The Prince Seduces Me with His Body Chapter 147

Originally, Kayden and Diana’s plan was to spend the first day of their journey in the capital and then depart for the grand duchy the next day, but…

 

“…That’s why I told you to take it easy, didn’t I?”

 

“…”

 

Kayden averted his eyes slyly to avoid Diana’s resentful gaze.

 

“Well, um… how about we make a bet on the game or something…?”

 

“Really?”

 

“Wha—Huh?”

 

It was two nights ago. The bet, which started because of Kayden, ended—of course—with his overwhelming victory.

 

“Kayden, please…”

 

“You’re the one who suggested the bet.”

 

As a result, Diana had to stay locked up in the bedroom, tormented by Kayden for almost a whole day. Because of that, her body felt incredibly heavy, but since they’d already lost a day, she was reluctant to delay their departure any further.

 

“Want me to carry you?”

 

“…No, it’s fine.”

 

Diana wanted to snap at Kayden for messing up their plans right from the start. But partly out of responsibility for not being able to resist his advances to the end, and partly because his gentle, attentive attitude as he comforted her—realizing she hadn’t yet recovered—soothed her lingering resentment.

 

“The weather’s so nice, I’d like to travel while looking at the sky instead of in a carriage… But walking in this condition would be too much, wouldn’t it?” Diana glanced down at her legs and muttered softly.

 

The sky was so clear that she wanted to walk instead of riding in a carriage with a roof blocking the view, but since she wasn’t feeling well, she hesitated.

 

“…Hmm. Wait a minute.”

 

Hearing this, Kayden seemed to think for a moment, then dashed off somewhere. Left alone, Diana blinked in puzzlement. A short while later—

 

“Not bad, Kayden.”

 

“You picked a good husband, didn’t you?”

 

With wide eyes, Diana brushed her hand over the bumpy floor of a cargo wagon. At Kayden’s proud words, she gave a small laugh.

 

“Turns out this guy was heading to the village we need to reach.”

 

Kayden had come up with a solution quickly. He found a cargo wagon suitable for people to ride in, though it wasn’t covered. Since Diana could use Muf’s barrier to block sound so the driver couldn’t hear their conversation, there was no better option.

 

Diana found it impressive that, as the emperor, he could casually chat with strangers and even arrange this opportunity. Then, a sense of déjà vu hit her.

 

“What’s so funny, Empress?”

 

When Diana suddenly let out a quiet laugh, Kayden’s lips curled up as well. As he tucked her hair behind her ear, Diana shook her head.

 

“Ah… It’s nothing.”

 

“I want to hear about this ‘nothing’.”

 

“It’s really nothing…” Diana laughed awkwardly, but Kayden teasingly tickled her palm. In the end, she hesitated, then spoke. “Actually, the day my mother left me at the Sudsfield mansion, we also traveled in a similar cargo wagon on a road like this.”

 

“…”

 

“That just came to mind. Really, it’s nothing.” Diana added, deliberately making her tone lighter. And she meant it.

 

But Kayden’s eyes began to waver helplessly. After opening and closing his mouth a few times, he managed to speak. “That…. I’m sorry.”

 

“Huh? No, it’s really…” Diana, flustered by the suddenly heavy atmosphere, waved her hands and trailed off. The truth was, she didn’t really resent her mother for leaving her at the Sudsfield mansion.

 

“Diana.”

 

Though now just a faded memory, her childhood spent alone with her birth mother was fairly peaceful.

 

Diana’s mother, Dona, was not endlessly affectionate, but possessed a calm, gentle warmth, like dust floating in the sunlight. Diana was influenced by that nature more than a little. Even in poor circumstances, Dona did her best to care for Diana. That life ended when Dona became ill, and it became impossible to sustain themselves due to medical expenses.

 

After hearing that Viscount Sudsfield had broken his promise and married another woman, Dona had treated him as if he no longer existed. But when things got so bad she couldn’t even feed Diana properly, she had no choice but to leave her daughter at the viscount’s estate.

 

“This is your home now.”

 

“Of course, they won’t welcome you, but… it’s better than starving…”

 

Dona let go of Diana’s hand and turned away, mumbling in a voice full of guilt.

 

“…Take care of yourself.”

 

Diana hadn’t wanted to part with Dona, but it felt like her very existence was a burden to her ailing mother, so she stayed at the Sudsfield estate. That’s how the mother and daughter were separated.

 

Speaking calmly, Diana then muttered as if to herself, “If only she’d recovered from her illness… maybe she’d have heard that I became empress.”

 

“…”

 

“But seeing as she’s never come to visit or sent any word, I guess it was just wishful thinking after all.” With those words, Diana smiled brightly. That calm smile tugged at the viewer’s heart all the more. It showed how many times she’d hoped, only to resign herself.

 

Without a word, Kayden pulled her close and let her rest against his shoulder, gently patting her head. Diana closed her eyes, savoring his touch, and whispered faintly, “…I hope she’s doing well, wherever she is.”

 

“She surely is.”

 

* * *

The two of them arrived at the small village where they planned to hold their wedding in about half a day.

 

“Good thing we didn’t make our schedule too tight, just in case.”

 

“…You sound like a scheming pervert.”

 

“Call it being well-prepared.”

 

They’d lost more time than expected in the capital, but fortunately, the wedding they’d planned was scheduled for the fourth day, so they still had almost a day left. Diana and Kayden first dropped off their luggage at the inn, then headed to a small temple on the outskirts of the village.

 

In the Valhanas Empire, at least one priest had to be present at a wedding ceremony to serve as a witness to the vows. Even though they were planning to hold a quiet ceremony without any guests, the temple had agreed to assign a priest for them. They were going to confirm that now.

 

“Excuse me…?”

 

Diana and Kayden entered the temple cautiously. Before long, they sensed an odd atmosphere.

 

“It feels a little chaotic here.”

 

“It really does.”

 

They had carefully chosen this rural village for its privacy and lack of outsiders. Without the forged identities that their informant Mizel had arranged, they would have attracted a lot of attention. But for such a small rural temple, the inside felt unusually unsettled. One priest, who was running about with a grave face, finally noticed Diana and Kayden and hurried over.

 

“I’m so sorry. You must be new here—what brings you to the temple…?”

 

Though it was odd, Diana and Kayden skillfully smiled as they answered.

 

“We have a wedding scheduled for tomorrow. Since it’s our mentor’s hometown, we wanted to hold the ceremony in a meaningful place.”

 

“Oh!” A small exclamation escaped the priest’s lips, and his face turned terribly somber.

 

Sensing immediately that something was wrong, Diana and Kayden exchanged a quick glance. Kayden spoke up. “Has something happened?”

 

“I was just about to tell you, but, well…”