Chapter 17: CH 17

“Gasp!”

Juliana freaked out.

‘No way. No!’

She slapped herself in the cheek to calm herself down.

‘Louis’ relationship with the lunatic is suspicious, that’s all! I am not jealous!’

“Juliana?”

Louis’ eyes widened at her sudden behavior.

“What’s wrong?”

“I-It’s nothing.”

Juliana stuttered and avoided his gaze. All of a sudden, Louis felt too far away. She felt that she didn’t know him well, even though they had spent time together for a while now.

“Louis.”

Juliana wet her lips with the wine and called his name.

“Yes, Juliana.”

“…Come to think of it, what family is Louis from?”

Sweat dripped from her hands at the sudden tension. Juliana asked as she wiped her palms on her dress.

She didn’t ask at the time of their first meeting, but now, the situation has changed. Louis had become a part of her daily life from the moment they got stuck together.

She spent every moment with him.

He was there whenever she needed someone to talk to. They always ate together. He was the only person she could converse with but there were also many times where they just spent their time together quietly. Even in those moments, she never got bored.

Before she knew it, Louis had settled into a deep place in her heart. Juliana was not sure if it was a good thing.

After all, the two of them were just prisoners.

‘A one-off relationship that will end when we get out of this place…’

She wanted to get to know him a little more now.

“Um, well…”

Louis raised an eyebrow at Juliana’s unexpected question.

He calmly swirled the glass, arousing her curiosity.

***

‘I feel weird.’

Louis’ eyes darkened. Strange feelings arose that he couldn’t understand.

He was conflicted. He wanted the woman to know his identity but at the same time he didn’t.

‘I think she’s already noticed some of it.’

Louis threw hints at the girl. He wondered how she would react once she found out about his identity. He was curious about her reaction but also didn’t want to know.

‘Why?’

It just started out of curiosity. Just one night with a woman. Curiosity towards the woman who boldly held his hand.

‘But why…?’

Louis frowned at the strange sensation of his heart pounding.

‘That’s strange.’

He suddenly realized something. He never felt bored while he was with this woman. It was a first.

“Louis?”

The woman called his name. Louis looked at the woman waiting for his answer.

The woman. No.

‘Yes, Juliana.’

Juliana stared at him with her cheeks flushed red due to her drunkenness. Her luscious, flowing blonde hair and her restless chewing lips caught his eyes. A strange feeling tickled in his chest.

“Louis, is it difficult to say which family you belong to?”

Juliana looked into his eyes and asked. Louis calmly closed his eyes then opened them. The cool scent from the woman seemed to dispel the unfamiliar nausea. He parted his lips feeling more relaxed.

“…It’s located outside the capital.”

He didn’t know why, but his mind urged him to keep this fun a little longer.

‘Outside the capital, where is it?’

At his blunt response, Juliana became full of doubts. She wanted something more specific…

Juliana combed through her brain. He said that it was in the outskirts of the capital, so perhaps it was a marginal territory. Still, she didn’t think he had to be evasive for that reason alone.

‘Then… There’s only one reason.’

She guessed that he didn’t want to reveal his personal life.

As her thoughts reached that point, Juliana felt her stomach churn.

Why?

Did he think that they were not that close? Or did he have some other reason to hide?

‘For example, if he turns out to be that lunatic.’

Gasp, Juliana was terrified for a moment as she doubted Louis.

‘That can’t be true.’

Was she already drunk? Juliana was startled by her ugly thoughts.

‘Louis may just not want to divulge his personal life. There is no reason to over-interpret this. Maybe it’s a complex.’

Juliana assured herself and tried to make sense of his actions.

‘It’s okay! I wasn’t that curious anyway.’

As she struggled to suppress her sad feelings and doubts, Juliana proudly raised her chin. She then drank the wine placed in front of her at once.

“Juliana, don’t push yourself too hard…”

She heard Louis’ voice, but she had already emptied her glass.

Time began to ripen. Was it because she was drunk?

[T/N: The opportunity has come?]

“…I, hic… I hate the ‘Empire’s Lunatic’.”

She revealed her heart.

Louis’ expression changed. He slowly set his glass down on the table and opened his mouth.

“Why? What’s not to like about him?”

Juliana paused at the subtle tone that seemed to defend the lunatic. Contrary to her blushing face, Louis didn’t show any sign of int*xic*tion.

‘…Did you really just stand up for the lunatic? Do the two of you really have some kind of relationship?’

Juliana gently opened her eyes. It was no wonder that the Empire’s lunatic was looking for him.

He cared about strong relationships and good looks. She imagined an evil lunatic who seduced the innocent Louis. Juliana grabbed her dizzy head and impulsively opened her mouth.

“L-Louis! Don’t be friends with the lunatic.”

“…You two shoudn’t be in a r-relationship!” She said hurriedly. She had to stop Louis no matter what.

“……”

Louis was silent, as if he was thinking hard about something. In the silence, only the sound of his nails tapping the table resounded.

“Why do you not like the lunatic?”

Louis opened his mouth after not speaking for a while. He spit out the words indifferently. Those words stirred Juliana’s heart.

It was true that he cared for their convenience here. But there was one thing they must not forget… He was the one who brought them here in the first place!!

Moreover, Juliana had never seen him. She imagined him as somewhere in between a nutcase, a creep and a weirdo. She honestly hated him.

“Louis.”

Juliana, who had a blushing face, put her hand on her waist.

“Th-The lunatic never showed his face!”

Since he was a lunatic who locked someone up in a room, shouldn’t he at least show his face once?

“So he’s dangerous…!”

All Juliana thought of was to turn Louis away from the dark path.

Juliana began to list the lunatic’s faults and the reasons why he shouldn’t be friendly with him, like a parent trying to correct her child who had gone astray. She reminded her fellow prisoner of their situation.

“……”

At her words that came out endlessly, Louis’ soul departed.

‘This is a bit of a shock.’

He stared blankly at Juliana, completely frozen.

“I hope you become a bald guy with a bulging belly!”

Louis’ shoulders shook lightly as her curses filled the air.

“How can you…”

His body trembled and clasped his lush hair in his hands as if he was protecting them.

“Shhh, Juliana. Please use your words kindly.”

“Tch, wherever you are… I hope you get splashed by a bucket of water.”

Juliana muttered as she puffed her cheeks like a squirrel.

She wondered what the lunatic would do if he heard her. Whatever.

At Juliana’s indifferent gaze, Louis crouched down. Louis’ face hardened.

It was the first time Louis received a baldness curse.

‘It’s different, but…’

Was she no longer scared? Or has she always been this brazen?

Louis lowered his head down to his shaking shoulders. The woman who embarrassed him was quite bold.

‘More than anything else, it’s fun.’

Louis grinned as his shoulders shook. The woman entertained him in unexpected ways.

‘I wanted to curse him some more, but I’ll hold back since you have such a soft heart……’

Juliana’s mind wandered as she watched the man’s shoulders trembling. She was surprised that he didn’t say anything to her. Juliana stared at the tender-hearted man with a worried expression.

‘Yes, you had a side like that…’

She had forgotten.

Juliana realized how absurd it was to suspect him as the ‘Empire’s Lunatic’.

‘How could such a person be a madman with a cruel nature?’

Juliana stared at Louis’ blue hair and blue eyes. Her heart sank.

“I’m sorry. I was harsh, wasn’t I?”

The appearance of Louis, who looked depressed, was pitiful. She blamed herself because she was the one who caused it. Juliana was helpless in front of this handsome man.

“I just meant that the lunatic was like the weirdo among weirdos.”

It was true.

The dangerous lunatic may suddenly change and do something to Louis. She needed  Louis to be careful because unlike her, he continuously came in contact with the Empire’s lunatic.

“Juliana is right.”

Louis’ soft voice pierced her ears. He nodded his head in agreement.

Thanks to the situation that only the two of them can relate to, the intimacy between them seemed to have gotten deeper.

“This is the first time I have heard of that face-to-face… It was refreshing.”

“Huh? Refreshing…?”

Juliana tilted her head.

“Yes, it’s very good.”

Louis, who had a puzzling smile on his lips, narrowed his eyes into a half crescent moon.

‘W-Why is he suddenly smiling like that…….?’

Juliana felt a fever on her face and a burning stomach. Her throat burned as if it was thirsty.

‘Anyway, that face is the problem…’

As she calmed her pounding heart, she contemplated.

A handsome man, hot enough to melt an ice castle.

Was it because of his handsome looks or was she drunk on wine? A red alarm went off in her head, telling her to think rationally.