The Kingmaker System-Chapter 376 - 375. Professional Stalkers (3)

Rune sat with one leg crossed over the other, arms folded tightly against his chest. His stern gaze bore into me, unyielding, as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. The air between us was thick with unspoken words, tension humming like a drawn bowstring.

Across the room, Nox lounged lazily, popping snacks into his mouth, utterly unbothered by the weight of the interrogation about to unfold. His complete lack of concern only made my anxiety spike. I cleared my throat, searching for the right words to begin.

"Um... Brother... That—"

"Go back to your real form," he commanded, his voice as sharp as a blade slicing through the pretense.

I swallowed and nodded, withdrawing the mana from my ear stud. The illusion melted away, revealing Reina’s form beneath. The weight of my natural presence settled around me, but Rune’s expression didn’t change. If anything, his frown deepened.

"Now, explain."

I hesitated. "You see, I was worried that... Well, you see, the Duchess had initially disagreed to your marriage, but then she suddenly changed her mind and said yes—"

"I’m not talking about her." His voice cut through my excuse like a whip.

[Defender of Divine Glory says it’s quite natural for him to be anrgy about you interfering in his first date.]

[Goddess of Wisdom agrees with Defender of Divine Glory.]

[Giver of Gifts asks you to apologize.]

"Will you guys be quiet?" I snapped internally, exasperated with the divine chatter before turning back to my brother. Rune’s patience was visibly thinning, his gaze locked onto me, demanding answers.

"You see, Celestia was... Well—"

I couldn’t exactly tell him that Celestia prayed to me to break off their engagement and their date was a plan for me to make her realise his good qualities. If he came to know that I made a deal with her that I would help break off their engagement if she couldn’t find him likeable then he would be disappointed, angry even.

[Goddess of Wisdom says it might be a bit too late to justify your overly nosy nature when it comes to your family.]

"Hey!" I protested inwardly.

[Defender of Divine Glory laments your family for having an intervening person like you in their lives.]

"Am I really that nosy?" I mused to myself before shaking my head and inhaling deeply. I needed to salvage this conversation before Rune’s patience truly snapped.

"Well, you know that Celestia was wary of this engagement, so I was just following you because I wanted to make sure that-"

"I’m not talking about that either." Rune interrupted, and I blinked in confusion.

"Then, what?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.

He exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then, leaning forward, he fixed me with a look that sent a prickle of unease down my spine.

"Why were you there with him? Did you tell him about your real form?"

Huh? Wait, was he talking about Davian? So, he was worried that Davian also saw them while he was on his date.

"Ah... That." I relaxed slightly, relieved that it wasn’t something worse. "He said he sensed me since I was frequenting the palace for the past couple of days, so he got curious about what I was planning. He followed us when he saw me trailing after you and Celestia."

Rune’s frown deepened, his fingers drumming against his arm in irritation.

"And I haven’t told him about me being Reina," I quickly clarified. But Rune’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest.

"Why did you even let him go along with you?" he demanded, his voice tight with irritation.

I shrugged, entirely unbothered. "He just wanted to tag along."

Rune’s eyes narrowed. "He told me he was on a date."

I paused, then burst into laughter. "Well, if stalking some other couple counts as a date for him, then I suppose he was!" I chuckled, shaking my head at the absurdity of it.

Rune sighed heavily, as if resigning himself to the chaos that was inevitably tied to my existence. His shoulders slumped slightly, and for the first time that evening, his rigid posture eased. "You’re impossible."

"You knew that already," I teased, grinning mischievously.

Nox, still munching on his snacks seemed like he had no worries in this world.

Rune licked his lips, his expression serious as he asked, "Reina, you... Why did you cheer for me back then? He might have figured out about you."

I waved a hand dismissively, leaning back slightly. "He didn’t. He just thought I called him ’Brother.’ It was funny, though." A small smile tugged at my lips. "I lied to him and said I did it to distract him."

Rune didn’t seem convinced. His brows remained furrowed, his posture tense. Even as I tried to brush it off, the weight of his concern was evident. He was still angry.

Sighing softly, I stood up and walked toward him before lowering myself to my knees beside his chair. The movement made him stiffen, and he almost stood up himself, but I reached for his hand, gently clasping it in mine. His fingers twitched, and I felt my blood sizzling a bit. My Dragon’s bloodline absolutely despised me lowering my head or even close to accepting submissing before any human so, it was obvious that it wasn’t thrilled when I kneeled before Rune. But it didn’t matter, Rune was my brother and I needed to apologise to him.

"Brother," I said, looking up at him, "I’m sorry for being too nosy about this. I know you would want some private time with Celestia, and you’d want to show her the best of you and I knew you had planned it all, but... I couldn’t help but be worried."

His chest rose and fell in a slow exhale. The anger in his gaze softened as his fingers curled slightly around mine.

"I know you were worried, and I didn’t mind you following us, Reina. I just..." He hesitated, his grip tightening. "I’m worried that he was with you. You should stay away from him. He can figure out your identity and cause trouble in the future. You saw what he did to those contenders back at the competition. He’s dangerous... He’s not right." Rune’s jaw clenched. "I don’t want him to ruin your hard work, Reina. That’s all."

His concern made my chest warm, and I smiled, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "All right, Brother. I’ll do as you say."

A relieved smile finally graced his handsome face, easing the tension in his shoulders.

"Now get up," he said, his voice softer, yet firm. "I don’t like it when you kneel before me like this."

I chuckled lightly, tilting my head. "Even my Dragon bloodline doesn’t like it," I admitted. But still, I remained in place, tightening my grip on his hand. "But you are my brother, and if I do you wrong, then I should apologize the way that fits me right. I’m sorry, Brother."

His lips pressed into a thin line, his gaze conflicted. Then, with a sigh, he leaned forward, resting his forehead gently against mine.

"You don’t need to apologize, Reina," he murmured. "Your presence actually made me feel relieved."

Surprised, I blinked up at him.

"When I felt someone following us today, I thought Duchess Konstantinos sent someone to keep an eye on us, in case I did something to her daughter. But when I realized it was you, I felt at ease. I knew you would be concerned and that you must have come to make sure everything went well." His voice grew heavier. "But then I saw him..."

His jaw clenched once more, and I smiled gently. "It’s fine, Brother. There’s no one in this world who’s more important to me than you and our family."

Rune pulled back slightly, his eyes searching mine before his lips curved into a knowing smirk. "Then you wouldn’t mind me following you when you’re on a date?" he asked casually. Then, as if a thought suddenly struck him, he frowned. "No, wait. You shouldn’t go anywhere alone with any man except for Lyall or a selected few. Men aren’t trustworthy, Reina. So listen to your brother—never, ever go anywhere with any man. Especially Prince Davian."

I almost laughed at his overprotectiveness, but instead, I merely smiled.

He seemed to have forgotten the fact that I mostly traveled with Lyall and that my family consisted primarily of men—Alys being the only woman now and Celestia the newest addition.

"All right, I’ll do as you say," I promised, watching as he visibly relaxed.

"Besides," I added teasingly, "you seemed like you had fun with my soon-to-be sister-in-law."

Immediately, his face turned a shade of red I had rarely seen before. "I-I was on a date, all right!" he sputtered, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.

I couldn’t help it and I laughed at his adorable expression.

"Then, I suppose you and Eric can take care of the rest of the things here from now." I said as I rose to my feet and he looked at me.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, didn’t I tell you that I will be leaving first?" I said, "I’ll be leaving Denril day after tomorrow but don’t worry, I’ll drop by before I leave."

Rune’s eyes grew serious but then he sighed giving me a small smile as he stood up.

"I guess, we will still be away for some more time." He spoke, sadly.

I shrugged, "Still, when you return we’ll go to my debutante together."

Rune’s eyes sparkled at that and he smiled genuinely, "Really? You won’t be going with Father?"

"Celestia would take time to be introduced as our new family member and I will arrange a ball for her welcome myself so, before that I’ll use your time." I smiled playfully and he chuckled.

"Sure, Reina." He said and pressed his lips over my forehead.

"Then, I’ll see you soon." I said as I stepped back and he nodded.

"Nox, let’s go." I said and Nox flapped his wings flying up to me and took his seat on my shoulder.

"Good night, Brother." I said and he smiled.

"Good night, Reina."

I reverted back to Ocean’s form before I activated my invisibility spell and flew out of his room knowing full well that I would have to come back to the palace at night again.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l