Chapter 54

Ayla, worn out, was full of dark circles under her eyes and the vitality on her face was gradually disappearing.

‘I want to have fun. I want to rest. I want to sleep!!!’

Since she didn’t have much profit, she didn’t even want to look at the accounting documents anymore.

On the other hand, Theon, who has been sitting at his desk working with equal concentration for days and days, now feels like a monster.

‘Is he really human? Even amid this he’s handsome.’

Squinting her eyes, Ayla looked at Theon up and down.

Wearing a beige knit vest over a white shirt and a matching single-tone tie, today too he was neat as ever.

Theon loosened the necktie he was wearing, perhaps because the work wasn’t going well.

It was one of his habits that she figured out while staying in the same room for a week.

“Will you stop idling around and work?”

Theon spoke towards Ayla, while keeping his eyes fixed on the documents.

‘I’m sure he also has eyes on the side of his head.’

At Theon’s abrupt tone, Ayla pouted as she prepared herself, and then said in a very weak voice.

“I can’t.”

“You can’t?”

“Yes. I can’t. Just take me to the underground prison. Right now, this is a prison anyway. I haven’t been able to take a break for a week already, and I feel dizzy just from looking at the documents.”

Theon was at a loss for words at Ayla’s honest answer.

Then, when Theon asked, ‘What do you want?’, the corners of Ayla’s lips secretly rose.

“I want to rest.”

“You’re resting now.”

“No… Not like this.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

“Hm… I want to go outside the palace.”

“Aren’t you supposed to say something that makes sense? Right now, you’re no different than a hostage being held in the palace.”

Theon spoke dryly at Ayla’s words, with his attention still fixed on the documents.

‘As expected, he has no manners. How can he call someone a hostage without changing his expression once?’

Ayla lowered her voice at Theon’s words, mumbling, ‘Alright then.’, and intentionally gave up the documents.

Theon glanced at Ayla, who was clearly showing her displeasure, and snorted.

Theon usually doesn’t laugh a lot, but strangely, when he’s with Ayla, laughter often came out with him realizing it.

Ayla’s attitude, who seemed to be both afraid and not of his position as the Crown Prince, was like a breath of fresh air to Theon; and she was one of the people whom he anticipated their next move.

When Theon became the next successor, everyone was busy acting subserviently to please him.

However, this small woman often showed her claws like now and challenged him. He might have been more interested in her because of that.

She was quite meticulous, contrary to what he had thought, and although her performance is still poor, she has caught some accounting errors.

Theon, who had been thinking for a while, got up from his seat and started putting on his coat.

At Theon’s sudden action, Ayla stared at him with a slight coldness and then turned to the documents again.

“Stop and get up.”

“?”

At his words, Ayla slowly put down the documents and looked curiously as if asking what was going on.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to go out?”

“I did, but…”

“Follow me.”

After speaking, Theon walked towards the door with a charming smile.

***

‘He told me to come out for now and I did, but… Why is he like that, all of a sudden? I’m not someone to be let out obediently.’

After coming out of the office, Theon called a secretary and instructed them to prepare a carriage.

Ayla felt somehow embarrassed, so she looked down at her feet without saying anything.

Theon’s actions now were like those of a wonderful prince who helps the heroine longing for freedom to escape.

‘Are we going to Arin Square? Or a teahouse with a nice atmosphere? Such a place would attract people’s attention a lot…’

Ayla let her imagination run free and smiled by herself, as if embarrassed.

It wouldn’t be bad to just imagine where they were going in a carriage like this.

“Your Highness, I have prepared the carriage.”