VNC 37

Chapter 37

“…I can’t believe this.”

Listening to what came next, Shuwen seriously debated whether she should pull away. He’d pulled her in first, so she thought it was fine—but apparently not.

“Where exactly do I look like a damn… dog?”

“Hm. If we’re being precise, I’d say everywhere?”

“…….”

To curse someone with a smile—unbelievable.

Her green eyes filled with shock. Esselian frowned, as if he truly didn’t understand why the Archduchess was suddenly acting this way.

“Do you dislike being compared to a dog?”

It wasn’t really a question directed at Shuwen—more like a musing to himself. She considered pretending she hadn’t heard it, but somehow, it stung.

“…No. Your Highness is dog-like too.”

Who would like hearing something like that? Especially when she hadn’t done anything to deserve being insulted…!

“Me?”

Esselian tilted his head in disbelief. Shuwen nodded vigorously, then, worried he might suddenly explode in anger, quickly shook her head side to side.

“I was joking. You were joking too, right?”

“I was serious.”

“…Why are you insulting me?”

Saying “if we’re being precise, all of you are dog-like” was basically calling her a dog. Perhaps because her parents had raised her like precious treasure, Shuwen felt hurt by the insult.

And to hear it from someone she was supposed to get close to, of all people!

“An insult? I’ve never insulted you, my lady.”

Yet the man who had just told her to her face that she was dog-like reacted as though he’d never said such a thing.

That made it even worse.

“You just said I was ‘dog-like.’”

“Oh.”

“…….”

Esselian’s furrowed brow relaxed. Only then did he seem to realize it. He looked at Shuwen, who was biting her lip as emotion welled up.

If he teased her more, she might cry.

…That didn’t sound so bad.

Esselian reached out and touched Shuwen’s face, his thumb lightly pressing beneath her eye.

“I don’t understand why everything about you would be dog-like… And if I were insulting you, that would be no different from insulting Lucenia itself.”

Even while Esselian was thinking, Shuwen didn’t pull away from him. His hand slipped away from beneath her eye.

“I did not insult you.”

A lie.

Shuwen’s thoughts were written all over her face.

“Because you’re cute.”

“…What?”

“Because you’re cute, my lady. Like a dog that barks at strangers out of fear, but loves to cling once it warms up.”

Shuwen slowly closed her eyes, then opened them again.

“So… you said I was dog-like because I’m cute?”

“Because dogs are cute.”

“…So that means it was a compliment?”

Once she fully understood what he meant, Shuwen’s face flushed red. When she thought she’d been insulted to her face, she’d felt wronged and hurt. Now that she realized she’d been called cute to her face, she felt unbearably embarrassed.

It wasn’t “damn dog”—it was “like a dog.”

“Th-then, first of all—let’s just get out of here!”

Overcome with embarrassment, Shuwen buried her face against Esselian’s chest and clutched his waist tightly.

Chuckling, Esselian wrapped his arms around her in return.

“Then step out with your left foot first.”

“Y-yes. Yes.”

Those watching them were left dumbfounded by the unexpected scene.

Even the employee who had been kneeling and trembling stared blankly at the Archduke and the mysterious woman, who were paying him no attention at all.

Behind a potted plant, Merchelli and Naiven also stared strangely at the pair, who were moving while clinging to each other.

“…What are they doing?”

Naiven pushed his glasses up, unable to hide his disbelief. Merchelli let out a hollow laugh and pointed at them.

“They’re really going out like that… Is something wrong with my eyes?”

“Looks the same to me.”

There were many eyes watching the couple—not just theirs—as the two shuffled forward step by step, occasionally stumbling, stopping to exchange words, then moving again.

“You’re doing well, my lady.”

Hearing the gentle voice brush past her ear, Shuwen took another step backward.

Esselian stepped forward.

Backing away again, all Shuwen could think about was getting out of there as quickly as possible.

Completely unaware that rumors were already spreading that the Archduke of Raniead had finally met his match.

“Your Highness, please stop looking back.”

Shuwen grabbed Esselian’s arm firmly, stopping him from glancing behind them again and again. Ever since they’d been tailed, Esselian kept trying to confirm their pursuers.

“Judging by the fact that we’re being followed, there’s a high chance they know I’m the cure.”

Lowering her voice, Shuwen casually leaked the information as if she didn’t know anything.

Still, it was surprising that Esselian hadn’t noticed the tail sooner. Wasn’t he usually perceptive?

“Did you really not realize you were being followed? Given your experience on the battlefield, I thought you’d notice.”

Esselian shook his head like someone who truly hadn’t known. Only then did he let out a long sigh and slightly narrow his eyes.

“I think I have a fever. My senses must be dulled.”

“…! Are you sick?”

Shuwen looked him over anxiously. Esselian nodded and took her hand, placing it against his forehead.

“What do you think, my lady?”

“Well… I’m wearing gloves, so it’s hard to tell…”

After leaving the café while clinging to him, Shuwen had quickly separated from Esselian. Now they were walking side by side.

She removed her gloves and touched his forehead to check his temperature.

“It feels like you might have one… or maybe not.”

Esselian didn’t have a fever. The warmth she felt was coming from her own hand.

“If you’re not feeling well, maybe we should go somewhere inside first…”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Are you sure?”

“As you can see.”

Pretending to check if something was stuck to his coat, Shuwen glanced back.

They were still following them.

“We need to shake them off. They’re still right behind us…”

After scanning Esselian with worried eyes, Shuwen made a firm decision and grabbed his hand.

Since he was sick, she had to stay sharp.

“I’ll trust you, my lady.”

Her steps grew hurried as cold wind blew past. Pulling Esselian along, Shuwen melted into the crowd. People brushed past them from all sides.

She could feel how tense the hand she was holding had become.

Esselian let himself be led, chuckling softly.

They passed general stores and food stalls for tourists. The street buzzed noisily with children running around.

“When I give the signal, run…!”

A carriage was approaching nearby.

Shuwen planned to slip into the alley between buildings as it passed.

‘Then it’ll look like we vanished.’

If they could escape the alley while Merchelli and Naiven were confused, that would be enough.

“Now!”

When the supply wagon perfectly blocked the mouth of the alley, Shuwen whispered sharply so only Esselian could hear. The two broke into a run almost simultaneously.

The alley was a dead end.

Their forward momentum halted abruptly. Unlike the daylight outside, the alley was dark and damp, and Shuwen floundered, unable to go any farther.

“A dead end,” Esselian said calmly.

“This can’t be happening…”

This was an unexpected variable. Things had been going so smoothly—too smoothly.

“Do you happen to have… teleportation right now?”

She’d heard the heirloom teleport was an object. Esselian shook his head.

“I don’t usually use it in daily life, so I left it behind. It’s inconvenient.”

Completely useless.

After darting back and forth and hesitating at the exit, Shuwen finally shoved Esselian into a massive pile of trash.

“We have to hide here, at least.”

“Is that really necessary—”

Naturally, Esselian resisted without moving.

“It’s filthy. There’s no need to hide in a place like this.”

“It is dirty, but there’s nowhere else to hide. And you’re sick right now, Your Highness, so please—just follow my lead. Okay?”

The way she looked up at him, desperate and uncertain, was like a confused dog seeking reassurance.

Hide in a trash heap—something he’d never even imagined. The stench was overpowering. He’d never once thought he’d be in such a situation.

“Gasp—!”

While pushing insistently against Esselian’s chest, Shuwen froze when she heard profanity-laced voices from the alley entrance. She flinched and practically lunged at him.

After briefly hesitating over whether to go along with it, Esselian extended his arms and caught her as she threw herself at him.

“Hurry—get in, quickly…!”

As Shuwen pushed him with her body while staring at the alley entrance, he swallowed a sigh and stepped back. The more he retreated, the closer her body pressed against his.

“Damn it! Where did they go?!”

A familiar voice rang out nearby. Heavy footsteps kicked against the ground. Whoever it was had clearly been running, now stopping to catch their breath.

“You should’ve kept a better eye on them. I don’t know what you were doing. It’s my fault for expecting anything from an idiot like you.”

“Hah. And you’re one to talk—weren’t you trembling because you were scared of some dog and let them slip away?”

“Watch your mouth, Merchelli.”

“Watch your mouth, Merchelli,” Merchelli mocked, parroting Naiven’s words.

‘Why are they arguing here instead of leaving?’

Hidden beside the trash pile, Shuwen couldn’t be seen.

Unfortunately, Esselian—whose head stuck out a full length above hers—was completely exposed.

Unaware of this, Shuwen clung tightly to him like a sloth, ears perked as she listened.

“Wait. There’s someone over there.”

Merchelli’s voice sounded like he’d spotted something. The footsteps resumed.

Merchelli was coming this way.

‘What? How did he know?’

The footsteps drew closer. Shuwen’s heart pounded faster, so loud it felt like a drum beating inside her ears.

“My lady, at this rate, we’ll be discovered,” Esselian whispered calmly.

His Adam’s apple dipped and rose. When Shuwen lifted her head, her vision filled with his expressionless face.

“There is a way not to get caught…”

A black-gloved hand cupped her face, reddened from the cold. His gaze lingered on her flushed nose as his face lowered slightly.

Their breaths touched.

Shuwen instantly understood what he was about to do.

There was no way she couldn’t.

“…Is it a sure method?”

“Probably.”

She bit her lip tightly. A kiss wasn’t a big deal—they’d done it a few times already.

If they were caught now, it would be disastrous.

Though it was two against two, Esselian was sick—so it was practically two against one.

Shuwen couldn’t win. And if Merchelli stabbed Esselian in the abdomen…

He already had a fever. If he were stabbed, she might lose him right before her eyes.

“Then… do it.”

There was no other choice.

Shuwen shut her eyes tightly.

Esselian looked closely at her tense face, shoulders raised stiffly.

‘I didn’t plan on going this far…’

He’d only intended to tease the Archduchess for falling for his sloppy acting—never to actually press his lips to hers.

This ridiculous idea had been pure impulse. The closer she clung to him, the more a sweet scent seeped in.

The same scent from when she’d first been in his arms.

It was addictive, tipping the scale toward the darker thoughts in his mind.

“Your Highness…?”

Her tightly closed lashes trembled. When her eyes opened, they were clear and unclouded. Her green gaze held confusion—

and genuine belief that this might work.

Only then did Esselian tilt his head. Warm, soft lips touched his. Her breath slipped between them.

Esselian didn’t close his eyes. Watching her lowered lashes, he lifted his gaze and looked straight at the man before him.

‘Get lost.’

“Ah, damn it. Why here of all places…”

Reading the meaning in Esselian’s red eyes, Merchelli scratched the back of his neck roughly.

He never would’ve imagined seeing Esselian here.

Let alone buried in a trash heap.

It honestly never crossed his mind that the man in the garbage could be Esselian.

He hadn’t even spared a thought as to why someone would be there—he was never interested in other people to begin with.

He’d only planned to describe their appearances and ask if anyone had seen them…

‘Tch. Burned my eyes.’

Merchelli grabbed Naiven’s arm, who was equally stunned. All he knew was that they needed to get out of there—immediately.

Soon, hurried footsteps filled the alley as they retreated in haste.