Chapter 60.2

They rode together on his horse. His arm was wrapped around her waist, his strong chest touched her back. His breath so close to hers prompted her to keep her eyes closed.

Unlike the cold nightly winds, a warm breeze brushed her face. He slowly stopped the horse after coming out of the forest and arriving in a wide field.

“Open your eyes, Canillian,” Claude said gently letting her know they had reached their destination.

She opened her eyes and at first thought that a fire burned along the horizon. But she realized that it was a line of Geore’s red flags.

“That’s Ian Sergio’s base,” he informed her. “They can see us from there as well.”

“Is Prince Ian really there?”

“Why? Do you miss him?” he asked, annoyed.

His annoyance didn’t bother her and she replied, “Me? Missing Ian?”

As Lia scoffed and turned her face, his lips were right by her cheek.

His hands clenched her waist clenched harder and they were ever so close to one another.

Their lips touched very naturally. Everything else fell away—the field, the flags of Geore, the war—there was nothing but the two of them.

Their kisses, tentative at first, grew more urgent and intense. They tasted each other, connecting, communicating all their unspoken feelings for one another into each burning kiss.

A gunshot rang out. It was far off, but definitely from Ian’s base.

He hugged Lia tighter, but she tried to push him away.

Surprised, but smiling he asked, “You’re embarrassed now?”

Her cheeks were as red as a ripe apple.

“Of course. Of course. This is—” She couldn’t find the words.

“I left you something,” he said.

She knew exactly what he meant and nodded.

“I wanted to give it back. You forgot something that important—”

“Do you know what it means?” he asked.

“The Prince told me. It’s the clematis of the Duchess.”

Claude nodded and leaned against her with his head on her shoulder. The sunlight on them created a long shadow of them together with him holding the reins.

“Keep it until I come back,” he instructed. “I’ll come get it.”

He whispered, his lips touching the soft hair covering her ear. “Don’t disappear.”

Her heart sank. She flinched and became tense.

His large hand held the rein and covered her hand. She felt like she was being sucked back into his strong, yet gentle, embrace.

“You should answer me, Canillian,” he said with laughter in his voice.

Lia drew a big breath and said, “Yes.”

He leaned against her for a while. Lia could no longer see the shadow on the ground, so she turned her head.

Her lips dried up. Have I lied to him?

The giant cape on his shoulders flapped in a gust of wind. Two more gunshots from Geore rang out.

Ivan came to them, saying to her, “You need to go back, Sir Canillian.”

The tension of war hung in the air. Lia stuffed down her uneasy heart as she and Claude returned to the base. They rode back together in silence.

She remembered the precious, whispered conversation they shared a moment ago along with the heat between them and buried them deep in her heart.

She knew that their union cannot take place. She lied. They can’t move forward.

The horse kicked up dust as they arrived back at the tent. Kieran, furious at Claude, came out and helped Lia off the horse.

“Please, don’t take my brother without letting me know!” admonished Kieran.

“Hm. You’re not being honest, Kieran,” Claude replied knowingly.

“Lian is still young, Sire. He doesn’t know anything.”

“You really think so?” Claude asked meaningfully as he dismounted.

Kieran appeared to have completed his preparations to leave. Their luggage was in the carriage and the horses that would be traveling with them had been switched to much healthier ones.

The horse that stood out wore the same holder as Claude’s horse.

“It’s my father’s horse, Kieran. You take him. And give him to Lia.”

Kieran’s face went pale at Claude’s whispered request.

The horse of Duke Maximilian del Ihar? The horse that was given to him by the Emperor as a reward was the best horse in the Empire!

“No,” Kieran replied emphatically.

“I’m telling you to have her take care of him,” Claude countered. “And that horse can come back to Del Casa from anywhere in the Empire.”

“Claude.”

Claude grabbed Kieran’s shoulder as a punctuation to the conversation and headed to a cluster of waiting soldiers. As he did, Lia looked at him nervously.

Their farewell was over. If he saw that face one more time, he wouldn’t be able to let her go.

Last night, as Claude stared at the sleeping Lia, he had had only one thought the entire time: Mine.

My Canillia.

He had no intention of ending it with his first true love—a love that felt like his heart was being sliced in two.

There were footsteps behind him as he purposely strode forward. The footsteps clearly belonged to Ivan.

Claude brushed his bangs back and was about to sigh.

“Sir!”

It was Canillia who stopped Claude by pulling his cape. Claude glared at Ivan, who was holding back his laughter and calmly turned back. There she was with a red face and lips that were mumbling something.

Claude held back his laughter as he saw Kieran’s face turning white from afar.

“What is it?” asked Claude.

“Sir. That is—”

“Speak.”

“Your ear, please,” Lia said.

He lowered his torso at such a cute request. Canillia on tiptoe tickled his ear with her pretty face. His hands moved in spite of himself, reaching out to hug her.

“I like you. As well,” whispered Lia.

Claude stopped himself from embracing her and said, “Again.”

“I won’t tell you again. Please. Please come back alive. I can’t do anything about you getting hurt, but I hope you come back alive,” she whispered quickly.

Claude became anxious and held her arm as she was about to run. Then he undid her hair which was half tied up by a thin yellow ribbon. He wrapped the ribbon around his finger as her thick honey-colored hair fell down, touching her chin.

“Now we have something to exchange later,” he said.

He tied Lia’s ribbon on the handle of his sword and smiled. Her messy hair covered her eyes which were welling up with tears.

Lia said a polite goodbye and ran to Kieran. Kieran, having seen this, didn’t know what to do. He gave Claude a murderous glare, sighed, and hugged Lia.

He then gave her a consoling pat on the head and kissed her forehead.

After the war had started, Claude felt scared for the first time. However, it was not a fear of death he experienced, it was the fear of not being able to see that beautiful face again.

Claude watched as Lia and Kieran got in their carriage together.

“Likes me? Ha!” exclaimed Claude.