Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? – Chapter 12

Author: Asternkm

10 minutes earlier.

Ehit didn’t bother looking for Dapflen after she disappeared without a word.

She was a woman who had come alone, hid alone, and wandered around alone anyway. They hadn’t even held a formal engagement ceremony yet, and there was no real reason they had to stay together here.

They didn’t have feelings for each other, so walking around arm in arm would be even more ridiculous.

‘The fiancée I mentioned is Lady Dapflen.’

Let’s just say that the version of himself who said that back then had briefly lost his mind to the dazzling glow of the sunset.

A battle situation where his life had been threatened by a blade, and the fact that Dapflen had saved him—he must have been momentarily intoxicated by all that.

“Ehit! You’ve come.”

“Your Highness.”

The prince clinked his glass against Ehit’s and immediately looked around.

“Hm? Where is Lady Aileta?”

“She’s somewhere in the ballroom.”

“You really are something. I have something to give the two of you. I’ll be in the Glass Room, so come together with Lady Aileta. Ah, did you see Aisa’s entrance?”

“Yes. She resembles Your Highness quite a lot.”

“Right. It’s your first time seeing Aisa too, isn’t it? Her hair was carefully styled with Ellin flower oil brought in just this morning, and her dress is—”

“Your Highness, it seems people are waiting for you over there.”

“My goodness, look at me rambling. Anyway, come to the Glass Room, Ehit.”

Though Ehit had hoped to forget it, the prince emphasized those words once more before turning away.

A faint headache showed on Ehit’s face. He really didn’t like the situation where he had to go find Dapflen, who had wandered off on her own.

It had been like that from the first time they met. Whenever Ehit saw Dapflen, he felt irritated.

At first, it was because of her hypocritical attitude. Now…

He didn’t know.

Even now, he still thought she was hypocritical. But every time moments appeared where she didn’t seem that way, it left him strangely flustered.

And even then, his mood wasn’t very good. It felt like something of his was being disturbed.

‘I can’t die like this… ngh.’

The words Dapflen had muttered to herself in the dark room earlier kept bothering him.

Whether that woman was hurt or not had nothing to do with him. It really had nothing to—

That was when Dapflen caught his eye.

There she was.

Ehit forgot what he had just been thinking and walked straight toward her.

His steps moved faster than his usual pace. His blue eyes fixed on Dapflen with a slightly cold, cynical gaze.

‘She just disappeared, and now what is she doing in the middle of all those people?’

She’d come to the banquet and even become Cloyden’s fiancée—was she trying to show off proudly or something?

Ehit strode toward her.

People were throwing words at Dapflen.

“Is it really true? The rumor that there’s been a marriage agreement with Cloyden?”

“I heard someone saw you kissing earlier. Is that true?”

“What did you do for Cloyden to give you a marriage proposal?”

Hearing the conversation, Ehit’s expression hardened.

Rude. Every single question was rude.

Only the parties involved—the Cloyden and Aileta families—had the right to ask such questions. No matter how reasonable the curiosity seemed, it wasn’t appropriate for anyone else to ask.

Especially when they weren’t questioning Cloyden, who had sent the proposal first, but instead the other party, who barely appeared in high society at all.

Still, instead of stepping in right away to shut them up, Ehit stopped. Standing there, he watched the group and Dapflen in the middle of it.

There was no guarantee that Dapflen herself found their words rude. To anyone watching, Aileta was the one who gained from this engagement, and Cloyden was the one who lost.

She might even see those questions as badges of honor, like people who tried to grab onto connections through inconsistent behavior often did.

Maybe that was why she had pushed her way into a crowd like this in the first place.

‘What is she going to say?’

She was someone who had spoken boldly and confidently in front of him, to the point it almost surprised him.

But something was strange.

“Huh? Aileta, why can’t you answer?”

Even as the questions turned into outright pressure, Dapflen said nothing. The color drained from her face, which had always been stubbornly confident.

Ehit watched her face for a moment longer. Only then did he realize the situation was unfolding differently from what he’d assumed.

Swallowing anger that he wasn’t even sure who it was directed at, Ehit moved. His large hand grabbed Dapflen’s slender hand and pulled her toward him.

“… Sir Ehit.”

Dapflen’s face was pale as she turned around, pulled by him. Seeing her bloodless face barely manage to say his name, Ehit unconsciously tightened his grip.

You’re usually shameless and confident. You always widen your eyes and say whatever comes to mind with that small mouth.

So why are you like this now? Did you know I’d show up around now?

But Dapflen only blinked slowly, her body stiff, like a fragile lamb waiting for salvation.

Whether this was intentional or not, he didn’t know. But right now, there was no helping it.

He had come to the banquet as a fiancé.

Then he would play the role of a fiancé.

“What were you doing? I was waiting.”

A smile he had never worn before was carefully placed on his face.

****

I stared at Ehit for a long moment as he suddenly appeared, wearing a strange expression and saying strange things.

“… Sir Ehit?”

This is Ehit, right? I’m not so obsessed that every man looks like Ehit to me now, right?

I blinked and opened my eyes again. Yep, it was Ehit.

I was already dying from a headache surrounded by people, and now Ehit had shown up too.

‘I tried so hard to avoid him. What is he going to say now?’

My headache doubled. Even my lips felt dry.

“What were you doing? I was waiting.”

What? What does that even mean? Why would he be waiting for me?

“For me?”

“Then who else would I be waiting for here, if not my fiancée?”

Logically, it made sense—but emotionally, it felt very wrong.

First of all, it was strange hearing the word “fiancée” applied to me. That look in his eyes wasn’t something he should be giving me either. And his tone of voice too…

No, logically, it didn’t really make sense either.

It made sense that he wasn’t waiting for just anyone, but waiting for his fiancée somehow didn’t.

“Let’s go, Lady Dapflen.”

Still, that last part—telling me to go—was the most welcome thing I’d heard all night.

I was about to nod a beat late, but maybe it looked like hesitation. Ehit grabbed my wrist and pulled it toward him.

“Hurry.”

As the distance between us closed, he whispered in a low voice between his lips.

It was quiet, but it felt like everyone around could hear it. I could hear sharp intakes of breath from all over.

A gentle-looking smile was directed at me.

I had never seen that kind of smile from Ehit before. His blue eyes, which had always looked like cold ice, now shimmered like a summer sea.

Gulp.

‘Gulp?’

My throat made a sound on its own. I didn’t know why saliva had suddenly pooled either.

Was it because of that gaze, that expression, and that low voice whispering with that face?

“Lady Dapflen.”

He called me again, and his large hand tightened around mine.

It was definitely an act. He couldn’t let Cloyden’s name be stained, so he was just acting out a convincing engagement story.

And yet…

“…Crazy.”

Without realizing it, I muttered the word out loud while looking at that impossibly alluring, gentle smile.

The moment the word left my mouth, I slapped a hand over it in shock. But one of the truths you only learn by experience is that once words are spoken, you can’t take them back.

“Pardon?”

Ehit’s expression stiffened slightly. The people around us held their breath. They had definitely heard me.

“N-no, I mean—”

Ah, whatever!

I grabbed Ehit’s hand tightly.

“I thought I was going crazy.”

“……”

“Because I missed you. L-let’s go, Ehit.”

Pulling on the hand I was holding, I hurried us out of the crowd.

From behind us came sounds that could’ve been gasps, cheers, or screams—I couldn’t tell which.

‘Ugh.’

Those sounds made me want to crawl into a hole even more. But just like I couldn’t take back my words, I couldn’t stuff their reactions back into their mouths either.

As I rushed out of the ballroom, I wore the most natural smile I could manage across my face—one I couldn’t even hide with my fan.

*****

After dragging Ehit away—no, after simply coming outside—I let out a long, tense breath.

“Whew…”

As I sighed in relief, Ehit looked at me with a serious expression and spoke.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, yes. It was just a sigh.”

He suddenly examined me closely and guided me into breathing deeply.

“Steady your breathing. It’s just you and me here.”

Did I really look that out of breath? I leaned my head back, reacting to his overly serious concern.

“Yes, I know. But I’m fine.”

“If we had a paper bag, it would help. Please wait a moment.”