Chapter 18
“Did you receive a marriage proposal?”
“Ah, yes. I received one.”
Lionel’s bright red roses were still on the sofa. Arya glanced at the bouquet again without realizing it and then looked at Kylian. At once, she noticed his cold expression.
“Duke?”
“Didn’t you decide to call me Kylian?”
Noting Kylian’s cold voice, Arya quickly picked up the meat and put it in her mouth.
After that, he sighed and continued to eat.
Arya felt she was very fortunate. Her body was about to melt from the pressure he gave off.
“Kylian, eat well and you’ll be better soon.”
‘I can’t keep living in fear. I hope you get well soon and disappear!’
Arya smiled and hoped eagerly.
“Do you want me to get well soon?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
Why did he ask a question with an obvious answer?
“Hmm…”
Arya wanted to say no after hearing his pained voice, but she stopped because she thought she shouldn’t do it.
“You kidnapped me, and you want me to disappear after using me?”
“What? No!”
“Then why do you want me to leave?”
‘Because I am afraid of you killing me!’
But she didn’t have the courage to say it out loud.
She was nice to Kylian because he had amnesia. Even so, she still didn’t know when he would recover his memories and threaten her life.
If someone knew how Kylian was in the original story, they would definitely act like her.
“Because Duke Rohenbert will be looking for you?”
“Then if he didn’t look for me, would you like me being here?”
There was no way Duke Rohenbert wouldn’t be looking for him.
He was Duke Rohenbert. His political enemies within their family would prepare a dagger to attack him anytime. Among the elders of the Rohenbert family, there were people who supported Kylian.
“Even so, going back would be better…”
“……”
His expression was unusual, so Arya had to add.
“I thought you would resent me after you regained your memories.”
“……”
“You’ve achieved a lot of things, you shouldn’t get in trouble because of me!”
“……”
“And your fiancée will be waiting for you!”
Of course the last one was a lie. He was in the process of breaking off his engagement when she kidnapped Lionel. And by the time he would be released, he had already broken off his engagement to Melina. As of now, the break up should be finalized.
At the beginning of the original story, Melina lived with Baron Lechner. So she might not know Kylian was here yet. Maybe in a few days, she might have heard the news.
Even if Melina knew, she might not do anything. At this point in the original story, she also felt very uncomfortable with Kylian.
It took Kylian quite a long time to realize her feelings.
Melina would be less likely to go out looking for Kylian, so at least one less person wouldn’t care about her actions, right?
As Arya was agonizing, Kylian said, “Then if there is no problem in the plan and no one is waiting for me, it would be better for me to be here.”
Arya was thinking about Melina and had to turn around because she didn’t know what to say. Perhaps it was because of Kylian’s unexpected words.
“First, eat all of this. I don’t feel good if you’re sick.”
Her expression softened as she said so.
“Yes.”
For a moment, Arya’s pinky gently touched his lips, so he felt good again.
How did he become such a hopeless person?
Arya felt sorry for him and had to sigh.
“Let’s take a walk so perhaps you can recall your memories.”
“Yes.”
She didn’t know how the memories would return, but it would be good for Kylian and her if they came back soon. It would be best to do something to remind him of it.
“Well, I’d like to go over there,” he said, pointing to the maze in the duke’s mansion.
That was the real Arya Deloraine’s maze garden. Originally it was only a passage leading to the basement, but Arya had added a maze to it.
The maze was built with grass walls and was finely made. And it was designed to make it difficult to come out once entered. It was almost like a Minotaur Labyrinth.
She had a hobby befitting a villain. She forgot about this fact for a moment.
“It may be hard to get out if you go in there.”
Arya didn’t want to go, but he smiled as if he didn’t care at all.
“If we’re lost, I can climb up and look for the way back.”
Was Kylian always this active? Or did he become curious because he lost his memory?
Arya somehow became afraid and shut her mouth without realizing it.
“Are you scared?”
“Well…”
“I’ll have to go in there to remember.”
His red lips curved into a smile.
‘Can’t we not go inside?’
Will he try to kill her there?
Arya looked at him as if she was troubled. But he added, “If it’s hard for you, I’ll go alone.”
No, even though it was a maze, they were still inside Deloraine territory. Maybe he said that because he really wanted to go.
If she went there and hurt herself a little she might be able to pretend to be seriously hurt and pay off her debt.
That way, they would be in debt with each other, and there would be an excuse to use later.
Arya tried hard to think positively and spoke as if she had decided, “Okay.”
Let’s get hurt a little bit!
“Would you like me to go alone?”
“No! Let’s go in together.”
At Arya’s declaration, he made eye contact with her and gave her a disturbing smile.
Her heart sank again.
Arya thought her heart would be in tatters at this rate because of this guy.
“I’m afraid to go into the maze at night.”
“Is that so? Then, next time…”
“Please hold my hand.”
“Huh?”
She saw Kylian’s guileless face and his hand slowly reaching out.
If Arya hadn’t known who he was, she might have been deceived by that face and readily done anything at his bidding.
“My hands are sweaty.”
“No problem.”
Ah, she’ll have to find another excuse.
“You might hate the smell.”
“It’s fine.”
His hand might be uncomfortable. Did he insist on doing this because he was afraid of her running away?
Maybe he’ll really try to kill her there?
“Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable to hold hands while walking?”
“No.”
Why was he so determined?
“Princess Arya, please protect me. This place belongs to you right?”
“But who said it would be scary?”
“Arya seems to be afraid of night.”
‘…You’re scarier than the dark.’
But Arya wasn’t a fool to say that aloud. She answered with a smile, pretending innocence.
“Yes… Yes. Anyway, I’ll protect you.”
Arya held his hand with the intention of letting go in case of emergency.
Again this time, she felt better after touching him. It was as if she received an energy that she didn’t have before.
Perhaps that was why Arya clasped her fingers without realizing it and held his hand more tightly. The more she did, the more a faint current flowed into her and seemed to energize her body.
“You’d better get closer.”
“W- why?”
“It’ll be easier to get around that way.”
Arya believed him so she held his hand and remained close to him. They were so close that their shoulders grazed with each step.
As they reached the entrance to the maze, Kylian said while holding her hand tightly, “I’m looking forward to it. What’s going to happen inside?”
“Haha… is that so?”
Arya’s heart pounded as soon as she reached the maze, she didn’t know whether it was due to fear or her expectations.
In the original story, Lionel showed a strange ability after escaping from Deloraine’s mansion. At first, he couldn’t heal his injured body because he couldn’t use his ability properly.
Then, while receiving Melina’s utmost care, he manifested that ability and became a healer.
Surprisingly, even though it was a fantasy novel, healers were very, very rare.
Therefore, those who could use divine power were transferred to the Holy Land regardless of their origins and lived there.
“It’s only the sound of an owl, don’t worry.”
“I know!”
She was frightened not only because of her expectations. Kylian’s mysterious smile was also frightening.
She wanted to escape this situation so badly that her hand became cold. It was as if her cold hands said, ‘Even if I let go of his hand and run away, I will be caught.’
“Come a little closer. It’s dark.”
Wouldn’t it be nice to stay inside the mansion if it was dark at night?
But Arya could not ask that. How could she ask such a question as his kidnapper?
“Let’s hurry and go back, okay?”
“Didn’t you want my memory to come back?”
“Of course.”
“As we walk a little, I feel like I recall something.”
Arya couldn’t tell if he told the truth or not. Above all, it was so dark that she couldn’t see his expression well. Nevertheless, she could see his purple eyes clearly.
She was mesmerized by his sparkling eyes.
“Oh dear.”
Arya looked at him in amazement as he stopped walking. The moonlight was bright, and Kylian’s expression in the moonlight was bad.
“I’m dizzy.”
“Are you all right?”
“……No.”
Arya stood in front of him and peered at him anxiously.
He leaned his head against her shoulder. The weight was less than she anticipated, but she felt itchy because his hair touched her face.
“Ah…!”
“Sorry, I’m very dizzy.”
She couldn’t tell if he was being truthful, but she couldn’t coldly brush off anyone who was sick.
Anyway, she had that kind of position right now.
Arya had to stand up properly so as not to fall over because of his increasing weight.
“It’s all right, lean on me.”
Arya patted him on the back with her hands when suddenly, a faint laugh passed by her ears.
He wouldn’t have laughed in this situation. She must’ve heard it wrong.
“You’re very kind.”
It sounded sweet, but she knew she shouldn’t be fooled by his praise. In the original story, his compliments didn’t mean he didn’t kill her.
“You don’t refuse to come out this late at night, you let me lean on you, and you hold my hand.”
Arya wanted to let go of his hand as she had a strange thought when she felt his hair on her neck.
However, she banished her misgivings because she thought she shouldn’t think too hard about a sick person.
“It’s strange.”
“What?”
“I feel like I don’t have to recall anything when I’m with Princess Arya.”
He can’t say that. Please go back, Duke!
Or … she can run away.
If she ran away, she could say she didn’t remember anything, and if it didn’t work, she could run away from the duchy!
She screamed internally and tried to speak coldly.
“But I think it’s better to find your memory. There will be a lot of people waiting for you. There are probably people who can’t sleep because they’re worried about you.”
“Because I don’t have a memory, I think it’s better for Arya to worry about me than those people.”
Even though he lost his memory, his intelligence was intact. Somehow, she couldn’t win against his arguments.
That’s right, from Kylian’s point of view, he didn’t even remember them, so it was natural for him to rely on her.
But it was not normal to be attached to the kidnapper.
However, if she pointed out that it was not normal, wouldn’t he retaliate later?
She had to carefully choose her words.
Arya had no choice but to be kind and comfort him.
“Don’t avoid me, Princess Arya,” he said as he slowly raised his head.
Looking into his eyes, she felt as if time stopped.
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