Chapter 71
Cool and Uncool
A sharp slapping sound echoed through the glass greenhouse.
Daphne had forcefully smacked Celestian’s hand off the strands of her hair he had carelessly grabbed.
“Ah.”
She hadn’t used much strength. The sound was loud simply because of how precisely she had struck, but Celestian only narrowed his eyes slightly and blinked slowly.
His green eyes seemed to plead innocence, making Daphne’s insides boil.
“Ah, what ‘ah’? I told you to have your fun and leave, so why did you come all the way here just to tease me?”
He lowered his eyebrows and withdrew his hand, rubbing the back of it dramatically.
“You just told Narid to bring me here.”
She had indeed said that. But Daphne feigned ignorance and quickly changed the subject.
“Why did you hit my father?”
“Because he’s a disgraceful son.”
Celestian answered matter-of-factly. Daphne was momentarily speechless, just blinking at him.
“…I didn’t know he was your father.”
He averted his gaze slightly, as if making an excuse.
“You were a prince, weren’t you? My father is Marius Buchanan.”
“I didn’t know then. I do now.”
When Celestian raised his hand, Daphne flinched noticeably. But instead of anything harsh, his warm hand gently touched her forehead.
“You don’t have a fever.”
“Your hand is hot. Move it.”
Celestian had become incredibly thin since she last saw him. His features had grown even sharper.
And now, when she pushed his hand away, his brows knitted slightly. The moment she saw that expression, she felt all her anger start to melt away.
—But Daphne, you know that just looking at his face makes you forget your anger.
Psyche would always soften the moment Romeo approached her, no matter how mad she was. Every time that happened, Daphne used to curse at both of them for being pathetic, but now… she thought she understood.
‘This is infuriating. Bastard. Absolute bastard.’
So, she turned away and lay back down, pulling the wool blanket over her head.
Her scalp tingled—it was obvious he was playing with the ends of her hair again.
A few dozen seconds passed before Daphne suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe.
‘Why am I holding my breath? It’s already too hot under here.’
She carefully lowered the blanket just below her nose.
And that was when she realized something was seriously wrong.
She had known for years that Celestian liked Psyche. That was precisely why she had kept her feelings in check. She understood their circumstances better than anyone.
—I’ll support your love.
She had even said that to him, confidently, once. So what did it matter if those two snuck around together?
But something was different now.
The woman in question was now a married woman, and the man… was publicly known as her lover.
‘If this were before, I would’ve tipped off the gossip columns and laughed about it. Maybe even watched Romeo and Psyche fight for fun.’
Was it out of loyalty to Romeo? No, that didn’t make sense. She didn’t care if he was betrayed. In fact, messing with him was on her bucket list.
So this stinging sensation, like a chestnut burr rolling inside her heart, didn’t feel like it belonged to her at all.
Daphne clenched her fists.
‘Just act cool. When I turn around, I’ll just say, Oh, you’re here? Must’ve been tough. Celestian doesn’t know I was there anyway. Right now, I’m just a long-lost lover locked away in the underground palace, meeting him again. And then we’ll have a nice dinner, like normal.’
With that resolution, she turned toward Celestian.
The moment she did, his expression stiffened as he let go of the strands of her hair he had been holding.
‘What’s with that face?’
The thoughts she had so painstakingly organized immediately scattered.
Because, for just a fleeting moment before his face hardened, she saw a look in his eyes—one of aching tenderness.
She opened her mouth slightly, but all she saw was his tightly sealed lips.
“Don’t look down at me.”
She mentally smacked herself.
Celestian raised a single eyebrow.
“Why does that sound like you’re upset?”
“I’m totally fine right now. Why are you picking a fight?”
“You always say that when you’re not fine.”
She had simply pointed out that he shouldn’t look down at her, but somehow, Celestian had twisted her words into something else. Daphne closed her eyes briefly.
She needed to pull herself together and just say, Oh, you’re here? Must’ve been tough.
With that in mind, she pushed herself upright and looked at him again.
But the moment she saw his annoyingly perfect face, her irritation flared up again. Her brows drew together.
“Why did you come back?”
“…Are you not happy that I did?”
“Obviously. I’ve never waited for you. Not even once.”
His expression turned strange.
“You should’ve just rotted away there forever.”
Daphne mentally smacked herself again.
And to make things worse, her voice didn’t sound authoritative at all—it sounded sulky, like a child whining.
She bit her lip, scolding herself for her lack of composure.
Meanwhile, Celestian lowered his gaze, as if lost in thought.
Daphne considered running away.
Slowly, she started shifting her legs off the couch—
“Where are you going?”
“This is my house. I can go wherever I wan—”
Her body suddenly lifted into the air.
“What… What are you doing?!”
Startled, she instinctively grabbed onto the collar of his shirt.
Celestian, now suddenly being choked by his own collar, glanced down at her hand and chuckled.
“You told me not to look down at you.”
With that, he adjusted his grip, hoisting her higher.
Now, she was perched so that she was looking down at him.
Never in her life had she imagined seeing Celestian’s face from this angle, in this position. She was so stunned she forgot to struggle.
…Just looking at his face makes you forget your anger.
‘Ah, damn it.’
She knew she should be fighting back instead of gawking.
So, she reached up with both hands—
And covered his entire face.
“Put me down.”
“If you cover my eyes, I can’t see ahead.”
“Put me down.”
“If you cover my lips, I can’t speak either.”
“I said put me do—”
“Where are you going? I’ll take you there.”
“Are your ears blocked? Can’t hear me? This is the fourth time I’m saying it. Put me down.”
Celestian pouted. The sensation of his lips pressing against her palm made Daphne pull her hand away immediately. He now wore an outright sulky expression, clearly displeased.
For a split second, Daphne almost thought it was cute—but she barely managed to catch hold of her sanity.
“If you hate it so much, at least struggle. Slap me if you must.”
“You think I won’t?”
Daphne clenched her fist without hesitation.
“Go ahead.”
Celestian closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, as if daring her to do it.
His smirk lingered, but up close, his face was gaunt. Now that she could see him this close, he looked utterly exhausted. When she let her hand drop slightly, she noticed the dim light in his eyes between his pale lashes.
He looks like someone who hasn’t slept in days…
His eyes carried the weight of someone who would pass out at the slightest push. Daphne hesitated for a moment—then, refusing to back down, she slapped his forehead with her palm.
“Ah, ow.”
Celestian let out a soft groan, over-exaggerating his pain, before collapsing onto the plush couch.
With her still in his arms.
His sharp nose pressed against her chest. But before she could even register if it hurt, her mind went blank.
What… is happening right now?
She blinked, realizing she was sprawled across his strong thigh, her leg draped over his.
Celestian, still nestled against her, remained still. Then, a moment later, his breathing evened out into a slow, steady rhythm.
Daphne was dumbfounded, her lips parting slightly. His warmth spread over her, enveloping her completely.
“You—what do you think you’re doing? Are you toying with me? Do you have a death wish? Narid! Sasha! If they bring a gun, I swear I’ll have them—”
She squirmed, desperate to escape this ridiculous, embarrassing, dangerous position. But the more she moved, the tighter Celestian’s arms held her.
“Celestian Theriosa, I know you’re not asleep.”
“…….”
“Stop pretending—”
But Celestian didn’t react. He just continued breathing softly, completely motionless.
Daphne, still flustered, tried to recall how furious she had been just days ago, when he had only shown her his back.
But she couldn’t.
Her gaze was stuck on his face.
He looks like an angel.
So what was the point of remembering that damn back of his now?
Daphne only believed what she saw with her own eyes.
And what she saw now was Celestian Theriosa, completely defenseless, asleep in her arms.
His warmth was seeping into her skin. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed.
That was when he cracked his eyes open slightly, gazing up at her.
“Get up. I’m seriously going to get mad.”
“…Mmm, Daphne.”
His drowsy green eyes blinked up at her, unfocused from sleep. His lips, slightly parted, looked fuller than usual, and every small movement made the inside of her own lips tingle oddly.
Am I out of my mind?
Daphne bit the inside of her lip.
“Hey, Prince, even if you act weak, I’m not—”
“You have a fever.”
She never got to finish her sentence.
Because at that moment, he pulled her even closer.
