Chapter 12
I Won’t Get Jealous of a Beast (3)
Don’t barge into my world and act like you own the place.
I wondered if the meaning got across. Judging by Ian’s face as I looked up at him, it seemed like it had.
Thinking there was no need for a longer conversation, I got up from my seat, but just then, I heard a clinking noise from within the tangled bedsheets.
Lifting the sheet, I found a small box, slightly larger than my palm, nestled inside. It looked old, the hinge rusted to the point that it wouldn’t open easily. Or maybe the lock was broken?
As I fumbled with the box, a white fluffball fell onto my knee.
“Ruby?”
“Nya—”
At some point, Ruby had followed me and was now sitting on my knee, letting out a lazy meow. And then—
“…Ahh, ugh—”
“What are you doing, Your Highness?”
There was Ian, rolling on the floor, clutching his face in pain. Did Ruby scratch him?
“Odelia! That creature is not a cat! It’s a demon, I tell you!”
“Nyaaak!!”
Ian fumed with frustration, and Ruby responded with an indignant yowl.
“…Is fighting with a cat fun for you?”
“Not at all…”
Ian muttered as he continued to cover his face.
Honestly, I was relieved he understood. I hated when humans got jealous and made a scene, but seeing someone fight with an animal out of jealousy? That was just pathetic.
“I hate cats.”
“Because of your allergies?”
Instead of answering, Ian sniffled and knelt in front of me. At that, Ruby—who had been lounging with her chin on my knee—immediately unsheathed her claws.
“This is why,” Ian grumbled.
“Is that what happened earlier? The fight?”
“I was the victim! I got attacked out of nowhere!”
Well, honestly, isn’t it Ian’s fault for hovering around the cat? The cat can’t even speak human language. Be patient.
I stroked Ruby’s fluffy back a few times, then picked her up. We’d been out long enough. Time to head back.
“I’m going back now. What about you, Your Highness?”
“I’m coming with you!”
“Nyaak!!”
“…Your Highness, have you ever hit Ruby before?”
“…Never.”
So why does Ruby hate him this much? Ruby’s never been this wary around me.
I carefully rubbed Ruby’s little nose, trying to calm her down, but she continued to growl for a while, clearly annoyed by Ian being within a one-meter radius.
“Your Highness, you’re quite the unpopular character.”
“…”
Ian didn’t answer. He was holding a torch and following, so it’s not like he couldn’t speak. When I turned to check on him, he had his lips jutted out sulkily.
“Are you sulking?”
“Certainly not.”
“You are sulking.”
“…I said I’m not.”
Honestly, with that pouty face screaming, ‘I’m upset, please comfort me,’ who would believe him?
“If you admit it honestly, I’ll let you come within one meter.”
“I’m sulking!”
As soon as he admitted it, he rushed toward me, making me burst out laughing.
As Ian approached, Ruby hissed and complained, so I patted her back lightly and started walking again.
“I’ve thought this before, but your image has changed a bit.”
“What do you mean?”
“Just as I said. At first, I thought you were more of a thuggish tyrant.”
The torch flickered, as if Ian was shocked. He hurriedly caught up to me, sticking his face close.
“Thuggish… what does that mean?”
“Someone with a bad personality and a rotten temper.”
“…I wasn’t asking for the dictionary definition.”
“I said it knowing full well what it meant.”
At my bold response, Ian hung his head low.
If Baizen gave off a Doberman vibe, Ian was more like… a Golden Retriever.
Maybe it was his naturally kind-looking appearance.
For some reason, seeing him walking quietly beside me now didn’t make him seem as annoying as before. Actually, it made me feel a subtle sense of familiarity.
Maybe that’s why… I kind of wanted to chat with him, at least during this brief walk back.
“Your Highness, why do you like me?”
“…Huh?”
Was that too sudden? The torch wavered in surprise.
“You know, we haven’t even met that many times… so why?”
Looking up, I saw his face illuminated red by the torchlight. Wow.
“Did you seriously think I didn’t know you liked me? After all the obvious hints you dropped?”
Ian quietly nodded with one hand covering his face.
Really? With all that dramatic talk about moons and everything, I thought you were making it obvious on purpose.
“Your Highness… you’re not very smart, are you?”
“I’m not dumb…”
“Or maybe… you’ve never been in love before?”
“…”
“Gotcha.”
Ian hung his head at my teasing.
His despairing posture made me chuckle. Well, being called dumb and love-clueless by the woman you like… I get why he’d feel like this.
But honestly, wouldn’t it be easier to just give up? We were never meant to happen.
“Don’t be too disappointed. I never planned on falling in love with you anyway.”
“…How are you so good at picking the most hurtful things to say?”
“Because I choose them on purpose.”
He whimpered something like, ‘You’re so cruel,’ but I brushed it off. I didn’t want to comfort him with sweet words when I had no intention of accepting his feelings.
That kind of stuff was only for dating sim protagonists with five or six romance targets.
Me? I was headed straight for the Bad Ending with Ian.
“If anything, please give up quickly. I don’t want my life turning into a disaster just because I got too close to you.”
“So… if someone gets close to me, they’ll get hurt?”
“Exactly. Or to be precise, if you like me… no, if you even think about wanting to be with me…”
The torch came to a sudden halt. Curious, I turned to see Ian frozen in place with a face full of protest.
“Do my words sound cruel to you?”
“…”
“You know you can’t give me what I want, but you’re still being greedy, aren’t you?”
“…I wouldn’t call it greed.”
He muttered rebelliously.
“What’s wrong with loving someone? If we become a couple, it wouldn’t be greed. It would be a blessing and happiness. I could give you anything. The most beautiful palace, the finest things in the world, the most prestigious titles. Even… the position of Empress, if you want—”
“You’re missing the point. When did I ever say I wanted any of that?”
At my cold words, Ian’s face twisted with hurt.
He knew the truth but was throwing a tantrum because he didn’t like it.
Not even a child would act like this.
How should I explain this so he’d actually get it?
Should I start telling him about everything that would happen in the future? No, he’d probably throw a fit and refuse to believe it.
Then what if I told him I didn’t want to live trapped in a cage, so he should just give up? I already said that, and judging by his reaction, it wasn’t that he didn’t understand… he just didn’t want to.
Then—
“Why… why do you keep pushing me away?”
While I was lost in thought, Ian whined.
Why? Because being involved with you is just troublesome.
Who wants to get entangled with the Crown Prince for no reason? Nothing good would come of it.
Even in the original story, Odelia only sought Ian’s help because he had power.
If Ian had no power… or if she had known even one of the disasters that help would bring… she would have never asked for it.
So, in short—
“I’ve never pushed you away.”
“See! I knew—”
“We’re not even anything. What would I push away? We’re just strangers.”
Yes. Ian was a stranger to me and Odelia. Not family like Baizen. I had no reason to push him away.
“Right? We were never anything.”
“…”
My cold words made Ian hang his head low again. Maybe now he’d finally give up? I hoped he’d lose all interest and ignore me even at social gatherings from now on.
Soon, we entered the lit path. Great timing.
“Oh, look, the lights start here. I’ll put away the torch, so if you hand it over—Your Highness?!”
Ian’s face under the lights… was a mess of tears and snot.
What the heck… had he been crying this whole time?
“Why are you crying?! I didn’t even say anything that bad!”
Okay, maybe I did. But still. Crying in broad daylight like this?
It wasn’t my first time seeing a man cry, but seeing a grown adult bawl just from being rejected… This was a first.
While I stood there flustered, Ian suddenly knelt down.
“Even when you speak so harshly, I still… can’t hate you. My heart feels like it’s burning, it hurts so bad, and I’m sad… but I still want to hold your hand. I want to see your lips moving as you chatter. I want to stay by your side, even just a little longer…”
Kneeling, he crawled toward me and gently grabbed the hem of my skirt. His trembling hands made me soften a little.
“…What do I have to do… for you to not hate me?”
“…Ah… you’re really driving me crazy.”
His puppy-like tearful face made me sigh deeply. Honestly… I’m weak to this kind of expression.
When someone honestly looks up at you like that, saying ‘Please love me’… how could I push them away?
Maybe… maybe there was another way.
I crouched in front of Ian.
“Your Highness… you know we’re nothing to each other right now, right?”
“Y-yes… Please stop rubbing it in—”
Another burst of tears exploded from his already ruined face. Geez, this guy.
I grabbed his damp cheeks with a firm grip.
“Stop crying. Listen carefully.”
“…Sniff! Okay.”
“I’m not thinking about dating or marriage right now. And I don’t want anyone with those intentions around me either. That’s why I’ve been trying to cut ties with you.”
“…”
“Ah-ah, don’t cry again. Let me finish.”
At my stern words, Ian wiped his teary eyes.
Seriously, why does this guy cry so much?
“But… if Your Highness really wants to stay close to me…”
“…Sniff! Yes…?”
“How about… we be friends?”
“…Friends?”
His blue eyes widened at the word ‘friend.’ Not because he didn’t know the meaning… but because it was unexpected.
I let go of his cheek and carefully held his hand.
“Friends. Hang out when we’re bored, listen to each other’s worries, gossip about annoying guys… that sort of thing.”
“…But I… I love you—”
“Would you rather keep hearing mean things from me while liking me?”
Ian shook his head vigorously.
“And I don’t enjoy making you miserable either. So… wouldn’t it be better if we stayed happy, long-term friends?”
“…”
“If you hate the idea… you can forget it—”
“I like it! I like it!”
Ian grabbed my hand tightly and shouted.
After repeating how much he liked the idea several more times, Ian finally took a deep breath and started wiping his tear-streaked face with his sleeve… even the spots Ruby had scratched.
Yeah… that’s going to sting when he gets home.
