CH 53

Beltran’s personality was the epitome of arrogance. A typically egotistical character who thought he was the center of the world and that he was the most valuable person in it.

So unless you treated him like royalty, he was going to treat you like a genuine convenience store customer.

The ring was in my hands anyway, so I wasn’t interested in the rest of the auction.

I forced my stern expression into a business-like smile.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but it was a ring I really wanted.”

“I understand.”

“Your Highness has a big heart, after all.”

“No, well, you’re not wrong.”

Beltran’s lips curled up in a smug smile at my empty words.

That was the least I could do. I slipped out of my seat and waved goodbye without taking a breath.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got another appointment, so I’d better get the ring and get going.”

“Wait, the ball–”

“Then goodbye!”

I hurried out of the auction house before Beltran could catch me. Raeyan stood steadfastly by my side through one unexpected turn of events after another.

‘Phew, I barely made it out.’

I almost got caught by Beltran, but that thankfully didn’t happen.

As with the last time I picked up the Greed Seal Stone, I was ushered into a room by a staff member.

As soon as I sat down, the employee put the contract and the box with the goods on the table.

“You just need to check the items and sign.”

“Okay.”

I checked the item first. It was the same ring I’d seen earlier, without the chunky gemstone.

Next, I started reading the contract. I wasn’t the kind of person to skim through a contract for the second time.

I was reading the penalty section carefully. The employee who was watching me closely let out an exclamation of “Ah!”

“You’re the customer who bid on the ugly– no, ahem – red jewel last time!”

[What. Had I been here before?]

I was momentarily at a loss for words as the lousy red gem was the one to interrupt.

I can’t imagine how furious Greed would be if he knew that ugly red gem was his.

The employee who glanced at the ring I won today smiled awkwardly and said, “You really do have unique tastes.”

At this point, I’ve become a person with unique tastes…….

Anyway, I looked over the contract and saw that nothing had changed from the last time. I signed it, grabbed the box, and stood up.

“Thank you for doing business with us. Have a good day, customer.”

I found it a little funny that this was the second time I’d been a customer and the greeting was longer than last time.

All the while, Greed nagged at me loudly.

[Why didn’t you answer? I asked you when you were last here!]

‘I came before I met you.’

Well, I did come before I met Greed in the Seal Stone, so it’s not a lie.

[You could have just said that].

‘Yeah, yeah.’

I had just exited the auction house building when I spoke to Greed.

“Stand back.”

“Huh……?”

A narrowed-eyed Raeyan blocked my path.

And beyond him…….

“This is taking longer than I thought. It’s been a while since I’ve had to wait this long, Princess.”

Beltran, the second prince I’d just barely separated from earlier, was waiting for me.

‘Ugh, persistent!’

I thought he’d gone back, but he was waiting for me at the exit.

I turned to look at Beltran, who must have misunderstood the look in my eyes, because he smiled.

‘Ugh, what’s wrong with you…….’

I clamped my mouth shut and averted my gaze.　

***

‘Ha! You’re that excited to see me again? It’s rather cute that you’re averting your eyes because you feel shy.’

Interpreting Elodie’s attitude of covering her mouth and turning her head away in shyness, Beltran gave the best smile he could think of.

Now that he knew Elodie held him in her heart, he saw things he hadn’t seen before.

The more he looked at her, the more he liked her.

In particular, it was very cute that she could not be honest and yet revealed her true feelings.

Beltran approached Elodie and brought up the subject he had been waiting for.

“It’s a wonder we bumped into each other, isn’t it? And in that spirit, why don’t we go for a meal, Lady? There’s a fairly decent restaurant in the neighborhood.”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to accompany you, Your Highness.” 

Without breaking eye contact, Elodie quickly declined.

With a twisted smile, Beltran guessed what she meant.

Surely the normal thing to do would be to lie and say you hadn’t eaten and follow him, but she refused?

‘Pfft. You’re being shy again.’

Even though you’re resisting, you’re actually hoping that the other person will push you harder.

Normally, he wouldn’t have fallen for that, but Beltran was being quite generous today.

He was more aggressive than before.

“If a meal is too much for you, perhaps we could go to a café. I will rent an entire café for my special lady.”

Finally, Elodie lifted her head and looked at him. Her face was set in a very serious expression.

Whew. Was she impressed?

Beltran thought so, for it was such an extraordinary gesture that she could be moved to tears.

But the answer that came back surprised him.

“No, thank you, Your Highness.”

Another refusal.

Beltran was furious.

“Why? I am offering to empty the entire café for the lady.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I can also rent the whole place,” Elodie blurted out, as if she were offended by something.

‘It’s not this?’

Faced with a reaction he had not expected, Beltran was dumbfounded.

Of course, as a lady of Perdia, she must have plenty of money. But the important thing was that Beltran was willing to take the time to rent a café “specially” for the other person.

That’s a lot of attention from your crush!

Obviously, it was time to be impressed and follow suit.

As Beltran pursed his lips, wondering what to say, Elodie smiled sweetly and waved goodbye.

“I’ll take my leave, then. I’ll see you next time.”

With a neat bow, Elodie was on her way out the door.

Beltran had failed to catch her once before, and there was no way he was going to miss her again.

“Wait, Lady!”

He approached Elodie with wide strides and reached out to grab her wrist.

Thud-!

“……!”

But he couldn’t. Because some guy next to Elodie knocked his hand away.

Beltran was furious.

“How dare you touch the body of a royal!”

A swarm of Beltran’s bodyguards emerged from hiding and surrounded them.

Only then did Beltran turn to face the man who had been at Elodie’s side the entire time.

“What the, you.”

“…….”

Black hair, red eyes. Beltran frowned openly at the man’s stunningly handsome features.

The man said nothing; he just stared at him. His mere gaze seemed to overwhelm him, but Beltran was undaunted.

“An escort? Ha! How dare you interrupt a member of the royal family on the subject of an escort? That is a clear offense!”

The man’s face did not show the slightest hint of fear.

‘You. Why are you looking so confident?’

Puzzled for a moment, Beltran stared at the escort’s face. The more he looked, the more familiar it became. It was a face he had seen many times before.

Yes, that face was definitely…….

“The Mercenary King?”

It was Ian the Mercenary.

“Please step back.”

Raeyan warned Beltran in a chilling tone.

The Duke of Perdia had assigned Raeyan as Elodie’s escort, figuring that with the emperor’s favor, he would be able to keep the Second Prince at bay.

But the duke overlooked one important fact.

“How dare you, a commoner, give orders to the imperial family! Do you know who I am? The son of His Majesty the Emperor, the 2nd Prince!”

The Second Prince Beltran was less perceptive than one might think.

A favored mercenary of the Emperor, a dog of the Emperor – none of that mattered to Beltran.

He merely resented the fact that the commoner before him dared to order him around.

“You’ve gone overboard, and you think you can treat this body with such disrespect just because you’re favored by the emperor!”

“…….”

“Answer me!”

Despite his outburst, the furious commoner escort could only stare at him indifferently.

The ego-driven Beltran gritted his teeth and marched towards Elodie and Raeyan.

He tried to put a hand on Elodie’s shoulder.

But–

“What?!”

Suddenly, his hand began to move of its own accord.

Bam!

It slapped against his cheek.

“Ouch!”

“……!”

Beltran’s bodyguards stood around with their mouths agape at this sudden action. 

But they had no reason to intervene, since he had slapped himself.

Raeyan turned to Beltran with a sneer.

“Your Highness is aware that he has been rude.”

“What are you talking about! This!”

Beltran took a step toward Raeyan and was caught off guard again. This time, his legs didn’t seem to be able to move along the floor.

Raeyan spoke up.

“I will not report today’s insolence to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“What the hell is this madman talking about?! Eh, eh! Mmph!”

This time Beltran’s mouth remained firmly closed.

What the heck was going on here? 

Suddenly, his arms, legs, and even his lips were unable to move at will.

Beltran’s eyes widened wildly as he struggled to move.

“Mmph! Mmmph!”

As if to mock Beltran, Raeyan bid him farewell casually.

“We’ll take our leave then.”

He glided past the second prince’s escorts, who were surrounding Elodie.

Beltran’s eyes widened and he shouted as loudly as he could.

‘Hold him! Stop him from getting away!’

But no voice came out.

“Mmph! Mmmph–!”

– was all that came out.

***

Back in the Perdia mansion.

Elodie summoned Greed and carried him in her arms as she walked, because it was screaming at the top of its lungs about how stuffy it was inside the sealing stone.

[Humans are fun].

Greed said, giggling at the spectacle. Elodie placed a firm hand on Greed’s head and warned him sternly.

“Don’t talk outside.”

[No one was around anyway.]

“I think there is?”

Jansi had probably hired someone to watch her every move. Therefore, they couldn’t easily let their guard down.

Ignoring Elodie’s worries, Raeyan said calmly.

“Don’t worry, when you’re with me, they can’t get within a certain distance.”

[See, I told you it was okay!]

With Raeyan’s assurance, Greed felt more confident. It seemed to feel even better now that it was outside.

“Anyway, thank you, Raeyan. I really had a hard time with the second prince.”

“I did what I had to do.”

“You don’t think the Second Prince will retaliate, do you?”

It was very likely, but contrary to her worries, Raeyan didn’t seem to care about Beltran at all.

“He won’t, not if he doesn’t want to be exposed to the Emperor’s eyes.”

But given how arrogant he’d been earlier, even when he’d realized it was Ian the Mercenary King, she wasn’t entirely reassured.

‘Fine, let’s leave him alone for now.’

Even if he tried to cause an accident, he might be excluded from the royal family.

More than that, Elodie had a question she’d been dying to ask.

“But how did you do it?”

“What do you mean?”

“The second prince suddenly slapped himself on the cheek and couldn’t move. Didn’t Raeyan do that?”

“I don’t have any knowledge of that.”

Predictably, Raeyan denied it. But in Elodie’s mind, it was definitely Raeyan’s doing.

‘That time I fell off the cliff, and this time.’

It’s not clear what kind of power this is, but he’s clearly using something other than magic.

‘Is it magic or power?’

But apparently, Raeyan didn’t belong to any of the Four Families.

[Hmm?]

Greed looked at Raeyan thoughtfully and tilted his head.

Greed and Elodie were both glancing at Raeyan, when suddenly, Rayan looked down at her.

Oops.

I was caught sneaking a peek. A serious look appeared on Raeyan’s face as he looked down at me, who was smiling awkwardly.

“What?”

“I heard you want to break off the engagement with the First Prince.”

“That’s right.”

“And that the Second Prince will be making impure advances towards Elodie from now on.”

“Huh……?”

I wondered why he was suddenly talking about that.

At the questioning look, Rayan looked down at me and said.

“I’m more capable than you think.”

“………..”

“So please, use me.”

Use you? What the heck?

Bewildered, Elodie froze in her tracks, and Raeyan stopped as well.

“I can be anything for you.”

“Anything?”

“Your assistant, your escort, …… even your partner.”

***

After he finished speaking, Raeyan’s throat burned, as if he was thirsty. 

To him, she was the only light of salvation in a pitch-black abyss.

Because all he had done in this life was to wait for her.

‘In this life, I absolutely must…’

The depths of Rayan’s eyes were unfathomable as he said that he could even become a partner if she so desired.