Chapter 114 - 114
A few days had passed since my outing with His Highness. Since that day, I had been wearing the ring he gave me on my left ring finger, and I found myself gazing at it more and more often. Just looking at the hawk crest made me feel as if his dignified figure were right before my eyes, making me feel closer to him. Moreover, the ring had quickly become a part of me, feeling as natural as if I had always worn it.
"It makes me happy as the giver that you look at it so intently, but I'd be even happier if you looked at me today."
"Ah, Your Highness! My apologies."
Ignoring my flustered state, His Highness covered his mouth with his hand, his shoulders shaking with laughter. "No," he said, narrowing his eyes. "If it made you happy, that's all that matters to me."
I felt heat rush to my face at his expression.
"I've found myself staring at it ever since the day I received it..."
"I'm almost jealous of the ring for receiving such an intense gaze from you."
He took my hand and kissed it softly, the corners of his mouth turning up. I blushed at the sensuality of his expression and tried to pull my hand away, but he gripped it firmly, preventing me from moving.
"I have no intention of letting you go now."
"I would never... think of running away."
He gave me a sweet, affectionate smile at my words. It made me happy to think that he, who usually wore a bright mask as the Crown Prince, showed his true expressions to me; it felt like a sign of his trust. At the same time, a selfish thought crossed my mind—I wanted to keep this smile all to myself.
I want him to smile often, yet I don't want him to direct those smiles at anyone else. My own jealousy appalls me.
In my first life, I had destroyed myself through vanity and jealousy. I didn't want to repeat the same mistake. Even so, I prayed that even if he knew what was in my heart, he wouldn't hate me. I let out a mental sigh at myself as I hid the dark swirl of emotions deep within.
"Rachel, should we call it off for today after all?"
"What?"
"You look so anxious, and..."
I followed his gaze to see my hand gripping the hem of his jacket.
I did it again.
I turned pale as he peered worriedly into my face. As he had pointed out recently, I seemed to relax too much around him and ended up acting in ways I couldn't have imagined.
"I-I'm so sorry."
I quickly let go of his clothes. He gently stroked my hair before sliding his hand to my cheek, his brows lowering.
"I know you tend to keep things to yourself. Still, I want to share your anxieties and dislikes. Besides, I'm usually the cause of those expressions anyway."
"That's not true! Just meeting you makes me happy. Even today, I was looking forward to seeing you..."
"Rachel..."
His eyes widened at my words, and a moment later, he broke into a radiant grin. But immediately after, he looked toward the large doors visible in the distance and sighed.
"Me too, Rachel. Just meeting you always makes me excited, fills my heart, and makes me happy. That's why I'm still debating whether having an audience with His Majesty today is truly the right thing."
The mention of an audience with the King made my body stiffen. However, I was the one who had decided to see him today. I braced myself and looked at His Highness, determined to stay strong.
"Rachel, are you sure?"
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. ...But this is what I wished for."
"But His Majesty might say things that hurt you again."
Yes, I had come to the royal palace today to speak with the King. Specifically, it was to formally report that I had received a blessing from the Dark Spirit King.
In the past, I would have wanted to run away, unable to withstand the King's icy gaze. But I had decided to become His Highness's consort. If I couldn't even speak before the King, I wouldn't be fit to be the Crown Princess or the Queen. Above all, His Highness was with me. That was why I could face the problems I had to confront without turning away.
"Yes, I know. Even so, as the one who stands beside you, I cannot run from His Majesty. Besides, he is already behind those doors... if it's not too much trouble."
"Rachel..."
When I looked at him hesitantly, he gave a troubled smile and offered his arm. "I see. Very well." I felt reassured by the strength of his arm as I lightly placed my hand on it.
"Then let us face His Majesty together."
"Yes."
We moved toward the doors of the King's office. Though the doors were the same as the ones to the Crown Prince's office, they felt heavy and intimidating, making my legs feel weak. I smiled at His Highness to show him I was alright when he looked at me with concern. He seemed to understand and returned a gentle smile. Then, with a sharp gaze fixed on the door, he knocked.
"Enter."
The door opened immediately, revealing the Chancellor. He smiled pleasantly and said, "Your Royal Highness, Lady Rachel. I shall be attending as well," before gesturing for us to enter.
To be honest, while I had expected the Chancellor to be there, it still made me nervous. He was a man who didn't fade into the background even in the King's overwhelming presence, always smiling amiably while maintaining an air of absolute authority. I recalled Cyril—the Chancellor's nephew—speaking of him with a rare look of distaste, calling him a "fox who gets into your good graces and drops you into an abyss the moment you think you have the upper hand."
"I see. And His Majesty?"
"He is waiting."
At those words, I felt a sharp, hard tension from His Highness beside me. I looked up at him. He no longer carried the soft atmosphere from before; his brows were furrowed as he stared straight ahead. Following his gaze...
"What are you idling for? I don't have much time, so sit down quickly."
There sat His Majesty the King, looking at us with a composed air.
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