If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 167

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“…”

 

Sasha immediately sensed that it had been an incredibly long time since she had last opened her eyes. Blinking as she gazed at the familiar ceiling, she pushed aside the covers and sat up.

 

Jingle, jingle. The clear ringing sound startled her slightly. The source of the sound was none other than her wrists. Bracelets with little bells attached had been fastened around both her wrists. Who? Why would someone put these on me? Her beautiful brow furrowed slightly at being treated like a cat under surveillance.

 

Sasha removed the bracelets from her wrists. She tried to place them on the bedside table, but there was no room. The surface was already covered with empty bottles. Why are there so many? Are they medicine bottles?

 

Sasha flinched in surprise. Every label attached to the bottles bore a skull symbol. It was a warning that the contents were poisonous. In other words, all these bottles weren’t medicine bottles, but bottles of poison. Then what was this poison, and whom was it meant for?

 

“It is poison that suppresses mana. I drank it.”

 

“Regen?”

 

The tired, low-pitched voice came from somewhere surprisingly low. Regen sat on the floor, leaning against the bed for support. Unlike the knight who was always neat and composed, he looked disheveled.

 

Sasha was so flustered that she went pale. “Why are you sitting on the floor like that? Are you hurt?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then is it because of the poison? Why on earth did you drink poison?”

 

“I drank it because I needed to, and it worked. And this is not because of the poison.”

 

“Then why? Why are you sitting on the floor and making me worry?”

 

“Because I can’t bear to face you.”

 

“…I don’t understand what you mean. Get up for now. Let’s sit down and talk.”

 

When Sasha strained and pretended to pull up his arm, Regen stood without resistance so she wouldn’t have to exert herself. The knight dragged over a stool and sat down, while the princess sat on the edge of the bed. Their eyes met.

 

“Are you in pain?”

 

“Huh?’

 

“Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable?”

 

“I don’t think there’s anything in particular…”

 

Instead of replying, Regen let out a long breath. His suppressed sigh trembled faintly.

 

When the conversation came to a halt, Sasha asked another question, as though it were her turn. “Regen, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

 

“…”

 

Looking at Sasha as she asked so innocently, Regen could not say a word. Conflicting emotions dominated him. The fact that the reason she had suffered an episode of madness was none other than himself filled him with misery. Yet at the same time, he was overwhelmed by the reality of her returning to her original self and looking directly at him. His throat tightened, and his tongue stiffened. He couldn’t think of what to say, and even if he opened his mouth, it seemed only an ugly, hoarse voice would come out. After his Adam’s apple trembled, he finally lowered his gaze to the floor.

 

“Regen…”

 

Because nothing about him was like his usual self, the way Sasha called his name almost like a sigh was filled with worry and anxiety. Suddenly, she realized something. The jawline of the handsome man who looked so exhausted had become sharper than before. He had grown thinner. And perhaps his heart had grown even thinner than his body. At this point, understanding the situation became secondary. To her, his condition was what mattered most.

 

“Regen, come up onto the bed.”

 

“…”

 

“Come on.”

 

Reluctantly, Regen moved from the stool to the bed. Then Sasha placed a hand on the sheet, moved closer, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

 

“…”

 

Her warm, soft embrace comforted his body, which had been cold and rigid. Her delicate, supple fingers stroked his fine silver-white hair as though combing it down, then caressed the firm shoulder blades beneath his shirt.

 

“If you don’t want to tell me what happened, you don’t have to.”

 

“…”

 

“It’s fine. Everything will be fine.”

 

“…”

 

“So don’t make such a pained face.”

 

“…”

 

Her voice and touch breathed stability into his fragile mind. Regen wanted to cling to that sweetness, but he could not.

 

“Don’t reassure me.”

 

“Regen?”

 

“If I am reassured, Sasha will suffer.”

 

“…”

 

“Leave me anxious and uneasy. Let me become weak.”

 

“…”

 

Wondering if she had really heard him correctly, Sasha released her arms from around his neck and looked at his face. Why is this man tormenting himself? She blinked in bewilderment, but Regen gently moved her away from his body and sat her down. Because his touch was so polite and tender, it took Sasha a long while to realize that he was refusing her embrace. As she sat there in mild shock, he told her something even more shocking.

 

“Sasha.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“We have to break the domination.”

 

“…What?”

 

Though chunks of her memories had been torn away, there was something she had not forgotten. Hadn’t they promised not to break the domination? Hadn’t they vowed eternal love through it? Hadn’t they promised to become lovers by exchanging eternity for perfection? And yet…

 

“What do you mean…?’

 

Her heart began beating irregularly. She desperately tried to make sense of the meaning by forcing the broken, creaking gears of her mind to turn.

 

“So right now…”

 

“…”

 

“You’re saying we should end our relationship?”

 

There was no other way to interpret it.

 

“Sasha.”

 

“So that’s why you looked like that. You were going to tell me we should end things…”

 

“Sasha.”

 

“Why all of a sudden? Why? Did you change your mind? You said you loved me. You said you’d love me forever, so why?”

 

“Sasha, that’s not it.”

 

“Then why…!” She demanded answers without knowing what she was saying. The fact that she was clutching the bedsheet as though tearing it apart instead of grabbing Regen’s clothes was the greatest restraint she could manage. A thick sheen of tears covered her light sky-blue eyes.

 

Regen took a short, ragged breath and hurriedly reached toward Sasha. As though supporting the most precious thing in the world, he cupped Sasha’s cheek and wiped away her tears with his thumb. He also briefly licked her lips, which had been bitten so hard they had gone white, as though soothing them with his own lips. Sasha tried to turn her head away as she swallowed her sorrow, but Regen would not let her.

 

Holding her gaze with difficulty, he spoke before any more time could pass. “Sasha’s dominion power can’t handle me.”

 

“What…?”

 

Tears fell in heavy drops from her blinking eyelashes.

 

Regen’s vocal cords trembled as he forced out an explanation, his voice oppressed by anguish. “You were sick for four days straight. They said it was madness.”

 

“Madness… Me…?”

 

“It’s alright. I found a solution, so you don’t have to worry.”

 

“And that solution is…”

 

“We have to break the domination for Sasha to live.”

 

“…”

 

“We have to do it while my mana and mental strength are weakened like this. If I recover, Sasha will become sick again… We don’t have time.”

 

“…”

 

It was not difficult to understand. Both the explanation of the situation and the solution were perfectly clear. All she had to do was nod and say she understood.

 

“It’s nothing to worry about. Even if the domination is broken, I’m still Sasha’s knight, and I still belong to Sasha. So…”

 

And yet, for some reason, more tears poured down.

 

“Sasha. Why?”

 

“…”

 

She hated it. How much time had even passed since they had promised to stay together forever without ever breaking the domination, for this to happen?

 

Sasha still had not prepared herself emotionally at all. In a situation like this, she felt that if she saw his love had faded even for a moment, she wouldn’t be able to bear it. Moreover, Regen would lose his reason and be out of his mind immediately after the domination was broken.

 

The deepest, darkest emotions, suppressed beneath his loyalty and reverence, would erupt on instinct. No matter how much leniency he had received as a victim of the mad emperor, in essence, their relationship was that of the tyrant’s daughter and the prince of an enemy nation. Wasn’t it fundamentally a hostile relationship into which an emotion like love could not ordinarily intrude? Regen probably wouldn’t strangle her as Dominic had done to the mad emperor, but she might at least have to face his disgust.

 

For a brief moment, Sasha thought that perhaps it would be better to let her heart crumble and die like this. As though he had read the chaotic turmoil inside her, Regen spoke calmly. “Think of the covenant you must uphold.”

 

“…”

 

The covenant. There was no other word that could restrain her more effectively than that.