Chapter 20
Before she could even concentrate on that for long, another low voice was heard.
Only after reflexively snapping back a response did Sian realize something was strange. The voice she had been hearing just before had resonated in her head, but this low voice seemed to have come through her ears from behind her.
No way… As she turned her creaking neck to look behind her, there was Carl, who had somehow opened his eyes and was lying on his side with his chin propped up, looking at her.
The moment she met his clear and beautiful turquoise eyes, Sian vividly felt the meaning of the phrase “a chill ran down her spine.”
“You’re a-awake?”
What? When did you wake up? How much did you hear?
A storm of questions she couldn’t bring herself to ask swirled in her head, filled with confusion.
Carl had a languid expression. But the gaze raised towards Sian was completely contrary to his sleepy cat-like expression.
His clear turquoise eyes, of unfathomable depth, looked at Sian as if searching, clearly holding suspicion and questions.
“Who’s the old man? Surely you weren’t talking about me.”
“What, you heard?”
Sian inwardly tried to smile glibly.
“How could I possibly have called Carl an old man? I was talking about myself. As I get older, I keep thinking about useless things.”
Carl changed the angle of his head and stared intently at Sian. His gaze, at an even more tilted angle, clearly showed deepening suspicion rather than acceptance. He didn’t seem to be falling for her clumsy lie at all.
“…How old are you?”
Nevertheless, Carl seemed to go along with it without pressing further, as if accepting it. Rather, it was Sian who felt puzzled, thinking, “Huh?”
It’s obvious he doesn’t believe me at all, so why isn’t he pressing further?
“I’m older than Your High… I mean, Carl.”
“I know that much, sis. What I want to know is Lady Sian Roosevelt’s exact date of birth.”
Carl asked with an utterly serious expression. Only then did Sian swallow the exclamation that was about to escape her lips.
Ah, he hasn’t given up his suspicions.
Knowing full well that she wouldn’t answer properly even if he pressed, Carl had changed direction to resolve his doubts in another way.
“Are you trying to celebrate my birthday or something? I’m sorry, but I’ll just accept the thought. It’s a bit burdensome to expect a gift from Your Highness. …I’m not that materialistic, you know.”
Sian played dumb with her specialty of brazenness. While it wouldn’t be difficult to give a fake birth date, she didn’t want to lie. She’d rather play dumb than lie.
From her real name he had asked about before to her birth date now, Carl was clearly trying to investigate Sian’s background. His intentions were completely transparent to her eyes.
It wasn’t entirely blameworthy for him to try to investigate, given that it was this side that had shown suspicious gaps. But that didn’t mean she could allow him to dig into a lady’s buried past carelessly.
Even if we’re on the same side, what kind of background check can someone with just one dragon as an ally do at this point?
“Hmm…”
As Sian spoke evasively, Carl made an indecipherable nasal sound. Unlike his languid sound, his gaze was trying to lick up her inner thoughts.
“You’re going to avoid it like that…?”
Now having grasped Sian to some extent, Carl muttered without showing any sign of displeasure.
“Isn’t that not important right now? I’m more uncomfortable than you about sharing a room. We need to accomplish our goal in this castle as quickly as possible…”
“Hey, Lady.”
Interrupting Sian’s words, Carl spoke as he abruptly got up from his seat. Sian turned to face Carl while keeping her hand on the floor plan. From experience, a bold attitude was best when feeling guilty about something.
“You were the one who said we needed to know each other now that we’ve signed a contract and are on the same side. You asked about my identity, the crisis I’m facing, even my views on marriage, but what do I know about you other than you were once a noble and are now a mercenary?”
Carl leaned forward, crossing his arms, as if trying to get closer to Sian. Sian’s eyes widened.
“What? Are you saying that when you say such things with that handsome face, it makes my heart flutter? You’re talking as if you’re actually interested in me.”
“Is that not allowed?”
Carl tilted his head. His face was serious, without a hint of a smile. Sian had expected him to react like before, exclaiming “Who!” in shock, but Carl’s brief counter-question simply overturned her expectations, leaving her mouth agape.
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t have a personal interest in you, Lady?”
At Sian’s expression, which was hard to tell if it was shock or bewilderment, Carl smiled as if he had landed a proper attack.
“What are you doing now? Just a few days ago, you were horrified at the idea. Do you think if you talk like that, I’ll get embarrassed and spill all my little secrets?”
“I’m not hoping for that much, but I at least want to start with the scales balanced. Right now, anyone can see the scales are tipped heavily to one side, right?”
“I’m more surprised that you think the scales could ever be balanced between a prince like you and someone like me. Bluntly put, Your Highness’s information is public property, but mine isn’t.”
“Public property?”
Carl let out a hollow laugh at Sian’s expression.
“If someone heard that, they might think I’m everyone’s lover or something.”
“Not everyone’s lover, but everyone’s master. You’re a prince, after all. The situation might be like this now, but once you clear your name, you’ll be someone who has no connection to me anyway.”
“Ah?”
At Sian’s words, Carl’s eyes widened, his face looking as if he had gained a new clue.
“You’ve been showing such a bold front, but you have an unexpectedly vulnerable side too, sis? Did I seem like someone who would leave forever with Idelin once I clear my name with your help?”
Sian stared blankly at Carl.
What’s this? She couldn’t shake the feeling that the conversation was taking a strange turn. Of course, she couldn’t say she hadn’t thought about it at all, but she had never really considered it deeply in the first place.
Falling for someone with such handsome looks, a perfect background, and so much to offer was just like an unfortunate accident, like colliding with a wild boar while passing by. She had never expected or hoped for any kind of relationship.
But strangely… her conversation with Carl was becoming subtle. Surely he couldn’t be serious? At this point, she even felt an inexplicable anxiety.
“What do you mean? I really can’t figure you out.”
Sian frowned and stared intently at Carl, as if doing so would reveal his inscrutable intentions. But Carl just laughed heartily at Sian’s blatant gaze, like a generous elder.
“It wasn’t such a complicated statement. You’re having trouble grasping the meaning because you’re suspecting other ulterior motives.”
“I can’t help but be suspicious in this situation, can I? Are you teasing me because I was a bit embarrassed earlier? Or are you trying to gain the upper hand by catching me off guard? How childish.”
Carl laughed at Sian’s sulky response. It was more of a hollow laugh, as if he found it absurd rather than amusing.
“You’re not really asking because you don’t know, right?”
“I’m asking because I don’t know, why else would I…”
“I’m trying to woo you right now.”
Carl blurted out, cutting off Sian’s words.
“…Pardon?”
For a moment, Sian reflexively asked again before realizing she had done so. Seeing Sian’s expression, where all her defenses had suddenly dropped, Carl confirmed that she truly hadn’t been accepting his words at face value.
“…Your Highness is trying to… woo me?”
After a moment of bewilderment, Sian asked again in a voice of disbelief. Carl nodded lightly.
“…Why?”
“To do well?”
A question was returned for a question. Sian’s face, drained of all intelligence, showed no signs of returning to normal.
“…Was the talk about the secret funds a lie?”
Sian asked out of the blue after finishing her thoughts. Carl’s eyes widened.
“What’s that supposed to mean all of a sudden?”
“It’s strange that you suddenly say such things after showing no such nuance until now. We just need to sneak into Your Highness’s room on the third floor and take the money, but the timing is suspicious. Are you trying to catch me off guard and steal my organs or something?”
“…Puhaha!”
Carl burst into laughter at Sian’s quite serious, distrustful question.
“Hahaha… Sis… Oh, I can’t take it, you really have a talent for making people laugh.”
“Don’t laugh. I’m being serious.”
Carl laughed for a while, holding his stomach. Sian couldn’t understand why he was laughing like that at her consistently serious suspicion, which wasn’t meant to be funny or to evade the situation.
“No matter what, I still have my dignity as a prince. Would I do this to swindle a lady who doesn’t have much?”
Carl laughed leisurely. Sian just stared at him, at a loss for words, bewildered.
She was utterly confused about how to take the sudden seduction from someone she thought she would never be deeply involved with personally.
Even if he was currently in a tight spot, falsely accused, a prince was still a prince.
As he said, if they were to compare what they had, she was no match. It didn’t seem like he had anything particular to gain by putting on an act for some other purpose.
If it wasn’t about mutual benefit, then did that mean it was pure sincerity…
“…Are you seriously suspecting what this guy’s intentions might be?”
Carl spoke with a smile, having read Sian’s inner thoughts while she was lost in thought, speechless.
That was correct. Sian didn’t even feel the need to deny it.
“I appreciate your interest, but honestly, it’s hard for me to accept that you’re trying to woo me out of pure liking.”
“Well, that’s understandable.”
Carl unexpectedly nodded readily at Sian’s honest answer.
“Anyway, I agree that the time is far too short to talk about trust or liking between us.”
Sian looked at Carl with sulky eyes. I know that.
“It’s not like an enormous amount of time is always necessary to get to know someone and become friends… But still. Your Highness’s attitude right now feels quite weightless, as if you’re just looking for someone to play around with. I don’t think it’s just because I’m paranoid.”
“…How frivolously are you seeing me? That’s too much.”
midori
thanks! hm, yeah, i agree carl is being suspicious. well, we know he DOES like her, but…i don’t like his attitude ahahaha