Chapter 191: Fiance appeared (1)

Pretending not to notice that my shoulders were gently getting wet.

I knew he would be worried, with this man's character. He would also be concerned. But I had no way to contact him.

Wouldn't it be better if he had a rose engraved like Chaser? But this man was a man who wouldn't even breathe without my permission.

Lenag slowly raised his head.

"...... sorry."

Without saying that, I paused. The man's face, visible through thin flowing hair, was a mess.

Tuk. The glasses that were loosely on my shoulder fell to the floor.

Lenag was startled and hurriedly covered his eyes.

"...... Don't, don't look."

He turned his head away. Oddly enough, only his earlobes were dyed red. Seeing him like that made me a little troubled.

"It will be a mess......."

I've already seen it all.......

"Um, yes. I didn't see anything."

Unfortunately I wasn't used to lying. Living a comfortable life was like not having too many things to lie about. He would have heard it all in my voice. I rummaged through my arms and pulled out a handkerchief.

"I don't normally carry things like this."

It was supposed to be a secret entry, but it was still a place to meet the Empress. So, I had a lot of things I didn't usually bring.

"I must have brought it for this moment."

I said in a slightly indifferent tone and reached out to him. Lenag, who was looking at me between his fingers, hesitated and took the handkerchief.

"Thank you."

It was such a polite greeting. While he wiped away the remaining water with the handkerchief, I leaned over and picked up his glasses and cloak.

Ricdorian's cloak, which was hanging on my shoulder that was suddenly held by Lenag, had also fallen off. Seeing what I was picking up, Lenag hesitated. At the same time, his cheeks turned red.

"I'm, I'm sorry, Miss Iana. I suddenly...."

He was a quick man to apologize for what he did wrong. There were no unnecessities attached to it. As if he'll be punished right away for what he did if I get angry before forgiving him.

"I was so surprised to see you...... no. This is also an excuse. Don't listen to it."

"I've already listened......."

"Ugh"

"Just kidding."

Lenag was at a loss when I handed the glasses. It was a little funny, the man with his shoulders wide open, and a fierce and sharp look became distracted. He doesn't have to be so hard on himself.

'Hmm.'

Seeing Lenag like that, I had a strange thought.

It's a bit strange for me to think of snakes while looking at this. Watching Lenag's actions, I remembered a small snake that was shy but greeted me warmly.

"Are you sick? I feel like you're emaciated."

Even though I knew it was an inappropriate greeting after a while, I passed it on to him. He lowered his eyes.

"...... I haven't been doing well."

"Yes. I heard you were looking for me."

"Yes. I was looking for yo."

Lenag put his hand under his glasses.

"...... Very, very anxiously."

Again, I couldn't help but feel sorry for this. Even if the kidnapping wasn't my intention, this man would have been literally anxiously searching for me. It seems that Chaser did not share information with him.

"I'm so......."

"No. Don't apologize."

He shook his head.

"I know it's not your fault."

Then, after hesitating, he added another word.

"Even if it was your will. That is not wrong."

Leaving Chaser's side was a good thing. As a result of that, he searched the entire empire.

In fact, he even jumped on me like this. I couldn't find anything to say, so I ended up just smiling.

Lenag's arm was decorated with buttons embellished with snakes. Perhaps it was a symbol of his family. What kind of omniscient rose point of view is this? For some reason, it felt like I could see animals behind every rose I saw. I asked a question I was curious about.

"How did you know about this place?"

"Francia Orr Rosenia."

A familiar name flowed from Lenag.

"No, I should call her the 127th Saint now. She informed me."

The reason Ricdorian and I left for the Imperial Palace was kept secret. The fact that hardly anyone from Hernim came was proof.

No matter how strong Ricdorian's power is, it cannot be without danger as long as Domulit was a great enemy. Nevertheless, the reason he made this decision was because Hernim also recognized that this was a battle of time.

He chose security over safety. So I was relieved only when I heard the source of the information.

"Did Francia make it easy for you?"

Lenag stopped at the name that came out naturally. It was only for one moment.

"I don't know what the threat is. She asked me to come."

"Ah."

"At least until she arrives. That was the price of information."

When I asked how Lenag could appear in such a hurry, it must have been Francia's arrangement. Obviously, if there were two roses, even Chaser would not help it.

Francia was late for her departure because she had work to deal with, and it seemed that she was concerned about my safety, as I was vulnerable as she got her feet tied up. I could tell how much she cared about me, in that she offered a deal without hesitation to someone whom she didn't like very much. It felt like my heart was moved.

"And she didn't even have to ask."

"Yes? Why?"

"I thought I would be here soon."

Lenag said he had heard of it before my entry and he let Francia know that he was running here.

"It was the first time I had ever known that the temple's carriage was so fast."

I burst into laughter as I thought that even his appearance would look like Francia. You have used everything available for me, Francia.

I glanced behind. Not too far away, the servant stood still. Along with the bat sitting on the servant's arm. The bat didn't say anything, but for some reason I wondered if the Empress had seen it all through the bat.

"We have to move now."

There was no need to be here anymore after talking with the Empress. Of course, the movement was after Ricdorian had arrived.

Thinking about that, as I moved my steps, my body stumbled and tilted. The floor was slippery. My legs trembled. My overlapped hands were cold. I thought it wasn't that cold, but maybe my legs just froze. As soon as I took one more step, I slipped.

I thought I would feel pain, but it didn't hurt even after a few seconds. When I opened my eyes, I saw an arm holding me tightly.

"Are you okay?"

In front of me was Lenag's surprised face. It's good that he caught me...... Somehow, it became quite banal.

"Um, yes. It's cold and I think my legs are frozen."

"...... I don't think it's something to talk about casually."

"Ahaha. is that so?"

I scratched my cheek as I held him. Somehow, while thinking that men in this world were very good at picking people up.

"I thought I wasn't sensitive to the cold."

It's not just my emotions that were dull. Was it because of my personality that I was insensitive?

"I didn't know before. I guess I'm a little numb to my senses."

My overlapped fingers were cold. But I didn't know my body temperature had dropped so much until I grabbed someone else's hand.

'Maybe this is a bit strange.'

Ricdorian said that I shivered, but I didn't feel it either. Even in prison, I did not feel much cold or heat. Even when other prisoners say that it was unusually cold today and rub their body hard and take a seat on the fireplace. I would just tilt my head and ask 'was it cold?'.

"Could you please put me down for now?"

At those words, a hint of hesitation passed through Lenag's face.

"...... If your body is cold, wouldn't it be better to stay like this for a while?"

"Um, that's true. I want to stand on my feet."

There's eyes to see. The bat was looking at me, to be precise, I didn't know what the owner of the bat was thinking while directing this situation. Even after saying this, Lenag hesitated a little longer. A strange thing flashed across his face full of concern.

"Just a little bit......."

"Yes?"

Then it was the moment he opened his mouth.

"A little bit more......."

At the same time, footsteps were heard. The footsteps quickly drew closer. Turning my head, Ricdorian was standing there. Judging by the fact that he had a hardened expression on his face, he seemed to immediately notice the situation when he saw this.

"... Ha, that was why she called me all of a sudden? When I went there, I was only told about my personal information...... I wondered why Her Majesty kept us apart."

The more he spoke, the colder his gaze gradually became. Ricdorian approached and loosened his neatly bound cravat.

"It was because of this."

The gaze towards Lenag was wilder and cooler than the face when we met again after a few years. But the moment it turned towards me, it melted away like spring from winter.

"Iana."

I noticed it right away from the smile and gaze that seemed to be slightly out of focus.

Ricdorian's personality changed.

He folded his beautiful blue eyes in half and smiled as if melting a person.

"Are you hurt?"

"Uh, huh?"

"She almost fell. I was surprised and came running."

How did Ricdorian who went to see the Empress know? The source of the information was obvious. I looked at the bat. The bat waved its wings as if it had even noticed my gaze.

"Thank you for helping Iana. Marquis Valtaize."

"...... It's not the way Your Excellency used to speak."

"What does my tone have to do with it?"

Surprisingly, Ricdorian was calm for a change in his personality. Of course, it was always relative. Even the crazy ones could be calm and the calm ones are the scariest... Ricdorian soon revealed his true nature.

"It's a hot day, isn't it?"

Whip. The cravat, which had been well bound, broke as it was and fell to the floor.

Ricdorian unbuttoned his buttons as if frustrated and brushed his hair up. Now, rather than being the Grand Duke, he looked more like a debauched noble you would see in that back alley.

He slowly turned his head as if his frustration had been resolved now. Then he smiled at me.

"Can you come here, Iana?"

He groaned as if he was seriously hurt.

"I am really heartbroken."

Lenag's hand that was holding me twitched at this.

"Why don't you let her go now? Marquis?"

Lenag slowly lowered me. My toes touch the floor. Even though it was a stone floor, I felt like I was stepping on a thin ice sheet. I thought Lenag would let me go, but what was this? Lenag turned around instead of getting away. Then he grabbed the back of my hand and kissed his lips on it. He looked very polite. He looked at Ricdorian once, as if to tell Ricdorian that he's different.

"I listen to only one person."

Lenag moved his lips slowly.

"I really want to ask you, Your Excellency."

Beneath his glasses, indifferent, sharp eyes were revealed.

"That is."

A quite noble, yet with a boring tone.

"What do you want to do with my fiance?"