Chapter 18.2

Chapter 18.2

Richard was momentarily speechless, shocked by the comment from the crown prince. The statement itself was rude, and it infuriated him. However, strangely, the person he was immediately concerned about was not the face he habitually thought of.

Why? Maybe it’s because I don’t want to bother Lily anymore.

The smirking prince chuckled. It seemed like he could see right through him.

“Why does it bother you if a price tag is attached to that woman?”

“That’s not the case.”

“Besides, her appearance is quite striking,” Jilian remarked.

Jilian had a natural inclination for control, often prying into people’s affairs and poking at places they wanted to keep hidden. He enjoyed it.  Moreover, it was challenging to lie in front of his hextraordinary insight and intuition.

He’d often prod where it hurt, pretending not to notice, and then exploit those vulnerabilities when necessary. Back in his childhood, he used to despise this trait in him, calling it meddlesome.

Still, little Richard used to get a scolding from his father, the Duke, who told him it was just a playful habit of the prince.

Richard let out a frustrated sigh. “That’s not it. She dislikes me.”

“Is that so? I probably understand the female heart better than you do.”

Richard had been averting his gaze from his strange smile, but then his expression shifted as he noticed a couple in the distance.

“Well, it seems the lady is quite popular.”

Charles was talking to Jasmine who was quietly listening. They were too far away to see their expressions, but the man’s fervent look was quite clear.

“It’s strange that there haven’t been any scandals involving her lately. Has she found someone?”

Men infatuated with women occasionally do crazy things. Not all males always maintain their composure when it comes to the opposite s*x. So, Richard thought it was wise not to let his guard down, no matter how high his position, when there wasn’t an immediate means of restraint.

Besides, it seemed Jasmine had rejected someone.

The lady has no fear! Richard had always found her to be excessively defenseless. In this setting, they couldn’t hear what was being said, and it was frustrating, causing Richard to lean closer.

“Why are you so concerned?” Jilian raised an eyebrow as his leg playfully nudged Richard again.

“Just worried. She’s a delicate lady, after all.”

“I see, worried. Someone might think Lady Liovanni can’t express herself.”

“The world is full of irrational anomalies.” Tired of Jilian’s incessant teasing, Richard replied curtly, “Don’t read too much into it. She’s like a little sister…”

“What? How about Risha then? For heaven’s sake, just because she spent a night out with her boyfriend and I made him do laps around the compound until he cried, doesn’t mean she’s like a little sister to me.”

Jilian chuckled in disbelief, leaving Richard with nothing to say (their relationship was far from sibling-like despite their close and eventful history).

Meanwhile, Jasmine, having finished her conversation with Charles (if you could call it that), stood still for a moment. Fortunately, nothing remarkable had happened.

Jilian’s comment made sense. Richard was probably worrying too much. Their interaction hadn’t been significant enough to merit this level of concern from him.

He turned his attention away from Jasmine and briefly lost sight of Jilian. But in that brief moment of peace, something happened.

“It seems the lady has had too much to drink.” Jilian informed her.

Jasmine, who had been sitting at a corner table at the party, got up, staggering. Her face was now much redder than before. Richard became uneasy, as he had seen this once before.

Furrowing his brow, Richard involuntarily stood up as she swayed dangerously, without even saying goodbye. Left behind, Jilian smirked. This was an opportunity.

“Lady Liovanni!”

Thanks to his quick steps, Richard successfully supported her before Jasmine could collapse. He could smell the strong scent of wine in the air. The local specialty here was known for its wine.

Was she tipsy from it? Or… did something from their earlier conversation trigger this reaction? Richard’s mind started conjuring up some dramatic and far-fetched hypotheses.

“Lady Jasmine, are you alright?”

“I’m not alright.”

Jasmine, her head bowed, muttered softly. Her despondent tone prompted Richard to expand his fantasies. Could it be they were closer than he thought? Were the wounds of a lost love too deep for her to bear, even to this extent? It didn’t seem that way, but…

Feeling a sense of irritation and frustration, Richard sighed softly. Why did this young lady seem to only encounter distressing situations? Most likely, it was due to the circumstances surrounding her.

“I’ll take you to your room.”

Supporting her properly this time, Richard held her close. It was the second time he had to do this. He couldn’t help but let out a wry smile as he quickly led her towards her room. Thanks to his long legs and broad stride, they reached her room in no time. While it was considered impolite to enter a lady’s room, this situation left him with no choice.

Meanwhile, Jasmine seemed half-asleep, letting out occasional sighs.

‘As expected, too defenseless.’