Heroine On Strike

“Is that really how you want to be addressed?”

“It’s you who started it, your highness. Please don’t blame me for it.”

“What is my fiancée doing here?” questioned Cladis, who tried to change the subject. It wasn’t a good decision to argue with Ella with so many people watching them.

Looking around as if he didn’t understand Cladis’s question, Xyle replied, “I don’t see your fiancée anywhere.”

“Sir!” yelled Cladis furiously.

“OH! You mean your ex-fiancée Ella? She’s here for her brother’s errand. Is there a problem with that?”

Cladis’s expression turned grim. It was clear what Ella wanted, and she was sure to disappear as soon as she got it. He wasn’t sure why the thought of that made his heart feel like someone had struck it, but all he could think of right now was to stop her.

On the other hand, Clara almost fainted when she had heard Xyle had called Luciella by nickname. Glaring at Ella, she found it difficult to believe that he had sided with Ella and not her. Because of that, she felt like a supporting character while Ella was the protagonist.

Calmly, Ella looked around and realized what Xyle meant when he said that Clara was going to blame her for her misfortunes. As Ranhee, she had often experienced this. There were people who acted as if she had taken the lives of others. These people usually had very different views that Ranhee couldn’t understand.

“Xyle,” said Ella.

“What is it, Ella?”

Ella walked over to him and placed her hand over at his wrist. Xyle affectionately looked at her and reacted as if he fully understood what she was trying to do. Clara, however, seemed like she was on the verge of anger.

‘It’s better I stay away from her even if we’re the same,’ thought Ella. There was one problem that could happen if Clara were to become empress. People like her were the type to go out of their way to harass their target. Would Clara leave her alone once she became empress? It was something she hadn’t thought of before, and it concerned her. 

A person when evaluating another tends to evaluate in their own standard.

Perhaps Clara would try to deal with the situation in a mature way like she had done. She had already retreated, so she figured she could talk things out with Clara to benefit the both of them. But now it seems Clara wanted her to stay away from Xyle too. It was easy to see she wasn’t going to give up on either of the men.

“Ella…?” Cladis mumbled as if he had heard something unbelievable. 

Then, Clara took her eyes off of Ella and looked at Cladis. She leaned onto him and whispered, “Looks like Lady Constance is very close to the Master of the Tower. Maybe that’s why they blocked us from entering.”

Hearing those words, Cladis frowned while Ella snorted, guessing what she must have whispered to him. Ella hated those types of women and worried for the future of the empire.

On the other hand, Xyle heard what Clara whispered and was thinking of ways to deal with this bratty girl. Then he looked at Ella, who remained silent as she held his arm, looked at the crown prince and Lady Mellin. An interesting idea appeared in his head. Without any notice, he lowered his hand and kissed the top of Ella’s head.

Everyone on the first floor of the tower froze with a variety of expressions on their faces. A while after feeling some pressure on the top of her head, Ella realized what had just happened.

‘What the heck? Didn’t you say you would never help me again?’ Ella froze as Ranhee was never used to that kind of contact. The only men around her were her coworkers or employees. She ran as far as she could whenever someone had romantically approached her.

Maybe that was why it was easy for her to accept the crown prince’s rejection. Maybe she preferred it that way. Ranhee believed Xyle was the same in terms of romance and felt the will to reject being in such a relationship. She was almost sure that they would become friends, and not anything more. That’s why she was able to lay her hand on top of Xyle’s so easily and lean on him.

As such, she never imagined that he would try something like this. Shocked, Ella stood frozen with her hand still on his wrist.