Chapter 31: Loyalty and Protection

“I want to touch you, Lord Carlos.”

At Ariel’s words of wanting to touch him, Carlos suddenly recalled his childhood memories. The memory of his 14-year-old self when he first encountered Leandro.

The first thing that the Crown Prince, Leandro, said to him was, “Can I touch it?”

Why did the memory come to his mind at this moment?

Perhaps it was because both the Crown Prince and Ariel tried to reach out to him through contact.

Carlos held Ariel’s hand gently as it was heading down his belly.

“…?”

She didn’t know Carlos would block her hand, but Ariel looked up at him with a curious look on her face.

“…I…”

Beautiful Ariel.

Oh how he wished he could break down under the glare of her eyes, but not like this.

The presence of Leandro was still too great for him.

“I can’t. I can’t let go of Lord Leandro.”

It was a warm but resolute tone.

Ariel, who was willing to welcome him, was grateful. She felt he was loveable, too.

But his relationship with Leandro wasn’t just a fake and treacherous disposition.

Leandro was Carlos’ purpose of existence. To betray him was impossible, and never to be.

“Ah…”

Ariel’s eyes watered.

It wasn’t because of the shame or embarrassment of being rejected. The only reason she got emotional at this moment was that Carlos’s loyalty had easily surpassed her expectations.

The relationship between Leandro and Carlos, which he was exposed merely at a reader’s point of view, was not as impressive to her as this.

Ariel’s heart was broken by the realization that Carlos’ heart was so loyal toward Leandro.

“Lord Carlos…”

Carlos, who mistook Ariel’s tears, looked hurt.

The guilt of making his beloved cry must have pierced his chest.

“Come…”

Carlos carefully held Ariel in his arms.

Hugging him gently, Ariel breathed a shallow sigh.

This was enough.

Carlos didn’t push her, he didn’t let go of Leandro.

This fact warmed Ariel’s heart.

“If you’re afraid to sleep alone, I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”

With Ariel in his arms, Carlos slowly laid himself on the bed.

When the cold quilt touched his back, a thunderous shudder rose on Ariel’s arm.

Carlos opened the b*tton on his coat with one hand and held Ariel tightly in his bare chest.

“…There’s nothing like body temperature when it’s cold.”

Thump. Thump.

When Carlos’ face touched her bare chest, his trembling heart beat was heard.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His broad shoulders and large chest muscles held her tightly.

If there was a bit of fear and a thrill when she was held in Leandro’s arms, now she was feeling just at ease in Carlos’ arms.

The feeling of being protected by a secure fence.

Carlos supported Ariel’s face with his arms and made her as comfortable as possible. With one arm he pillowed her head, and with the other he was busy smoothing over Ariel’s disheveled hair.

His hands were so rough and cautious that Ariel almost laughed.

‘You’ve never really touched a woman’s hair.’

It was strange to her that she felt better under his awkward caress. Ariel bowed her head and put her forehead against Carlos’ shoulder.

Carlos’ hand, which had been sweeping over her head, went down behind her neck and began to pat Ariel on the back.

Just as a parent would soothe their young daughter.

The heat that had engulfed them madly a moment ago had turned into a very warm and cozy atmosphere.

“How did this happen?”

Ariel found a long scar on Carlos’ chest and asked. At first glance, the dark scar seemed to have resulted from quite a deep wound.

“…Several years ago, from a stab wound in the war against the Dario Kingdom.”

“Then what about this?”

Carlos’s body was covered with scars. Ariel asked again, moving her finger to a scar near his ribcage.

“That too…”

“The wound you got while trying to protect His Majesty?”

Carlos’ face, nodding his head instead of answering, was very calm.

The wounds that were made to protect the emperor in times of crisis were not shameful, but pride-worthy.

It is a measure of loyalty toward their master. It was like that for the knights.

“It must have hurt a lot.”

Ariel stretched her fingers and gently caressed his side.

“That’s nothing to a knight.”

Carlos pulled Ariel’s back and hugged her tightly.

The desire he barely quenched was about to rise again at her touch.

This moment with Ariel was happy, but lines must be kept to a certain extent.

Carlos, who held her flush against his whole body so that she could not move, gently lowered his chin to Ariel’s head.

Ariel, trapped in Carlos’ large arms without room for escape, buried her nose into the nape of his neck.

Carlos’s cool, soft, clear and tough body made Ariel sigh.

Ariel liked the smell and temperature of his bare skin.

It was the same when she was in Leandro’s arms. When he handled her violently, she shed tears in pain, but when he held her dearly as if she were a precious being, Ariel trembled with the fullness of her heart.

As they shared their body temperature, listening only to each other’s breathing, she felt sleepy little by little.

Her heavier eyelids and slower breathing made Carlos smile.

Ariel looked pure like a child, unlike the face she made when she was groaning in pain or moaning in excitement.

“May your dreams be pleasant.”

It was a heartfelt murmur.

It was certain that he loved Ariel, but he didn’t know how to express it. It’s just Leandro who hurts her, and Ariel who has to endure one-sided pain.

And he has to watch them from the sidelines.

He wished no one got hurt.

Before he knew it, Carlos kissed Ariel’s forehead, who was breathing out evenly.

Then he slowly closed his eyes after her.

He didn’t even know there was an eye behind them, hiding beyond the curtains, far away from the bedroom.

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