Chapter 82
It’s cold.
A rainbow flies and pierces her chest.
Indeed, a chilling silence descends, and no one speaks easily.
“Uh, uh, uh.”
She barely made a sound.
‘Did you see that?!’
She, doing this to Aaron?! She wasn’t guilty of anything, but for some reason her cheeks flushed bright red.
Her heart, which was peaceful when she reached the twins and Aaron, started racing as soon as she found Pession.
Beyond insanity!
She was stunned by the physiological response that came before she even realized it.
‘What’s wrong with me?’
Her head was spinning and her heart was pounding in her chest at the sight of Pession, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, and she panicked.
“…”
Pession stiffened and looked back and forth between her and Aaron.
“What?”
“Your Highness!”
He ran away.
“Pession!”
‘Where are you going!’
She thought he was here to see her!
She blinked, dazed for a moment, before she realized that the closest Saren Knight had become overly excited.
“Love triangle?”
“A dirty fight?”
“Oooooooh.”
“And the Young Lady’s choice?!”
Aaron, who had been involved in a flirtatious fight with Jaren, fluttered his eyelashes.
He looked utterly mortified.
***
She screwed up.
Totally screwed.
Uni and Lena were punching cushions as fast as they could get their hands on her.
“Young Lady, calm down.”
Her heart started racing when she saw Pession, and it was pounding so hard she thought she was going to have a heart attack. It was going.
Her face was still sucking and part of her mind was traveling through space.
She was…
“Ack.”
‘Did he see me? Did he see me with Aaron?! Did he see that and walk away? Was he disappointed in me?! You don’t think I’m the kind of girl who hug just anyone, do you?!’
“Oh, God!”
She started punching the cushion again.
The twins looked on, dumbfounded by the outburst of violence.
“I wonder what’s going on, Ciel.”
“I don’t know, Noel.”
Aaron, who had accompanied Jaren into the mansion, was still pacing the grounds, his face a mask of frustration.
“You mean you were with my niece, Young Lady?”
“… No.”
“Of course not! Come on, come on!”
Aaron wanted to run, but his skills were not yet up to the task of defeating Jaren.
Jaren chuckled. He was clearly enjoying this situation.
“I offer His Highness 50,000 gold.”
“100 gold for Jaren’s nephew.”
“Oh, 100 gold, you idiot, just do the basic 10,000 gold.”
“Yeah, no bums!”
“Then 100,000 gold to my nephew!”
The Knights of Saren, who had come in together, began to open the Toto with a sign that read “The Crown Prince vs. Aaron, Arellin’s Choice?!”
They drink, gamble, and do everything bad.
“Young Lady. Did Your Highness come and go?”
“Why did he just leave?”
Aaron bowed his head wordlessly.
She evaded the answer, too.
“What’s wrong with Aaron?”
“Aaron Aaron?”
Noel poked Aaron in the cheek and he shook his head. Aaron ran to the corner, looking like he wanted to cry.
‘You’d think I’d taken it the first night.’
“Ack!”
Why the timing!
“Twins.”
“Huh?”
“Listen, I’m only asking you because you’re the most unrelenting.”
“What are you trying to tell me, Arellirin?”
She gulped, about to become harsh again.
“Pession…”
A pair of golden eyes blinked.Two pairs of golden eyes blinked.
She can’t believe this simple question didn’t come out of her mouth.
“Pession, what?”
“Hold still, I’m panicking too!”
She tried one more time, and again, the question was stuck in her throat. She feel unnecessarily thirsty and nervous.
“Ugh!”
‘What the hell is wrong with me.’
The twins gave her a quizzical look as she clung to the cushions again, struggling.
“Arellirin is weird.”
“Where are you sick?”
***
“Hush.”
The servants and handmaids were careful not to make a sound.
One reason.
It was because of the Crown Prince, Pession, who suddenly exuded a full-blown chill.
“What is wrong with His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“I heard he went to Halbern.”
This was not surprising, as he had always been smiling like a ray of spring sunshine whenever he went to Halbern.
He had barely managed to get permission from the Archduke of Halbern!
Pession had been dragged from place to place as an envoy to the upcoming founding festival, so he hadn’t been able to find the time.
“I hate that I’m the Crown Prince.”
“You’re the Crown Prince because you met Lady Arellin, so you should like her.”
“I suddenly like it.”
Then he heard that the twins and Aaron had gone to Halbern Manor, and he ignored his schedule.
“Your Highness, you can’t just slip away!”
Lord Pacello, who had come to chastise the Crown Prince for his unruly behavior, frowned.
“Sir Graham, what is wrong with His Highness?”
“Well…”
Pession, who was always smiling, or if not, at least wearing a positive expression, seemed so cold and sad today.
Graham smiled awkwardly, and Sir Pacello sighed.
“I’ll leave it at that for today, and I’ll rearrange your schedule so you can get some rest.”
“Yes, I see.”
Graham let out a deep sigh.
Shirua, who was summoned to the Crown Prince’s palace at such times as this, was also stunned by Pession’s expression.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know…”
“If Graham doesn’t know, who does?”
Graham averted his gaze. He had a vague idea of why, but it was hard to guess at his master’s mind and make fun of his mouth so easily.
Shirua didn’t look happy about something, but she didn’t think to touch Pession, who was exuding a coldness unlike any other.
In the end, he went home again today with only Shirou the cat.
“I’m only lending you my cat for today. You must return it tomorrow!”
Pession pretended not to hear as he patted Shirou’s belly.
“Shirou, come back at night! Okay?!”
“Let’s go inside and have a snack, Shirou.”
The Crown Prince touched the belly of the cast metal cat, giving off a gloomy atmosphere.
This only made the palace quieter.
“Is Arellin in love with Aaron?”
The first thing he saw upon entering the manor was Arellin hugging Aaron.
Also.
“Maybe I should kiss him.”
A kiss? You’re going to kiss him? You haven’t even done it with me? Arellin, of her own volition?’
His heart plummeted.
His head was white and empty, and he couldn’t think of anything. His hands were shaking, his breathing was ragged, and felt some emotions.
Then Pession rushed over and nearly pulled Aaron and Arellin roughly apart.
‘There had to be a reason, right?
But what kind of reason? It was obvious to him.
How can you do something like that unless you have feelings?
Hugging, he did it himself, but it’s always been him holding her, never Arellin actively hugging him.
It took all of Pession’s patience to press down on the intense emotion of wanting to take Aaron away from Arellin’s side.
“He was kind to Aaron, which was weird. She’s sweet. She never smiled at me like that.”
When the twins and he fought over him, he chose Aaron, who had no face.
He chose.
“Aaron…”
Pession bit her lip, her face pale.
Hiyak!
Shirou clawed at his hands and slipped out of Pession’s embrace. His hands were tired. Blood formed on the back of Pession’s hand.
“Your Highness!”
Graham rushed to his side, but Pession was still too absorbed in his thoughts to feel the pain.
“Graham.”
“Your Highness, are you all right?”
“What if Arellin really does like Aaron?”
Graham was at a loss for words.
As far as he could see, it wasn’t her at all.
“Then… let the two of you… connect…”
Pession gritted his teeth, his heart tingling.
The mere thought of them being together made him feel miserable.
Rationally, he knew he had to do it for Arellin’s sake, but then he would never be able to like Aaron.
What a dull, sleepy creature he was.
As he lowered his eyes gloomily, Pession was quietly being disinfected by Graham.
A servant entered quietly.
“Your Highness, we have a request for an alchemy from Halbern.”
“What?”
“Lady Arellin wants to see you, and what should we do?”
Oh my poor boy 😭