Whitney’s heart beat rapidly. She immediately recognized who was holding her in their arms.

“What brings you here, elder brother?”

At Cheston’s sharp voice, even she felt her breath catch. Though she couldn’t see his expression while in his arms, he surely wasn’t looking at her with the eyes he had shown her recently. His strong arms encircled her waist.

“I should be the one asking. Wasn’t it time for training? There’s no reason for you to be here at this hour.”

“Why not? As soon as training ended, I rushed over, longing to see the evil bride.”

“Training ended already……”

“As always, there’s not much for me to learn.”

Karl scoffed at his words that could seem arrogant. Surely that adopted bastard must have tipped him off. No matter how skilled, it was impossible to leave during training. Unless it was unavoidable.

Karl hadn’t waited for Whitney without recognizing him.

“We just happened to run into each other while taking a walk. Why are you so defensive? As if I’d do anything to my younger brother’s fiancée.”

“Of course, I don’t think you touched my fiancée’s body with the intention of doing something beastly that disregards honor. But the palace is always a place where rumors spread easily, isn’t it? Contrary to your intentions, observers might have vulgar thoughts. For instance, they might see you as a shameless person trying to violate your younger brother’s fiancée, or as a beast worse than an animal trying to forcibly take her body using your power.”

Cheston’s low voice rang out like a warning. Karl was silent for a moment before he started laughing. He seemed to be mocking, as if Cheston’s words weren’t scary at all.

“Even so, who could stop me? How many among those in the annex do you think are on your side? Just one adopted bastard, and one princess the family is desperate to kill. One mother of yours who’d be better off dead. Just three? Even the maid who was guarding the princess until just now turned a blind eye to my actions and left her post.”

He kept running his mouth shamelessly, not even minding the killing intent seeping from Cheston’s body. Perhaps Karl knew that Cheston couldn’t harm him here.

The more there was to protect, the more cautious one had to be. It was Cheston who was anxious, not knowing where the sparks might fly.

“So what if she’s your fiancée? She might become my concubine if you die anyway.”

Cheston’s hands holding Whitney tightened. But as Karl said, there were no allies for Cheston here. All of this would reach the Queen’s ears. So he couldn’t be allowed to clash with Karl any further.

Karl seemed to have given up on wearing a mask and continued to spew words insulting her. Her brow furrowed at his undignified words and tone. Though her body trembled with shame, she had to endure it. The more she showed anger, the more Cheston would become enraged as well.

Her body burned with anger, but her mind cooled.

“I’m fine. Nothing happened.”

She tightly embraced Cheston’s waist. Though she didn’t know how to calm him, if she did this, at least he wouldn’t push her away and rush at Karl. At least, that’s how the Cheston she knew would act.

“But.”

“Please don’t. I don’t want to be the cause of trouble for Your Highness.”

“……”

Whitney buried her face in his chest. She couldn’t let his efforts until now be in vain. She spoke to him almost pleadingly.

“I want to go to my room. I don’t want to be here.”

“……Alright.”

He lightly patted her back. She was relieved at his voice, which had softened a bit unlike before. The killing intent she had felt from him also eased.

“There’s no chance of me dying, so there’s also no chance of my fiancée becoming your concubine, elder brother. It’s unfortunate for you that I now have a reason not to die. We’ll be taking our leave now.”

Only then did Whitney feel the tension leave her body. If Cheston hadn’t been holding her waist, she might have collapsed right there.

He looked at her intently before gently lifting her up. She curled up in his arms and turned her face away to avoid looking at Karl.

His strides as he passed by Karl were rather quick.

Cheston didn’t put Whitney down until they reached her room. Her small body was still trembling.

If she hadn’t stopped him, he would have drawn his sword against Karl right there. It wasn’t the first or second time he had provoked him, but he didn’t know why he had responded differently than usual this time.

Was it because she didn’t want to be treated the same way as him? Or was it because of the words she shouldn’t have had to hear and the vulgar things she almost had to endure because of him?

Whatever the reason, he felt ashamed. It was difficult to see her trying so hard to act like she was fine, so he turned his head away.

“I’ll ask Aaron to guard you, so it would be best not to go out without him. Are you really alright?”

Cheston set Whitney down on the bed. Her hands trembled slightly, but she smiled at him as if she was fine. She acted composed even though she clearly wasn’t. He knew that expression better than anyone.

But he didn’t offer words of comfort. No words could comfort her. He should have prevented such a thing from happening in the first place. Seeing her look so much like himself kept making him angry.

“Lady Orlean.”

“……Yes, Your Highness. Please speak.”

He hardened his expression and bent down to meet her eyes.

“Get angry. Demand answers from me instead. Ask why I came late, why I brought you to a place where I couldn’t protect you. Get angry and demand answers.”

That would have been better. He was uncomfortable with her accepting this entire situation. It was enough for him alone to endure.

“But Your Highness didn’t do anything wrong, so why would I get angry and demand answers from you?”

At her words, Cheston narrowed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair.

How could she accept it all so humbly? Was she accepting this entire situation just because she was engaged to him?

Unanswerable questions roamed through his mind.

Ha.

An irritated sigh escaped his lips. She was frustratingly patient. Why did her attitude of accepting unfair situations bother him so much?

“Your Highness, I really am fine. I went out briefly to have tea with Lady Elenia, but I didn’t expect to run into His Highness Karl. It’s my fault for not being more careful. You can’t be with me all day, Your Highness. And I don’t want that either. I didn’t come here to be a burden.”

She was excessively generous towards him. Cheston reached out and stroked her neck.

“Next time, bite a finger or something. I’ll take any responsibility.”

“But that would be committing a serious crime. You’d be in trouble, Your Highness.”

“What really troubles me is…”

Having to see you go through things you shouldn’t have to because of me.

He barely swallowed the words. His nerves were on edge and his chest felt tight. He didn’t know why he was having such thoughts, but if a situation like this arose again, then…

‘I’m not sure I could hold back.’

Even though she hid her expression as if she was fine, her clear eyes were full of fear. Seeing her trembling fingertips, he wasn’t sure he could refrain from drawing his sword.

“……Your Highness?”

He lowered his head and exhaled deeply. When he faced her, his reason would disappear and the suppressed emotions would run wild. His already sensitive nerves became even more on edge, and everything irritated him.

“I’ll take measures so you don’t run into my brother. If it’s difficult to bite a finger, then at least run away.”

“I will. Even if I fall, I’ll run away. I know where you are, so I’ll run without stopping.”

Whitney smiled brightly with a calmer face. That smile was a fabricated one meant to reassure him. However, he pretended not to notice and smiled softly as he removed the hand that had been caressing her neck.

“By the way, it’s the first time I’m hearing about you having tea with my mother.”

“Today was the first time I had tea with her too. As you said, she seems to be doing much better, which was a relief. Let me know if you need more Bellonia.”

“……You have more?”

“Just in case, I planted some in the Rubeness family’s garden. By now, it should have grown enough to use in emergencies.”

“It seems your mind is filled only with things related to me.”

“Well… that’s true to an extent. Your safety means my safety too, Your Highness. So everything is inevitably related to you.”

She spoke with a faint smile. Why did she always make that expression when talking about him? Cheston felt the urge to ask again.

“Why do you look at me with those eyes?”

“……Pardon?”

Her green eyes widened in surprise, reflecting him entirely. How could he make her look at him differently?

“Lady Orlean. Have you done something wrong to me?”

He reached out to gently press her eyes as he spoke, looking at her pale face.

“Tell me. What have you done wrong to me?”

If she said nothing while unable to erase the guilt-ridden look in her eyes, what should he do? He slowly lowered his gaze.

“Why do you look at me with guilt-filled eyes? You need to explain.”

He couldn’t help but speak as if interrogating her.