Chapter 87

As midnight approached, Ayla stamped her feet nervously.

It’s been a while since she said she would be back, but Lily was nowhere to be seen.

“Ah… I don’t know where I am. Where do I go to find the way out?”

A small sigh came out of Ayla’s mouth and she talked to herself.

As the night went on, the beautiful surroundings became more and more terrifying.

Instead of the chirping sound of grass bugs, Ayla flinched at the cry of an unknown beast coming from a distance.

Rustle. Rustle.

Among that, the sound of the overgrown grass shaking maximized Ayla’s fear the most.

Overcome by fear, Ayla closed her eyes tightly, covered her ears, and quietly recited a prayer.

As she carefully opened her eyes, seemingly having calmed down a little, an unfamiliar shadow stood in front of her.

As she slowly raised her head while holding her trembling hands, a familiar man was silently looking at her.

“E-Eden?”

“Why are you here again?”

His voice was full of disapproval, but, feeling relieved at Eden’s appearance, Ayla let out a small sigh.

“I’m… Lost. And why are you here!”

“I followed the moonlight.”

When Ayla remained silent at his mysterious words, Eden raised the corners of his mouth and fixed his gaze on her trembling eyes.

“Because today is the Spring Flower Festival… I came out to see what the Stellen Kingdom’s festival was like.”

“If you wanted to see the festival, why did you come into the forest?”

“It was boring. I came this way following the moonlight, and there is a funny person here.”

“What… What do you mean by a funny person!”

“It’s been a little fun thanks to someone who is always in danger and brings out an uncharacteristic spirit of chivalry in me.”

‘And despite this, he’s so damn handsome…’

After speaking, Eden came closer to Ayla and smiled.

His face reflected in the moonlight was exceptionally bright, highlighting his handsome face even more.

“I’m handsome today too, right? You must be very happy to see me.”

“I-It’s not that…”

“Then what is it? It’s written all over your face. You thought that I am damn handsome.”

Can he even read minds? Ayla pressed her lips together at Eden’s smirk.

“You didn’t get scolded by His Highness the other night?”

“Yes. Well… Fortunately.”

“That’s unexpected. He looked pretty angry.”

‘You recognized it and you provoked him like that?’

Ayla glanced silently at Eden, who was whispering.

A short silence flowed between the two and the dim moonlight shone beautifully on Ayla’s blue eyes. As if intoxicated by that appearance, Eden’s arrogant gaze became blurred.

“You look pretty from up close.”

Eden grabbed Ayla’s delicate arms and stared at her with dewy eyes.

“W-What’s wrong with you.”

“The atmosphere is… Intoxicating.”

Looking at Ayla with a mellow look, Eden said, ‘Just like now.’, and roughly approached her lips.

‘These guys, really. Am I easy?’

There was less than a span of a hand left before the lips of the two met.

Don’t they say that people exert superhuman powers when a moment of crisis comes? For Ayla, this was just that moment.

“Argh!!”

She opened her eyes wide and kicked Eden in the middle as hard as she could.

At the same time, Eden’s body, which had been surrounding Ayla, sprawled out on the floor with a single shriek.

“I didn’t even throw a fist!!”

***

As she walked along Eden, she noticed a familiar landscape.

Eden looked at her with a peaceful look as she let out a deep sigh, as if she were finally relieved.

Feeling his gaze, Ayla raised her arms and stopped Eden, with a serious expression.

“If you do something crazy again like what you did just now, I really won’t stay still.”

“Do you want to kick my important parts again? How can you do that to a perfect man like me? Gosh, you have no emotion. When I’m this handsome.”

“Ah, well, if you’re curious, let’s try it one more time.”

Eden, who was looking at the triumphant Ayla, suddenly came closer to her.

“I told you not to come closer!”

“I’m a little hurt when you keep your distance like this, we were a good couple. Don’t you think?”

As if she had nothing more to say back to him, who was making small talk, she lowered her eyes while keeping her mouth shut, like a candle that had gone out.

‘I should have just kicked him right away…’

Ayla was quite embarrassed by Eden’s sudden behavior in the forest.

It seems like the unfamiliar feeling she felt for the first time made her heart thump.

She didn’t want her first kiss, which she has been protecting very carefully, to be stolen away like this, nor she wants the other person to be a madman in love with himself. Of course, she was a little curious. A very small… Little?

‘He’s crazy. Crazy. Why is he turning the conversation that way again.’

Ayla shook her head violently, as if trying to erase her thoughts, and Eden looked at her with a funny expression.

‘What are you looking at? Why are you looking at me again, making me uncomfortable.’

Apparently unaware of Ayla’s restless mind, Eden silently shrugged his shoulders at her, who was pouting, and turned his steps again.

The midnight promise with Theon already passed a long time ago.

Eden was heading towards the iron door where they met the other day, as if he knew everything.

As they reached their destination, Eden, who had suddenly come closer, grabbed Ayla’s shoulders and pulled her into his embrace.

“Go in safely.”

Ayla’s deep blue eyes shook quickly at Eden’s sweet words.

The two wrapped up the Spring Flower Festival without feeling the cold eyes staring at them.

***