My Will Did Not Mean This

The way Vivian took down the thief was simple. As the thief ran towards the corner where they were standing, she just naturally walked away. Thanks to this, the man who was running away at full speed was left in a pitiful state.

 

“Oh my, so rude.”

 

She could have used a sword, but she chose this method in case she drew too much attention from those around her. However, the thief could not understand Vivian’s deep thoughts and raised his eyes fiercely. He suddenly stood up and held a dagger with a black blade in his hand.

 

“This girl wants to die…!”

 

Vivian’s face was still calm. Swordsmanship wasn’t the only thing the Eleonora family was famous for. They also actively practiced martial arts to reach the level of swordsmanship. In her eyes, the path of the man’s attack appeared in slow motion. It was so obvious and lame that she couldn’t even laugh.

 

‘Nothing good will come of being noticed right now, so I’ll just pretend to give it a hit.’

 

But the man’s dagger could not touch a single hair of Vivian’s hair.

 

“How dare you touch someone’s woman?”

 

Aslan’s eyes instantly turned red as he grabbed the thief’s wrist.

 

“Kwaaaak!”

 

“I asked how.”

 

A creepy, crunching sound rang from the wrist of the thief caught by Aslan. Aslan was completely crushing his bones with just his grip strength.

 

“Even I am a person who dares not do anything carelessly around her. But with those dirty hands…!”

 

Vivian had a bad feeling. The air flowing around was horribly frozen. Sure enough, Aslan’s nape was seen turning black. It was a situation right before he lost his senses and became a demon. If he were to mutate here, a catastrophe of unprecedented magnitude would truly occur. Who can stop the power of the great evil Astaroth, who has lost his mind!

 

“Aslan!”

 

“…”

 

“Aslan, I’m fine. Because you protected me, not a single hair was hurt!”

 

Vivian clung to his arm. The red light falling on the top of his head was scary, but she didn’t push it away and instead was wrapped around his waist.

 

“Aslan, I’m fine. So please let him go!”

 

“Why.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Why are you holding me back? Do you have feelings for this man? Did you have a crush?”

 

What kind of bullshit was this? Vivian couldn’t keep her expression and almost swore at the ridiculous sound.

 

‘No, let’s think about survival. If Aslan mutates here, my escape plan will end!’

 

Vivian barely managed to speak, suppressing the swearing that rose to the tip of her chin.

 

“Who else can I have but you? I have only one fiancé.”

 

“Who is him?”

 

But Aslan seemed not to be satisfied at all. He persistently asked who ‘he’ was, and when Vivian couldn’t answer his question, he tightened his grip on the man. The thief, unable to withstand the demonic energy, fainted while foaming at the mouth. Vivian became impatient.

 

“Ah, Aslan…”

 

If this failed, she really didn’t know what to do! That was when Vivian buried her face in his chest, waiting for the verdict. The black energy spreading out in all directions began to fade away quickly. Aslan’s red eyes also returned to their original golden eyes.

 

‘Whoa, first of all, is this the right answer? What the hell happened?’

 

Because the situation was so urgent, she didn’t even understand the meaning of the question and asked it instinctively, but luckily it seemed to be the correct answer. It was the moment when the exhausted Vivian breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“Aww, thank you so much!”

 

The woman who had retrieved her mother’s belongings bowed her head several times towards the two people. Vivian scooped up the bundle that was rolling around on the floor and handed it to the woman.

 

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

 

“Thanks to my benefactor, there is nothing wrong. Earlier, I thought it would end like this because no one helped me, but she bravely put her foot down and stopped him. I really don’t know how to repay this favor…”

 

When he heard her voice, she sounded like a young woman about her age. But she was wearing a large hood, so her face was not visible.

 

“I have received a lifetime of favor from my benefactor. I need my mother’s mementos to prove that I’m his biological daughter when I meet my father. Because he is someone I have never seen in my life.”

 

“Wow, you’re having a hard time in many ways.”

 

“Yes…”

 

Vivian guessed that there were many things going on with the woman. Since it wasn’t polite for her to ask too much questions, she just squeezed the woman’s hand and cheered her on.

 

“Cheer up.”

 

Vivian dissuaded the woman who wanted to repay her favor in any way possible and sent her away. As she left, she cried and said, ‘I will definitely repay you later,’ but she decided not to care. By the time she meets her father and her complicated situation was sorted out, she would have already pretended to be dead and gone into hiding.

 

‘How can you find me when you didn’t even ask me my name?’

 

Vivian, who was staring at the back of the woman walking away, suddenly realized that they were attracting too much attention. It was because Aslan had made such a fuss.

 

‘Oops, you’ll be in trouble if your identity is found out!’

 

They had to run away before the security forces arrived. Vivian quickly left the city, holding Aslan’s arm.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

“Whoa, I’m exhausted.”

 

“There was no time for me to do anything.”

 

On the outskirts of the city, a low, rough voice came from behind Vivian, who was out of breath. Aslan was looking down at her with a very dissatisfied look on his face.

 

“You got involved in such a difficult situation when you weren’t feeling well. What were you going to do if something happened?”

 

Aslan’s eyes slowly darkened. Vivian then realized that it was a mistake. He realized that his terminal illness was too lively.

 

“Well, that’s right, no one is coming forward…”

 

No reaction. She thought it’s just the wrong answer. Vivian quickly changed her answer.

 

“What if you get involved in such a trivial matter?”

 

“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t come forward?”

 

“You are the best magic swordsman in the empire, right? You can’t use a flamethrower to kill flies.”

 

Vivian did not forget to add subtle flattery while praising his skills. However, Aslan’s stiff face did not seem to be able to straighten. Vivian felt a little mortified. In the end, she ended up being a flamethrower, but she tried to deal with it quietly. The situation spread like this because Aslan stepped forward. However, as she listened to all the reprimands alone, a feeling of defiance suddenly reared her head.

 

“There is no such thing as you! What in the world is wrong with the first thief I’ve ever met? Do you have a heart?”

 

Aslan subtly averted his gaze. He thought Vivian was right.

 

“Why don’t you explain without just averting your eyes, Your Highness?”

 

Aslan’s eyes wandered aimlessly somewhere in the distant sky. He himself seemed to be speechless. Vivian calmed her puffy cheeks.

 

“Don’t do that next time. I was really surprised earlier.”

 

“Are you that surprised?”

 

“That’s what I mean.”

 

“I see, that’s about it.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Vivian nodded her head resolutely. When Aslan understood human language, he had to accept the promise. Fortunately, Aslan seemed to have the same opinion.

 

“Vivian, you are right. This was clearly my mistake. Therefore, I have no right to be called a Grand Duke or something like that.”

 

“No, that’s a bit…”

 

“Call me by my name instead.”

 

“Yes?”

 

But things started to take a slightly strange turn. Cold sweat began to trickle down Vivian’s back.

 

“His Highness the Second Prince of Astaroth?”

 

“Name.”

 

“Your Highness the Duke of Blackford?”

 

“…name.”

 

“Oh, Aslan?”

 

She didn’t think this was right, but it seemed right. Aslan’s expression softened slightly.

 

“Do you want me to call you by your real name?”

 

“Is there a problem?”

 

“Uh, none. There is absolutely nothing.”

 

Vivian quickly changed her words as she saw Aslan’s eyebrows starting to furrow. He even raised his thumb.

 

‘Ah, it’s hard to make a living…’

 

For some reason, she felt like she was being caught up in it. Aslan held out his hand while Vivian was tapping the stone at her feet.

 

“It’s late. I’ll just go back now.”

 

“Okay, Aslan.”

 

Vivian held his outstretched hand in silence. Perhaps because of the setting sun, Aslan’s earlobes were turning red when he turned his head.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

At the same time, the Southern Adrian Palace, used as the royal family’s villa, was bustling with activity. This was because Crown Prince Johannes of the Empire of Astaroth suddenly visited without any contact.

 

“This relaxed, languid atmosphere. As expected, I feel more comfortable in the South.”

 

Johannes got off the horse and muttered as if he was talking to himself. His blonde hair, as dazzling as the white sand of the beach, swayed pleasantly in the sea breeze. The aide who was following the crown prince nodded his head as if in agreement.

 

“Because Your Majesty’s maternal family is in the south.”

 

“That’s right, my mom is from the South.”

 

The servants lined up at the entrance of the palace bowed their heads in unison as Johannes approached.

 

“Greetings to the little sun of the empire!”

 

“Everyone, don’t be difficult. It’s been a while since I came here and you’ve already become so face-faced?”

 

As Johannes said, he often visited the south, either with his mother, the Empress, or on his own. This was because his base forces were concentrated in the south. However, the second prince, Aslan, was currently staying in the south. The 2nd prince never openly revealed his desire for power, but he also did not hide his sharp fangs like a wild beast. He couldn’t help but worry that the two brothers would clash and cause trouble. Nevertheless, the tense atmosphere began to relax little by little due to Johannes’ sly joke.

 

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