TPWTL 90

#90. No Thought of Biting

If Olivia hadn’t been watching, he might have grabbed him by the collar and thrown him on the spot.

“Hmm, as expected, Murin.”

Unaware of Cryer’s personal judgment, Olivia simply nodded, while Keslan’s face drained of color as if he had witnessed the sky collapsing.

It was because he had so openly revealed his shortcomings in front of Her Highness the Princess.

But, of course, Olivia interpreted Cryer’s answer in a completely different way from Keslan and replied with an entirely different meaning.

From the beginning, the question, “What do you think?” was meant to gauge even the tiniest hint of a reaction to magic. So her response was perfectly reasonable.

Having confirmed everything she needed, Olivia lightly gestured toward Keslan.

“I called you here to check something. Now, go back to your post.”

Once again, Keslan obeyed reflexively, almost like a spinal reflex, holding onto his blurred vision, delivering his report with measured precision, and exiting the office in a disciplined stride.

As soon as he disappeared and the two of them were left alone, Cryer spoke.

“Do you ever meet the knights privately?”

It was a sudden question, but Olivia didn’t pay much attention. She shuffled through some documents and answered casually.

“Hmm? Well, they are guards, so they follow me even in private situations, but I don’t really know if they ever meet privately. Though, I guess it’s not impossible? There aren’t records of knights following diplomats into exile, but maybe a little harmless mischief….”

Her words flowed naturally, assuming the knight in question was “Greta,” and Cryer shook his head.

“No, I don’t care whether you meet a knight or not.”

“Huh? Then? Me?”

Olivia tilted her head, realizing that Cryer’s gaze was fixed on her.

“Hmm.”

His eyes seemed to focus somewhere far away, as if he were rifling through not just this life but memories from past lives too.

Was there really that much to remember? Or was there so little that even searching wouldn’t reveal anything?

Cryer naturally hoped for the latter—but even if “little,” the fact that it wasn’t zero made a deep part of him simmer with unease.

It wasn’t normal. No matter what life she had lived before meeting him, it wasn’t something he should meddle in—or be jealous over.

Reason was screaming this at him, yet the irrational jealousy boiling in his lower body drowned it all out.

If she had been involved with someone, and that relationship was the kind he imagined…

Just as he tried to suppress the sticky, creeping emotions threatening to surface through his veins and skin, a simple, lively answer came.

“Now that I think about it, I’ve never met a knight privately.”

Even though this was exactly the answer he wanted, Cryer’s eyebrows twitched sharply.

He stepped away from the wall he had been leaning against and approached her decisively.

“You said ‘a knight’? Not a knight, but someone else you met privately?”

His dark red eyes were deep and calm, yet there was an unmistakable, silent danger emanating from him.

Unaware that the fine hairs on the back of her neck had risen on end, Olivia blinked quickly.

Why… does this feel like an interrogation?

Huh…? Is it really an interrogation? Or does it feel familiar, like this has happened before?

Olivia tried to recall when she had fallen into a trap set by the scoundrels of the Levoir family, but Cryer’s low, gentle call pulled her instantly back to the present.

“Olivia.”

“I-I haven’t! I’ve never met anyone privately! Even the youngest knight I spent my life with was a woman! My girlfriend was a female knight in the same order!”

Olivia blurted out even answers to past questions without realizing it, staring blankly.

Wait, why am I explaining…? Well, it’s true, so not really an explanation, but still… why am I defending myself? Just nerves?

Despite the confusion in Olivia’s head, Cryer’s dark red eyes had calmed completely, as if a storm had never existed.

He even leaned against the wall again, showing no effort to hide a satisfied smile, and spoke leisurely.

“You don’t need to remove the guards. I’ll go myself anyway.”

“Guards? Ah… Sir Keslan.”

“Yes. That idiot.”

Olivia grew even more confused by his unusually blatant hostility.

“Uh… that’s a little harsh…”

“If you go blank in front of the one you serve, you’re an idiot.”

Before Olivia could finish, Cryer cut off with a judgment on Keslan that was so logical she had to nod reluctantly.

Go blank? I didn’t seem to…

Still, knowing that Cryer’s perception far surpassed any human ability, she had no choice but to accept his evaluation.

“You said you’d monitor him, so Kesl—”

“Idiot.”

The word escaped as soon as he mentioned Keslan, leaving Olivia no chance to miss it.

“You don’t like saying his name? Even if he’s… hmm, anyway, he’s the Empire’s shield, so that term is a bit….”

“Then call him a guard.”

In negotiations, one must offer something extreme and then give slightly less but exactly what is desired. Cryer had used the extreme term “idiot” to secure the term “guard.”

Olivia, still confused by Cryer’s jealousy, seemed to forget that she could simply call Keslan by name.

“Alright… then, guard…”

Though uncertain, she followed his words awkwardly, unable to question him.

But his next words wiped away all previous doubts instantly.

“I’ve decided on the first question to ask him.”

“The first question for Greta? There’s a second too?”

“Once the first is settled, the second and third will naturally follow.”

Unable to resist, Olivia got up and hurried toward him on tiptoe, whispering.

“Right, so what’s the first question?”

“You don’t need to whisper. I’m not provoking you.”

The rose-scented breath escaping her small red lips forced Cryer to consciously hold his breath for a moment.

The princess, defenseless yet vigilant like a rabbit, was unintentionally fanning the flames of his increasingly uncontrollable desire.

Ignoring him, Olivia whispered again.

“I’m not provoking you! I just feel like whispering, so hurry up and tell me the first question.”

Cryer let out a shallow sigh, drawing her closer instead of pushing her forehead away. Reflexively, she leaned back and nearly lost her balance, and he smirked while steadying her waist.

Only when their breaths nearly touched did Olivia realize how close they were. She tried to pull away, but his hands on her waist held firm, and he whispered in her ear.

“You need this close to whisper comfortably.”

“No, I can hear you fine already.”

“No, you won’t.”

As he deliberately lowered his voice, Olivia felt the heat rising in her ears and pushed against his chest.

“Fine! I said I don’t need to whisper!”

But Cryer didn’t budge. He leaned back slightly, observing her as she turned her head to the side.

Seeing the faint blue veins on her white neck made his Adam’s apple move, and his gaze deepened.

Olivia, sensing danger, opened her mouth instinctively, but no breath escaped.

Because his lips had landed on the throbbing vein at the back of her neck.

Feeling her heartbeat through his lips, Cryer smiled, the corners of his eyes folding in amusement.

Was she guarded or not?

A sudden, intense desire rose—what if he left a mark?

Feeling the heat of his breath on her neck, frozen Olivia shouted instinctively.

“Don’t bite me!”

And then, a tomb-like silence.

Startled by her own shout, she rolled her eyes and met Cryer’s gaze.

Cryer stared at her trembling blue eyes as if a quake had struck, then slowly parted his lips and smiled.

“I had no thought of biting.”

And that was the truth. He had thought of pulling her closer, but never biting.

Frozen in place, Olivia blinked several times and bared her teeth at him, trying to process what he was thinking.

“What are you….”

Before he could reply, Olivia grabbed his collar and bit his neck.

Then everything stopped.

An even more awkward, indescribable silence fell.

Her wandering mind returned at this exact moment, and watching what she had done, she couldn’t believe it.

Why? Why did I bite him? What am I doing?

She asked herself, but of course, no answer came.

The moment his dry lips touched her neck, her already chaotic thoughts exploded.

Even so, she reflexively softened her bite, which made her lips wet against his neck.

Feeling his stiffness through his back, Olivia’s own back stiffened in response.