If You Take the Enemy Prince as Your Knight Chapter 74

I wanted to answer. But I couldn’t.

 

The only one who had ever made my heart flutter was Regenhart Lohengrin. Every time our lips touched, there was no way he couldn’t hear my pounding heartbeat. And even now, standing before him, my heart races.

 

If I admit it here, my first love would be revealed without a doubt. In the imperial palace, falling in love is dangerous. That’s why I resisted the persistent gaze of those golden eyes.

 

“I’ll exercise my right to remain silent.”

 

“Understood.” Judging by how easily Regen backed off, it didn’t seem like he was all that curious. He extended his hand to escort me.

 

Understanding that Regen meant to lead me to the detached palace, I turned back to follow him. That’s when the ambush came.

 

“Have you ever felt your heart flutter for Dominic?”

 

“Are you crazy?” My reaction was almost reflexive. I thought my sharp tone would have startled even him, but contrary to my expectations, it didn’t.

 

“I see.”

 

“…”

 

His lips curled into a smile.

 

I protested softly. “That’s so mean. There are better things to tease about.”

 

“Tease? That’s a misunderstanding.”

 

“Then why are you smiling?”

 

“Did I smile?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Regen straightened his expression. Did he not even realize he was teasing me? That made it even worse.

 

“Here.”

 

“…”

 

“Your lips are curling up, you know.”

 

I pressed my index finger firmly against the corner of his mouth. Regen’s eyes widened, and he suddenly grabbed my hand.

 

“Ah.”

 

We were both startled at the same time. The situation overlapped with what had happened this morning. That moment when I had touched him without thinking, and our fingers had ended up interlocked, leaving us stuck. Even after being clearly stopped once, I repeated the same mistake.

 

I felt so ashamed of myself. This morning, and now again, it was obvious that Regen disliked anyone touching his body. Well, the kiss was supposed to be strictly part of the mana core treatment. I had been the one misunderstanding, letting my self-control slip and crossing the line.

 

Get a grip. If I don’t, I’ll just end up looking ridiculous.

 

“I’ll be more careful.”

 

“…No, I was the one who was rude.”

 

His words were clearly just out of politeness, so I quickly withdrew my hand as if to hide it. Without looking at his face, I kept my eyes forward and walked on.

 

✦

On the way to the detached palace, Regen had to suppress a sigh the entire way. Because of how he had impulsively interpreted Sasha’s light touch as something more, he had ruined the mood. He had made her draw the line and step back first, and now it would be difficult to undo that.

 

It seemed like he was the only one dwelling on what had just happened, as Sasha’s demeanor remained as composed as ever. With the same expression and the same stride as always, she simply walked the path she needed to take.

 

They arrived at the second-floor hallway of the attached palace. Standing just in front of the Silver Bird room, Sasha turned on her heel.

 

“Regen, you go ahead. I have somewhere to stop by for a moment.”

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Amethyst room.”

 

It seemed she had something to discuss with Princess Orlette. Was it a private conversation between sisters?

 

Given the awkwardness from earlier, Regen didn’t want to be apart from Sasha if he could help it. “If you permit, I will accompany you.”

 

“Hmm… I suppose it doesn’t matter.”

 

After walking down the hallway bathed in the glow of the setting sun, they arrived in front of the Amethyst room. When they knocked on the beautifully adorned door, decorated in purple and gold, a maid appeared.

 

“Greetings, Princess Silver Bird.”

 

“I’ve come to see Sister Lette. Is she inside?”

 

“She is, but… Please come in for now.”

 

The maid, who hesitated slightly in the middle of her sentence, led Sasha and Regen to the parlor. The first thing they saw upon entering was a knight with brown hair standing there with a sullen expression.

 

“Sir Noah?”

 

“Greetings to Princess Silver Bird… “It was a sulky face he would never show in front of Orlette.

 

“You don’t look happy. Is something wrong?”

 

“No, it was nothing.”

 

Sasha changed the question. “What does Sister Lette do?”

 

“…” Noah suddenly made a sorrowful expression and gestured toward the door leading to the bedroom.

 

What on earth did that gesture mean? As Sasha and Regen looked on in confusion, the door swung wide open.

 

“No way, this person!”

 

“Isn’t that Princess Silver Bird?”

 

“What an honor to meet Your Highness!”

 

Three men with robust physiques appeared, half-dressed as if they had hastily thrown on their clothes. It was blatantly obvious what they had been doing just moments ago. Sasha and Regen were at a loss for words.

 

The wild nights of Princess Orlette were a well-known fact, but witnessing the scene in person was a completely different matter. Sasha froze mid-motion, her teacup halfway to her lips, as she saw the half-naked men radiating heat instead of wearing proper clothing. The men, clearly chosen to suit Orlette’s tastes, were brimming with charm and playfulness. They approached Sasha.

 

“We’ve heard so much about Your Highness from Princess Amethyst.”

 

“I’m captivated by your beauty, Princess Silver Bird. I feel like I could compose a poem in your honor right this moment.”

 

“May I have the privilege of greeting Your Highness?”

 

The half-dressed men tried to kiss the back of Sasha’s hand.

 

Regen snapped back to his senses. “Step back.”

 

How dare these indecent men, with their improper attire and debauched behavior, try to lay a hand on the princess? With a sharp, intimidating glare, Regen made them flinch and retreat, hiccupping as they backed away.

 

Regen suppressed his anger and turned to look at Sasha. He was worried that she might be deeply offended by the unsightly things lingering in front of her. Sasha?”

 

But contrary to Regen’s expectations, Sasha was staring intently at the men’s bodies. She thought absentmindedly. Are those marks from Sister Orlette? The reddish marks left on the men’s shoulders and chest muscles were unfamiliar to her. It was surprising to think that Orlette had clawed at someone and bitten their skin. At that level, it seems like she lost all reason…

 

Orlette, after all, was a princess known to be as composed as Sasha herself. The thought that this might be a glimpse of her own future made Sasha tense up.

 

Meanwhile, Regen was watching Sasha, who was unable to take her eyes off the men’s bodies, held his breath as if trying to suppress something. It was because Sasha’s unblinking gaze seemed almost entranced by them. The fact that the object of her fascination was another man’s body was something he could no longer tolerate.

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“…”

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“…”

 

“Your Highness.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

It was only when Regen called out firmly that Sasha snapped out of it.

 

“You seemed flustered.”

 

That appeared to be the case. She had been repeatedly bringing the empty teacup to her lips without realizing it. Even in the midst of it all, her movements were graceful and composed to the point that, if it weren’t for Regen, no one would have noticed her inner turmoil.

 

Regen felt a slight sense of betrayal. Just this morning, Sasha had been excited in front of him. But was the desire and curiosity she showed back then not directed at him, but simply at men in general? Thinking that way made his mood plummet.

 

Meanwhile, the three men didn’t hesitate to push Regen’s mood even further into the abyss. They seemed pleased to catch Sasha’s gaze, flexing their firm chests or twisting their waists dynamically, blatantly showing off their bodies.

 

“If you ever need a man to keep you company at night, just call for me anytime.”

 

“I’d be happy to serve you.”

 

“I’ll do my best to bring you pleasure, Your Highness.”

 

Though they pretended to be offering their services, Regen wasn’t fooled. He could read the truth in their eyes. They were clearly lusting after the beautiful princess and trying to seduce her with flowery words.

 

Sasha, without responding, simply brought her empty glass to her lips again. Compared to her usual demeanor, in which she always built an impenetrable wall, Regen found her lack of response closer to a positive signal.

 

“…”

 

At this point, Regen’s mood couldn’t sink any lower.

 

“Sorry. Did I keep you waiting long?”

 

Just then, Orlette entered the parlor, roughly dressed.