The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go

 

Until Rukia, staring at the scale, said,

“That’s enough.” 

There was a sound of wet lips parting from the skin.

 

The burning sensation was like being on fire, and I brought my hand to the spot where Cedric had kissed me.

 “ Oh…” 

Wait, that wasn’t a kiss.

 [Oops, we got ahead of ourselves, Ciel.] 

Caliberne said to me, as I cupped my cheek in confusion.

 [Come to think of it, they only said to kiss you, not to kiss your lips.] 

‘Ah…’

 

Somehow. I hadn’t thought of that, and I had gotten ahead of myself.

 

A wave of shame washed over me, along with self-doubt.

 “Good, you’re out of range now.” 

Rukia said with relief as she looked at the scale.

 “Kissing the other person really does work, I mean, I knew it would, but I didn’t expect it to stabilize so quickly…” 

Dalton looked at the scale on the magic meter and marveled.

 “Still, it’s best to keep your mana as stable as possible from the start, right?” 

With that, Rukia gave a few precautions about how things should be for the time being, and how to manage the mana.

 “And, Captain, I suggest you stay in this room and refrain from using your magic for the time being.” “Like the time I fought the Lion of Nemesis and fell?” “Yes. You’ve already done it once, so you’re familiar with it, right?” 

Yeah, how could I forget that time?

 “Yeah, right…” “Okay, good.” 

Rukia said, smiling broadly,

“Well, I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about, so we’d better get going.” 

With that, Dalton and Rukia bowed and left the room.

 

A hush fell over the room as they left.

 

And as my eyes locked with Cedric’s, I remembered again how casually I had assumed that Cedric and I were going to kiss.

 

‘This is why I need to listen closely to everything they say…’

 

In the midst of my self-doubt, Cedric called my name.

 “Ciel.” “What?” “You don’t look so good…” 

A pair of red eyes that had been bright at the sight of me waking up looked somber.

 “I’m sorry, I know you didn’t like it, but they said it was necessary to stabilize your mana…” “Oh, no!” 

I shook my head desperately and threw up my hands.

 “Even with the chains Rukia gave earlier and holding your hand, the power still couldn’t stabilize. Luckily, it’s fine now, but…” 

Cedric glanced at the magic meter Rukia had left behind.

 

The scale, which had been swinging wildly, now stood still and pointed steadily to a single point.

 “Sorry. I’ve kissed the back of your hand before, if not your cheek, and maybe you didn’t like all of that…” 

The bitterness in his voice was almost too much to bear.

 “No, no, wait, listen to me!” 

I said urgently, grabbing Cedric’s shoulder.

 “Don’t feel sorry for yourself. You really don’t have to.” “Ciel…” “I’ve not once hated it—” 

In the middle of my sentence, I had a realization.

 

‘Wait, what did I just say?’ 

 

Surely I was going to say I didn’t hate it.

 

I’ve never hated it. My face burned as I realized that.

 “…Really?” 

Cedric’s voice was deep and low.

 

His callused fingers brushed against my ear. His touch was careful, and gentle, as he tucked a stray strand of silver hair behind my ear.

 

The moment felt long, like hours.

 “Is that for real?” 

There was no immediate answer to Cedric’s question.

 

The way his eyes softened like a crescent moon, I thought he might do something else.

 

But it’s too late to say now that I didn’t mean it.

 

Eventually, I nodded.

 “Then—” 

He said, his glowing red eyes shining as if he were going to eat me.

 “You mean you don’t mind if I do what I did earlier, one more time?” 

He wrapped his arms around me as if to keep me from running away.

  

Cedric’s eyes were clearly covered in a honeyed obsession.

 

Still, I had to admit, the soft curve of his eyes and the corners of his mouth, like a crescent moon, were mesmerizing.

 

‘Wow. My heart, please calm down.’

 

But that wasn’t going to calm my frantic heart. I’ve only just woken up, and my head feels like it’s spinning.

 

What the hell happened?

 

In the midst of my internal turmoil, I heard Cedric chuckle lowly.

 “I can hear Ciel’s head spinning all the way over here.” “Oh, no, it’s just…” 

Cedric giggled and pulled me into his arms, patting me on the back.

 “That’s cute, it was just a joke. Did you take it seriously?” 

Look, when you say something like that to me, and no one else, it’s bound to sound serious.

 “You could have said no.” “…Really?” “Well…” 

Cedric paused for a moment, then spoke again,

“It would have been kind of sad, to be honest.” 

Cedric scratched at his cheeks, a flush of embarrassment coloring his cheeks.

 “But now it’s just…” 

Red eyes, the color of crimson camellia petals, looked straight at me.

 

I saw myself fully reflected in those flawlessly clear pupils. They were beautiful eyes that had followed me unchanged for so many years.

 “I am grateful that you came back alive.” 

A large hand wrapped around my cheek.

 

As if to check my warmth. And as if to confirm that I am here.

 

Then I laid my hand-over Cedric’s. I wanted to make sure he knew I was here, beside him, alive.

 “You were so worried.” “Yeah.” “I’m sorry. It won’t happen next time.” “No, it wasn’t your fault.” 

Cedric said with a faint smile,

“If only I had known sooner that there was a mole in the palace…” 

Again, a shadow crossed Cedric’s face.

 

The way he’d looked at me during the attack, before he’d lost his mind, he’d looked unsteady and maddeningly desperate.

 

His hand trembled as he held me, and I noticed it. He was probably thinking about it again.

 

I hoped he didn’t think about it anymore.

 “Then reinforcements could have arrived sooner—” 

Lifting my hand, I gently placed it over Cedric’s lips. He looked up at me, surprised, and then smiled.

 “Your Majesty, is the reason I’m alive.” 

With that, I slowly removed my hand from his lips.

 “Ciel…” “Honestly, the poison was too much for me at the end, I could barely hold my sword.” 

It was true.

 

For almost the first time in my knighthood, I wished I had someone to help me.

 “It wasn’t until I saw you that I realized I was alive.” “…” “I’m glad. I’ll be safe, and I’ll see the people I care about again.” 

Then she wrapped both hands around Cedric’s hand and squeezed it.

 “So I just wanted to make sure I thanked you for your help.” 

Looking him straight in the ruddy eyes, she said,

“So don’t say those hurtful things.” 

Cedric stared down at me, still.

 

There was a gleam of mixed emotions in his red eyes. That’s why he didn’t say anything for a while.

 “…Okay. I understand.” 

He finally nodded and smiled brightly.

 “You’re a good person, Ciel. I don’t think I’ve done much.” “Well, you came at the right time, or I don’t know what would have happened if the antidote hadn’t been injected right then.” “That’s the sweet part, when you say that.” 

Cedric burst out laughing.

 

I looked at his sunny smile and thought to myself.

 

‘Cedric probably doesn’t know.’

 

It was because of him that I had somehow managed to keep my body moving, even as I was being poisoned, even as I was suffocating.

 

The thought that I had to survive and give him a happy ending kept me going.

 “Anyway, thanks for coming back, Ciel.” 

Cedric, who would never have guessed it, smiled softly and called my name.

  “Oops.” 

With a clang, the fork fell limply onto the plate.

 “Princess!” 

Felix, her escort, came running up to her in a panic.

 

Persephine waved her hand to indicate that she was fine, but Felix’s face showed concern.

 “Princess, are you all right?” 

The imperial servant, who had been assigned to her by the palace, was also startled and approached Persephine.

 

Hastily covering her mouth with a napkin, she spat out the food in her mouth, unable to swallow it.

 “Oh, it’s okay…” 

But her face was as pale as a ghost as she spoke.

 

‘My stomach…’

 

The food at the Deamant Palace was excellent.

 

Unlike in Ackeletta, where, despite being royalty, she had found it difficult to eat a meal worthy of her status, here Persephine had been able to eat well.

 

Today, however, she was in no condition to accept even that delicious food.

 “I’m sorry. The food is so delicious, but I don’t think I can continue eating.” “Oh, I apologize. We didn’t know about your condition before we met you…”“No, it’s okay.” 

Persephine, who had just managed to remove the napkin from her mouth, said she was fine. She looked at Felix, and he opened his arms to her in a familiar way.

 “Lean on me. I’ll walk you to your room.” “I’m sorry, Felix.” “No, it is my duty to work for my master.” 

Felix smiled and lightly picked Persephine up in his arms.

 

Persephine looked up at him, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. She had always been comforted by his laughter, but today she couldn’t help but smile, genuinely smile.

 

Reaching her room with Felix’s help, she assured him that she was fine and sent him on his way.

 

As the footsteps receded beyond the door, and it dawned on her that Felix had left the vicinity altogether, Persephine leaned against the door as if she were about to collapse.

 “Ah, argh…” 

In the darkened room, she groaned, running a hand through her flaming red hair.

 

‘I couldn’t stop him, what can I do now…’

 

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the palace, and reinforcements were dispatched.