Sorry, I got distracted by your looks

For now, even though it didn’t suit my personality, I decided to activate

and throw it at him.

“Oh, come on~! Robby and I, eloping? He’s

not my type!”

“Really?”

“Of course! I could live with a husband who has a terrible temper, but I could

live with an

one!!”

“…What?”

For a moment, his previously relaxed expression cracked.

“Did you just insult me by calling me short-tempered?”

Damn it. He catches on way too fast.

“Oh, not at all! I was

how incredibly handsome you are!”

Mikrok watched as I wriggled my way out of trouble like a slippery eel and decided to let it slide

.

A lie of this level was something he could tolerate.

But letting it go just like that wouldn’t be any fun. Lies should always have consequences, after all.

“If my face pleases you

much, then I’m quite pleased as well.”

A wicked smile curled on his lips, making my own forced smile tremble slightly.

Seeing every single shift in my expression as if reading an open book, Mikrok held back a laugh.

“No matter how close you are as childhood friends, I’d prefer you

look at another man with

eyes again.”

“What do you mean,

eyes?”

I blinked, confused.

“The ones that look like you’re about to cry your heart out.”

“

?

Robby? No way!”

“Good. Keep that attitude. If it happens again…” He leaned in, lowering his voice to a dangerous whisper. “I’ll carve those eyes out myself.”

My entire body flinched. Instinctively, I clapped both hands over my eyes.

For some reason, the way I reacted seemed to amuse him even more.

“But since you’re clearly

for my face, I doubt that will be a problem, will it?”

“O-of course not! Not at all!”

I hastily removed my hands and nodded so hard my head nearly detached from my neck.

“Well, I’m bored. How about we elope?”

“…Excuse me? What?”

My frantic nodding came to an abrupt stop.

“You’re already dressed for travel, your bag is packed…”

He casually picked up my bag from the floor.

“You’re madly in love with my

face and said you’d follow me to

, so wouldn’t it make sense if we ran away together?”

“W-well, that’s true,

—AHH!!”

Before I could finish, Mikrok

without warning.

“William.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“At dawn, explain to Marquis Uzcal that his daughter and I ran away together in the night.”

“…Why are we leaving

when the sun is about to rise in a few hours…?”

William looked genuinely conflicted. How was he supposed to explain this? The marquis would think the King of Pritan was completely insane.

“Figure it out. Say I couldn’t wait another moment, or something.”

With that, Mikrok leapt effortlessly out of the second-floor window—still carrying me.

***

His horse had been running for

without showing any signs of exhaustion.

Since I had trained under Sir Pallet, I wasn’t afraid of riding.

But this… this speed was absolutely

.

What

this monster of a horse?! Did he summon it straight from hell?

The scenery blurred past me so fast I was starting to feel dizzy.

Yet despite the sheer insanity of our pace, I felt completely stable.

My back was firmly pressed against Mikrok’s chest, and his arms securely held me in place. It was actually… more comfortable than sitting in a carriage.

I wondered what kind of expression he had right now, but I didn’t dare turn my head to check.

Instead, my thoughts drifted to the last thing I saw before we left—Millie.

“My lady! Leah, my la—mmph!”

As Mikrok jumped out the window, Millie had run to the window, screaming for me. But then—Sir William, the scary mountain bandit of a knight,

and dragged her away.

I sighed heavily.

The rigid posture I had maintained for hours slumped slightly.

Almost immediately, the horse slowed its breakneck speed.

The world, which had been a blur, finally came into focus again.

When we came to a complete stop, Mikrok suddenly grabbed my chin and turned my face toward him.

His eyes were cold—like a frozen lake in midwinter.

“That sigh. Was it because the person riding with you isn’t

?”

My sigh had

to do with Robby! I was just worried about Millie!

And yet, he had stopped

just to glare at me like he was ready to wring my neck.

“It’s not like that! I

we don’t have that kind of relationship.”

“

?”

He scoffed like he didn’t believe me at all.

But this time, I could answer confidently.

“Yes,

. We’re just

!”

“Then what was that sigh for?”

“I was worried about Millie! You saw your terrifying mountain-bandit-looking knight

her, right?”

“Oh…”

He seemed to remember the incident and nodded.

“Did you plan on bringing that maid with you?”

“Millie and I haven’t been apart since I was eight. I was worried about how she’d handle Pritan’s winters, but I

wanted her to come with me.”

Feeling down, I looked away.

Suddenly, Mikrok just… stared at me.

Um.

is he looking at me like that?

“You’re worried about your maid. But why don’t you worry about

?”

“Myself?”

“You’ll have just as hard a time surviving Pritan’s winter.”

Was he…

about me?

I glanced at his face.

His deep blue eyes were focused on me, but as usual, his expression gave nothing away.

I lowered my head.

I may have spent the last ten years as a noble lady, but before that, I had survived the

slums of the empire.

And even as a noble, I had trained in swordsmanship and horseback riding for a decade.

No matter how harsh Pritan’s winter was, I

adapt.

But… I wasn’t quite comfortable telling him all that yet.

“Why would I need to worry? Surely, a

king like you wouldn’t let me freeze to death, right?”

I flashed him a bright, teasing smile.

And yet, his gaze narrowed again.

“You’re putting on a mask again.”

“What?”

He didn’t explain further. He just looked at me disapprovingly—then abruptly turned his horse around.

“If you

want to bring your maid, I’ll send a carriage for her.”

“Really? You’ll

bring Millie to Pritan?!”

“Yes. Now hold on tight—we’re moving again.”

Without waiting for my reaction, he kicked his horse into motion.

After the short break, his

somehow had

, and we took off even

than before.

Oh, god.

The world spun, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

But even with my stomach flipping from the insane pace, I felt relieved.

Millie would be joining me soon.