If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 46

“…”

 

For some reason, I felt like I was being scolded. But what was even stranger was that, deep down, I felt a pang of guilt as if I had actually done something wrong. I didn’t know why I felt this way, but at any rate, I wanted to ease his mood.

 

I cupped his cheek with my hand and pulled him close to me. As I moved my tongue to respond to him, his mischievous demeanor softened. Taking this opportunity, I touched his face as much as I wanted. Just like Regen always did to me, I cupped his cheeks, caressing his earlobes and stroking the corner of his eyes. Then, I covered his eyes with my palm. I, too, wanted to open my eyes and look at him while we kissed.

 

Regen let me do as I wished, putting all his effort into exploring my mouth. The kiss, which had been passionate enough to feel overwhelming, softened into something gentle and serene, yet it continued for a long time. Only when our lips started to ache did our intertwined tongues slowly part, and a gap appeared between our lips.

 

When I removed the hand that had covered his eyes, Regen slowly opened them. His half-lidded, unfocused eyes turned toward me. His face looked as if he had just woken from a blissful dream.

 

Was he kissing me with that kind of expression? Suddenly, my heart sank. If he looked like that, then what kind of face was I making? What if my expression, more entranced than his, had already given away all my feelings?

 

“Sasha.”

 

“…”

 

I was scared of what might come out of Regen’s mouth.

 

“How do you feel?”

 

“…”

 

“I hope it feels as good for you as it does for me.”

 

“…What?”

 

“Close your eyes.” Pretending not to have heard my question, Regen made his request.

 

I wondered if he was going to kiss me again, but Regen did something different. His fingers gently traced over my wet lips. It seemed he was wiping my lips with his thumb.

 

“All done.”

 

I slowly opened my eyes. And what I saw surprised me—it was a different expression from the one he had after the kiss. His face was fully turned toward me, smiling deeply, even his eyes curving with the expression. The way he showed his emotions so transparently felt unfamiliar.

 

As I stared at Regen blankly for a while, I started to feel something akin to a threat. I resisted the urge to clutch my chest, where my heart was beating painfully, and turned my gaze away.

 

Regen looked puzzled. “Why are you avoiding me?”

 

“…”

 

I barely swallowed the words that had risen to my throat. Don’t look at me like that. Like you’re looking at something cute and pretty. Like you’re looking at something precious that you cherish… As if you’re looking at someone you love. That only makes me delude myself into thinking that you have feelings for me. Don’t make me misunderstand.

 

My throat tightened. “Just, nothing.” Mumbling a vague response was the best I could do.

 

It was when I was racking my brain for an excuse to escape somehow. Suddenly, I felt a hand cradle the back of my head. Regen was pulling me toward him.

 

“I’m sorry if it wasn’t to your liking.”

 

“…”

 

“You seemed unsatisfied, so I’ll try harder this time.”

 

“No, that’s not…”

 

Before I could protest, my words were swallowed by his mouth. Regen kissed me again. It was very long and repeated several times. But I accepted every kiss he gave me, one after another.

 

I hadn’t realized I could be this greedy. Perhaps sensing my boundless desire, Regen continued to kiss me without pause, just as he’d promised, with utmost sincerity.

 

As if feeding off my desire, Regen’s grew lush and full.

 

Chapter 6. First Love

When the spring arrived, the sound of birds courting each other never ceased in the imperial palace gardens. This season was suitable not only for animals to mate but for humans as well.

 

In the palace’s lakeside garden, a picnic was held for young men and women. The fundamental role of social gatherings was as a marriage market. For unmarried noble men and women, the chance to mingle and check out potential partners was precious. Gondolas on the lake were filled with couples enjoying some privacy. Those who preferred to be cautious in their search gathered with friends of the same gender on the lawn, enjoying tea and snacks. True to the picnic’s purpose, the main topic of the conversation was the opposite sex.

 

“Lady Romon, do you have a gentleman in mind?”

 

“Not really. What about you, Lady Brillim?”

 

“I don’t either, but there is someone I’m curious about. Lately, there’s been so much talk about Count Raval Gawain.”

 

“That’s right. Everyone’s saying he’s incredibly capable and strikingly handsome. The ladies are all in a frenzy over him. I hear he’s one of the most handsome men around. I’d like to see him at least once.”

 

“Oh my, could that be him? That unbelievably stunning man over there?!”

 

“Oh, come on, that man is Princess Silver Bird’s personal knight.”

 

“My goodness, it looks like his eye has healed. Without the eyepatch, he’s even more handsome.”

 

The noble ladies, holding their teacups, blushed with excitement as they spotted Sasha and Regen stepping off the gondola. The relationship between the princess and her personal knight was a subject of admiration and fantasy for many young women. Only after the knight with the sculpted features disappeared from view did they return to their previous topic.

 

“I want to see more handsome men. Where could Count Gawain be?”

 

“I recognize his face. I’ve seen him once before.”

 

The noble lady who spoke raised her hand high and pointed to a certain spot.

 

“He’s right over there! With the southern nobles. The gentleman with black hair in the center is Count Gawain.”

 

“Oh my!”

 

Following her finger, the noble ladies all turned their heads simultaneously. Soon, the light in their eyes dimmed to a dull gray.

 

“Is that… really Count Gawain?”

 

“He doesn’t seem especially handsome. Just kind of average…”

 

“Ugh, that shirt looks about to burst since he’s wearing such a small size. It’s so uncomfortable to look at…”

 

The atmosphere grew somber.

 

The noble lady who had first recognized Count Gawain tried to console her friends with a gentle voice. “Everyone, flowers need leaves to stand out, and stars only shine at night, you know.”

 

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

 

“Now, now, look at the other men around him and then look back at Count Gawain.”

 

“Oh my, he really stands out like a crane among chickens!”

 

“How could someone be so handsome!”

 

Amidst the free-spirited and unconventional features of the others, even an ordinary man’s face stood out. The women, who had entered the marriage market, were ready to fall for any decent man, so they willingly gave generous praise to Raval Gawain.

 

Meanwhile, Raval Gawain and his longtime friends were also engaged in a conversation about the opposite sex.

 

“I heard the princesses are here at today’s picnic. I wish one of them would come talk to me.”

 

“Me too…”

 

Raval scolded his timid friends. “Hey, have some confidence. You guys are perfectly fine husband material.”

 

“But… the princesses probably won’t be interested in us… “

 

“You’re so out of touch. Didn’t you see the dowry auction last time? The princesses are desperate to get married now so they won’t get auctioned off.”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“Why do you think, dummies? If they don’t want to be auctioned off, they need to snag a good man quickly and take the lead.”

 

“Ah, I see!”

 

“Got it? The ones in a hurry are the princesses. We can just take our time.”

 

“Wow, so we actually have a chance?”

 

Amid his friends’ hopeful excitement, Raval smoothed back his bangs and showed off. “Huff, thinking about seven princesses suddenly being on the marriage market, there’s just one thing that worries me.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“There’s more supply than demand. What if multiple princesses start courting me at the same time?”

 

The young nobleman started daydreaming together.

 

“Right! What if we get multiple proposals at once? We should plan ahead.”

 

“I-I’ll prioritize Princess Golden Deer! Dream big, right?”

 

“She’s too popular, it’s overwhelming. I think Princess Silver Bird would be just right.”

 

“I’m going for Princess New Moon! She seems gentle and would listen to her husband well. Besides, there probably won’t be much competition!”

 

“Hey, Princess New Moon is older. You have to think about the next generation. My first choice is Princess Amber, then Princess Golden Deer, and third, Princess Silver Bird…”

 

Just then,

 

 

“Choice? The ignorance of those who don’t know their place is truly bottomless.”