Chapter 80

Isaac hadn’t anticipated such a raw reaction. He thought they were merely exchanging playful banter, but it seemed she hadn’t meant it as a joke. “Thank you,” he replied, his tone turning earnest. “You are beautiful as well.”

Her bright smile returned only then.

“Thank you. But I really meant it. I thought you were handsome from the moment I saw you. I was excited to come here again today just because I knew I might see you.”

Isaac had never found himself in such a sincerely intimate conversation and was unsure how to respond. Surely she isn’t confessing her feelings? No, that seemed unlikely; he shouldn’t jump to such conclusions. “Ah. Ha ha. Yes…” He forced an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Haylen is known for its handsome men and beautiful women, so hearing that you find me attractive is both flattering and embarrassing.”

“There may be many handsome and beautiful people, but don’t you think there are certain individuals who catch your eye for no particular reason and stay in your thoughts afterward?”

“That is… true.”

No matter how determined Isaac was not to drink the celebratory soup before the feast had even started, it felt as though someone were prying his mouth open and pouring it down his throat. Had this woman truly fallen for him, or was she merely testing the waters? An ordinary man’s heart would have pounded a hundred times over by now, and Isaac was undeniably an ordinary man.

Wait. Get a grip. She has four men.

Remembering that fact finally quelled some of his confusion. Yet, when the lovely young woman continued gazing up at him with such open affection, he felt he might knowingly fall for her anyway.

“If we are talking about someone who catches the eye without even trying, no one compares to Lord Kaiyan.”

Isaac no longer knew what he was saying. Part of him simply wanted to steer the conversation into safer waters.

Elli followed his gaze toward the prince seated some distance away, and her expression suddenly clouded. “That’s true,” she murmured. “He possesses a beauty unlike any other. But… he frightens me.” She added the last words in a whisper, faintly hunching her shoulders. The deep crease between her brows as she watched the prince made her fear look entirely genuine.

“Ah, well, there are certainly some frightening rumors about him, but once you get to know him, he’s a good person.” I must be far more flustered than I thought. I don’t even know what nonsense I’m saying anymore. Isaac continued grasping at whatever words came to mind.

“No. I don’t believe rumors. The more a story passes from mouth to mouth, the more truth it loses. I don’t believe what people say, but… for some reason, that man frightens me.”

She shook her head as she whispered. Her complexion had grown faintly pale, making her look so delicate and pitiable that Isaac almost reached for her shoulder before stopping himself. Then Elli raised her head and studied every corner of Isaac’s face.

“That may be why you make me feel safe,” she murmured. “I don’t know why, but I feel as though… even if he became terribly frightening, you might be able to stop him.”

Her words sounded almost like something she was saying to herself. After murmuring them as though confirming the thought in her own mind, she met Isaac’s eyes and smiled shyly.

“I’m sorry. That was a strange thing to say. Please forget it.”

Isaac was startled. Perhaps the approaching new moon made him oversensitive; she had probably meant nothing by it, yet her words sounded as though she were referring to his contract with Kaiyan on new-moon nights.

“I’m truly glad I met you,” she whispered. “I want us to become closer.” Her voice was extraordinarily sweet, carrying a resonance that stirred the heart. Could a human voice truly be this alluring? Then, without warning…

Isaac’s cheek prickled.

He lifted his head and met Kaiyan’s eyes.

His heart dropped.

If murderous intent could take physical form, it would look exactly like that. The prince watched them without expression, yet an exceptional, suffocating chill emanated from him.

“I need to rest,” Kaiyan said, abruptly rising.

The lord’s daughter, startled by the sudden announcement, hurried to her feet. “Lord Kaiyan…”

He did not look back at her. Instead, the prince turned his gaze directly toward Isaac.

Isaac moved immediately.

Behind him, Elli’s soft voice called out, “I hope to see you again soon, Sir Guard.”

Isaac offered only a small bow before hurrying after Kaiyan as the prince strode out of the reception room.

It is the new moon, so naturally he feels unwell, but he seems especially displeased today.

Isaac had been nervously observing the prince’s back when Kaiyan suddenly turned.

“From now on, that’s your place,” Kaiyan stated.

Isaac blinked from two or three steps behind him. What did “your place” mean? Was it the center of the corridor where he stood? Two paces behind the prince? Or was it the position of Kaiyan’s guard for the rest of his life?

Kaiyan offered no clearer explanation. He turned away again and, despite claiming he needed rest, entered the study and picked up one of the countless books stacked there. Standing beside him, Isaac spent the entire afternoon contemplating what the prince had meant by his place.

“…”

Perhaps my place means somewhere he can bite whenever he pleases.

Pinned beneath Kaiyan, Isaac felt the prince’s teeth travel from his shoulder toward his collarbone. Kaiyan nibbled at the skin without breaking it, then licked the hollow above the bone. At moments like this, the man straddling him truly resembled a predator.

Isaac had told him to drink his fill, but the prince seemed particularly reluctant to pull away tonight.

“Sweet,” Kaiyan whispered.

“Is it?”

“I wonder what your flesh tastes like.”

“…”

What a terrifying thing to say.

A chill ran down Isaac’s spine. He lowered his eyes to look at the prince.

“Your skin smells exceedingly sweet.”

“I imagine having my flesh bitten off while I’m still alive would hurt quite badly…”

“I could provide a numbing draught.”

He keeps saying more frightening things.

Isaac focused anxiously on the lips moving over his collarbone. Every slow stroke of Kaiyan’s tongue felt unusually distinct. When the prince abruptly sucked hard at the skin above the bone, Isaac flinched in anticipation. Fortunately, Kaiyan didn’t bite, yet the suction was almost as forceful, and there would undoubtedly be a deep red bruise afterward.

“Sweet after all,” Kaiyan murmured. “…I should taste it.”

“Could you spare me for tonight? Magic has isolated this space from the outside, so we cannot even call someone to bring a numbing draught.” At least let me have something to numb my senses beforehand next time. I’d rather not be eaten raw.

Isaac was pleading mournfully when a voice drifted above him.

「Medicine for sale~」

「Highly effective medicine, available immediately for the low price of one wish.」

An enormous shadow loomed over him. Three heads, each as vast as the shadow itself, leaned in close. Their immense eyes rolled with a bright, predatory intensity.

「Don’t you need it?」

「You don’t? You don’t need it?」

「Medicine that prevents pain when your blood is drained or your flesh is bitten.」

“…I need it.”

Now that Kaiyan knew exactly who Isaac was, there was little reason to hoard every wish. He had only used one to seal this space, ensuring outsiders couldn’t witness their movements or overhear their conversation. Two wishes remained.

One of the cats, still in its tiger guise, rolled its enormous eyes. 「Your second wish shall be granted.」

The deep, resonant voice burrowed straight into Isaac’s ears. He felt something invisible ripple through his entire body. For a heartbeat, he felt weightless, as though he were floating. Then the sensation vanished, leaving no trace behind.

Isaac flexed his fingers, suspicious. Does it truly stop the pain?

“It would be useful if I could understand those creatures outside of the new-moon nights as well,” Kaiyan remarked, having watched the exchange in silence.

Isaac’s eyes sharpened at once. “It would be a hundred times better if you couldn’t.” He had no desire for Kaiyan to understand them beyond the safety of this magically sealed space. If the prince were to hear their mundane chatter, either his temper would snap or the cats would lose their heads. It would most likely be the latter.