IHDOE Ch 90

[Satina] "I should be asking you. Why is someone who should be in the west standing here?"

He snapped at her question.

[Tyron] "Shut up. I didn't come because I wanted to, either. What were you doing here, anyway?"

He appeared far more rational than expected, which relieved Satina. She answered in a bolder tone than usual.

[Satina] "I was listening because hearing them badmouth you was entertaining."

[Tyron] "Was it fun?"

[Satina] "Yeah, immensely fun. Hearing 'impotent' and 'pervert' for the first time was quite something."

[Tyron] "I said shut up."

[Satina] "Why? Struck a nerve?"

[Tyron] "You really..."

She expected him to order her to shut up again, but he glared without a word. Instead, he muttered under his breath, his face contorted as if ready to spew profanities at any moment.

Satina finally managed to push herself up from her crouch. Her legs trembled with numbness, and he caught her arm to steady her.

Startled, she slapped his hand away.

[Satina] "What are you doing?"

He looked down at the hand she had knocked away and scowled.

[Tyron] "I try to help, and you throw a fit? Treating a person like a plague."

[Satina] "I'd rather catch a disease than touch you."

A disease could be cured, but touching him fouled her mood beyond repair. She felt as though hives might break out where his hand had grazed her, and she resolved to scrub the skin thoroughly once she returned home today.

[Tyron] "Ah, is that so?"

He raised an eyebrow, his expression turning thoroughly dark. He took a step toward her.

[Satina] "What are you doing?"

Repelled by his proximity, she took a step back. Tyron closed the distance again.

Satina took another step back, continuing their tense standoff. Her retreat had its limits. Soon, the rough trunk of a tree blocked her path.

Tyron cornered her like prey, taking his time as he stepped closer. He gripped her shoulders and stared down at her. She scowled at his hands.

[Tyron] "Satina, you said you hate touching me to death. So..."

He slid a hand down from her shoulder to her elbow, sending goosebumps rippling across her neck.

[Tyron] "Do you actually like me?"

He brought up the question, remembering how she usually fled as if seeing a ghost whenever he teased her. But this time he pressed closer instead.

If someone pushed either of them from behind, they would be forced into an embrace.

[Satina] "Are you insane?"

[Tyron] "Then what is this supposed to be? 'Take your hands off me'?

Just as you said, maybe it's because I'm a pervert. Seeing you hate this makes me feel strangely great, you know?"

His smirk was infuriating.

Right, that is how things are between us.

Touching her couldn't possibly feel pleasant to him, either. He was likely spouting profanities in his head. Yet today, his desire to spite her outweighed his disgust.

Tyron clamped his fingers around her wrist, and Satina grimaced in absolute disgust.

[Satina] "Move."

[Tyron] "What if I refuse?"

[Satina] "I warned you. Move."

[Tyron] "You first..."

She refused to endure another second and drove her sharp heel into his shin.

[Tyron] "Ugh!"

Agony shot up his leg, cutting his words short as he hopped on one foot.

[Tyron] "Hey! You really...!"

[Satina] "I told you to move when I asked nicely."

She turned and fled, leaving him groaning as he clutched his bruised shin.

He watched her receding figure.

---

Though Tyron lacked the pointed ears or bushy tail of a canine beastkin, he shared some of their traits. He possessed sharp fangs, and his senses of smell and hearing were far keener than a normal human.

Because these abilities stemmed from an unwanted bloodline, he never mentioned them to anyone. Nor had he ever been close enough with anyone to confide in them.

Whenever someone treated him like a dog, his vision turned blood-red despite his best efforts to stay calm. In those moments, he couldn't hear his father, the soldiers trying to restrain him, or even his master, the Crown Prince.

Stripped of his reason, he focused entirely on tearing his opponent apart like a rabid hound.

It was trauma from childhood abuse. The Crown Prince, who knew of his past, defined his condition.

After sparking a massive brawl at an imperial party, Tyron had been thrown into prison. Fortunately, his victim had survived without losing any limbs, allowing the Crown Prince to pull strings and free him.

Tyron had looked like a punished hound as he watched the Crown Prince aim an arrow at a target.

[Tyron] "Is there no medicine to cure this?"

[Lexion] "How should I know?"

[Tyron] "Then must I continue living like a madman forever?"

[Lexion] "There is another way."

The Crown Prince released his bowstring, and the arrow struck the exact center of the target.

[Lexion] "Standing at the absolute top, so high that no one can harm you even if you run wild like a madman."

Afterward, he added.

[Lexion] "Of course, since you can't achieve that on your own, you have no choice but to offer total loyalty as my confidant. If you behave, I will pull you out of prison whenever necessary."

Yet today, for the first time in his blood-frenzy, another person's voice had reached him. It was a clear, pure voice that resonated like falling rain.

He had caught a familiar floral scent, parted the bushes, and found Satina crouching there.

The moment he set eyes on her, the fools who had slandered him vanished from his thoughts entirely. His entire focus shifted to her.

Staring at her receding figure, he felt worse than pathetic. He disgusted himself.

Annoying.

Tyron kicked an innocent tree to vent his frustration and forced himself to calm down.

Ignore her.

Handling the business that brought him to the capital took priority.

Has the Crown Prince still not arrived?

---

Satina walked briskly to gain distance from Tyron.

Then a forgotten question resurfaced in her mind.

Why is he here?

Why would someone who should be hunting magical beasts in the west come to the capital?

Don't tell me...

Only one person could command Tyron with a wave of his finger.

The moment his face crossed her mind, a sharp pain struck her stomach as if she were suffering from indigestion.

Satina shook her head.

That is a useless thought. He has to attend social events too, right?

A bad feeling settled in her gut. She decided to return to the party, bid farewell to Marchioness Riermont, and hurry home before disaster struck.

But she was already too late. Bright red hair appeared at the end of the path like a danger signal.

Lexion was arriving late, and his face twisted into a scowl the moment he spotted Satina.

She screamed internally.

Tyron, you bastard! You should have mentioned this!

If Tyron hated her engagement to Lexion, shouldn't he have done everything possible to keep them apart? If she were in his shoes, she would have sent her away on any excuse before Lexion arrived.

Lexion approached her, his tone cold.

[Lexion] "How on earth did you know to come here?"

[Satina] "What do you mean...?"

[Lexion] "My attendance at this party wasn't publicly disclosed, so how did you know to come?"

Only then did she realize what he meant. Lexion believed she had stalked him to this party just to wait for him.

Stunningly arrogant, his assumption left her speechless.

[Satina] "You seem to hold some misunderstanding, but I didn't follow Your Highness to this party. I arrived at this party first, invited by Marchioness Riermont."

[Lexion] "No need for excuses. Thinking you quieted down lately, are you following me around like this again? Tiresome."

It is not an excuse! Listen to what I am saying!

Satina wondered if she had ever actually stalked him in the past. Then she remembered Duke Bersabet tracking Lexion's whereabouts during her childhood to force them together.

Indeed, my life was doomed from the moment I entered House Bersabet.

If she could go back to childhood, she would run away to a distant mountain orphanage before her mother married the Duke.

[Lexion] "I knew it when you claimed you wanted to annul our engagement, yet drawing attention like this again."

The man was insufferable. Satina wanted to grab Tyron and shake him.

You said you would report that I am seeing other men!

You said you would snitch that I am involved with the priest!

So why is Lexion still acting like this?!

Being accused of lingering affection when she desperately wanted out was infuriating.

She spoke with a smile.

[Satina] "Pardon me, Your Highness, but claiming I followed you around is a grand misconception on your part."

[Lexion] "My misconception?"

[Satina] "Yes. I didn't follow Your Highness to this party. I came to meet another man."

[Lexion] "Another man?"

[Satina] "Yes. Once I annul my engagement with Your Highness, I shall require a new man as well. I am searching for a man far handsomer, cooler, and better than you."

He let out a smirk, his golden eyes narrowing as he tilted his head and looked down at her.

---

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