The Prince in Question Is Not Stable-Chapter 37: Drowning in Silk

"..." "..."

"O, the mask betrayed me," I mumbled, staring up into her eyes.

She was definitely angry. She had been like this even when I met her during the hearing.

Is it some grudge that she holds, or just a general hatred towards the acts of a wicked prince?

"I see thou art a wickedness-"

*Slap*

"Ow...Nice to meet you, too." That was one crisp slap.

I guess I can never ’Shakespeare’ out of a situation.

"You-" She growled.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She spat her words in anger.

’What the hell is wrong with me? That’s a good question...’ I thought.

I exhaled slowly.

"Plenty," I said.

"Where would you like me to start?"

She stared at me like I had insulted her or something.

Oh, she was barely holding her tears.

"You vanish for weeks, months, even years," Violet said, digging her nails even deeper into my chest.

"You return bloodied, half-dead, disguised as another man; and you think humour’s going to help you out of this situation...You’re a bloody mess. A. Bloody. Mess. You know that?"

"And how heartless can you be? Marcus Rile? Son of a family you brutally murdered? Don’t you have any solicitude for anyone?"

"I didn’t murder the Riles...?" I replied.

’More like, it was the previous owner of this body, not me! I’m no cold-blooded murderer,’ I thought.

"Really? Well, living as Marcus doesn’t really help me put that thought out of my mind," She let out a cold laugh, wiping tears off her face.

"Look, I understand your pain, I didn’t me-"

"You understand my pain? You?" She countered.

That was a mistake.

"Do you know what it’s like?" She leaned closer, just an inch away from my face.

The shift in her weight did put a little stress on the internal wounds of my chest, but I was too busy feelin-...

’I need to control my thoughts,’ I thought.

"What it’s like to be standing in front of the masses, the people, the priests, cardinals, maids, saintesses alike...knowing that your worth something only because of a man, who doesn’t even bother to look at you?"

’What kind of affection is this...’

"Alright, let’s take a deep breath first, and calm down," I replied.

"I. Am. Calm." She said without missing a beat.

"I can see that," I whispered.

"Listen to me, alright? Take a deep breath, calm yourself down, not just think you’re calm, but literally relax your body, you’ve completely lost your composure, your eyes are slightly red, your face is flushed, your breathing is uneven, you’re sweating in this cold even though you only have a silk robe covering your body, and your fingers are shaking from the excessive adrenaline, and cortisol...which is quite reasonable, if you think about it,"

"?" She squinted her brows and looked at me as if I was spouting some nonsense.

"Isn’t this quite a development? Last time I requested that you call me by my name, Ymir, and now you greet me with a slap, I believe I’m doing a pretty good job getting to know you."

"Not to mention you’re..." I looked down at her silk robe, which revealed a lot of her body. "Oddly more comfortable around me,"

"I-" She opened her mouth, but no words followed.

"I forgot you were a Prince for a while, I’m-I- apolo" Shifting her weight, she tried standing up.

"It’s alright. That was the goal to begin with. Outcome matters more than the process." Holding her hands, I made her sit back.

"You seem to have a lot of complaints, and I’m willing to work those out, so there’s no need to fret over something like this."

There was silence for a while. She just remained seated on top of me, as my hands locked her in the position.

Maybe I should become a psychologist after this professor’s work. I believe I excel in controlling people’s emotions.

"Are you seeing any other woman?" She asked in a low tone.

That’s a random question.

"Should I be seeing one?" I asked back.

"I healed you..." She replied and looked into my eyes with a clear sense of seriousness.

"I believe you did a pretty decent job at that," I said. What is she getting at?

"I can kill you, too."

"..."

’Maybe I’m not that good at controlling emotions...’

"But, you don’t have to worry about that, you’re not seeing anyone right." She smiled and stood up from the bed, fixing her robe, and draping a silver silk coat to cover her body.

"..." I don’t know what to say. I thought I had calmed her anger down. But it’s not the anger that’s driving her; it’s her obsession with Ymir.

"I’ll inform others that you’re healed, but need rest. Sleep for a while," She said, as the doors were opened by the knights standing guard outside the doors.

She didn’t let them open the doors completely, just enough to let her pass, and not let anyone peek in the room.

"Am I what someone would call a fortune’s fool?" I mumbled and looked at the window on the right of the room.

Suddenly, the air in the room dampened.

A presence too familiar and powerful for me.

A man was leaning on the window side, looking at me with a mocking laugh.

Long black coat, golden linings, long black hair tied in a ponytail, and the golden eyes of a serpent. Orochi.

He wasn’t there before.

"Do you remember the first time you met me in my tavern?" He asked.

"I do."

"And do you remember the part where you got angry over me belittling you as a mortal?"

"I still feel that anger,"

"But it didn’t bother you? Getting slapped by a woman who’s clearly weaker than you?" he asked.

"Doesn’t it bother you that you fell in love with a god?" I asked back.

"...This might be the hundredth time you have mentioned this; don’t you have any other argument to counter?" he replied, and continued.

"On the plus side, you really need someone like her to keep a check on your reckless ass."

"I thought you were here to ask about my health?" I asked.

"I wouldn’t give a damn if you die, what makes you think I care if you live?"

"Because I know you love a god..."

"..."