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At my request, the 4th prince was shocked. Even more so when I took a seat in his lap without waiting for a response.
"Eva-"
"You should start working. It seems like you have a lot." I quickly interrupted him.
"…"
"4th Prince?"
I turned to meet his face, but he avoided my eyes.
"Stay put. These are important documents." He responded while clearing his throat.
I didn't respond back, happily sitting in his arms.
As he wrote, I kept my end of the deal and remained quiet, thinking over the events that had brought us here.
'I am truly… such a lucky female lead!! After a brutal kidnapping and attempted murder, my payback is allowing to spend more time with my bias!'
I instantly felt my good mood die.
'…Is this what they call Stockholm Syndrome?"
The more I thought about it, the more I realized how cruel this world truly was!
I cleared my mind, trying to concentrate on what would happen after this.
'… if I want to be safe for some time, I need to start thinking ahead… what can I use to help me?'
I glanced up at the man whose lap I sat in.
'… I shouldn't push my luck. I don't know how comfortable the 4th price would be with me using him for something like this. I should try and keep my hands as clean as possible.'
As I thought this, I knew one thing was for certain. Anger bubbling in my heart.
"Havent I suffered enough in both my lives?" I cried inwardly, under my breath.
'Whoever was trying to come for me in this life would get a taste of their own medicine!
***
"…"
I had no idea what Eva was thinking of as she sat in my lap, but whatever it was caused her eyebrows and lips to turn inwards mischievously.
I watched silently without saying anything, still filling in my files and paperwork as I noticed her glancing up at me. Her dark, brown eyes filled with some sort of pondering.
Her expression then flickered with sadness. My eyebrow twitched.
"What?"
"E-Eh?"
"What are you thinking so hard about? What is it?"
She paused and pursed her lips before speaking.
"The kidnapper… we're they already-"
"They confessed to working alone. The kidnapper has already been executed."
"…"
"Are you scared still?"
"I'm not… I just-"
She hesitated for a second.
"Was this kidnapping… truly so random?"
"…it's interesting," I sat back. "For a squirrel, you are quite intelligent."
"!!"
Eva sat up in my lap, annoyed.
"What is that supposed to mean, 4th Prince? Why are you picking a fight so suddenly?"
"Picking a fight?" I raised a brow, amused. "You believe you can fight me?"
"You!" She huffed. "Stop trying to avoid the topic."
I looked at her silently.
'She is truly… so cute.'
I patted her head.
"I have taken care of it. Don't worry anymore."
She seemed shocked by my hand placement. I quickly pulled back.
"Let's stop talking about bad events." I coughed. "Tell me, how should I make this situation up to you."
"…I beg your pardon?"
"The festival… I was supposed to take you to see the lanterns. Instead, you were met with a criminal."
Eva winced at the recollection.
"Ah… that's right. Well,"
She shrugged, looking back towards me.
"You even lied to me and tried to abandon me, I'm not certain on what can be done to fix that."
"…"
'Why does it feel like she still dislikes me for that?'
"Telling you that my brother saved you was, in order to try and get the danger away."
She furrowed her brows at my answer.
"4th prince. Do you think anyone's wife would want to hear about how they were saved by their fiancé's brother? Huh?"
"…!"
I realized what she had just said, slowly growing a smile.
"Wife?" I looked at her. "Our wedding is not until three weeks. It had been pushed back repeatedly now. Yet you still consider yourself my wife?"
Her face suddenly heated.
"!!" Eva looked away. "I-I'll, fix my wording next time-"
"No." I stopped her. "You can continue."
"!!!"
She nodded stiffly. I smiled.
The aura in my workplace seemed to have only gotten brighter as she sat with me. Perhaps it was because She was the reincarnation of the black jade which made her influence all the more powerful.
Suddenly, Eva perked up in my lap, she looked at me.
"That's right! 4th Prince!"
"Hm?"
"The Kiddnapper- I don't think that's all he's done!"
I frowned.
"What do you mean? You're still talking about such a thing?"
"Because it's important." Her face got serious. "That kidnapper- he told me something before trying to-"
"What did he say?" I quickly interrupted.
"That's…"
She pursed her lips, as if seriously trying to remember.
I pat her head after several moments.
"You need to rest. You should've stayed in bed rather than rushing over here."
"It's… but 4th Prince,"
"I believe you. But if what you say is right… we need more evidence to prove it's true."
"!!" She looked up at me. "Then,"
"I have a feeling I know who it is as well. But still, we can't go pointing fingered so early on."
"…I understand."
"Don't pout. I will bring justice to you, alright?"
"!"
She didn't say anything, but from so close, I could watch as she averted her eyes in embarrassment.
"…"
My lips pulled up slowly.
I was enjoying her company when there was a knock at my door. I felt slightly displeased that my time alone with Eva was cut short.
'I want to hold onto her a little longer…'
"Who is-"
"The Queen has arrived!!"
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(Thank you for reading!!)