If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 34

RP: Haebaragi_syk

Chapter 18.1

Without thinking too much, Ariel followed his gesture and sat next to him. The distance was such that if she held her hands, they would overlap.

Perhaps the distance from her was closer than he had expected. Skylar’s eyes widened briefly and then narrowed in dissatisfaction. However, he didn’t say anything to her about moving away.

Instead…

“Why did you go into the water?”

It was a voice devoid of warmth or concern, rather, his tone was certainly on the colder side. Listening to it made it seem like he was irritated.

Ariel took out a bracelet hidden in her sleeve and handed it to Skylar. His eyes, which had been as narrow as a cat’s pupils in the midday of the day, widened roundly.

“Did you go in there to pick this up?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what? What did you pick up?”

His reaction was drier than expected. Skylar showed a brief moment of surprise but quickly became nonchalant. He even commented on her actions like they were absurd and strange, without even asking why she was there as if he knew she was following them.

It was only then that Ariel realized her clumsy stalking had been completely exposed. Feeling embarrassed, she lowered her head as her cheeks flushed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Following me? Or did you follow Devoncia?”

“…Does His Highness the Crown Prince also know?”

“There’s no way that quick-witted guy wouldn’t know.”

It meant that the Crown Prince was aware that she was following him… that Devoncia had simply allowed her to trail behind him like that. Despite the fact that she felt uneasy about the notion, she decided not to dwell on it further. The situation in front of her was more important now.

Skylar, who was in front of her, had no interest in the bracelet.

On her outstretched hand remained a bracelet resting on it. Still, even though she had guided it carefully for him to take, he didn’t even spare it a glance.

‘I heard it was his mother’s keepsake…’

“Your Highness, this thing…”

“It’s not mine from the moment I discarded it. Do whatever you want with it, keep it or throw it away.”

He made a cold decision regarding the bracelet as if cutting off any interest in it.

Nevertheless, that was why his words were insincere. If he truly had no interest, there was no need for him to feign disinterest and act so cold. The fact that Skylar was forcibly avoiding even looking in the direction of the bracelet was evidence of this.

He was struggling to throw it away.

‘Why is he being so stubborn?’

She didn’t know what was going on with him and didn’t dare to speculate. However, she knew that him throwing away the bracelet was impulsive.

And she also knew that this bracelet wasn’t something to be impulsively discarded.

She vaguely knew the emptiness of losing something. While she didn’t have the memories, she still had a longing for her previous world, and she understood the hollowness of absence. Not to mention, it was his late mother’s keepsake. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the sense of loss that came with losing something like that.

Even though it might have been a clumsy meddling, she hoped he didn’t throw it away.

Ariel picked up the bracelet, which was resting in one hand, and gathered it neatly in both hands.

“Don’t throw it away.”

Her voice as she extended the bracelet and made her request was sad. Skylar glanced at her with a bewildered expression.

“…What?”

“I hope Your Highness keeps it.”

“….”

“Please don’t throw it away.”

She stubbornly insisted, politely extending the silvery loop as she uttered.

Skylar, equally stubborn and resolute, resisted. He, who had shown little reaction throughout, was noticeably agitated this time. The look in his eyes as he gazed at her seemed to fill with amusement, yet strangely, he couldn’t take his eyes off her either.

“Why…”

She replied honestly to his puzzled question.

“I think it’s something important to Your Highness.”

“Just for that… you jumped into the water?”

From his words, she felt not a condemnation with any ulterior motives or gains in mind but rather a reprimand that questioned why she would do such a thing for that reason alone. If she listened carefully, it almost sounded like scolding directed at her. The words carried concern as if he was worried.

The corners of her mouth strangely curled up in a smile.

“Yes. It was reason enough for me.”

Ariel’s quiet face, which had been looking at him, broke into a wide smile. Her beautiful eyes crinkled, and her pink lips curved gracefully. Neat teeth peeked out as her lips formed an innocent smile.

Skylar momentarily held his breath.

When he met her smiling face, his mind was shockingly emptied of all thoughts. Being so used to her expressionless face since they met, he never expected her smile to be so radiant.

In contrast to Ariel’s sunny smile, his face stiffened.

He felt strangely out of sorts, and his expression showed it. His hands were trembling, and his heart was pounding as if it had been hammered—a feeling of unease accompanied by a rising sense of anger. Then, from the throat to the head, there was a burning sensation.

His brain was overwhelmed by unknown emotions and unfamiliar sensations, and he couldn’t think normally.

He was just as agitated as when he was angry, but somehow, it was different.

Skylar, as if unintentionally reaching out to hug Ariel, hastily pulled back his outstretched arm upon realizing it. At the same time, an inexplicable desire to do something to the woman in front of him was bubbling up and disrupting his rationality, and it felt like the dignity of a noble was about to crumble down the drain.

He was filled with a desire to throw away such dignity.

‘…Am I crazy?’

He was confused. Something uncontrollable was running wild inside him. Consequently, he wanted to get that pretty smiling face out of his sight as soon as possible.

Bzzzzzzz—

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