I Am the 5-Year-Old Spy Who Kidnapped the Villain - Chapter 177

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

【Chapter 177】

When I heard that Kail was returning, I simulated several scenarios of what would happen when I met him again.

That guy is so honest and straightforward after all.

‘Aisha. Did you postpone the marriage?’

He could bring up the main topic right away as soon as he saw me.

Then how should I answer?

Hmm.

Suddenly my chest felt ticklish and my whole body twisted.

I don’t know why my face is burning hot…

More than that, does this world originally skip dating and go straight to marriage?

Of course, almost all the nobles around me did that.

But Kail wasn’t originally a noble, right?

Or he could say this.

‘A marriage proposal will soon go to the Croste family. Let’s unfold it together.’

Pop.

“Kyahat-!”

“…Lady?”

When I suddenly screamed while walking down the corridor, a nearby maid turned around in surprise.

Then seeing me completely frozen, she approached with a worried expression to check on me.

Wow. It feels like a volcano erupted from the top of my head.

My face turned so red it felt cooked, as if smoke was rising from it.

“Ah, I’m fine. You can just pass by.”

“…I understand. Please let me know if anything happens.”

Anyway, there was one situation I would soon face.

I had to resolve the marriage issue with Kail.

When I arrived at the castle entrance, I could see servants already waiting nearby.

Among people of similar height, a white head stood out prominently.

It was Kail.

He didn’t seem to know I had arrived yet, but surely if our eyes met, he would run over like a puppy.

While I stood there anxiously.

In the white snowy plain, I made direct eye contact with violet eyes that caught my attention.

“Aisha.”

As expected, as soon as Kail spotted me, he approached through the crowd.

‘Finally, it begins.’

Gulp.

I swallowed dry saliva and barely managed to lift the corners of my mouth.

“Oh, you’re here? You arrived earlier than expected?”

Even I thought I sounded quite awkward and strange, but his lips curved into a gentle arc.

“Yeah. Because I missed you.”

“…”

Haha. Hahaha!

This handsome man said he missed me!

Hahahaha!

‘How does he say such embarrassing things?’

“What about you?”

My head felt like it would explode, so I was barely breathing roughly, when a pleasant low voice asked me from above my head.

My cheeks are going to wear out.

Because Kail keeps staring at me.

I turned my head pretending not to know and muttered.

“Uh, yeah. I was bored too.”

“You missed me because you were bored? There was no other reason?”

As expected, he stubbornly asked again.

Surely what Kail wanted to hear was ‘I missed you too.’

But I’m not as honest as you.

And most of all… I’m not even sure how I feel about Kail.

Kail liked me romantically.

No matter how much I denied it thinking ‘no way-‘, I couldn’t help but know when he confessed this much.

I worried if it was okay for someone like me to accept his feelings.

Because he’s only known me until now.

He only looked at me when we were young, and he spent the last 10 years rolling around in the snowy plains before just coming to the ducal palace, so he had no time to interact with other people.

But that was when he was a monster cat, and the current Kail is different.

He gained the dignified status of Young Marquis of the House of Shulets, he’s very handsome, and he’s already receiving a lot of attention from young ladies in high society.

I wanted to give Kail true freedom.

Not just me as the only option, but I wanted him to realize there were many other choices too.

“Hmm. By the way, are you okay? You’re always overworked when you’re in the snowy plains.”

“You were worried about me.”

See?

Even now he’s smiling brightly as if he’s happy just from one word of concern.

“…”

Even while thinking this, I found myself staring at his face without realizing it.

It was because I was caught up in the wicked thought of whether I really needed to give him other options.

Shouldn’t I catch him while I can?

He likes me anyway.

Hmm.

‘Should I bring up marriage first…’

After thinking that, I suddenly realized.

Contrary to my expectations, Kail wasn’t bringing up marriage.

He probably forgot while talking.

I guess it would be better if I brought it up first…?

“Ahem. By the way Kail, I postponed it.”

“Postponed? What?”

Ah, it’s embarrassing to say it outright.

Biting my lower lip, I scratched my cheek for no reason and timidly muttered.

“Marriage. Somehow the arranged marriage talk itself got canceled. And, what you said about postponing marriage also bothered me a little.”

At my words, Kail’s eyes gradually widened.

He asked with a noticeably bright face.

“You did well. It wasn’t a man you loved, right?”

“Of course! It was an arranged marriage from the beginning!”

“Then that’s a relief. Marriage should be with a man you love. Got it?”

“…?”

“Ah, I’m hungry. Let’s go eat now.”

It wasn’t the reaction I expected, so I nodded slowly, but suddenly he grabbed my wrist and led me.

For the reason that he was hungry.

After that, tea time.

In the evening, walking around the castle.

Drinking cocoa.

Staring at the fire.

As if he had made a list of things he wanted to do when he returned to the ducal palace, he grabbed my wrist and roamed around the castle.

Even while being dragged around like a paper doll, Kail didn’t say a single word about marriage.

Is this the end?

What about that burdensome proposal?

What about all that talk of marrying a Maein?

“Kail.”

“Yeah. Aisha.”

When I called his name but said nothing more, his long, straight fingers gently tapped my nose bridge without hurting me.

“Why did you call me?”

“Hmm. Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“Something to say?”

“Yeah.”

He stared at me intently, then chuckled softly.

“Your hair has grown quite long. It’s pretty.”

“….”

With that, I realized.

That Kail had decided not to talk about marriage.

‘Well… he probably wasn’t serious about it in the first place.’

He must have just said it once because he’d become an adult, trying to act like human adults do.

Out of simple curiosity.

Since he wasn’t completely human, he probably didn’t know exactly what marriage was, so he could bring it up easily.

But.

‘Do you know what you do when you get married?’

Did he really not know?

I remembered that anxious question he’d asked in front of the fireplace before leaving for the snowy plains.

Kail would know.

Probably even more than I did.

“….”

Feeling inexplicably dejected, I lowered my gaze and stared at the innocent floor.

‘…I wasn’t thinking about marriage with Kail either.’

I really wasn’t thinking about it.

But seeing how empty and hollow a corner of my heart felt, maybe I had been hoping a little.

* * *

Regardless of my emotions, daily life flowed on as usual.

And I wasn’t the type to mope around after being rejected by Kail.

“I need to confirm it! Whether Bishop is really a spy or not!”

That’s right!

I have tons of things to do!

‘I don’t have time to feel rejected by some handsome man who’s always clinging to me!’

What was really fortunate in this situation was that Kail’s participation was confirmed before I even had to ask him about entering the tournament.

It seemed they had already marked him, as Grace had His Majesty deliver a participation proposal through the Marquis of Shulets.

The Marquis thought it would be a good opportunity to highlight Kail’s presence in high society and readily agreed.

And so, on the day of the tournament.

Festive fireworks burst cheerfully over the Academy building that had been wrapped in peaceful silence.

“Wow, it’s tournament day!”

“It’s definitely a tournament, but why does it feel like a festival and make me so excited?”

“Of course you’re excited when so many people came to watch, you idiot.”

Students gathered in small groups in front of the tournament hall, their faces flushed with excitement despite their nervous expressions.

This was the first Academy-hosted event that families could attend as spectators.

All the participating students were brightly animated, waving to their families in the audience seating.

Of course, not everyone was purely happy about it.

“Why do we have to do this?”

“They’re giving prizes to first place. We just have to endure it.”

“Befriend monsters and bring them along? Just give them snacks and they’ll follow you around.”

Naturally, there were students who were skeptical about monster training itself.

Most of them were children of the opposing nobles of the royal family.

‘I can see some children from the families on the list that Sedric wrote…’

There were many things I needed to check as soon as I arrived at the tournament.

Bishop, whose identity I still hadn’t figured out, and more children of opposing nobles than I’d expected.

Now that I knew the truth, enemies were everywhere.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————