Chapter 133

“Don’t you remember? I told you when we first made our agreement. That I’d cause some trouble at an opportune time and break up with Your Highness for you.”

“Did I agree to that?”

“Well, no, but… wasn’t that our tacit understanding?”

“You seem to be mistaken. I never agreed to it.”

Dante had never verbally agreed, it was true, but he hadn’t pressed the issue either. I naturally assumed he felt the same way I did.

“…The heartless crown prince who cast aside his own father for a woman. Is that the kind of label you want attached to your name?”

“It’s the truth.”

“It is not. And if rumors like that start to spread, it’ll be a problem for me, too.”

“Why you, Princess?”

“‘The villainess who, mad with power, seduced the crown prince’—rumors like that won’t do the guild any good. I’d much rather be the Mad Princess.”

As Igrid had proven, a leader’s reputation was a crucial factor.

The worse a leader’s reputation, the more likely guild members were to leave. After all, the leader’s reputation was the guild’s reputation.

This was a critical issue. If, by some chance, a departed guild member became a hero, there would be no way to stop them.

Dante arrogantly crossed his legs. The atmosphere turned as frigid as a midwinter’s day.

“It’s because of the Paladin.”

“Excuse me…?”

“He seemed quite confident earlier. Did he beg you with that innocent face of his? Did he plead with you to break up with me and be with him?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions. Sir Johan has nothing to do with our relationship.”

“In that case, there’s no reason for us to break up.”

“…”

We merely held each other’s gaze in silence.

In truth, it was less about meeting his eyes and more about being ensnared by his murderous aura.

It became difficult to move, as if I were trapped in an invisible box.

I didn’t know why, but it was clear that Dante was not in a good mood.

‘Why is he being so stubborn all of a sudden?’

It would be one thing if we were real lovers. I couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with a relationship built on mutual benefit.

“Your Highness, let me be clear. I have no intention of maintaining this relationship.”

Dante rose from the sofa, stepped right onto the table with his dress shoes, and crossed over to me.

My eyes widened as I looked up at him.

“Your… Your Highness…?”

Dante placed both hands on the back of the sofa I was sitting on, effectively trapping me. He then leaned down, bringing his face close.

Just as I was about to frown at being caged in his arms, he whispered in my ear.

“Princess, don’t make an enemy of me.”

“…Are you threatening me right now?”

“I’m asking you. I don’t want to use force against you.”

Who did this man think he was, flaunting his power?

“Sounds a lot like a threat to me… Go on, give it a try. Let’s see just how strong you are.”

Provoked, I glared at him, and his eyes narrowed. The explosive tension thickened for a moment before vanishing completely.

“…I’ll stop.”

“Why? I told you to try me.”

“I can’t do it to you. I can’t.”

For a moment, I was speechless. His expression was so utterly defeated that I couldn’t find the words.

“I’m not saying you have to stay by my side forever. I don’t expect you to.”

“…”

“You don’t have to look my way. When the time comes, I’ll be the one to let you go, even if you don’t want me to…”

Dante paused, then let out a hollow laugh. It was a self-deprecating smile.

“So don’t talk about breaking up. Not unless you want to see me go mad.”

Suddenly, I remembered a conversation we had when Dante was staying at the guesthouse.

“I’m yours, after all.”

“…Since when?”

“Since long, long ago.”

At the time, I thought he was joking. I even thought to myself how this man couldn’t be serious even in a situation like this.

‘But what if he was being sincere?’

If that were the case, it would explain all of Dante’s strange stubbornness now.

“Don’t tell me… you like me?”

“You didn’t know? How could you not, when I’ve been so obvious?”

“S-Since when?”

“I already told you. ‘Since long, long ago.’”

“…!”

Dante had always been sincere. Thinking back, he had never lied. It was I who had been unable to accept it.

I couldn’t just laugh it off like last time. Dante’s gaze, his expression, his touch—everything landed with a heavy weight.

“…I honestly thought you were joking.”

“I don’t make jokes like that.”

“I thought you were someone who never gave his heart to anyone… I suppose that’s why I misunderstood and thought you weren’t being serious. I’m sorry.”

A cool hand cupped my cheek. Dante slowly tilted my head up to meet his eyes.

“You won’t break up with me, will you?”

“…”

“You’re not going to leave me. Right?”

“…I-I’ll think about it.”

“Hah, good.”

Dante rested his forehead against mine and smiled dazzlingly.

I could say with certainty that no one on earth could look at that face and say they wanted to break up.

‘Right, let’s just postpone it a little. It’s not like we have to break up right this second…’

But why did I feel like I’d been completely played? As I mulled over the inexplicable unease, a knock came from the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Guild Master, may I come in for a moment?”

“…”

“Guild Master? It’s Zenia. May I enter?”

It felt like Zenia was about to walk in at any moment, but Dante wouldn’t let me go. As if he couldn’t hear a thing, he just kept gazing into my eyes.

“Your Highness, please move.”

“…”

“It’s been one minute since I said I’d think about it.”

Only then did he let out a soft laugh and step back.

“Princess, you know all too well what I’m afraid of. It’s thrilling.”

“Don’t get thrilled. And saying I’ll think about it doesn’t mean I’m accepting your feelings.”

“I know. You’re always so consistent. Cruelly so.”

“If you’re going to keep saying strange things, you might as well leave.”

How was I supposed to believe him when he said such incomprehensible things? I sighed and straightened my dress.

“Come in.”

Zenia entered the office and presented me with an elegant box.

“What’s this?”

“An item has arrived from the auction house.”

“Ah, so we won the bid?”

I placed the barrier on the desk and checked the certificate of successful bid.

“The winning bid was 2.4 billion? That’s insane…”

I had told Burman to win the bid no matter the cost, and it seemed he had really gone all out.

“A one-year barrier for 2.4 billion…”

Even though it wasn’t my money, the waste of it all made my stomach twist.

‘No, wait. I negotiated with Kaiel to receive one percent of the winning bid as points. So how much is that? One percent of 2.4 billion is… Gasp! 24 million?’

“Ugh!”

“What is it?”

“…N-Nothing.”

I swallowed the cheer that had risen to my throat and calmed myself down.

Dante, who had been staring at the barrier with his chin propped on his hand, suddenly asked.

“Do you need a barrier, Princess?”

“Of course not. I participated to draw attention to the barrier and drive up the final bid.”

“Because once you establish an initial bid price, it won’t fall below that level? Clever.”

“If I’d known it would cost 2.4 billion, I might have reconsidered… The Duke might scold me when I get home.”

“Duke Ruthius would scold you over a mere 2.4 billion? Unlikely.”

True, Duke Ruthius probably wouldn’t even bat an eye.

“What will you do with the barrier? Install it at the guild?”

“With so many Hunters here, is there really a need for it?”

“Then you can install it at the Ruthius estate.”

That was a good idea. Since Duke Ruthius wasn’t a Hunter, it would be wise to ensure his safety in advance.

Just then, Zenia announced Jean’s arrival.

Jean? I shot to my feet. A smile naturally spread across my face.

Dante, who had been watching me quietly, let out a disbelieving scoff.

“…Isn’t the difference in your reactions a bit much? You start by scowling whenever you see me.”

“Hush, be quiet.”

Just in time, the door opened and Jean entered, his large frame filling the doorway.

After seeing only men like Dante and Johan, seeing Jean after so long felt incredibly comforting.

“Hello, Guild Master.”

“Jean, if you had something to say, you should have just called for me. Why did you come all the way up here? You must be busy.”

“I couldn’t possibly do that. The busy work is over, so it’s fine. Ah… Your Highness is here as well. It’s been a while, Your Highness.”

Dante didn’t even bother to reply, let alone look at Jean.

“Princess, how do I join the guild?”

“…You’re going to join?”

“I promised, didn’t I?”

He had already achieved his initial goal, so there was no real need for Dante to join Guardian.

And yet, he still wanted to, which was slightly touching. It was proof that he valued his promise to me.

“If you speak with Zenia, she’ll give you an application form. After that, you’ll just need to get your uniform measurements taken.”

Dante stood up and left the office. He didn’t give Jean so much as a glance on his way out.

‘Weren’t they close?’

From what I saw, they didn’t seem close enough to be exchanging cafe vouchers. Jean didn’t look particularly pleased to see him either…

‘Then again, how close could a prince and a mere patissier really be?’

I offered Jean a seat.

“Have a seat. Is there a problem in the workshop?”

“Actually, I’ve created a new product. I brought some for you to try.”

“Oh, what is it, what is it?”

“It’s pâte de fruit.”

“The name is so diff… Huh? Isn’t this just jelly?”

What Jean brought was a butterfly-shaped jelly candy.

I swallowed hard and popped the jelly into my mouth.

The soft jelly yielded gently to my teeth, and a fruit jam oozed out from within.

‘Ah, this brings back memories.’

In my past life, jelly was my favorite snack after cake.

Shinwoo, who knew my tastes better than anyone, brought me jelly almost every day. Thanks to him, our house was always stocked with it.

‘Though that stopped abruptly after Shinwoo moved out…’

A sudden bitterness filled my mouth. I forced myself to chew and swallow the jelly.