The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 163

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Forsaken Prince’s Phantom Bride
Side Story 13. Kaiser’s Threads of Fate (5)

“Geez, why am I doing this…?”
“No excuses. Hands up.”
At Lia’s stern command, Kaiser pressed both arms tight against his ears.
He was currently on his knees, enduring a barrage of nagging and scolding from her.
“Are you all right?”
“…Yes.”
“I’m sorry. He’s not a bad person, but sometimes—well, quite often—he does foolish things. We apologize on his behalf.”
If he did such things that often, wasn’t he just a bad person, period?
Beatrice decided to accept their kindness and sipped her cocoa in long, deliberate pulls.
Though her face wore an innocent expression, her eyes were sharp and calculating as she studied Lia and Lucian.
‘One of them is ordinary, but the other is a witch, clearly.’
So his companions were human after all?
That self-absorbed Kaiser, mixing so naturally with humans instead of dragons—she found it almost impossible to believe.
And worse, being scolded like a child by a mere witch at that.
It was the complete opposite of how she’d seen him at the Dragon Gathering.
“Hey! I told you, he’s not just human! He’s actually—!”
“Right, he’s not just human—he’s some poor soul you kidnapped from somewhere.”
“Kaiser, even if you’ve been thoughtless before, how could you kidnap someone?”
“Argh! I’m losing my mind! Hey, you say something!”
“…Why are you treating me like this? I’m meeting you for the first time today. Then suddenly… hic!”
“Would you look at that shamelessness, for heaven’s sake?”
“Sob! Even if I am beautiful, that’s no excuse…! How could you do that to someone you’ve just met!”
As Beatrice covered her face with both hands in mock tears, Lia and Lucian rushed to comfort her.
Seeing their concern, Beatrice turned on an even more pathetic performance.
“But…you’re saying Kaiser kidnapped you because you’re beautiful?”
“Yes, that’s right! When I refused, he just suddenly…!”
Beatrice squeezed out tears and launched into an earnest act. But then came an unexpected response.
“Hmm, Kaiser did?”
“…Yes. But why are you asking like that?”
Lia and Lucian exchanged glances, then let out knowing smiles.
“You’re not human, are you?”
“Yes, that’s right. Kaiser and I originally knew each other—wait, no! That’s not it! I mean, suddenly asking if I’m human, what kind of—!”
Beatrice felt cold sweat trickling down as she half-confessed, but Lia and Lucian had already grasped the situation to some degree.
“I thought so. If you’d been genuinely kidnapped, we’d have been on guard too.”
“Or we’d have asked you to report it to the authorities.”
“Ah, but I…this is…!”
Still holding his arms up, Kaiser shouted at the bewildered Beatrice at the top of his lungs.
“That’s right! She’s not human—she’s a dragon like me! Remember? That Black Dragon I fought with way back!”
“Ah, so you’re the one who cried a river…!”
“I didn’t cry!”
Watching Lia and Lucian giggle despite Kaiser’s irritation, Beatrice realized she’d gotten herself into a real mess.

* * *

“Introductions were delayed. I’m Lia, and this is my husband, Lucian.”
“Pleased to meet you, Dragon. It seems Kaiser has caused you quite a bit of trouble.”
“…I’m Beatrice.”
After hearing the whole story, they exchanged names. It was strange enough that they didn’t seem surprised she was a dragon, but more surprising still was that they already knew Kaiser’s true nature.
“Why was I being scolded in the first place?”
“You brought a woman here wrapped in cloth—shouldn’t you expect a scolding?”
“But why did you go to such a place in the first place? What would you have done if something had gone wrong?”
“It seemed like something worth seeing, so I went. Now I’ve lost all my money because of it.”
“At least you got it back.”
“That’s separate from being swindled. And! Besides, I bought her, so I can do whatever I want with her—ow! Why are you hitting me!”
“Because. You. Deserve. It. That’s. Why!”
Watching Lia punctuate each word with another strike against Kaiser, Beatrice found herself shrinking back.
“Anyway, when are you ever going to grow up?”
“Shut it, you brat! I don’t want to hear that from you of all people!”
“That’s exactly why you should grow up—so you won’t have to hear it.”
Watching him bicker so casually with Lucian, Beatrice felt something stir inside her.
‘I’ve never seen Kaiser like this before.’
Every time they met at the Dragon Gathering, he’d never cared much for socializing.
He lacked any grace in conversation, and since he only thought of himself, communication was impossible.
‘His strength was such that no other dragon dared challenge him.’
But now, Kaiser seemed as relaxed and open as if he were with family.
So much so that watching him filled her with something dangerously close to envy.
“Anyway! I never planned to keep her around forever. I told you two—let’s split up for a week.”
Just then, Kaiser slipped free from Lia’s grasp and ducked behind Beatrice.
When he placed a hand on her shoulder, Beatrice flinched.
“Wandering alone is boring! I’ll stick with her while you two are away.”
“Oh, so that’s what this was about?”
“Well, Kaiser wouldn’t be completely thoughtless about it, I suppose.”
“…These two really do keep treating me like a child, don’t they?”
Watching Kaiser pout with his lip thrust out, Beatrice opened her mouth.
“…A week?”
“Hm? Yeah, I mean, even if I bought you for 10,000 Gold, I wasn’t planning to drag you around forever. You must have your own schedule.”
“Well, I suppose that’s true…”
“So in exchange for the 10,000 Gold, just spend a week with me.”
“A week is all it takes?”
“Yeah, we’ve already spent one day, so six days are left now.”
Truthfully, the 10,000 Gold Kaiser mentioned was just an excuse; she believed he’d spent that much from the start with her in mind. So she should have accepted his proposal readily enough. But…
‘Why does this feel so unpleasant?’
Beatrice sensed an inexplicable discomfort. When she looked at Kaiser, he’d grown cheerful, chuckling softly to himself.
It was a smile she’d never seen from him before.
Something tightened in Beatrice’s chest, and she clenched her fists.
“I have other friends to spend time with, you know.”
“Right, you haven’t seen each other in a while. Go have a good time and come back.”
“You don’t even have to make it exactly six days.”
Lia and Lucian each responded differently to Kaiser’s boasting.
But they shared one thing in common: they were intimate in a way that left no room for anyone else to intrude.
That uncomfortable truth drove Beatrice to her feet. She seized Kaiser’s hand without warning.
“Hm?”
“What are we doing sitting here? You said six days, didn’t you? We should be out making the most of them, not wasting time here. See you in six days, then.”
“What? Right now? Hey, wait a—!”
Whether Kaiser protested or not, Beatrice dragged him out the door. Lia and Lucian watched them go with some bewilderment.
“…They should be fine, right? They knew each other before. Right, Lia?”
“…”
“Lia?”
At Lucian’s call, Lia snapped back from her thoughts.
“Hmm? What did you say?”
“Nothing, just… I wondered if Kaiser would be all right.”
“…Lucian, our traveling party might be growing larger.”
“What do you mean?”
Lia wore a knowing smile.
She had clearly seen it—the light in Beatrice’s eyes just before she left, the look she’d shot at her and Lucian.
It was something dangerously close to jealousy.

* * *

“What happens if we just leave suddenly like this?”
“Then you’d have stayed? I’m uncomfortable around people I’ve just met.”
“I see.”
And even if that weren’t the reason, watching the three of them talk had stirred something inside her—an emotion she couldn’t quite name, rising up from her chest in waves.
‘Why did I do that?’
She regretted it now, but the deed was already done.
“I’m sorry.”
“…Hm?”
At his sudden apology, Beatrice blinked. Kaiser played with his hair, looking embarrassed.
“I didn’t think about how uncomfortable it might be for you. Sorry.”
It was astounding. Kaiser—that Kaiser—was apologizing. And over something so trivial, at that.
Beatrice’s lips parted, then she abruptly turned away.
“Never mind! I owe you anyway, so I’ll play along for a week. What do you want to do?”
“Going out now? It’s already nine.”
“…Oh, it is.”
The Kyes Kingdom’s safety record was poor; most travelers knew better than to venture out after eight in the evening.
For someone like them, it didn’t matter much, but the poor security meant shops wouldn’t be open at this hour, leaving little to explore.
“Do you have somewhere to sleep?”
“No.”
“Then sleep in my room.”
“M-me, sleep in your room?! Are you insane?!”
Beatrice jumped up in panic while Kaiser cocked his head curiously.
“You said you don’t have anywhere to sleep. Do you really think you can find a room at another hotel at this hour? And there’s a big festival coming soon, so rooms in this area are probably all taken.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Besides, the room is huge. One more person won’t make it uncomfortable, so just sleep quietly.”
“You’re really just going to sleep, right?”
“…? What else would we do?”
At Kaiser’s casual response, Beatrice felt her lips twitch before she sighed.
“…Fine, let’s go. But understand this—if you lay even a finger on me, you’re dead.”
Beatrice knew Kaiser had no ulterior motives, yet she felt an odd sense of emptiness all the same.

* * *

“Bea, wake up.”
“Mm…”
At the sensation of her shoulder being shaken, Beatrice’s brow furrowed. Still heavy with sleep, she murmured and buried her face forward, seeking warmth.
“Just a little longer…”
“No more excuses. Wake up.”
“Why do you keep waking me…?”
Against the firmness of his voice and touch, she had no choice but to comply.
Rubbing her eyes open, she was met with flesh-tones filling her entire vision, and her thoughts ground to a halt.
“…Huh?”
“Your sleeping habits are really bad. I told you not to roll onto me.”
As she stiffly lifted her head, Kaiser came into view right before her face.
She currently had her face buried in his chest.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
Beatrice let out a shriek and shoved Kaiser with all her strength, sending him tumbling off the bed.
“What are you doing?!”
“Me? That’s what I should be asking! How did you end up like that?! I distinctly told you not to get on my side of the bed!”
“…Hey, look at where you’re sitting right now.”
“I don’t need to look! You pervert! Even if we’re in human form, how could you—!”
Her face burning, Beatrice’s words trailed off as she took in her actual position on the bed.
The right side of the large bed. She’d definitely fallen asleep on the left side. There was Kaiser on the right, and she’d placed a pillow in the middle to establish a boundary…
“…Wait.”
“I didn’t cross the line. You did.”
The pillow barrier lay scattered across the floor at the foot of the bed.
Even though both of them had taken human form through Polymorph, they were still adult dragons in their prime, so she’d seriously cautioned him not to harbor any improper thoughts and built that pillow barrier between them.
‘I…I attacked Kaiser?’
Beatrice found herself unable to make sense of the situation at all.
Seeing her confusion, Kaiser sighed and approached.
And that’s when Beatrice noticed Kaiser’s upper body—bare.
‘W…w…wow!’
Why was her heart racing over a mere human form? She had no idea where to rest her eyes.
“W-why are you shirtless?!”
“Red Dragons run high body temperature. Normally I don’t wear anything to bed. It’s because you’re here that I’m wearing pants at all.”
“You have no shame…!”
“Yeah, you’re annoying. You’re awake now anyway, right?”
“…What?”
“I mean, we agreed you’d spend six days with me.”
Kaiser pulled on his shirt and drew back the curtains.
Bright sunlight streamed in, illuminating his smiling face.
“I’m going to make sure I get my money’s worth. Let’s head out.”
The sight of him was like a portrait—something that made anyone naturally nod in agreement.
And Beatrice, of course, was no exception.

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