ETHTKE chapter 51

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“Ugh…”

For some reason, a strange sense of frustration opened my eyes slowly.

I blinked blankly at the ceiling, noticing it looked familiar…

…Wait, familiar?

That’s odd.

Didn’t I fall asleep in my own room last night?

I’m sure I passed out after drinking.

So why am I in Baek Yigang’s bedroom?

It’s like an eternal loop—no matter where I fall asleep, I always wake up in the same place.

It might not sound like a big deal when you hear about it, but experiencing it firsthand is quite terrifying.

And even though this ceiling looks familiar, it’s not my room.

That, in itself, is ridiculous. It’s saying my own room feels strange to me now.

Thanks to this unrealistic ceiling, I woke up a little more and tried to get up.

But for some reason, I couldn’t move at all.

It was as if something was tightly holding me down… more precisely, someone seemed to have placed their arm across my stomach.

There’s only one person on this earth who can give me such an eerie feeling.

Just in case, I slowly turned my head.

And as I feared, Baek Yigang was lying right next to me.

His eyes were closed, as if he were asleep, while he was holding me.

“Gasp.”

I let out a startled breath without realizing it.

I had vaguely expected Baek Yigang to be there, but expecting it didn’t stop me from being shocked.

“W-What? Baek Yigang, what are you doing here?!”

My heart pounded uncontrollably as I shouted in confusion, and Baek Yigang’s eyes slowly opened.

He still held me, just like someone who had just woken up from sleep.

Wow… I almost became the world’s worst person for waking someone up.

Look at those sleepy eyes! His acting has really improved!

As I stood there in disbelief, Baek Yigang quietly looked up at me and slowly opened his mouth.

“Can’t you tell just by looking?”

“How could I possibly know? I know you can’t fall asleep, but still!”

I retorted, thinking it was obvious.

His eyes narrowed at me.

Seeing that, I flinched involuntarily.

That look meant Baek Yigang wasn’t pleased with my attitude.

How many times have I been on the receiving end of that gaze?

My body remembered well enough.

“You’re the one who fell asleep first and left me wide awake all night. So now I’m tired.”

“…Ahem.”

His blunt words hit me unexpectedly, and I let out an awkward cough.

I didn’t think he’d actually bring that up.

But seriously, this is the same guy who always brushes me off when I offer to help him sleep, and now he’s annoyed that I didn’t do it this time.

Honestly, does he think I’m some kind of personal sleep aid machine?

…Well, to be fair, he’s not entirely wrong. But anyway.

If I argue further, those sharp eyes will stick around for a while. Better to just swallow my complaints.

“More importantly, now that you’re awake, can you let go of me? What if someone sees?”

Even now, Baek Yigang’s arm was still draped across my stomach.

Or more accurately, he was hugging my waist.

Same difference.

“Why? Does it matter if someone sees?”

I looked down at him in disbelief, but he gazed back at me with innocent eyes, as if he genuinely had no idea why that would be a problem.

His violet eyes, which had been glaring at me just a moment ago, were now soft and gentle like a lamb’s.

At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder—how many beasts are hiding inside that dark man?

“You really think it’s fine for two guys to be hugging in bed early in the morning?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“…Huh?”

“Isn’t it fine?”

He asked so casually, with those innocent eyes, that I had no response.

Normally, anyone would have gotten the hint by now and let go… right?

“I mean, it’s not like it’s a huge problem, but…”

“Then it’s settled. Now lie back down.”

Baek Yigang chuckled softly as he saw me struggle to find words, then tugged at my sleeve, urging me to lie down again.

“What? You’re not asking me to help you sleep now, are you? It’s morning!”

“Lie down.”

“Yes.”

His commanding tone instantly shut me up.

Ugh, isn’t this abuse of power?

He’s always threatening, forcing, ordering me around… do this, do that…

Even my mom didn’t treat me this roughly when I was growing up!

“Ask me.”

“Ask what?”

He tossed out the words so casually, without any context.

I glanced over at him, but Baek Yigang had already closed his eyes again, no longer looking at me.

“What you’re curious about.”

His voice was calm, leaving the statement hanging in the air.

Out of nowhere, asking me to inquire about my curiosities…

Of course, there’s a lot I want to ask. I could go on all day, and it wouldn’t be enough.

From the recent rebellion to the traitorous factions, I could ask questions for an entire day and still not cover everything.

But for now, there’s only one thing on my mind…

“The national marriage… what’s going on with that?”

As if he had expected the question, Baek Yigang didn’t react much.

His voice remained calm and straightforward.

“In two weeks, the princess of Arthe will arrive.”

“Why? To get married?”

At my reflexive question, Baek Yigang’s half-closed eyes opened slightly.

“Fortunately, national marriages aren’t rushed affairs.”

“Then…?”

“The engagement comes first.”

Well, that makes sense.

Royal engagements are pretty much a requirement.

Unless it’s a small kingdom, an empire-level marriage is not something easily broken.

An engagement is a way to publicly announce the union between two empires, giving everyone a chance to anticipate the political and financial benefits—or the potential losses—of the upcoming marriage.

It’s the best method to gauge the impact of such a union in advance.

That’s why engagements happen before the marriage.

But that’s just the standard reasoning. I’m more curious about something else.

“They haven’t even met, and they’re getting engaged? Don’t they usually meet a few times first?”

“Better than marrying right away.”

“Well, true…”

It’s extreme, but he’s not wrong.

Meeting beforehand isn’t a strict requirement, and it varies by situation.

In this case, I guess they won’t meet.

“They’re not complete strangers, so it doesn’t matter.”

“You’ve met the princess before?”

“I have, but it doesn’t mean anything. It was a long time ago.”

I see. Since the two nations aren’t far apart, it’s not surprising they’ve interacted before.

They must have met during some large-scale national event.

However, Baek Yigang seemed entirely indifferent about the meeting, as if it held no significance for him.

“Anyway, I have to head to the office early today. You should get ready too.”

“The festival isn’t over yet, but you’re going to work right away? There’s still a party scheduled for today.”

Was I being naïve for asking that?

Baek Yigang’s lips curved into a soft smile at my words.

“For people like us, showing our faces on the first day is enough. If I stick around too long, no one will think it’s a festival anymore.”

Oh, is that how it is?

I guess it’s like when the boss pays for dinner and leaves early—no one expects them to stick around.

That explanation made sense to me now.

“But is the festival really going to end like this? You didn’t even get to enjoy it. You’re the crown prince, after all. Don’t you deserve a little break?”

Not to mention, I haven’t enjoyed the festival or the parties either!

The image of a lavish feast floated in front of me.

It was painful to let go of such lingering regrets.

Come to think of it, all I had at the party was alcohol. I’m not a drunkard—how could I only drink at a party and leave?

“There’s nothing else for me after this.”

But his cold, brief response shattered any remaining hope I had.

“Ah, that’s too bad. I really wanted to experience the festival…”

To be honest, I wanted to see the results of Reggie and Blue working as fireworks slaves at the festival.

That incredible moment, where the reason they avoid Baek Yigang gets updated every minute, every second.

Whether I expressed my disappointment or not, Baek Yigang rose from the bed with a wicked look, pretending not to hear anything.

“Stop dawdling and get up. It’s time to use your brain like a proper strategist again.”

When did he tell me to lie down?

Now, with a freshly washed face, Baek Yigang started nagging.

“Ha, that’s funny. Since when did you ever treat me like a strategist?”

“What did you just say?”

“…Nothing.”

Quickly hiding my pouting lips, I groaned and slowly got out of bed.

“I really hate you.”

“Even though you like me.”

Even though I openly expressed my dislike, Baek Yigang smiled brightly, as if he was completely unaffected.

Ugh…! I hate how shameless he is, this damn Baek Yigang!

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