Chapter 16

Clank—

The sound of the door firmly locking.

The metallic clanking of the lock easily dismissed any thoughts I had of escaping this place.

“Ugh…”

Whether the Duchess’s one-minute mark had already passed, my legs began to move again, accompanied by a slight pain.

Tap-tap—

As the magic wore off, Rebecca moved as far away from me as possible.

Though, since it was just on the bed, she didn’t even move three steps away.

“…Don’t come any closer.”

“…”

Her voice, filled with wariness and sharpness, reached my ears.

Even in the darkness, her vivid red eyes stared straight at me, her posture crouched like a cat that had discovered something mysterious.

Her defensive stance was likely because she thought I might do something to the Princess.

Unfortunately(?), I had no such intentions.

“I won’t do anything, so please lower your guard, Princess.”

“How can I trust that?”

Rebecca immediately countered my attempt to persuade her, asking how she could trust me.

Her gaze, as if looking at a criminal, might have made me feel bad, but I already knew this argument was pointless.

“Even if I tried something, wouldn’t you overpower me with your strength?”

Not only did I have no intention of doing anything, but it was also impossible for me to beat Rebecca in strength.

Even after three years of swordsmanship training, I couldn’t guarantee I’d win in a contest of strength. If Rebecca used any strength-enhancing magic, I’d be planted into the ground in no time.

“That’s… true.”

Rebecca, knowing this fact, nodded in agreement.

“If I so much as move, I’ll be overpowered immediately. How could I possibly harm you, Princess?”

“…That’s right.”

Only after I thoroughly explained why I was no threat to her did Rebecca finally lower her guard.

‘…Why does this feel so bad?’

My pride felt a little hurt.

Everything I’d said amounted to, “As a man, I can’t overpower Rebecca, a woman, so I can’t harm her.”

Of course, that statement was entirely true, but I still had my pride as a man.

“Actually, isn’t the victim in this situation me?”

“What did you say?”

Rebecca asked back, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Her expression was one of utter disbelief, as if she couldn’t believe I was saying such a thing in this ridiculous situation.

“I was just trying to return to the Count’s mansion as usual when I was forcibly dragged here, wasn’t I?”

“That’s! Because you… did that… to me… and my mother saw…”

The Princess started with a loud, indignant shout but soon began to stammer, her face gradually turning red.

She must have been embarrassed to admit, in her own words, that she had kissed me.

I decided to exploit that further.

“Didn’t you ask me to kiss you, Princess?”

“…”

“You begged me so earnestly that I had to oblige…”

“When did I ever beg you?!”

Rebecca’s face turned even redder as she denied it vehemently.

She had been listening quietly until now, but she couldn’t accept that last statement.

However, I had already anticipated that she would react this way.

“Didn’t I ask you several times if it was really okay?”

“…”

Rebecca, having no retort, just blushed and pursed her lips.

Now was the time to press the attack.

“So, how did it feel?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to know how I felt when you kissed my cheek?”

“…”

Rebecca, too embarrassed to speak, remained silent.

I decided to tease her further.

“Why can’t you answer? Did it feel good…?”

“…It felt good.”

“…Huh?”

“It felt good. The feeling.”

Until I heard the Princess’s cool admission, I had expected her to be too embarrassed to answer.

‘What?’

I was completely caught off guard by her unexpected, straightforward response.

“Then you should answer my question too.”

“…”

“Did it feel good when I kissed you?”

Now, I was the one being attacked.

…This isn’t how it was supposed to go.

***

“Did it feel good when I kissed you?”

She spoke as if nothing was wrong, as casually as usual.

‘…I said it.’

Rebecca’s heart was pounding wildly.

The thought of having honestly confessed her feelings at that moment to the person involved made it impossible for her to calm down.

At the same time, she was curious.

She had honestly said it felt good, but what answer would her fiancé give her?

What kind of answer would Albert, who always wore that infuriating smirk, give with that flustered expression?

She was curious, and even a little excited.

“Why can’t you answer? Did it feel good too?”

“…”

Though she spoke provocatively, deep down, she hoped her fiancé had felt the same way.

They had kissed each other’s cheeks, and if only she had felt good, it would feel like a loss.

If Albert also felt good, it would be a draw, wouldn’t it?

She had always been the one losing, and she couldn’t afford to lose in this aspect either.

“You can’t answer, so it must be true. You couldn’t have felt good receiving a kiss from someone like me…”

She was about to push further, but—

“Yes, it felt good.”

“…”

Albert’s straightforward admission left her speechless.

Moreover, her fiancé seemed to have more to say.

“Not just good—it was ecstatic. How could I not feel good receiving a kiss from such a beautiful fiancée like you, Princess?”

“…”

“There isn’t a man in the Empire who wouldn’t be affected by your touch.”

The barrage of praise from her fiancé left her stunned.

“…Huh?”

Rebecca let out a strange, alien sound.

‘What is this guy saying?!’

Her face turned so red it couldn’t get any redder from Albert’s unprecedented compliments.

This wasn’t the Albert she knew.

The Albert she knew always wore that infuriating smirk and teased her, not someone who would pour out his feelings so sincerely.

That’s why Rebecca was even more flustered, and her heart raced even faster.

She completely forgot that she had been holding the upper hand just moments ago. Calming her wildly beating heart was now an impossible task.

“…Of course, I’m joking.”

“…What did you say?”

Until Albert suddenly reverted to his usual self.

Her heart, which had been burning hot, now felt like it was freezing over.

“There’s no way I’d think that way about you, Princess.”

“…”

“If I had, I would’ve confessed my love to you long ago.”

“Drop dead.”

“Huh?”

Her fiancé asked as if he hadn’t heard correctly.

“Go die.”

She had never spoken with such sincerity in her life.

“Please, just go die.”

“…”

Her heart, which had been racing, and her face, which had been burning, now felt unjustly wronged.

And she was annoyed.

Of course, she was annoyed at her fiancé for suddenly changing his attitude.

But she was even more annoyed at her own heart for fluttering at Albert’s words.

‘Why did I get so flustered…’

The thought that she had momentarily been swayed by someone like him made her mood plummet.

“Princess?”

Her fiancé, noticing her expression, seemed to realize she wasn’t in a good mood.

“Don’t talk to me. I’m annoyed.”

Rebecca snapped irritably. After all, it was because of him that she felt this way.

But.

“I understand you’re in a bad mood, but just hear me out.”

“…What is it?”

“That your kiss felt good—that wasn’t a joke.”

Hearing Albert’s words, her heart started racing like a fool again.

‘…What is this?’

She felt like a complete idiot.

Her heart fluttering at every word from her fiancé, then freezing over. Such an idiot.

She felt like she had become an idiot herself, but strangely, she didn’t feel too bad about it.

Even though she was being teased by her infuriating fiancé as usual, she couldn’t understand why she didn’t feel entirely bad.

Rebecca couldn’t comprehend it.

As she was caught in this strange mood.

“Princess.”

Her annoying fiancé’s voice called out again.

“…What now?”

“Do you have any spare bedding in the room?”

“Like a blanket?”

Bedding? Why was he suddenly asking for bedding?

“After everything that’s happened today, I’m feeling sleepy.”

“What does being sleepy have to do with a blanket…?”

“I can’t possibly share a blanket with you, Princess.”

“…Oh.”

Rebecca’s face turned red again.

“There’s one in the wardrobe, so do whatever you want.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

“Ugh…”

She didn’t want to admit it, but she had to.

Once again, she had been completely defeated by her fiancé.

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