PRKE 116

CHAPTER 116………………………………………….

Like always, he brushed my cheek and pressed his forehead against mine.

His hot breath was more unsteady than usual. As if contagious, my own breathing began to quicken.

“Instead of that, answer me.”

“……”

“I want to know what you’re feeling right now.”

I thought there were few people who could refuse when asked in that kind of voice.

Giovanni’s breath tickled the tip of my nose and lips. When I turned my head away, he gently followed and asked again.

“I want to hear it.”

A low voice with a faint tremor.

A sigh that had been trapped in my chest slipped out.

And with that sigh, my embarrassed thoughts spilled out as well.

“You feel… lovable, Your Highness.”

Giovanni’s breath stopped.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

He must have been startled. That’s why I didn’t want to say it.

My face burned with embarrassment, awkwardness, and shyness.

“This is my first time feeling something like this too, so I’m really flustered.”

Just as I was about to ramble an excuse—

“I feel… good.”

Soft lips touched mine.

My eyes flew open. Giovanni’s masculine eyes came into view. A moment later, I closed mine again.

After a brief, simple kiss, he pulled away and whispered so close our noses almost touched.

“Keep saying it.”

‘What does he want me to keep saying?’

With my mind still hazy, my lips moved.

“You’re lovable, Your Highness.”

“Keep going… more…”

“You’re lovable, Your Highness. Truly… lovable.”

It felt almost ridiculous that a large man would want to be praised as “lovable,” but the moment I was wrapped in his firm, burning arms, those irrelevant thoughts melted away.

Lying in bed, I blinked slowly. Dim light filtered in through a window larger than the door.

Giovanni’s sleeping face was right in front of me.

Maybe because he had lived under the scorching sun, sweating beneath it, desert people generally had rough features.

Even Kichep, who wasn’t unattractive when you looked closely, was like that.

Giovanni’s face wasn’t soft either, but after hearing him whisper such embarrassing things yesterday, his sharp, hard features somehow looked adorable.

‘His eyebrows are really thick.’

My finger hovered as if it might touch them at any moment.

“You’re going to do what?”

I rolled my eyes.

Tyline drifted through the air as if the sky itself were an ocean.

“Do you like that guy or something?”

‘Of course I like him. He’s a descendant of the Guardian.’

“Grr! I mean as a mate!”

Tyline’s tail trembled.

Naturally, spirits in their natural state do not reproduce, so unlike humans, they have no concept of marriage. However, they do have the concept of a “mate”—someone they cherish above all others from their own kind and vow to stay with for life.

‘You’re saying I shouldn’t.’

“No. That’s not what I mean.”

When I stared at him suspiciously, he frowned deeply.

“Of course I don’t like the idea of you having feelings for a human. But you’re no longer the youngest of our kind. You can choose freely for yourself. However—”

Tyline floated up toward the ceiling and leaned his face toward me.

“You don’t have to choose him.”

‘What do you mean?’

“Giovanni… yes. He’s a rare decent human. Considerate of others, unyielding against injustice, and fair-minded without prejudice. Easy to say, but difficult for humans to maintain.”

‘And?’

“……”

‘You’re not just praising him, are you?’

“Correct.”

Tyline flicked his tongue.

“There is one fatal flaw in him. I suspected it back when he was in the kingdom, but I became certain the moment he bonded with you.”

‘Bonded…’

Heat spread from the nape of my neck down my spine. Couldn’t he just say it plainly—sleeping together?

I glared at him, warning him not to continue in that tone.

Tyline said seriously,

“He has a flaw in his soul.”

‘What? His soul?’

The serpent-like head nodded up and down.

I glanced at the sleeping Giovanni.

“You said those marked by Sala’s touch were desert shamans. That shaman prophesied he would become the empire’s glory. Unless he’s chosen by the god of fire, what do you mean, his soul?”

“I don’t know whether he is truly someone chosen by Sala.”

‘……’

“But I am certain his soul is damaged.”

Tyline’s sharp tongue brushed my cheek.

Cold.

“Open your eyes and look properly, Hilda. He is not whole.”

As planned, I returned to the Great Chief’s house as soon as the liquor was ready.

Since no one knew when the chief would return to the tribe, the freshly brewed alcohol—made without rest—brought color back to his face.

“I had nearly finished the last batch you gave me and was just longing for more. This is truly appreciated.”

“I’m grateful for your hospitality.”

“As if I wouldn’t be.”

The chief’s reaction was quite enthusiastic. Of course, that enthusiasm was directed at the alcohol, not me.

After carefully handing the jars to a servant, the chief’s gaze shifted beside me.

“But you’ve brought the Fifth Prince with you this time?”

“Ah…”

I opened my mouth but couldn’t find the words.

Just before departure, I had told Jenny to relay a message at Giovanni’s request—but then, out of nowhere, Giovanni appeared himself.

He said he also intended to meet the chief.

Judging from Kichep’s sour expression, it clearly wasn’t part of any plan.

“Anyway, welcome. Come in.”

Ignoring the chief’s order to prepare food to accompany the alcohol, I glanced sideways at Giovanni.

Tyline’s words echoed in my mind. I had replayed that conversation countless times since that day.

And in the end, I had to admit Tyline wasn’t wrong.

It was strange I hadn’t noticed before—Giovanni was remarkably numb to emotion.

I had assumed it was simply his imperial, princely nature—cold and reserved.

[You weren’t angry when you were exiled?]

[No. I’m not the type to get angry easily.]

[But you were angry at me.]

[When?]

[When it rained heavily in the kingdom—you scolded me for being reckless.]

He blinked, as if realizing it for the first time.

[That… yes.]

[…]

[I think I felt frustrated.]

And then:

[Weren’t you sad when your mother died during your travels?]

[Yes, I was.]

[…]

Even so, I couldn’t help doubting him.

Was he really sad?

His reaction didn’t feel like it.

[No… I’m not sure.]

Giovanni covered half his face and sighed.

[I think I was sad.]

Sad is sad—what did he mean by “I think”?

It was a strange answer.

[Do you think I’m strange too?]

A faint bitterness mixed into his steady gaze.

[I’m not very emotional.]

[…]

[But I do like you.]

Remembering that moment, my lips naturally softened into a smile.

‘The way he said it so firmly, as if it were the truth… was kind of cute.’

“Tch. Where is your mind wandering off to?”

Tyline’s clicking tongue snapped me back.

He was looking at me like I was hopeless.

‘What?’

I shrugged it off.

In any case, Giovanni was different from others. Whether it had anything to do with his soul, as Tyline said, I didn’t know.

While I was focused on Giovanni, I almost missed the chief’s next words.

“Yes. When do you plan to marry?”

“…Yes? Marry? Ma—marriage?”

Cough. The wine I was drinking nearly came back up.

I coughed violently, and Giovanni patted my back.

When I looked up, he gently wiped the corner of my mouth with a handkerchief. The chief’s expression subtly changed.

I took the handkerchief from Giovanni and finished wiping my mouth myself.

Then I faced the chief again, a little calmer.

“Where did marriage come from all of a sudden?”

“Oh? Was I mistaken?”

“No, I mean—no.”

The chief tilted his head.

“How odd. I thought you refused my granddaughter because you had someone else in mind.”

At that, I snapped my head toward Giovanni. He said nothing, only smiled faintly.

After that, the conversation continued on more ordinary topics.

I subtly tried steering it toward the current power structure, but the chief deflected everything with vague answers.

‘No real gain.’

The only thing I confirmed again was that he was not on Lord Rakki’s side yet.

Bored with the sluggish conversation, the chief rolled his shoulders.

“My body feels stiff. Fifth Prince, shall we see your skill after so long?”

“You’ve been drinking quite a lot.”

“That’s fine. Surely you’re not disrespecting your old master just because he’s aged?”

“Of course not.”

“Then go prepare quickly. You haven’t forgotten how to oil a weapon, have you?”

Giovanni looked between the chief and the drink in his hand.

He clearly thought it was unreasonable, but he didn’t provoke the chief and simply stood up.

“Hurry and get ready!”

The chief shouted after his back.

‘He’s drunk. Giovanni will go easy on him, right?’

It wouldn’t do to injure the person he needed to persuade.

Just as I was finishing my drink—

“Tell me, what is your relationship with the Fifth Prince?”

“…?”

I looked up. The chief was watching me, his previously drunken expression gone, replaced with something sharp and serious.

“Aren’t you drunk?”

“Do I look that drunk?”

So he had been pretending to be drunk to send Giovanni away.

“Relationship? Well… superior and subordinate—”

“Don’t give me nonsense.”

His snort shut my mouth.

“As I said, the Fifth Prince outright refused my granddaughter’s marriage proposal. I assumed it was because of you. But you’re saying you’re not in that kind of relationship?”

His eyes narrowed, the wrinkles on his eyelids deepening.