arms tied behind him were uncomfortable. ¡°Bell, unlock that.¡± ¡°Yes, Milady.¡± Bell may look like that, but she wasn¡¯t an ordinary maid. She was originally a mercenary, brought from the underworld. She was a talented person capable of killing everyone except for Princess Arya in an instant. Hence, she wouldn¡¯t be in trouble even if she released that scary-looking man. Clack- sharp~ Bell cut the rope roughly with a knife and stood behind Arya. The expression on her face was like, ¡°I did good, right?¡± She thought so, but perhaps in a serious situation, Arya smiled at her as if relieved. Then, the unknown man fully opened his eyes. ¡°Who are you people?¡± His deep voice was quite attractive. Taking a deep breath, Arya released her tension. He wasn¡¯t the Crown Prince. In the novel, everything starts when Deloraine¡¯s Princess kidnaps the Crown Prince. So, she let her guard down. Until she saw his eyes. ¡°Who am I? Why am I here?¡± Black hair so vivid it seemed as if the night sky was melted in it, and sparkling purple eyes. Seductive red lips, and pale skin. His face was so perfect that it couldn¡¯t be described properly with words. Big eyes without double eyelids were as beautiful as they were fierce, and his perfect high nose was sharp as a blade. He was a perfect sculpture-like man. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say the most talented sculptor of the century carved his face putting his soul in it. Handsome enough to render you speechless as soon as you see his face. There was only one character in ¡¶The Flower Of Twilight¡·who fit that description. The villainous final Boss of the novel. Kylian Rohenbert! It was clear that this crazy princess had kidnapped the evil mastermind instead of the Crown Prince! ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 3 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 3 When a throbbing headache gets worse, it thumps as if another heartbeat is inside the head. Arya¡¯s head was like that at that moment. A drum was pounding in her head while her heart pounded with fear. So, looking at the situation now, I was in a car accident and seemed to be dead¡­ And after I died, I probably gained a new life inside the book¡¶The Flower Of Twilight¡·that I read before dying in my previous life. I wasn¡¯t the main character of the book, but a villainess who dies horribly in the beginning. I¡¯m not even the final boss but just a trivial villain. The problem right now was that it should have been the Crown Prince that the villainess kidnapped at the beginning but¡­ ¡°Who am I? Why am I here?¡± In front of her was Kylian Rohenbert, the final boss and ultimate villain of the novel. ¡°No, it can¡¯t¨C!¡± She was already terrified. Even before her mind could think about what to do, her body had reacted faster. Arya¡¯s body chose to run away from that place. Unfortunately, the new body wasn¡¯t as good as her original body and ran poorly. It was clear seeing how slowly she moved. The first thing she had to do after running away was to go back to the room she was in. The problem¡­ ¡°Where am I¡­¡± She had run away and lost her way. ¡°Miss!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Fortunately, Velosia followed Arya smoothly as if it was nothing for her. ¡°Bell¡­¡± ¡°Milady, did you fall asleep again?¡± ¡°No. I forgot where my room is.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± As if it was amusing, Velosia giggled and took the lead. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Ngh.¡± Arya thought she had to memorize the way. She was originally easily lost and badly oriented, and on top of that, this mansion was very spacious and complex. It seemed that Kylian Rohenbert was in the basement of the lower floor of the main building where Arya was located. When she went to the basement, she calculated she went down about three floors, so Arya¡¯s bedroom seemed to be on the third floor. The problem wasn¡¯t that there were not just one stair, but that there were stairs wherever she went, and the path was blocked wherever she went. It was an intertwined maze like a broadcasting station. ¡°Why is this place so complicatedly designed?¡± ¡°In case of an attack.¡± ¡°Ah ¡± Come to think of it, Deloraine Duchy had a lot of political enemies. That was why the Emperor did not criticize Princess Deloraine¡¯s atrocities. Because Duke Deloraine looked after the Imperial Family¡¯s back. It was usually the job of the Duke of Deloraine to resolve cases that were deliberately caused by the Imperial Family or those that could not be resolved through legal means. Including dealing with the Royal Family¡¯s enemies sneakily. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Reaching the front door, Arya had to struggle to remember exactly where the room was. Her room was the largest on the third floor. If she recalled the location of the stairs in the future, she would be able to move around safely. ¡°I, I want some rest.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you having breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arya¡¯s head was too complicated. Moreover, Kylian Rohenbert. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t figure out how to rectify this situation. ¡°Oh, Lady.¡± Velosia called her before closing the door, so she turned around. ¡°What should we do about that?¡± She didn¡¯t know what ¡®that¡¯ was, but she couldn¡¯t show it because if she pretended not to know, she would be tied up again. ¡°Bell, you take care of it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Near the bed, there was the restraint device used to tie her up earlier. It looked hideous at first, second and third sight, so she put them under the bed and lay down. Then¡ª Oh my god~ I have never had such a soft bed in my life! It was soft and fluffy as if her body was wrapped in a feather. The pillow was soft and properly firm as if you didn¡¯t have a pillow at all. Like lying in a water bed. ¡°Wow¡­ so good.¡± Then, suddenly, her arm felt numb so she looked up. There was a strange pattern on the left wrist where the restraint had been tied. It was as if a certain pattern was cut in half. ¡°What is this?¡± She tried to scratch it off with her other hand, but the spot seemed like it wouldn¡¯t come off. Maybe it was a mark that Arya Deloraine had from birth¡­? ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know.¡± She had the hope she would be able to return to her original body without dying if she fell asleep, so she forcefully closed her eyes. Certainly, she wouldn¡¯t fall asleep that easily, she thought. The thought that she would not be able to sleep was an arrogant illusion. When she woke, she felt an itchy, thick bed linen mark left on her face. Taking a deep breath, she approached the mirror she hadn¡¯t seen properly before. Pale porcelain skin as fine as marble. Luscious red wavy hair, like silk that contained the intensity and splendor of wine. Below, eyes sparkled like sapphires¡­ Wow. There was no other expression for such beauty. ¡°Woaah, it¡¯s really pretty. Pretty from the front and the side. She¡¯s pretty even from the back!¡± She kept stroking her face, brushing her hair, and touching the mirror. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen such a pretty person up close in my previous life. And now this is my face¡­¡¯ Among the descriptions for Arya Deloraine in¡¶The Flower Of Twilight¡·this was what came to mind: The most deadly gorgeous villainess in the Empire. A cold-blooded psychopath who does cruel things without hesitation and kidnaps the man she likes! A wicked woman without blood or tears who torments and harasses her opponent until they fall apart! In the end, she kidnaps the Crown Prince who does not accept her!! ¡­Let¡¯s calm down. If you think about it carefully, isn¡¯t she quite capable? Enough to successfully kidnap the Crown Prince. Thinking about it that way, she regarded Princess Arya¡¯s face as ¡®fortunate¡¯ amid the desperate situation. Like a gorgeous rose. She wondered if it was because of her face that Arya¡¯s evil deeds became famous. In the novel, the Empress committed even more cruel and serious crimes but she wasn¡¯t as famous as Arya. In addition, the original Arya Deloraine had a record of using her brain quite well. Finding out a spy inside the Duchy, or dealing with people who were a hindrance to the Crown Prince, cornering them and making them destroy themselves. ¡®But what¡¯s the point?! A dead flag was stuck on her anyway!!¡¯ ¡°Ah¡­ What should I do?¡± Her eyes were reddened by despair, but she looked even prettier with a tearful face. ¡®I should stop looking in the mirror.¡¯ She felt like she couldn¡¯t think straight if she kept looking at that face because even in this critical situation, that beautiful face made her feel like everything would be alright. It was clear she needed time to adapt to her beauty. Looking back in the mirror, a slender beautiful woman with red hair and clear blue eyes was staring at her coyly. ¡°Can you really adapt?¡± ¡®Ah! Listening to it, even her voice is pretty!!¡¯ ¡°Ah.¡± Her sighing voice was also pretty. In order not to rip out her hair in despair, she held the hand that was going up and decided to go down. If Princess Arya caused an accident, you can solve it. Still, it¡¯s quite fortunate that the one kidnapped wasn¡¯t the Crown Prince. It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t return to my old life even if I fall asleep and wake up again, but since I¡¯m stuck here, I¡¯ll do my best to fix things, I have to survive. I hate being hurt the most in the world. But a villainess who dies after being stabbed¡­?! Even if I have to die, I want to die comfortably as if sleeping!! ¡°Absolutely no!!¡± She screamed and looked down at her hand on her chest. Even the hands clenched tightly were very pretty. Her fingertips were red but looked so pretty even though she didn¡¯t put anything on them. As she climbed the stairs earlier, she tried hard to memorize the internal structure of the building. Thus, she found the kitchen without difficulty. ¡°Milady?¡± When she opened the door and entered, the servants in the kitchen looked at her startled. ¡°I¡¯ll take this.¡± ¡°Yes! Of course! You are free to take whatever you want!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I¡¯m not used to talking informally to people who were older than me, however, because of Arya¡¯s status as a Princess, I had to. That way no one would suspect her. Arya smiled moderately and went down the stairs toward the basement, with food and tableware in a bowl. The sound of shoes rang clearly. The lights were lit around. Being careful not to fall, she went down the same way she did on the first day. In the darkest place at the bottom, she felt a human presence. As she slowly pulled the door open, she saw Kylian Rohenbert shining brilliantly even in the absence of light. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Someone who can help you.¡± It was clear that he still didn¡¯t know who she was since she ran away earlier and everyone followed her. Arya opened with the key in her free hand and went inside the bars. Both hands were held together as if he were restrained again. ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± She hesitated for a moment, not knowing what excuse to say. ¡°What¡¯s my name? Why am I here?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± His expression looked as if he knew nothing. However, the original Kylian Rohenbert, unlike his heavenly appearance, had a cruel personality, so she couldn¡¯t believe it right away. ¡°Your name is Kylian.¡± ¡°I see. So what¡¯s the Lady¡¯s name?¡± ¡°My- my name is a secret.¡± Even though it was barely lit, his expression hardened so much that she caught a glimpse of it. ¡°The Lady is the one who brought me here, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She should have said she brought him here, but if she did, he would never trust her in the future. First of all, her goal was: 1- Heal him so he can recover. 2- And let him go. If I¡¯m nice and good to him, wouldn¡¯t he believe that I had kidnapped him by mistake? Besides, it was the Crown Prince, not Kylian, who killed Arya in the original story. Thus, if I treat Kylian well, I might be able to avoid the death flag. Even though she tried hard to convince herself, she couldn¡¯t believe the notion because she remembered how scary Kylian was in the original story. Arya forced herself to smile, but her jaw and body were shaking. As if she had become a deer in front of a lion, her face was smiling, but her cheeks were numb and her eyes stung as she quivered in fear. ¡°I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll help you get better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shall we eat first?¡± As he looked at Arya expressionlessly, she showed him the tableware and meal she had brought. ¡°Before that,¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Help me wash my body.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 4 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 4 She blinked for a moment at the request. Then, she remembered how neat Kylian was in the original. He was a person who liked to be clean in everything. To the point that if he didn¡¯t like something, he¡¯d ¡®clean¡¯ people¡¯s necks too! ¡°No!¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ no, nothing. Sh- should I?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As he stared blankly, she knew what she had to do. She put down the food she had brought and turned to the water in the washbasin nearby. The water flowing out was cleaner than expected, so she took out her handkerchief and soaked it. Then she approached Kylian. Sitting so close, his handsome face became burdensomely visible. ¡°Please be gentle.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡®If I remember correctly, around this time, he must have already broken up with Melina, the heroine.¡¯ Well, now, ex-fianc¨¦e I should say. From the beginning, the two had never met each other properly, and since it was an engagement that the family insisted on, he just checked her identity and passed her over to his younger brother as if annoyed. In the original story, Princess Deloraine kidnapped the Crown Prince. Arya subjected him to all kinds of bad things and coerced him into marriage, and while struggling to escape, he met Melina, who helped him escape, saved his life, and they fell in love. Melina abandoned Kylian, who had been heartless to her and began a new, fresh love with the Crown Prince. That¡¯s when Kylian realized his feelings for her and began to engage in terrifying evil deeds. It was okay when he tossed her toward his younger brother, but his eyes nearly rolled inside out the moment he learned she was involved with his political nemesis the Crown Prince! He went crazy for his desire to have Melina! To the point he became the ultimate villain desiring to take the Emperor¡¯s seat! ¡°Do- do you really not remember your name?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ why am I tied up?¡± Kylian¡¯s vulnerable eyes were truly beautiful. Arya hadn¡¯t looked at him properly, so it was the first time she had peered so closely at his vivid purple eyes. They were as bright as a purple rubellite gem¡­ ¡®It is said he¡¯s a maniac villain, but he truly is insanely handsome.¡¯ If someone told me lavender was melted for 365 days and used that purple color to put it in a diamond, then embedded it in his eyes, I would have believed it. His skin was as delicate as silk, firm and smooth, without visible pores, as if it was baked pottery. And how deadly those lips were, bright red and thick; they contained a bewitching charm that made you swallow your saliva and feel as if time stopped. Even the thick neck and well-placed Adam¡¯s apple. As she swallowed dry, Arya shuddered without realizing it. ¡°Miss.¡± ¡°Ah yes!¡± Clap! She slapped both cheeks and woke up. She had a habit of doing that whenever she needed to come to her senses every time she was possessed by something, and this time it worked very well. Arya came to her senses, took the cloth, and wiped his face. The glaring eyes that seemed to be staring were truly brilliant. The emotions reflected were like alertness and a little bit of animosity. ¡®Well, I would be angry, too. Being kidnapped by an unknown person, and my head was bleeding.¡¯ She wiped his eyes and the bridge of his nose. As she did, her hand gently pressed his soft mouth, and because of the slight movement of his lips, her index finger gently went into and out of his mouth. She moved as if possessed, but somehow she felt a strange rise of energy as if her spirit was recharged. Arya stiffened by the sudden action, and he stared coldly at her. Thus, she diligently wiped his face while feeling drowsy. ¡°What should I call you?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m Arya.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She couldn¡¯t make eye contact with his stare. Whenever they made eye contact, it felt like he was about to eat her, so she was sweating profusely. Her heart pounded loudly. She felt just like a zebra about to be eaten. ¡®No, I have red hair, so maybe a fox? Princess Arya is too pretty for a fox¡­¡¯ ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah¡­ Sir is¡­ too¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At his cold stare, words came out of Arya¡¯s mouth, who wanted to live. ¡°Sir is so handsome!¡± ¡°I see.¡± Then, the glare softened. ¡°Is that why you brought me here?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that, that¡­¡± ¡®I brought you here by mistake, so let¡¯s bid adieu now.¡¯ I wish I could say that! But I don¡¯t think he would leave me alone if I said such a thing. ¡°Ahk!¡± She was sure she had asked for his handcuffs to be loosened, but both hands were still raised. Suddenly, on his wrist, there was a half-painted pattern. While looking at the pattern for a while, she was embarrassed by the hand pressing her shoulder and neck. ¡°Why did you bring me here, Arya?¡± ¡°Th- that¡­!¡± The pressure on her neck was so strong that it was difficult for Arya to breathe. Then, astonished by his frown, she closed her eyes tightly. ¡°Ugh!¡± Eventually, the tremendous force that pressed down on her chest made her open her eyes in pain. As she did so, he was lying on top of her, unconscious. Seeing Kylian¡¯s nose-bleed, he seemed to have fainted from the impact of a punch on the head. The thing was, ¡°Um¡­ ex- excuse me¡­? Sir Kylian?¡± He had fainted on top of her. ¡°Sir Kylian!¡± I don¡¯t know how tall Princess Arya is. However, the original stated that Kylian was over 190 cm tall, and had a muscular body with no fat. That means. [tl/n: 190cm is around 6¡¯2] ¡°Kyaa!¡± No matter how hard she tried. ¡°Sir Kylian! Wake up!¡± If he was lying on top of her like this, she couldn¡¯t escape, as if she had a wardrobe on top. ¡°Sir Kylian!¡± Even if Aria called desperately, he did not wake up. In the end, Velosia rescued her. ¡°You¡¯re lucky to have me, right?¡± Arya¡¯s mood improved as Velosia spoke proudly. She had a headache, probably because she had been crying and screaming while being crushed by Kylian. ¡°Bell¡­¡± ¡°Aigoo~ our Lady.¡± Leaning on her, Bell hugged her familiarly and stroked Arya¡¯s head. A maid stroking a nobleman¡¯s hair? However, it was not so strange, considering that Arya in the original story lost her mother and depended on her nanny and Velosia. Rather, it was understandable that Bell acted like this. To Velosia, Arya was her Master and benefactor who gave her a new life, and to Arya, Bell was like an older sister. Although the wall of status was high, the Duke of Deloraine was also well aware of that part of Arya, so he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Next time you go down to the basement, please go with me.¡± ¡°Mng¡­¡± ¡°My Lady. You¡¯ve gone through so much that you have dark circles under your eyes.¡± ¡°Mng.¡± After wiping her face, Bell took Arya to her room. Then she selected a dress and handed it to her. ¡°Do I need to change clothes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because His Highness the Crown Prince is down there.¡± ¡°No, why?¡± Arya had no strength, perhaps because she had just been tormented by Kylian. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But it seemed urgent.¡± ¡°Ca- Can¡¯t you tell him to leave?¡± ¡°Milady¡­?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Bell was looking at Arya with a puzzled face. The original Arya was a woman that loved the Crown Prince so much that she tried every means to kidnap him. What if such Arya suddenly distanced herself from him? Maybe they would think I¡¯m out of my mind and I¡¯ll be in trouble! If so, after meeting the Prince and pretending to hit on him a few more times, I can pretend to get hurt by the Prince¡¯s cold rejection, so I don¡¯t care about him anymore, and I can tell him to live his life happily far away from me and I won¡¯t see him again! I assume that if I say I don¡¯t want to see him just now, it will be more suspicious. ¡°I, I think I can go out without dolling myself up too much.¡± ¡°Why so?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty no matter what I wear.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Actually, I was too lazy to change. Because the clothes she was holding looked so cumbersome. ¡°I¡¯ll brush your hair a bit. It looks messy right now.¡± ¡°Mng.¡± Sitting in front of the dressing table, Velosia combed her curly hair diligently. The marvelous thing was that as she combed Arya¡¯s hair, the strands fell beautifully. ¡°Do you want me to tie it up?¡± ¡°Just let it go. It¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°Yes, our Lady is pretty no matter what she does.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Arya gained confidence from Bell¡¯s sincere¡ªkind of childish¡ª compliments that boosted her mood. Thus, she headed to the first floor drawing-room. ¡®The Crown Prince was described as a ferocious, good-looking man with silver hair and red eyes. When I met Kylian, it was difficult to talk face-to-face because he was ridiculously handsome. The Crown Prince might be the same, so I have to stay as far away as possible.¡¯ ¡°Fuh¡­¡± After Arya took a deep breath, the servant opened the door to the drawing-room. ¡°Arya?¡± Then she saw a man standing in front of the door. He stood right in front of Arya as if he had encountered her while trying to go out. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Arya looked at Velosia in surprise, and she looked at Arya as if she was startled. ¡°How should I say hi?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I, I forgot how to greet the Crown Prince¡­¡± As Arya whispered, the Crown Prince in front of her was staring at her, narrowing his brows as if he was in a bad mood. ¡°¡¯I see the LittleSun of the Empire¡¯!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? That¡¯s too tacky!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He approached her as if he was offended, and Aria stepped back without realizing it. ¡°I- The Little Sun of the Empire¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time the Princess keeps me waiting.¡± As he arrogantly folded his arms and looked down at her, Arya felt like a herbivore once again. ¡®Strange. I don¡¯t think I have done anything wrong to the Crown Prince yet?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t the one who had been kidnapped, but rather Kylian Rohenbert. Then there¡¯s no reason for me to be afraid of him. However, even though she thought so, as soon as she looked into his eyes, she cringed slightly. She saw the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes and knew. He is angry. ¡°Di-did I do something wrong?¡± ¡°Wrong? Huh.¡± She didn¡¯t know if she had done something wrong, but with an expression that seemed to indicate an attempt to cool his anger, he grabbed her by the arm and threw her down to the sofa. As Arya looked at Bell and screamed silently for help, Bell made a gesture of cheering and closed the door. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Hiiik¨C!¡± Placing himself on top of Arya, he knelt on the sofa and pressed her shoulders down. Perhaps due to such a position their noses touched. ¡°Even like this?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 5 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 5 The sofa in Duke Deloraine¡¯s drawing-room was very soft. Seeing how comfortable my buttocks felt, the cushions seemed to be very good. I might have joked about moving this sofa to my room as soon as I put my rear on it¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for the Crown Prince, who leaned with his knee right next to her thighs, sitting politely, stretching out his thick arms like bars, trapping Arya between them while he growled in anger. ¡°Arya.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t know what you did wrong?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lionel¡¯s hand holding Arya¡¯s chin was large. Perhaps that was the reason she couldn¡¯t turn her head even if she tried. Desperate, Arya deliberately kept her gaze downward. She felt as if she accidentally raised her eyes and met his gaze, she would faint, burned by anger. ¡°I, I don¡¯t know!¡± Arya pushed him as hard as she could to get away from him. But as if her arm was just a decoration, even when she pushed with all her might, he didn¡¯t budge. There¡¯s no reason for a body to be this sturdy! And it was getting harder and harder for Arya to think straight, whether it was because their noses were barely touching, or because they were breathing the same way. ¡°Move, please move.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He folded his arms and stepped back. Then he stared at Arya, his eyes still full of anger. ¡®However, Princess Arya has not yet kidnapped Crown Prince Lionel. If so, this is still before doing something bad and doing anything wrong. Then there is no reason to be so afraid.¡¯ ¡°What brought you here?¡± She whispered to herself not to be afraid, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t look into his eyes. Above all else, the bright red eyes were really scary when angry. ¡°Aren¡¯t you glad I came?¡± ¡°Who would be happy to welcome a guest this early in the morning?¡± As soon as she said those words, her throat felt sore as if swallowing dry. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Besides, Your Highness has a higher rank than me. I can¡¯t believe such a noble person above me will come to visit so early in the morning. This is really uncomfortable and suffocating.¡± If I don¡¯t kidnap the Crown Prince, he won¡¯t kill me. There will be no justification. From what I¡¯ve read, Deloraine Duchy is very wealthy. The Imperial Family needs the Duke¡¯s wealth. Princess Arya was able to get away with her crazy deeds because of the enormous subsidies paid by Duke Deloraine. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t have to tremble like an aspen tree! But Arya¡¯s mind and body were running along separate tracks. She hid her trembling hands behind her back, but her heart kept pounding as if she was going to die. ¡°Did you eat something wrong?¡± Arya pushed him back with all her might, and this time the Crown Prince moved smoothly to the other side and sat down. Velosia brought tea in between. Watching the tea follow, Arya organized the situation in her own head. ¡®Since I caught a black leopard by mistake, the friendly tiger in front of me had to be dealt with as soon as possible.¡¯ It seemed like it would be better to actually give up rather than acting like giving up. Besides, Lionel was good and moral compared to Kylian, and he didn¡¯t do bad things that cross the line. So he was the much easier opponent. ¡®Because I refuse to have both of them aiming for my life.¡¯ Arya refined her voice as much as possible and pretended to be fine. ¡°Yes. I ate the wrong thing and opened my eyes.¡± ¡®The Crown Prince must be sorted out. It¡¯s a pity that he has been suffering for years due to Arya Deloraine¡¯s pursuit but this person is the one who will blow my hair away. And like the male lead, his resolution was very straightforward, no matter how many harsh, evil tricks Arya tried, he never yielded. If so, wouldn¡¯t it be better to keep him farther away rather than being erratic, trying to look good, or being submissive?¡¯ ¡°If you open your eyes, shouldn¡¯t you be nicer to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. So, from now on, let¡¯s not meet privately nor have private conversations.¡± Her voice kept trembling, and she had to speak without even breathing. She thought she wouldn¡¯t be able to put her words out if she did. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°As you¡ª heard.¡± Panicked, Arya swallowed and her saliva went into the wrong pipe. A cough stuck in her throat. Lionel¡¯s eyebrows, which curved up as if displeased, were a pretty platinum shade. Even his eyelashes were dazzling as if they were twinkling in light, and the ruby-red eyes beneath them were so brilliant and beautiful that she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off them even though currently they had an unpleasant expression. ¡°How dare you say that to me?¡± Although it was a class-based society, the Crown Prince still needed support. That was why he didn¡¯t get engaged to Princess Arya, yet permitted her gigantic obsession. And then Arya caused an accident, and while running away from her, he met Melina, who helped him. ¡°I apologize if I was rude. But our relationship wasn¡¯t normal.¡± Then, after all that, he established his position, overthrew Duke Deloraine and confiscated all his property. But in the end, while pretending to hand over Melina, Kylian almost killed him when his guard was down. But that was a matter for later. Maybe it was because he was someone who¡¯d give her a deathly ending, even though she remembered the affectionate appearance of the Crown Prince in the book, Arya couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°Princess. How can you be so shameless?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been this shameless. However, I hope that our relationship can continue only through public affairs that completely exclude private meetings. And¡­ It is not something I can do about my father¡¯s support to His Highness.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t want to be the villain who is executed by the male lead. Please let me go! No, forget me! Let¡¯s say goodbye now!¡¯ Arya thought so while struggling to control her trembling. ¡°Hey.¡± However, the Crown Prince she met right now couldn¡¯t be compared to the friendly and kind male lead she had thought he was while reading the novel. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Do you really have nothing to say to me?¡± ¡®Oh, what is it? Did she do something wrong that wasn¡¯t mentioned in the original?¡¯ She was getting more and more confused. ¡°Yes? What¡­ are you talking about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to say to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Arya looked at him while trying to hide her confusion as much as possible, Lionel¡¯s expression darkened. It was blazing as if the red eyes were burning flames. ¡°I don¡¯t¨C that¨C I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Melina. I will protect you as you protected me. So don¡¯t worry.¡± Where did the person who said that go? Why is this guy who only gets angry at me, the same Lionel Reenasis Kallendia? Where did the man who melted my heart saying all sorts of sweet things to Melina go?! Arya was screaming inside and shaking. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know. If I have committed any disrespect, please tell me! No, please show me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Crown Prince closed his mouth straight and slammed the teacup he was holding. At that, Arya shuddered. Hot tea splashed all over the table, and Bell, who was standing near the door, looked troubled, wondering whether she should wipe it or stay away from it. ¡°This is your last chance. Say it. What did you do wrong?¡± ¡°I¨C I really don¡¯t know¡­¡± Without realizing it, she clenched her fists in front of her chest. Her heart couldn¡¯t shrink and it felt like it was going to roll out and be crushed. ¡°Ha.¡± The air seemed to freeze at the self-sneer. ¡®What did I do wrong? If you kidnapped Kylian yesterday, the Crown Prince¡­ Ah! It was a failed attempt!! Oh my goodness!¡¯ ¡°Ah! I¨C I remembered!¡± ¡°Tell me. I¡¯ll listen.¡± He crossed his legs and folded his arms. Arya stared at the bewitching long legs, and their eyes met. Then Lionel smiled as if it was funny, and her heart, frozen in fear, pounded as if it had become summer in an instant. ¡°Come on.¡± Even with his lips twisted and one corner of his mouth raised, he looked pretty. ¡°Umh, I must have been rude to Your Highness yesterday, wasn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Aha.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ I¡­ umm¡­ wanted to kid- kidnap¡­?¡± ¡°Aha.¡± ¡®That was it! An attempt isn¡¯t all! What do I do now?¡¯ ¡°I apologize. It was because I longed for Your Highness so much. Now that we¡¯ve cleared it up, I won¡¯t do it again!¡± [tl/n: lmao imagine you trying to kidnap your crush and then say ¡°Welp you got me so~ I won¡¯t do it again, cool? Cool!¡±] ¡°What?¡± ¡®I think I gave the right answer, but I can¡¯t figure out why he seemed angry again? Oh, I see. You need a more definitive answer!¡¯ ¡°I¨C I will never approach Your Highness ever again!¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Uh, then, I won¡¯t even try that again! Ever ever! I won¡¯t even come close to your side! I¡¯ll even send a proxy if you call for me! Also, I will live in hiding so you¡¯ll even forget that there are people like me in the world!¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t this it? Please speak up! Twenty questions is not my specialty¡­!¡¯ [tl/n: A game in which 20 questions are asked to guess what the other person is thinking.] She was so exhausted now that she felt her heart would burst from her chest. ¡°I think you didn¡¯t reflect on yourself.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I shall punish you.¡± ¡®What nonsense is this?¡¯ No. If you are a victim, it is natural to react that way. I¡¯m also a victim, too, but for now, let¡¯s be patient. Because I don¡¯t want to die again. It was when Arya was organizing her head like that. ¡°Ugh! Mi- Milady!¡± He jumped up and grabbed Velosia¡¯s arm. Then he looked at Arya with a mischievous smile. ¡°I¡¯ll come back in a week. Until then, write a letter of apology about what you did wrong.¡± ¡°No!¡± Arya couldn¡¯t lose the Bell. She didn¡¯t know about this place, and without Bell¡¯s help, she was sure to be taken for a madwoman. Besides, she didn¡¯t know if she could trust anyone other than Bell! So, when the Crown Prince grabbed Bell¡¯s left arm, she grabbed her right arm and pulled. ¡°Ahhk! Milady!¡± ¡°Let go, Your Highness!¡± ¡°You let go. Can¡¯t you see that your maid is suffering?¡± There was no way she could win a power fight. When Bell was completely dragged by the Crown Prince, she let go of her hand. It was as if she had personally experienced Solomon¡¯s judgment.* ¡°No!¡± ¡°Then reflect on yourself, quickly.¡± ¡°I will reflect on myself!¡± ¡°What are you reflecting on?¡± ¡®¡­I do not know!¡¯ ¡°Uh¡­¡± As Arya rolled her eyes struggling to think of something, he looked at her like he was having fun. ¡°Do you want a hint?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Instead, here.¡± He tapped his cheek with his finger and said. ¡°If you kiss here, I¡¯ll give you a hint.¡± ¡ª¡ª Okay. Where is my smut tag?! The tension is too much! I¡¯m starting to feel bad if he is the sub-ml. I don¡¯t wanna have sub-ml syndrome! Judgment of Solomon: is a story from the Hebrew Bible in which King Solomon ruled between two women both claiming to be the mother of a child. Solomon revealed their true feelings and relationship to the child by suggesting the baby be cut in two, each woman to receive half. With this strategy, he was able to discern the non-mother as the woman who entirely approved of this proposal, while the actual mother begged that the sword might be sheathed and the child committed to the care of her rival. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 6 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 6 ¡°If you kiss me here, I¡¯ll give you a hint,¡± Lionel said, tapping his cheek with his finger, and somehow his lips looked really pretty. Moist and luscious like a ripe peach¡­ ¡°What?¡± ¡°You say you want a hint.¡± Arya didn¡¯t know he was such a brazen person. Besides, he wasn¡¯t even interested in the original Princess Arya. ¡®Why the hell are you doing this? Oh, I see. You¡¯re trying to enlighten me by putting me to shame. No. I¡¯m not Arya Deloraine who will put up with such humiliation.¡¯ When she did nothing and just stood still, he urged her ¡°Come one.¡± He stood in front of Arya, and how tall he was, his nose was right in front of her, and above, those bright ruby-red eyes. Those eyes made her feel ashamed to look at him as if he knew that she was lost in his lips. ¡°Would you like me to let you do it on the lips?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Whether he was offended by Arya¡¯s strong denial, the man¡¯s handsome forehead narrowed fiercely. Attempted kidnapping. That would never be a light sin. However, in the original story, Arya Deloraine kidnapped not just one or two people. And the only reason why she was not punished was because of the great influence of Duke Deloraine. Because the Emperor respected the Duke of Deloraine who took care of messes. On the other hand, the Crown Prince could not ignore the Duke, who first stepped out whenever he needed a support base. Perhaps if Arya Deloraine hadn¡¯t acted like a madwoman, their relationship wouldn¡¯t have twisted this much. ¡°Huh.¡± As if it was absurd, Lionel grabbed her by the chin and then tilted it to one side. ¡°Then.¡± It was dangerous. His face was much more beautiful seeing it up close. ¡°Do-don¡¯t do this¡­¡± Perhaps that¡¯s why Arya¡¯s resistance faded. Their lips were close enough to touch, but it was more embarrassing as the tip of her nose brushed under the classic arch of his nostrils. ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± As if angry, Lionel stepped back from Arya, grabbed Velosia¡¯s arm once again, and said, ¡°It¡¯s enough, reflect on yourself. I¡¯ll at least accept your letter.¡± ¡°No! Why Bell? Take other maids!¡± ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know you only care about this maid?¡± ¡°That, that¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll hurt more than taking ten other maids.¡± Lionel seemed to know on whom Arya relied, perhaps because they had known each other since childhood. ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°Your Highness, let go!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see that your maid is suffering?¡± ¡°Uuhkk! Milady!¡± Arya was pulling her arm, doing her best not to lose Bell. However, it wasn¡¯t easy to pull her since Lionel was on the other side. Then she met the maid¡¯s eyes. The expression on Bell¡¯s face showed pain, so Arya loosened her grip without realizing it. Of course, the side of the person who said she was going to get hurt pulled even more. ¡°Beeeeell!¡± ¡°Milady!¡± As Arya watched helplessly as Velosia was dragged out, she made eye contact with the Crown Prince who looked back one last time as he headed out the Duke¡¯s residence. Her eyes were teary from worry, and his were folded like a half-moon, smiling as if it was fun. ¡®Sorry, Bell, but the one who loves more should let go!¡¯ Arya recalled Solomon¡¯s judgment. She cared more thus she let her go, but she couldn¡¯t understand why she felt so lost. With Velosia taken away, Arya¡¯s situation was not very good. What to do with Kylian, and her life here, which she still did not fully understand, was also a problem. Even if she asked who she was to anyone, those aides were not as close as Velosia. ¡°Milady.¡± ¡°Will you come in if I shout?¡± ¡°Yes, Milady.¡± She had earnestly requested the brown-haired knight, who had given her the key before, to go down to the basement with this and that. When she went down, Kylian¡¯s arms were restrained, a blindfold covered his eyes, and his mouth was muzzled. ¡°Who are you?¡± Arya didn¡¯t know what to say, so she closed the door for starters. Then she opened the bars and moved what she had brought. Just in case he would want to escape she locked the cage door behind her. Once allowed outside as he was, she would be in trouble. ¡°Do you really have no memory, Kylian?¡± ¡°Is my name Kylian?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°This voice is Arya¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She shut her mouth. It was hard for him to remember a name he had never heard before. Arya had kidnapped him by mistake. She even had him caged. It wasn¡¯t something I did, but it was done by Arya Deloraine, the owner of this body. The problem is that I am now Arya Deloraine. No matter how I claim to be a different person, or how different Arya and I are, no one will believe me. The most fatal reason is that this is not the first time Arya Deloraine kidnapped someone. However, the people she kidnapped were mostly insignificant. She never imagined catching such a giant black leopard. ¡°Um¡­ Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­If you¡¯re sorry please remove the blindfold.¡± Feeling somewhat guilty, Arya loosened it. Then, as if pained by even the faint light, Kylian frowned. The purple eyes were so beautiful it was like looking at the stars. As she continued staring without blinking, he returned her stare with his eyes round. Wondering if he was angry, she lowered her gaze and stepped back. A creaking sound came from the chains on his wrists tied behind him. ¡°Arya.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why did you kidnap me?¡± ¡°That actually¡­ mi¡­ mis¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± She tried to say it was a mistake, but as he continued to stare at her, the words didn¡¯t come out properly. She realized, since last time, it was really difficult to tell him the truth. In the end, she uttered some nonsense without realizing it. ¡°I must have kidnapped Kylian because he is so pretty!¡± He relaxed his expression. ¡°I see.¡± He even smiled faintly! ¡®What do I do? I should say it was a mistake¡­!¡¯ But somehow, it didn¡¯t seem like he would leave her alone if she said that. Arya¡¯s lips twitched slightly as she looked at him smiling so sweetly she couldn¡¯t say anything in the end. ¡°Please remove the muzzle as well.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± Her hands were shaking, which made it difficult for her to unplug it. As she trembled, the chain of the muzzle connected to Kylian¡¯s neck creaked. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°Uhk- Yes.¡± He was smiling more tenderly than before, probably because it was funny that she trembled because of him. [tl/n: not judging anyone¡¯s kinks but dude~] ¡°What are all those things?¡± He pointed with his eyes to what Arya had brought. ¡°Food, medicine, and clothes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Um¡­ When I¡¯m done removing the muzzle, I will also release your arm¡­¡± But then she remembered that he had rushed towards her, pressing her body the other day, so she didn¡¯t know whether or not she should really let him go. In fact, I don¡¯t even have the courage to release it because I think he won¡¯t let me go if I do it¡­ If Velosia was here, I would have asked her to do it instead. But she was taken away by Lionel? ¡°Snif- uuhhg¡­¡± ¡°Arya? Why are you crying?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Arya felt somewhat sad as she recalled Bell¡¯s appearance as she was being dragged last time. She felt like she had lost someone to rely on in such a strange place. Besides, I don¡¯t even know what the hell I did wrong! No, it¡¯s not that. If I think of Arya Deloraine, it¡¯s clear that she must have done something wrong, even if I can¡¯t recall anything. But not only do I have to apologize for what she did wrong, but I also have to write an apology for it! ¡°I¡¯m sorry for last time.¡± ¡°Last time?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I treat Arya harshly as soon as I woke up?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± At that time, he pressed Arya so hard that her lower ribs were bruised. ¡®But isn¡¯t this good enough? Who will treat their captors with respect?¡¯ Arya decided to think lightly about the matter. ¡°Th¡­ Lord Rohenbert.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my last name.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As he pondered his last name as if it was unfamiliar, Arya looked into his eyes and said, ¡°May I treat you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When the knot on the back of Kylian¡¯s neck was untied, the muzzle on his mouth loosened. Maybe it was because Arya had both hands wrapped around his neck, suddenly she felt the inside of her wrist warming up. She saw the scar on his cheek looked so severe that she unknowingly brushed his cheeks with her fingertips. Strange. She had no intention of touching him like this, but just touching him made her feel better. Like getting energized. Maybe that¡¯s why, without realizing it, she persistently stroked his cheek with her fingertips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sorry, you should touch it more gently.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t move my hand, but it seems to feel better when Arya touches it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Somehow, his expression didn¡¯t look like a lie. So she stroked him gently as he instructed, and he leaned slightly and rested his face against the touching hand. Kylian may have had it really hard. ¡°Is there really nothing that comes to mind?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The beautiful purple eyes, as if a violet was blooming gently inside them, were calm. The restraints on his neck were also released. To do that, she almost had to lean on him and hug him, and Arya¡¯s ears tickled as he breathed slowly on her shoulder. ¡°Arya seems to have a good scent.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes. I sprayed some perfume.¡± As she untied the restraints from his neck and looked at him, he frowned. ¡°It smells like roses. Do you have one for Lord Rohenbert too?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± It seemed he was staring again, but she couldn¡¯t tell what mistake she had made. All that was left was the restraint on the wrists. But that one was solved fast. ¡°Lord Rohenbert.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If¨C if I release your hands¡­¡± ¡°I will not be as violent as last time.¡± But she couldn¡¯t believe him. He does not know, but the restraints on the cuffs that were filled this time were not as sloppy as the last time. In addition, although it couldn¡¯t be seen from his position, it was a double restraint system. It wasn¡¯t unlocked with a key, it was unlocked by turning the password. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°If Arya is anxious, just stay like this for a few days.¡± He spoke as if reading her heart. Perhaps that¡¯s why she was a little embarrassed because she seemed to have been caught being scared. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Then are you going to treat me now?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll feed you first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She knew that he may not have been eating properly. So, the food she brought was well-cooked bacon, bread, potato salad, soup, and a beautifully made dessert. ¡°Ah~¡± Arya made a sound and motioned at Kylian to open his mouth, and he opened his mouth slightly. She scooped up the soup, blew it, and fed it to him. While looking at the soup disappearing between the moist red lips, she stared intently, suddenly thinking they were as red as her hair. Then she pretended it was nothing and continued to feed him soup again. She put bacon on the bread and fed him, he took small bites. Each time, the teeth exposed between the lips were neat and white, so she kept staring. While feeding him the chopped bread, Arya¡¯s finger brushed his lips. He smiled and ate what she gave with a strange face. Then, after chewing it all and swallowing, he gently bit her hand, which had stopped mid-air. The hand over his lips itched. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 7 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 7 Arya was startled when Kylian bit her hand. But perhaps he didn¡¯t bite on purpose, and the force pressing her hand immediately disappeared. If someone bites your hand, it should itch, but Arya felt somewhat energized. It was strange as she seemed to be filled with energy that was exciting and yet absent. It felt as if it was originally one, but it was split and reunited again. She looked at Kylian as if possessed. ¡°You need to feed me more.¡± ¡°Ah yes!¡± All that was left was dessert. She scooped out a spoonful of chocolate tiramisu and fed him, and he frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it delicious?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it really delicious or¡­¡± ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s delicious.¡± He frowned, but he said it was delicious, so Arya was relieved. ¡°Our chef is good at making desserts. I will bring it more often in the future.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes.¡± It didn¡¯t seem that Kylian particularly disliked sweets in the original story. ¡®Maybe he likes sweets, and he¡¯s pretending he doesn¡¯t because of me. He might think that if I find out what he likes, he can be poisoned.¡¯ ¡°Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Actually¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She was trying to tell the truth this time. Even as his expression softened, she seemed unable to confess that she had brought him in by mistake. When he seemed scary, she couldn¡¯t talk because she was frightened, and when his expression loosened, she still couldn¡¯t speak. Above all else, the person¡¯s eyes were so intimidating. ¡°I don¡¯t want any more.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± He said he didn¡¯t like tiramisu, so Arya put it down and wiped his mouth with her handkerchief. ¡°Ahk-!¡± She couldn¡¯t really tell if it was a joke or not but he lightly bit Arya¡¯s finger through the handkerchief and let it go. Seeing him again, he was smiling. She looked at him stiffly, wondering if she had misunderstood, and then he bit her again over the handkerchief. She unknowingly loosened her hand and dropped the handkerchief, and Kylian bit her hand directly with his teeth. ¡°Ahk!¡± Suddenly, she came to her senses and tried to get up, but her legs lost strength and fell flat. ¡°¡­¡± He seemed to have had fun seeing Arya fall. He was laughing out loud. ¡°Why, why- this¡­ this¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± ¡®But why does it feel so weird?¡¯ Because Kylian was laughing she couldn¡¯t get angry. Rather, she would be the one to pay if angered. ¡°Arya is no good at pranks.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He closed his eyes and smiled as if amused, and Arya was relieved of her anger involuntarily. ¡®Kylian is very handsome. But is it possible to feel better just by touching him because of it? Why does it feel as if I want to keep touching him, and when I touch him, something seems to happen to my body?¡¯ Arya thought about it and then opened her mouth. ¡°Lord Rohenbert.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my name is Kylian?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Then please call me Kylian. It¡¯s confusing.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She was glad that he asked her to call him by his first name because somehow he seemed to be treating her a little more comfortably. Then she realized. Kylian¡¯s arm was already loose. As Arya was startled and tried to walk away, he said, ¡°Actually, I had released myself since the time Arya came in.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Arya suddenly saw the same half pattern as hers through the clothes on his loose arms. ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ ¡°Can you trust me enough with this?¡± Even if she didn¡¯t believe it, there was nothing she could do. But even though his arms were loose, he ate what she fed him, perhaps because he wanted to reassure her. ¡°Sir Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault that I kidnapped Kylian¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m going to send you back¡­¡± Arya hesitated and struggled to continue, and he was looking at her as if it was something amusing. ¡°I don¡¯t have any memories yet.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± That was also a problem. His family, Rohenbert Duchy, was the opposing force to the Deloraine Duchy. But considering what was mentioned in the original story, Kylian¡¯s position was precarious. To the point where it was unknown if he would survive if he returned without any memory. ¡°You- You¡¯d have to go back though¡­¡± ¡®But what if he just goes back and dies? Even if I am forgiven for kidnapping him by mistake, he lost his memory because of me. What if something goes wrong if you forcefully return him to the family in that state?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s terrible. Someone might die because of me. Besides, I don¡¯t know why, but the longer I spend with him, the stronger the desire to keep him by my side. It isn¡¯t my idea, but it is as if someone is forcing the wish to be mine. But it¡¯s in my head anyway¡­¡¯ Arya decided to put aside her useless thoughts and looked at him. ¡°As long as I find my memory and get out of here safely.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend nothing happened.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Hearing something nice, she replied quickly and politely before he changed his mind. ¡°The- Then, shall we move rooms first?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°A better place than here.¡± First, Velosia wasn¡¯t there, and it stabbed Arya¡¯s conscience to leave him there. Above all else, she thought she shouldn¡¯t keep him in the dungeons. He had already seen her face and remembered her name. If he told the Emperor that she had kidnapped him, the fight between factions would only intensify. Arya¡¯s father, Duke Deloraine, would certainly take her side though¡­ Anyway, she had to look good to him. Look well, talk well over it, find his memory safely, and then say goodbye. Wouldn¡¯t it all be something from the past then? That was why it was her room that came to mind. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember anything?¡± Worried ¨Cfor her own future¨C she asked Kylian, and he looked at her blinking prettily. It was as beautiful as a fluttering butterfly, so she looked at it again without realizing it. ¡°Yes. What did you say my name was?¡± It didn¡¯t look to her that he was lying, so as if rote learning, she repeated his identity. ¡°Your name is Kylian. You¡¯re a Duke.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Kylian. You really don¡¯t know why you lost your memory?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. When I opened my eyes, I found myself tied up there.¡± ¡®If you send him back in this state, it will definitely cause problems.¡¯ If the Crown Prince was a friendly tiger, he was a relentless black leopard. In the original, if Arya had any hesitation in killing people, there was no such thing for Kylian. He was a person who mercilessly killed anyone who got in his way, making them disappear and burying them somewhere. Arya didn¡¯t want to die from a leopard bite. If it was the original Kylian, she was even more afraid, because he would kill her even after getting along. ¡®In the end¡­ I would rather catch the good guy. This one is too cold-blooded.¡¯ Arya wanted to rip her hair out, but she couldn¡¯t because she was conscious of the atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Really¡­ Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°It looks like my head is bleeding again.¡± ¡®How hard did you hit your head? I treated you yesterday, but are you bleeding again¡­? ¡­Wouldn¡¯t he really kill me if his memory came back¡­ breaking his head and kidnapping him¡­¡¯ I will die either way, so wouldn¡¯t it be best to try to appeal to the warmth by treating him with utmost sincerity until his memories return? It would only get worse if I told Duke Deloraine. As Arya paled, Kylian looked at her as if worried. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Before she realized it, she was biting her fingernails, and as he gently pressed her hand, she came to her senses. ¡°No. I¡¯ve committed a big crime. I don¡¯t know how to deal with it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If I find my memory and go back safely, I will really erase this incident completely from my mind.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± She grabbed his hand, which was placed on the back of Arya¡¯s. She didn¡¯t intend to, but she intertwined her fingers with his. Trying to calm her uneasy mind, Arya looked straight into his eyes, and he returned to his expressionless face. ¡°Yes. If my memories come back completely.¡± ¡®Oh my gosh¡­ You said you had lost your memory, so what¡¯s with that villain¡¯s face? Is blackness innate?¡¯ She could feel the chatter cooling down. She had a teary face, realizing she was getting used to the chat because of his smile. ¡®Why did I have to be possessed by this book?! If it¡¯s going to be like this, at least I should have been possessed as an Emperor¡¯s only daughter, and being loved regardless of what I do! And why the day after I kidnapped you!¡¯ After she calmed her resentment and made sure that no one was around, she moved with him again. She was fortunate to have left all the people in the main building on purpose. ¡°Sir Kylian.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t use ¡®sir.¡¯¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°When you do it, it feels distant. Arya should take responsibility for me.¡± ¡°Responsibility¡­ Right. Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes, Arya.¡± Whispering to him, she was still watching her surroundings. She left all her servants out, but she didn¡¯t know if they were really gone. Arya had to take him to her room on the third floor, so she had no choice but to watch her surroundings. ¡°We.¡± ¡°Yes, we.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be caught by anyone.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°My room.¡± Arya thoughtlessly spoke and looked at him; his teasing expression had gone, and a slightly surprised expression had settled in. But when their eyes met, he returned to his amused expression again. As he grabbed her clasped hands tighter, Arya¡¯s courage swelled in her mind. As if she could do anything. ¡°So you have to be careful.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Arya was hiding against the wall and made sure there was no one in the hallway, then took his hand, and led him. Deloraine¡¯s mansion was so intertwined like a maze that she had to go all over the floor just to take him. Unexpectedly, perhaps because he had no intention of running away or resisting, he let her drag him well, clasping her hand tightly and following behind. Thus, they easily reached the first floor. And that floor was exactly the problem. No matter how much she told the servants to leave the main building empty, it was lunchtime soon, and Duke Deloraine had lunch at the Duke¡¯s residence before entering the Imperial Palace. It was mentioned several times in the original, so she remembered it. Sure enough, although a little distant, the voices of the servants could be heard. ¡°Bring it this way.¡± ¡°Yes, head-maid.¡± As expected, they tried not to be noticed by Arya, but there was really no way no one would remain in the main building. ¡°Is it calf today?¡± ¡°I heard His Excellency has hired a new chef for the Lady and it looks like calf dishes are his expertise.¡± ¡°Alright, be careful while moving.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It sounded like something was being dragged. She checked the hallway once more after confirming the buzzing sound was moving away. When the sound completely disappeared, there was no one in the hallway on the first floor. ¡®If we go up the stairs after passing here, it will be much easier from the second floor.¡¯ With that in mind, Arya led Kylian into the hallway and, ¡°Milady?¡± The person who seemed to be the head-maid was calling Arya. The head maid¡¯s pin was sparkling in her chest. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 8 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 8 ¡°Milady?¡± ¡°Ahk!¡± ¡°Mi¨C Milady I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± ¡°Us- us too!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As soon as the Headmaid made eye contact with Arya, she turned around and entered the kitchen with the maids. Thanks to this, the hallway was completely empty. Kylian, who was still on the stairs, smiled a little, and she turned to meet his eyes. ¡°Shall we continue now?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Yes.¡± He might find the situation rather amusing. Arya didn¡¯t know what kind of character Kylian in the original was. All she knew was his personality after being engaged to Melina. If he lost his memory, wouldn¡¯t his original personality come out? ¡°Ahk.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t walk well.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± As they walked, he grabbed Arya¡¯s hand and pulled it. Very tightly, as if trying to keep her from running away. Even if his hands were so big, her hands felt very small. Thinking about it, she recalled her own hands on Arya¡¯s body, they were really pretty, like those of a princess. She wore red nail polish, and it was pretty because it was the same color as her hair. ¡°Kylian¡¯s hands are really big.¡± ¡°Arya is rather small.¡± He said while smiling. It was strange that he somehow knew how to smile in a way that was different from the villain she knew. ¡°Why do you look at me like that?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡± Knowing it was rude to stare, she quickly looked away. Kylian pulled Arya¡¯s caught arm and made her look at him. ¡°You can look more.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at the floor.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Without realizing it, she was possessed by him and did as she was told. Their eyes met, and he was smiling so she kept looking. His eyes sparkled like Pluto, and once she met them, it was difficult to avoid his gaze. The mysterious purple hue was so pretty. ¡°Arya¡¯s eyes are like glaciers.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Arya¡¯s cheeks heated uncontrollably as he spoke kindly, unlike what she had read in the book. She felt he was just saying it out of politeness, but still, it was kind. Eventually, both were able to reach Arya¡¯s room safely. ¡°This is Arya¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Yes. You will stay here with me until your memories return.¡± ¡°All right.¡± As he looked around the room, Arya looked into her room the same way. The room that she couldn¡¯t see properly the other day because she was so busy. Expensive paintings were hung, the largest of them was a shining map made of gold. The ruby ??embedded in the center seemed to mark the capital of this country. Pretty roses were placed like the first day. It seemed that the maids picked new flowers every day. Today¡¯s arrangement was different from the one she saw on that day. Small flowers were adorning the sides. The bed seemed to be of the highest quality, and the table, sofa, and desk were all expensive. Above all, the floor was made of white marble. The fancy chandelier glimmered prettily, but it seemed even more beautiful because Kylian was standing under it. He really had a more radiant beauty than a chandelier, even if his clothes were dirty and covered with blood. Feeling embarrassed about making eye contact, she pulled the rope on the wall. Perhaps because she had read the book until a few days ago, she felt strangely familiar even in an unfamiliar room. Knock, knock¨C Within minutes, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Milady.¡± When the maid knocked on the door, Arya didn¡¯t let her come inside, but she went out herself. ¡°Can you find out where Father is?¡± ¡°Yes, Lady.¡± After she dismissed the maid, Kylian and Arya were left in the room. Fortunately, she thought he was okay after checking the wound herself. She couldn¡¯t call a physician, but she was fortunate that the wound wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°Are you planning to hide me here until my memories come back?¡± ¡°Yes, for now.¡± ¡®If you escape before then, I¡¯d be most grateful.¡¯ Arya thought and forced a smile. ¡°Would you mind sitting on the bed?¡± Kylian slowly closed and opened his long, double-lidded eyes, and looked around the room again before sitting on the bed. Then, he stared at Arya¡¯s hand approaching with a cloth moistened with water. It was as if a wild beast was watching a deer. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry!¡± She was startled and dropped the wet towel as she was trying to stop the bleeding over his head, and the towel fell over his eyes. Flustered, Arya hurriedly grabbed it and made eye contact. It felt like she was out of breath. ¡®Someone, help¡­!¡¯ ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Conscious of his words as she slowly wiped his head, Arya pressed the damp cloth against it. Blood dripped bit by bit, even if it was an old wound. ¡°The Princess is quite fearless.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°How could you dare let an unknown man into your room so carelessly?¡± As he grabbed her hand that was wiping his head, his eyes were cold. She thought of answering, but words didn¡¯t come out as she was scared. He, who had just smiled kindly until recently, seemed to be drowning her in his sudden cold change. ¡®What if you say that now that you have lost your memory because of me, you won¡¯t let me go?¡¯ ¡°But you were hurt because of me¡­ I can¡¯t just leave it!¡± She seemed to speak well, except that her own voice trembled badly and she couldn¡¯t convey it properly. Of course, the problem was not just avoiding his gaze but that her hands were shaking, her voice was shaking, and her breathing was ragged. ¡°Did you catch a cold? Why are you shaking so much?¡± ¡°I think so, I guess!¡± Arya looked at him, wordlessly begging him to let go of her hand, and he released her with a grin. She briefly touched the wrist he dropped. She was clearly afraid of his touch, but she had a strange sense of loss as Kylian¡¯s hand fell. However, she couldn¡¯t forget. What kind of man this man was. The reason Melina couldn¡¯t love Kylian was because of Kylian¡¯s brutality. ¡°Your parents¡¯ enemy.¡± Having said that, he handed Melina a gift box. And inside was the head of the man who murdered Melina¡¯s parents. ¡°I have avenged them on your behalf, so will you live up to my will now?¡± ¡°Hiik¡­!¡± As she recalled that scene, her eyes focused on Kylian, who looked at her expressionlessly, and her heart sank. ¡®Maybe he would take my head neatly and give it to Melina. To resolve any misunderstanding that he spent the night with an unknown person as he said.¡¯ ¡®No! Dying horribly in my last life is already enough!¡¯ ¡°Princess, are you nervous?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Arya regained her composure and patted his head, wiping the blood away. Perhaps he had lost a lot more blood than she had expected, the white cloth was completely red and had to be washed again. ¡°Why are you shaking?¡± ¡°I made a big mistake. No matter how much I think about it, to do this to the Duke¨C I think I am crazy.¡± ¡°As far as I can remember, a knight knocked me down.¡± ¡°Ah, did you remember a bit?¡± As Kylian smiled softly, her heart dropped. He was smiling as sweetly as before, but his eyes were cold. ¡°No. Other than that, I don¡¯t.¡± Arya was about to cry, but she forced her tears back. He smiled and his eyes lit up as if he was having fun. Again, she looked at him as if possessed, and he stroked her cheek with his long fingers sweetly. ¡°As I said a few times, as long as I can recover my memories and return safely.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pretend it never really happened.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± At the same time those words fell from his mouth, Arya confirmed that he was no longer bleeding and opened the lid of the ointment jar. ¡°Arya.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the first time you kidnapped someone?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡­¡± She averted her eyes in embarrassment, and he smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I won¡¯t ask any more.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± When she was about to finish, she looked closely and saw bloodstains on his neck as well. So she lowered her head slightly below his head to wipe it off, too. ¡°Did you seduce those you kidnapped before?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Arya was taken aback by his question and stood upright. The bed rumbled and shook. The problem¨C Tuck! His face was right above her head. ¡°Ahkk!¡± Arya was so nervous that her body was trembling, she tried to get up as the bed rumbled and stumbled. ¡°I apologize!¡± ¡°¡­¡± His head was banged hard twice, it hurt so much. He got up feeling something like a lump. ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡± ¡°No!¡± Kylian¡¯s nose hit her head and was bleeding. ¡°Wha¨C what do I do!¡± She was frightened and her body trembled uncontrollably, but she diligently moved very quickly, thinking he might really kill her if she stopped for a second. She kept the nosebleed from dripping with a dry cloth. Then she applied ointment to his head wound. He remained so still, immobile, motionless. It was clear he was angry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Because he was so rigid, Arya¡¯s body trembled uncontrollably, and to make matters worse, she was breathless and felt she was going crazy. At the same time, she was still scared, so her hands wouldn¡¯t stop moving. The way her hands fluttered in the air was so pathetic to even herself. Still, she couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°¡­Pfft!¡± ¡°Duke?¡± ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha!¡± It was clear that Kylian had suffered a serious head injury, seeing him laugh so hard even though it wasn¡¯t a situation to laugh at all. ¡®Oh my gosh¡­ he must be really hurt.¡¯ ¡°I¨C I will make sure to return your memories and send you safely back to the Duke¡¯s residence!¡± ¡°Haha¡­ ha¡­ Yes, please do that.¡± Kylian wiped the tears from his eyes, and Arya was even more afraid. ¡°By the way, maybe I didn¡¯t just hurt my head.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My body has been throbbing again since a while ago, could you check it?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 9 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 9 ¡°My body has been throbbing again since a while ago, could you check it?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Kylian slowly unbuttoned his blood-stained white shirt. Arya was startled by his actions and froze, unable to stop him. So she could see his body very closely. If his face was a masterpiece created by God itself, then the body had fantastic lines with perfectly balanced muscle mass as if a sculptor had carved it over 100 years. A body with very low body fat percentage, with a clear shade of his veins showing. A strong, firm body. ¡°Arya?¡± ¡°Ah¡­? Ah yes!¡± For a moment, Arya¡¯s head spun dizzyingly for a moment, but it felt like her brain was ringing. ¡°Arya has a nosebleed too.¡± ¡°Ahk!¡± ¡°What were you thinking that surprised you so much?¡± Arya¡¯s face began to burn in response to Kylian¡¯s playful remarks. ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Even her ears burned hotly as if she had been caught. Unknowingly, she placed both of her hands against Kylian¡¯s face to stop his bleeding, but that left not enough hands to cover her own nose. So he pushed her hands away. After some time, he was no longer bleeding anyway. ¡°This way we¡¯ll both die before anyone is healed.¡± Kylian rolled up the shirt he had taken off and put it against Arya¡¯s face. ¡°It was the princess who hit my nose, but why does it look like she was hurt more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡®As a kidnapper, I can¡¯t even properly treat him. And in the name of treatment, I hurt him even more. In addition to that, I think I¡¯ve been caught having bad thoughts.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m really ashamed of myself¡­¡± Arya held her breath, fearing that she would be terrified again. ¡®I can¡¯t be nervous. If I behave as if I did wrong, he will lose his trust in me.¡¯ Of course, she did nothing wrong. All flaws were made by the real Princess Arya. But because she was now Princess Arya¨C ¡®I have just died and I don¡¯t want to die again.¡¯ It was all on her and she had to make it work. Because it was she who was alive right now. ¡°We must have bumped pretty hard, seeing how you still tremble.¡± She nodded and endured her shaking as much as possible, and he smiled again. From Kylian¡¯s point of view, it would be nice to see her hurt. Because the person who kidnapped him was hurt by herself. ¡°First, let¡¯s wash up. My hands are covered in blood, as well as my body.¡± ¡°Yes, wash first.¡± ¡°The princess will wash first. I will rest for a while.¡± That was also a problem. Calling the maids in meant Kylian being discovered. Not a regular person, but the kidnapped Duke of Rohenbert in her room. It would have been easier if it had been the Crown Prince. She was in a cold sweat because of Kylian watching her from behind. She slowly turned the doorknob of what looked like a bathroom, and, luckily, there was a bathtub and water supply. ¡°I will wash first then!¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± As I thawed a bit in the warm water, I was able to think more and more. I¡¯m dead. If I¡¯m dead, I can¡¯t return to my previous life. I wanted to pay a lease on a deposit basis for my parents¡¯ store, but my death insurance will come out, so they may buy a store, not just a lease. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Somehow I felt like crying. If I had known it would be like this, I would have eaten the breakfast that I was forced to prepare before rushing out. ¡°Hiiik- uhhhh¡­¡± As I curled up in the bathtub and sniffled, the sound echoed. The sound of my crying echoed through the bathroom and entered my ears again, which made it even more sad. In the past, I used to worry about what would happen if my mother died before me. Like a fool, I never thought that I might die first. I just hoped my parents would forget about me and live happily ever after. I was living well here, so I hoped she wouldn¡¯t worry and have a hard time there. ¡°Hiik- waaahh!¡± Strangely, rather than dying, I was more afraid of that. Because I didn¡¯t want to think of the family I loved, who would remember me and have a hard time. Knock, knock¨C ¡°Ahk!¡± ¡°Arya.¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°N- no!¡± Upon hearing that, Arya came back to her senses and rose up. Her whole body was wet from the water, and cold water droplets dripped from her hair. ¡°Why? Did you get hurt anywhere else?¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t cry, but¡­¡± Arya replied roughly, found her towel and wrapped it around her head. A n¨¦glig¨¦e was nearby, so she came out wearing it, and a blood-stained Kylian was standing at the door. ¡°It¡¯s Kylian¡¯s turn to wash.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Seeing her trembling body as he looked at her, he smiled broadly in his heart. Although he actually didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Arya.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can wash by myself because I¡¯m hurt.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You need to help me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kylian seemed to be right. He had a nosebleed, a broken head and an injured body because of her. He was tied up all day, so his body might not be very useful. It¡¯s not good for your joints to stay in the same position for a long time. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more comfortable to wash by yourself?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s comfortable, I won¡¯t be able to wash myself properly.¡± In the original, Kylian had a meticulous and neat personality. He was such a perfectionist that he had to complete everything perfectly at once. What would happen if he couldn¡¯t properly wash his blood-stained body? Then his bad feelings for her will only grow stronger. Arya thought she shouldn¡¯t refuse whatever he wanted. It was entirely her fault that Kylian was hurt, and no matter how much the responsibility was blurred due to her situation, a person had been kidnapped. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Arya thought she was lucky that she was only wearing a n¨¦glig¨¦e now. If she had worn other clothes, she would have had to take them off now. The pinkish, rhyolite floor was visible again. There was a lot of moisture inside it due to the previous bath. Arya opened the small window in the bathroom, and when she turned around, the clothes he was wearing before were already lying on the floor. ¡°Ahk!¡± As Arya was startled and covered her eyes with her hand, she heard a hoarse breath that sounded almost as a sneer. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± She was embarrassed to open her eyes, perhaps because her face was burning hot. As she opened her eyes very slowly, she saw a towel wrapped underneath. ¡°Now help me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He started to collect water for the bathtub. Thus, Arya, packing the sponge and bath soap that she had used when she washed herself earlier, drew near him. He didn¡¯t even fill the bathtub but sat in it anyway. The water was warm and steam was coming out. Arya rolled her n¨¦glig¨¦e up to her shoulder and squeezed the bath soap into the sponge. ¡°Give me your arm.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As he stretched out his arm, Arya created bubbles within the sponge and rubbed it. ¡°It tickles.¡± She made eye contact with Kylian, who was smiling as if it was funny. Every time Arya rubbed his arm, he felt delighted by the sound of the sponge rubbing and bubbles popping. He had a really thick neck, but when she rode the tip of his right fingers through the hard arm muscles to his neck, it seemed to stand out even more. The muscles and veins in his neck felt so clear. As every time he spoke, Arya faltered in surprise as if about to cry and met his eyes again. It seemed like he was still looking at her, so she had to be careful not to raise her head, even by accident. Kylian also had a really solid left shoulder. His body was muscular in an inverted triangle shape, and it was really firm. Like a swimmer, with straight shoulders, thick arms, and big hands. She marveled again at the body created by God. ¡°Ahk-!¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± As she was rubbing his hand with the sponge he held her hand. Startled, she quickly slipped it, and he laughed as if it was amusing. ¡°Let- let me go.¡± ¡°Yes. It was because Arya looked so serious.¡± Perhaps because he was smiling innocently she felt more shameful. She felt like the only one having bad thoughts. Fortunately, he stopped smiling and climbed onto the lip of the bathtub and sat down. Thanks to that, she was able to wipe his body a little more comfortably. Kylian¡¯s body was visible even underwater, but he looked much better when he came up all wet. The well-divided thoracic muscle was so fierce that you could see water running down like water through a valley. The abs were great too. The six-pack was very prominent, and he was full of muscle, even near his ribs. ¡°Arya.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Do you like my body as much as my face?¡± ¡°Yes. N- no, I mean! That¨C¡± As he suddenly asked, her inner thoughts came out unchecked. He smiled amusingly and touched Arya¡¯s cheek with a wet hand. ¡°I¡¯m glad Arya likes it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kylian smiled widely as if teasing her, so Arya pretended to be okay and wiped her face dry. Then she quickly rubbed the sponge on his back. But the back was more of a problem. Because his shoulder bones were perfect too. Arya thought she might be weak against someone with a nice back. And of all choices, it was wet too. ¡°Ahk!¡± ¡°Oh gosh.¡± His back was so amazing that she lost her mind and had another nosebleed. ¡°Are you okay, Arya?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± She was a little dizzy, but she was looking at him seriously while covering her nose. The foam in her hands clung to her hair. ¡°Arya is dirty, too.¡± For a moment, Arya didn¡¯t understand what he was saying, so she looked blankly. Somehow he sounded as if worried about her yet smiled like a monster. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You need to wash again.¡± Everything felt strange to Arya. Her mind was gone, but she felt so good every time she touched him. She felt as if something that wasn¡¯t hers was flooding in. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 10 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 10 ¡°Arya is dirty too. You have to wash again.¡± For a moment, Arya didn¡¯t understand what Kylian was saying, so she stared at him blankly. He, who spoke as if worried about her, was smiling like a monster. ¡°Pardon? What¡¯s that supposed to m¨C Kyaaa!¡± He grabbed Arya¡¯s arm and pulled her into the bathtub, loosening the towel that was wrapped around her head. The n¨¦glig¨¦e was all wet. ¡°Waahahahhaahha!¡± ¡°Hup!¡± As Arya lay on him, her struggles spurted the water from the bathtub in all directions. She struggled so desperately that he helped her grab the bathtub lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s- it¡¯s no¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Arya looked too serious.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Arya¡¯s clothes and hair were suddenly wet again, but perhaps because Kylian looked happy, she didn¡¯t feel angry. Actually, he was laughing like he was having fun, so she got a little hope that he wouldn¡¯t try to kill her even if his memory returned in the future. ¡°I have to wash again because of Kylian.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wash you.¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh, I have already washed¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you dirty because of me?¡± ¡°All I have to do is dry off the water!¡± ¡°No. You have to wash thoroughly again.¡± ¡®I guess it¡¯s because he¡¯s the type that likes to keep things clean¡­? Well, I washed Kylian, so it made sense for him to wash me too. But in my case, it was my fault, and he didn¡¯t do anything wrong to me, right? Perhaps¡­ Are you trying to build a bond with me because the situation so far is so unsettling?¡¯ Anxiety aroused. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Do you not like it?¡± ¡°No. Then, please.¡± Somehow, Arya felt she should get closer to him and know him better. It was she, after all, who caused this trouble. Kylian was smiling as if he was happy. He was about to get up, so she grabbed the bathtub lip and tried to get up. ¡°Oh!¡± Then she noticed that she had accidentally touched his abs. She was startled and tried to remove her hand, but he grabbed her wrist for a moment before letting it go. ¡°I¡¯ll help you get up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He put his hand under Arya¡¯s armpit and lifted her, and his strength was so great that she was able to stand on her knees. When she finally emerged from the bathtub, her n¨¦glig¨¦e was soaked, with the clinging material leaving nothing to be imagined. ¡°Ah, I¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± For a moment, words did not come out easily. Her mind didn¡¯t think it was possible, but in her heart, there was a strange sense of duty to keep in touch with him. It seemed that she lost her mind whenever she was close to Kylian. In the end, she declared. ¡°As expected, I can¡¯t.¡± She spoke and left. Arya¡¯s wet hair and clothes were dripping water, dampening the carpet. She removed her clothes, wrapped her head in a towel again, and changed into a new n¨¦glig¨¦e. Arya had to leave the room for a while after putting on a comfortable dress. She had many clothes for her to wear, but, of course, there was nothing for Kylian to wear. Thus, she thought of stealing some of Duke Deloraine¡¯s clothes. ¡°Where did you say Dad was?¡± ¡°His Excellency has been absent for a while.¡± ¡°Okay. So where¡¯s Dad¡¯s room?¡± ¡°I will guide you.¡± At Arya Deloraine¡¯s request, the maid smiled kindly and took the lead. The attitude of the people of this mansion toward Arya, a villain without blood or tears, was quite different from what the new body owner had expected. There was something kind and comfortable about them as if they were dealing with a little girl. Arya was able to reach Duke Deloraine¡¯s room without difficulty thanks to the maid, who looked behind her several times while going ahead. ¡°We are here.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± In order not to forget the way she came, she memorized everything she saw as she passed. Although she actually remembered the maid¡¯s face that smiled every time she made eye contact rather than the things she saw. Knock, knock- ¡°Father.¡± As expected, it was quiet as if there was no one inside. She opened the door slightly and peered inside. There didn¡¯t seem to be any signs of presence. So, very quietly, she opened the door and went inside. Strangely enough, the Duke¡¯s room seemed to be the same size or a little smaller than her own room. Same floor. Of course, the rooms were located at the edges of the same floor. Come to think of it, in the original story, it seemed that Arya Deloraine was so loved by the Duke that she even used the Duchess¡¯ room. Even the gold map with the ruby mark on it in the Duke¡¯s room was just like hers. On the tabletop, crudely-shaped embroidery was beautifully folded as if precious. She looked at her fingertips, just in case. Perhaps the original Arya Deloraine enjoyed embroidering. As expected, her fingertips were split like someone who had done a lot of embroidery. She went near the bed, and amateurish drawings were hanging on the canopy. ¡°This, no way¡­¡± No matter how you look at it, it was crude to say that it was drawn by an artist. It was as if an elementary school student were holding crayons for the first time. There were sunflowers, and there were roses. Some depicted red-haired families. And the text below it¡­ ¡®Dear Mom and Dad¡¯ It was clear that the real Arya Deloraine had made those paintings when she was young. Arya came to her senses and went to the closet and opened the door. There she found shirts, trousers, and a uniform overcoat. ¡®Apparently, this place is where you put the clothes you usually wear¡­¡¯ While coming to this room she noticed a lot of dressing rooms. ¡®Come to think of it, there were only simple clothes in the closet in my room. I may have a separate dressing room too.¡¯ She packed a large shirt and pants that seemed might fit Kylian and crept toward the door. The moment she finally reached the door and was about to open it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Dad?¡± The door opened halfway and closed immediately. Someone pressed the door behind her back, and the half-opened one slammed shut. Arya broke in a cold sweat because she didn¡¯t know what to say when asked why she was trying to steal his clothes. As she slowly turned around, she saw a familiar face. ¡°Dad?¡± Crown Prince Lionel entered the room and asked back amusingly while glaring at her, locked in his arms. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how you should call him.¡± She didn¡¯t know why Lionel had appeared, but he looked at her with a disgruntled expression on his face. His bright red eyes were as red as blood, and although they looked eerie, they were pretty. ¡°Your Highness, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°I have something to talk about with Duke Deloraine.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ How¡¯s Bell?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Perhaps because of the fact that Bell was safe, she didn¡¯t think he was such a bad person. Of course, it was sad to lose her strongest ally, but she considered it was because of something she did wrong. He was the male lead of the original story. His personality was perfect and kind. He was so warm to Melina that she had felt touched several times while reading the novel. It was clear that he was acting disrespectfully to her, Arya Deloraine, who was different from Melina. ¡°Is that all you are curious about?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Then he frowned as if something was unpleasant. So, Arya thought hard. ¡®What the hell is it that makes you feel wronged?¡¯ ¡°Any other questions?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­ no.¡± No matter how much she thought about it, there was nothing more to be curious about. Above all, Arya only knew about this place indirectly from the book she had read. She didn¡¯t even know the way to the main building yet. ¡®What do I know, and what can I ask Crown Prince Lioniel?¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say what you did wrong to me?¡± ¡°I, I apologize if I did anything wrong. But¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I do not know.¡± Then he pouted and glared at her more frighteningly. Arya felt her heart suffocating again. She had been experiencing her heart sagging way too often now. Perhaps even as Arya Deloraine, she may not have a long life. ¡°Why are you taking Duke¡¯s clothes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll wear it to sleep.¡± ¡°That?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to see that she was even carrying some pants. He only saw a white shirt on the outside. ¡°Do you like that?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll give you mine, too.¡± ¡°What? No! You don¡¯t have to give me anything.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Because I don¡¯t need it! But his gaze was so powerful that she thought he would twist her head if she said that. To Lionel, she was someone who attempted kidnapping. She didn¡¯t know why real Arya did so many bad things, but she wasn¡¯t in a position to bully him. ¡°I am abashed.¡± In this second life, I can¡¯t be short-lived. Even though I think badly of myself now, too, I can¡¯t help it. ¡°I see.¡± He suddenly took a strand of Arya¡¯s hair and kissed her. ¡°Wh- what¡­!¡± ¡°Your face turned red.¡± He lowered his head as their eyes met at the same level. It seemed like her ears were on fire, but he chuckled quietly as if it was funny that she had turned so red. ¡°Do you want me to take off what I¡¯m wearing now?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Arya unconsciously lifted her head, but he was so close that she lowered her gaze straight to her toes. ¡°Were you always this shy?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Maybe he was laughing at her, but he was laughing again. Recalling the original Arya Deloraine tormenting him, this level of bullying was the blood of a bird¡¯s foot. [tl/n: idiom meaning it¡¯s something so small it¡¯s trivial. She means the original Arya tormented him so much that what he did to her was nothing.] However, she was ashamed and wanted to get out of this place quickly. ¡°What did you come to talk about with Father?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± She wasn¡¯t curious actually. But he was too close, and she wanted to shake him off. Arya pushed his face away with her hand, but it didn¡¯t budge. He opened his mouth like he was about to bite her, and when she pulled her hand away startled, he smiled more deeply than before, looking down at her. ¡°Have a good conversation! I¡¯ll be leaving!¡± ¡°Before you go.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Goodnight kiss.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 11 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 11 Was it because she was trapped between Lionel¡¯s thick arms? It was he who asked for a goodnight kiss, but somehow it seemed like he would give it to her. That¡¯s why Arya turned her head away, feeling pressured to breathe in. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°You asked me to do it!¡± ¡°Will you do it for me then?¡± ¡°No.¡± As she answered firmly, his face approached in the direction she had turned her head. Whenever she saw him, he was a ferocious handsome man. ¡°What is this?¡± This time Arya dodged in the opposite direction, and Lionel was genuinely annoyed. ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this too much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it is because I need to prepare my heart!¡± ¡°Does the princess need something like that?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± She didn¡¯t have the courage to face his glare in confusion, so she kept her gaze away. Yet, no matter how far away she tried to set her eyes, she couldn¡¯t miss his staring as if he was going to eat her up. ¡°Then when will you be ready?¡± ¡°Not ever from now on!¡± ¡°Haaa.¡± Lionel let out a sigh as if it was absurd and lowered his arm. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. There was no way she would be ready for him whenever he came. If she were the real Arya, she would have kissed him right away without the need for any preparation. Not a goodnight kiss, but another type of kiss. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be fooled this time.¡± Relieved by his words as he stepped back, Arya grabbed the doorknob behind her, opened the door, and hurriedly left. When Arya returned to her room, which she had memorized already, a maid was standing in front of her door. ¡°Do¨C do you know where my father is now?¡± ¡°He just left the palace. Shall I tell His Excellency that you are looking for him?¡± ¡°N- no! I¡¯m okay today.¡± ¡°Yes, then, I¡¯ll come pick you up for dinner.¡± ¡°Ngh¡­¡± As the maid smiled kindly and was about to leave her position, Arya hastily spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t come to my room from now on.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Until Bell returns, neither the head-maid nor any other maids should enter without permission, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, milady.¡± ¡®If I say this, they won¡¯t come in. If they think back on the atrocities Princess Arya did, no no one would enter the room if I say just this.¡¯ In the end, no one was allowed into the room until Bell returned. ¡®Earlier¨C I should have asked him when he will return Bell!¡¯ Unable to organize her thoughts, she opened the door and saw Kylian sitting somewhat dignifiedly under the bed. The carpet on the floor was red, and the fanciness seemed to suit him well. ¡°Are you back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Maybe because he had already washed, his condition seemed better. But then she saw him holding a piece of cloth around his neck. It looked like it was bleeding again. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°No. The wound seems to have opened.¡± She took out the first aid kit that had been properly put away, moved a small amount of cotton to the tweezers, and soaked it in disinfectant. And as she shook it in front of him, Kylian slowly removed the cloth he was holding on his neck. ¡°Uhk¡­¡± A long cut remained on his neck, and whenever he swallowed he gagged and coughed blood. ¡°It hurts a lot?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a little itchy.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your head?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She slowly wiped his neck as Kylian spoke to her bluntly, and she trembled as he frowned as if it was painful and itchy. ¡°Do you remember?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± But when I saw you earlier, was there a wound on your neck? ¡­That¡¯s weird. I definitely checked his head and nose, but if there was a scar like this on his neck¡­ I don¡¯t think so. It doesn¡¯t make sense that I didn¡¯t notice such a big wound on his neck, right? No, let¡¯s not doubt it. There¡¯s no way that Kylian would intentionally hurt himself, right? He lost his memory, and he¡¯s very anxious right now. Besides, I didn¡¯t want to, but the perpetrator was me. Arya shook her head, thinking it was a pointless doubt. [tl/n: b*tch run D:] ¡°Does Princess Arya know me well?¡± ¡°No. I wasn¡¯t that close with Kylian.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you send me back right away?¡± ¡°The Duke has a lot of political opponents. If you go back now, it will be a big deal.¡± To such a psycho madman, there was no way he¡¯d have good relationships. An object of terror to his servants, and an object of revenge for others. She wanted to send him back right away, but if he goes back like this, he might kill her later. If he regains his memory, he will take revenge in some terrifying way. In addition, it was clear that he would be in trouble if he returned without his memories. Arya couldn¡¯t do that to someone who had had his head hurt and had no memory because of her. ¡°If you don¡¯t know me, why are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Because I did something wrong. If I hadn¡¯t kidnapped you in the first place, you wouldn¡¯t have been hurt and wouldn¡¯t have been in trouble, would you?¡± Arya smiled as kindly as possible as she wiped his neck. The blood was gradually stopping, but her cotton was already soaked in blood so she had to pull out a new one, secure it to the tweezers, and wipe it off. She put some disinfectant on the new cotton pad and tried to bring it to his neck once more but a hand grabbed her wrist, and purple eyes were staring at her expressionlessly. ¡°Can you tell me who the guest who just came in is?¡± ¡°Did you hear everything?¡± She recalled leaving the window open earlier. Nevertheless, both rooms were located on either end of the floor, though she didn¡¯t think he would be able to hear a sound. ¡°You left the door to the terrace open and I heard it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± All of a sudden, Kylian¡¯s nose came close enough to touch hers, so it was difficult to keep eye contact. She turned her head down so that their eyes wouldn¡¯t meet, and he was getting closer. ¡°Princess Arya.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can you tell me who the guest who just came in is?¡± His face was so close that she bent her body a little. She moved away from the lips that were about to touch, unable to breathe. The purple eyes that she met while withdrawing her gaze were so bewitching that she became honest. ¡°The Crown Prince came.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I do not know. He came to see Father.¡± Then she recalled that Lionel had robbed Velosia. I can¡¯t believe I lost Velosia. Thinking back on it, it was terrifying. There is no one to give me information, and the original story started with a twist. All that¡¯s left are the character settings. The main episode didn¡¯t even start. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t mean the Duke¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling me by title again. Please call me by name.¡± It was strange to insist on his name, but it may be uncomfortable to be called by a title because of his memory loss. ¡°Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Actually, I- Yo, Your Highness¡­¡± ¡®Can I say that I tried to kidnap him but failed? That¡¯s a crime too.¡¯ ¡°Yes.¡± As he stared at her and urged her to continue, Arya was sweating cold, making it hard to breathe. ¡°Actually, I have been following him too much! He came here to warn me that he¡¯s offended!¡± ¡°Is he your ideal type?¡± ¡°Now¡­ he¡¯s not.¡± He was still looking at Arya with suspicious eyes. ¡°I¡¯m weak against beautiful people like Kylian.¡± She didn¡¯t know what the hell she was talking about. However, when she looked into those eyes, the words about beauty came out without her knowing, perhaps because he was as beautiful as a sculpture made by God. ¡°Am I prettier than him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then do you still like him?¡± She couldn¡¯t understand what Kylian was asking, but it didn¡¯t seem like he would let her go if she went against his mood any further. ¡°I do not know. I don¡¯t like it right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t make sense to say that emotions can be sorted out in a few days, but even looking at him now doesn¡¯t make my heart flutter, or if I don¡¯t see him, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡± ¡®Because now I¡¯m a different person. For now, let¡¯s give it up and let Kylian recover well and get him back on track. The goal is to move away from the two male leads, go back to the duchy, live a decent life, and live happily ever after. My goal is to live very, very well. So, for now, I just had to think about how to organize this twisted situation. The original was twisted, but the characters¡­ What should I do? I think the characters are a bit different too. Unlike the original, the Crown Prince has many personality issues. Maybe as the original was changed his personality was ruined?¡¯ While Arya was lost in her agony, Kylian suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± ¡°Oh, I may have been disappointed. He¡¯s the opposite of kind.¡± ¡°Do you like the kind type?¡± ¡°Yes. It was nice to see him being kind and trustworthy.¡± To Melina. Then he became expressionless again. Arya felt uncomfortable because she couldn¡¯t read his thoughts from his expression. She couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking, if he was thinking anything at all. ¡°Why do you like people who give you trust?¡± ¡°Because I wanted to be with him? That¡¯s what being a couple is. Trust each other and depend on each other.¡± ¡°So you wanted to kidnap him because you wanted to rely on His Highness?¡± ¡°I do not know. I think it was then, but not now.¡± Blood had stopped flowing from his neck, so she took the opportunity to gently apply ointment. Throughout the application, he stared at her as if he was going to pierce her face, so she had to be careful not to make eye contact. Because if he didn¡¯t like her for some reason, he might rescind the pledge that he would forget about everything when his memories come back. It was scary, but it was also sad. ¡°I¡¯ll put some bandages on it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± To put the bandage around his neck she had to almost half embrace him. She lifted her arms, placed them around his neck, and then wrapped round and round again, feeling strange as his breath brushed her neck. Goosebumps sprouted and spread from her neck to her whole body. It felt as if cold water had been poured down. ¡°Arya.¡± ¡°Hiik- yes!¡± She was surprised to hear him call her name and lost the bandage. The bandage rolled loose and her hand that was reaching out to grab it was restrained by something. Startled by the cold warmth Arya looked up and saw his hand was holding hers. ¡°What if I do something bad to Arya?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 12 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 12 ¡°What if I do something bad to Arya?¡± ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± The bandage wrapped around Kylian¡¯s neck also loosened and flowed down. She thought she had to wrap it again, but the restraining hand didn¡¯t allow her to move easily. Perhaps because they were both sitting on the bed, the spring could be heard bouncing at the slightest movement. ¡°I don¡¯t think Arya is nervous at all, even though it¡¯s just the two of us like this.¡± Could it be that he hurt his head and became an idiot? In the original, Kylian was the epitome of sharpness and stinginess. The fact that he couldn¡¯t see how afraid she was meant the problem was quite serious. Otherwise, he would not have said such a thing. And she felt strange, as if she could hear him speak directly inside her head as the wrist he was holding was getting hotter. She felt strange just touching him all of a sudden. ¡°Do- do you think so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arya¡¯s body began to tense up as his dark purple eyes glared fiercely at her, like a predator. Her saliva dried up, and her gaze shifted to a different place as she pretended as if nothing happened to keep her voice from trembling. And yet, a strange pounding was squeezing her chest. As if he was ¡®threatening¡¯ her at will. ¡°At first, you said that you brought me because I was pretty, but now you say it¡¯s not that.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that, that¡­¡± ¡°The only place I have is Arya, but Arya keeps trying to stay away from me.¡± Because of what he said, she looked into his eyes again without realizing it. ¡®Are you sure you lost your memory?¡¯ Her heart pounded as she looked inside his pitiful eyes, which were contrary to the appearance of the Kylian she knew. Dreadful. ¡°Duke, no, Sir Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you. Sir Kylian has a fianc¨¦e.¡± That was a lie. Because in the original, he had broken off his engagement around the time Crown Prince Lionel was kidnapped. She thought he would let go if she said so, but his hand continued holding her. He grasped it so tightly that his thick fingers seemed to wrap her hand like a snake. ¡°Then, does the Duke¡¯s princess have a fiance?¡± ¡°Not at all. If I had, I wouldn¡¯t have kidnapped Kylian.¡± Suddenly, she felt the edge of the bed hard against her shoulders as she had been pushed down and fell. ¡°Huh?¡± As her back touched the bed, her hair fluttered. An expressionless face looked down at her between two thick arms, which locked her body like iron bars. The problem was, even looking up from below, Kylian had a perfect face without a single blemish. ¡°Is my fianc¨¦e as beautiful as the princess?¡± Somehow his expression was strangely fresh, as if he could see through her lying. As if he knew he had already broken up and there was no fianc¨¦e. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen her.¡± As Kylian picked up a strand of her hair and kissed it, Arya had no idea what was going on. Drops of blood dripped from his neck and hit her cheeks. The cold liquid that had lost its temperature touched her cheek, making her dizzy, perhaps because of the smell of iron. ¡°What do you think I will do?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re going to choke me to death from the amount of blood falling on my face.¡± At that moment, another drop fell on Arya¡¯s nose. She felt like Rudolph. Rudolph became drunk because of the strong smell of alcohol. She tried to stay away from bad thoughts because he and his face were so close. Fortunately, the smell stopped the bad thoughts halfway through. She felt a little nauseous from the smell of blood. He let her hair go and moved his body. ¡°Pfft.¡± Then he was shaking with his back turned, and Arya thought he was laughing. She looked at him, not knowing why he was laughing, but she decided to give up since she couldn¡¯t understand him at all. No matter how much I thought about it, I felt like I had to get Bell back. Since there was no Bell around, my life was full of situations where I didn¡¯t know what to do. From having Kylian with me in my room, to sending him to the bathroom whenever I change my clothes. But there was a bigger problem now. ¡°If it¡¯s tied at the back, how am I supposed to take it off by myself?!¡± No, if you are a princess in the first place, of course you wouldn¡¯t put on clothing alone, nor would you take them off by yourself! But what if I ask the maids to come in? If I¡¯m unlucky enough, they will find Kylian. What if Kylian is caught? Then the duke will know. The duke loved Princess Arya very much, so he could even kill Kylian in order to avoid any misunderstanding. Then, in the future, Duke Rohenbert may ask about Kylian¡¯s death and cause a territorial war. Then a civil war in Kallendia will begin, and Duke Deloraine and I will be doomed. It had been a while since the territorial wars were stopped, but if they found out that Kylian was dead, the other side could use his life as an excuse to overthrow Duchy Deloraine. In fact, even without sparing Kylian¡¯s life. In return for the territorial war, the duchy could be mortgaged or the commercial district could be taken away. In that case, Duke Deloraine could become a scarecrow with only his name left. The Duchy of Deloraine was fertile and rich in minerals. Also, many fish were found in the sea adjacent to the Duchy. Thus, if you take by force and occupy the territory within the Duchy¡­ There would be no benefit left out. Then, the duke and the princess, who were the major hindrance in taking the territory, will be killed. ¡°No way¡­ that can¡¯t happen.¡± Arya looked at herself in the mirror countless times, stretching her hand behind her back, whining, trying to take her dress off. It was clear that Arya Deloraine was someone who had no flexibility at all. Her shoulder blades were so stiff she felt she would dislocate if she tried to put her hands behind her back. She didn¡¯t know it was this difficult because the maid took good care of her when she wore the dress, but when she wanted to take it off, she was going crazy. ¡®Next time, I¡¯ll wear something I can take off by myself.¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you done yet?¡± Perhaps he was tired of waiting, since she heard Kylian ask as if urging her. He must be bored, too, because she was spending a lot of time struggling in the bathroom. It took a long time for Arya to wrestle while looking in the mirror. She was sweaty, and with her hands behind her back, she started feeling dizzy from spinning around. ¡°Um¡­ Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In the end, there was only one place to turn to for help. ¡°Please help me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A princess who can¡¯t even take her clothes off alone. Of course she wouldn¡¯t think that was a bad thing, but it seemed she might look pathetic. She was a princess who already lacked demeanor. ¡®Nah~ won¡¯t it be easier for him to forgive me if I look pathetic?¡¯ Arya thought so and looked at Kylian, who was smiling as if it was funny. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t know what he was thinking. ¡°What can I do to help you?¡± ¡°Please untie this knot.¡± At the moment she met his eyes, his face returned to expressionless again. Thus she felt even more strange. She felt ashamed because it looked like she was seducing him but if she sleeps like this, she might break her ribs. The clothes were too tight. ¡°I have tried to take it off by myself, but my arm can¡¯t reach it!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She turned her back when she saw him approaching and pulled her long hair aside. The sound of the thread being pulled as he untied the knot with carefree hands. The tightness in her body disappeared with each touch, making it easier to breathe. Every time he untied the knot, his fingertips rubbed against her back, and she felt itchy and strange. There was the sound of the thread being pulled again, but this time his fingertips gently swept across her back. ¡°Aahh.¡± It was a sound she made out of the tickling sensation without realizing it, but it was quite shameful. So she asked him quickly. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s harder to solve than I thought.¡± Arya clenched her fists nervously in case she would let out another embarrassing sound. The thread was pulled taut and then loosened again. His fingers rubbed her back mischievously again, incomparably clearer than the brushing of her hair, causing her to cringe. ¡°Almost done.¡± ¡°Haaa.. Yes.¡± Her back was bare, and she reacted sensitively to the cold hands whenever he touched her with his fingers. Kylian¡¯s hands were cold. When she read it in the book, she didn¡¯t think much and moved on. But now her whole body felt the cold sensation that rubbed her back, causing her waist to rock involuntarily. Besides, he must have been very aware of the coldness of his hands and how sensitively her body reacted to his touch. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been so persistent. ¡°A- aren¡¯t you done yet?¡± ¡°Almost done.¡± Again, the string was pulled tight. Then it was untied, completely loosening the back. The bodice was loose and dropped forward, so she quickly grabbed it. Missing it would cause a lot of trouble, so Arya quickly caught it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking your clothes off?¡± ¡°Oh, I can take it off by myself from here!¡± Arya spoke firmly and held onto her clothes. Then she heard his faint laughter behind her back. She now felt her corset, which was wrapped around her back, completely untied. The cold air on her back cooled her skin. ¡°Ahk!¡± Something cold touched her back, apparently his hand. ¡°You know what? When I was young, my mother liked this¨C¡± ¡°Ugh¨C Co- cold!¡± ¡°She used to write to me.¡± It seemed that he was writing something on her bare back, but she couldn¡¯t concentrate because of the cold and the shivering sensation down her spine. As expected, it was clear that he knew how cold his hands were. A tenacious, cold finger played back and forth on Arya¡¯s back, then fell. But strangely, it felt so good because it felt like energy was flowing inside her. Apparently, she was going crazy. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about what I wrote?¡± ¡®Wait a minute. What do you mean your mother? Did your memories come back?¡¯ In an instant, Arya¡¯s body stiffened. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 13 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 13 She wanted to quickly turn around and look at his face to confirm the truth, but she couldn¡¯t because her clothes would drop from her chest. He sounded like he was trying to hold back his laughter. ¡°No!¡± You said you lost your memory, are you starting to remember things? ¡°You don¡¯t want to know?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s freezing!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll rewrite it for you, so guess.¡± Arya didn¡¯t know whether to do as told or refuse, so she was silent for a moment before speaking. However, she was not in a position to reject his teasing either. In addition, strangely enough, she felt that her body was constantly filled with energy whenever she touched him. So, as her body became more sensitive, she wanted to touch him without realizing it. To the extent that she wondered if maybe she was under some kind of strange magic. ¡°Is there a prize if I get it right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll grant you one wish.¡± ¡°Good! Then go ahead.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Kylian wrote something on her back with his cold finger again, absolutely¡­ ¡°Agk!¡± I absolutely have no idea. It tickled, and she couldn¡¯t concentrate, but the feeling was vaguely itchy-good. ¡°Agh! Mmh I don¡¯t know! It isn¡¯t a letter, right?¡± ¡°You are quick-witted.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, it wasn¡¯t letters?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arya laughed out of the nonsensical reply. But she got it right. ¡°Then grant me a wish!¡± ¡®It would be a good thing for me to have something like this in case you say something else later.¡¯ ¡°All right. What wish would you like to make?¡± ¡°Not now, I¡¯ll ask later.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± As she glanced back, he was smiling prettily. She could see him smiling with an innocent face as if he had no hidden agenda, such that Arya doubted he was the psycho villain she knew. So she should have asked if his memory was coming back, but she didn¡¯t. Kylian unexpectedly smiled beautifully. In the morning, she was forced to hide Kylian in the bathroom and be served by the maids. She couldn¡¯t wear clothes alone, and dressing up was too much for her. ¡°Did you sleep well these days?¡± The duke had red hair and blue eyes just like Arya. If Arya had a cat-like beauty, her father was a heavy handsome man resembling a jackal. He generally resembled a jackal, but his eyes were softly curved. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Arya didn¡¯t know what made him so happy about her sleeping in her room without a hitch. Anyway, the softly curved mouth and eyes looked really good. ¡°Were there any inconveniences?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad then.¡± ¡°Ah. But His Highness took Bell away.¡± ¡®If I ask the duke for help, won¡¯t he help me find her? She is Arya¡¯s favorite and cherished maid in the duke¡¯s residence.¡¯ Arya thought so, then watched as Duke Deloraine opened his mouth first. ¡°I heard,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to His Highness, so wait a little bit. He¡¯s not the kind of person who would normally do that, so it¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°Just my thoughts.¡± ¡®But what were you really talking about? He was angrier after I admitted I was sorry for trying to kidnap him and failed. He¡¯s not just that.¡¯ ¡°Oh- hoh. Why are you pushing away broccoli again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not tasty.¡± ¡°Arya.¡± Suddenly, Arya bowed her head, wondering if she had committed a serious sin hearing the duke¡¯s words. Then he spoke straight away. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat it, I¡¯ll ask them to remove it next time.¡± Until now, he had spoken dignifiedly, and then his unexpected words made her look at him, once more, his eyes were gently curved. ¡°No. I¡¯ll just eat it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t force yourself to eat it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± She quickly grabbed a fork and tried to eat the offending spear. ¡°Huh?¡± Then he took the fork and ate it himself. As she looked up in amazement, Duke Deloraine smiled bashfully and ordered a new fork. ¡°I made a mistake. You are no longer a child. Father is worried about you again, please forgive me with a kind heart.¡± A new fork was placed on the table, which, oddly enough, felt pleasant. ¡°Yes, thank you, Father.¡± ¡°Dad, not father.¡± ¡°Yes, Dad.¡± The dessert was peach sorbet. The duke¡¯s share was a small and compact heart-shaped one, but Arya¡¯s was in the shape of a heart the size of a watermelon, which was disgusting. ¡®Why is only mine so big? Has she ever eaten this much? If you don¡¯t eat it, will they be suspicious?¡¯ ¡°Bring a separate spoon for Arya.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡± The servant took a large spoon to scoop and handed it to her. Seeing that they were accustomed to this, it was clear that Arya liked dessert more than rice. ¡°Dad, I¡¯m about to give up on the Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Keugh! Cough- cough! Cough!! Cough!!¡± ¡°Dad?¡± The duke hit his chest, trying really hard to swallow. Arya wondered if this was such a surprise, so she looked at the servants nearby. ¡°Rea-, cough!!! Really cough- you say?¡± ¡°Yes. Now I¡¯m going to stop trying to get along with His Highness. I know that Dad supports him for the sake of the family. So I¡¯m not going to interfere with that, but I don¡¯t want to run into him.¡± Whether the duke wanted to calm down quickly and continue talking, it was fun to see him beat his chest like a gorilla. ¡°When he came yesterday, cough- did he say anything harsh, kugh?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just tired of him. I followed him because I liked him for a while. But I hated it because there was no progress at all.¡± She remembered how desperately Arya clung to Prince Lionel, as it was mentioned several times in the novel. ¡°Your Highness, my heart is made entirely for you! I wonder what Your Highness will think, what kind of heart will you have, and how will you be today? Please welcome me as the Crown Princess. There is no one more suited for Your Highness than me!¡± ¡®Why did Arya like Prince Lionel? Far from being a warm-hearted man, I couldn¡¯t even find the ¡®ki¡¯ of his ¡®kind and warm personality.¡¯ He¡¯s a good-looking guy, but¡­¡¯ ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Really.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes, I am serious.¡± Each time he asked Arya, his expression gradually brightened. A father is a father, I guess. ¡°I¡¯m so delighted!¡± ¡°I thought you would be happy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to choose a candidate for the groom.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t like that. I want to get married as late as possible and spend time relaxing and having fun until then.¡± She added quickly, seeing Duke Deloraine¡¯¡¯s expression tinged with concern. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of having a lover. But I want to think about marriage a little later.¡± ¡°Right. Let¡¯s do that.¡± Fortunately, Deloraine Duchy was a powerful and wealthy enough family to not sell her daughter for marriage business. ¡°Whoever you bring in, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a commoner or a slave, I¡¯ll accept it, so please tell me if it happens.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Maybe that¡¯s why she thought it would be easy. Like a fool. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 14 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 14 Arya couldn¡¯t avoid the cleaning of her room, so she hid Kylian in the bathroom and let the maids clean up. And on the contrary, whenever they cleaned the bathroom, he hid on the terrace. Judging by the sound of running water in the bathroom, it seemed he was inside. Knock, knock~ ¡°Milady.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You have a guest.¡± ¡®It¡¯s late already, who could be?¡¯ ¡°Who?¡± ¡°That¡­ it¡¯s¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± ¡®What? Why are you here again?¡¯ After clearing her voice to hide her nervousness about the unexpected guest, Arya said, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not feeling well right now. I¡¯m sorry, but please leave.¡± Bell will be found by the duke but in any case, given the character of Crown Prince Lionel from the book, she wouldn¡¯t be treated harshly. Lionel is the male lead! If you do bad things to a personal maid, you will be disqualified as a male lead, right? And above everything else, versions of the letter of apology she was supposed to write to Lionel overflowed the trash can. [tl/n: Small note for future reference: Arya here actually says ¡°do bad things to my lady-in-waiting.¡± This means Bell is more than just a maid even though she was called maid in previous Ch] ¡°I¡¯ll give you one minute.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll open the door and go in in a minute, so it¡¯s up to you.¡± ¡®No, really- what¡¯s wrong with you? Where did the sweet, kind, considerate, gentleman who made my heart flutter in the book go? The kindness that made my heart thump as if honey was dripping from each page as I read is nowhere! Did he have to be kidnapped to learn politeness? Is he acting like this because he couldn¡¯t be kidnapped?¡¯ Lionel¡¯s voice broke into Arya¡¯s misery. ¡°Two minutes!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She had to hide Kylian. Fortunately, the sound of running water stopped, but he didn¡¯t seem to be done. ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡± ¡°Kyaaa!¡± Bang-! Arya reached out to block the door, just as it opened abruptly, slamming into her face. Her body stiffened at the increasing heat and shame filling her face. ¡°Milady!¡± A loud voice that sounded like that of a maid working at the Duchy was heard. Arya¡¯s head seemed to throb more because of the high pitched voice rather than the impact of the door. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you alright, milady?¡± ¡°Hey, why are you standing there? Are you okay?¡± Arya was so ashamed that she wanted to lay down, but then covered her face with her hands, reminding herself that she shouldn¡¯t. Freaking awesome. She felt her nose getting hotter. ¡°You¨C blood!¡± ¡°Your Highness has caused bloodshed. It wasn¡¯t enough for you to break into a woman¡¯s room in the middle of the night, you even wounded me.¡± In a way, if she kept having nosebleeds so often it seemed that she would die of excessive bleeding rather than die from being stabbed with a sword. I hate both! But if possible, I¡¯d rather die at once than die of anemia. ¡°Who told you to stay in front of the door like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing, what if I was in my undergarments? Why would His Highness open the door like that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He rolled his eyes to avoid her glare. ¡®You must have a bit of conscience, Your Highness.¡¯ Arya shuddered at the thought. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡± He took off his gloves and touched her nose, then took a handkerchief from his white uniform and placed it on it. For some reason, she felt like she had become a pervert as she kept having nosebleeds in front of men. As if the blood vessels in her nose were very weak and the blood flowed down freely by just imagining dangerously handsome men who made her nostrils flutter. ¡°I have a headache.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My nose hurts too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Aah, I¡¯m dizzy.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± He seemed truly sorry as his expression darkened. She had no intention of forgiving him even if he said so. Because he took Velosia. And he didn¡¯t even tell what she did wrong and kept complaining. ¡°Your Highness. If you¡¯re sorry, please tell me what I did wrong.¡± ¡°Alright. But¨C you, get out.¡± The maid standing in the back wiggled her hands, but, upon receiving Lionel¡¯s orders, looked at Arya and then left. Staring until the door was completely closed, he looked back at Arya as she opened her mouth. ¡°Now tell me.¡± Lionel¡¯s lips twitched slightly as if she was trying to force him to say something he didn¡¯t want to say, so Arya was frightened for a moment. ¡°You did two wrongs to me.¡± ¡°Two things?¡± Lionel pressed Arya¡¯s nose so tight that her nose wrinkled as if it had been clenched by clothespins. It was strange that the nose kept ringing, but the best way to stop the bleeding was to press her nose. ¡°If you press too hard it hurts like having my ears clogged.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t press hard, it won¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you to press moderately¡­¡± Their eyes met as he sighed while looking at her. His gorgeous eyes shined like ruby, ??and his silky hair, as if made with silver thread, was shining even at night. ¡°You weren¡¯t even drunk back then, so why don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°I banged my head really hard after my return here, so I can¡¯t remember. And I think I forgot something else after hitting my head again because of you.¡± She did hit her head because of Kylian, so she wasn¡¯t lying. Considering that she had a nosebleed at that time, Princess Arya¡¯s body seemed to have very weak blood vessels. Otherwise, there would be no way to have a nosebleed every day. ¡®Come to think of it, isn¡¯t it dangerous to hit your head and have nosebleeds¡­?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one of the two. The other one is up to you. No, I don¡¯t even need to think about it.¡± Lionel swallowed, causing his appetizing Adam¡¯s apple to wobble. The Adam¡¯s apple on his thick neck was almost enchanting. Arya unwillingly stared at his neck and then turned her eyes away at the sight of Lionel staring at her as if about to eat her. Strangely, his eyes were red, and he seemed to be distressed as if he was forced to say something shameful. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Eiiit- choo!¡± Was it because of the nosebleed? She sneezed right into Lionel¡¯s face as if something was tickling inside. Arya was startled and frozen. Lionel let go of her nose and wiped his face. She looked like she was going to die of embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Hooo¡­¡± Lionel regained his temper with a stiff face. Turning over the handkerchief, he wiped her face completely, and the blood stopped quickly. ¡°Come on.¡± He squeezed Arya¡¯s wrist tightly and led her to the sofa. ¡°Should I sit here?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± So she sat down as instructed. He stood in front of Arya. One of his knees was raised on the leather sofa and placed next to her body. She felt like she could touch him, so she pulled back but Lionel¡¯s large hand placed on her shoulder stopped her. Like this, while she was frozen looking at him, he drew closer¨Cenough to feel each other¡¯s breath. As she looked at him wondering what he was doing, he stared at her intently. ¡°You still don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± His brow furrowed. Before long, both Lionel¡¯s hands were placed on Arya¡¯s shoulders. Then Lionel¡¯s hands slid over Arya¡¯s shoulders, sweeping her cheek, tickling her baby hair with his fingers, and stimulating her earlobe, and her body shuddered. A dull and strange sensation made her shrink. ¡°Even like this?¡± ¡°Y- yes¡­¡± Lionel¡¯s face looked even worse than before. Arya didn¡¯t know what to say, so she stared blankly at him, and his expression softened. ¡°Did your head hurt a lot?¡± ¡°Yes. It hurt a lot, but I¡¯m fine now.¡± He reached out his hand and stroked the top of her head, which caused the lump to throb. ¡°You have a bump here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch it if you know. It hurts.¡± He smiled threateningly with a mischievously twisted smile on his lips. For Arya, whether it was Lionel or Kylian, their smiles were terrifyingly beautiful. ¡°Why do you look frightened?¡± ¡°Do I?¡± ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ve never looked at me like that. I wonder what the hell happened to you.¡± ¡°No! You must have seen it wrong!¡± Arya was getting more and more anxious at the playful rubbing of their noses. ¡®Why the hell is this guy doing this?!¡¯ She was both confused and afraid, feeling that at any moment his lips would brush her nose. There was even a faint scent of blood mixed in. ¡°You kissed me that day.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was my first kiss.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?!¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± ¡°No way that happened!¡± ¡®Nothing matches the original! Lionel¡¯s first kiss was, of course, Melina. But without realizing it, I stole their kiss! That¡¯s why you kept looking at me as if our lips would touch!¡¯ The absurdity of the situation made Arya lose all courtesy and common sense. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t that happen?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ That, because¨C!¡± ¡°You jumped at me first.¡± ¡°You are lying, right?¡± Judging by the speed at which his expression grew cold, it wasn¡¯t a lie. Thinking about Princess Arya¡¯s love for the Crown Prince, it was a plausible story. But the princess couldn¡¯t express her love in a normal way? She used to say she loved him, but as he didn¡¯t believe her she locked him up and became the main suspect. Yet she clung to him saying he loved him. ¡°You said to me. Said you can¡¯t live without me. But if I didn¡¯t accept you this time, you¡¯d really give up.¡± ¡°Yes! I give up.¡± ¡®Even in the original, that was a lie! You said you¡¯d give up, and then you kept him imprisoned!¡¯ ¡°Says who?¡± The breath he exhaled reached her cheeks and warmed them. She felt a strange electricity on her lower back, pushed her face away and covered her lips with her hand. ¡°It is true that I was indifferent.¡± ¡°Please keep being indifferent!¡± ¡°No. After you said that, I realized, too. I didn¡¯t know because you were always clinging to me, I like you, too.¡± ¡°I no longer¨C kyaaa!¡± At that moment, Arya¡¯s fingers covering her mouth were bitten. She pulled her hand away, startled, and Lionel laughed amused. ¡°If you¡¯re sulking, I¡¯ll understand. I used to be a little mean.¡± ¡°It- it¡¯s not it! I really! Please stop! Our¡­ oh¡­ just! Let¡¯s just end it and live our own lives!¡± You¡¯ll be fine with Melina anyway! After a bit of suffering from a broken heart, you¡¯ll find the female lead! ¡°No. It¡¯s already too late.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± ¡°So the second thing you did wrong, tell me quickly. To be honest, I will forgive you.¡± Seeing that the first thing was an unacceptable mistake, the second was obviously a major bomb. ¡°I¨C I don¡¯t know!¡± She wanted to cry that she had forgotten, but the words stuck in her throat and tears welled up. ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°Bu¨C but I¡¯m not¡­¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°There are still five days left, so write your apology letter.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t.¡± After giving a firm answer, Lionel turned around and left the room. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 15 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 15 She heard the sound of water again. It looked like he was finishing washing after the Crown Prince left. What if he catches a cold? No, more than that, doing that to the Crown Prince. My head felt like splitting in two because there was no mention of it in the original. Originally, Lionel was the male lead meant only for Melina, wasn¡¯t he? He wouldn¡¯t be distracted by Arya so why¡­ Could it be the original twisted so much after I fell into this world? Is it possible that Arya wanted to kidnap him but then kissed him, and then kidnapped Kylian? ¡°Ah¡­ my head hurts.¡± Arya shook her head, looking at the shelf in front of her bathroom. There were the duke¡¯s clothes that she had taken for Kylian to wear. ¡°The shirt is too big.¡± ¡¯Let¡¯s not think about it. Forget it. Nothing happened just now!¡¯ Arya tried on the large shirt over her negligee to forget the shameful and absurd thing that had just happened. She wondered how big it was. She buttoned it up and giggled at her stingray-like appearance. The most interesting thing above all was her beauty. A face that was pretty from any angle. She was a beauty out of this world. Excited about the surprising view that made her feel better every time she looked in the mirror, she fluttered her arms. In contrast, as she acted excitedly, she felt as if the shameful incident had been forgotten a bit. ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Aaak!¡± It looked like she was doing something embarrassing in contrast. ¡®Why do I keep accumulating shameful incidents?!¡¯ Arya pretended nothing was wrong and changed the subject skilfully. ¡°You should call me Arya, too!¡± He said that he didn¡¯t like being called by title, so it was weird he called her by her title. Kylian laughed. A handsome man with drenched black hair approached her with a seductive smile. As he neared dripping water, Arya realized he didn¡¯t have a towel. ¡°There were no towels inside¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He was wearing the same pants she had seen earlier. Arya found a towel and handed it to him as their eyes met. ¡°Perhaps because of the wound but I lack strength.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ then, how can I help you?¡± Kylian smiled kindly. He had his usual cold expression, but when he smiled like that, Arya felt like her heart would sink. It was frightening. ¡°Would you mind wiping the water off?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She gently wiped his face with the towel. His warm breath tickled her arm, but she ignored it and wiped his neck and chest. Then she put the towel on his head and pressed it tightly. She felt rather strange thinking of a puppy she had raised in the past while touching him. The only difference was that, unlike the puppy, who stayed still, Kylian flinched a little when her finger rubbed against his collarbone. Even more strange was that the feeling that passed through her little finger made her feel better unknowingly, and her body trembled. It was clear that she was so scared her body was no longer responding normally. ¡°You¡¯re all dry.¡± ¡°Then give me the clothing.¡± ¡°Ah yes.¡± As she lowered the towel, he touched the shirt she was wearing. Remembering the embarrassing thing from before, she deliberately looked at him blankly. Then he began to unbutton the shirt one by one. He unbuttoned the top of the shirt Arya was wearing, fluttered his thick eyelashes, then looked up at her, his eyes asking for permission but she ignored him. Suddenly, Arya looked at his hand. For some reason, the same pattern she had on her left wrist was clearly stamped on his. ¡®What does it mean? Is it related to me?¡¯ She shook her head. ¡®Although he won¡¯t end up with his partner, he still has one so let¡¯s not think about it.¡¯ ¡°By the way, did you say you remembered your mother earlier?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have your memories come back?¡± ¡°No. I only remember that part. Maybe if I do something that I¡¯ve done in the past, I will gradually remember.¡± ¡°Oh, I guess.¡± Slowly, one by one, the buttons were loosening. The progress soon passed Arya¡¯s upper chest and was going down from her belly to her lower stomach. His hand didn¡¯t touch her at all, but she felt like it was tickling her. ¡°Princess Arya seems to have a good scent.¡± ¡°Well, I had a nosebleed just now.¡± ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Holding the last button, he lowered his head. He was trembling and holding back his laughter, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what was so funny. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that I didn¡¯t mean it that way?¡± ¡°Oh, so what did you mean?¡± He unbuttoned the shirt and pulled it off her. It felt like the cool air was touching her skin, perhaps because one layer had been peeled off. ¡°You got wet.¡± Kylian was standing right in front of Arya, so she had to look up at him. Water dripped from his wet hair and hit her face. He drew near and swept the droplets that had fallen on Arya¡¯s cheek with his fingertips, and she looked at him as if possessed. It was difficult to take her eyes off him because his face was even more exquisite and dazzling up close. The deep-purple eyes shone more vividly up close. It created the illusion that it smelled like lavender. ¡°Princess Arya has very pretty eyes.¡± She was amazed that he had the same thoughts as her. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Sir Kylian¡¯s eyes are prettier. Maybe because it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen purple eyes.¡± ¡°Does Princess Arya prefer red eyes?¡± ¡°What? Oh, do you remember what the Crown Prince looked like?¡± ¡°Yes, just that part.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Thinking about it, you seem to have an unusual relationship with the person you were talking to.¡± There¡¯s no way he couldn¡¯t have heard the conversation from the bathroom. Thinking so, she felt ashamed again. Because the crown prince spoke of how she went and kissed him. What would the image of Princess Arya be like for Kylian? She kidnapped him, brought a strange man into her room, hit him in the head, and made his nose bleed. And whenever he touched her, her body trembled in ecstasy. ¡°Because we¡¯re sorting things out.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be a good image of her. Who would like a kidnapper? Surprisingly, he hadn¡¯t attempted to escape. Maybe he will wait a little longer and try to run away. ¡°Have you ever been a couple?¡± ¡°Not at all. More like unrequited love. I liked him very much.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Uh, umm, as much as the sky and as much as the earth?¡± There was nothing to compare it to, so she roughly glossed over it, and Kylian stared at her coldly. But when their eyes met, he smiled as if it was nothing. Even without his memories, a villain is still a villain. ¡°You said you like kind people?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty kind, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He hadn¡¯t fully buttoned his shirt, so his good figure was still visible. His moist chest and nape were beautiful, but the cut on his neck still looked painful. ¡°Even if Princess Arya kidnapped me, I said I would forgive you if I recovered my memory.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°And you hit me in the face and made me bleed, but I didn¡¯t get mad.¡± ¡°Aah¡­¡± ¡°And I¡¯m being obedient when you hide me and I don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ oh¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± Arya didn¡¯t know why he suddenly brought up this topic. She awkwardly scratched the back of her neck and smiled bashfully as he smiled with his big eyes. His sharp eyes without double eyelids were truly fascinating. ¡°Aside from being kind, what is more important to you?¡±¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Do you like white hair?¡± ¡°I think the Crown Prince has more silver than white hair. It¡¯s grayish.¡± ¡°. . .¡± His faint smile disappeared and reappeared again. Arya added hastily, frightenedly. ¡°But it¡¯s too flashy, so I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯m more narrow-minded than I thought.¡± ¡°If His Highness proposes to you, will you marry him?¡± ¡°No? I want to live alone as long as possible.¡± This time, his expression definitely changed. He stared at her with a frown unable to hold a smile properly, it felt so intimidating that she choked. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m still heartbroken!¡± This person¨C seriously, every time his mood is like this, the chatter gets colder. If she felt like Lionel would chop her head, with Kylian it was more like he would burn her alive. She was terrified. She had to contemplate whether every little action was life-threatening. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°When will the wounds of your broken heart heal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was a long unrequited love, so wouldn¡¯t it take long?¡± It was stressful to keep eye contact so she replied while looking at her toes, and heard him sigh. Or was it more like sneering at her ridiculous words? Perhaps because she knew he would be dumped and cry over Melina she didn¡¯t feel bad at his mocking. Actually and truthfully, she was scared and felt bad, and there was nothing she could do. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 16 ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 16 Arya was having a strange dream. Whether she really adapted as Princess Arya Deloraine, she had become her even in her dreams. It was her at a very young age. ¡®Mom!¡¯ Her hands and feet were really small, and she was running, pulling up her flowing skirt. Maybe she was covered in tears, her vision was blurred, so she couldn¡¯t see properly. ¡®Mom, don¡¯t go! Mom!¡¯ No matter how much she ran, the distance didn¡¯t narrow. It was disappearing right in front of her, but her speed didn¡¯t increase. ¡®Mom! I was wrong! Mom! Mom!¡¯ It hurt as if her heart was falling apart as the woman left without looking back. The bag she was holding in one hand was large, but as if it was nothing, she strode away from her. ¡°¡­ess!¡± An unfamiliar low voice was heard. ¡°¡­rya¡­ ess¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t hear the words properly because a high-pitched beeping sound was ringing in her ears. As she struggled to open her damp eyes, her vision was as blurred as in the dream. So, after blinking a few times, she could see where she was right now. ¡°Hyaaa!¡± ¡°Princess Arya!¡± Thanks to the person pulling her hand from behind, she was able to keep from falling. ¡°Uh, what, why¡­ what, what is this?¡± She was sure she had fallen asleep on the sofa, but now she was on the railing of the terrace. Startled by the suddenness, her legs trembled, and her stomach churned as she felt as if she was about to fall. ¡°Come here, Princess Arya!¡± Arya was able to come to her senses at the sound of his urgent call. She slowly turned her body in the direction he was leading, and he pulled her. Because of this, he was unable to withstand her weight, and Arya fell to the floor with a thud. ¡°Arya.¡± Arya didn¡¯t know when she started to cry. Perhaps because of it, her face felt colder because of the wind. She thought she was going to freeze at any moment. She was gradually finding stability in the hand patting her back. Her breathing was so rough that it felt like someone else¡¯s. ¡°I, why¡­¡± ¡°Arya, are you alright?¡± ¡°No. I¨C why, why was I about to fall?¡± The fear gradually melted into his gentle hand patting her on the back. As the cold wind brushed past her cheeks, her heart felt like it was beating louder. Kylian¡¯s chest seemed to be also thumping as he hugged her, but it was probably her own heart. It was really strange, her body was tense, but just touching him calmed Arya¡¯s mind a little. Enough for her to notice it. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Princess Arya walked to the terrace, so I followed you, and you climbed up to the railing.¡± Suddenly, she remembered the time she had dinner with Duke Deloraine. ¡°Did you sleep without any problems yesterday?¡± And on her first day here, she was asleep on the bed with her arms and legs restrained. ¡°Is this, perhaps, sleepwalking?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it seems like it.¡± The dark, restraining orb marks on her ankles seemed to sting. Even if she had changed inside, was it like this because of the memories left in the body? ¡®That¡¯s why the servants gave me such a reaction when I told them not to come near here!¡¯ Right then, everything seemed to fit the puzzle. ¡°It¡¯s probably not good to sleep separately.¡± Saying so, Kylian took her hand and led her to the bed. Arya couldn¡¯t think very well, and it was only when they reached the bed that she came to her senses. ¡°I cannot share a bed with a man whom I¡¯m not married to.¡± ¡°Then I will sleep on the sofa.¡± ¡°The kidnapper should sleep on the sofa!¡± ¡°The kidnapper almost died. I¡¯ll have to keep her safe until she sends me back.¡± He kindly gestured for her to lie down, so Arya climbed up with a bitter expression on her face. He smiled and told her to lie down. So she lay down, looking into his eyes. He looked around and brought a chair to the bedside and sat down. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°. . .¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep during the day, so Arya must sleep now. While I¡¯m awake, I¡¯ll help you sleep safely.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s scary.¡± When she unintentionally uttered those words, the real fear began to increase. ¡®What if I try to jump off like I did before?¡¯ What Bell had said was only now beginning to make sense. ¡®There must still be restraints under the bed, should I take them out and tie myself down?¡¯ ¡®No, those restraints are no longer in the room because I asked the servants to take them when they were cleaning the room.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve been sweating a lot.¡± Saying so, Kylian carefully removed the hair that was attached to Arya¡¯s forehead. Then he brought a cloth soaked in water. He wiped her forehead with the damp cloth, looking somewhat worried. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why is that? I¡¯ve kidnapped the duke, made you lose your memory, and even gave you a nosebleed.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s because Princess Arya is so beautiful that it makes it difficult for me to think rationally.¡± He was the ultimate villain, and it was clear that he was really good at lying. It was true Princess Arya was pretty, but when she thought about how he would fall in love with Melina and lose his mind, she couldn¡¯t believe what he was saying right now. This man was a madman. Only for Melina. ¡°Can I hold your hand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Afraid to say no, she reached her left hand to him, and he clasped it tightly with both hands, sharing his warmth. Maybe for that reason, for the first time, she was trying to make this fake other¡¯s life feel like her real life. ¡°What if I have another nightmare?¡± As their hands were touching, there was an illusion that energy was transmitted through his hand. She thought maybe it had something to do with the pattern. Still, she couldn¡¯t ask. She didn¡¯t know much about it, and Kylian said he didn¡¯t remember either. ¡°I¡¯m by your side, so dream all you want. I will comfort you if you wake up.¡± ¡°And what if Kylian gets hurt?¡± ¡°What if I get hurt a little?¡± As he smiled, Arya could see the scar on his neck. ¡®Weird. Why is the wound on his neck still bleeding even after days have passed?¡¯ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Even after confirming the bleeding had stopped and bandaged, it didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She took a breath and asked him, trying to calm her nervousness. ¡°Is the wound on the neck caused by Kylian?¡± His curled, silent lips were chill, scarlet and bewitching. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and answered. ¡°Who knows.¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking. Does the princess really think I did it?¡± ¡®You didn¡¯t? Am I uselessly suspecting someone? However, I don¡¯t think there were any injuries to the neck on the first day?¡¯ Arya was confused. ¡°Arya kidnapped me, but why would I do that?¡± She trembled slightly, startled by his gentle touch. Then his finger tickled her cheek and touched her hair as if teasing her. ¡°I know it¡¯s shameless to say this.¡± ¡°. . .¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really remember the day I kidnapped Kylian. So I don¡¯t know how this happened or why it happened.¡± Arya spoke in a calm voice, but her back was trembling because she was afraid of Kylian. ¡°Because you can¡¯t remember doesn¡¯t mean it goes away.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was a little unfair, but objectively, she was in a situation she shouldn¡¯t. Telling him she was being wronged would be truly a mistake. ¡°Are you sorry for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then let me sleep next to you.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± ¡®Why? Why would you want to sleep in the same bed with your kidnapper?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand, so she just stared at him, confused, and he smiled. ¡°Did you know? To me, even if Arya is a kidnapper, the only person I can rely on is you.¡± ¡®Oh, so, is that why you are being so nice to me?¡¯ ¡°Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you trying to run away?¡± That was very strange. Normally, if you¡¯re kidnapped, you should start thinking about escaping, right? But why do you listen to me? Even when the crown prince came, he calmly hid in the bathroom. Why? She couldn¡¯t understand why he listened to her so well. ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± In the original story, Kylian was an ambitious villain trying to kill the Crown Prince and get Melina back. ¡®Is it really because he lost his memory? I mean, you really lost your memory, right?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t control the questions that kept popping up. ¡°Me, kill Arya?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you try to escape?¡± Right then, his cold fingers grabbed Arya¡¯s lips and stretched them out, so she couldn¡¯t open her mouth. ¡°Whhmmmmhh??¡± ¡°You look like a duck if I do this.¡± He held her lips with his thumb and index, and let go. He brushed her with his fingertips, and for some reason, she couldn¡¯t shake them off. ¡°Arya is so sloppy. I could run away at any time.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°And as Arya said, it could be dangerous to go back like this.¡± While he continued, Arya felt cold perhaps from the cold night air. Was that why? She was about to fall off the railing just before, but now the cold was more vivid. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she closed her eyes tightly. Her heart was calming little by little as a gentle hand stroked her forehead. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything. I¡¯ll help you fall asleep next to you.¡± I am the kidnapper. He¡¯s a victim. I shouldn¡¯t refuse the favor I get from him, the real victim. And it¡¯s clear that this person is doing this to me because there is no one to turn to right now. Arya thought so and courageously opened her mouth. ¡°Come here.¡± She moved onto the pillow next to her and tapped where she had just been lying. Even though she had just moved to the side, the unheated bed was cold. The chill felt from the sheets and blankets seemed to make her body colder. ¡°Princess Arya has a very warm body.¡± ¡°Kylian is cold.¡± She watched him get into bed and pull up the covers. When he turned to Arya, his eyes were cold again. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± He smiled as his eyes met Arya¡¯s. She was getting scared because the smile didn¡¯t seem real. However, as she was sleepwalking, it was dangerous to fall asleep alone. ¡®What should I fear more, sleepwalking or Kylian?¡¯ But does it make sense to start feeling better just by touching him right now? ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Kylian laughed as he looked upon Arya¡¯s face as she slept soundly unaware of the world. He waved his hand before her face, wondering if she was truly sleeping like this, but her closed eyes didn¡¯t move. Her face, with her eyes closed and breathing evenly, was as beautiful as an angel¡¯s. Bright red hair and eyelashes, and sapphire eyes that would show whenever she opened her eyes. Nothing in her displeased him. ¡°Such a defenseless princess.¡± He climbed atop Arya¡¯s body and locked her inside his outstretched arms. Already closer than before, he moved closer still without hesitation. His face was an inch away from hers. ¡°Princess Arya.¡± Feeling her relaxed breathing, he felt a covetous urge to swallow those lips. He gently touched her mouth with one finger. It seemed he would fall for that remarkably strong sensation. ¡°Mh¡­¡± ¡°Nnng- princess¡­¡± The princess¡¯ lips moved gently, and she sucked on the finger that was touching them. Kylian, feeling the sensation, just stared and forgot to pull it out. His heart gave a hard thud as he saw a half of his finger being pushed through the gap between her wet, red lips. ¡°Princess Arya.¡± When she didn¡¯t wake up even when he called for her, he didn¡¯t want to pull his finger out. ¡°Arya.¡± As he touched her, the black spots on his wrists grew brighter and throbbed as if resonating with her. The more he touched her, the more he felt his power grow. Thus, far from taking his index finger out, he inserted the middle finger and tried to grab the sucking tongue with two fingers. At that, Arya smacked her lips like sucking candy. An unbearable impatience grew wild inside Kylian. ¡°Arya Deloraine.¡± He pulled her tongue out between her luscious lips, revealing his fingers glistening with saliva. Smirking, Kylian said, ¡°My Arya. My princess.¡± Then, with his free hand, he lifted her arm and overlapped it with his. When the patterns touched, a bright light appeared and a strange bead-like shape formed. He moved the pattern back into Arya¡¯s arm and looked down at her. ¡°You are very patient, Princess.¡± With a satisfied smile on his face, he decided he had to continue with this life a little longer. Kylian placed an ear on her chest, listening to the sound of her heart beating. Thump- thump- thump- He smiled unaware as he liked the faint but pleasant sound of the beating heart. Kylian hadn¡¯t been kidnapped. Furthermore, he had regained his memories. Therefore, Arya Deloraine, who was flustered and at a loss because she didn¡¯t know what to do with him, was just too amusing. Because the Arya Deloraine right now was acting as if she was a completely different person from the rumors. Kylian just needed a place to hide and avoid the venomous snake-like Melina Lechner after completing the engagement annulment papers. Fortunately, he witnessed Arya trying to kidnap Lionel, so he bribed her henchman and took his place. However, he truly didn¡¯t remember when he was hit in the head the first time. Although he recalled when she was talking about his ex-fiance¨¦. So hateful. A snake-like person he wanted to kill immediately, but couldn¡¯t. Melina Lechner. Kylian had to infiltrate Deloraine¡¯s mansion anyway. So, he thought it was fortunate that he was lucky enough to take the place of Lionel and become Arya¡¯s guest, the real power in this mansion. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to send Kylian back!¡± She said, with a voice and an expression that seemed sincere. He thought she was rather entertaining, even though he came in for a job. It was also the first time he didn¡¯t feel bothered by someone¡¯s touch. Moreover, he thought it was no coincidence that his family¡¯s orb had been shared with her. It looked as if it was randomly absorbed in search of its owner. ¡°Arya.¡± He smiled again and looked at her, her lips still holding his fingers. The two broken bead-like patterns on their wrists were originally one orb. That¡¯s why it acted as if it wanted to be reunited again. He didn¡¯t know if she had strong self-control, or if she didn¡¯t know any better, or was it that she ¨Cwho was rumored to have slept with a lot of men¨C had become indifferent. Because a side effect of the broken orb would have appeared as physical desire. He wanted the orb to merge so he could control her, but she didn¡¯t covet him. That alone was truly remarkable. Her soft lips felt good. This was obviously due to the broken orb. He felt the same way as Arya. Just touching her made him feel good, and he wanted to touch her even more. If he didn¡¯t get it, he felt like dying. In fact, if you kept the pieces of a broken orb and stayed away from the other half for a long time, you would die. He knew he couldn¡¯t retrieve it immediately. It took strength to bring the orb back together. But when the two touched each other, it seemed that the orb was gradually growing. Fortunately for him, this life was more enjoyable than he expected. Arya, being startled and opposing him at the same time, was an amusing sight to watch. He thought it wouldn¡¯t be that bad to observe a little more. He decided to keep the orb for a while longer. Knock, knock¨C knock knock knock!! knock knock knock knock!!! ¡°Ah, stop!¡± ¡°Hurry up! His Highness is here!¡± Arya was fed up with having to dress up early in the morning. The reason was that the Crown Prince, who seemed to have nothing else to do, had come and been waiting since dawn. He was obviously crazy. Arya had to get up early because the maid who took care of her in Bell¡¯s place had awakened her frantically. She made sure her Lady was up and tried to take her into her bathroom, but Arya hurriedly stood in front of the maid. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me go inside the bathroom? I need to clean it.¡± ¡®This maid must be Bell¡¯s friend. She doesn¡¯t come around because I told her not to, but every time I see her, I¡¯m bombarded by her nagging.¡¯ ¡°If I said no, then don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yes, Milady.¡± Kylian was probably sleeping in the bathroom. He couldn¡¯t sleep at all last night because of me. Surprisingly, Arya¡¯s body felt refreshed, perhaps thanks to sleeping with him. It was as if she had slept with a bamboo wife*. [*A pillow made by weaving thin strips of bamboo, which a person holds or rests his/her head on to keep cool during summer night sleep] In addition, it was very comfortable. He was the blackened villain who wouldn¡¯t be interested in her. Nothing much would happen between the two of them. Because he was limited to being Melina¡¯s madman. ¡°I¡¯ll do your hair in half a ponytail.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to make it pretty, I¡¯m only meeting the crown prince anyway.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re meeting His Highness the Crown Prince I have to make you pretty!¡± ¡®Could it be that she¡¯s truly Bell¡¯s friend? How can you say similar things and act like her?¡¯ Arya sat at the dressing table to get her dress and hair done by the energetic maid. Although Duke Deloraine said he would support Arya¡¯s will, he was chatting downstairs with the Crown Prince, glad he had come. It might be a good thing from the duke¡¯s point of view. His precious only daughter, who had been in love with him for a long time, was finally being noticed. But no one could know what would happen when Lionel meets Melina. Thinking about it made Arya feel sorry. For Duke Deloraine, and herself as well. ¡®Let¡¯s not do anything in vain, I¡¯ll be leaving anyway.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s done, Miss.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Even though her hair was only tied cutely in a half-ponytail and a headdress was placed on top, Princess Arya¡¯s face was fantastically beautiful. There were sapphires embedded in the headdress and the earrings, and the combination with her clear eyes was a work of art. ¡°Woah¡­ so pretty.¡± ¡°Of course! Our Lady is the most beautiful in the empire!¡± It was clear that Velosia had not uttered just empty words. The way I looked in the mirror was unfamiliarly beautiful. So beautiful that no amount of compliments would suffice. ¡°Shall we go down now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Arya got to the drawing room, Lionel approached her with something in his hands. ¡°Take it.¡± It was a bouquet. The red roses were so big and gorgeous that they didn¡¯t fit in her arms. The bouquet¡¯s decoration seemed to be jewels, and she pondered for a moment. No matter how rich the imperial family was, this was quite luxurious. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°What else? I have brought a marriage proposal, so I had to do this much.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± She looked for the duke, who she thought would be nearby, but he was nowhere to be seen. ¡®Did you know that this was bound to happen and left your seat in advance?¡¯ If the Crown Prince had told the duke that she had kissed him, he might think that her declaration giving up Lionel wasn¡¯t sincere. ¡°I said I brought a marriage proposal.¡± ¡°I still haven¡¯t told you what I did wrong, so how can you propose to me?¡± ¡°I can listen to it later. This is more urgent.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Arya was momentarily dazed by the bouquet and drowned in the strong scent of roses. Strangely, she didn¡¯t hate it because the scent was pleasant. ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If we kissed, we should take responsibility for each other.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon? Your Highness, were you such a rigid-minded person? It was just a kiss!¡± ¡®I¡¯m sure Melina and Lionel kissed a bunch of times before marrying, right? Why is the original story so twisted from the beginning, and why is the crown prince doing this to me just for kissing?¡¯ ¡°Just a kiss? It was our first.¡± ¡®Princess Arya was the first? That¡¯s so cute, but your first kiss was with someone whose throat you¡¯ll slice open!!¡¯ Arya let out a silent scream. ¡°Just forget it! I mean, I tried to kidnap you!¡± ¡°I forgive you for that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forgive me, please punish me. I don¡¯t think engagement is the way.¡± Arya broke into a cold sweat. She felt like chopping her ears off then plucking her eyes out and cutting her nose off. ¡°It¡¯s already late. The duke has decided to accept the proposal I gave him.¡± Oh, for god¡¯s sake¡­ ¡ª¡ª Chapter 18 Chapter 18 ¡°Did you receive a marriage proposal?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I received one.¡± Lionel¡¯s bright red roses were still on the sofa. Arya glanced at the bouquet again without realizing it and then looked at Kylian. At once, she noticed his cold expression. ¡°Duke?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you decide to call me Kylian?¡± Noting Kylian¡¯s cold voice, Arya quickly picked up the meat and put it in her mouth. After that, he sighed and continued to eat. Arya felt she was very fortunate. Her body was about to melt from the pressure he gave off. ¡°Kylian, eat well and you¡¯ll be better soon.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t keep living in fear. I hope you get well soon and disappear!¡¯ Arya smiled and hoped eagerly. ¡°Do you want me to get well soon?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you want me to leave?¡± Why did he ask a question with an obvious answer? ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Arya wanted to say no after hearing his pained voice, but she stopped because she thought she shouldn¡¯t do it. ¡°You kidnapped me, and you want me to disappear after using me?¡± ¡°What? No!¡± ¡°Then why do you want me to leave?¡± ¡®Because I am afraid of you killing me!¡¯ But she didn¡¯t have the courage to say it out loud. She was nice to Kylian because he had amnesia. Even so, she still didn¡¯t know when he would recover his memories and threaten her life. If someone knew how Kylian was in the original story, they would definitely act like her. ¡°Because Duke Rohenbert will be looking for you?¡± ¡°Then if he didn¡¯t look for me, would you like me being here?¡± There was no way Duke Rohenbert wouldn¡¯t be looking for him. He was Duke Rohenbert. His political enemies within their family would prepare a dagger to attack him anytime. Among the elders of the Rohenbert family, there were people who supported Kylian. ¡°Even so, going back would be better¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± His expression was unusual, so Arya had to add. ¡°I thought you would resent me after you regained your memories.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve achieved a lot of things, you shouldn¡¯t get in trouble because of me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And your fianc¨¦e will be waiting for you!¡± Of course the last one was a lie. He was in the process of breaking off his engagement when she kidnapped Lionel. And by the time he would be released, he had already broken off his engagement to Melina. As of now, the break up should be finalized. At the beginning of the original story, Melina lived with Baron Lechner. So she might not know Kylian was here yet. Maybe in a few days, she might have heard the news. Even if Melina knew, she might not do anything. At this point in the original story, she also felt very uncomfortable with Kylian. It took Kylian quite a long time to realize her feelings. Melina would be less likely to go out looking for Kylian, so at least one less person wouldn¡¯t care about her actions, right? As Arya was agonizing, Kylian said, ¡°Then if there is no problem in the plan and no one is waiting for me, it would be better for me to be here.¡± Arya was thinking about Melina and had to turn around because she didn¡¯t know what to say. Perhaps it was because of Kylian¡¯s unexpected words. ¡°First, eat all of this. I don¡¯t feel good if you¡¯re sick.¡± Her expression softened as she said so. ¡°Yes.¡± For a moment, Arya¡¯s pinky gently touched his lips, so he felt good again. How did he become such a hopeless person? Arya felt sorry for him and had to sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s take a walk so perhaps you can recall your memories.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She didn¡¯t know how the memories would return, but it would be good for Kylian and her if they came back soon. It would be best to do something to remind him of it. ¡°Well, I¡¯d like to go over there,¡± he said, pointing to the maze in the duke¡¯s mansion. That was the real Arya Deloraine¡¯s maze garden. Originally it was only a passage leading to the basement, but Arya had added a maze to it. The maze was built with grass walls and was finely made. And it was designed to make it difficult to come out once entered. It was almost like a Minotaur Labyrinth. She had a hobby befitting a villain. She forgot about this fact for a moment. ¡°It may be hard to get out if you go in there.¡± Arya didn¡¯t want to go, but he smiled as if he didn¡¯t care at all. ¡°If we¡¯re lost, I can climb up and look for the way back.¡± Was Kylian always this active? Or did he become curious because he lost his memory? Arya somehow became afraid and shut her mouth without realizing it. ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to go in there to remember.¡± His red lips curved into a smile. ¡®Can¡¯t we not go inside?¡¯ Will he try to kill her there? Arya looked at him as if she was troubled. But he added, ¡°If it¡¯s hard for you, I¡¯ll go alone.¡± No, even though it was a maze, they were still inside Deloraine territory. Maybe he said that because he really wanted to go. If she went there and hurt herself a little she might be able to pretend to be seriously hurt and pay off her debt. That way, they would be in debt with each other, and there would be an excuse to use later. Arya tried hard to think positively and spoke as if she had decided, ¡°Okay.¡± Let¡¯s get hurt a little bit! ¡°Would you like me to go alone?¡± ¡°No! Let¡¯s go in together.¡± At Arya¡¯s declaration, he made eye contact with her and gave her a disturbing smile. Her heart sank again. Arya thought her heart would be in tatters at this rate because of this guy. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to go into the maze at night.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, next time¡­¡± ¡°Please hold my hand.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She saw Kylian¡¯s guileless face and his hand slowly reaching out. If Arya hadn¡¯t known who he was, she might have been deceived by that face and readily done anything at his bidding. ¡°My hands are sweaty.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Ah, she¡¯ll have to find another excuse. ¡°You might hate the smell.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± His hand might be uncomfortable. Did he insist on doing this because he was afraid of her running away? Maybe he¡¯ll really try to kill her there? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be uncomfortable to hold hands while walking?¡± ¡°No.¡± Why was he so determined? ¡°Princess Arya, please protect me. This place belongs to you right?¡± ¡°But who said it would be scary?¡± ¡°Arya seems to be afraid of night.¡± ¡®¡­You¡¯re scarier than the dark.¡¯ But Arya wasn¡¯t a fool to say that aloud. She answered with a smile, pretending innocence. ¡°Yes¡­ Yes. Anyway, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± Arya held his hand with the intention of letting go in case of emergency. Again this time, she felt better after touching him. It was as if she received an energy that she didn¡¯t have before. Perhaps that was why Arya clasped her fingers without realizing it and held his hand more tightly. The more she did, the more a faint current flowed into her and seemed to energize her body. ¡°You¡¯d better get closer.¡± ¡°W- why?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be easier to get around that way.¡± Arya believed him so she held his hand and remained close to him. They were so close that their shoulders grazed with each step. As they reached the entrance to the maze, Kylian said while holding her hand tightly, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. What¡¯s going to happen inside?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ is that so?¡± Arya¡¯s heart pounded as soon as she reached the maze, she didn¡¯t know whether it was due to fear or her expectations. In the original story, Lionel showed a strange ability after escaping from Deloraine¡¯s mansion. At first, he couldn¡¯t heal his injured body because he couldn¡¯t use his ability properly. Then, while receiving Melina¡¯s utmost care, he manifested that ability and became a healer. Surprisingly, even though it was a fantasy novel, healers were very, very rare. Therefore, those who could use divine power were transferred to the Holy Land regardless of their origins and lived there. ¡°It¡¯s only the sound of an owl, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I know!¡± She was frightened not only because of her expectations. Kylian¡¯s mysterious smile was also frightening. She wanted to escape this situation so badly that her hand became cold. It was as if her cold hands said, ¡®Even if I let go of his hand and run away, I will be caught.¡¯ ¡°Come a little closer. It¡¯s dark.¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to stay inside the mansion if it was dark at night? But Arya could not ask that. How could she ask such a question as his kidnapper? ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and go back, okay?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you want my memory to come back?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°As we walk a little, I feel like I recall something.¡± Arya couldn¡¯t tell if he told the truth or not. Above all, it was so dark that she couldn¡¯t see his expression well. Nevertheless, she could see his purple eyes clearly. She was mesmerized by his sparkling eyes. ¡°Oh dear.¡± Arya looked at him in amazement as he stopped walking. The moonlight was bright, and Kylian¡¯s expression in the moonlight was bad. ¡°I¡¯m dizzy.¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± Arya stood in front of him and peered at him anxiously. He leaned his head against her shoulder. The weight was less than she anticipated, but she felt itchy because his hair touched her face. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m very dizzy.¡± She couldn¡¯t tell if he was being truthful, but she couldn¡¯t coldly brush off anyone who was sick. Anyway, she had that kind of position right now. Arya had to stand up properly so as not to fall over because of his increasing weight. ¡°It¡¯s all right, lean on me.¡± Arya patted him on the back with her hands when suddenly, a faint laugh passed by her ears. He wouldn¡¯t have laughed in this situation. She must¡¯ve heard it wrong. ¡°You¡¯re very kind.¡± It sounded sweet, but she knew she shouldn¡¯t be fooled by his praise. In the original story, his compliments didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t kill her. ¡°You don¡¯t refuse to come out this late at night, you let me lean on you, and you hold my hand.¡± Arya wanted to let go of his hand as she had a strange thought when she felt his hair on her neck. However, she banished her misgivings because she thought she shouldn¡¯t think too hard about a sick person. ¡°It¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I feel like I don¡¯t have to recall anything when I¡¯m with Princess Arya.¡± He can¡¯t say that. Please go back, Duke! Or ¡­ she can run away. If she ran away, she could say she didn¡¯t remember anything, and if it didn¡¯t work, she could run away from the duchy! She screamed internally and tried to speak coldly. ¡°But I think it¡¯s better to find your memory. There will be a lot of people waiting for you. There are probably people who can¡¯t sleep because they¡¯re worried about you.¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t have a memory, I think it¡¯s better for Arya to worry about me than those people.¡± Even though he lost his memory, his intelligence was intact. Somehow, she couldn¡¯t win against his arguments. That¡¯s right, from Kylian¡¯s point of view, he didn¡¯t even remember them, so it was natural for him to rely on her. But it was not normal to be attached to the kidnapper. However, if she pointed out that it was not normal, wouldn¡¯t he retaliate later? She had to carefully choose her words. Arya had no choice but to be kind and comfort him. ¡°Don¡¯t avoid me, Princess Arya,¡± he said as he slowly raised his head. Looking into his eyes, she felt as if time stopped. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Kylian¡¯s shimmering purple eyes shone brightly, and she couldn¡¯t think clearly after seeing that. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far.¡± ¡°How about convincing me every time that happens?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t give him any certainty. Even if he had no memory currently, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t not remember what happened if he recovered his memories later. Arya didn¡¯t want to experience the retaliation for making a useless promise. Kylian was a scary person, a very cruel person in the original. If she makes a false promise to him and fails to keep it, he won¡¯t let it go. ¡°Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you still dizzy?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Arya stroked his head because she couldn¡¯t think of a way to change the subject while he continued to lean on her shoulder. His black hair slipped through her hands, and the soft touch felt pleasant. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to look around the maze. You¡¯re sick.¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Then Kylian hugged Arya¡¯s waist. Oh no. Even though she felt better, she seemed to be hot. Arya was nevertheless scared, if she needed to go into the maze, she was willing to carry him. The owl hooted outside, and it was so dark that she could barely see the moonlight. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Arya was relieved that he answered meekly. Eventually, they had to stop on the way to the maze. However, it was also too dark to go back right now, and Kylian seemed to want to rest. In the end, Arya held his hand and led him to take a break. ¡°By the way, you seem to be good at avoiding the servants¡¯ eyes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was actually written in the novel that Deloraine¡¯s servants never went out at night. There was a rope to call them just in case, but even then, it was inside. They never walked outside. Princess Arya¡¯s dangerous and terrible hobbies were kidnapping, confinement, teaching, discipline, and brainwashing. She was kind to the servants in the mansion, but they were used to acting as servants without eyes and ears. ¡°Why did you make a maze?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Kylian¡¯s smile was so wide that Arya had a bad premonition. ¡°They say you hide something valuable in the maze.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you wanted to go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Perhaps because he lost his memory, he really had a different disposition from the psychopathic villain in the novel. His personality shown in the original story was cold-blooded. ¡°I think the princess is unique.¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you seem wary of me, but you are also relaxed. So I don¡¯t know how you feel.¡± It seemed that she had unknowingly made him uneasy. Maybe that was why he observed her so closely like that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll really try to make Kylian feel safe from now on.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He asked as he leaned his head on Arya¡¯s shoulder. He was taller than her, but he seemed to love leaning on her. Was he comfortable? ¡°Console me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ how should I console you?¡± ¡°Hug me.¡± Perhaps because Kylian acted pitiful and weak, she felt sorry for him. If she thought about it in another way, if she had been kidnapped and lost her memories, she would also rely on her kidnapper because of anxiety. This kind of anxiety was difficult to resolve, so she needed to assure Kylian felt safe while she helped to recover his memories. ¡°Come here.¡± Arya stopped walking and pulled his arms. He relaxed his body and hugged her. Arya couldn¡¯t support his weight so she fell to the ground but strangely, it didn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± It was unexpected that he suddenly hugged her, but she couldn¡¯t push him away, considering his feelings. ¡°Princess Arya.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stand up suddenly and hit my nose.¡± ¡°It was a mistake! I had a nosebleed then, too.¡± Maybe he was joking so he laughed. Even though it was dark outside, he kept his eyes on Arya¡¯s red lips. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll feel better for a while.¡± As he spoke, she gave him a pat because she thought she couldn¡¯t be so cold-hearted. After being comforted by Arya for a while, he asked to go back. ¡°Where are you going today?¡± Kylian asked Arya, perhaps because she had been stuck in the bathroom since morning, and when she was ready, the servants told her to have a safe trip. ¡°How do I look today?¡± ¡°Pretty. So, where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m invited to a tea party.¡± ¡°Whose party?¡± ¡°Lady Eastin.¡± ¡°Lady Baroness Eastin.¡± He glanced at the invitation in her hand and read the name printed on the corner. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When will you return?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡± ¡°So how soon will you come back?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Arya thought he would be bored in the room alone, that¡¯s why she thought he was like this. It was no wonder, all she could see around the room were books, and books didn¡¯t seem to interest him very much. ¡°Kylian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you want to paint?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I thought you might be bored alone.¡± She was being honest, but he laughed out loud. However, Arya loved how his red lips smiled beautifully, so she watched him in awe. ¡°You must be nervous about me being alone.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re hurt because of me, but I didn¡¯t even remember.¡± As they looked at each other, Kylian smiled ever wider. Seeing that, she also smiled wider with excitement, as she was going to meet a friend for the first time since she came here. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about me, come home early.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Arya.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Just as she was about to go, he called her name. And standing closely, he looked down at her face. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Suddenly, he kissed her cheeks, and her face turned red as if it was about to explode. But come to think of it, a kiss on the cheek could be considered a greeting. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be back!¡± Arya left the room as if she was running away. She couldn¡¯t forget the feeling of his plump lips touching her cheek until she got on the carriage. As the coachman departed, Arya¡¯s body moved with the carriage movement. There, she had to try her best not to show her nervousness to the maid in front of her. ¡°Are you all right, my lady?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± However, Arya¡¯s face was already as red and hot as the midsummer sun. Not only was her face hot, her ears and neck were also hot. Then suddenly, she had an uneasy thought. Kylian was nice to her because he didn¡¯t remember anything. But when his memory returns, he may retaliate against her from his shame at what he had done. Now he was doing this to her because he didn¡¯t remember and he¡¯s anxious, but what if he recalled his memories¡­? ¡°Lady?¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°You look pale.¡± ¡°I-it must be motion sickness. Thank you for asking.¡± She shouldn¡¯t have thought about it that hard. When she thought about it, her thoughts became complicated, and she burst into a cold sweat because she was afraid for her life. ¡°Did you hear the news, Princess?¡± Arya didn¡¯t have anyone to ask, so she didn¡¯t know which party to attend. Kylian also had lost his memories. So, among the various invitations sent, she chose the tea party of the highest-ranked Count, Eastin, and she was receiving more attention than the host, perhaps because she was a princess. It was a scene that was not mentioned in the novel, so she thought there was nothing to be careful about. But Arya was tired of the situation. ¡°Pardon?¡± Lady Eastin was talking endlessly about something to Arya with her eyes sparkling. The problem was that her words seemed to be aimed at her, and not at the other nobles. It was very uncomfortable because the host acted as if she was only talking to her. It seemed as if Lady Eastin¡¯s main interest was to attract Arya¡¯s attention. What was even more weird was that many nobles at this party seemed to be fine with it. All eyes were on Arya as if she was the star of this party. When Arya said she would drink black tea, everyone decided to drink black tea. On top of that, when she sat down with a bored look on her face, Lady Eastin immediately changed the topic to another one and repeatedly and endlessly talked. ¡°The black tea that the trader recently brought in is unique, so it tastes softer when you drink it with milk.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Would you like to try it?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± When she agreed, the servants came in at the call of Lady Eastin and poured the drink into a red porcelain cup. Then, the milk from a small measuring cup was mixed with it. ¡°Thank you.¡± Arya pulled her most elegant expression and smiled, and the face of the servant pouring the tea turned red. Arya could understand why. She thought it would be similar to how she felt when she looked in the mirror. ¡°Oh! Princess!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t heard the news, have you?¡± ¡°What news?¡± Arya answered. It wasn¡¯t interesting at all, but when Eastina spoke, her expression became noticeably bright. ¡°The Duke of Rohenbert has disappeared!¡±