MTLNOVEL 20
The heavy atmosphere passed, and Sen smiled, saying she liked how they had been spending quite a lot of time together lately.
[Current Miracle Value: 20.0%]
Since it had been quite a significant event, the reward was pretty decent. Though, considering how my back ended up in this state, it still felt a bit stingy.
Still, thanks to it, “Reload” now had a duration of two whole hours.
Which meant… I could leisurely enjoy pecan pie for two full hours. Excited, I picked up another slice of pie.
Just as I was about to take a big bite with a blissful expression—
Knock, knock.
At the sound of the firm knocking, Sen’s face brightened.
“He’s here.”
Who’s here? Who?
I shut my mouth without taking a bite. A chill ran down my spine. No way…
“I ran into Prince Kyle earlier while bringing the pie. I told him you were here.”
“…What?”
“How could you not even greet His Highness when he was the one who saved you? Do you know how worried he was when you disappeared without a word?”
“……”
…Ah, I’m screwed.
Completely ignoring my distress, Sen cheerfully called out,
“Your Highness!”
The door opened, and Kyle stepped inside.
A dashing man with a fluttering expression in the breeze? Yeah, right.
There was only a terrifying man who had conquered the harsh and barren North purely by force. Sure, he was still handsome, but…
His gaze was too damn unsettling!
I shrank back, trying to inch away, but my body stiffened. My condition was much better than yesterday, but that didn’t mean my back was fully healed.
With nowhere else to retreat, I awkwardly remained seated and looked up at him.
To make matters worse, Sen cheerfully added, “Well then, enjoy your conversation!” and promptly left the room.
Hey! Where are you going?! Don’t leave me alone with him! How am I supposed to handle this?!
“……”
Kyle entered the lounge, his gaze fixed on me.
Step.
His heavy footsteps sounded even more menacing today.
Judging by his eyes, he looked like he was ready to chew me up from head to toe.
As I hesitated, I found myself pressing deeper into the couch.
Instead of sitting across from me, he took a seat right beside me. I instinctively shifted away.
…What the hell. Why are you sitting so close? We’re not that close.
“You’re alive.”
He leaned in slightly.
What, got a problem? Sorry to disappoint you, but I survived just fine.
I was just about to load up my glare in place of bullets when—
“I thought you were dead…”
His deep, low voice carried the weight of his sincerity.
I couldn’t say anything. A heavy silence settled between us.
For some reason, I felt guilty.
‘…Of course, he must have been worried.’
I had collapsed, bleeding, without any chance to react, and then disappeared the moment I was moved somewhere safe.
I had my reasons for doing so, but from Kyle’s perspective, it was an unfair and downright cruel way to handle things.
After a brief moment of hesitation, I scooted slightly closer to him.
His face was beyond dark—it was downright grim.
Loosen up, man. You’re making me feel even worse.
“…Were you worried?”
Kyle let out a small smile.
“Do you think I’m some heartless monster with no blood or tears?”
“……”
“People call me the Duke of Blood… or something like that.”
His smile soon turned into a bitter one.
As if Kyle didn’t have a heart. A man who protected the weak, who refused to turn his back on the things he vowed to take responsibility for—there was no way he was devoid of compassion.
Kyle Blake was much kinder, more meticulous, and more considerate than how he was portrayed in the novel.
He had grown strong because he didn’t want to lose anything else. He had become ruthless to protect those who were his. And he had sharpened his intellect to secure a better future for the North.
But the more he did so, the more the world misunderstood him. They called him ruthless for conquering the desolate lands. They mocked him as cruel for executing his enemies without mercy.
And they believed that keeping him locked away in the North with their sharp words would make them feel safer.
“That doesn’t suit you. ‘Duke of Blood’… what nonsense.”
At my words, Kyle’s sharp eyes softened.
“I’m not dead, so don’t worry. I’m still in one piece… well, not completely, but I’m better than yesterday—at least enough to enjoy some pie.”
“The physicians said no one was admitted as a patient. Your back would have been difficult to treat on your own.”
“Well… I heal a little faster than most people.”
Since I had been resting nonstop until I could use “Reload” again—and since the system had pitched in as well—it was only natural that my wounds had healed faster than an average person’s.
“I won’t disappear this time, so if you have any questions, go ahead and ask.”
With that, I casually placed another slice of pie onto a plate.
“Would you like some?”
Instead of taking the plate, Kyle gently grasped my wrist.
“…Would you stay put if I tied you up?”
“…That would be illegal, you know?”
“……”
“What, are you trying to say that the Grand Duke is above the law?”
“……”
“Hello?”
Don’t look so serious. If you keep staring at me like that, it’ll seem like you actually mean it.
And besides, tying me up wouldn’t work anyway. When the time runs out, I’ll just obediently return to that damn hamster cage you set up for me.
“You said I could ask whatever I was curious about.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Then why did you leave your clothes behind?”
“…They were damp. I lost a lot of blood, so I just changed and left.”
“You had the presence of mind to do that? Even unwrapping your bandages?”
“There were some glass shards left in my back.”
I answered nonchalantly.
“So.”
“So?”
“Is your back alright?”
I told you it’s fine. I mean, come on. It’s not like I’m going to die, right? That’s why I’m sitting here eating—
W-Wait! What the—?!
Before I could react, Kyle suddenly turned me around.
His arms reached out from behind me, slipping past both sides of my torso. His hands swiftly unfastened the buttons and pulled my shirt down over my shoulders.
It happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to be flustered.
A rush of cold air swept over the nape of my neck and my back, sending chills across my skin.
Can you even strip someone that fast?!
I couldn’t even struggle. His hands were firmly holding onto my shirt.
This was the only decent outfit I had managed to get my hands on—if it tore, I’d have to go through the hassle of finding another one.
Fine, I’ll stay still. It’s not like he means anything bad by it.
But seriously, could you hurry up and move away? If someone sees this, they’re going to get the wrong idea.
“The surface has healed.”
Kyle’s fingers traced lightly over my back. His touch was careful, as if he were handling something fragile that might shatter with the slightest pressure.
“But there will be scars.”
“So what?”
“It will take time for the bruises to fade, too.”
“That’s fine. I can’t really see them anyway.”
A scar or two wouldn’t affect my life in the slightest.
The scars that truly hurt aren’t the ones on the body. The ones left on the heart are the ones that ache the most—ones that, even when you think they’ve healed, sting the moment you accidentally touch them again.
“…That’s a relief.”
Kyle’s voice was quiet.
Like the wind, it brushed past my ear and dissipated.
Hearing his voice like that did something strange to my chest.
He was the one who felt relieved, and yet, the restless anxiety in my heart seemed to settle as well.
How long had passed like that?
“…Hey.”
[‘Reload’ will be deactivated in 20 minutes.]
It’s about time for me to go.
When I glanced back at him, Kyle furrowed his brows.
What. What’s with that look? Did you think I was going to stay here forever?
“……”
He knew as well as I did that it wasn’t possible.
But he couldn’t exactly ask me to stay, either.
And yet, he didn’t want to let me go. That’s why he was staring at me like that, scowling in frustration.
…He kind of looks like a big, fluffy black dog.
That might sound like an insult, but I meant it literally.
For someone so massive, he was unexpectedly… cute.
“You can see me tomorrow.”
In the end, I was the one who brought up meeting again.
I couldn’t stay here all day, but at least for two hours a day, I could exist as a person.
“If you’re free around this time tomorrow, I’ll be in the lounge.”
For the first time since coming here, I made a promise.
Why? Well… I wasn’t sure.
I just felt like I should.
If I told him when I’d be here, maybe he wouldn’t worry as much.
Promises are strange things. They feel like invisible threads tying two people together.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
I have to save you. How could I leave you behind?
“…Alright.”
Kyle exhaled, almost like a sigh.
“I’ll wait.”
I wanted to ask him why.
Why was he paying so much attention to me?
Belial was injured. Other nobles near the scene had been hurt too.
Yet, out of all those people, he was fixated on me.
Why?
Why me?
But the moment our eyes met, I couldn’t bring myself to ask.
The words melted away at the tip of my tongue, leaving no trace behind.
To be honest… I was happy.
How many times had someone waited for me?
All I could remember was constantly chasing after others, desperately trying not to fall behind.
I had always been the one trailing after the world’s coattails.
But now, he was waiting for me.
Kyle.
Do you understand this kind of loneliness?
Is that why you said it so seriously—that you’ll wait for me?
“…Alright.”
A strange warmth spread through my chest and up to my neck, like a flush of heat.
The tight, aching sensation—where was it coming from?
“……”
He was close.
Just like when we danced yesterday, at some point, he had drawn near again.
Our foreheads were almost touching, and his shallow, cool breath tickled the bridge of my nose.
We were so close that I could see my reflection in his crimson eyes.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you resemble someone.”
That didn’t make any sense.
We didn’t even look alike. We weren’t even the same species.
Yet, the way he looked at me—like he was recognizing me—didn’t feel bad.
Before I knew it, I was smiling.
“If you’re trying to flirt, that’s a pretty lazy attempt.”
Kyle laughed.
Like the spring that comes after a long northern winter.