Kias’s eyes, seen up close, were intense, reminiscent of a raging sea.
‘How does such a gaze come from such a relaxed expression…’
Arien bit her lower lip as she grasped Kias’s sword handle and belatedly realized that he hadn’t actually tried to stab his own arm.
Arien was slowly getting worried that Kias, whose intentions she could not read, might not be the person her father had mentioned.
After a brief look into Arien’s emerald eyes, Kias put down his sword as if satisfied, and whistled.
“Do you usually check like this, Duke?”
Arien glared at him, trying to slow her breath, fearing that her rapid heartbeat would be heard by Kias.
“I see, I must have scared the lady too much. There are so many people coming into my castle with ill intentions.”
Despite Kias’s solid words, Arien didn’t avoid his eyes.
“Good, the healing magic just now must have been learned from the Planus Academy.”
At the mention of the Planus Academy by Kias, Arien flinched for a moment.
King Gallia V of Planus didn’t want his people to be ignorant.
He believed that even lowborn people should be taught letters, and often made radical moves to give highranking positions to talented people regardless of their status.
In order to solidify this, he had made movements to build an educational academy in every fiefdom, something no other kingdom had attempted.
In return for obliging the lords to run the academy, he guaranteed the treatment of talents from the respective regions so that they would not neglect the management of the academy.
Healers had a tradition of placing their hands on basic medical books when they graduated from the Medical Academy and swearing to maintain the noble tradition and honor.
Therefore, when a foreign country requested a healer’s hiring, the Healers Association, Hellen, dispatched them in consultation with the royal family of Planus.
Such talents adhered to a principle that they should not be produced in regions other than the Kingdom of Planus, so no matter their status, foreigners could never acquire the source of Planus knowledge.
Therefore, foreign royals and nobles also spent a lot of money and effort to bring talents from Planus who had received excellent academy education into their sphere of influence.
‘This man also undoubtedly wants the source knowledge of the Planus Academy.’
Arien, who quickly grasped the intention of Kias’s question, was worried about how to respond to the questions about the Planus Academy that he would throw next.
Her head was complicated, and then he said something unbelievable.
“For about a month now, healers who were scattered in each kingdom and were working have been missing. No, it’s almost like they’ve disappeared. But you don’t know at all.”
The disappearance of Planus people was shocking news for the princess.
Arien had been avoiding contact with people and choosing paths with few people to move.
She had little opportunity to hear about the events happening in the kingdom now.
“Strange things are happening on the continent right now. The power of healing magic is absolutely necessary. It means that there needs to be someone who can share the knowledge of the Planus Academy to replace those who have disappeared.”
“That can’t be done!”
As if he expected the reaction, Kias, who nodded his head, sat back against the desk and fixed his gaze on Arien.
It’s not that he’s not being polite, but it felt antagonistic because of his gaze.
“Even if you manage to get out of here luckily, isn’t there no guarantee that you won’t end up like other healers later?”
The disappearance of the healers. She knew that Kevrant’s proposal was the best solution under the current circumstances.
However, producing healers was also one of the major sources of income for the Planus royal family, so it was a delicate issue that she, even as a princess, could not decide on her own.
It could become a betrayal against the principles of the kingdom’s academy if handled carelessly.
“I understand. But you must be well aware of the main principle of Planus Academy. It’s not a simple matter that I can answer right here and now.”
Arien, who had taken a moment to catch her breath, continued.
“……However, since you’ve made a proposal, please give me some time to think. If I, a person from the kingdom of Planus, risk danger and agree to help, you, Duke, will also have to provide adequate compensation.”
Kevrant, with a grin on one side of his face, looked at the rather audacious Arien with interest.
Kevrant, who had just mentioned the healer disappearance case with a serious face, began to brush his lips with his long finger, as if trying to hold back his laughter.
Lilbane and Teo, who were listening to their conversation near the fireplace, exchanged glances at the unexpected words spat out by the seemingly fragile lady, and then turned their ears back to the conversation.
“It seems like we’re starting to understand each other a little. Then tell me what this ‘adequate compensation’ you want is. Gold coins? Silk? Jewels? Or all three? I’ll give you whatever you want. A trade has to be satisfying for both parties.”
Arien thought she had misheard his words that he would pay for whatever she wanted.
“Does that mean you will do whatever it is?”
“I don’t like to repeat myself. It’s just as you heard.”
She had heard that the financial state of Astin was robust enough to pique the curiosity of the entire continent, but hearing it from his own mouth felt like a test, which made her cautious.
‘Is he testing me?’
Just as Kevrant was about to urge the seemingly deepinthought Arien to reply, she responded first.
“What I want is Astin’s information sharing and active cooperation on the healer disappearance case… and my safety. Those are the only terms of the deal.”
Kevrant’s blue eyes flickered momentarily at Arien’s unexpected response.
Thinking that he might not be able to easily handle what she wanted and that she might be able to use Kevrant to turn her situation around, she decided to take the risk.
“Guaranteeing the safety of you, a healer, and sharing information and cooperation on the disappearance case? Good! The terms aren’t bad. The moment you accept my proposal, this deal will be made.”
Kevrant shrugged and grinned as if it wasn’t a difficult task.
Looking at his deep seacolored eyes, which seemed to have calmed down like a subsiding wave, and his lethal smile, Arien felt as if she had just stepped foot into the inescapable quicksand of the Zarsen Desert.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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