Chapter 40
His question was natural, if anything.
After all, Riina had omitted the story related to Jane.
As she closed her mouth, Einar also remained silent and waited.
But soon after, Riina shrugged and opened her mouth.
“Jane was there, and she went into the forest. I had to confirm what she was doing.”
“Jane, you say.”
“Yes. My shadow… No, she was my shadow before the regression, but if I leave the family, she’ll become the head.”
Although not explicitly stated, Jane would have inherited the family in the previous life as well, since Riina had been executed.
Riina spoke as calmly as if reciting from an old book, but Einar, who had already heard a rough outline of her story from before the regression, didn’t probe further about it.
No matter how much she was his only confidant, the sole comrade who could empathize with the wearisome luck that permeated his entire life, he couldn’t trample through her inner thoughts with mere curiosity or doubt.
If necessary, Riina would first explain the details of the matter.
If she said she needed it, he could always lend a hand.
Einar soon changed the subject.
“You said the black tiger was docile when you first encountered it, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did it suddenly start rampaging?”
The reason why the black tiger, which hadn’t paid much attention to them and had even flicked its tail as if annoyed, suddenly changed was clear.
The Third Prince’s crest clearly visible on the fletching of the first arrow that struck the black tiger’s body.
“The Third Prince shot an arrow.”
“What?”
Seeing Einar’s face full of questions about why in that situation, a faint smile formed on Riina’s lips, soon turning into a sneer.
At the time, with the black tiger rampaging right in front of her and even her attention drawn to Jane, she hadn’t thought deeply about it, but.
‘…the first arrow was the Third Prince’s…’
Just before returning to the safe zone after chasing away the black tiger, she instantly grasped Smith’s intention at a hunter’s words.
Hadn’t she experienced it ad nauseam in her previous life?
His behavior of deliberately creating incidents to prove his own worth and trying to resolve them using Riina’s power by persuading her.
This time wasn’t exactly the same, but the intention itself would have been the same.
Probably…
“He probably intended to use the black tiger to do what you did.”
“Smith couldn’t possibly take down the black tiger in one go. With an arrow at that?”
Einar, who had been looking truly puzzled, soon tilted his head.
“No, don’t tell me he was thinking of stimulating the black tiger and then fleeing alone with you, rather than killing it to save you?”
Riina didn’t bother to answer and picked up her teacup, while Einar let out a hollow laugh.
“Thinner than paper, that one.”
Even a passing monkey would hide a sneer with an ambiguous expression.
“That’s not how the saying ‘crisis is opportunity’ is meant to be used.”
Riina also couldn’t agree more with Einar’s hollow laugh, which had accurately grasped Smith’s thoughts, and picked up a teaspoon.
Or rather, she tried to pick it up.
-Clatter.
Until the spoon caught on her sleeve fell down, causing her to fail.
Whether it was bad luck even in such trivial matters, the teaspoon had fallen just barely within reach if Riina stretched her hand to its fullest extent.
At this, Riina rose immediately, as if used to it.
The very act of standing up, crouching, and picking up a fallen object from the floor was something that could damage a noble’s dignity and grace.
That’s why at the Bolshevik residence, they had several sets of teaspoons and small utensils prepared for Riina’s use, but not at the Second Prince’s palace.
Moreover, all the servants who could bring a new teaspoon had been sent away.
Riina, who had stood up, didn’t hesitate to bend over and reach for the spoon.
Hadn’t she already learned through countless experiences that when it came to her misfortune, dignity and such lost much of their meaning?
Besides, the one with her now was Einar.
And simultaneously with Riina, Einar also rose.
He too chose to lighten Riina’s burden once rather than worrying about propriety.
“Let me.”
“No, I’ll…”
As both of them rose at the same time and bent in the same direction to pick up the same thing.
-Thud.
With a dull sound of something colliding, even their breathing stopped.
Einar was right in front of Riina’s nose, or rather, close enough for their noses to touch.
As their two lukewarm breaths mixed, it somehow felt like it had become hot.
They looked into each other’s eyes with their lips touching.
Ash-colored foam rose in the pristine blue sea, and the next moment.
Riina’s eyes twisted slightly.
A momentary stinging pain, as if burned by fire, surged from where their lips had collided.
But neither of them moved readily.
It was an accident neither of them had anticipated.
How could one anticipate an accident, literally?
But unlike those who typically experience such accidents, they didn’t unconsciously blush or step back with their ears turning red from extreme embarrassment.
They just stared blankly at each other.
Eventually, Riina blinked slowly and gradually pulled her body back.
Since it was literally a lip collision, a darker drop of blood had formed inside her red lips, as if they had burst from within.
With eyes as calm as if not even a gentle breeze was blowing, she parted her lips.
“I’m sorry.”
To which Einar also replied without any particular words.
“No, I should be the one…”
It was as if their hands had merely bumped into each other while reaching out, but…
“There’s blood on your lip.”
At Einar’s words, she touched her lower lip.
The pain that made it all too clear that the accident that had just occurred was by no means a mere brush of hands.
Riina, who had been staring blankly at the relatively unscathed Einar, or more precisely, at his lips, asked:
“Is this luck too?”
It was an out-of-context question, but Einar took it quite naturally.
“Rather than luck, it’s probably the difference in firmness. Or maybe the angle of collision.”
Riina’s brow furrowed.
Angle? She definitely felt his lips collide with her teeth too.
“Can lips be trained too?”
At this, Einar turned his head abruptly and his shoulders shook slightly.
As Riina’s brow furrowed even more, Einar pressed his side firmly and waved his hand.
“No, well. It’s the first time I’ve heard someone ask about training lips.”
“Well, that’s probably because I’m the first person to have a lip collision with Your Highness.”
At that moment, Einar tilted his head as if he had suddenly realized something and made a subtle expression.
“I feel like this conversation shouldn’t have flowed in this direction.”
This too was an out-of-context statement, but Riina took it naturally as well.
“Surely you weren’t expecting me to blush and say ‘Eek! Our lips touched!’ or ‘O-our lips brushed…’?”
Despite her quite convincing voice, her face didn’t move a single eyebrow. Einar chuckled and shook his head.
“Not such an extreme reaction, but I thought you’d at least be flustered for a moment.”
Riina shook her head with a faint sigh.
“If I got flustered at every incident or accident, I wouldn’t be able to sit here.”
“A wise answer to a foolish question.”
The Second Prince and the future Duke.
Aren’t these positions where one must observe situations extremely calmly when something happens?
“If those at the top get flustered and restless…”
“Those below would fall into chaos.”
Yes. If those in charge panic when an accident occurs, those waiting for their decisions would truly flounder in anxiety and confusion.
“And…”
As Riina paused, Einar asked back.
“And?”
“Despite appearances, I was quite surprised.”
Although her expression and voice showed no sign of surprise, Einar nodded.
“So was I.”
Eventually, as if on cue, they both let out a faint breath and then burst into laughter.
As the laughter subsided, Riina was about to touch her lips but stopped.
Einar had taken her hand and lowered it.
“It seems the inside has burst and is bleeding.”
“I should apply some medicine before it bruises.”
Riina blurted out without choosing her words, following her stream of consciousness.
“The Bolshevik lady coming out of the Second Prince’s palace with burst lips, I don’t even need to hear what kind of rumors will spread to know my ears will hurt.”
“Especially since it was just the two of us in the room.”
Riina responded coolly to the smiling Einar.
“Such rumors might spread too, but rumors about your bad hand habits will spread much more widely.”
“Ah.”
“Now that the hunting competition is over, not just the Third Prince but also the First Prince’s side will start to act. And…”
Riina gently shook her hand to remove it from Einar’s.
“Shouldn’t we get up soon? My legs…”
As Riina tapped her legs, which were starting to go numb, her field of vision suddenly rose.
Momentarily losing her balance due to the suddenness, she soon steadied herself by gripping a firm shoulder.
“Einar…”
-Knock knock knock.
Before Riina could finish calling his name, a servant’s voice rang out along with the knocking sound.
“Your Highness, I apologize, but His Majesty is looking for you.”
“His Majesty at this hour?”
“Yes. He said to come up for a moment. And…”
The servant paused briefly before adding.
“He ordered the Bolshevik lady to come along as well.”
