At my words, the trash booger king burst into laughter. He grabbed his stomach and laughed like a madman.
âYou are really different from other ladies.â
When he responded politely, I felt goosebumps. I responded without hiding my disgusted expression.
âThe Prince is very different from the Crown Prince!â
The Crown Prince did not come here. Even if he was of a family that was the official ruler of the country, he showed arrogance for not coming to the coronation ceremony of a nobleman. But, why was this one here?
I answered with a smirk. I couldnât wait to leave this place.
I had no intention of wanting to be in the same room with a person who had a history of kidnapping. If Bellisa wasnât with me, Iâd just ignore him. I was worried that there might be sparks flying towards her, so I sent her away first.
He spoke with a grin as if all my thoughts were reflected in my expression. Just like a person who had forgotten to wear the Princeâs mask a while ago, his expression and tone changed completely.
âAre you really going to turn down my proposal?â
He was very tenacious. Was he really doing that⊠to the person he kidnapped?
I did not hide my absurdness and responded, âIf it were you, would you marry the person who kidnapped you? Does it make sense?â
âWhat else canât I do?â
ââŠWhat?â
âDid I rape you or violate you after kidnapping you? Wouldnât what you did to me be greater?â
âIf I hadnât poured the spicy sauce on you, do you think you would have left me alone?â
âYou never know. Maybe, I will raise you well and make you my bride.â
âŠHuh, what is with this bastard? I donât have Stockholm Syndrome, so why should I marry him?
âI will never do it. Never! never!â
I thought I should say it clearly on this occasion, so I insisted strongly with my hand gestures.
âSo, please, get lostâŠâ
Ah really. I had to tell the Duke or Lucian about his identityâ!
Why do I have to suffer like this by myself because I canât talk about it? The trash booger king, who was quietly looking at me huffing, murmured in a deep, subdued voice. I realized that even the good low-pitched tones that were good to listen to were scary in a dreary way.
âI never missed what I wanted.â
âSo.â
âIt means that I have to have everything I want to have.â
The strangely shining purple eyes stared down at me. It was only then that I felt a sense of crisis in my situation. I thought this was my home ground, so I got clumsy.
I slowly stepped back.
However, the trash booger king, who had followed me as much, quickly narrowed the distance and snatched my waist.
âWill you let go of this?â
The trash booger king, holding me tight with both arms as I struggled, whispered in my ear.
âArenât you curious?â
ââŠ.â
Disgusted, I tried to get away from him and didnât answer. Nevertheless, he continued to speak as if he had not waited for an answer in the first place.
âWhere is your uncle, and what is he doing right now? Also, where did your parents die in a carriage accident? In additionâŠâ
Ack, his lips touched my ear.
This trash booger kingâŠ!
I struggled and tried to give a headbutt. At that time, the trash booger kingâs body fell. It felt like someone was pulling him as he was not letting me go.
The recoil pushed my body back, and I, who was wearing the dress, closed my eyes with a feeling that I was about to roll over on the floor. Though I didnât roll on the floor. Instead, I was wrapped up in something cozy but firm.
A familiar scent filled my nostrils. Not long after I fell, the person, who had a more pleasant scent, snarled and spit out his words.
âYou dare!â
As I listened to Lucianâs harsh voice, I grabbed his arm. I was really nervous because I thought I was going to fall like this. If I fell over, the pain would be second to none, and my dress would be messed up.
That way, I would stand out and I would become the topic of rumors without knowing itâŠ
If even the trash booger king got entangled in it, I would be seriously ruined. I ignored his proposal by pretending not to know. Still, if the rumors spread first, it may be difficult to reverse the situation even if Lucian, who became a Duke, came forward.
When I recalled the more dizzying situation than I had expected, I let out a long sigh.
Why did I provoke the trash booger king again? Really, you stupid idiotâŠ!
I was wheezing to myself, but Lucian asked kindly.
âAre you okay?â
âOf course. Anyone who sees it will know that he did something bad to me.â
The trash booger king groaned angrily and got up as he brushed off his clothes. His pants were wrinkled as he had fallen irritably, and there was even a lot of dust on them. Still, Lucian didnât say anything and looked at him.
The trash booger kingâs mouth was twisted with a force that seemed to tear things to pieces just by looking at it.
âItâs strange.â
ââŠ.â
The trash booger king tilted his head slowly as he let out a smile that didnât suit the situation.
âYou are not really siblings, yet you are truly affectionate.â
The gorgeous purple eyes slowly came out and looked at Lucian alternately. He tilted his head, smiling bitterly as if he had completely removed the mask of a prince.
âIâve been watching since before, and I really like the friendship between siblings.â
ââŠFriendship?â
âRight. Arenât the two of you brothers and sisters in the family register, whether youâre real siblings or whatever? If so, is it more than just a good relationship between siblings?â
I frowned at the sarcastic nuance.
It was really the same tone and behavior as when I first saw him in the maze forest. Oh really! For self-defense, I would have to bring that spicy sauce with me! This time, it would pour out on his both eyes!
I replied politely with a face that I did not know what had just happened.
âWould it be a problem to have a good friendship with your brother?â
Even if it was dirty and lethal, the people who would become a problem if the situation escalated further would be me and Lucian. This was the Duchy, and there were many nobles in the banquet hall. And, the fact that the trash booger king was the prince was also unchanged.
No matter how high a duke may be among the nobles, he was inferior to the youngest son of the Imperial Family. Because of that, I wanted to demand a quick dismissal, concluding that it was better to avoid him even if it was dirty because it was a natural rule in a class society.
But, the trash booger king heard my question.
He raised the corners of his lips pleased, and his eyes lit up, but rather, Lucian looked down at me obliquely with a face like he had been hit.
Lucian bit his lips in anger. What the hell was wrong, I didnât know.
Then, the trash booger king answered. He used a neat tone as if he had forgotten that he had wanted to raise another issue.
âSure. It wouldnât be a problem⊠I just wanted to say that the brothers and sisters look really good.â
People were coming this way with good timing. Apparently, it was a group of ladies who were famous in the social world.
They were chatting on their way to the powder room, and when they saw the trash booger king and Lucian, they were startled and busy greeting them.
I glanced at them while still holding Lucianâs arms, and after meeting the gazes of the fierce-eyed ladies, I secretly pulled away. However, he didnât want to let me go. He pulled me back, put me in his arms, and hugged me tightly.
The tall man opened his mouth as he hugged me from behind in a cold voice that didnât show any emotion.
âIt doesnât matter what other people think.â
At Lucianâs words, the trash booger king widened his eyes and then narrowed them. I got goosebumps when I saw him with his eyes shining as if he was genuinely amused.
ââŠSeriously, Iâm most scared when he smiles like that, that guy.â
As I averted my gaze, I was disappointed in myself.
I dozed off for a moment again. Sh*t⊠I really wanted to go back to my room, whether it was a banquet or something, but I had no intention of leaving the banquet where Lucian was the lead. As of today, I wanted to enjoy the banquet with him until the end.
Lucian wrapped around me and left. As I passed the group of ladies, their eyes were so frightening. It seemed to shout to me, âLeave your brother alone!â
âWell then, see you next time. Lady Rachel.â
It wasnât very loud from behind, but a clear low-pitched voice greeted me. That tough bastard would come back to me again. I felt like I had to prepare for something.
I thought Lucian was going to the banquet hall. However, we arrived at an annex in the corner of the mansion.
Lucian, who entered the place that seemed to have been used for a long time, stood still and did not say anything. I was so conscious of it that I only moved my fingers in his arms. I gently raised my eyes. Had he ever been so angry�
What to do now?
Iâd never seen Lucian get angry, so how should I apologize if he was terribly angry? As I recalled various apologies in my head, he let out a long sigh. He took off the coat he was wearing and tried to put it on the sofa casually.
âAh, no, no! Thereâs a lot of dust.â
I took the coat from him and held it carefully. Then, I glanced up at him and quickly lowered my eyes. It was because I did not have the confidence to face the golden eyes full of anger.
âŠNo, Lucian.
No matter how much you do it with only your eyes, were you cursing�