Chapter 7. It Was the Moonlight’s Fault!
It was the moonlight’s fault! No, maybe it was the starlight? Or perhaps the sound of the valley stream echoing more clearly in the night made my brain stop working properly?
Wrapped tightly in a blanket inside the tent, I was rolling around, searching for an excuse to justify my reckless and impulsive behavior just a little while ago.
‘What do I do!!!’
No matter how I thought about it, it was too embarrassing. I shot up, still swaddled in the blanket. My face felt like it was on fire.
When he pulled me up from the water during my dive, the furious Micloc King looked like he was about to explode. But then, his eyes, which had flared with rage, suddenly calmed.
The way he gazed at me—deep and warm—shimmered like obsidian soaking in moonlight.
‘This man… he’s too pretty.’
Caught in that gaze, I just stared back, mesmerized. Then he raised his hand and gently caressed my cheek. God! I never imagined that those big, rough hands could move so tenderly.
Water from his wet hair trailed down his radiant face and strong neck, flowed across his broad shoulders, and streamed down his well-sculpted chest.
The path of the water felt so sinfully sensual.
Then his face slowly leaned toward me. I might have only learned about romance from books, but even I instinctively knew he was about to kiss me.
But I couldn’t wait—and leaped toward his lips myself!!!
‘You’ve lost your mind! Lea Uzkal, you’ve completely lost it.’
I thrashed around again, but the shame wouldn’t go away.
And then, I was struck with a shocking realization!
‘Wait! Was I always this kind of person??’
I had thought I was only pretending to be shallow and obsessed with good looks to lower the marchioness and Hailey’s guard, all in order to carry out my mother’s final wish.
‘But oh my god… I’m actually a face maniac!’
I had stolen that kiss on impulse because of his face!
That sharp nose and defined jawline, glowing in the moonlight with a silver halo, and his obsidian-blue eyes—those eyes were… hypnotic.
And those plump red lips, like the cherry atop vanilla ice cream… I was dying to touch them.
He would’ve kissed me if I’d waited just a few seconds more, but even that seemed too long. A wave of desire to steal his lips overtook me, and I surrendered.
Smack!
We only brushed for a fleeting moment, but who knew the lips of a man rumored to be a war-mad blood demon could feel so soft and delightful?!
‘Ugh… Just die, will you?!’
Just as I was about to bang my head into the ground in shame, the last expression Micloc made flashed through my mind.
‘What was that look?’
Right before his face had leaned in, his eyes had sparkled dangerously. But when my lips touched his, he flinched.
It was like the enchantment surrounding us shattered in that moment. My brave, reckless courage to steal the kiss vanished like smoke, and I quickly pulled away from him.
“Haha. Even in summer, it’s cold being in the water too long. I’ll head back first. Take your time.”
Not giving him the chance to grab me, I bolted out of the water.
I scrambled to grab my outer garments and ran. Glancing back, I saw him staring at his right hand like he was trying to memorize the lines of his palm.
‘What the heck? Was my kiss worse than his own palm?’
Maybe he’d kissed plenty of women before. Honestly, with that face and those lips, how could women have ever left him alone?
But I was different. That was my first kiss! And he dismissed it like it was nothing?! Bitterness welled up inside me.
Realizing that my lips had been compared unfavorably to his hand made me feel not just regret, but utter despair.
After thrashing around alone inside the tent, I flopped back down.
Sleep. Just sleep.
I tried to force myself to sleep, even though it wouldn’t come, when suddenly, outside, a horse whinnied loudly.
“Young lady! Lady Lea!!”
That voice? It was Millie! I jumped up in surprise.
“Millie? Is it really you?!”
My voice trembled as I rushed outside the tent. And there she was—Millie, standing right before me.
Her round face looked haggard, with deep shadows under her eyes down to her jaw. But it was definitely my Millie.
Without either of us saying a word, we grabbed each other’s hands.
“What happened? How did you get here?”
“I threw a fit to follow Sir William. He was so scary about refusing, it wasn’t easy.”
Millie gave a sheepish grin. From her tone, I realized it was probably William who had the harder time, not her.
Looking around, I saw him kneeling in front of Micloc, head bowed low.
King Micloc, now in a loose shirt, lightly tapped William’s shoulder and began tending to the fire.
“I’ll take care of it,” William offered.
“You pitch the tent. I’m tired of sleeping in trees.”
The burly William quickly set up a new tent with practiced hands. I whispered to Millie as I watched.
“Sir William doesn’t look like someone you can sway easily. How did you convince him?”
“Oh, that?”
Millie smiled awkwardly.
“I snuck into the stables before dawn and kidnapped Bibi.”
“Bibi?”
“Sir William’s horse. I tied her up under the ginkgo tree on Laurel Hill. Then I told him if he didn’t take me along, I wouldn’t say where she was.”
Good heavens—she blackmailed that terrifying knight! And she got away with it! I felt a newfound respect for Millie.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?”
“My back’s a little stiff and my butt hurts, but now that I’ve found you, everything’s fine.”
Millie’s brave response made me both proud and concerned.
Rumble~
Her stomach growled loudly. Embarrassed, she wrapped her arms around it.
“I haven’t eaten anything since morning…”
“What?! They left you starving that long?! That’s awful!”
Seeing me flaring up, Millie quickly tried to calm me.
“Please don’t be mad. He didn’t eat either. We really rode like maniacs to get here.”
She sounded like she was defending him a little, and I narrowed my eyes.
“What’s this? Are you taking his side now?”
“Of course not! You know most knights I’ve met—except Sir Pallet—were all jerks.”
True, knights had treated Millie differently than they treated me, even though I was only a noble by name.
“But when I saw how distressed he was being separated from his liege… I thought, ‘Is this what they call chivalry?’ It was kind of admirable.”
Then Millie grew serious and clasped my hands.
“I’ll serve you with that same spirit from now on.”
“Oh, Millie.”
I hugged her tightly and patted her back.
“You don’t have to do more. You’re already enough.”
Just then, a plate slid in beside us.
Turning around, I saw William holding a dish of hot soup, bread, jerky, and a pouch of dried fruits.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. Thank you for bringing Millie.”
When I smiled and spoke, he looked away shyly and handed the food to Millie.
“You worked hard clinging on all the way here.”
Still a bit timid, Millie nodded and accepted the dish and pouch.
William then nonchalantly returned to the fire and started wolfing down his meal.
There was something between them, wasn’t there… I glanced back and forth between them. Then, just as I turned, I accidentally locked eyes with King Micloc as he climbed down from the tree with his blanket.
He paused, stared at me for a moment, and then silently walked past into the adjacent tent.
A wave of inexplicable disappointment swept over me. I inhaled deeply and led Millie into the tent I’d been using.
Watching her happily eat her food calmed my heart a little.
Yes, let’s forget what happened by the stream! I repeated the promise to myself again and again.
Smack. Smack.
Inside the tent William had quickly assembled, Micloc was haunted by the ghostly echo of that brief kiss.
‘Damn it!’
It wasn’t even a deep kiss—just a fleeting brush—and yet his heart was pounding like a teenage boy’s. He couldn’t believe himself.
But aside from his mother, the late queen, this was the closest he had ever been to a woman’s lips.
Mother. Thinking of her made his chest turn cold.
She had been a princess from the Samal Kingdom, which bordered Preetan.
Lea was nothing like his mother. So why did that kiss bring her to mind?
His mother, who had truly loved her husband, could not disobey her own father—the King of Samal—and collapsed vomiting blood before young Micloc’s eyes.
“Mother!!”
“Mic… Your father must never, ever learn the truth…”
She had died of poison when Micloc was 14. He alone knew that the Samal royal family had been behind her death.
Honoring her final wish to keep it secret, Micloc never told his father. Instead, he quietly sharpened his blade.
The grieving Preetan King, lost in despair, threw himself into hunting demons and monsters. He eventually died, recklessly charging into the dark dragon’s lair without proper preparation.
It was a foolish attack. A meaningless death. Less than three months after losing his wife.
Micloc Preetan became king at the age of fifteen.
Within two years, he invaded Samal and slaughtered every member of the royal family—those same blue eyes that mirrored his mother’s.
Not a flicker of hesitation or mercy stained his blade.
