TWFLLYM Ch 28

Because I Want to Do Everything for You (2)

[Roserikta] "......"

This situation had spiraled far beyond a mere breach of etiquette. She didn't need to look at the Chamberlain to know his gaze was currently boring into the back of Kalart’s head like a volley of arrows.

Accepting the bite would ignite a catastrophe—for the Chamberlain and for her own sanity.

[Roserikta] "I will...... feed myself, Your Highness."

She offered her refusal, and Lafitte’s eyebrows, which had arched toward his hairline in fury, lowered a fraction.

[Kalart] "But you have to hold Clobell."

[Roserikta] "I can set her down for a moment."

She moved to shift the cat to her lap, but the clever creature stiffened her hindquarters, anchoring herself to the cushions. She had no intention of being moved.

[Clobell] "Tsk, tsk...... Here she goes again. Did you leave your ears at home, Rosie? Just accept the bite."

[Roserikta] "Clobell."

Her voice strained with embarrassment, but Clobellina merely shook her head.

[Clobell] "His arm is going to fall off. He’s been holding it there forever."

True to the cat’s word, his arm remained suspended in the air. It didn't look like stubbornness; it looked like a plea. He seemed to be silently begging her not to reject this one small gesture.

Sigh.

She exhaled a soft breath and leaned toward the table.

[Roserikta] "Then......"

She couldn't meet his eyes. She focused on the intricate patterns of the china and parted her lips, but nothing happened. Eventually, she had to look up.

Kalart wore an expression she had never seen before. His eyes, usually sharp and imposing, narrowed slightly—not in a scowl, but in a look that appeared both razor-edged and dreamily distant.

[Roserikta] "Your Highness......?"

[Kalart] "Ah."

Her voice snapped his attention back to the present. He looked like a man who had briefly wandered to a place only he could see.

[Kalart] "I am...... overwhelmed."

[Roserikta] "Pardon?"

[Kalart] "Because this time, you didn't reject me."

He moved his hand, sliding the piece of meat between her lips. She chewed and swallowed in a daze. The roasted pigeon tasted divine, the meat so tender it practically melted.

[Kalart] "Is it good?"

[Roserikta] "......Yes, Your Highness."

[Kalart] "Good enough for Clobell?"

[Roserikta] "Yes. But it is quite rich; she should only have it as a rare treat."

[Kalart] "I see."

His gaze drifted to his own fingertips, still gripping the silver fork.

[Kalart] "Is that how it always looks when one eats?"

The whisper was meant for himself, but the dining hall’s oppressive silence carried the words to every ear in the room.

[Kalart] "The lips part to take the food, a soft suction as it’s swallowed, the tongue moving......"

[Roserikta] "Your Highness!"

Her shout burst out involuntarily.

He was merely describing the mechanics of eating, but his distant, hazy gaze transformed the observation into something deeply suggestive—something no one else should hear.

Worse yet, she wasn't the only one who interpreted it that way.

[Lafitte] "Your Highness! Such inappropriate commentary at the table......! Gah!"

He had raised his voice in shock, only to bite his own tongue in horror at his own rudeness toward the Crown Prince.

Even Eaton, a man whose romantic experience was non-existent, stood as stiff as a statue, his face darkening with a blush.

Oblivious to the crimson faces surrounding him, Kalart casually swallowed a piece of the pigeon. He used the very same fork that had just been inside her mouth.

[Kalart] "Delicious."

But the impropriety didn't end there.

[Kalart] "I understand now why humans use the term 'devour' when they desire someone."

He licked his lips with a faint, sensual rhythm and stared at Roserikta. He looked like a man who found her so appetizing he wanted to consume her whole—or like a man driven to the brink because he wanted to, but couldn't.

Heat flooded her neck. Usually, her high-collared robes provided a shield, but today’s gown left her skin exposed and defenseless.

Clatter.

Kalart set the fork down. Or perhaps it slipped from his fingers.

[Lafitte] "Your Highness, what else would you like?"

Lafitte found his voice, though his tongue still throbbed, making his speech a bit thick.

[Kalart] "I will serve myself. Everyone, out."

[Lafitte] "But Your Highness, that is out of the question. The service must be—"

[Kalart] "You cannot serve me with your eyes closed."

Lafitte blinked, failing to grasp the logic. If service was impossible, the Prince was clearly referring to him, but the part about closing his eyes made no sense.

[Kalart] "She keeps turning red, and I wish to be the only one who sees it. So, you have two choices: close your eyes, or leave the room."

[Lafitte] "Your—"

[Kalart] "I imagine it would be dangerous, though. Serving a meal with your eyes shut."

The table was a minefield of sharp knives, silver forks, and fragile crystal. One wrong move could result in a catastrophe.

He arched an eyebrow at the flustered Chamberlain.

[Kalart] "Surely you aren't suggesting that dining etiquette is more important than my safety?"

[Lafitte] "That...... of course not, Your Highness."

[Kalart] "Then leave. I am finished with the service."

[Lafitte] "......"

The Chamberlain stood rooted to the spot, caught between duty and a direct order.

Eaton, however, realized exactly what was happening. The Prince was discarding every rule of decorum for a reason.

Kalart was rejected daily. But today was different. Today, she had accepted him. He intended to sweep away every useless tradition and push further, sensing that today, he might actually succeed.

Eaton recognized the predatory instinct—a man who, once he glimpsed his goal, would charge forward without hesitation.

[Eaton] "Understood, Your Highness. We shall withdraw."

He grabbed the stiff Chamberlain by his sleeve, wordlessly telling him to surrender a battle he couldn't win.

[Eaton] "We wish you a pleasant evening."

[Lafitte] "......"

Lafitte tried to plant his feet, but the Captain of the Guard possessed a strength that made the older man’s resistance futile. He was dragged out like a sack of grain.

Thud.

The heavy dining hall doors groaned shut.

In the sudden, heavy silence, only two people remained—trembling with a shared, unspoken tension—and one very smug cat.

---

[Clobell] "Meow."

I want that one next. Is that cheese?

She waved a paw toward a squash dish steamed with cheese.

Kalart, who likely understood the cat better than anyone besides Roserikta, nodded and sliced into the squash.

[Kalart] "Try this as well."

He held the fork out, but not to the cat. Roserikta hesitated until Clobellina smacked her arm with a sharp paw.

[Clobell] "What are you doing? I can’t eat until you do. Open up!"

[Roserikta] "......"

Just you wait.

Her eyes flashed a warning, but Clobellina remained unfazed.

[Clobell] "If you hadn't been feeding me nothing but greens all this time, I wouldn't have to resort to this. Hurry up. His arm is going to fall off."

[Roserikta] "......"

She opened her mouth. She intended to sigh, but Kalart seized the opening and slid the fork inside.

[Kalart] "How is it?"

The food was undeniable—savory, perfectly seasoned, and not too heavy. Squash was the only vegetable Clobellina ate without complaint.

[Roserikta] "It is...... good, Your Highness."

But nothing else about the situation was "good." Because the head of the table was so far from her seat, he kept dragging his chair closer under the guise of his arm being uncomfortable. Now, they sat close enough for their shoulders to brush.

The proximity made her pulse race, but his gaze was worse. It was meltingly soft.

Had she not known his secret, she would have assumed he was looking at the most precious thing in the world.

[Kalart] "Strange."

His voice was low, slightly raspy.

[Roserikta] "What is?"

[Kalart] "I feel full."

He casually licked the leftover sauce from the fork Roserikta had just used. He hadn't eaten much of anything himself, yet he claimed to be full.

[Kalart] "And this is for Clobell."

He placed a portion on Roserikta’s plate. She fed it to the cat, who looked absolutely triumphant. It was the most inefficient meal in history, yet no one complained.

Clobellina was too busy eating, Kalart was too busy feeding, and Roserikta was too busy managing the frantic thumping in her chest.

How can he look at me like that?

To him, she should look hideous—just as she appeared to everyone else. Yet he gazed at her with such adoration as if watching her eat was the greatest joy imaginable.

Maybe my eyes are the ones that are broken, not his.

But her eyes were fine. Even Eaton or the Chamberlain would have said the Prince looked as though he had grown wings of pure happiness.

She couldn't bring herself to reject him anymore. A simple nod of her head brought such joy to his face. She was making him happy, a stark contrast to the pain she had caused him until now. The sensation was sweet, yet terrifying.

She took a deep breath.

[Kalart] "Have you had enough?"

They had sampled almost every dish on the table.

[Roserikta] "Yes, Your Highness. I believe Clobell is full as well."

[Clobell] "What?! I can eat more!"

She protested, but her distended belly was proof of her greed. Roserikta ignored her.

[Roserikta] "If she eats any more, she won't be able to sleep. We should stop."

[Kalart] "Very well."

He set his utensils down and stroked Clobellina’s head.

[Clobell] "Hmph...... I could have managed a few more bites. Don't you want to feed her more? Let's keep going."

She was grateful Kalart couldn't understand the cat.

[Roserikta] "I believe she wants to thank you for the invitation, Your Highness."

He chuckled and withdrew his hand.

[Kalart] "And I thank her for accepting. And you."

His tender gaze returned to Roserikta.

[Kalart] "For not rejecting me."

[Roserikta] "......"

It was a peculiar thing for a Crown Prince to say, matching the strangeness of the dinner itself.

[Roserikta] "I also thank you for the delicious meal, Your Highness."

[Kalart] "In that case......"

He slid his chair even closer, closing the final inch of distance. He showered her with a gaze so hot it felt like a physical weight.

[Kalart] "May I ask one more thing of you?"

The words were sweet and frightening.

[Roserikta] "What...... is it?"

Please, let it be something I don't have to refuse.

She knew now how her rejection affected him. She could no longer wound him just to protect herself.

[Kalart] "I would like you to walk with me after dinner."

The request was a miracle. It was as if someone had heard her silent prayer; he had asked for the one thing she could grant.

[Roserikta] "I shall follow you, Your Highness."

He tilted his head, his face radiating an undeniable happiness.

[Kalart] "And I would like you to wear this dress during our walk as well."

---

[Eaton] "As far back as possible. Ensure no footsteps can be heard."

The order was issued to the guards trailing the Prince.

Eaton kept his distance, watching Kalart’s silhouette shrink to the size of a thumbnail in the distance. This gap would ensure total privacy. The Prince deserved to feel as though he were entirely alone.

The moonlight was gentle. Eaton watched the two small shadows moving side-by-side and felt a strange warmth in his own heart.

Please, succeed, Your Highness.

Eaton wasn't entirely sure what "success" looked like in this context, but he hoped the Prince would find whatever satisfaction he sought this night.

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