Chapter 23

“G-Grand Duke… Greetings.”

“It won’t be good to stand out in my eyes. Are you reckless or hopeless?”

“Ah… No, that’s…”

“Don’t answer back.”

In anger, Kyle grabbed Ayla’s face with force.

Clank!

At Kyle’s sudden attack, Ayla dropped the teacup she was holding.

At the same time, a low groan came from Ayla’s mouth, but Kyle didn’t care.

Adding more and more strength to his hand, Kyle said in a sharp tone.

“Cutting your face is not enough, I’m holding it in so don’t mess around in front of me.”

She felt a great murderous intent in Kyle’s eyes.

A small piece of gauze sticking to his cheek came into Ayla’s eyes.

Thump!

At the same time, Kyle pushed Ayla’s slender body, shaking in fear, violently.

Ayla staggered due to the great force and fell.

She felt pain in her knees and shins from hitting the ground, but it was alright.

For now, the most important thing is that she lived.

“Let’s go, Eden.”

Kyle looked away from Ayla and spoke to the man next to him.

Eden followed Kyle without saying a word, giving no reaction.

Ayla gave Eden a resentful look, with tears in her eyes.

Eden shrugged his shoulders slightly and passed Ayla with a light smile.

***

“Ayla! Blood…”

Lily spoke in surprise, when she saw Ayla returning to the room.

It seemed her lip was cut a while ago, from being caught in the ring Kyle was wearing.

Ayla had dried blood stains around her mouth, giving her a horrid appearance.

From the clothes that ripped when she fell and the disheveled hair, it clearly showed the seriousness of the situation.

“Ah…”

Ayla was out of her mind all the way back to the room.

Ayla grimaced at the coming pain and pressed her lips together.

“What on earth happened! Let me take a look!”

Lily rushed to Ayla and looked all over her body.

When she fell, she felt an aching sensation on her wrist, perhaps from being sprained.

As expected, Ayla’s thin wrist had a deep-blue bruise.

Lily’s expression turned to tears when she discovered the bruise on her wrist and other small bruises here and there.

Lily opened her mouth cautiously, with tearful eyes.

“Did His Highness do this?”

“No… It’s not that.”

“What do you mean no!! You clearly told me earlier you were going to serve His Highness’ tea!”

Lily shouted at Ayla, in a trembling voice.

Grabbing Lily’s wrist, Ayla nodded her head up and down as if it were alright.

“Even if we are subordinates… This is really too much!”

“I met Grand Duke Ermedi.”

“What? How?!”

“I was returning from serving the tea and ran into him on the stairs.”

“Ah… You must be careful! Are you really alright? Is there anything else that hurts? Look at the state of your face, really!”

Lily urged, giving Ayla a worried look.

Lily’s fussing, which was uncomfortable, wasn’t as bad this time. Instead, she was thankful.

It was only one person in the vast Royal Palace, but she felt relieved that there was someone who genuinely cared about her.

“I’m fine…”

Ayla said with a soft smile.

***

Contrary to what she said, Ayla’s condition was not fine at all.

Her trembling hands had stopped, but her surprised heart barely calmed down and was still pounding.

She said she was fine to reassure the worried Lily, but once the headache started it had no intentions of subsiding easily.

“Ugh…”

There was a stinging sensation on her cheek and chin, where Kyle had grabbed.

Ayla calmly touched her face, with a small sigh.

It may have been a mistake, but it was true that she injured someone from the royal family.

She tried to understand that, in a way, it was reasonable for Kyle to get angry like that.

But somehow, she felt very wronged.

Why was that damn man next to Kyle Ermedi?

Of all times, why was he there at that time, on the stairs of the west palace?

She wanted to ask why he is giving her such humiliation and hardships.

But in order to do that, it was a priority to find out who he was first; but there was no information.