Ask Away, Your Majesty - Chapter 21
As Lorienne raised her head, she locked eyes with Kyle who had been watching her.
“Why aren’t you eating?” she asked
“Well, it’s not that appetizing right now.”
Lorienne had carefully prepared and offered the dish she wanted to savor, but Kyle, who just held it without eating. She looked confused.
However, Kyle was momentarily taken aback by the absurdity of the thought that just occurred to him.
Though he didn’t show it, he found himself puzzled as to why he couldn’t look away from the mage’s lips—why those clearly untouched lips seemed so enticing and red. The whole sentiment felt unnecessary and obviously wrong.
Shaking his head, as if trying to dispel those thoughts, Kyle fiddled with the ennew in his hand.
“Anyway, I’ll send Pico next weekend.”
“You’re not coming in person?”
Lorienne sucked on her fingertips, now stained with the red juice of ennew. It tasted even sweeter than it should.
After licking her fingertips, when Lorienne glanced up at Kyle, his expression seemed odd. A mix of shock and confusion played on his face.
Did it look dirty enough to make his eyes shake like that? Well, considering he seems to be a fairly high-ranking noble, he might find such actions unhygienic. It doesn’t matter, though.
It was her first time sucking her fingertips like that. This was something she did without even realizing it, because this ennew was so sweet and sad that it reminded her of the Kreutz family garden.
Regardless of Kyle’s thoughts, Lorienne didn’t let it bother her, continuing with what she was going to say.
“What if that Pico guy buys another potion and switches it with the dog transformation potion, or mixes poison into it? My potions, except for a few, are meant to be picked up by the person who requests them.”
The danger of relying on others for potion retrieval was a truth Lorienne had learned painfully through six years of potion sales.
“Pico is not that kind of person,” Kyle defended.
“That’s what most people had said before they were betrayed. They say, ‘That person would never do such a thing.’ Relying on a single careless judgment can lead to significant consequences.”
Looking at Kyle, who remained silent, Lorienne added, “I’ve said it before, but if you eat the potion to become a dog and die, remember, you’ll remain a dog. Well, I’ve clearly warned about the risks. Still, if you choose to get the potion through someone else, I won’t stop you.”
Her tone was blunt, but it carried genuine concern. However, somehow, it didn’t seem to register with Kyle.
Lorienne noticed his platinum blonde hair, casually arranged, standing slightly tousled. She was suddenly aware of a small interest in him that she’d never had in anyone before.
Clearing his throat unnecessarily, Kyle tossed the ennew he was holding into the air and caught it.
“That guy didn’t come back, did he?” he asked.
“That guy?”
“The one who was boasting about his preferences a few days ago.”
“Oh, thanks to the fake Archduke chasing him away, not yet.”
Lorienne shrugged her thin shoulders and spoke with a hint of disdain. She was acting like it was no big deal that a man so much bigger than her had come in to threaten her.
There was a reason why Kyle didn’t immediately leave that day. He delayed his departure because the man’s demeanor and the look in his eyes seemed unusual. Then he heard Lorienne enduring a torrent of rude and vulgar remarks, one after another.
From Kyle’s perspective as a man, the situation didn’t seem something a woman should handle alone. However, on that day, Lorienne, despite knowing that both he and Pico were outside, didn’t seek any help.
It’s strange to think back on it now—how her unwillingness to make eye contact with them at the time felt more pitiful than bold.
She seemed like someone who believed in never seeking help from anyone under any circumstances. Perhaps it was a belief that had developed over the six years of running Loftis. Maybe there had been more than one occasion when she’d felt defensive about accepting help.
