Chapter 31: Not Lovers

There was that… but somehow… Ailea felt strange when Clint, who was aware that she was engaged to the Crown Prince, wished to speak to her comfortably. It was as if she was no longer a woman committed to the Crown Prince nor was she a maid but… a woman.

“Then please do as you like,” she said softly.

She thought what she said was too much and looked down the floor as if nothing had happened.

“If you don’t like me speaking to you comfortably…”

She soon heard Clint’s voice who’d been in deep thoughts for a while.

Ailea raised her drooping head and looked at Clint. He leaned his body a little on the shelf and bowed down his head to match Ailea in a closer distance while folding his arms. When their eyes met, his eyes twinkled and he smiled with eyes slanted upwards slightly.

Softly, he continued to speak, “Then you can call me casually, too.”

Ailea looked at him without answering.

‘Wh-what? Huh…?’

She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, what he was feeling, nor his reasons why, but strangely, when she saw him smiling for the first time, she thought, ‘I want to live.’ Those were the words that came to mind.

From Clint’s point of view, Ailea was a woman that was forced to marry under imperial orders. What a shame… forced to marry a man who couldn’t appreciate her.

On the other hand, it was awkward for Ailea to call a man who wasn’t her lover by his name. Clint was a man who’d have as much power as the royal imperial family in the future come, even if he had not held the knighting ceremony yet.

When she didn’t reply, Clint leaned his upper body towards her close while folding her arms and said, “You don’t want to call my name?”

As he approached, Ailea took a step backward. It was weird. The knights came close to her, but she had never been nervous like she was now and extremely so.

“Doesn’t it seem rude?”

When she asked, Clint shrugged.

“I’m fine with it though. But who dares say it is?”

“We’re not even lovers…”

“Who knows? Maybe it’ll turn into that kind of a relationship,” he said mischievously.

Ailea, who turned her head away to avoid his gaze, looked at Clint straight in the eye. She wondered why he was able to say such naughty words in a rather calm manner.

But she shouldn’t fool herself.

Ailea was aware that the kindness he gave to her was the same kindness he gave to every woman in this world.

“…Playboy,” Ailea mumbled lowly in a spiteful tone.

At her little backlash, Clint realized that he had carelessly regarded her as his own.

When it was known that he was to marry this woman because of imperial order, it was as if he had already thought of her as his wife. But from Ailea’s point of view, a soon-to-be empress who had not heard of the news may have thought that he had no heart and mocked her.

If he continued like this, then he was no better than Lawrence, that bastard. Clint grabbed the book that Ailea wanted to read then dragged a chair and placed it in front of her.

“Read it here.”

“Where is Clint… captain going to read?”

She wasn’t yet used to taking off the title. When Ailea asked hesitantly, Clint sat on the floor and leaned his back to the desk.

“Here,” he said, casually.

He gave her the chair and he sat on the floor. It was of sweet affection. Ailea smiled to thank him.

A little away from each other, the two read their own book separately without muttering a word. They never did anything; it was comfortable silence.

Clint looked away from the book for a moment and stared at Ailea.

Her small figure and slender hands that turned over the book pages concerned him. It would be as if he was holding a doll if he grabbed her with one arm.

“You look pretty even with your hair tied up,” Clint said.

“…Yes?”

The praise was so strange. Ailea was somewhat wary of it.

“But don’t you think it’s too long? You should cut it a little,” he hurriedly replied.

“Ah! I’ll do that!”

Clint lost his temper when Ailea sighed in relief.

‘Why are you feeling relieved when I’m pointing it out?!’

Clint wanted to grab her shoulder and shake her to do something cute.

‘What sort of personality would you have if your father was still alive and you grew up in Euliana Castle? I’m sure you’ll have some similar traits to him.’

Would she have such a stern, cold-hearted, and strong self-esteem personality like that of a queen?

Clint wondered a little bit. He’d probably shrivel up just as well under that piercing gaze.