WBRS 22

Chapter 22

“Lady, today is His Highness’s first appearance at an official event, so there will be a lot of attention. Of course, you’re used to it, but… I was worried you might be nervous.”

As we were heading toward the banquet hall, Kin, who had been following behind us, quietly came up beside me and whispered. His considerate tone eased the stiffness in my shoulders.

“Lucellin, if it gets too overwhelming, you can lean on me.”

Thanks—or perhaps no thanks—to this sly, black-hearted snake who acted shamelessly despite everything, the rest of my tension melted away as well.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I had no intention of doing so, but I didn’t bother saying that out loud.

When we reached the door leading to the stage, Kin signaled the knight guarding the entrance to open it.

The closed doors slowly parted.

At that moment, Killis gently tightened his grip on my hand. It felt as though he was calling me, so I turned my head. Without looking at me, he spoke softly.

“This moment… is exactly why I called you before the party began.”

His voice, saying he wanted to be with me during this once-in-a-lifetime moment when he would reveal himself to the world, was incredibly sweet.

“Were you nervous being alone?”

“That too. And… every unforgettable moment I’ve had, you were there—just like now.”

Before I could think about what he meant, the knight’s booming announcement rang out.

“His Highness Crown Prince Fernando and Lady Erbel are entering!”

The large golden doors swung open wide.

The noisy hall fell into complete silence in an instant.

As we stepped forward, countless eyes looking up from below filled my vision.

It was a familiar kind of gaze. At every party, I had been buried under such curious stares.

But today, the atmosphere felt different somehow, and I instinctively took a step back.

Killis tightened his hold on my hand again. Then he lightly pressed a kiss to the back of it—a clear gesture of affection and respect.

Given that we were engaged, it wasn’t strange… but as the very first action right after our entrance, it felt rather unexpected.

In the silence where everyone watched us with different expressions, I met his eyes in surprise. The corners of his lips curved gently upward.

Then, turning to face the crowd below, he spoke in a calm voice.

“It’s good to finally meet you all. We’ll be seeing each other often.”

It was a short and simple greeting, yet it left a powerful and lasting impression.

As proof, the crowd burst into applause.

“His Highness has truly appeared!”

“My goodness, he’s not a monster at all! Who dared spread such nonsense?”

“How can he be so striking? As expected of a descendant of the legendary dragon!”

“He already seems close with Lady Erbel… since when?”

The nobles, now seeing Killis in person, quickly discarded the rumors they had once enjoyed and began praising his overwhelming presence and dazzling appearance.

“Lucellin.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask… how long are you going to keep calling me so formally? Call me comfortably, like before.”

Killis lightly bit my thumb as he narrowed his eyes.

Even though he wasn’t in his “Mangdeok” form, I could tell—it was a sign of dissatisfaction.

“And ‘like before’… that basically means ‘Mangdeok,’ doesn’t it?”

There was no way he was asking me to call him that right now. Did he mean I should use his name?

“Unfortunately, you hold a position that doesn’t allow for casual address.”

“That’s for others. We’re engaged, aren’t we? We’re even imprinted.”

He muttered as if that was more than enough reason, then glanced at my sleeve and frowned slightly.

It seemed he didn’t like that his mark was completely hidden.

As if confirming my suspicion, Killis grabbed my sleeve and gently pulled it up, revealing the handkerchief tightly wrapped around my wrist.

The soft, fluffy purple handkerchief was firmly tied with a ribbon, as if it would never come undone.

Since he couldn’t possibly know it was from Dean, I wasn’t exactly nervous… but for some reason, I felt uneasy.

Every time Killis noticed something Dean had given me, something shocking always happened—to me.

“What’s this?”

“A handkerchief. As you can see, I used it to cover the mark. I didn’t know Mangdeok was Your Highness.”

For some reason, Killis didn’t look pleased with my answer.

“…I see. That makes sense. Then you don’t need it anymore, right?”

“What? Wait—!”

Riiip.

The thick fabric tore apart effortlessly, as if it were paper.

The shredded handkerchief fell to the ground in pieces.

“Oh dear, I only meant to untie it…”

Killis pretended to be surprised, though his eyes showed none. He clicked his tongue, looking completely unapologetic.

“It must be weak from smelling like a dog. I’ll give you something better.”

Not only did he clearly do it on purpose, but he didn’t even try to hide it.

Apparently, the “dog smell” was the problem.

Even though Dean isn’t a dog…

“You’ve been deliberately destroying my things lately, haven’t you?”

“Well, strictly speaking, they aren’t yours.”

He didn’t deny it at all, smiling pleasantly—but there was a sharp edge beneath it.

As he said, everything he had destroyed so far belonged to Dean, not me.

Still… no matter how keen a snake’s sense of smell is, could it really be this extreme? Even beastmen wouldn’t go this far! How could he recognize only Dean’s things so perfectly…?

“…Killis.”

“Yes, Lucellin.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I softly called his name.

Instantly, the coldness in his face melted away.

It was strange how his mood changed so drastically depending on me.

Of course, he had always been strange—even as Mangdeok—but knowing he was both a beastman and the crown prince only made everything more confusing.

Was he treating me this kindly because I had saved his life? Even so… this felt excessive.

We were engaged, but it was an arrangement made when we were too young to even remember. It shouldn’t mean much.

Or… was there something between us that I didn’t remember?

“Your Highness, I have something to report.”

Just as I was about to ask him, Kin approached from behind.

When both Killis and I looked at him, Kin adjusted his glasses and spoke briskly.

“It’s about time you went down and greeted the nobles. Especially those involved in politics—you should at least exchange a few words. You’ll be seeing them often in the future.”

Then he began listing the names of nobles Killis absolutely had to meet.

As the list went on, Killis’s expression grew colder, but Kin carried on without hesitation.

“It seems a greedy bird is asking too much of me.”

“As this is your first official appearance, I sincerely ask for your patience—just for today.”

Even under Killis’s intimidating gaze, Kin stood firm, his dark eyes glinting.

Notably, he kept glancing at me, as if checking whether I was still there—probably assuming Killis wouldn’t scold him too harshly in my presence.

“Tch. Just for today.”

Fortunately, Kin’s assumption was correct. Killis reluctantly nodded.

If he was going to speak with political nobles, I should probably wait here. It would be awkward for me to join them anyway.

But contrary to my thoughts, Killis held out his hand to me.

“Lucellin, would you accompany me during this tedious time?”

“…May I?”

“What kind of question is that between us?”

His golden eyes curved warmly.

“…But I might make things less interesting.”

“Lucellin, let me tell you something you don’t know.”

Lowering his voice, Killis leaned close to my ear.

His sweet voice, like the one I had once heard in the depths of night, whispered clearly:

“There’s no rabbit in this world as interesting as you. So don’t stray from me. Not even for a moment.”