The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 165

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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 Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride
Side Story 15. Kaiser’s Bonds (7)

“Ah, that was fun. What should we do next?”
Over the remaining two days, Kaiser and Beatrice spent their time industriously sightseeing around the city—things they hadn’t been able to do until now.
After dinner, as Kaiser watched the sky beginning to glow with twilight, he fell silent.
“There’s not much time left.”
“Huh? What isn’t?”
“The deadline we promised.”
Only then did Beatrice realize what Kaiser meant, and her face hardened.
A shadow flickered across her features, but she forced a bright smile.
“That was the deal we made. If you want to end it early, I’ll let you.”
With those words, Beatrice kicked at a nearby stone. A brief silence settled between them.
Noticing something amiss, Beatrice turned her head. Kaiser was frowning.
“Bebe.”
“Y-yes…?”
At first, she’d thought he was using the ridiculous nickname as a joke, but now it sounded almost like a term of endearment.
And the way he was setting the mood made her tense despite herself.
“From now on, you—”
“Oh, there you are.”
Before Kaiser could finish, a stranger’s voice cut in. When she turned, Lia and Lucian stood before them, dressed to the nines.
“Lia? Lucian?”
At Kaiser’s noticeably brightened voice, Beatrice’s fists clenched.
“Perfect timing. We were actually looking for you.”
“Looking for us?”
“A famous theater troupe came to town today. We just bought tickets for their performance. Would you like to see it with us? Of course, you too. What do you say?”
“…Me too?”
“Of course. You’ve kept our Kaiser company for a whole week, after all. We should do at least this much for you.”
Seeing the couple smile so warmly, Beatrice felt her resistance crumble.
In the end, the two Dragons went to watch the performance with the humans.
“It’s quite a grand production…”
“I heard people came from distant provinces just to see this performance. We got special VIP seating for you.”
“Huh? Weren’t we all supposed to watch together?”
“Oh no, you’re not crashing a married couple’s date.”
Lucian drew the line, reminding Kaiser that a week hadn’t passed yet. Lia giggled at Kaiser’s grumbling.
“Kaiser, a moment.”
Kaiser bowed his head toward her beckoning hand.
“This might be the last time. You should end it with a nice date.”
“…What?”
As Kaiser’s face flushed and he stepped back, Lia giggled and spoke again.
“I don’t mind if you add another companion.”
“W-what are you saying!”
“Think carefully about what I said. Now, shall we head in first?”
Watching her exit leisurely with Lucian, Kaiser bit his lip.
“What exactly did that woman say?”
“…You didn’t hear?”
“She cast Magic like some witch or something.”
When he’d tried to eavesdrop with his Dragon hearing, she’d used Magic to obscure their conversation.
But seeing Kaiser’s face flush during that exchange was quite unpleasant.
“Hmph, I’m going ahead.”
“Why are you suddenly angry?”
“I’m not angry.”
“…You seem like it.”
The fact that Kaiser was checking her expression, awkward as it was, mellowed her mood just a little.
The two Dragons who entered the VIP Room were caught somewhat off guard by how confined the space was.
“…What were they thinking, choosing a place like this?”
“Better than being squeezed among the humans. Hmm, it’s not bad.”
Kaiser glanced sideways at Beatrice.
‘Is she not bothered at all?’
They’d shared the same room for a whole week, but that room had been large enough for them to romp about freely. Now, trapped in this small space alone with her, Kaiser suddenly became hyperaware of her presence.
“Sit down. The play’s starting.”
The sofa wasn’t individual seats either, but a connected three-seater. Kaiser sat awkwardly beside Beatrice.
She kept her gaze fixed on the stage, looking relaxed. Wondering if he alone was being self-conscious, Kaiser tried his best to focus on the play.
Even without Opera Glasses, a Dragon’s exceptional vision allowed him to see the actors’ vivid facial expressions clearly.
But no matter how entertaining or tragic the scene, the two Dragons watched it without any particular emotion.
‘This is dull. How much longer until it ends…?’
—I love you.
Then, two actors on stage began a passionate kiss. Seeing it unfold so openly, Kaiser flinched involuntarily, and his attention suddenly shifted entirely to Beatrice beside him.
‘Calm down. It’s just something humans do often. It’s not like you’ve never seen it before. So why…?’
As Beatrice thought this, the moment she stole a glance to see how Beatrice was reacting—
“…Ahem.”
In the darkness, he could see her face slightly flushed. The moment he saw it, Kaiser felt something snap in his mind.
Meanwhile, Beatrice felt as if her insides were on fire.
‘Why are they kissing and making such a fuss? And why does it have to be so long! I’m not the only one bothered, right? The atmosphere’s getting awkward, and of all things it had to be this scene…!’
“Bebe.”
Beatrice, who’d been lost in all manner of thoughts, jumped with a start and turned her head.
“…Yes?”
“What are you going to do starting tomorrow?”
“…Suddenly?”
“Our promised deadline is today, isn’t it? Are you planning to leave right away tomorrow?”
“I guess… I haven’t really thought about it.”
“…Don’t go.”
Beatrice, about to fall into contemplation, froze at the soft words that reached her ears.
When she turned, she could see Kaiser’s face, consumed with longing.
“Don’t go. Stay here with me.”
“You… do you realize what you’re saying?”
His words left plenty of room for misinterpretation. But knowing Kaiser’s usual nature, she felt she might be overthinking it.
“The couple, you know. They haven’t been playing with me, so I’m stuck with you. I don’t like this. I’m going to leave.”
Beatrice had been here in the first place because Kaiser needed a substitute while they were occupied.
She owed him a debt, and she’d been bored going around alone anyway—so she’d simply agreed to keep him company.
‘I won’t let myself be swayed any further.’
With that thought, Beatrice turned her head sharply. Then Kaiser reached out his arms and trapped her between them.
Caught suddenly in Kaiser’s arms, Beatrice couldn’t make sense of the situation.
“Kaiser, you! Your jokes go too far—!”
“Can’t you… not go?”
Stopping mid-complaint, Beatrice saw Kaiser’s distorted expression. Only then did his face come into proper focus.
Why did he look so desperate?
It seemed like he was angry, anxious, filled with inexplicable longing all at once—
His green eyes boring into her made her naturally grow tense. They weren’t his usual indifferent gaze.
“Why… why are you like this? Move aside, now!”
“Bebe.”
“Why do you keep calling me that?! It’s embarrassing, so stop!”
“There’s something I want to try.”
“Are you even listening to me?!”
The situation was flowing strangely, and Beatrice tried to change the subject urgently, but it didn’t work. Before she knew it, Kaiser’s hand was stroking her cheek.
“Can I kiss you?”
Beatrice drew in a sharp breath.
What gleamed in Kaiser’s eyes was desire itself.
She couldn’t understand why he’d say such things when he’d never once looked at her as anything but a nuisance.
‘Did his feelings change over this week we spent together? Or maybe…?’
Perhaps it was just something he was saying to keep her.
In that instant, it felt as though cold water had been poured over her head. Her racing heart stopped abruptly, and she came to despise him with a burning intensity.
“Not knowing how I feel, and you say such things…”
Beatrice murmured softly, her eyes glistening with tears as she glared at Kaiser. Then she grabbed his collar and pulled him down with all her strength.
Their lips collided in an instant. Kaiser’s eyes widened in shock, and he staggered backward.
Then Beatrice’s enraged face came into view.
“Is this what you wanted?”
“……”
“…Ha! Say something! Is this what you wanted…—Mmph!”
Before she could finish her tirade, her mouth was sealed. This time, Kaiser initiated the kiss.
Hot breath flooded her open lips. Startled by the sensation, Beatrice twisted her body and barely managed to push Kaiser away.
“What are you doing…!”
“…Now I understand why humans do this sort of thing.”
“What?”
Snap—
Kaiser snapped his fingers, and the space shifted in an instant. They Teleported from the dimly lit VIP Room to Kaiser’s Room, where they’d spent the past few days together.
Realizing that they were now lying on a bed instead of a sofa, Beatrice’s face flushed.
“Can I do it again?”
“You drag me here without warning, and now what? Do you like me? Or are you just curious? Say something!”
“Curious… if anything, I’d say yes, curious.”
Her fury reaching its peak, Beatrice struck his shoulder with her fist.
“Am I just a plaything to pass your time? Know when to stop joking around!”
Kaiser accepted every blow without resistance, and he realized that his feelings hadn’t conveyed to her at all. But since this was the first time he’d ever felt something like this, he had no idea how to explain it.
“Don’t toy with my heart! Even if you’re the worst person in the world, you shouldn’t do this to me…!”
“Wait. You said… your heart?”
“I love you, you idiot!”
Kaiser went rigid. In his wavering eyes appeared the image of Beatrice, tears streaming down her face.
“How could I love such a wretch…!”
“…You love me?”
“Yes! I’ve been interested in you since way back! But you always treated me like I was a bother, and when I tried to get closer, you’d just disappear! And what about now? The couple won’t play with you anymore, so you want me to entertain you for just one week? Do you think I’m some Dragon who comes running whenever you call and vanishes whenever you tell her to?”
As Beatrice struck at him, her blows grew weaker, and she began to cry openly.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. Don’t cry.”
Kaiser awkwardly tried to comfort her, at a loss for words.
This wasn’t how he’d wanted to confess. He’d planned to keep it hidden forever, if possible.
He knew all too well that Kaiser held no interest in him. The thought that his own feelings might be used against him made him feel utterly pathetic.
“I don’t ever want to see you again…!”
“I can’t let you go.”
“Can’t let me go? How dare you still try to control me in a situation like this?!”
“I can’t bear to part with you.”
Kaiser’s awkward touch wiped away Beatrice’s tears.
“Don’t leave my side. Whether it’s a day, a week, or a year. Stay by my side, always.”
“You… do you love me? You said it was curiosity just a moment ago.”
“I’m curious about everything I do with you.”
His hand, which had been drying her tears, now brushed against her ear. As she shivered at the sensation, her shoulders tensed, and Kaiser’s eyes changed.
“Can I kiss you?”
“After you kiss me, you’ll say later that you were mistaken about your feelings, won’t you?”
“Bebe, I have never wanted to do this with anyone else.”
He hadn’t even understood why Lucian and Lia clung to each other all day and touched so freely.
To him, physical affection had been something that served no purpose for reproduction.
But now, with her before him, he desired to do all of it—everything he hadn’t understood.
It was a longing he’d never felt before in his life.
“If you really don’t trust me, I could even make a Vow.”
“…Madman, swearing a Vow over something like this.”
“Then what should I do for you to believe me?”
Kaiser’s eager expression was quite a sight to behold.
The way his eyes, which usually regarded everything with indifference and no particular emotion, were now filled entirely with her was not an unpleasant feeling.
But Beatrice wanted to be certain.
“Do you like me?”
“…Yes.”
“Do you love me?”
“Yes.”
Beatrice stared at Kaiser for a moment, then grabbed his collar and kissed him briefly.
Kaiser’s eyes flashed, consumed by an even deeper longing.
“If you change your mind later and say something different, I’ll kill you.”
“I’m counting on it.”
Without either moving first, the moment their eyes met, they began kissing, devouring each other.
That night, the deep darkness that had fallen showed no sign of lifting.

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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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