Chapter 3 : Suspicious Person (2)

*****

Regina got into the carriage and took a small deep breath as she felt her heart pounding. 

Whatever it is, he was the male lead in the original. 

The male protagonist, who she've seen from afar but personally has never seen up close, its like when she first saw Isota, the female protagonist who she personally saw closely, announced her existence this time as well.
 

Arsene got into the carriage, he had an unusually cold expression on his face, and he suddenly held out his hand to her.

"....?"

Not knowing what he wanted, she placed her hand on the palm of his hand. 

But as if that was the correct answer, he gently squeezed her hand. And he put the ring on her finger. 

As she looked at her hand at the touch of the metal, she saw the same thing as before, it was her engagement ring with Arsene.

She didn't think it was that ring. She knows that it must have been thrown away by empress dowager aide. 

'Then you've been making the same ring again?'

He was making this ring again while he was busy, so she wondered if it was necessary. 

'Besides, it's a waste of money.'

Since the diamonds in the ring are large, the price would be too high, but while looking at the large jewels, a question suddenly came to her mind. 

'By the way, why did empress dowager throw away the ring?' 

It's probably not because she doesn't like their engagement.

Maybe there was some kind of magic on the ring?

If she had a protective spell on it, it was understandable that she had taken her ring out of the blue. 

With that in mind, it made sense that he had remade the ring.

"Arsene, do you know why the person who kidnapped me then took the ring?"

Then Arsene, who was looking at the ring, raised his eyes. He tilted his head slightly and told the truth about the ring without hiding it. 

"I put tracking and protective magic on it."

"Ah..." 

Regina unconsciously looked down at her ring. When she heard the story, the ring looked different.

Is it for safety and protection? 

Or... 

If so, the day comes when she run away from this mansion, she must throw it away. 

However, seeing what he was saying, it seemed that he was confident that he would chase after her even if she threw the ring.

While wondering if she could escape, a carriage arrived at the Imperial Palace. 

Originally, other nobles would get off at the entrance of the Imperial Palace and walk in. 

However, he was a member of the Imperial Family and the Emperor brother.

Because they were a close aide to the king, the wagon sent them only through simple identification.

They got off in front of the main palace where the emperor was and followed the formal instructions.

Probably Arsene would have come many times. As she was walking, she quickly went into the emperor office with Arsene.

"Greeting, Your Majesty." 

Regina greeted Ruairi in the manner her body remembered and looked up.

She saw a man standing with his back against the window. 

The sunlight was strong behind his back. The sunlight hitting his shoulders seemed like a halo, as if trying to show that this person was the main character.

Ruairi was a man with sun-red hair and red eyes. As he took one step closer to them, his impression became a little clearer. 

He was handsome like a male protagonist and had a medium physique.

She thought it would be a good match if she put it together with Isota. 

'But my taste is a little more...' 

Her gaze unconsciously turned to Arsene. Soft platinum blonde hair and mysterious purple eyes. 

Their eyes met. She looked at him for a moment and then turned her head, and Ruairi led them to the sofa and sat across from her, looking at her.

"I heard from Arsene, that You saw 'the incident' ."

"Yes. Your majesty"

Apparently, as she was about to pass by, Arsene killed Count Durand on the spot. 

Regina, who nodded her head at those words, looked at Ruairi, startled by her sudden realization. 

'Can I say he's involved?' 

After reading her eyes to some extent, he smiled. 

"It's all my order. So don't think of Arsene as a bad person."

She couldn't understand. He can leave all this to Arsen's responsibility and shut up, but what is the understanding of telling her? Besides, isn't he the emperor? 

As she was confused, he continued his speech. 

"I'm sorry, you've been forced into marriage. You can't kill an innocent person."

Then, with the red eyes looking at Arsene, she followed that gaze and looked at him without realizing it. 

Their eyes met again. He looked at her and smiled as it was his habit.

Her heart was pounding slightly. Regina turned her head away as if to shake off her feeling, and looked at Ruairi again.

Ruairi, who was looking at the two, picked up the teacup in front of him and spoke in a gentle tone. 

"But that doesn't mean I can trust you."

"......"

Regina agreed with him. From their point of view, she is a countess child who suddenly appeared and had no relationship, so what do they see and believe? 

Taking a sip, he put down the glass and smiled as he sees Regina sitting unmoving. 

"People shouldn't believe everything, no matter how close they are. Of course, everyone makes mistakes."

Murder, theft, and fraud are rampant among his parents and children, brothers and friends, and this, to some extent, was agreed upon. 

Examples include Arsene and Ruairi.

At the beginning of the novel, they were quite friendly brothers. Arsene even killed his father and helped him ascend to the throne, and Ruairi treated him as much. 

However, when the brothers fall in love with a woman at the same time, their relationship is ruined.

Arsene betrayed his brother. So he became a villain. 

But now Isota and him doesn't seem to have any interest in each other, let alone affection. 

If so, will their friendship continue? 

While Regina was contemplating, Arsene looked at Ruairi with eyes telling him not to say anything in vain.

Ruairi shrugged his shoulders a little and brought up another story. 

"I heard that you were kidnapped a while ago. Let's be careful about that in the future."

"Thank you."

He pushed for marriage because he couldn't kill an innocent person, but because she's his wife, if someone else kills her, it's like nothing. 

"If you have a problem with Arsene, you're welcome to tell me. I'll help you with anything."

"Your Majesty." 

As he was about to say a few more words, Arsene frowned and cut down and he looked at him. 

'Didn't you clearly say you weren't interested?' 

But somehow, his reaction wasn't like that, as he, who had been together as a brother for twenty years.

******

"I guess I've been holding you for too long." 

Eventually, Ruairi let them go by spitting out words that left his place. In this situation, he didn't know what Arsene would look like if he asked him to have dinner with him. 

Arsene took Regina away without looking back, and disappeared out of the door. 

'Hm... More than I thought...' 

Ruairi, who looked at them until the door closed, folded his arms and buried himself on the sofa.

*****

In front of emperess dowager, Alicia, who was sitting in an elegant and arrogant posture, those who could not kill Regina were lying flat on the floor.
 

"I'm sorry."

Arsene found them sooner than expected. 

After receiving their report, empress dowager looked at those who were prostrate in front of her with a cold expression. 

Some of them, including those who swung their swords at Regina, ran away from Arsene's hand.

Then he came to Alicia and reported everything. Even the scene where the aurora cut Regina neck and bled, but healed again in a matter of seconds. 

When she heard the story, Alicia eyes changed.

"She was a funnier kid than I thought. I didn't know she was hiding such abilities." 

Besides, from Arsene's reaction, it seemed that she wasn't an ordinary contractor.

Maybe she can use a little more. After pondering, she gave them new instructions.