CHAPTER 11
I said nothing as I stared at the man.
No, I couldn’t say anything.
Oh, dear God. Please.
With a sweet voice and polite manner, the man slowly withdrew his hand from my waist.
At the same time, I let go of him too.
“Am I the only one who wants to talk right now?”
With that beautiful face and that sweet voice…
Anyone would find such a man’s invitation to talk seductive.
But to me, it felt like a threat.
As if all the blood in my body were flowing backward, I barely managed to collect my thoughts.
I remembered why I had come to the Imperial Capital.
At this point, if anyone else so much as hinted at something that could block my path—
That must never, ever happen.
I slowly closed and opened my eyes.
The man before me waited patiently for my response.
“You speak as if you know me.”
“Well, we’re not strangers, are we?”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
There was a glint of interest in the man’s blue eyes.
“What to do… Even that response is awfully familiar.”
Then, without warning, he extended his hand toward me.
“It’s hardly appropriate for a lady and gentleman to converse in a place like this. Would you allow me the honor of escorting you elsewhere?”
His polite tone felt strangely familiar.
It was the kind of ease only someone who had never had to bow to anyone could possess.
Someone who always looked down on others.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I slowly placed my hand—covered in a white glove—on top of his.
The moment our hands touched, I knew.
This wasn’t a hand that would let me escape.
A suffocating pressure crushed down on me.
It wasn’t just a warning.
No, this felt more like a prelude to disaster.
My heart began to race violently.
I was terrified he might hear it thundering in my chest.
I struggled to stay calm.
“There are a lot of trees here—it’s a bit chilly in the shade.”
The man removed his outer uniform coat and gently draped it over my shoulders.
His scent—fresh and sharp—rushed into my nose, leaving me dizzy.
A tingling sensation crept up my arms and legs.
And then… those golden locks and those clear blue eyes.
They were enough to guess his identity.
No—to be certain of it.
“Shall we walk a bit?”
In this situation, it was clear who held the leash.
Whether I liked it or not.
Just as we began to move—
“Who’s there?”
“Is someone out there?”
“No way!”
Perhaps the sound of two people walking had caught their attention—
Several nobles, previously whispering gossip, suddenly perked up and rose from their seats.
I froze, hearing the amused chuckle above my head.
He wasn’t worried at all.
He brought a finger to his lips and went, “Shhh,” before gently pulling me forward.
I looked at his broad back as he led the way.
Even from behind, there wasn’t the slightest hint of vulnerability.
To follow or not—that hesitation was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
I subtly slipped off my left shoe.
My bare toes caught slightly on a root sticking out of the ground.
I staggered, with no time to brace myself.
The man walking ahead turned sharply toward me.
I was about to fall face-first to the ground.
“Who’s there!”
“There really is someone!”
The man caught me before I hit the ground. Without thinking, I clung to his shoulder for balance.
Now I was in his arms, while the nobles—alert and suspicious—came closer.
The man looked at me, then over the bushes toward the approaching nobles.
His arm around me was firm, sculpted with muscle.
Even when I regained balance and pushed at his shoulder, he wouldn’t let go.
Worse yet—
“Oh dear.”
He muttered as if troubled, but his face remained composed.
There wasn’t a hint of tension or worry in his expression.
When I tilted my head up slightly, the first thing I saw was his well-defined jawline.
My heart pounded again.
This time, not because of the nobles’ footsteps drawing near.
His eyes flicked to the shoe I had taken off.
He looked between the shoe and me.
I gave up trying to push him away.
Instead, I rolled the ring on my finger and swallowed hard.
The footsteps drew closer.
He stood right in front of me, practically wrapping around me like a shackle.
The black opal ring rotated once on my finger and settled back into place.
Time seemed to move in slow motion.
I could hear my own breathing—stiff and unsteady. I held it in.
The nobles were nearly upon us.
Just then, as he shifted slightly—perhaps to pick up my shoe—
I moved.
My hand reached for his face.
He, who had dismissed my earlier efforts to push him away, tensed up in surprise when I touched his cheek.
But… I was just a little faster.
“…!”
The moment our eyes met, the hand that had been holding me so tightly fell away, helpless.
His vivid eyes—like polished blue crystals—softened.
At the same time, the jewel in the ring I wore cracked with a sharp snap.
The artifact began to shatter, yet I ignored it as I pulled his face toward mine.
He looked stunned, and I stood on tiptoe.
Even on my toes, I could barely reach his chin.
It would’ve been easier if I still had both shoes on, but with one lying discarded on the ground, it was a struggle.
So I pulled him down.
He bent at the waist to meet my gaze…
And I kissed him.
His arms wrapped around my waist, and I circled mine around his neck, deepening the kiss.
At that moment, I heard the nobles gasp as they finally spotted us.
Time felt frozen.
His lips were soft. His body, hot.
“Kisses and love. Love and mind control. They go surprisingly well together.”
“People in love are like those under hypnosis—they crave the other person obsessively.”
That’s what Kischel had said.
Even as I kissed him, I didn’t take my eyes off his.
Invisible chains seemed to wrap around his neck and limbs with a metallic click.
It felt like I could hear them.
I gently bit his lower lip, and his mouth opened.
The cracked opal ring vibrated, ready to break.
I pulled my lips away just enough to whisper, soft enough only he could hear.
I felt like a criminal in the dark, using temptation as a weapon.
“Your name?”
The voice didn’t feel like mine.
It was hoarse—like scraping metal.
“Ashdewa Pol Rivedro.”
He murmured back, matching my tone.
But the calm from before was gone.
He sounded less like a man, more like a beast without reason.
More than that…
Ashdewa Pol Rivedro.
That was his name?
Kischel, I’m sorry. I’ve really gone and caused a mess this time.
What was once suspicion had turned into certainty.
And now I wondered what would be left at the end of this conversation.
“You love me, don’t you?”
I felt like I had become a siren, bewitching him.
I stared into Ashdewa’s dark, gleaming eyes.
He didn’t hesitate.
A smile curled across his lips.
His elegantly slanted eyes were beautiful.
“I love you.”
Loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
I heard the nobles quickly scatter.
“Then prove it.”
At those words, the ring on my finger shattered into dust, scattering in the wind.
And then he kissed me again.
Even deeper this time.
