The Tyrant’s Leash Is Held by a Maid

Ch. 22:

Shortly after they ordered, their crepes filled with vanilla ice cream came out. Liana and Arcangelo stood next to each other under the shop’s awning, each of them holding one in their hands.

“Try it.”

Arcangelo, who had been glaring at the crepe like it was his enemy, looked surprised at Liana’s words.

“If you don’t like it you can throw it away, but you should at least take a bite.”

At this, Arcangelo took a small bite of the crepe with a rigid expression, as though an intangible force was opening his mouth against his will.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?” Liana said, grinning when she saw his golden eyes widen slightly in surprise.

Seeing that look, Arcangelo took another large bite of the crepe. The white cream smeared on the corners of his mouth as he greedily ate.

“You have ice cream on your lip,” Liana told him, laughing as she reached for a handkerchief. He took it and stood there, staring at her.

“It’s for your face. Here, wipe it.” Liana pointed to the corner of his mouth, showing him where to wipe. But he kept wiping the wrong place.

“Not there, here.” Frustrated, Liana carefully lifted her hand and removed the cream from the corner of his lip. “Be careful. It’s easy to get on yourself.” She spoke to him as if she was dealing with Phoebe, then turned her back.

“Now let’s take that road. There are decent shops over there where you can buy souvenirs- oh!” Liana had faced him again to prepare to lead him, and she blinked her eyes rapidly in shock. It appeared Arcangelo had smeared the white ice cream around his mouth like it was moisturizing cream. “What did you do?”

Liana was genuinely bewildered. She pointed to a water fountain in the square and told him, “Wash up over there. Come on.”

Arcangelo trudged along after her. He grimaced and followed obediently but kept glancing at her hand.

***

Illyd wandered down the sunlit streets of the city with a relaxed expression on his face. His bright blue eyes scanned his surroundings slowly, as if searching for someone.

This was a woman who was determined to finish her work even after almost dying. She wouldn’t have gone far away from where the lady she served was…

As he considered which stores lower-class women would go to, his gaze stopped when noticed something. People’s eyes were all directed in the same place. Everyone, including those drinking coffee on outdoor terraces and those walking down the street, were looking toward the center of the square.

Was something happening? Illyd turned his head with an indifferent expression, and one of his eyebrows rose like a fishing rod with a heavy catch on the end of it.

The man everyone was staring at was the fourth prince of the Etaila Kingdom. His name was… Igelo, maybe? As a copper-skinned man with rare silver hair, he would have stood out even if he hadn’t been wearing Etailan garb.

Was this reconnaissance? Illyd was pretty sure he didn’t speak the imperial language- where was his escort?

Illyd was scanning the stranger’s surroundings with an intense gaze when a familiar woman appeared from behind him. She had been hidden from view by the man, but it was the woman he was searching for.

Illyd’s head tilted slightly at the sight of the blond maid.

She said something and slipped a white handkerchief into the man’s hand. He obediently took it from her and wiped his wet face.

“…”

Watching them from afar, Illyd’s head tilted even further. His blue eyes, which had been like the eyes of a hawk looking for its prey, changed a little bit. Why he feel so disappointed?

Liana watched Arcangelo wipe his face with the handkerchief she’d handed him. After studying the man’s face for a moment, she cautiously opener her mouth. “Mr. Arcangelo. Would you like to try a crepe with strawberries on top?”

Facing the cat-like golden eyes, Liana tried to explain strawberries. “It’s a small, red fruit, and it’s different from bananas, so it’s a refreshing flavor…”

“No.”

Liana’s invitation was firmly rejected. Not by Arcangelo, but by a voice from behind her. Turning her head in surprise, she saw an unexpected face.

“I’m not particularly hungry.”

“Y-your Highness?” Liana’s eyes widened at his appearance. Illyd was dressed quite differently from his usual attire, but his expression was the same- a smile that bordered on arrogance.

“Fruit’s not my favorite.”

Liana paused for a moment to look at him, then took an involuntary step back. She wasn’t ready to face him calmly quite yet.

‘You look good in pink.’

Over the past week, the words he had so carelessly said had been running through Liana’s mind like they had feet. Whenever she had a moment’s respite, her mind returned to that moment against her will. Then she would inevitably recall her horrible underwear and shudder with embarrassment.

How could he talk to her so shamelessly, with such a straight face?

‘He doesn’t look the slightest bit sorry, not the slightest bit guilty!’

Liana took another step back, holding back her desire to glare.

It was Arcangelo who blocked Illyd’s way as he approached, and the frowning Illyd and equally fierce Arcangelo began to talk.

As she listened to the foreign language being spoken back and forth in front of her, Liana tried to dismiss the past as nothing.

‘Yes, it was a big deal to me, but not to him.’

He been the only one who saw her underwear, and it was his fault, not hers. She would be just as angry if he had made fun of her underwear for what it looked like…

Liana was making every effort to look nonchalant when she heard Illyd chuckling in amusement. She turned her head to him and saw him looking down with his arms crossed while Arcangelo said something seriously.

Then his eyes, which had been facing down for a while, fixed on Liana.

This time she looked back at him, deciding she wasn’t going to lose, no matter how embarrassed she was. But his blue eyes passed over her face and reached her hand.

It wasn’t until she followed the trajectory of his gaze that she noticed the ice cream crepe in her hand was fully melted.

Ashamed once more, Liana scrambled to clean the sticky ice cream off her hand. Illyd watched her, then reached out with a smile.

“It’s mine…”

Despite her protest, Illyd took the crepe from her hand and threw it into the trash.

Liana, stunned at the rudeness of his behavior, snapped, “What are you doing?”

“I’m buying you a new one.”

“That’s not the problem…!”

Illyd’s characteristic smile stayed on his face. “You weren’t going to eat it anyways, so what’s the big deal?” His smile turned soft as if her irritation was nothing and he added, “That’s why I’m buying you a new one. Something you can eat.”

Liana couldn’t understand the absurdity of the situation. Why would the second prince interrupt Arcangelo’s tour? He should know this territory better than anyone.

But the two men, who seemed to have come to an agreement after their brief conversation, didn’t ask what Liana wanted to do. Or more accurately they did ask, but…

“Is it okay? The envoy and I would like to walk around together. I don’t think it’s the imperial family’s duty to leave the delegation alone.”

“…”

“It’s not? Alright. Then you can go to Natasha now…”

“No, it’s okay!”

Liana didn’t have the right to refuse. So here she was, escorting a man who had lived in this city longer than she had and an envoy from Etaila who didn’t speak her language through the mercantile district.

Illyd glanced over at Liana, who had been sullenly giving her tour of the historic bookstores, and asked, “What is that, anyway?”

He gestured to the book she was still carrying. Arcangelo, who seemed to have gotten the hint, looked curiously at the package.

“It’s nothing, just a book my friend asked me to pick up for her.” She hugged the book wrapped in brown wrapping paper, hoping her face looked innocent.

“What was the name of the book?”

“It was a plain title. How to Become a Great Chef, I think.” She lowered her eyes, trying to erase the obscene title of the book Annie had asked for from her mind.

‘Please just let it go…’

As if Liana’s desperate wish had been granted, Illyd turned his head nonchalantly. “Okay.”

Her grip on the book loosened. She had been holding it so tightly that the name of the bookstore on the wrapper had been crumpled.

As she breathed a sigh of relief, Illyd exchanged a few words with Arcangelo and then said, “This man wants to buy a Kadogan book as a souvenir, preferably an illustrated children’s book.”

“Ah, I know a bookstore with lots of children’s books. It’s not far from here.”

Before following Liana into the bookstore, Illyd glanced up to read the sign.

“Welcome!” The elderly owner greeted the reappearance of a regular customer. “You’re back again?”

“Yes, my companion here is looking for a children’s book.”

“Oh, you’ve come to the right place! We have lots of rare and beautiful books here.”

“Do you have many books that are popular with maids?” Illyd asked.

Liana turned her head, puzzled by his sudden remark. “What? Why?”

“I saw that you looked regretful at not being able to buy more earlier.” Illyd glanced at Liana, then turned to the bookseller. “Where is that one? I’m thinking of giving it to you as a gift.”

Liana gaped at him in embarrassment. Before she could stop the talkative hostess, the woman smiled brightly. “You’re so kind! We have lots. All the explicit romance novels are gathered over there!”

The hostess grinned at Liana, giving her a look that made it clear she had misunderstood their relationship. “You’re just in time- the next installment of that ‘Chef in Bed’ series Liana bought has come in.”

 

 

TL/N: lmfaooo arcangelo totally rubbed ice cream on his face so she’d touch him again and was very bummed when she pointed to the water fountain. also illyd is so nosy oml, chill out or she’s gonna die from embarrassment before you guys can get together 💀