Sorry, I got distracted by your looks

Mikrok hadn’t expected his future bride to like him, given that this was a political marriage. But seeing her scheming to escape right in front of him did little to improve his mood.

So, he simply watched, curious about what she would do next.

And then—Leah’s response to the marquis’s relentless questioning made Mikrok chuckle under his breath.

“I heard the King of Pritan had arrived, so I packed my things and came right down. Are we leaving immediately?”

“You’re so incredibly handsome! I could live my whole life just staring at your face!”

Her hands were clasped together, her feet shifting restlessly, her cheeks flushed bright red, and her wide, sparkling eyes fixed on him.

Mikrok suddenly felt a sharp sensation in his palm.

What the hell?

He clenched and unclenched his fist a few times before looking at Leah again.

No way… Is this because of her? Impossible.

Shaking his head slightly to dismiss the absurd thought, he fixed his cold gaze on her.

“So, you’re saying you’re willing to leave for Pritan with me this very moment?”

Did she even realize the weight of her own words?

But instead of faltering, Leah boldly leaned in, gripping his arm.

“Of course, of course! With a husband this handsome, I’d follow you to hell and back!”

And just like that, she suddenly buried her face in her hands as if embarrassed.

Mikrok looked down at her, utterly dumbfounded.

She’s a hopeless fool for good looks.

Logically, this had to be an act. But why was there a hint of sincerity in her eyes?

Mikrok found himself momentarily perplexed, but he decided to play along.

The Marquis of Uzcal seemed just as skeptical. However, seeing that Mikrok didn’t object, he let the matter drop.

“It’s the middle of the night. What nonsense is this about leaving now? The carriage from Pritan will arrive in five days, so use that time to prepare properly.”

“There’s no need for that.”

Mikrok cut him off. Both Leah and the marquis turned to him in surprise.

“I was originally going to leave once the Pritan carriage arrived, but making a lady wait unnecessarily is rather discourteous.”

A cold smile played on his lips.

“Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Mikrok Pritan, King of Pritan.”

Leah extended her hand with a bright smile.

“I’m Leah Uzcal, second daughter of the Marquis of Uzcal from the Harlan Empire.”

Mikrok took her hand, pressing a light kiss to the back before slowly brushing his fingers across her skin.

Leah’s eyes flickered with unease.

“If you wish to follow me that desperately, I’m more than happy to oblige. We’ll depart at dawn. William! At sunrise, we leave for Pritan.”

“What? Oh… yes, Your Majesty!”

****

I collapsed onto my bed in my outdoor clothes, staring at the ceiling for what felt like forever.

It had been a carefully thought-out escape plan, even if it needed some last-minute changes. And yet, it had crumbled so ridiculously easily.

More than anything, the words I blurted out to the King of Pritan to save my skin made me want to crawl into a hole and disappear. So humiliating!

Still, there was one unexpected upside—Mikrok Pritan wasn’t the bloodthirsty monster he was rumored to be. In fact, he was incredibly handsome.

No,

wasn’t enough. He was the most breathtaking man I had ever seen.

My mother’s dying words about the importance of a “face genius” husband—this was

what she meant.

Marrying the old emperor or living as an unwanted daughter in this house… neither could compare to Pritan.

I forced myself to think positively to suppress my creeping anxiety.

First, fulfill Mom’s last wish. Then figure out the rest once I get there. If things get unbearable, I can always run away again.

While I was busy convincing myself, Millie sat slumped in a chair, utterly drained.

“My lady… what do we do now?”

“We have no choice. We’re going to Pritan.”

I got up and walked over to her. It was enough that

had to suffer—there was no need for Millie to endure this with me.

“Millie, I have no choice but to go to Pritan, but if you want, you can stay here.”

Her eyes widened, then filled with tears.

“Are you abandoning me, my lady?”

“No, no! That’s not it! Pritan is a land of eternal winter. You struggle with the cold—you might not be able to handle it.”

I pulled her into a tight hug. Millie had been by my side since I was eight. She was the only family I had.

Millie straightened up, wiping her tears with her fists before looking me dead in the eye.

“I’ll serve you even harder. I’ll eat less, I won’t complain about the cold. Please, my lady… don’t leave me behind.”

Her sincerity brought a lump to my throat. I gripped her hands tightly.

“I promise, Millie. I’ll protect you until my last breath.”

Just as we reaffirmed our resolve, there was a knock at the door.

When Millie opened it, she gasped. Standing there were the Marquis and Marchioness of Uzcal.

In all my years in this house, they had never once visited my room.

“There was something I forgot to ask earlier… How have you been feeling lately?”

“My… health?”

They had never cared about my well-being before, so I wondered what they were really after.

“Any unusual symptoms? Like heat rising from your lower abdomen in the morning, or an electric tingling in your fingertips?”

Marquis Uzcal had asked me this same question the first time we met.

And every single year on my birthday.

And my answer had always been the same.

“No, nothing at all.”

“I see.”

The marquis looked disappointed, while the marchioness seemed relieved.

“Of course. It was never a possibility for her in the first place.”

The marchioness sneered at me with barely concealed delight.

“You should get some rest. We leave early in the morning.”

With that, they turned and left without a second thought.

As soon as they were gone, a suffocating feeling settled in my chest. I let out a deep sigh and walked to the window, flinging it open.

“Leah, are you okay?”

“Ahhh!”

A shadow outside the window startled me, and I let out a shriek.

Millie, equally startled, was about to scream too, but the shadow swiftly clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Both of you, keep it down. It’s me—Robby.”

Robby!

The shadow removed his mask, revealing his familiar golden hair and round face.

And that’s when I realized—I had completely forgotten about our plan.

“Sorry, Robby. You waited a long time, didn’t you?”

“What happened? You never showed up, I was worried sick!”

His worried face made my heart sink.

I hesitated before explaining everything.

That the King of Pritan, who wasn’t supposed to arrive for another five days, had shown up earlier than expected. That I’d been caught while trying to escape.

As he listened, Robby’s expression grew tense, his gaze sharpening with determination.

“Leah, it’s not too late. Let’s run away together.”

“What? What are you talking about? Robby, I only asked you to prepare a carriage.”

“I made my own decision from the start. I’m going with you.”

I looked up at him in shock.

Robby, my childhood friend. The boy who had trained with me under Sir Pallet since we were nine.

Unlike me, who had secretly learned the sword, Robby had been officially permitted to train under Sir Pallet as the son of a noble family. And Sir Pallet had always let me practice alongside him.

We had been through everything together since we were kids. Even now, at twenty, he was still the same soft-hearted, kind friend.

And yet, suddenly, he was being so stubborn.

“Robby.”

I called his name gently.

“You must have been really worried about me. But it’s okay now. I can handle this.”

“Don’t say that. It was bad enough when they wanted to marry you off to that old emperor. And now? The King of Pritan? You’ll freeze to death the moment you get there.”

His frustration was heartbreaking.

I reached out and wrapped my arms around him, holding him close.

“People live there too, you know. I can’t drag you and the entire Stone estate into danger because of me. If you truly care about me, Robby, please… go back.”

Robby trembled slightly in my arms.

My dear Robby was crying because of me. The pain in my heart deepened.

I slowly ran my hand over his back, trying to soothe him.

“How should I interpret this scene?”

A cold voice sliced through the moment, freezing my blood.

Startled, I turned around—only to find Mikrok standing there. His face was unreadable, but his gaze was sharp as ice.

His eyes slowly locked onto Robby. The deep indigo of his irises darkened—then, in an instant, turned a deep, glowing crimson.

“Let. Go. Of. Her.”