TVBO 29

Chapter 29

Chester chuckled softly at my words and pressed a brief kiss to my cheek.
“I’m not going to eat you, Yulia.”
“You literally just tried to.”
“That’s a misunderstanding.”
“It’s not, though…”

If I hadn’t stopped him, he really would’ve devoured me—of that I was certain.
But since he insisted otherwise, I couldn’t exactly argue.
Even now, his gaze on me was wickedly suggestive, his face unbearably handsome.

And worst of all, he wasn’t wearing a shirt, so I had no idea where to look. I turned my eyes away from him and tried to change the subject.

“Chester! So, where are we?”
“Hm… you’re asking rather early.”
“What do you mean, early? You didn’t give me a chance to ask! The moment I woke up, you were soothing me, then you asked if you could kiss me—”
“—and then you did it anyway!”

Not that I didn’t like it… but still, that wasn’t the point!

“So, where are we exactly?”
“A cave.”
“I— I can see that much! I meant where this cave is!”
“You were freezing… so I brought you to the nearest safe place. At the very least, we needed to dry our clothes.”

“…”

“They’ll notice the carriage is gone. Once it’s daylight, they’ll come looking for us.”
“Huh…?”

So, in other words, I had to spend the entire night here with the most dangerously wolf-like man alive?
Sure, I didn’t need to worry about wild animals attacking—but Chester was the beast here!
Honestly, a wild animal might’ve been safer. I must’ve looked suspiciously at him without realizing it.

“Yulia,” he said with an amused smirk. “I’ll make sure nothing like what you’re imagining happens.”
“How would you know what I’m imagining?!”
“Hmm… for example…”

Chester’s fingers brushed lightly up my thigh, teasing.
“Something like this?”

He smiled languidly. That was when I finally realized he was teasing me.
My face flamed red.

“Chester!”
“Alright, alright. I won’t do anything you dislike, you can relax, Yulia.”
“….”
“I mean it this time. Please, believe me.”

It was hard to believe him—but I had little choice.
And truthfully, I didn’t dislike Chester the way I once did. My dreams about him had been confusing, but dreams and reality were different.

I wasn’t the original Yulia from the story.
And we’d already diverged from the original plot, hadn’t we?
So there was no need to worry. Nothing to fear.

I lowered my gaze to the ring on my left hand.

“Yulia,” he murmured, his arm still wrapped around my waist, his face now brushing my shoulder. “It’s late, but… how do you like the ring?”
“Eh?”

Startled by how close he suddenly was, I stammered.
“It’s… it’s beautiful. I really like it.”
“I’m glad.”

I glanced at him—his face was close, faintly smiling.
So handsome it almost hurt to look at him. The kind of beauty that could make even the coldest heart tremble.

I fidgeted with the ring.
“Chester… are you sure we’ve never met before?”
“Unfortunately, no. So erase whoever that person is from your mind.”

He looked displeased, but his eyes were soft, almost loving.
Did he think I was projecting someone from my past onto him?

“Forget that person,” he said quietly. “And think only of me, Yulia.”
“….”
“I won’t ask you to say that you love me.”

His fingers brushed my cheek, thumb tracing my lower lip.

“But if you don’t love me, then don’t love anyone else, either.”
“Why?”
“Because what sane man could stay calm hearing that the woman he loves loves someone else?”
“….”
“Above all, I’m a very jealous man. And killing someone isn’t exactly difficult for me.”

Chester smiled sweetly as he said something utterly chilling. His expression looked almost innocent—like a boy who didn’t understand the weight of his words.

“I’m joking,” he added.
“…It didn’t sound like a joke.”
“And for the record, I have no intention of breaking off our engagement, Yulia.”
“…You’d better keep that promise.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t betray me.”

I just wanted the words ‘I love you’ to be true.
It didn’t matter if he hadn’t loved me from the start—so long as he truly loved me now.
The timing didn’t matter. Only his sincerity did.

“I mean it,” he said softly. “So I won’t ever give you a reason to be disappointed in me.”
“Chester…”
“Yes?”

Why did I suddenly remember the cold way he once said he didn’t love me?
Why did that memory surface now, tormenting me like this?

“This is the last time I’ll trust you,” I whispered. “So please… let your feelings be real.”
“Then promise me one thing.”
“What thing?”
“If you ever stop loving me… we’ll end the engagement.”

He smiled faintly. “Then it seems we’ll never part—unless I die. You can rest easy.”

I blinked at him, then smiled. I took his hand tightly, comforted by its warmth—by the life pulsing through it.

“Yulia,” he said, lifting my hand to his lips, “from the very first moment I saw you until now…”

He kissed my knuckles softly.

“There hasn’t been a single moment when I didn’t love you. Don’t doubt my sincerity, Yulia.”
“Not even a single moment…?”

He pressed another lingering kiss, looking up at me with eyes that gleamed faintly red.

My heart twisted.
Even my father and brother had moments when they didn’t love me—so how could a man who wasn’t even family claim otherwise?

It sounded like a beautiful lie.
But it was such a sweet one that I wanted, desperately, to believe it.

“Yes,” he murmured. “Even on the battlefield, my mind was filled only with thoughts of you.”
“Really? Only me?”
“I wanted to see you—just one day sooner.”

I moved closer, leaning my head against his shoulder.
His hand came up to stroke my hair, and the touch was comforting—warm, gentle.

“When we return,” he whispered, “I want to hold the engagement ceremony immediately.”
“Alright. Let’s do it when we’re back.”

Peace settled over me. My eyelids grew heavy, and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

Yulia slept soundly, using his shoulder as a pillow.
Chester carefully lifted her head and laid it across his lap—she’d sleep more comfortably that way.

“Yulia…”

He brushed a few stray silver strands from her face, tucking them gently behind her ear.
In her deep slumber, she looked almost angelic—like a being who had simply misplaced her wings.

“How can I make you completely mine?” he murmured.

He picked up a loose lock of her silver hair from the ground and held it in his palm.
His blood-red eyes glimmered with burning desire.

“Every step closer I take, you slip two steps away. If I stop, you drift even farther…”
He lowered his head and kissed the strand of hair delicately, reverently—like a parched man sipping his first drop of water.

“I thought I had you in my grasp, yet even the smallest gap and you escape. How can I keep you from slipping away again?”

Yulia stirred slightly, uncomfortable in her sleep. Chester’s lips curved in amusement.
The look in his eyes, however, was dark—like a beautiful demon coveting a pure soul.

“If I could just break your wings without hurting you—cover your eyes and ears—then maybe I wouldn’t have to live in fear of you ever leaving me.”

Outside, noise echoed through the cave entrance.
He didn’t move; he had been expecting it.

He simply continued stroking her hair, waiting as footsteps and voices drew closer.

“Your Grace!”
“Shh. You’ll wake Her Highness.”

His tone was quiet, almost tender—he didn’t want her to stir.

“I’ll take her myself. Bring a large blanket.”
“Yes, sir!”
“And prepare lodging in the nearest town—the best you can find. Even a lord’s manor will do.”

The men obeyed swiftly. One brought a blanket, handing it to Chester.
He wrapped Yulia carefully and lifted her into his arms.

To move faster, he chose a horse instead of a carriage. After slipping on his shirt, he mounted up, holding her securely against his chest.

As she slept defenselessly in his arms, he looked down at her and smiled faintly.

“Yulia,” he murmured, “if it’s what you want… I’ll gladly wear the skin of a lamb.”

But despite the smile on his lips, his eyes were ice-cold.
The tenderness that had existed while she was awake was gone—only the glint of a predatory, crimson gaze remained.