Yves Russell was snuggly wrapped in the usual black robe today, so he couldnāt help but freeze up with shock.
Seeing Yves like this, the corners of Olivierās lips went up a little.
āI guess you didnāt know that about me. Please be mindful of that from now on.ā
Olivier said this with a low voice, then soon took a step back from the other man. He stared at Yves with the same cold gaze he usually had.
āA small incident took place yesterday which made me unable to return to the Imperial Palace right away, thatās why I stayed overnight. I thank you for your generosity, Marquis. See you again soon.ā
Olivier bowed slightly, then turned around.
Waiting at the front of the mansion, the attendants of the imperial palace and the knights of the imperial guard bowed to Olivier as he passed by.
And there, a carriage with the imperial familyās coat of arms greeted himāas if it was a yawning black abyss that was the entrance to hell.
Towards the imperial palace he would return, where people with pitch-black cores endowed themselves with shining, gold shells, and where the stage had been set with a floor lined entirely with sharpened knives.
Itās time for him to return to that place.
Olivier stood at the door of the carriage and looked back for the last time.
āItās the first time Iāve yearned for something so badly.ā
At first, he only wanted to see her smile.
After seeing her smile once, he thought that he could turn away from her without any regret.
However, with every passing moment that he spent with her, he found that he could not bear to take his eyes off her.
When he saw her munching on delicious food as her cheeks were all puffed up like that, it was the first time thatĀ heĀ learned how to be full even without eating food.
He even brought chocolateāthe food he was the least fond ofāto his mouth without thinking.
Even while embarrassed, she was so adorable.
And when she had been so enraptured by a hat that had a clearly strange design, he was compelled to buy it for her, even when he knew itād be too excessive.
However, what was he to do? She was so charming even when she was being a little angry.
Olivier let out a small sound.
āI didnāt get the chance to give the cake to the Lady.ā
An attendant by his side replied while bowing down.
āI shall deliver it without fail, Your Highness.ā
Olivier nodded lightly, and eventually climbed into the carriage.
Whenever he would present her with more gifts, she always looked conflicted and hesitant, and would also try to dissuade him most of the time. However, seeing her like this only made Olivier understand the meaning of the word, ālovelyā.
In the rattling carriage, Olivier gently closed his eyes and recalled Radis.
So moved to the point that she might cry at just receiving candy.
So innocent as she smiled at the swans.
So worried as she saw him trembling.
And last night, she couldnāt bear to leave him, and so she slept deeply next to himā¦
If only he could, he wants to stamp the image of her behind his eyes.
If he were to be greedierā¦
As soon as he realized it, he felt a strange sensation spreading throughout his entire body.
At this moment, he was completely filled with desire, withĀ yearningĀ for her.
To the point that everything else felt insignificant.
He, himself, was shocked by this epiphany.
Throughout all his life, he regarded himself to be a fairly cold and cynical man.
Agitation and any show of emotion were such things that he thought foolish. He much preferred abiding by a solid plan, approaching everything that came his way with equanimous intellect.
But, here and now, he had a hunch that he would not be able to continue doing so.
āWhat should I do to have her?ā
The moment he decided that he wished to have her for himself, his heart began to pound excitedly, frantically.
Yet, as opposed to his frenzied heart, the look in his eyes sank colder and colder.
āShould I reinstate Marquis Russell as a Duke? Then, the Empressā¦ No, it wouldnāt be too difficult to manipulate Charles. But does the Marquis truly want only that? Will he give her up completely?ā
Though Olivier immediately corrected his thoughts.
āNo, this isnāt the right approach.ā
If he were to go on like thisāif he would try to win her pure affection with such methodsāthis would be nothing but an insult to her.
āRadis, what must I do to win you over?ā
Olivier was the kind of man who would make plans upon plans and countermeasures upon countermeasures that would take a long time to create, like a long, complex and meandering maze.
His experience in making such plans hones his ability to study the problem at hand and quickly derive a solution to it.
But he found himself unable to do so with the matter heās facing now.
Olivier peered out the carriage window and gazed upon the Russell Marquisateās townhouse.
He needed only to traverse a short distance to reach her once moreāonly a few minutes and he would be in front of her againāhowever, as it was now, it felt as if he was extending his hand towards a distant star in the evening sky.
With such warmth in her eyes, with such sweetness in her smileā¦ He did not know what to do to keep her in his arms.
He couldnāt think of a plan or any way at all to get her.
His mouth began to feel dry and he began to feel oh so thirsty, as if a lump of cotton was stuck inside his throat.
Olivier groaned in pain. Then, he sighed.
In his yearning for her, the breath that he let out made it seem like heās become a man wholly dedicated to sugar, as sweet as its fragrance was.
t/n: gosh when olivier started thinking like a yandere i kinda got excited a little?? but when he corrected his thoughts, thatās when i swooned even harder aaaaargh
((fyi, iām primarily on team yves, but our dear prince is making it so hard XD))