Chapter 66

“Myaa.”

“El, are you trying to comfort me?”

“Nya.”

“Oh, you sweet thing.”

I chuckled softly and hugged El. The warmth from that small body felt like a wordless reassurance that it was okay to fail.

I never expected that a stray animal I took in by chance would become such a source of comfort.

I kissed El on the forehead and stared into the jewel-like eyes.

The color of the sea on a rainy day.

When I held El and walked toward the sunlit window, his pupils narrowed, and his eyes turned into the color of the ocean under a clear sky on a sandy beach.

“……”

Maybe it was because of that one association, but I kept thinking he looked like Esadien.

I kept staring into El’s eyes without moving, and El, growing uncomfortable, let out a small cry and placed a tiny paw on my cheek.

“Mya……”

“El.”

I sighed and gave that paw a small kiss.

“There’s someone who looks like you… but I don’t know where or how he’s doing now.”

I knew it was silly to be so affected by what Lapheche said. Blue eyes aren’t that rare, and depending on the light, they can look lighter or darker.

But still, the discomfort lingering in my chest must mean I’m still worried. The unease from Austin showing up so boldly here probably added to it.

“Sorry, El.”

I apologized and smiled at him.

“I won’t project Esadien onto you.”

It hadn’t been long since I met El, but it was enough time to know that animals, unlike people, gave their affection purely.

“You’re different from Esadien. El, you… you like me without wavering. Right?”

Just as I said that, I thought I saw tears well up in those blue eyes, but then El closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his face against my neck.

Meowing in a drawn-out way I hadn’t heard before.

Unlike how El seemed to understand me, I couldn’t understand him, so there was only one thing I could say.

“I like you too.”

Then a warm breath brushed against the underside of my ear and scattered. I held El tighter as he leaned more into me and whispered, “Let’s never ever part.”

El responded with an unusually firm sound.

“Nya!”

For once, I felt like I actually understood what he meant and smiled. Maybe I was just imagining it…

“You agreed too, right?”

Whether he was responding to my smile or really agreeing, El smiled back just like I did. Then, as a bonus, he gently nibbled on my fingers tickling his chin.

It was no surprise that my heart melted seeing that.

‘Where on earth did such a lovable thing come from?’

Thanks to El, I finally managed to calm myself and left the drawing room.

But then—

“Ah, Lady Minuelle.”

“…Your Highness.”

I forced a strained smile as I saw Austin approach, casually calling my name like we were close.

‘Ugh, how could my luck be this bad?’

If I was going to be irritated, I should’ve just gone to my room and done it there.

“What a coincidence running into you like this. We must really be in sync.”

“It’s just a coincidence.”

Somehow, there was no attendant or even the servant we assigned him at his side.

“Well, a pleasant coincidence then. I was lost, actually.”

“Is that so? If you turn around and go straight, you’ll find the stairs to the central hall.”

“You’re telling me to go alone?”

“Is it difficult for you to walk alone? Are you… maybe three years old?”

“Oh, how did you know? I am three.”

He’s taller than me by a head and he says what?

The forced smile vanished from my face, but Austin just laughed even more brightly.

“Seriously, I’m twenty-three.”

“……”

What on earth did Lapheche see in this guy?

Even when faced with my chilly stare, Austin shrugged nonchalantly.

“Since your servants took our attendants away, Lady Minuelle, you’ll have to keep me company instead.”

What kind of nonsense is that?

I almost sighed out loud but reminded myself that I had to at least pretend to be a good host.

“Where shall I escort you, Your Highness?”

“Oh, you know.”

“Pardon?”

What do I know? As I looked up at him warily, Austin winked.

“I proposed to you, didn’t I? But you haven’t given me a single second of your time these past few days. I was quite heartbroken.”

“I already said no. Isn’t that the end of it?”

“Mm. Nope.”

“……”

That smiling face made me feel murderously irritated for the first time.

Should I ask my sister to arrange an accident? When the prince’s party leaves for Chitrum, we could just—slash.

‘Aaaah! Pull yourself together, Minuelle. If I get caught, the whole house would be ruined because of me!’

A prince can try to kill me, but I can’t try to kill a prince. That’s how power works.

Mentally tearing my hair out, I spun around and said, “I’ll take you to the entrance hall.”

“Hm, walking with you is nice and all, but…”

Ugh, now what?

Even before I fully turned, I gave him a warning glare, and he rubbed his arms as if cold.

“I got so lost wandering around. Could I warm up a little?”

He’s unbelievable. Even though he came from somewhere hotter than Lapheche, he was wearing just a thin shirt.

If he caught a cold, only our house would suffer. The Emperor wouldn’t care, but there’d be plenty of nobles looking to use it against us.

“This way, please.”

We had barely taken a few steps from the drawing room. Thankfully, I hadn’t turned off the fireplace yet.

I seated Austin in the warmest spot and began giving instructions to a servant. Watching me, he spoke in a disappointed tone.

“It’s been a while since someone showed this little interest in me.”

“……”

No matter how disapprovingly I looked at him, Austin’s mouth didn’t stop.

“I’m interested though. A lot.”

Wow. The nerve of this guy.

When the servant left and the door closed, I finally spoke.

“What is it? Do you still want to kill me? Regret not doing it when you had the chance? Do I haunt your dreams?”

“Hmm?”

Even when I said something so direct, his smiling face didn’t falter. Only his eyes narrowed a little.

“That’s harsh, my Lady. Though I find that side of you attractive too.”

“Don’t you think it’s ridiculous pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about when you don’t even bother changing your voice?”

“Smart.”

“Just average. Do you usually look down on people’s intelligence, Your Highness?”

“Haha, that sharp tongue—I really like it.”

Austin sank deeper into the cushions like Lapheche had done earlier and elegantly crossed his legs. His smile faded, leaving a languid expression.

“I’m being sincere.”

I shut my mouth. Whether he meant it or not didn’t matter. I just wanted to figure out what he was scheming and get rid of him.

‘Better sprinkle some salt behind him when he leaves.’

Scatter, salt, scatter!

“Well then. Since you know everything, let’s not waste time.”

“That’s all in the past. I’m no longer engaged to the Third Prince, so you don’t need to care.”

Though I did tattle to the Crown Princess.

‘But I only told her about the assassins, not that you were directly involved!’

I had no proof unless I caught him red-handed.

Still, Austin remained annoyingly calm.

“Oh, but that’s not what I meant.”

Then what?

Before I could ask, Austin stood and crossed the short table as if it weren’t there, casting a shadow over me.

He leaned over, placing a hand on the back of my chair, and warm breath with a hint of grass brushed against my face.

Disgusted, I leaned away, but the breath followed like it had a will of its own.

Then Austin dropped his second bomb.

“I still intend to marry you.”

It wasn’t a proposal—it was a declaration. When I had repeatedly said no.

Before I could even protest, I instinctively scooped El into my arms, holding him tight as if to hide him from Austin’s gaze.

El tensed, and I moved without a second thought.

‘Please, El. Don’t give anything away. Don’t show a crack.’

El growled softly in my arms, but I had no time to soothe him. Austin was staring at him intently.

“That beast…”

Whatever he was about to say, I cut him off sharply, anger boiling over just a few beats late.

“Are you insane? I was engaged to your brother!”

“Lady Minuelle, as you said—was. Now that you’re not, it shouldn’t matter.”

“What do you think people will say? That I’m a seductress playing with brothers?”

But Austin didn’t flinch.

“Is that really what you’re worried about?”

No, it wasn’t.

Still, I forced myself to reply, lips trembling as I tried not to be shaken by his piercing gaze.

“I’m human too. Of course I care about my reputation.”

“Of course. No one’s completely free from others’ opinions.”

A slow smile returned to Austin’s lips.

“But Minuelle, what you’re really afraid of…”

His finger poked the center of my collarbone.

“…is that someone might steal the spirit power you unintentionally acquired.”

I didn’t expect him to bring up spirits so openly. I went momentarily blank.

“Surprised?”

“How do you… No, why are you saying all this?”

I trembled and asked, but his answer was surprisingly straightforward.

“To win someone’s heart, you need to show trust first.”

“I’m worth that risk to you?”

It was one thing for me to suspect the Prince was tied to the Cult of Fire—but hearing him admit such dangerous things himself was on another level.

Austin remained calm and countered with another question.

“You really think it’s just that much?”

Then he added a bigger condition.

“Once everything’s done, I’ll return the spirit’s power to you too.”

Talking to Austin was like opening a Matryoshka doll—but unlike those, each new layer was bigger than the last.

Still, I didn’t relax. On the contrary, I tensed even more.

There’s no such thing as a favor without a price—especially not from someone like Austin.