How to Escape from My Possessive Fiancé - Chapter 60

“Are you really crazy? If you come into the Princess’s palace like this, you’ll get into big trouble!”

 

Sophia shouted. But the Duke didn’t seem like he would stop, and soon Sophia turned and started running as fast as she could. She had a strong feeling that she must not get caught—no, more than a feeling, she just didn’t want to lose to someone who acted so recklessly.

 

The Duke trampled over her warning with his steps and said,

 

“Things like that don’t matter at all.”

 

“It matters to me!”

 

Sophia shouted irritably. But strangely, no matter how hard she ran, the man didn’t seem to get farther away. The palace, usually full of servants, was eerily empty, and the hallway felt like it was stretching endlessly. The more she ran, the more tired she became.

 

“Sophia.”

 

Unlike her, a cheerful voice echoed down the hallway. As she turned the corner to get away from him, Sophia shivered at the persistent voice following her.

 

“Where are you, Sophia?”

 

The Duke’s voice sounded lazy, as if he thought her running away was just a game. Even at that moment, Sophia could imagine his lips curled into a lazy smile, his golden hair, and his blue eyes shining beneath it.

 

‘So he really thinks this is a joke.’

 

Sophia clenched her fists and bit her lip. She was sick of the Duke’s selfish behavior. What annoyed her most was that he didn’t even give her a chance to say no.

 

“Please, just go back already!”

 

Sophia yelled, not caring if her hiding place was discovered. The steady footsteps following her just a few steps behind made it clear he was chasing her purely for fun.

 

As expected, the man stopped walking when he heard her voice. After a short silence, he asked in a light tone,

 

“Why should I?”

 

Why? She almost ran out screaming in disbelief. How many times had she explained it already? But since she always froze in front of the Duke like a mouse before a cat, it was easier to hide and shout at him. Sophia slipped into an unused closet and yelled,

 

“I’ve told you so many times! This is the Princess’s palace! Men are not allowed here! And how do you think Her Highness would feel if she knew you came?”

 

“That’s what I said.”

 

The Duke’s voice grew closer, just as she expected. Sophia couldn’t even think of running away as she listened to him.

 

“What does the Princess have to do with anything?”

 

He was probably smiling arrogantly that same smile she had seen many times and secretly thought suited him too well.

 

“Sophia.”

 

The Duke gently called her name again. His voice was very close.

 

Sophia raised her head between the ball gowns in the closet. The man parted the heavy clothes and smiled as light shone behind him.

 

“Found you. My lovely fiancée.”

 

Fiancée?

 

Sophia pouted in displeasure. He used to ignore her, never replied to her letters. She had felt so small before Yulicias when he used those facts like weapons. But she never wanted him to find out how his absence and indifference had hurt her. If he ever knew that she had grown weak because of him, she didn’t think she could ever face him again.

 

“Why did you come?”

 

“Of course a day like this should be spent together with your fiancée.”

 

“Even so, we should follow the rules. And you came into a male-restricted area…”

 

“Are you afraid I’ll eat you up or something?”

 

The man knelt on one knee and moved some clothes to make space for her. The faint smile on his face and the light on it made him feel even harder to approach.

 

“I’m not worried about that.”

 

“Then why do you keep stressing that this is a male-restricted area?”

 

“Well…!”

 

“If you start talking about the Princess again, I won’t let it go.”

 

His heavy gaze lazily covered her. The close distance, the clothes, and the Duke’s shadow all made Sophia feel trapped, and the words “Are you afraid I’ll eat you?” echoed in her mind. She pulled her clothes tighter.

 

When she stayed quiet, he lifted a hand and gently brushed her cheek. Maybe because it was dark, Sophia found some courage and spoke.

 

“I still don’t understand why you got engaged to me.”

 

“Haven’t we already been over this?”

 

“But sometimes I wonder… I feel like everything you do is fake.”

 

“…”

 

“Why did you ignore my letters?”

 

Sophia finally asked. She felt like she had shown a very weak side of herself. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes moist. The Duke smiled and looked down at her.

 

“I ignored them?”

 

“You never replied to even one of them.”

 

“I don’t write letters. I never have.”

 

It was a terrible excuse. Sophia let out a frustrated breath. Maybe realizing how weak that sounded, the Duke softened his tone and added more persuasion.

 

“I mean it. I’ve never even written to the Emperor.”

 

“That’s hard to believe.”

 

“Why would I lie about something like that?”

 

“Then what about when we ran into each other in the palace garden last week? Are you going to say you didn’t see me? That you just didn’t recognize me?”

 

She had promised herself not to say these things, but somehow they just came out. The Duke let out a small “Ah.”

 

“That…”

 

That one sound told her everything. He had seen her. He had pretended not to. Sophia felt like she’d heard a full explanation.

 

“Forget it. Don’t say anything.”

 

Sophia turned her head. But the Duke grabbed her chin and made her look at him again. Sophia widened her eyes at his firm touch.

 

“And you? Are you so innocent?”

 

He asked. Sophia thought she misheard him.

 

“What did you say?”

 

“Can you place your hand on your heart and say you’re innocent?”

 

“What do you mean…”

 

“You think I don’t know you ride horses with *him* every morning?”

 

The Duke smiled like he was joking, but his hands were not gentle. When she turned her head away, he firmly adjusted her face back toward him.

 

Sophia opened her mouth in shock.

 

“T-That was…”

 

“That was?”

 

“We just help each other. I’m joining the hunting competition but I’m not good at riding, so…”

 

“There’s no way that sly guy is helping you out of kindness. Foolish Sophia, he’s using that as leverage.”

 

The Duke said. Sophia blinked in confusion.

 

“How do you know him?”

 

“How do you know him?”

 

His sleepy gaze seemed to say, “If you don’t tell the truth, you’ll regret it.” Sophia answered awkwardly.

 

“I had to go to the shopping district alone for the Princess once, and I almost got robbed. He saved me. But… how do you even know I was riding horses with him? There was no one else around.”

 

“I’m not surprised. Showing up just when you were getting robbed? Of course he would.”

 

“What?”

 

“I mean, he showed up when you were weakest.”

 

The Duke kept saying strange things. The man may have been a bit rough, but he wasn’t sneaky or opportunistic like the Duke made him sound. In fact, he didn’t lie and was more sincere than the Duke, who only *pretended* to be kind. Sophia knew she shouldn’t defend him here, but she couldn’t help it.

 

“Don’t say that. He’s not like that.”

 

“…”

 

A short silence followed. The Duke stared at her quietly for a long time.

 

“Ah!”

 

Sophia frowned and pushed him away because his grip on her chin hurt. But he didn’t let go.

 

“You’re already like this. I thought I had more time.”

 

The Duke muttered softly, like he was talking to himself. Sophia grew annoyed again and tried to push his hand away.

 

“Let me go. Don’t act like you can just come and go as you please.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

As if he hadn’t done anything, the Duke let go. Then he pulled Sophia out from the clothes and sat across from her. Even curled up, his presence felt big. Sitting together like this in a small space made Sophia uneasy, so she glanced outside.

 

“Then tell me. What do you think of him? Is he really that nice? Wasn’t there anything strange about him?”

 

“No. Nothing.”

 

“Really?”

 

The Duke raised an eyebrow. Whenever he looked at her like that, Sophia always felt like she was being scolded, and it made her shrink. If she lied now, she felt like she’d get into real trouble.