When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 79

“Are you alright?”

Reilly asked, looking at Ren, whose complexion wasn’t good.

“If it’s too much, maybe today…….”

Perhaps it was difficult for him to materialize. He had used quite a bit of mana, so if he was tired, he could revert to being a sword.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Then, I’ll ask for your help again today.”

Reilly bowed her head to Ren.

His presence was important as he communicated with her.

“It’s good that there’s nothing going on, but…… quite.”

“It’s boring work.”

Ren retorted to Reilly’s words with a smile.

His expression, which had been listlessly sitting on the sofa and looking at Reilly, finally brightened up.

“Then, how about skipping out today?”

“That won’t do.”

Reilly refused firmly.

It was absurd for the sword that had to protect the Imperial Family to abandon its post.

Besides, he said he had been asleep for a day, so his work was bound to be piled up already.

“Anyway, all you have to do is stay by the Crown Prince’s side.”

At least for now.

Unless there was a war or a problem with his safety.

Reilly got up from her seat.

“Still…….”

She was worried about leaving his side.

What if something happened and it was her fault?

“I should go.”

Ren jumped up from his seat and stood in front of Reilly, blocking her way.

“Really?”

“Why are you acting like this today?”

Reilly sighed at his unusual behavior.

Ren scratched his forehead and awkwardly avoided her gaze.

“……I don’t know.”

Knock, knock, knock.

-Lady Reilly, are you inside?

A hurried voice was heard along with the sound of knocking on the door.

Reilly walked past Ren towards the door.

With the door opened, she saw a maid with a pale face.

“The Crown Prince……!”

The maid’s gaze couldn’t find a place to settle, along with her restless hands.

Reilly quickly followed behind the maid.

The place she moved to with the maid was the Crown Prince’s bedroom.

“Did an assassin break in during that time?”

Reilly quickly scanned the surroundings of the bedroom.

‘I don’t see anything?’

The maid’s anxious face from before was nowhere to be seen, and she looked perfectly calm.

“Then, I’ll be on my way.”

Reilly watched the maid leave the room with a bewildered expression.

As the door slammed shut, only silence remained.

“……Your Highness?”

She approached Kavel, who was lying on the bed without moving.

She slowly lowered her head to check Kavel’s breathing.

“Breathing and pulse are normal……?”

The number of beats, which had been beating well in rhythm, gradually increased.

Reilly reached out and focused, checking Kavel’s pulse on his wrist.

It was definitely beating faster than before.

‘I called him in, but how long do I have to keep doing this?’

Kavel was on edge because of Reilly, who had come close.

His lips were parched, and he swallowed hard.

As his Adam’s apple bobbed, Reilly’s gaze shifted to Kavel’s face.

The scent of Reilly that rushed in made it difficult for his heart to calm down.

‘I started this because I wanted to be with her even a little before Princess Adel came, but……’

He’ll be quite angry if he finds out it’s a feigned illness.

Kavel held his breath, unable to do anything.

Just as he was about to squint and look at Reilly’s face, their eyes met.

“Are you alright?”

Kavel gave an awkward smile at Reilly’s toneless voice.

“No, I don’t look fine; it hurts here and there.”

Reilly’s eyes widened at Kavel’s uncharacteristic childishness.

‘Ren and His Highness are both strange today.’

However, she felt that their closeness was dangerously intimate, so she subtly backed away.

“Ah!”

In an instant, Reilly slipped on a loose piece of fabric under her feet and leaned back.

She tried to quickly regain her balance, but it seemed too late.

Reilly closed her eyes as if giving up. Falling backward would only be a moment of pain.

However, she didn’t feel the expected pain. She felt something wrap around her waist, but she had no time to think about anything else.

‘What……?’

Reilly slowly opened her closed eyes.

What she saw was Kavel lying under her.

Her face flushed at the situation she was in.

“…….”

“…….”

Thump, thump, thump.

“Ah…….”

Reilly hurriedly tried to get up from her fallen position.

“Just a moment……. Can’t we stay like this for a while?”

Kavel grabbed Reilly’s hand and raised his body slightly. Even though they were in an awkward position, he strangely couldn’t bring himself to change his posture.

Frozen in place, Reilly fixed her gaze on Kavel.

‘It’s strange.’

Her heart felt like it was about to explode, and she gasped for breath.

She tensed up all over her body so much that she couldn’t even breathe comfortably.

Every second that she stared at him without saying a word felt so long that she held her breath.

Kavel slowly approached Reilly’s face.

Thump, thump, thump.

Her heart was beating faster and faster uncontrollably.

Her heartbeat was accelerating so much that she thought she was going to die.

Kavel gazed intently at her tightly closed lips, unable to even take a small breath.

His face came closer and closer, and Reilly’s gaze wavered.

Just a little more, closer and closer.

His face was approaching.

As he got close enough to feel his breath, Reilly’s thoughts seemed to stop, and she couldn’t think of anything.

Kavel gave a faint smile and whispered in her ear, tilting his head slightly.

“Reilly, you have to breathe.”

Along with the soft voice, Kavel’s hand stroked Reilly’s back.

“Haa…….”

Reilly slowly exhaled at Kavel’s words.

She didn’t know why. Perhaps relieved by his words, she was able to release the breath she had stopped, like a child.

“You seem quite surprised.”

Kavel smiled as he looked at Reilly and collapsed to the floor.

‘But so am I.’

He almost kissed her.

Realizing once again how dangerous he was to her, Kavel covered his eyes with his hand.

Reilly was unfamiliar with herself for feeling relieved by Kavel’s touch.

‘……Disappointed?’

Moreover, when he stopped just short of her lips, she felt a sense of disappointment.

Did she unknowingly expect something?

Even though the situation was over, her heart was still creating gentle waves.

“Is something wrong?”

She looked at Kavel, dusted herself off, and got up from her seat.

“Well, there is something.”

“If it’s about Princess Adel…”

Reilly hesitated for a moment.

“Do you really have to bring her into the Imperial Palace?”

If she was Kavel’s concern, she could just get rid of her in front of him.

‘But she is a princess from another country.’

It could cause a war.

“What should I do…….”

At Reilly’s words, Kavel raised his body.

He leaned against the bed, stared at her, and eventually shook his head with a smile.

“Just stay by my side.”

As a guard, it was a natural duty.

Nevertheless, the meaning of Kavel’s words to her felt different.

“I will always be by Your Highness’s side.”

Kavel nodded at Reilly’s words and smiled brightly.

“Don’t say ‘let’s pretend this never happened’ later.”

“That will never happen.”

Kavel looked at Reilly and got up from his seat.

“‘Always’ is the same as ‘forever’.”

He looked at the sword at Reilly’s waist and gave an even thicker smile.

‘It seems he’s not here right now.’

He didn’t like Ren being by her side for quite a long time after materializing.

He seemed to have strange thoughts from time to time.

Kavel stared at the closed door, satisfied with Ren’s absence.

‘Maybe he’s watching from outside the door.’

Rather, he liked that point.

Because he knew better than anyone else how a person who can’t do anything but watch feels.

“Reilly, I would like you to be here today.”

“I understand.”

Kavel sat at his desk and placed a chair next to him.

Tap, tap.

“Sit here.”

“But where is the aide?”

Reilly sat in the chair, asking why Haban, who nagged every day, wasn’t visible.

It was wise not to refuse because he would definitely keep recommending it even if she said she wouldn’t sit.

“Ah, I have something I asked him to do.”

Kavel turned over a document, thinking of Haban, who was definitely cursing him.

‘I told him to find a good craftsman, so he’ll be running around.’

He would probably be angry if he found out that he called Reilly in this way.

He also needed healing.

Because from tomorrow, he won’t be able to do anything as he wants.

“If there is anything you want me to do, please tell me.”

Reilly straightened her posture, looking at Kavel’s pile of documents.

Kavel handed Reilly a stack of documents because she looked so cute.

“Then, how about staying right next to me and handing me the documents one by one?”

“……Do I have to stay right next to you?”

Kavel pulled Reilly’s chair towards him, narrowing the distance.

“It’s easier to hand them over that way.”

His words were somehow convincing.

Reilly couldn’t think of any other words to refute and nodded silently.

“See, you can give it to me faster than if it’s far away.”

Kavel grabbed Reilly’s hand and held a document.

Then, he received the document with his other hand and slowly released her hand.

“At this distance, I don’t even need to give it to you…….”

Reilly questioned the distance, which was within reach with just a slight stretch of her hand.

“You’re the one who asked if there was anything you could help with.”

“……That’s true.”

“I want you to help me.”

Kavel suddenly changed his tone and stared intently at Reilly, resting his chin on his hand.

It was a perfect trick, but she didn’t seem to realize it.