“Excuse me for a moment.”

Without any preamble, Felix rose from his seat and approached Evelia. He knew he needed her consent, but no suitable excuse came to mind. Nevertheless, he couldn’t leave without accomplishing anything.

As he closed the distance, confusion danced in her eyes. A wave of guilt swept over him, but he didn’t stop, rationalizing that it would only be for a moment.

Evelia couldn’t take her eyes off Felix, who had stopped right in front of her. It was too abrupt. She was startled by his sudden closeness, and then, his hand began to move closer.

Instinctively, Evelia stood up. At that exact moment, an unexpected voice pierced her ears.

“What are you doing?”

The sudden voice instantly captured the attention of both Evelia and Felix.

“Your Highness.”

As if entranced, Evelia approached Liurian and gave a light bow. His gaze fell on her.

“What were you doing?”

“I’m sorry?”

“What were you doing with the guy who was standing in front of you just now?”

His voice, now cold, enveloped and oppressed her.

For a moment, Evelia trembled involuntarily, but never took her eyes off him.

She thought she only knew him when he looked at her and faintly smiled, when he gave her gifts, or when he grimaced in pain in front of her. But she was wrong.

The Liurian who couldn’t control his anger was utterly unfamiliar to her. It was strange. An angry Liurian was actually a sight she should have been quite used to.

“Your Highness.”

“If it’s difficult to answer, I can change the question.”

“…”

“What was that man trying to do to you?”

Chewing on his rage, his eyes filled with a deadly aura as he spat out the question. Evelia should have been scared, but she wasn’t. She felt as if she knew who his anger was directed at.
His eyes, as if chewing and spitting out his anger, were brimming with murderous intent. It was a demeanor one should naturally fear, but Evelia was not afraid. She felt she knew who his anger was directed at.

Seeing him so angry, Evelia almost wanted to laugh. Fearing it would further fuel his rage, she swiftly turned her head toward where Felix was.

It seemed like some explanation was in order, but it didn’t feel like something she should do alone. Yet strangely, when she turned around, there was no trace of Felix or even a single strand of his hair around the table.

“Uh? Where… could he be?”

Evelia looked around the floor in confusion. It seemed impossible for a man of his size to hide in a reception room furnished only with a sofa, table, and some chairs. This meant that he had again become an entity capable of hiding anywhere.

“Your Highness?”

Suddenly, Liurian Petrov’s legs entered her field of vision as she was scanning the room’s floor. Moreover, his strides exhibited no hesitation.

The pace and speed he had maintained halted abruptly in front of the window curtains.

Evelia carefully examined the area around the curtains. Not only Felix but even a tip of a hamster’s fur was not visible. However, the moment Liurian pulled the curtains aside with his parched hands, the situation completely changed.

“Damn rat, crawling up without knowing its place.”

Liurian uttered coldly, his gaze lowered. Then, the hamster that had been hiding behind the curtains visibly flinched.

“What were you planning to do to Evelia?”

“….”

“It would be better for you to answer while you still can, Felix.”

The demeanor of Liurian, who was pressuring the Felix under his foot, was excessively threatening. It looked like he could mercilessly crush the palm-sized hamster under his heavy foot at any moment.

Evelia quickly moved. Annoying as Felix was, she didn’t want him to be crushed under Liurian’s foot.

—Will you leave me be if I answer?

“No.”

—Ha! Either way you’re saying you’ll kill me, so why should I answer?

During the brief moment Evelia was focusing on Liurian, Felix couldn’t help but mouth off.

Being quiet might have been half the battle. It was the best advice she could offer Felix right now.

Evelia frowned at Felix, then stretched her arm straight toward Liurian.

“Your Highness, please calm down first. There’s nothing for Your Highness to worry about…!”
Gently grasping Liurian Petrov’s wrist that her fingertips touched, it was the moment she was conveying an excuse on behalf of Felix.

Suddenly, strength filled the wrist she had grabbed, and she found her own arm seized in return. At the same time, a force so explosively strong it could only be described that way yanked her towards him.

It all happened in an instant. Evelia Caroline was so startled that she couldn’t even breathe.

By the time she regained her composure, she was already in Liurian Petrov’s embrace.