Chapter 23: The unexpected closeness

"You should thank me for this huge success," Dahlia told Sullivan while eating her breakfast.

"Stay quiet and eat your food," Sullivan said with a stoic expression.

"Why do you always scold me? Can't you be a little gentle?" She complained and chewed the food in her mouth. She reached for her glass, intending to quench her thirst, when a sudden thought seemed to strike her, pausing her actions momentarily.

"Why don't we celebrate it?" Dahlia asked.

"What should we celebrate?" Sullivan arched his eyebrow.

"Your victory. You've attained such a wonderful rank!" Dahlia asserted with a smile. "We can have a party for you. I think we should go outside and have fun," she suggested, imagining the enjoyable activities already.

"I'm not interested," Sullivan outright rejected her suggestion.

"Why are you so-so... Evil?" Dahlia glared at him.

Sullivan abandoned his fork, leaving it to rest on the plate as he raised his hands. His elbows found support against the table, his hands clasped together in a contemplative gesture.

"Why don't you enlighten me about your identity? You've suffered a severe head injury, haven't you? I suspect you're grappling with some memory loss. After all, I once attempted to end your life and still, you fell in love with me," Sullivan declared, echoing the same chilling revelation that Daedric had previously shared with her.

Dahlia locked eyes with him, observing as he delicately dabbed his mouth with a napkin before setting it aside. Rising from his seat, he approached her, his footsteps echoing ominously in the silence. Positioning himself behind Dahlia, Sullivan placed his hands on her shoulders, his touch cold yet firm.

He leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper as he issued his threat, "Betray me, and it will be the last thing you do. You have no idea of the depths of my cunningness."

As he stood straight and turned to leave, Dahlia caught his hand, thus stopping him.

He tilted his head to glance at her and found her standing up. She peered into his eyes before pulling the collar of his overcoat. "If I die, you may get lonely. Are you sure you will kill me in the future?"

She pointed her finger at the center of his chest. "I have indeed injured my head because I fell in love with you. The breakfast was lovely. I'll see you later," Dahlia said and strode past him.

Dahlia was quick to make her way outside the manor and went to the pavilion. Sullivan wasn't humble at all. His harsh words did make her feel low, but then she understood from where that behavior arose.

Suddenly, she heard Sullivan clearing his throat. Dahlia looked at him in bewilderment, wondering if he would scold her more.

"Do you wish to go out with me?" Sullivan asked, his fingers curling. "I have some work outside," he asserted.

Dahlia was quick to approach him and held his arm tightly. "Of course! Let's go," she dragged him out of the pavilion.

Entering the carriage, Dahlia looked outside the window, her hands holding the bottom. As the carriage began to move, Sullivan asked her to move her head inside. But she paid no heed to him. This kind of travel was fun for her. He intently gazed at her face, realizing she was more beautiful than many women present in the kingdom.

Finally, she moved her head in and closed the window. "Sullivan, where are we going? You don't need to keep it as a surprise," she stated.

"To your house," Sullivan replied.

"Huh? Why?" He didn't anticipate Dahlia's peculiar reaction to the mention of her house. "I mean, shouldn't we have brought some gifts with us if we are going to my home?" she cleverly put forward a question.

"I lied. We aren't going there. Your father will kick me out and I don't want to afford humiliation," Sullivan asserted.

Dahlia took a breath of relief, but she was curious to know where they were heading. "Sullivan, you never told me what your hobbies are," she pointed.

"I love to watch plays and dramas," Sullivan replied.

"Hmm. That's an interesting hobby," she murmured.

"Of the families," Sullivan replied. "My family is not an exception to give such a drama," he added with amusement.

Dahlia was quite surprised to hear his response. He enjoyed the family dramas. But why?

"Sullivan, did you ever try to fight for your rights?" Dahlia inquired.

"My rights were not even defined. What would I have fought for?" Sullivan questioned.

"Right to live peacefully and without any barriers. No one can change the fact that you are the King's son and also a royal prince," Dahlia asserted.

"You once dubbed me the 'Illegitimate Prince.' It's peculiar to hear 'royal prince' from you now," Sullivan observed.

"Please, accept my apologies," Dahlia murmured, her head bowed, her fingers entwined in a dance of nervousness.

Sullivan's question cut through the silence, sharp and sudden. "Might you be a doppelgänger of the Dahlia I once knew?" His eyes searched hers for an answer.

"I'm not a doppelgänger. You shouldn't run your brain in ridiculous things," Dahlia told him.

"You are a sweet woman unlike the one I knew," Sullivan commented, causing her to stop blinking. "You bother me all the time and I feel it strange about it. Perhaps, I lived alone for a long time that's why I feel like this."

"So, do you like me?" Dahlia blinked her eyes rapidly, carrying a smile on her lips.

Sullivan chuckled and looked away when he found Dahlia seated next to him. She had her hand on his arm while her head rested on his shoulder.

"Stay away!" Sullivan tried to break free his arm from her grip, but she didn't let it go. He ended up using the force and pushing her away, but his reflexes were fast to save her head from a hit.

Dahlia's back of the head hit the back of his palm, which rested against the window. She lifted her head to find his face was close to her, his breath fanning against the tip of her nose. Her eyes grew bigger and her heart raced at this unexpected closeness.