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Chapter 24
After spacing out for a moment, I suddenly snapped back to my senses and hurriedly looked around, then thumped his shoulder repeatedly.
“That’s enough—hurry and change it back! Quickly…!”
“Ow, Lucellin.”
Killis pretended to be hurt with a completely unbothered expression, clearly faking it. After letting me smack his shoulder for a while, he seemed amused and, with a cheerful face, shortened his hair back to its original length.
“There’s something else I’m curious about.”
At my words, he met my gaze as if telling me to ask anything. Swallowing dryly, I brought up the question that had been lingering inside me.
“Back then… when I tried to kill you. Why didn’t you dodge?”
“Hmm… I think I did?”
Killis looked like he was thinking for a moment, then asked back if he hadn’t dodged. I shook my head vigorously.
“You didn’t even get off the bed! You could’ve really been in danger. Normally, people would run away completely!”
Only then did he seem to recall, letting out a small “Ah.” Then he looked at me calmly, as if it were nothing.
“That’s because I knew you wouldn’t kill me.”
His casual voice carried firm conviction.
But that made no sense. He saw me swing the knife, and yet he was saying something so carefree… There’s a limit to being reckless! What kind of foolish snake is this…!
“If that were true, I wouldn’t have picked up the knife in the first place.”
“And you wouldn’t have closed your eyes when you stabbed.”
“…!”
At the truth hitting me head-on, I froze in surprise. Killis curved his lips into a smile.
As he bent slightly at the waist, our eyes met at the same level. His golden eyes, as if they could see right through me, clearly reflected me.
“When you hunt, you shouldn’t lose sight of your prey. You didn’t do that—and that’s why I survived.”
You had no intention of killing me.
At his quiet conclusion, it felt like the thoughts I had hidden deep inside were completely exposed.
He was right. Closing your eyes during a hunt meant you had no intent to hunt.
The first thing I learned as a child in the tigers’ lessons was: never take your eyes off your prey.
Failing to do something so basic meant I had no intent to hunt.
Swinging the knife was my reason, but closing my eyes was my emotion.
“Still, it was dangerous. Next time someone tries to stab you, you should dodge properly.”
I shot him a sharp glare and spoke curtly. Killis smiled lazily.
In the darkness, under the pale yellow moonlight, it was a smile that suited him all too well.
“Unfortunately, no one but you can lay a hand on me. So if you’re going to hire an assassin, it’d be better if you do it yourself.”
“Luckily, I have no intention of stabbing Your Highness. Just thinking about it gives me chills.”
Having already done it once, even recalling that day made my spine shiver.
I absolutely had no intention of repeating that.
“You’re fortunate. I have no intention of dodging either.”
He said something quite chilling in a playful tone—but unfortunately, the meaning behind it wasn’t playful at all. It really felt like he wouldn’t dodge if I attacked him.
He was dangerous in more ways than one. It seemed best never to swing anything at him again.
After all, I’m a peace-loving black rabbit!
“I noticed you don’t seem to have a maid with you today.”
At his gentle remark, I remembered Leti, who had chosen not to accompany me.
But I couldn’t tell him the real reason.
“She had something else to do.”
“That works out. Then… may I escort you back today?”
For someone asking permission, he already seemed decided. Not that I had any reason to refuse.
At this rate, it really would turn out just like Leti said—being greeted on arrival and escorted on departure.
“To the duke’s residence?”
“Yes. I’d like to spend as much time with you as possible… Is that not allowed?”
Tilting his head slightly, Killis looked at me with an unmistakably intentional gaze.
For a moment, his snake-like eyes looked like a puppy’s, and I rubbed my eyes roughly, convinced I must be mistaken.
Also, I’d been noticing this for a while—doesn’t this man say those kinds of things far too easily?
The kind of words that would make women swoon… he said them so naturally.
Clinging, flirting, tossing out charming remarks as if breathing—it wasn’t something even seasoned socialites did often. And men like that were usually called playboys.
But Killis didn’t seem to care at all.
Surely he hadn’t learned to flirt like this… Was it just natural? Because he’s a snake that enchants people? If that were true… that’s actually quite dangerous.
“…Okay.”
If I let my guard down even for a moment, I felt like I might fall for his constant temptation.
Like now—when my mouth answered before my brain could think.
“That’s a relief. If you refused, the night would’ve felt far too long.”
Each word he spoke lingered in my ears.
It seemed echoes didn’t only remain in the eyes, but in the ears as well—because his voice kept replaying, not just as a memory, but as if it were truly still there.
“Come to think of it, how did you usually travel? The imperial palace and the Erbel Duke’s estate aren’t that close.”
As we walked through the well-maintained palace garden toward where the carriage was waiting, I asked casually. It wasn’t far, which only made it more disappointing.
But at my question, Killis suddenly stopped walking.
Then, with a rather cautious expression, he spoke quietly.
“This is a secret…”
Gulp. What was he about to say that required such suspense? I tensed, waiting.
“Snakes… actually have wings.”
“…That’s a lie.”
“Correct. It’s a lie.”
This sly snake again…!
Since it wasn’t the first time I’d fallen for his tricks, I let out a hollow breath in shock at being fooled again.
Killis’s lips curved into a grin.
Judging by his expression, he had no intention of telling the truth easily.
What could it be? Some secret passage only he knows…?
“I’ll show you when the time comes. It wouldn’t be fun to tell you everything from the start.”
Just as I was about to protest, colorful fireworks suddenly burst across the night sky.
My gaze was instantly drawn upward.
The pale yellow sparks—resembling Killis’s eyes—bloomed like flowers beside the full moon. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
“If you want to enjoy the party more, we can return to the palace.”
As I remained fixated on the sky, Killis spoke in a pleasant tone.
Ugh, the fireworks made me miss my chance to argue… Oh well, I’ll let it go this time.
“No, this is enough.”
Shaking my head, I resumed walking.
More than enough, in fact—it was overwhelming.
Just discovering that my fiancé was the very white snake I had once picked up and who had imprinted on me was already more than I could handle.
I’d never experienced so many shocks in a single day before. I was completely exhausted.
All I wanted now was to go home and lie down. Never in my life had my instinct to return home felt so strong.
“Ah, Lucellin. There’s something I want to say.”
“Yes?”
As we walked, Killis spoke again—his tone different from before.
His lowered voice drifted toward me softly.
“About snakes… from now on, don’t pick them up. I’d prefer to be the only snake for you.”
“Even if you say that… you’re the first snake I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s not like they’re something you come across easily.”
For me, he was the first—but that itself was unusual.
Many people lived their entire lives without ever seeing a snake, even until old age.
So it was only natural that everyone believed snakes had gone extinct.
If you never see them, there’s no reason to believe otherwise.
But Killis seemed to think differently.
“Well, snakes are good at hiding. You can’t be so sure. And now that you know what they look like and how they move, you might encounter one again, even if you don’t want to. When that happens… don’t pick it up. Absolutely not.”
There was no trace of playfulness in his eyes this time.
As for me, even if I did see another snake, I had no intention of picking it up again. I’m not some kind of snake-collecting rabbit—one was more than enough.
“I won’t.”
At my simple answer, he smiled in relief.
I didn’t know why he wanted that promise so badly… but I could confidently say that the snake I picked up was both my first—and my last.
