The man murmured as he gazed down at Ariel. His glowing pupils scrutinized every detail of her face. He expressed satisfaction as if he had found something interesting, as the corners of his eyes were nicely curved.

“This is beyond imagination. It was worth catching up.”

There was something eerie about the smirking man’s words. She caught a peculiar phrase in the sentence he uttered and repeated it back to herself.

‘Follow… and catch?’

If that was the case, it means the man chased and caught up with a running car on foot. Not only that, he surpassed the car and jumped onto it.

‘…Is he human?’

Ariel was astonished.

What on earth was this person doing?

She blinked in bewilderment. She had been staring into his eyes all along and only belatedly grasped his impression.

A strong presence and a sharp demeanor befitting him like a viciously well-honed sword. He was handsome enough to be admired, yet his appearance constricted the breath before allowing any admiration. The man exuded an oppressive atmosphere that stifled people.

“What’s your name?”

He asked.

Ariel, with her restrained chin, managed to respond.

“The eldest daughter of the Count of Huckley… Ariel Huckley.”

“Ariel.”

The man pronounced her name and seemed pleased. The smile on his face deepened.

“Call me prince.”

It was an unexpected request.

“…Prince?”

“That’s not bad.”

The man, who had been smiling with just his mouth, now smiled with his eyes as well.

Bzzzzzz—

The cell phone that she had secretly hidden in her clothes vibrated. It seemed that his favorability had increased.

With this, Ariel knew all the targets.

‘I’m not very… happy.’

There wasn’t a trace of satisfaction or accomplishment. Perhaps it was because there wasn’t a single person who was easy to understand, even the last character.

In the midst of this, the man was satisfied and let go of her chin.

“Get in.”

She thought he was telling her to get in the car.

‘…Is the business finished?’

Feeling liberated, Ariel briskly opened the car door and climbed in. She wanted to wrap up the unexpected situation and go home to rest.

However, the moment the door on the opposite side opened, her sense of liberation shattered. With an audacious expression, the man confidently got into the car. He took the seat beside her, crossed his long legs, and leaned back.

“Go.”

He even gave orders to the driver.

‘Where are we going?’

She thought they might be going to his house.

‘He shouldn’t be…’

The driver silently steered the car. Despite its seemingly precarious condition, the car surprisingly moved smoothly, and it sped away from the grounds of the imperial palace.

Ariel became anxious. She wasn’t sure where the Grand Duke’s residence was, but at this rate, she wouldn’t be able to go home. Before that, she hoped he would drop her off near the viscount’s residence. She didn’t mind walking a bit.

“Grand Prince*.”
[ T/N: The author used the title ‘대공자’, which means ‘grand prince’ or son of a grand duke! ]

“When did you hear that I’m the Grand Prince?”

The man replied without even turning his head. He had been shamelessly audacious since a while ago.

“…What should I call you?”

“Well, shall I let you call me by my name?”

“Is that okay?”

“How arrogant.”

Although he chuckled as if it was ridiculous, he didn’t define what she should call him. Giving up on addressing him, Ariel just brought up the matter at hand.

“I need to go to the Count’s residence… So, if you could drop me off somewhere in between. Even nearby would be fine.”

“Drop you off in between? Who doesn’t go straight to the Count’s residence?”

“…Yes?”

“We’re on our way there now.”

The man confirmed. Still, Ariel still didn’t understand.

“Aren’t we heading to the Grand Duke’s residence?”

“Why go to the Grand Duke’s residence? If you go there, do you have any way to get home?”

“No…”

“But why are you going to the Grand Duke’s residence? Do you want to go there?”

“No… No, I don’t.”

“Then, don’t worry. We’re going to the Count’s residence.”

“….?”

Ariel froze as if caught buffering.

 
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