Chapter 92

‘…You.’

Her eyes met with the man above her. A handsome face with jet-black eyes.

The man looming over her was none other than Kylus.

But why?

Alice wasn’t flustered at all.

Rather, she smiled as if it were the most natural thing and softly called his name.

‘Kylus.’

At that, Kylus’s red lips parted.

‘Alice.’

Calling her name in an affectionate voice that could melt her ears, Kylus smiled gently.

As Kylus, who had been gazing at Alice intently, cupped her soft cheek with his hand, Alice nuzzled into the warmth of his touch.

His fingertips then caressed the corner of her eye.

An intimate and affectionate skinship.

Alice, feeling his touch like a cat, suddenly paused.

Because she felt something off about the current situation.

What am I doing with Kylus…?

And in such a suggestive position.

‘Focus on me, Alice.’

But her questioning discomfort was brief; at Kylus’s voice, Alice’s brain turned to mush again.

Her whole body became languid like water-soaked cotton, quietly accepting his touch.

A dreamy feeling of just wanting to stay with him like this forever.

As if understanding her feelings completely, Kylus’s smile deepened.

The hand that had been caressing her cheek brushed past her ear and moved lower.

As his fingertips tickled her neckline, a soft laugh escaped Alice’s lips.

‘Do you like it?’

‘…I love it.’

As if intoxicated by the dreaminess, Alice’s mouth moved on its own.

Seemingly quite satisfied with her answer, an ecstatic smile spread across Kylus’s lips.

Kylus looked at Alice’s golden eyes, blurred with drowsiness, and placed his hand behind her neck.

Supporting her firmly, he slowly lowered his face.

Towards Alice’s lips.

A distance close enough to feel each other’s breath.

Alice didn’t avoid Kylus, who had stopped just before.

No, she didn’t want to avoid him.

Rather, she thought… if only those red lips would come a little closer.

That’s what she thought.

And at that moment, Kylus turned his head, as if to shatter her expectations.

Hmm…?

His lips were aimed not at Alice’s pink lips, but at her ear.

Just as Alice’s shoulders instinctively flinched at the hot breath spreading across her ear, a deep voice pierced her earlobe.

‘Alice. Wake up from this dream.’

What…?

As she slowly turned her head, she saw a sneer on Kylus’s lips.

‘I said, wake up.’

The moment she heard the clear and elegant pronunciation, Alice’s eyes flew open.

Literally, she opened her eyes that had been closed.

“Ah…”

Her brightened vision showed the familiar ceiling, not Kylus. Kylus was nowhere on the bed.

So… she had just dreamed.

And it was a dream of sharing affection with Kylus.

“Crazy!”

As the slight drowsiness that had remained disappeared, a sense of reality that snapped her to her senses struck the back of her head.

Alice sprang up from the bed like a coiled spring. Then, overwhelmed by the rush of shame, she began to writhe, tearing at her hair.

“Why on earth did I dream such a thing!”

Alice buried her face in the pillow and screamed. The more she did so, the more vividly she remembered.

His smile, his voice, his touch.

Herself, helplessly swayed by all of it.

Purring like a cat at his touch.

“Argh!”

Even though it was a dream she had alone, it was unbearably embarrassing.

She tried to forget by inflicting pain on herself by pulling her hair, but it didn’t help much. Alice let out a long sigh and lifted her head from the pillow.

“…Calm down. Calm down.”

This is all because of Kylus.

There’s no way she would have had such a dream of her own will.

Right?

To begin with, she had never yearned for Kylus like that, in that way.

Not until last night’s incident.

Last night, Kylus suddenly created a strange atmosphere, and this is the result.

Alice hurriedly waved her hand at the vivid recollection of yesterday’s events playing before her eyes.

As if to wave away those scenes.

Although she had shamelessly avoided him yesterday, she couldn’t sleep comfortably after he left.

As soon as he left, the aftershock hit her hard, making her writhe.

After such intense writhing, she had barely fallen asleep at dawn.

To think she’d have a dream with Kylus in it.

No, it must be because she was too conscious of him that she had such a dream.

But… even in the dream, she didn’t end up kissing Kylus?

“Argh! Is that important right now!”

Alice hit her own head at the thought that naturally arose.

Why are you thinking about that in this situation?

It’s not like you’re disappointed you couldn’t kiss Kylus.

In fact, maybe she was disappointed.

Because in the dream, she had wanted Kylus’s kiss.

Just a little closer. With such a yearning feeling.

“…I must be really crazy.”

Alice laughed like a madwoman and suddenly thought.

What was Kylus thinking when he tried to kiss her yesterday?

She had agonized over what Kylus’s intentions were, even losing sleep, but couldn’t find an answer.

But she didn’t have the courage to ask Kylus directly.

If, by any chance, he was in a crazy state like Alice and said he liked her, their relationship would become irreversible.

No, honestly, Alice didn’t have confidence in herself.

She felt that if the line she had drawn between herself and Kylus crumbled, she would helplessly fall for him.

Even if he changed his mind later.

She absolutely didn’t want to be left high and dry.

Alice’s goal was to live long and prosper. She wanted to defeat the villains and live freely in this world.

So… forget it.

Yesterday’s incident, today’s dream.

It would be over if she erased them from her memory.

As if they never happened.

“Yes, that’s it.”

The fact that she couldn’t kiss even in the dream means she and Kylus aren’t destined for each other.

And probably… Kylus acted on impulse too.

Otherwise, there’s no reason for him to kiss her.

Sometimes people act impulsively when caught up in the moment. Yes, that’s right.

It wasn’t a particularly convincing self-rationalization, but Alice decided not to think about this matter anymore.

The danger alarm was ringing, and she was on the verge of crossing the line.

Besides, there was something more important than kisses right now.

The Third Prince.

The most important thing that happened to her yesterday was the Third Prince’s visit to the duchy.

“…I should meet the Third Prince.”

Given the severity of his injury and how he collapsed yesterday, the Third Prince would likely still be at the duchy.

No matter how much the Third Prince tried to distance himself, he wasn’t the type to return to the palace without greeting her, who had saved his precious dog.

Alice removed her hands from her hair and let out a big sigh.

Then, as if to calm her surging emotions, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.

In doing so, she pushed away everything related to kisses from her mind.

“Phew, yes. Nothing happened between us.”

It was just then, when Alice opened her eyes with a much calmer mind.

As if perfectly timed, a knock sounded at the door.

Knock knock-

“My lady, are you awake?”

“I’m up. Come in, Aileen.”

It seemed Aileen had come personally because she had woken up too late.

Alice got off the bed as she saw Aileen entering the room.

“Did you sleep we… Eek! My lady… why is your hair in such a state…?”

Aileen, who was greeting Alice, screamed and opened her eyes wide.

“Ah, my hair…”

It seemed her hair, which she had been pulling earlier, was a mess.

Alice roughly smoothed down her disheveled hair and tucked the strands tickling her cheeks behind her ears.

But Aileen, who had been quietly watching her, exclaimed.

“Could it be that someone tried to harm you, my lady?!”

Come on, does my appearance look that bad?

“Is something wrong?”

As Alice was flustered by Aileen’s intense reaction, Rhonda asked from outside the room. He must have heard Aileen’s voice.

Alice hurriedly waved her hand, worried that Rhonda might come in and see her appearance, and answered.

“No! Nothing’s wrong!”

“…I see.”

Fortunately, Rhonda withdrew without opening the door.

But Aileen was still looking at her with concern.

Alice approached Aileen and gave a faint smile, but that smile must have looked even more pitiful to Aileen.

Her brow furrowed.

“Are you really alright?”

“Yes. I’m fine. My hair wasn’t pulled by anyone… I did this myself.”

“You did, my lady? Why?”

“How should I put it… It’s a trace of my arduous anguish, I guess.”

“Pardon?”

Aileen looked at Alice for a moment as if to say, “What nonsense is this?”

However, it was an anguish that Alice couldn’t possibly explain to Aileen. Instead of answering, Alice just smiled brightly and washed her face.

After Alice finished washing up, Aileen immediately sat her down at the dressing table.

Apparently quite bothered by Alice’s messy hair, she immediately brought a comb and started tidying it up.

The pink hair that had become as messy as a dog’s fur was revived into glossy locks under Aileen’s hands. The serious dishevelment from earlier no longer existed.

Alice, now changed into a light blue dress, looked at the mirror with satisfaction. Aileen spoke.

“My lady, shall I let Lord Ostein in now?”

Rhonda always waited outside the door until her grooming was finished.

He would start his close guarding only after she had completed her morning grooming.

“No. I have somewhere to go.”

Alice headed straight for the room where the Third Prince would be.