If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 141

Without realizing it, strength entered his grip.

 

Sasha frowned and spoke dryly. “It hurts.”

 

In that instant, Dominic’s body reacted before his mind could. All the strength drained from his arm. His hand, lacking the power to hold even a single cup, could no longer detain her.

 

“Move.”

 

With a sharp, irritated flick of her wrist, Sasha flung Dominic’s hand and turned her back on him.

 

Dominic reflexively tried to stop her as she walked away, but then he noticed something fall from the sleeve of her clothes. A single sheet of paper fluttered down slowly like a butterfly beating its wings. Since it happened to drift past the tips of his fingers, he caught it without hesitation. Though slightly singed, there was no problem reading the writing.

 

[If you come with me to Lohengrin, you’ll have to live in a safe house while concealing your identity.]

 

Evidence of a grand conspiracy had fallen right into his hands.

 

“Ha…” The instant Dominic let out a disbelieving breath, the paper crumpled violently in his hand. “Ha, haha. Hahaha.” His sighs quickly devolved into mad laughter.

 

“Hide her in a safe house and then what? Make her your concubine? My Rosasia, reduced to nothing more than a concubine? Well, well, looks like there’s a bigger madman out there than me.”

 

Dominic opened his clenched fist. Scorched to ash in an instant by his mana, the paper crumbled away without leaving a trace.

 

“If you suffered such an insult, you should have told me sooner. I almost ended up feeling sorry for not understanding how wronged you must have felt…”

 

With a savage smile hanging from his lips, Dominic glared into empty space. His crimson eyes had completely lost their sanity.

 

✦

Dinner had ended, and the cleanup was finished as well. Deep into the night, the campsite had grown quiet as conversations died away. Only the occasional sound of the wind circling through and brushing the grass could be heard, like a lullaby.

 

When the members of the party had gradually fallen asleep one by one, Sasha entered the carriage with her nightclothes draped over one arm and closed the door behind her. Inside the narrow, enclosed space was someone who had entered first and was already waiting for her. The silver-white hair that now seemed to belong there entirely. The golden eyes that never lost the brilliant radiance of sunrise even at night. It was Regen.

 

“Dominic has made his move.”

 

“I see.” Sasha lowered her gaze at the quiet report. She wanted to mock Dominic’s foolishness for letting himself be used in the end, but a strange bitterness lingered in her mouth. Setting those thoughts aside, she began to discuss their next steps. “It will be tomorrow.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Although I rejected Emilio Hwibrik’s proposal, he’ll move according to the schedule anyway. From the start, his top priority has been to eliminate you, Regen. I’m just a bonus.”

 

Emilio was in the position where he absolutely had to act because of Regen. In the process, he would likely use Sasha as a hostage and then claim her as spoils of war. When they had communicated through notes, Emilio had acted as though he were making a proposal to Sasha. But it had really been closer to a notification. Sasha’s opinion had never mattered from the beginning.

 

The word proposal seemed to bother Regen. A slight frown appeared around his eyes as he asked, “What exactly did he say this time? Did he propose marriage again?”

 

“…”

 

At that moment, Sasha felt two opposing impulses. Part of her wanted to quietly swallow the nonsense that would only upset Regen, while another part wanted to tell him exactly how she had been insulted and watch his reaction.

 

What should she do? Should she act like a dignified adult, or should she indulge herself like a child seeking comfort? After intense internal debate, one side emerged victorious.

 

“I forgot. It was just utter nonsense.”

 

Sasha felt rather proud of her maturity. However, Regen was not someone lacking in perception. His golden eyes darkened.

 

“It sounds like he said something difficult even to repeat aloud. Understood. I’ll interrogate him personally and find out.”

 

“…Okay.” Even though she had chosen to keep it to herself, she still got the reaction she wanted. Sasha carefully concealed how pleased she felt inside. Clearing her throat for no reason, she continued. “Since it’s going to get dangerous, I’ve decided to send Sione back to the imperial palace early at dawn. I’ll make a suitable excuse.”

 

“A wise decision.”

 

“Dominic will likely suspect you, Regen. Be careful with any probing questions.”

 

“Don’t worry. He’s an easy opponent, so it would be fine.”

 

Is Dominic really that easy opponent? Sasha found his confidence puzzling, but soon understood. From what she had observed so far, Regen seemed perfectly comfortable handling Dominic even in conversation. It was an enviable talent.

 

“Tomorrow. Don’t get hurt.”

 

“The same goes for you, Sasha.” Regen took her hand and lightly pressed a kiss to it. “My highest priority is your safety. If you are put in danger, I can throw away anything. Even if it means abandoning a chance for revenge.”

 

“I’ll remember that. But I’d like you to keep in mind that my control over you is also at stake.”

 

“Yes, Sasha. I will succeed without fail.”

 

The two exchanged smiles. They had discussed everything that needed to be said. Now that their business was concluded, it was time to wrap up this secret meeting inside the carriage.

 

In moments like this, Regen’s well-trained patience proved useful. Suppressing his lingering regret deep down, he suggested as if it were nothing. “You should leave first. There seems to be eyes watching outside, so I should leave after a brief interval.”

 

“Yes…” Sasha nodded. Yet she hesitated instead of opening the carriage door. When Regen stretched out an arm to open it for her like a gentleman, she hurriedly spoke as if to stop him. “Um, Regen.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“There’s actually a habit of mine.”

 

“A habit?”

 

Holding up the clothes she had brought, Sasha confessed, “I can’t change clothes unless I’m somewhere enclosed by both walls and a roof.”

 

“…” Regen blinked twice before finally understanding what she meant. “…You’re saying you want to change clothes now.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Here?”

 

“Yes. Unlike a tent, this place has a proper door.”

 

Was there only a door? There was also a man who had been practicing abstinence for half a month. And they were alone together in a cramped space.

 

As Regen struggled to process this, Sasha kindly offered him options. “What do you want to do? I don’t really mind, so you can watch if you want.”

 

“…”

 

“But since you’re a knight, it would probably bother you, right? Though it’s a bit late to be worrying about that now. Should I have you close your eyes?”

 

“…”

 

Regen felt like sighing. If this had been deliberate seduction, it would not have been nearly this difficult. The clear, light sky-blue eyes meeting his gaze were what troubled him most. Pretending to rub his face with a dry hand, he covered the corner of his mouth and said, “I’ll look somewhere else.”

 

“Mmm, okay.”

 

For some reason, Sasha’s voice sounded faintly disappointed as she replied. Regen did not think much of it. He assumed it only sounded that way because his own desires were being projected onto her words, and he merely reflected on himself with strict self-discipline.

 

The rustling sound of fabric sliding off echoed in the quiet space. The vivid imagery of soft velvet slipping down against bare, fair skin filled his mind. Regen tried not to be tested by whatever was happening behind him. But the princess wouldn’t just allow it.

 

“Ah.”

 

The simple exclamation immediately put him on edge.

 

“Regen, could you take a look at my back? I think my hair got caught on an ornament.”

 

“…”

 

It was a moment when his patience suffered and his desires rejoiced. Regen turned his head toward Sasha. With her dress only half removed, it hung around her hips and arms, revealing the beautiful curve of her back. Through strands of long platinum-blonde hair, he could see the white nape of her neck, the graceful hollow of her lower back, and the elegant curves of her body, as though they were tempting him.

 

Regen struggled not to reveal the dangerous tension inside him. His restrained hand reached toward her platinum hair. Slowly combing through the hair with his fingers and gathering it together, he felt its unbelievably soft texture. As he swept it aside so that it draped over her left shoulder, her two beautifully defined shoulder blades were fully exposed. Yet strangely enough, he could not find any ornament caught in her hair.

 

The moment doubt crossed his mind, Sasha suddenly grabbed the hand that had been resting near her left shoulder. Regen reflexively forced a breath deep into his lungs. Turning her head slightly over her shoulder, Sasha revealed the tip of her nose and her long eyelashes.

 

“Regen.”

 

“…”

 

“Didn’t you think about me?”

 

“…”

 

“Every night?”