Sorry, I got distracted by your looks

Mikrok had been led to the guest chambers by a servant, but the situation unfolding before him was far too entertaining to ignore.

She was lying through her teeth, yet doing it so convincingly! He couldn’t help but let a faint smile creep onto his lips.

“Her name was… Leah, was it?”

“Excuse me, Your Majesty?”

“Nothing.”

William, who hadn’t quite caught what Mikrok had muttered to himself, asked again, but the king had already returned to his usual expressionless state.

Still, Leah’s words kept playing in his mind.

She had been dressed for a midnight escape, yet there she was—cheeks flushed, bouncing on her feet, clinging to his arm.

And those shining eyes…

Mikrok clenched his hand at the memory of the strange, tingling sensation that had spread across his palm.

What

that feeling?

He hadn’t expected much, but this bride-to-be was proving to be far more intriguing than anticipated.

“Advancing our departure by four days is turning out to be quite the stroke of luck.”

Originally, the plan had been to wait for the royal carriage from Pritan to arrive in five days before setting out.

But in her desperate attempt to cover up her lies, Leah had practically

to leave immediately.

Since he was eager to get back to hunting down the demonic beasts, Mikrok saw no reason to refuse.

“I’m more concerned about whether a noble lady from the Empire can endure this journey,” William murmured. “She’ll have to ride for two to three days straight.”

“If she can’t handle it, she’ll faint.”

That was that. Mikrok had no intention of slowing down for her.

William suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Leah. But what could he do? It was her fate to have such an indifferent husband.

“By the way, it seems the marquis’s estate has a little rat problem.”

“Oh?”

“On my way from the stables, I saw one scurrying up to the second-floor window on the western end of the mansion. But well… we’re under no obligation to report a simple thief, are we?”

“Indeed… not necessarily.”

Mikrok nodded—but then, his expression shifted.

“The

of the second floor?”

“Yes, but… wait. You don’t think—?”

Before William could finish, Mikrok had already shot forward like a spring uncoiling.

William cursed and immediately followed.

There was no real evidence that the “rat” had entered

room, but an inexplicable sense of urgency pounded in Mikrok’s chest.

Without hesitation, he pushed open the door.

Millie barely had time to react.

Inside, Leah was holding

in her arms, gently patting his back.

Mikrok’s vision went red.

“How,” he said icily, “should I interpret this scene?”

His heartbeat thundered violently, but his voice was frigid as ever.

Leah turned to look at him, startled.

For a fleeting moment, Mikrok found her surprised expression… cute.

Disgusted by his own reaction, he shifted his gaze to the

she was holding.

Pathetic.

Skinny, weak—he looked like a sheltered noble boy through and through.

Of course, from Robby’s perspective, it was utterly unfair. He had trained in both swordsmanship and horseback riding for years. But to Mikrok, he didn’t even register as a man.

So this is her taste?

A surge of raw hostility flared up inside him.

“Let. Go. Of. Her.”

The urge to unsheathe his sword and press it against the guy’s neck was overwhelming.

But just as he was about to step forward, Leah scurried over to him.

“Wait! You’re misunderstanding. I can explain everything!”

Mikrok stared her down before finally speaking.

“Then do it.”

The moment Mikrok’s eyes turned from deep indigo to crimson, a shiver ran down my spine.

So

was why people called him a bloodthirsty monster!

But damn… those red eyes suited his face disgustingly well.

Wait, no!

Robby’s life is on the line!

I forced a bright smile.

“This is Robby Stone, the eldest son of Count Stone and my childhood friend. Everything happened so suddenly, so I—ah! I asked him to come say goodbye.”

“At this hour?”

Mikrok scoffed, unimpressed.

I wasn’t backing down.

“Thanks to

, my departure was decided

last-minute. If not now, I wouldn’t have been able to say goodbye at all!”

“And instead of knocking on the door, he

in through the window?”

“It was too late at night. We didn’t want to wake the household, so I asked him to come through the window instead. Robby was just about to leave. Right, Robby?”

Mikrok narrowed his eyes.

I ignored him and turned to Robby instead.

“Robby, thanks for coming. Now that I’ve seen you, I’m good. You should go home now.”

With my heart pounding like crazy, I hurriedly ushered Robby toward the window.

His expression screamed

“I’m going to live a happy life with my incredibly handsome husband, so you should be happy too. Bye!!”

“Leah!!”

Without hesitation, I shoved him out the window.

“Ahhh!! Leah~~~!!!”

Robby’s scream echoed as he tumbled down.

I quickly slammed the window shut.

After more than ten years of sneaking in and out of my room through that exact window, he’d be fine. Probably.

I turned back to Mikrok with the most innocent expression I could muster.

“So? It really was just a simple farewell with an old friend.”

“Really?”

“Of course! Why else would I be meeting Robby at this hour?”

“I see.”

“Exactly!!”

I nodded vigorously, feigning confidence.

“That’s a relief,” Mikrok said. “Otherwise, I’d have to deal with that old fox of an emperor.”

“What?”

I blinked.

“If you and that kid had actually run away together, I’d have had no choice but to march into the Empire and cut off Grand Duke Jake’s head.”

“Wait—why

?”

“Two months ago, he was caught trying to cut down Pritan’s national treasure, the Golden Pine. I was generous and only took his arm. Then, the emperor sent a marriage proposal.”

Oh.

So the emperor’s delinquent little brother was the reason my groom changed from an old fox to a bloodthirsty warrior.

The thought of my life being dictated by

men filled me with frustration.

But at least… thanks to that reckless grand duke, I could fulfill my mother’s dying wish.

“If you had eloped with that boy, the emperor would have to pay the price. And I

how he’d deal with the Marquis of Uzcal and Count Stone’s family. Simply wiping them out might be

lenient.”

Mikrok smirked cruelly.

His expression didn’t change much, but that slight, icy smile… it was enough to remind me just how terrifying he was.

And yet, it also made him even

ridiculously handsome.

Damn it. What the hell is wrong with me?