If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 68

Chapter 35.1

The two walked awkwardly. Unlike his usual brisk pace, Skylar walked at a pace so slow that it made her stomach churn. It was obvious that if they walked at this speed, they wouldn’t be able to circle the lake until the sun went down. Still, what could she do? Ariel, who dared not walk ahead of him, had to quietly match his steps.

At this rate, if there was no conversation like this, she might suffocate from the excruciating awkwardness. She had to talk to him, even if it was about something trivial.

“How have you been, Your Highness?”

“Nothing special happened.”

“I’m glad to hear you haven’t been seriously ill.”

“What have you been up to?”

“I mostly just stayed at home. I did some reading… I thought that if I came to the academy knowing too little, I wouldn’t be able to keep up, so I tried to study a bit by reading books.”

“I see.”

Skylar only gave a short response as if he was listening attentively.

Indeed, he was listening to her every word, though his tone was quite harsh. It was a habit. To someone who didn’t know him, it might have seemed like he was angry, but that wasn’t the case at all. When he really didn’t want to listen, he would bluntly tell the person to keep their mouth shut.

Ariel wasn’t familiar with Skylar’s habits, so she fell silent, thinking that he was upset again. Because of that, the conversation that had been going smoothly suddenly came to a halt. The two of them continued to walk quietly along the lake path. The terrible awkwardness filled the space between them once more.

‘Isn’t it time to go back now?’

She looked back.

The tent was so far behind that it wasn’t even visible. She didn’t want to go any farther. As Ariel hesitated, Skylar also stopped walking. For some reason, his face bore a meaningful expression as he looked at her. Noticing her constantly looking back, he asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

“More importantly, you were about to call my name earlier, weren’t you?”

“…Yes?”

“S. Your lips were forming that shape.”

He mimicked her earlier, pronouncing the first letter of his name.

“Ah. That, that was…”

Ariel stammered and hastily lowered her head.

‘How did he even notice that? He has good eyesight.’

While marveling at his keen eyesight, she desperately thought of how to cover up the blasphemous act of almost calling him by his name.

“…Your Highness, earlier I was—”

“Do you want to call me that?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to call me by my name?”

Ariel looked up at him with startled eyes.

His face was serious. His eyes, like the last time she had seen him before coming to the academy, seemed to be asking an important question. His eyes, as deep as the ocean, questioned what she wanted.

Another difficult question was thrown at her again.

‘How can I even say that I want to call a member of the imperial family by their name? Did I ever want to call him by his name in the first place?’

She was afraid that she might call his name by mistake, but that was it. Although she had almost called him by his name without thinking, she didn’t particularly want to address him by his name. In the first place, calling members of the imperial family by their first names would attract too much attention, so even if he gave permission, it would still cause a stir.

“How could I possibly…”

“Ariel.”

Skylar called her name and grasped her wrist. Between their meeting gazes, the atmosphere gradually changed strangely.

“Don’t think about anything else. If you want…”

Snap.

When the sound of a branch breaking echoed all of a sudden, their heads reflexively turned towards the source of the sound.

“Skylar.”

A person with a face resembling his, yet with distinctly different eyes, approached with a smooth smile while calling his name.

“Devoncia.”

Skylar called to him. It was completely different from when he called Ariel. His voice was so calm that she thought he had been very kind until now.

Devoncia, who had approached, tossed the thin branch of a weeping willow he had broken off. As the delicate branch, adorned with tender saplings, fell onto the soil, he opened his mouth.

“If you’re done talking, would you come back? Since you’ve been away for so long, the place I prepared with such effort is going to waste.”

While her actions were provocative, Devoncia’s tone remained dignified.

Skylar looked at the intruding Crown Prince Devoncia as if he were an unwelcome guest. He released Ariel’s wrist, which he had been holding, and turned his body with a restrained expression. Meeting Devonsia face-to-face, his eyes were surprisingly calm.

His eyes were surprisingly calm as he faced Devoncia face-to-face.

“I’ll go there now.”

He then gestured to Ariel with his eyes, signaling for her to follow. As Skylar strode ahead, Ariel quickly followed behind because she didn’t want to be left alone with Devoncia. However, she didn’t get very far before she had to stop as Devoncia’s left hand subtly blocked her path.

Skylar, who noticed this, turned around nervously. His previous calm demeanor seemed to have vanished as his forehead furrowed.

Before he could protest, Devoncia’s mouth opened first.

“I’m just going to say a few simple words.”

His tone was so calm and solemn that Skylar’s momentum faltered at this unexpected tone. Devoncia seized the opportunity and spoke as if making a request.

“Why don’t you go ahead? We’ll catch up shortly after I’m done talking.”

A quiet voice. A sincere request without a condescending tone.

When Devoncia approached like this, there was no excuse for refusal. Skylar bit his lip and softened his temper. If the Crown Prince wanted to speak briefly with the Countess’s daughter, how could he object? It wasn’t like he had any significant relationship with Ariel.

He felt both unpleasant and bitter at the same time.

Skylar forcibly turned his unwavering steps and walked away first.

In the meanwhile, Ariel took a few steps back from where Devoncia blocked her path and waited for him to speak with her gaze lowered. It was only when Skylar had completely moved away, and the surroundings had quieted down that he took a step closer.

The distance she had barely widened between them narrowed again.

Unlike usual, Devoncia didn’t smile.

“Ariel.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve let it slide until now, but don’t act like this again. Even though it’s an academy, it isn’t wise to reject the Crown Prince at a place that bears the imperial name. And.”

He hinted that he had more to say and then slowly lowered his voice.

“I really hate being rejected by you. Not just with words and actions, but even with expressions.”

Despite his generous tone, the content of his words was far from generous.

Considering the context, his words had some implicit implications, though they weren’t difficult to understand. He was including in the scope of rejection not only with her leaving without permission from an event he hosted but also talking with someone other than himself. He was asking her not to refuse.

To reign like a crown prince.

He wanted her to quietly yield to him. He acted graciously but subtly wielded a blade. He moved as if subtly tightening around her ankles.

Ariel remained still and reverent.

“I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Despite the fact that her words were compliant and respectful outwardly, inside, she trembled with fear and reluctance towards him. To not show any signs of refusal in speech, actions, or even facial expressions, wouldn’t she be like a puppet connected to a string called the crown prince?

‘If things turn out like this, the attacking will become too disadvantageous.’

In Ariel’s mind, she pictured herself being swept away in various directions by him—a scene of failing the conquest, forcibly bound to the Crown Prince and unable to go anywhere.

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to shake off the hallucination-like visions.

It was of no use.

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