Chapter 111

“Back?”

The moment Dante asked in confusion, the towel slid off and fell.

With superhuman reflexes, I spun around.

“I didn’t see anything.”

“It would’ve been fine if you did.”

His voice was laced with amusement. I suppressed the sigh rising in my throat.

“You should get dressed.”

“Didn’t you have something to say to me?”

“…I’ll tell you after you’ve changed.”

Everything related to Dante was strange. The way his scars vanished overnight, the fact that potions had no effect on him.

‘But that’s his personal problem. There’s no reason for me to know.’

His physical peculiarities didn’t matter, as long as they didn’t interfere with my plans.

‘What does it matter if he’s a monster or a human? As long as it doesn’t disrupt the plan…’

I nodded, then frowned. Dante had approached me without a sound and blown softly on the back of my neck.

“Tsk, you should make some noise when you walk. I almost jabbed you in the solar plexus with my elbow. A bad hit there can be fatal.”

“…Is that all?”

“What else?”

“…Nothing.”

Dante sat on the sofa, a look of disappointment on his face for some reason.

As he elegantly crossed his legs and poured tea, I could sense his slight displeasure.

‘He seems too normal.’

He didn’t look at all like someone who had been locked in a secret room and tortured only yesterday.

He pushed a cup of tea toward me and asked.

“What did you want to say?”

I sat across from him and took a sip of tea.

“Do you remember what happened yesterday?”

“How could I forget how gallantly you rescued me?”

“And after that?”

“After? You mean when we fled into the Gray Forest?”

“Yes, do you remember what happened there?”

Dante’s eyes narrowed for an instant. His jet-black eyes watched me in silence.

“Why are you curious? We experienced it together.”

“I asked first. Please answer the question.”

Dante looked down at his teacup as if reminiscing.

“The spire blocked the moonlight, so the Gray Forest was incredibly dark. Neither of us saw the pit, and we fell in. That’s all I remember.”

So he doesn’t remember what happened at the bottom of the pit?

“It was an accident for me, but not for you, Your Highness. You fell because you insisted on grabbing me as I was falling into the pit.”

“I know.”

“Why did you do that?”

Dante tilted his head.

“I don’t understand the question. Are you saying I should have just let the Princess fall?”

“Because, Your Highness, you were the type of person who wouldn’t care if someone died right next to you. But yesterday, your actions were the complete opposite. Naturally, I’m curious.”

“…”

Dante froze for a moment, as if I’d struck a nerve, then smiled meaningfully.

“Let’s just say the Princess is an exception.”

“Are you perhaps indebted to our Duke?”

“That’s not it…”

Dante searched for the right words, then let out a heavy sigh.

“Even if the Princess were a slave, I would have done the same thing.”

“And I’m asking why.”

“Because it was you. That’s the reason.”

As Dante stopped speaking, the bedroom fell silent. I could hear nothing but the sound of his breathing.

“…That’s a very misleading statement. Anyone who heard that would think you have feelings for me, Your Highness.”

“It’s not a misunderstanding.”

“Pardon?”

He gave me a captivating smile, took my hand, and placed it over his heart.

“I’m yours.”

“…Since when?”

“For a very long time.”

I pulled my hand away nonchalantly.

“Have you ever even seen me before?”

“My imagination isn’t rich enough to fall for a woman I’ve never seen.”

“I mean before the memorial service.”

“I have.”

‘Then why doesn’t Astell have any memory of meeting Dante?’

It didn’t make sense for him to claim he’d seen me on his own.

How could he have seen a girl who was so afraid of people that she never once stepped outside the annex?

‘If you’re going to lie, at least make it a good one.’

It was a special talent, to be able to say something so utterly devoid of sincerity.

‘Did he just save me without thinking?’

Like an adult instinctively grabbing a child about to cross the street on a red light.

Of course, the very idea that Dante possessed such a human quality was astounding.

But people do strange things sometimes, and at that moment, Dante had been delirious with pain. So there was no reason to read too much into what happened yesterday.

‘He’s probably too embarrassed to admit the truth, so he’s making up this ridiculous excuse…’

There was no need to be sincere with someone who answered a serious question with a joke.

Instead of getting angry and asking if he was kidding, I lifted my chin haughtily.

“I’m sorry, but please don’t like me. I keep my personal and professional lives completely separate. Which means there’s no possibility of anything happening between us.”

“Did I ever force you to acknowledge my feelings?”

“No.”

“Did I ask you to feel the same way?”

“No.”

“Then why are you interfering? My feelings are my own, not yours.”

He was right.

As long as he wasn’t forcing his emotions on me, it was rude of me to tell him whether he should like me or not.

If I had sensed even a hint of sincerity in his words, I would have answered him seriously.

‘Well, not that I’d be swayed even if it were true.’

As I’ve said time and again, my taste is as steadfast as a pine tree.

My ideal type is our sweet Shinwoo, who is kind, pure, and strong, yet makes me want to protect him… huh?

‘No, no, Johan is my ideal type!’

How absurd. Just because they look similar. To confuse the two of them.

I gave my head a quick shake, trying to erase the face that was either Shinwoo’s or Johan’s.

“If you’re curious, I’ll tell you. There are three reasons I’m interfering with your emotions.”

“Three of them?”

“First, it was a pit I could have escaped from on my own, but I was stuck because Your Highness lost consciousness. Because of that, I was almost captured by the Imperial Guard.”

“…The guard came after us?”

“Yes.”

Even if it was for my sake, Dante’s judgment had been incredibly foolish.

If I were caught alone, I could have denied everything, but if we were caught together, it would have been a case of being arrested red-handed.

The best choice in that situation was for Dante to escape on his own.

Sure, I might have been injured, but that wasn’t a major problem.

‘What are the Constellations for? They’re there to be used in times of danger. And if that failed, I could have used a potion.’

He wasn’t an idiot; there was no way he didn’t know this. Yet he chose the more dangerous path.

“Second, to move you while you were unconscious, I had to incur an unnecessary debt to someone else. I wouldn’t have needed to if I were alone.”

Having nothing to say, Dante, who had been listening meekly, tilted his head.

“A Paladin?”

“No, a summoner from Guardian named Yulia.”

“Ah…”

“Third, Alex was injured while hiding you from the guards who stormed the mansion.”

“Is that so?”

Dante’s expression instantly turned indifferent.

He didn’t even ask where or how badly Alex was hurt, even though he was injured trying to protect him.

‘Right, this is the kind of person he is.’

Someone who doesn’t care if others get hurt.

‘And he has the nerve to say he likes me? He should say something believable.’

I held up three fingers in front of his face.

“Isn’t this reason enough for me to interfere? What do you think, Your Highness?”

“Nothing like yesterday will happen again. I promise.”

What is he, a god? Or does he have the power of foresight and has seen the future?

I scoffed internally.

“If something similar to yesterday happens again, our alliance is over. Frankly, if the Emperor hadn’t been backing the First Prince, I wouldn’t have cared who became the next emperor.”

“Still, wouldn’t it be better for someone who likes the Princess to become emperor? He would try to grant your wishes, wouldn’t he?”

“Your Highness, I’m not so weak that I need to use another person’s feelings. I can achieve what I want with my own strength.”

Dante laughed silently. His thinly curved eyes sparkled with pure light. Without any ulterior motive, his finely creased eyes overlapped with Shinwoo’s.

‘To see Shinwoo in a man who’s the epitome of decadence… I must be losing my mind.’

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because my lover is so magnificent.”

“…”

At this point, he was practically method acting his role as my lover.

‘Let’s just leave him be. As long as he doesn’t do anything stupid.’

“The crown prince will be announced soon. Until then, don’t leave the guesthouse. It’ll be a headache if the staff spots you.”

Dante lifted his teacup nonchalantly.

“Comfortable and nice.”

“…You’re more of a homebody than you look. I think I’d die of boredom.”

“I’m used to it.”

Was he locked in that secret room that often? To the point where he no longer felt confined?

I couldn’t understand the Emperor at all. Why on earth did he hate Dante so much?

Feeling a pang of pity, I gently ruffled his hair. Then, I found myself saying something I had said countless times in my past life.

“Wait here quietly. I’ll bring back something tasty later.”

“Shinwoo, just lie still. Your big sister will bring you something tasty later.”

Dante burst out laughing.