Chapter 1. The fiancé is back
He said we’re running away, but instead of going to the exit, we’re going inside further and further.
I didn’t understand Kalian’s action, but I silently followed him, believing that there must be a reason for everything.
Kalian, who had been running for a while, stopped in front of a large iron fence.
It was hard to see beyond the iron fence because it was dark, but it seemed to be a waterway from the sound of the water.
Kalian opened the fence door. There’s no lock, so it’s easy to open.
“The current is rough.”
Kalian said after checking inside the iron cage fence.
Just by listening to the sound of the water, I could guess that the current was rough.
But more than that, what were we doing here?
We shouldn’t be doing this, we should find a way to escape quickly.
“Mr. Carl, the mercenaries will arrive soon.”
“I know.”
Kalian looked back at me with a smile.
“Then, shall we go now?”
Go now?
To where?
Don’t tell me… over there?
“A, are we running away through the waterway?”
Kalian looked back at me, wondering what the problem was, and answered.
“Yeah?”
At that moment, I felt dizzy.
I thought he knew a secret passage to the outside, but it’s a waterway, not that.
It was truly unexpected. I had been out of common senses for some time now.
“Are you not going?”
At Kalian’s urging, I answered, turning pale in surprise.
“I, I can’t swim.”
“I know how.”
“Bu, but going to the waterway is dangerous…”
“Leila.”
Kalian smiled gorgeously and held out his hand to me.
“Are you perhaps don’t trust me?”
“…”
I trusted him, but this was different.
But, since I was his aide, I couldn’t bear to say anything disrespectful.
But I was scared to jump into the waterway, so I couldn’t take his hand.
“They ran that way!”
“Hurry up!”
People’s voices were heard through the passageway. The voices weren’t too far away. It looked like they were nearby.
“Leila, come on.”
Kalian shook his hand and urged me.
Blue Dragon.
Please have pity on Your people.
I took Kalian’s outstretched hand, desperately seeking the Blue Dragon, the guardian deity of the Empire.
Kalian grabbed my hand and hugged me by my waist.
And then.
Splash!
He jumped into the water while holding me.
The water that touched my skin was very cold.
I covered my mouth and nose with both hands and leaned against Kalian’s wide chest.
Kalian was still holding me tight.
No matter how good he was at swimming, it had to be difficult while holding a person in his arms.
I was afraid that I might die like this.
When I was getting out of breath and my body was screaming to breathe.
“You can open your eyes now.”
Kalian’s friendly voice was heard.
He seemed to not talk in the water, that meant…
I opened my eyes wide.
Then I saw a wall made of pure white marble.
It was a familiar wall.
Here can’t be…
“I, Imperial Palace?”
“Yeah.”
Impossible. We arrived at the Imperial Palace from there? Just for tens of seconds holding breath?
I just stood there and blinked my eyes at something impossible for common sense to do.
Kalian let go of me and took a few steps back.
I turned to look at him involuntarily, and only then did I notice that Kalian’s clothes were not wet at all.
Was it just clothes? His hair and skin were also dry.
It’s quite different from me, who was like a drowning mouse.
We fell into the water together, so how could he still dry?
Staring at his face in wonder, Kalian smiled mischievously and touched his face.
“Am I that handsome?”
What do you mean handsome?
Well, of course, he wasn’t wrong, but it felt weird to hear him saying it with his own mouth.
It’s a good thing to know yourself well, but… isn’t it embarrassing to say things like that with your own mouth?
As I stared, Kalian coughed lightly.
“More than that, you’re very wet.”
He raised his index finger at me.
Then my dress and my hair dried dry without any wetness.
Oh, my God. What is this?
Startled, I touched my dry cheeks and the hem of my dress.
“Did you know how to do magic?”
“Only magic involves water.”
Kalian answered while lying down with his arms as a pillow.
“You probably know this since you’re also the Empire’s people. The fact that the Imperial family inherited the blood of the Blue Dragon.”
Of course, I knew that, but…
“I thought it was just a legend.”
“Legend? There’s evidence though.”
Kalian smiled and pointed to his blue hair.
That’s right. I acknowledged what he said. It’s an unusual hair color, but as I saw it often, I guessed I got used to it.
“Then, is it Your Majesty’s ability to go to the Imperial Palace through the waterway?”
“Yeah. I can go anywhere connected to the water.”
Ah, so that’s why he said he’s going to use the waterway to escape.
“Amazing!”
It was sincere, not empty words. Because it’s something that normal people could never do.
When I said that, Kalian looked at me with a slightly dazed face.
Why is he looking at me like that? Am I being too honest?
“Your Majesty?”
When I called him out in wonder, Kalian briefly exclaimed and raised his upper body.
“It’s nothing. More than that, I’m sorry. It’s been a long time since you asked for a leave, but I disturbed it.”
“No. Thanks to you, I saw a lot of interesting things.”
I also saw some heartbreaking scenes, but I didn’t mention them.
Because I thought it would be good for him and also for me.
I didn’t even ask about him buying poison.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t curious. I didn’t ask because it seemed presumptuous to just ask that.
And even if I asked, he looked like he wouldn’t answer it.
“Then, can I leave now?”
Kalian thought for a moment before answering.
“Stay a little longer.”
It wasn’t what the person, who just said sorry for disturbing a leave, would say.
So I looked at him with a little perplexity, and for some reason, Kalian looked more perplexed.
Kalian touched his forehead and rubbed his face.
Finally, he sighed deeply and stood up.
His face looked very worried.
Well, there were a lot of things to be concerned about, so of course, he was worried…
Ah, was it because of the proposal I submitted through Baron Delrond?
It’s likely to be the case. Since I was on leave, he couldn’t ask me, so it seemed like he had a hard time by himself, groaning inside.
Then, as it was my duty, I should take initiative first.
“Yes, I will.”
Kalian’s expression brightened in an instant at my answer.
“If there are any shortcomings in the proposal I gave you through Baron Delrond, please tell me.”
For a moment, at the added words, Kalian frowned again and looked away.
Is it… not?
“Never mind. You’re on leave, so why are you saying that? Just go home now.”
Then, as I was wondering what it was, I suddenly thought that maybe I had made him into a bad boss.
Of course, he caught it first.
But I had no intention of doing that.
But it could seem that way in other people’s eyes.
Then it would be better to just go back.
“Then, I’ll get going now.”
I bowed to him and left.
*****
After Leila left, Kalian, who was left alone, rubbed his face and sighed heavily.
The reason he held onto Leila for a moment was because it felt like a pity to let her go like that.
So he grabbed her without realizing it and stopped in surprise.
He felt good when she answered ‘I will’, which made him smile.
…but then he felt bad again when he found out that it was because of the document.
Why did I feel bad?
I have no reason to feel bad.
Rather, shouldn’t I be happy that she works hard?
He was confused by the incomprehensible emotion.
Kalian, who was thinking for a long time while staring at the ground with his head down, raised his head when he felt someone’s presence.
Then, he saw Leila coming back for some reason.
Leila’s hair swayed slightly as she ran.
The dazzling summer sunlight shone brilliantly between them.
Kalian looked at Leila, half-stiffened.
“Umm, Your Majesty.”
The cool breeze blew past the dry grass leaves.
“Come to think of it, I left my parasol to the mercenary who was guarding the black market.”
A small dimple was seen next to her awkwardly raised lips.
…her dimple is pretty.
The thought of wanting to touch it and the thought that he shouldn’t do that crossed.
But what won in the end was the thought of wanting to touch it.
“Your Majesty?”
Kalian, who belatedly realized that he had touched her cheek, was very surprised on the inside, but on the outside, he took his hand off casually.
“There’s something on it”
“Ah, thank you.”
Leila, who had no idea what Kalian was thinking, smiled innocently and thanked him.
Kalian, pricked by his conscience for no reason, turned his head and said.
“If it’s the parasol, I’ll buy you a new one.”
Leila shook her hand in panic.
“That’s not what I meant. I’m just worried that it might become a problem later…”
“They can’t figure out who we are by a parasol only.”
“I see.”
Only then did Leila wipe her chest as if she were relieved.
“Then, I’ll really get going now.”
Leila bowed politely again and left.
Kalian barely stopped himself from trying to call her involuntarily.
His gaze was still fixed on Leila.
Her hair, which swayed every time she walked, seemed as soft as silk.
…it’s actually soft though.
Kalian looked down at his hand, groping for the touch.
Then, Leila calling him honey lingered in his ears like an auditory hallucination.
And Leila’s expression at that time floated in his mind.
Her black eyes looked at him that said she didn’t know what to do, and her cheeks turned pale pink when he called her honey.
Even the cute small lips that shyly said she liked it.
He felt strange. It felt like he had stepped into a forbidden land that he should never enter.
His heart stung as if the poison he had kept in his chest pocket had broken and penetrated into his skin.
“Are those poison really the problem?”
Kalian checked the vials he had in his pocket.
Fortunately, the vials were safe.
Then, what on earth is this? This feeling.
The wrinkles on Kalian’s forehead deepened.
He continued to ponder, but in the end, he returned to the palace with no answer.