“Your radius of action is narrower than I thought?”
Again.
Appears just when she forgets.
Appears when she doesn’t necessarily need.
When the crisis is over!
And the one who appears.
“…….”
Klisha was utterly exhausted after spending the entire night jumping back and forth between other people’s rooftops, chimneys, warehouses, and barns. Naturally, her reunion with Ian, or Detective Ray Vaughn, was completely out of the question…
‘Damn it. I left half a basket of the snacks I was eating at the restaurant in Mosses. The Detective probably waited and just left. He looked kind of petty, so he must be upset. I don’t even know where to meet him. I should’ve asked for the office location when we met yesterday.’
Klisha was in a difficult position. If she were being chased by criminals or villains, she’d at least have a chance to defend herself. But right now, being a criminal herself and a cunning escaped convict, it was difficult to fight back.
In any case, the Royal Guard’s wanted poster was practically a command from His Majesty the Emperor himself.
If she were to fight back and hurt those chasing her even a little too much, she would end up committing new crimes.…
In the end, Klisha found herself behind a yacht rental shop by the Temarika River, which runs through the capital, holding a hacksaw and diligently sawing at ‘something’…. when she suddenly came face to face with him.
“Northern…… why doesn’t the President leave me alone and go his own way?”
“You’re quite talented, Her Majesty the Empress. Or should I say, escaped convict 3358.”
“…….”
If there really were 3,358 concubines…… It had only been 10 years since Ian became the Emperor, and there’s only 3,650 days at most. That means during this time, he had changed women almost every day…… Hmm. Hmm.
For the first time in his life, Eugene found himself sincerely apologizing to Ian Perza.
‘I’m sorry, my enemy.’
Snip, snip.
Snip.
As Klisha continued her work without saying a word, Eugene’s red eyes, which had been watching the situation from behind her with his arms crossed, were filled with admiration.
“Are you, by any chance, planning to cut the rope and steal the yacht?”
“…That’s the plan.”
“Hmm?”
“Borrowing! That’s it. I’ll return it later.”
“…….”
A smirk formed on Eugene’s red lips.
“Escaping by boat…. The roads are blocked, and you’re being cornered from all sides… Not a bad idea. However.”
Eugene uncrossed his arms and spoke.
“With a small boat like that, I think you’ll be caught even before you can leave the capital.”
“…Don’t worry…..”
“How about it, Lady? I have a few spare boats. I can offer one to you.”
The corners of Eugene’s mouth went up.
“Now. May I kidnap you?”
In the dark night.
Eugene’s jet-black hair, as dark as obsidian, swayed in the wind.
* * *
He.
He is water that does not freeze, ice that does not melt, fire that does not burn, and a gust of wind that cuts through the crashing waves.
And yet he.
Relentlessly pursued me, persistently clung to me, despite how insignificant I am.
He binds me without restraint.
He desires me as if to devour me.
He crushed me without giving me a chance to breathe.
“You can’t do this…… This isn’t right……”
“…….”
“My Lord…… this is….. ha. Ah…….”
“…….”
“Ah….. My Lord….. we……”
“…….”
The red-eyed Northern Archduke roughly grabbed Klisha’s delicate shoulder from behind.
“Lady!”
Klisha, startled by the unfamiliar feeling, turned her head.
“You’ll fall if you keep doing that. I’ve called you several times. What are you doing here?”
“…….”
Blue sky.
Bluer sea.
Bright, clear sun.
Klisha, who had momentarily drifted into a world of fantasies on the outdoor deck at the stern of the cruise, froze when the faces of the Archduke in her imagination and Eugene overlapped in her mind. But she quickly snapped back to reality, feeling slightly flustered.
“What? I was just gathering my thoughts.”
Eugene raised one eyebrow and crossed his arms.
“You often get lost in thought. I didn’t know you were such a thoughtful person.”
“…….”
Klisha turned her head, feeling embarrassed for no reason.
“By the way. It’s been quite a while since we’ve been on the boat. Where did you say we’re going?”
“…… Please get off there first.”
At the end of the outdoor deck, Klisha, who had been standing on a small box over the knee-high railing, lightly placed her hand on Eugene’s outstretched arm before gently stepping down.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Eugene’s pretty eyes, which even his long eyelashes couldn’t fully conceal.
‘Whenever I see his handsome face, I feel like I’ve been enlightened again. Although it’s a bit awkward.’
Eugene’s cruise, TAVOSONIC.
TAVOSONIC, a luxurious, cutting-edge ship owned by Ryuiken Shipping, can accommodate around 800 passengers and 180 crew members. Onboard, all needs are catered to, such as performances, exhibitions, parties, and relaxation options, staying true to its luxury cruise nature.
In the elegantly decorated onboard restaurant ‘Baia’.
A lady with perfectly ripened tomato-colored hair finished devouring the banquet laid before her, then began pulling at her hair in frustration.
“Nevertheless, President. You really are rich.”
“Could you stop pulling out your hair for a moment?”
“I can’t help it. It’s a habit that comes out when I’m anxious.”
“…… Are you anxious now?”
“I guess so. I was raised as a precious noble lady after all.”
“…….”
“If my father finds out that I followed a man from another country, no, was kidnapped by a man from another country…… he’d be shocked.”
“…….”
“My father is a bit different…. well, in many ways. So, I’m worried.”
Eugene casted his gaze out the window and spoke calmly.
“I sent the news through a messenger.”
“?”
“That is. About your kidnapping.”
Eugene’s lips curled into a mischievous smile as he looked at Klisha, who was staring blankly with her mouth open.
“Of course. Shouldn’t I inform the head of the household?”
“!”
* * *
A week ago.
Klisha was ‘kidnapped’ reluctantly according to Eugene’s suggestion.
From Eugene’s perspective, it was a somewhat unfair situation. However, he decided not to argue the matter. After all, it was true that he was the one who had made the suggestion first.
“My condition is simple. Take me out of the capital and to a place where there is no wanted list yet.”
“Oh? You think you can set conditions? I was just doing a favor.”
“…….”
“Then. My condition is… … .”
“It must be my ‘body’.”
Eugene was speechless for a moment.
Whether it was intentional or not, Klisha twiddled her hair with her fingers and blurted out what was on her mind.
“I’ve been thinking about it. President Tomma. The reason you keep following me around. It must be because you fell in love with me at first sight.”
“…….”
“But it’s not possible. We can’t be together. Northern…… President Tomma. As you know, I’m officially the ‘Former Empress’.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask. Have you never considered that if you get caught impersonating someone like that, you might lose your head?”
“I’m not impersonating anyone…….”
Eugene gave Klisha a cold, calculating look, scanning her from head to toe before speaking.
“The bank confirmed that there was some technical error. But still, calling yourself ‘Empress’. Are you crazy?”
For some reason, Klisha felt a surge of emotion and clenched her fist, shouting out.
“No! That’s exactly what I’ve been saying!”
Eugene quickly reached out and covered Klisha’s mouth.
“Why not just advertise to the whole neighborhood that you’re here? Or better yet, maybe you could surrender to the Royal Guards. If I say them I caught you, I might as well get the reward.”
“…….”
The black-haired, red-eyed young man turned his head and stared into the darkness before rising to his feet. Despite the numerous gazes following him, a particularly dark and heavy energy caught Eugene’s attention. It seemed like some…… powerful people were following them.
“Lady, let’s move for now. Come.”
“…….”
Watching Klisha, who was still crouched and fiddling with the half-cut rope, Eugene spoke with a hint of confusion in his voice.
“By the way, why is someone who wields a ‘sword’ using a hacksaw… Especially someone who is skilled in martial arts.”
“!”
Klisha fell silent, unable to come up with a response.
‘That’s right. Why was I doing this with a hacksaw? I could just burn it with my rune… Damn it.’
They say when your mind is dull, your hands and feet just dangle around. The old saying is never wrong after all.
The night streets of the dark capital were eerily quiet.
The people who had been following them persistently until just now had been shaken off as they walked behind Eugene at some point. Klisha looked at the back of Eugene’s head and pouted her lips out of habit.
‘What the hell do you really do? Why do you know the back streets so well?’
Klisha turned her head slightly and looked into the darkness.
‘And that mysterious gaze I’ve felt from behind me since earlier…… It seems like someone is helping me, but why do they keep looking at me?’
Klisha didn’t know.
The fact that it was Eugene’s secret guard Noah, who had decided to protect his Master’s first love at any cost, had been cheering them on with a burning gaze since earlier.
The sound of cicadas in late summer was faintly echoing through the mist that settled low in the air.
As if the chase from earlier had been a lie, Klisha opened her mouth as they walked along the peaceful lower reaches of Temarika River.
“However, President. Why do you assume that I’m not the Empress?”
Eugene, who was walking ahead, turned his head and stared into Klisha’s almond-colored eyes before smiling faintly.
“Well, it’s not just only because of the Lady’s appearance…….”
“…….”
“When you’re in business, you end up hearing a lot of different bits of information. There are even businesses that specialize solely in gathering information.”
“…….”
“The movements of the Royal Family are always treated as top-level intelligence. There’s been no news about His Majesty the Emperor’s marriage, and then suddenly, an ‘Empress’ appears. Would you believe it?”
“So, you didn’t believe it from the beginning.”
“Well, that’s…”
Eugene was quite surprised when he first heard it, so he decided to hide it. He also asked Noah to investigate later. It was a bit embarrassing to admit it now.
Last night.
Eugene’s secret guard, Noah, nodded a couple of times as soon as Eugene finished speaking, then handed over a folder containing various mixed pieces of information.
The bounty poster from the Royal Guards. Descriptions of the escaped convict. A report on suspicious behavior and personal details. An arrest warrant. A victim’s statement about the assault. A summary of the immediate trial decision. Recent movements of Issac Mezerine…
And the latest version, which has been updated in great detail with the movements and expected escape routes of the escaped criminals, with no clear indication of who, when, and for what purpose the information had been collected.
‘He’s so good at strange things. Why does he has a knack for that?’
Eugene thought of the subtle smile that passed by Noah’s eyes as he turned around and left, and shook his head slightly.
“Anyway, Lady. It seems you’re not entirely without connections to His Majesty the Emperor. There haven’t been any major problems so far, so it should be fine. But from now on…..”
Klisha clenched her fists for a moment and then opened her mouth.
“But I actually……”
“?”
Klisha sighed as she stared intently into the eyes of Eugene, who had stopped walking and turned around.
“Haa, I actually…… am really the real ‘Former Empress’, you know?”
“!”
“At least in name.”
“……”
“On top of that, I’m going to be…… exiled soon.”
Unable to hide his shock, Eugene’s face reflected utter disbelief and absurdity. Klisha extended her hand toward him.
“President Tomma from the North. Do you really want to kidnap me now?”
