I mumbled, my mouth shut. Blinking, my eyes adjusting to the darkness, I saw clearly the figure of a man in a shirt and cardigan.
Silver hair that reflected the faint moonlight. It was Noah. Thinking it was a dream, I carelessly touched his strong arm. Noah snorted and chuckled softly.
“Let’s do it later, not here.”
“What are you saying we should do later... Anyway, did you come here after seeing my letter?”
"Yeah. The temperature dropped so low that it started snowing, and the food they ate, and the abundance of green trees, so I'm guessing it's the Great Forest area. Besides, there aren't many mansions around here."
This clever man must have seen my letter and searched through the mansions here. Noah's eyes widened as he pulled back the blanket to help me up.
“How did you know I was coming...”
Only then did I realize I was in a ridiculous pajama outfit and, embarrassed, covered myself.
“This is all I have to wear! What happened to that Mastiff guy?”
“He must be sleeping.”
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" I asked, glancing at Noah with a bewildered look. He grinned.
“Are you with the police? Or the military?”
“I came alone.”
"Why?"
“There is something like that. Let’s go now.”
He took off the cardigan he was wearing and draped it over my shoulders. Was this really a dream? I sat up, confused.
I can't believe he came to rescue me so boldly, all by himself. Even when I was locked up in Belford Prison, he came alone and rescued me.
I figured he was a solitary person, so I took his hand and stood up. Noah began to explain the situation.
“There are no maids, butlers, or soldiers here. He acted arbitrarily.”
“Arbitrarily?”
"Yes."
Considering how he used to bring me food himself and how much dust had piled up, it seems like he was right to be alone.
The next words were a bit horrifying.
"He must have been trying to torture or torment you on his own. His hobbies are really weird. He's a pervert."
"Yes..."
I knew it subconsciously, but it was shocking that the intention was so clear and definite from the beginning.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
I almost showed the back of my hand, scratched by the knife in response to Noah's question, and told him, but I shook my head because I thought it would only make me more tired.
"I'm fine. Thank you for coming to rescue me so quickly. By the way, is the Prince okay?"
"Yes."
Well, that's fortunate. We left the room and walked down the hallway. While I was quietly and stealthily walking, Noah didn't hide his footsteps, walking confidently as if it were his own home.
“Walk quietly, what if we get caught?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
But despite my efforts to sneak out, I was caught, as I saw a man's figure looming at the end of the hallway.
It was definitely Mastiff. I told him to walk quietly so as not to wake him. He stood up straight, arms folded, and looked at us.
“Duke Rotsilt.”
Mastiff, standing at the end of the hallway, called to Noah in a low voice.
As Noah stood there, looking at him, he walked straight towards him with measured steps.
I anticipated bloodshed and was slightly frightened, but neither of them pulled out a gun. Moonlight streaming through the window illuminated Mastiff's face as he approached.
“Long time no see.”
Noah looked at him and greeted him casually.
I looked back and forth between Noah and Mastiff, my face bewildered by the cold, yet not-so-serious atmosphere.
At first glance, they don't seem to be close at all. But a strange current flows between them. Noah looks at him with an uncomfortable expression, and Mastiff smiles with a sad, bitter smile.
His usually sharp and fierce blue-green eyes are now filled with a mixture of longing, yearning, and sadness.
The atmosphere is a bit strange.
As I was rolling my eyes, trying to figure out what the strange energy flowing between the two was, Mastiff clapped his hands in admiration.
“As expected, you’re amazing. You came all the way here after seeing that poorly written letter.”
I glanced at Mastiff. He knew I'd sent him a letter detailing the location. Perhaps it was intentional.
"Yeah. You're being incredibly useless. And don't make fun of my fiancée's handwriting."
As Noah answered, tilting his head leisurely, Mastiff widened its eyes and smiled kindly. It was an expression I'd never seen before.
"You're not going to come back, are you? I even personally created the weakness of the Princess you find so offensive. She's trying to hand over the entire country, she's trying to harm Duke Medea's son, and she even orchestrated the kidnapping of your fiancée. So, dethronement is a possibility. Your job is done."
"Who asked you to do this? You kidnapped her, didn't you? And to make her live like this, naked, you cruel bastard."
Mastiff's eyes darkened at Noah's stern rebuke. I clutched my cardigan, covering my chest, and looked at Noah with an embarrassed expression.
I don't know what happened. You weren't trying to kidnap me and blackmail Noah by joining forces with Princess Erita to conquer the Medea United Kingdom?
“That wonderful thing in your head, it would be nice if you could share it with me.”
I interrupted sharply as Mastiff ruffled his golden hair and spoke with a look of regret.
“Weren’t you trying to take me hostage and do whatever you want with Noah?”
"You may be weak, but that human wouldn't do what anyone tells him to do, would he? He must have come to throw a grenade into my bedroom while I was sleeping. In fact, one of my manor houses in the Frogen capital was blown up."
“I know. After all, you managed to meet me.”
“Yeah. I was also curious about what kind of person your fiancée, who is so weak, is.”
As Noah rubbed the back of his neck with a trembling face, Mastiff, who had been chuckling, raised both hands in welcome.
"The treason you were trying to commit. I'll join you, so please come back."
There was a strange earnestness in his voice. It sounded like the remorse of a man clinging to an ex. The way Mastiff had been looking at Noah had been a little strange. What was so wistful about it?
At the word 'treason', the corners of Noah's mouth rose slightly, and he let out a faint laugh.
“How contradictory to follow and respect the Emperor so much, yet dream of treason.”
"That's why. It's my father's will for me to inherit the throne in place of the current, weak Crown Prince, isn't it? An illegitimate child like me can't inherit the throne properly, so it can't be helped."
“You either kill all those with the right to succeed, or you start a revolution, that’s up to you.”
"I'll take responsibility and return everything, so come back to Frogen. My father actually wants that too. When I become Emperor, I plan to give you the position of Prime Minister."
It was a recruitment offer any ambitious man would readily accept, but Noah glanced at him with disinterested eyes. Mastiff added in a tone of utter folly.
“Isn’t that what you wanted, to command the whole world at your feet?”
“I’m going now. I’m sleepy. I’ve been up for two nights.”
Noah, his eyes disinterested, covered his mouth and yawned, as if listening to a boring story. A look of regret and disappointment spread across Mastiff's face.
“Noah, I wish you were here with me. Like you used to be.”
It's an ominous conclusion. Even if you consider yourself a friend, it's a bit strange to call someone by their name and use such awkward language. Noah, watching Mastiff smile wryly, silently wore an uncomfortable expression.
Mastiff, who had surprisingly easily given up after accepting the silence, looked at me with a smile, his blue-green eyes wide.
"Please tell me the rest of your ex-lover's story another time. I'm really curious about the backstory. See you again soon."
What the hell! You're using my original life story of death threats and stalking from my ex-boyfriend as a juicy dramatization for this?
Noah slowly tilted his head as he looked at my embarrassed face.
“Ex-lover?”
“It’s nothing.”
It looks like he's going to blow up our relationship in revenge for the explosion of his own mansion. Mastiff, who dropped a bombshell on a sensitive topic that inflamed the couple's conflict, laughed leisurely.
“Are you so narrow-minded that you can’t even understand your lover’s past?”
“If you do this again, you won’t end up in the mansion. Then I know you’ll explode.”
Noah's eyes seemed to turn cold towards me, and he grabbed me and hugged me.
"That woman is interesting. And she said she likes rich people. You'll have to keep her safe."
Stop it, you crazy bastard! He just chuckled at the vicious curses he received with my eyes.
Noah's cool gaze turned back to Mastiff, his tone laced with a smile. I felt Noah's increasingly rough breath against my cheek, and I fidgeted alone.
I didn't know you could be so snarky. No, I didn't know two insane people could peacefully resolve a dispute through dialogue.
He was forced to have his head shaved and be thrown into a monastery for plotting kidnapping and treason, only to be used to his advantage by the stupid Princess Erita.
Being a Princess, she might avoid execution. She might even be locked up in prison for the rest of her life. Besides being unable to forget my ex-boyfriend, I've become a vulgar person with no integrity.
If things continue this way, it seems like it's only a matter of time before differences emerge.
Noah picked me up in a princess-like embrace and silently walked out of the mansion. I found myself deep in the secluded forest. It was damp and thick with night fog.
In the quiet, deserted place, only the rustling of grass and fallen leaves could be heard.
“What about tea?”
“I put it a little far away.”
I felt terribly uncomfortable with my somewhat weak voice. A few cold drops of water fell onto my cheek, startling me, thinking I was crying, but it was rain.
It was so cold that it snowed last time, but now it seems like the weather has warmed up enough for it to rain.
The rain, which had been falling one or two drops at a time, soaking Noah's shoulders, suddenly began to pour down in torrents, as if by promise. We looked like drowned rats, and the cold gripped us, making us shiver.
“Are you cold? This won’t work. There’s a mountain lodge nearby.”
As Noah, who was holding me, turned his head here and there to look around, the raindrops that had fallen under his chin dripped down my cheek and ran down.
“Let me down, I can walk.”
Noah doesn't answer. He's clearly upset. He starts walking away, still holding me in his arms.
A small mountain hut appeared in the hazy mist, blocking my view.
As he opened the door to the wooden cabin and entered under the heavy rain, I could smell the damp, dusty, and damp smell of wood, as if it had been empty for a long time.
“Echwi!”
It was a bit chilly, and dust was in my nose, so I sneezed three times in a row. Noah watched me quietly and then let me down.
The cardigan draped over my shoulders felt heavy, soaked with water, so I quickly took it off. He lit a fire in the fireplace with the firewood piled in the corner and ran one hand through his wet hair.
Beneath the clinging, wet shirt, I could see the firm curves of his body. I opened my eyes wide, admiring the hidden, secretive backside. Then, when he turned around, our eyes met.
Eyes strangely filled with worry, wet hair, reddened nose, and even the corners of the eyes. Unable to bear the sensuality and lust flowing through me, I averted my eyes first.
He muttered, having been silent for a while.
“Well, that won’t work.”
"Yes?"
“It’s all wet.”
Why is that word so obscene? I crouched down and smoothed down my soaking wet pajamas.
Oh, wait a minute... pajamas?
I look down at my body and see my flesh and underwear clearly visible under my thin, wet, clinging chemise nightgown.
What the hell is going on!
I hugged myself with my arms, crouched down, and looked up at him. My once-cold cheeks flushed brightly.
“Look, did you see it?”
"What?"
His tone and voice felt colder and heavier than usual. Damn murderer...To sow discord between us, who had been so peaceful.
Noah, his face expressionless, lifted his chin and began to leisurely unbutton his shirt.
“You’re all wet too.”
Noah's mysteriously colored eyes turned to me as I pulled at my wet, clinging pajamas and shook them off.
“Take it off.”
The direct words that followed made me momentarily forget to inhale and exhale. This was the second time I'd been told to take my clothes off, but I don't think I'll ever get used to it, no matter how many times I hear it.
Because that guy has a unique, wild vibe.
Silver hair that reflected the faint moonlight. It was Noah. Thinking it was a dream, I carelessly touched his strong arm. Noah snorted and chuckled softly.
“Let’s do it later, not here.”
“What are you saying we should do later... Anyway, did you come here after seeing my letter?”
"Yeah. The temperature dropped so low that it started snowing, and the food they ate, and the abundance of green trees, so I'm guessing it's the Great Forest area. Besides, there aren't many mansions around here."
This clever man must have seen my letter and searched through the mansions here. Noah's eyes widened as he pulled back the blanket to help me up.
“How did you know I was coming...”
Only then did I realize I was in a ridiculous pajama outfit and, embarrassed, covered myself.
“This is all I have to wear! What happened to that Mastiff guy?”
“He must be sleeping.”
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" I asked, glancing at Noah with a bewildered look. He grinned.
“Are you with the police? Or the military?”
“I came alone.”
"Why?"
“There is something like that. Let’s go now.”
He took off the cardigan he was wearing and draped it over my shoulders. Was this really a dream? I sat up, confused.
I can't believe he came to rescue me so boldly, all by himself. Even when I was locked up in Belford Prison, he came alone and rescued me.
I figured he was a solitary person, so I took his hand and stood up. Noah began to explain the situation.
“There are no maids, butlers, or soldiers here. He acted arbitrarily.”
“Arbitrarily?”
"Yes."
Considering how he used to bring me food himself and how much dust had piled up, it seems like he was right to be alone.
The next words were a bit horrifying.
"He must have been trying to torture or torment you on his own. His hobbies are really weird. He's a pervert."
"Yes..."
I knew it subconsciously, but it was shocking that the intention was so clear and definite from the beginning.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
I almost showed the back of my hand, scratched by the knife in response to Noah's question, and told him, but I shook my head because I thought it would only make me more tired.
"I'm fine. Thank you for coming to rescue me so quickly. By the way, is the Prince okay?"
"Yes."
Well, that's fortunate. We left the room and walked down the hallway. While I was quietly and stealthily walking, Noah didn't hide his footsteps, walking confidently as if it were his own home.
“Walk quietly, what if we get caught?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
But despite my efforts to sneak out, I was caught, as I saw a man's figure looming at the end of the hallway.
It was definitely Mastiff. I told him to walk quietly so as not to wake him. He stood up straight, arms folded, and looked at us.
“Duke Rotsilt.”
Mastiff, standing at the end of the hallway, called to Noah in a low voice.
As Noah stood there, looking at him, he walked straight towards him with measured steps.
I anticipated bloodshed and was slightly frightened, but neither of them pulled out a gun. Moonlight streaming through the window illuminated Mastiff's face as he approached.
“Long time no see.”
Noah looked at him and greeted him casually.
I looked back and forth between Noah and Mastiff, my face bewildered by the cold, yet not-so-serious atmosphere.
At first glance, they don't seem to be close at all. But a strange current flows between them. Noah looks at him with an uncomfortable expression, and Mastiff smiles with a sad, bitter smile.
His usually sharp and fierce blue-green eyes are now filled with a mixture of longing, yearning, and sadness.
The atmosphere is a bit strange.
As I was rolling my eyes, trying to figure out what the strange energy flowing between the two was, Mastiff clapped his hands in admiration.
“As expected, you’re amazing. You came all the way here after seeing that poorly written letter.”
I glanced at Mastiff. He knew I'd sent him a letter detailing the location. Perhaps it was intentional.
"Yeah. You're being incredibly useless. And don't make fun of my fiancée's handwriting."
As Noah answered, tilting his head leisurely, Mastiff widened its eyes and smiled kindly. It was an expression I'd never seen before.
"You're not going to come back, are you? I even personally created the weakness of the Princess you find so offensive. She's trying to hand over the entire country, she's trying to harm Duke Medea's son, and she even orchestrated the kidnapping of your fiancée. So, dethronement is a possibility. Your job is done."
"Who asked you to do this? You kidnapped her, didn't you? And to make her live like this, naked, you cruel bastard."
Mastiff's eyes darkened at Noah's stern rebuke. I clutched my cardigan, covering my chest, and looked at Noah with an embarrassed expression.
I don't know what happened. You weren't trying to kidnap me and blackmail Noah by joining forces with Princess Erita to conquer the Medea United Kingdom?
“That wonderful thing in your head, it would be nice if you could share it with me.”
I interrupted sharply as Mastiff ruffled his golden hair and spoke with a look of regret.
“Weren’t you trying to take me hostage and do whatever you want with Noah?”
"You may be weak, but that human wouldn't do what anyone tells him to do, would he? He must have come to throw a grenade into my bedroom while I was sleeping. In fact, one of my manor houses in the Frogen capital was blown up."
“I know. After all, you managed to meet me.”
“Yeah. I was also curious about what kind of person your fiancée, who is so weak, is.”
As Noah rubbed the back of his neck with a trembling face, Mastiff, who had been chuckling, raised both hands in welcome.
"The treason you were trying to commit. I'll join you, so please come back."
There was a strange earnestness in his voice. It sounded like the remorse of a man clinging to an ex. The way Mastiff had been looking at Noah had been a little strange. What was so wistful about it?
At the word 'treason', the corners of Noah's mouth rose slightly, and he let out a faint laugh.
“How contradictory to follow and respect the Emperor so much, yet dream of treason.”
"That's why. It's my father's will for me to inherit the throne in place of the current, weak Crown Prince, isn't it? An illegitimate child like me can't inherit the throne properly, so it can't be helped."
“You either kill all those with the right to succeed, or you start a revolution, that’s up to you.”
"I'll take responsibility and return everything, so come back to Frogen. My father actually wants that too. When I become Emperor, I plan to give you the position of Prime Minister."
It was a recruitment offer any ambitious man would readily accept, but Noah glanced at him with disinterested eyes. Mastiff added in a tone of utter folly.
“Isn’t that what you wanted, to command the whole world at your feet?”
“I’m going now. I’m sleepy. I’ve been up for two nights.”
Noah, his eyes disinterested, covered his mouth and yawned, as if listening to a boring story. A look of regret and disappointment spread across Mastiff's face.
“Noah, I wish you were here with me. Like you used to be.”
It's an ominous conclusion. Even if you consider yourself a friend, it's a bit strange to call someone by their name and use such awkward language. Noah, watching Mastiff smile wryly, silently wore an uncomfortable expression.
Mastiff, who had surprisingly easily given up after accepting the silence, looked at me with a smile, his blue-green eyes wide.
"Please tell me the rest of your ex-lover's story another time. I'm really curious about the backstory. See you again soon."
What the hell! You're using my original life story of death threats and stalking from my ex-boyfriend as a juicy dramatization for this?
Noah slowly tilted his head as he looked at my embarrassed face.
“Ex-lover?”
“It’s nothing.”
It looks like he's going to blow up our relationship in revenge for the explosion of his own mansion. Mastiff, who dropped a bombshell on a sensitive topic that inflamed the couple's conflict, laughed leisurely.
“Are you so narrow-minded that you can’t even understand your lover’s past?”
“If you do this again, you won’t end up in the mansion. Then I know you’ll explode.”
Noah's eyes seemed to turn cold towards me, and he grabbed me and hugged me.
"That woman is interesting. And she said she likes rich people. You'll have to keep her safe."
Stop it, you crazy bastard! He just chuckled at the vicious curses he received with my eyes.
Noah's cool gaze turned back to Mastiff, his tone laced with a smile. I felt Noah's increasingly rough breath against my cheek, and I fidgeted alone.
I didn't know you could be so snarky. No, I didn't know two insane people could peacefully resolve a dispute through dialogue.
He was forced to have his head shaved and be thrown into a monastery for plotting kidnapping and treason, only to be used to his advantage by the stupid Princess Erita.
Being a Princess, she might avoid execution. She might even be locked up in prison for the rest of her life. Besides being unable to forget my ex-boyfriend, I've become a vulgar person with no integrity.
If things continue this way, it seems like it's only a matter of time before differences emerge.
Noah picked me up in a princess-like embrace and silently walked out of the mansion. I found myself deep in the secluded forest. It was damp and thick with night fog.
In the quiet, deserted place, only the rustling of grass and fallen leaves could be heard.
“What about tea?”
“I put it a little far away.”
I felt terribly uncomfortable with my somewhat weak voice. A few cold drops of water fell onto my cheek, startling me, thinking I was crying, but it was rain.
It was so cold that it snowed last time, but now it seems like the weather has warmed up enough for it to rain.
The rain, which had been falling one or two drops at a time, soaking Noah's shoulders, suddenly began to pour down in torrents, as if by promise. We looked like drowned rats, and the cold gripped us, making us shiver.
“Are you cold? This won’t work. There’s a mountain lodge nearby.”
As Noah, who was holding me, turned his head here and there to look around, the raindrops that had fallen under his chin dripped down my cheek and ran down.
“Let me down, I can walk.”
Noah doesn't answer. He's clearly upset. He starts walking away, still holding me in his arms.
A small mountain hut appeared in the hazy mist, blocking my view.
As he opened the door to the wooden cabin and entered under the heavy rain, I could smell the damp, dusty, and damp smell of wood, as if it had been empty for a long time.
“Echwi!”
It was a bit chilly, and dust was in my nose, so I sneezed three times in a row. Noah watched me quietly and then let me down.
The cardigan draped over my shoulders felt heavy, soaked with water, so I quickly took it off. He lit a fire in the fireplace with the firewood piled in the corner and ran one hand through his wet hair.
Beneath the clinging, wet shirt, I could see the firm curves of his body. I opened my eyes wide, admiring the hidden, secretive backside. Then, when he turned around, our eyes met.
Eyes strangely filled with worry, wet hair, reddened nose, and even the corners of the eyes. Unable to bear the sensuality and lust flowing through me, I averted my eyes first.
He muttered, having been silent for a while.
“Well, that won’t work.”
"Yes?"
“It’s all wet.”
Why is that word so obscene? I crouched down and smoothed down my soaking wet pajamas.
Oh, wait a minute... pajamas?
I look down at my body and see my flesh and underwear clearly visible under my thin, wet, clinging chemise nightgown.
What the hell is going on!
I hugged myself with my arms, crouched down, and looked up at him. My once-cold cheeks flushed brightly.
“Look, did you see it?”
"What?"
His tone and voice felt colder and heavier than usual. Damn murderer...To sow discord between us, who had been so peaceful.
Noah, his face expressionless, lifted his chin and began to leisurely unbutton his shirt.
“You’re all wet too.”
Noah's mysteriously colored eyes turned to me as I pulled at my wet, clinging pajamas and shook them off.
“Take it off.”
The direct words that followed made me momentarily forget to inhale and exhale. This was the second time I'd been told to take my clothes off, but I don't think I'll ever get used to it, no matter how many times I hear it.
Because that guy has a unique, wild vibe.
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