Chapter 8 (Part 1)

My goodness. What did I just see?

Richelle blinked repeatedly, unable to believe what she had just witnessed.

She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop. She was merely walking down the hallway, heading to her lesson.

Then she heard Earl Selkirk and Reina talking in the hallway and decided to observe them. But she never expected Commander Patrick to suddenly appear and drag Reina into the guest room….

Anyone who saw it might think Commander Patrick was jealous of the two.

The moment the door closed with a thud, it sounded like he had forcefully pushed Reina against it. Having never seen such a side of him before, Richelle was so shocked that she had to stop in her tracks.

After regaining her composure, she pondered for a moment.

Could it be that the man Reina likes is Commander Patrick? What on earth is going on?

Amidst her confusion, Richelle recalled one unbelievable fact: Patrick was engaged.

She had recently learned through the knights’ conversations that he had a fiancée.

Wasn’t it Lady Berkshire?

She had heard that Lady Berkshire had been visiting the training grounds frequently. Seeing a man with such a beautiful fiancée act like that made Richelle’s eyes widen.

Could it be?

She recalled Reina’s suspicious behavior, awkward speech, and the content of her worries.

Thinking back to how Reina had acted as if she was in a forbidden love and never revealing who the man was, Richelle nodded in understanding.

It’s Commander Patrick. It is. Ah, so that’s it.

As soon as she accepted it, the surprises continued.

Knowing Patrick’s character better than anyone, she felt reassured that he was the object of Reina’s affection. It was far better than some ill-mannered playboy.

But it still didn’t make sense. Could Commander Patrick really be the type to juggle two relationships?

The Patrick she knew would never do such a thing. It was even more unlikely that he would do anything to hurt Reina.

Hadn’t he always quietly cleaned up her messes and protected her from behind?

What on earth is going on?

The more she thought about it, the more questions arose, growing larger and larger.

Could there be some unavoidable circumstances?

Wait a minute.

‘How about sleeping with him once? If you’re not sexually compatible, your feelings might cool off afterward.’

Richelle had suggested that to Reina when she didn’t know who the man was, and had even told her to wear sexy lingerie. And from the day after Reina wore the lingerie, her behavior had changed.

“Does this even make sense?”

The more Richelle recalled past events, the paler her face became. Then she let out a hollow laugh.

Reina successfully seduced that upright and steadfast man who treats women like rocks?

No matter how she thought about it, it didn’t make sense. 

That mischievous troublemaker becoming the lover of that stoic and reliable man?

Even though they had known each other for a long time, Richelle had never seen them as potential romantic partners. So for their feelings to ignite so suddenly was unbelievable.

Was it the power of love? No, the necklace’s color hadn’t changed.

Like Duke Lennox, Richelle was confused. Believing the necklace identified one’s destined partner, the current situation was baffling.

However, having witnessed it with her own eyes, she had no choice but to believe it.

Love makes a man fearless….

Combining his fearless actions with the things Reina had told her, Patrick now seemed different. After all, he was just a man like any other in front of the woman he loved.

Richelle let out a helpless laugh.

She had pushed her father to pursue the engagement with Earl Selkirk, hoping Reina would do well with him.

She immediately abandoned her support for Earl Selkirk. Now, she wanted to support Reina’s love.

But there were still unresolved issues.

The biggest problem was Duke Lennox, followed by Lady Berkshire.

After a brief contemplation, Richelle decided not to interfere in Reina’s affairs anymore. Intervening seemed to make things worse, so it was best to step back.

* * *

While Richelle was coming to her conclusion, Patrick and Reina were sharing a passionate kiss. A kiss that involved their tongues entwining as they embraced each other.

The sticky, soft sensation invaded her mouth, tracing her tongue. Their breaths mingled as their tongues entangled.

“Mm, mmph.”

As if releasing all his pent-up emotions, Patrick roughly explored Reina’s lips. The more he greedily sucked in her saliva and breath, the more it felt like he was consuming her.

Patrick had pushed Reina this far because he couldn’t contain his rage upon seeing Earl Selkirk kiss the back of her hand.

Even though there was nothing special between them, his jealousy should have quickly subsided, but it didn’t. He needed to discuss the capital’s security issues with Duke Lennox, but he couldn’t focus at all.

‘Excuse me for a moment.’

‘Yes, do as you need.’

Thus, Patrick had to stand up in the middle of their conversation. Duke Lennox looked extremely surprised, as it was the first time such a thing had happened.

Even knowing it was rude, Patrick couldn’t bear to leave Reina and Earl Selkirk alone for another moment.

As a result, he grabbed her hand and dragged her into the guest room, pushing her against the wall and roughly claiming her lips, regardless of who might be watching.

Though it wasn’t their first kiss, the more he kissed her, the more desperate he felt.

His jealousy seemed to intensify his thirst. He was filled with a desire to be intimate with her right then and there, but he couldn’t.

The study was right next door. So, it was only natural for the sound to leak out.

Patrick managed to pull away only after his patience had reached its limit. But by then, he had sucked so hard that the root of his tongue was tingling.

As Reina, exhausted from the intense kiss, staggered, Patrick wrapped his arms around her waist to support her.

“Are you okay?”

When Reina looked up at Patrick with a smile, he gently caressed her swollen lower lip.

“It’s swollen. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

She seemed calm, contrary to his expectation that she might complain. She probably understood why he had suddenly dragged her away and kissed her.

“There’s no need to worry.”

Reina had to lie to Patrick.

Right now, his brown eyes were filled with desire, jealousy, and lust. If she spoke honestly, she feared his rationality would snap, so she couldn’t provoke him.

“Ah, is it okay for you to suddenly leave the study?”

She quickly changed the subject. Come to think of it, they shouldn’t be kissing like this right now.

“Probably not.”

Patrick gave a wry smile. But there was no trace of regret in his eyes about what he had just done.

Had he been so angry that he abandoned his duties?

Though his behavior was unfamiliar, she didn’t dislike it. Knowing that it was a side of him shown only to her, Reina felt satisfied. Of course, she felt sorry for her father, who must have been furious about Patrick’s rude behavior.

* * *

That evening, Duke Lennox couldn’t sleep until late at night. He was deeply troubled.

Why do I have this ominous feeling, though I want to deny it?

Patrick’s unusual behavior kept bothering him.

Duke Lennox knew well what the look in Patrick’s eyes meant when he briefly left today. It was the same look he had once given the Duchess.

The look of a man consumed by jealousy.

He had clearly heard Reina, Earl Selkirk, and Knox teasing them outside the door. Considering Patrick’s sudden departure, it was easy to infer that Patrick was the man Reina liked.

And it wasn’t one-sided; it was mutual.

He had wondered who this elusive person was, but if it was Patrick, it made sense. Patrick was extremely perceptive and equally skilled at concealing his presence.

However, Duke Lennox couldn’t understand the situation he was in.

Reina likes Commander Marionus? Since when? If this was the case, why didn’t they fall for each other earlier? Why is this happening now, after the person who changed the necklace appeared?

He could not easily accept the situation, as he had already given up on that hope. With the confusion piling up, his mind felt blank.