Cloé stared silently ahead.

With the direct choice of words, one could no longer be ignorant of the meaning. Her calm gaze was filled with awkwardness. It was a gaze that seemed to ask, “What is all this about?”

Pretending not to know, Kun pulled Cloé into an embrace. She fit snugly into his arms, her petite frame barely reaching half his height.

“I don’t want to lose you.”

He murmured softly afterward.

Only then did Cloé exhale as if realizing something. A stifled groan, like a broken silence, rolled off the man’s throat.

Kun had finally caught on to what had happened between Cloé and Calice.

Many things had happened in a short period, and there was much to address. Caught up in a busy life due to the events, the reason why Cloé and Calice were together that day had naturally been overlooked.

Neither of them had asked, and Cloé felt no need to bring it up unnecessarily. Bringing it up might only cause anger and worry.

But Kun couldn’t just forget and move on. He had forgotten how persistent and tenacious he could be when it came to Cloé’s affairs.

Calice’s death and the danger to Cloé were two different matters. The culprit who targeted Cloé from the beginning was still out there, and now they had returned to square one.

“Cloé, if you become wholly mine, even the rats won’t be able to make a sound. Since you’re a person from the imperial palace, they will hold their tongues.”

Even if Cloé had taken Friedrich’s name, she was not entirely safe.

Despite receiving the favor and protection of the emperor, the government was still the government. Being labeled as a plaything of the emperor, even one he favored, implied she couldn’t truly protect what was hers.

Only then did Cloé understand the implied meaning of Kun’s proposal. Though it should have been moving to be inside the thoughtful thoughts of a lover, it was the opposite for Cloé. The proposal still felt uneasy and unpleasant to her.

“So, are you suggesting that I take a place next to Kun?”

“Yes, so that you won’t be in danger again. I can also make the decision to tear you apart if another accident occurs.”

“But…”

It wasn’t a concern to take Kun’s side like before. It wasn’t even a fear that blocking his path would be worrisome, or that she wouldn’t be able to escape freely.

She just couldn’t be sure if she truly deserved to take such a noble position.

“Cloé.”

Smiling at the immediate response from the unresponsive partner, Kun continued. The way he softly uttered Cloé’s name was like coaxing for an answer.

“There’s no grand meaning to it.”

“…”

“It just means that you’ll be my lifelong companion.”

Cloé’s hand, which had been pulled forward without her realizing, reached the man’s front. It trembled instinctively at the feeling of becoming prey to a predator.

Sensing the vibration, he smiled subtly. Kun then pressed his lips unhesitatingly onto the back of her white hand.
“If not, would it be okay for someone other than yourself to spend a lifetime with me?”

Cloé, who had been silent all along, made the first gesture of nodding, expressing her thoughts.

No.

Didn’t Cedric try to meddle in her and Kun’s relationship in the past?

When her enchanting face was fixed on me.

When those red eyes that made others fearful were filled only with me.

When her stiff, almost straight, lips maintained a smooth contour when with me.

Cloé wanted to selfishly preserve these precious moments, the glimpses of Kun’s awkward side occasionally revealed in front of her, without sharing them with others.

Even when she might not realize her own feelings, what about now, acknowledging each other’s hearts?

“No, I can’t… How could I bear to see Kun with someone else… I absolutely don’t want that.”

If it were for him, she should be able to remain calm and indifferent, even if it caused temporary pain. Yet, Cloé couldn’t bring herself to tell a lie. Cruel selfishness had subtly clouded her reason.

“But when I received the title from the government, there was once a strong opposition. It would be even more intense if I were to become the wife and empress, ruling over the Friede Empire. I was once a princess of a vassal state and the fallen lady of the Argentine Duke. Moreover, now I have nothing…”

Perhaps a trace of consideration remained as she soon adopted a worried stance.

A while later, Kun laughed. It was a more charming face than ever.

So, it was a subtly joyful smile, appearing arrogant, when the situation he desired unfolded.

“I am the princess who guarded alone in a ruined battlefield, the lady of the duke who contributed to the peace of the empire and kingdom, the lord truly served by the honorable knight and the only beloved of the emperor.”

With eloquent words, he intended to bewitch her, making it hard for her to distinguish between the front and back. Cloé now understood his self-confident laughter anew.

“All those accomplishments are yours. You have achieved truly splendid feats by yourself.”

“…”

The man knew the solutions to all the worries Cloé had in mind. Particularly.

“So, let’s go together, Cloé Friede.”