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Chapter 70
“Shang…?”
The sudden topic made me tilt my head in confusion, and my mind instantly flashed back to the time I had kissed As on the cheek to calm him down.
My face heated up again in an instant.
While I was frozen stiff, As continued speaking.
“You said you’d do it somewhere different back then.”
“Th-that’s…”
“You clearly said you’d do it in a place I’d like. Right?”
As urged me with a playful tilt of his eyes.
My heated face felt like it could explode at any moment.
“N-not now.”
“…Why not?”
“I’ll do it later, when you return to your original form.”
As pouted his cheeks in dissatisfaction.
“I want it now.”
His expression was unbearably adorable, but I summoned the reason and composure that had been absent earlier.
“As, you’re just a cute little kid right now.”
“……”
“I don’t want to go to jail.”
As’s expression darkened immediately.
He pressed his lips tightly together and spoke softly.
“…Who would dare send you to jail?”
“I would.”
“……”
“That’s really a cruel thing to do. You’d have to be punished, and I’m no exception.”
I said firmly.
As’s face now carried a deadly intensity, as if it could erupt with the slightest touch.
“…Should I kill you?”
The grinding of his teeth was barely audible.
I was about to ask what he meant when, in the next moment, As’s face broke into a smile as he looked up at me.
“My child form is the problem, isn’t it?”
“Huh? Th-that… yeah?”
“Then I’ll break this silly spell right away.”
As took a small glass vial from his coat.
I hastily grabbed him, sensing he was about to smash it on the floor.
“Ah, As, no! The side effects haven’t fully gone away yet!”
“It’s fine, Einra. I don’t care about that.”
“I care! I do!”
I shouted, but As paid no attention.
Restless, I finally lowered my head and kissed As on the cheek.
“This is the advance. The rest I’ll give you when you return to your original form.”
“…Hah.”
A soft sigh escaped As’s lips, but I held my ground.
He slowly brushed his hair back and smiled as if he had drawn it himself.
“Alright. I don’t want to worry you, Einra.”
“Thank you, As!”
I hugged him tightly with a broad smile.
At the sudden embrace, As, who had been stiff, carefully rested his head against me.
“…I don’t have much patience.”
He murmured softly, like a sigh.
“The only person who could make me wait… is you, Einra.”
As soon as I rode Hisha and arrived home, I headed straight for the parlor where Harnen was.
I heard that after learning I had been kidnapped to the Bahar Grand Palace, he had stayed there ever since.
As guided me into the parlor, where Harnen, pacing nervously, locked eyes with me.
“Einra!”
He hurried toward me, his sky-blue eyes full of worry scanning me from head to toe.
“Einra, are you okay?”
Seeing his face, the emotions I had been suppressing suddenly welled up.
…How long do you have to suffer?
I immediately stretched out my arms and hugged Harnen tightly.
His large body stiffened in my arms.
“…Einra?”
I hugged him even tighter without a word.
Startled, he twisted his body to try and free himself.
“Ei, Einra, wait…”
“Harnen.”
He paused for a moment.
I continued in a low, steady voice.
“I will make sure you get your revenge.”
“……”
“I will restore your honor, no matter what.”
“…Einra.”
“I’ll make sure it happens.”
“Einra, what happened?”
Harnen asked in a low voice.
After a moment of silence, I slowly let him go.
When I looked up, his sky-blue eyes were darker, sinking into a more somber hue.
“…No, it’s nothing.”
I shook my head.
I couldn’t tell him.
Those damned people wanted to curse him using your corpse.
…I can’t tell you.
“Um, shall we sit for now?”
I asked, trying to change the subject.
It felt a little awkward to ask this after immediately hugging Harnen, but I steeled myself and waited for his answer.
Harnen looked at me as if he wanted to say something, but eventually, he slowly nodded.
Tea and snacks were set on the table.
Seeing the beautifully arranged cookies, I suddenly realized how hungry I was, something I hadn’t noticed before.
“Éclair!”
I quickly reached and grabbed a large one.
As I savored the delightful combination of cream and strawberries, Harnen spoke slowly.
“Einra.”
“Huh?”
I swallowed the éclair in my mouth and looked at him reflexively.
Harnen met my gaze and continued.
“I’m the one who inscribed the protective spells on the Serennia Grand Palace.”
“Yes, I know.”
“But if you ignore that and respond to Dante’s summoning spell, how do you think I’d feel?”
“….”
I was instantly at a loss for words.
I carefully set down my fork, keeping an eye on Harnen.
“…Not good, obviously.”
If it were me, I’d be furious if Harnen deactivated my protective shield and entered the enemy camp alone.
“But I had a very good reason!”
I tried to explain that I hadn’t blindly rushed into enemy territory.
“But Eliya strengthened my affinity, so it was really okay…”
“Then, Einra.”
Suddenly, Harnen smiled brightly.
“I think my magic is pretty good too. So even if I go alone into enemy territory, it should be fine, right?”
“What? Absolutely not!”
I slammed the table.
I couldn’t allow the slightest threat to my favorite person!
“Why? You think my skills aren’t enough? I graduated top of my class at the Atlanta Academy, you know.”
“That’s not it! I just… I don’t want you to risk yourself!”
“Then don’t you think that’s fine?”
“….”
His calm words made me slump back into my seat again.
I had a hundred things I wanted to say… but couldn’t.
“I don’t want you to take risks.”
“Yes…”
“Whether you have the power to overcome the risk doesn’t matter. I just don’t want you to face it at all.”
“I’m sorry…”
I kept apologizing until my favorite’s mood eased.
After repeating “I won’t risk myself without telling you again” several times, Harnen finally softened.
“So, Einra.”
Harnen pushed a tray of cookies toward me and spoke.
“I heard you destroyed the Bahar Grand Palace.”
His hand slipped while putting a plump macaron in his mouth.
“Ah, haha… Has word already spread that far?”
“It’s not just me. Every noble in the capital probably knows.”
“….”
I quietly put the macaron in my mouth.
Thus, a city-level embarrassing event had been created…
“My dear superior told me you went there because of information about Belzestie.”
“…Yes.”
“Then why did you destroy it?”
Harnen asked quietly, his sky-blue eyes scanning my face as if reading me.
“You’re not the type to do something like that unless you’re really angry.”
“….”
“What exactly happened there?”
A faint trace of sharpness appeared in his eyes, a rare serious look from my favorite.
I slowly drew back my hand from reaching for another macaron.
‘If I don’t answer, something bad might happen…’
Cold sweat ran down my spine.
I swallowed the remaining macaron in my mouth, then awkwardly smiled and spoke.
“Nothing… really. I guess I was just a little too sensitive about my inner Korean seeing foreign intervention.”
“…What?”
“I saw a traitor in front of me and couldn’t just stand by.”
Harnen’s eyes narrowed.
His gaze clearly asked, ‘What do you mean by that?’ but I averted my eyes as if seeing nothing.
Ask Lee Hee-soo for details. Einra doesn’t know…
“U-uh, I guess I’m tired from moving all night. I should go sleep.”
Mechanically, I stood up slowly.
“You rest well too, Harnen.”
“….”
His eyes followed me persistently, but luckily, he didn’t say anything as I left the parlor.
It seemed he was holding back for my sake.
I thanked him inwardly for that and quickly ran to my bedroom.
