Chapter 8.1

Accompanied by strong vibrations, the entire body of the vehicle was shaken to the point where the car couldn’t run and eventually came to a stop.

Skyla opened his closed eyes and muttered angrily.

“Lunatic.”

It seemed like it was someone he knew. The profanity shed seemed as if he was familiar with this as well. Gritting his teeth, the Prince pulled back the curtain with a face full of rage.

The other person also approached the car window and knocked on the glass as if he was familiar with it. As the person outside moved his mouth to say something, Skyla’s lips parted.

Ha.

The sigh he exhaled was short and harsh as he gestured with his fingertips to the empty seat next to him. The next moment, the shadow that had been casting into the car disappeared, and the curtains were drawn again.

With a click, the car door opened.

It was across from Ariel.

Cold air rushed in from the open door as a chill passed through her legs. The stranger soon entered, carrying with him a chill from the outside air with his tousled golden hair falling to his shoulders as if he’d woken up. The blond hair swayed below his neck in a sparse braid.

The man didn’t climb into the car right away. He first grabbed the door frame and bent down to check inside, his deep yellow eyes moving like a feral animal over tanned skin.

The man looked first at Skyla, then at Ariel.

Oddly, he wasn’t surprised to find a stranger in the car. He then slid into the car with his lowered body and sat down across from her.

Ariel was bewildered. All of a sudden, the car abruptly screeched to a halt as if there had been an accident, and now, a stranger was sitting in front of her. As she thought that, she glanced at the stranger with her dazed eyes.

‘…What is he doing?’

Just as she was questioning him, her phone, hidden under her coat, vibrated.

Bzzzzzzz—

A shiver ran through the hem of her dress as a thought struck her.

‘Target…!’

Her eyes naturally turned to his face as she realized he was important. Beneath the disheveled blond hair, the reticent firm face was menacing.

His leopard-like eyes were quietly ferocious.

As Ariel swallowed dryly and peered at his fiery irises, the pupil in the center moved as though he felt her gaze. However, she couldn’t turn her head fast enough and so their eyes met.

It was then…

“I told you to ride normally.”

The gaze that met for a moment immediately shifted at Skyla’s threat, who clearly looked angry. Turning to look at Skyla, his stubbornly closed lips parted.

“This is comfortable.”

A gravelly voice replied.

On the other hand, Skyla touched his forehead as if he was in pain.

“Whether you feel comfortable or not, don’t do it.”

“Why. You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“Then, why don’t you go look for some labor task to do?”

“I’ll pay for the car.”

“Do you think I’m saying this for the money or the car? I’m saying this because it’s disgusting to see you shake like a dog every time you jump into the car.”

“It’s because the defense is too thick and it was going to break. I was just trying to make it thinner.”

“Who would like that? You?”

“Both of us will like that.”

“Shut up!”

An irritated shout erupted.

It looked like he was on the verge of exploding. However, the stranger wasn’t even looking at Skyla. Ariel’s eyes darted anxiously between them. He was a prince with a sensitive temper, and she didn’t want him to get angry and order everyone to get off.

Perhaps sensing her wavering gaze, his golden eyes shifted from Skyla to her.

“What’s that?”

He gazed at Ariel and asked Skyla a question.

“You don’t need to know.”

It was a blunt response, true to Skyla’s personality. Nonetheless, depending on how you looked at it, it felt either that he was trying to cut off the other person’s interest in Ariel, or maybe he didn’t think it was worth explaining.

The stranger didn’t seem to want to probe further. Was he satisfied with Skyla’s answer, or did he not feel the need to pursue it further?

Rather, it was Ariel who was curious about him, so she greeted him briefly.

“Hello.”

“….”

Yellow eyes stared at her silently. His mouth, which was supposed to give her an answer, was tightly shut, and his gaze was stark. It didn’t look like he would accept her greeting. Eventually, Skyra added on behalf of the reticent man, who was still silent.

“He won’t answer even if you say hello. That’s the kind of guy he is.”

It was a response that cut off any attempt at conversation, and Ariel had no excuse to say more. As no one opened their mouths anymore, the atmosphere sank into silence.

Somehow, drowsiness swept over her and Ariel closed her eyes.

‘…If only we could get somewhere soon.’

Consciousness faded beneath closed eyes as her breathing was feeble but regular. Racine’s golden eyes stealthily captured the Princess. She was asleep in a position similar to when he first saw her.

He recalled the situation just a few minutes ago.

The unfamiliar face he saw from the moment he knocked on the car window. When he opened the car door and gazed at her, he inadvertently couldn’t help but keep looking at her for a long time.

She looked foolish, clutching her leather bag in her arms while sitting awkwardly. A jumble expression of nervousness and bewilderment resembled a stray dog.

Even though Skyla often traveled with strangers, but rarely with women, and even less if they were his age. It wasn’t that he particularly disliked women. Perhaps the reason why he didn’t have any opposite sex around him was because of the Crown Prince, his older brother.

But this time, he had a woman with him.

“Who is this?”

When Racine asked once more, Skyla gave him a puzzled look since he usually never asked twice.

“Why are you so interested? You’re someone who doesn’t even talk to the people he knows.”

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