If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 97

Chapter 49.2

“Your Highness, what are you…”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t play with you more.”

In the darkness, he tilted his head down as if to meet her gaze. His forehead brushed gently against hers.

The moment she felt his warm breath so close, Ariel instinctively ducked her head. But in doing so, she inadvertently pressed her face against his chest, making it seem as though she had willingly fallen into his embrace.

Devoncia’s scent was rich and intoxicating, a blend of black orchid and cedarwood. As she inhaled, the fragrance filled her lungs, making her lightheaded. She instinctively tried to turn her head away, but he didn’t let her. His hand caught her chin, tilting her face back up.

Ariel found herself face-to-face with the very gaze she had tried to avoid.

In the dim light, his heterochromatic eyes shimmered faintly, drawing closer. The man with eyes like the sea and ice spoke to her in a quiet, measured tone.

“Didn’t I tell you not to reject me in any way?”

With a quiet, almost affectionate reprimand, he reminded her of the past. He tilted his head and closed the distance between them.

His breath brushed the bridge of her nose.

Ariel instantly realized what Devoncia was about to do. Before his lips could reach hers, she hastily threw up her hand, blocking him with her fingers.

The softness of his lips against her skin startled her.

“…Your Highness.”

Her voice trembled.

“You’re standing too close. Please put some distance between us so I can show my respect properly.”

Though her words were politely phrased, at their core, they were still a rejection. Even though the crown prince had once told her not to refuse him, she had done just that.

However, Devoncia didn’t react with anger. Instead, he smiled quietly. His lips, still resting against her fingertips, curved into a soft smirk as a quiet chuckle escaped him. The sensation tickled, making her instinctively want to pull her hand away, but she stopped herself just in time.

If she moved, their lips would meet.

Still pressing his lips against her fingers, he murmured in a low voice.

“You really don’t listen, do you?”

There was no mistaking the interest in his quiet, low voice. The arm wrapped around her waist tightened slightly, pulling her even closer.

Booom! Baang!

A deafening explosion ripped through the staircase, shaking the entire passage. A massive hole blasted open where the wall had once stood, sending debris crashing down. The force of the explosion sent a gust of wind whipping through the opening, making Devoncia’s cape flutter behind him.

The red cape billowed gracefully before drifting back down. As it settled, golden light flooded through the gaping hole in the wall, illuminating the shattered passageway.

Ariel flinched, a shiver running through her as part of the wall suddenly crumbled.

Devoncia pulled her closer, as though to reassure her, before turning his head. Through the settling rubble, Skylar stepped forward, brushing aside the debris.

His lips curved into an amused smile.

“What, you left the duel just to come here?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Did you lose to Lex?”

“….”

Skylar remained silent, but he didn’t look like someone who had just lost a fight. Aside from his slightly messy hair and a few specks of dust on his uniform, he appeared completely unscathed. Yet, he didn’t claim to have won either.

“Looks like you ran off in the middle of it.”

Skylar’s brow twitched slightly as if Devoncia had struck a nerve.

“You were so confident when you set up that torture barrier, but it’s almost laughable how you gave up halfway, Skylar.”

“….”

“Seeing as you’re completely unscathed, I guess you were too distracted by something else to properly focus on the duel?”

“…Let go of Ariel.”

For the first time, Skylar, who had remained silent through every provocation, growled in a strained voice. His demand was so blunt and direct that Devoncia couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re too blind, Skylar. Even a dog wouldn’t be this possessive.”

Having his true feelings so easily exposed, Skylar’s expression stiffened uncomfortably.

“If you know that, then let her go.”

“And why would I?”

Devoncia nonchalantly refused without hesitation.

Skylar fell silent for a moment, carefully choosing his words while shooting a chilling glare at his older brother.

“…Because it displeases me.”

With that response, Skylar raised his right hand and pointed it at Devoncia. His hand outstretched casually held a rapier, the sharp point aimed directly at his brother. Even though they were on the training grounds, pointing a weapon at the crown prince was an unthinkable act that could easily be construed as treason.

“Y-Your Highness!”

Ariel gasped in shock, her breath catching in her throat. However, Skylar showed no intention of backing down.

Only then did Devoncia’s expression shift, his gaze turning serious.

“Treason, huh… It’s even more unpleasant than I thought.”

He released Ariel from his arms. As soon as she was free, she quickly stepped back. This time, her instincts screamed at her not to intervene.

“Tell me, Skylar. Have I spoiled you so much that you would dare point a blade at me?”

“This is a training ground. If I call this a simple sparring match, the academy, which prides itself on structured equality, won’t be able to punish me. Here, both of us are considered equals.”

“So, what you’re saying is that you’ll pick a situation that works in your favor, exploit any openings, and try to claw your way up to me.”

Devoncia was loosening up, rubbing his shoulder with a look of annoyance as if preparing to subdue his opponent. Meanwhile, Skylar mirrored his movements, readying himself.

“If you don’t like it, you shouldn’t have made it this way.”

“You’re good at shifting the blame. How noble of you.”

Devoncia sneered blatantly, and the air between them grew uncontrollably suffocating, thick with a dangerous intensity. Ariel, trapped in the same space, could only step back. It was a situation where she could easily be killed if she got caught in the middle.

‘Is this all because of the sparring? Am I really going to die here?’

She trembled, anxiety creeping in as she feared the situation might escalate to an abrupt and deadly end.

‘This entire mess started because that idiot Lexius interfered in an advanced magic warfare class, which wasn’t even his class. But where’s the real culprit behind all this now?’

As she mentally cursed him, the very person she was thinking about strolled casually through the hole in the wall. With his usual insolent gait, he lazily kicked aside the debris in his path as he approached the two brothers locked in their standoff.

“What are you two doing…”

Lexius smirked slyly as if he had just walked into an entertaining spectacle. However, the moment his eyes landed on Skylar’s drawn blade, his expression changed instantly.

“Are you out of your mind? What do you think will happen if you seriously do this here?”