(2) Living as the Villainess Queen

Chapter 190

Eugene stared at him, surprised by such an unexpected statement. In her head, the idea that Kasser was slow to blame others was firmly rooted. She looked back over what she’d done, trying to see where she had gone wrong.

“You did see me off. At lunch earlier…”

It had been earlier that day, only a few hours ago. Eugene could clearly remember their conversation over lunch.

“Will you really be okay alone?” Kasser had asked.

“I won’t be alone. Abu and the maid are coming with me.”

“That maid is what worries me.”

“There’s nothing she can do to hurt me. She’ll be in trouble if she does.”

Nothing had really stood out to her as strange during the meal; it was the same atmosphere as always. They hadn’t even discussed the outing for that long. The only thing that Eugene could think of was that she had refused to join him for dinner.

Dining custom here called for more formality when dining together than dining alone, and more formality at dinner than at lunch. A dinner with Kasser could stretch out longer than two hours. If she ate with him, it wouldn’t have left her any time to go out, so she’d turned him down.

He’d accepted her refusal graciously, nodding and letting the moment pass without comment. King Kasser Eugene knew wasn’t one to be hurt by something like that and harbor resentment about it later.

“You told me to be careful. Don’t you remember?”

“Not that.”

Eugene frowned, wracking her memory. Was it before that? She remembered the conversation she’d had with him last night.

“Let me know before you leave tomorrow. I have to see you off,” Kasser had said to her.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because my outing must be a secret. What if Molly thinks something is amiss? Don’t come near here after sunset. Don’t worry, Abu will be enough of an escort.”

That conversation had taken place after a passionate tryst, while she was lying prone on top of him, skin to skin. Eugene’s face flushed as she remembered how hot and intimate the air in the bedroom had been while they lay tangled together.

That conversation made more sense in context with Kasser’s claim that, “You declined to let me see you off.” The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous Eugene felt. He wasn’t talking about today, but last night. His request had made no sense. The outing was supposed to be covert; him coming to watch her leave would have been counterintuitive.

Kasser said nothing, turning his gaze aside, “What were you trying to say a while ago?”

“Oh, about that.”

Eugene tried to answer, but shut her mouth. The longer she stared at him, the more her lips trembled. Her shoulders shook. A single giggle slipped past her sealed lips, and she could hold it no more, bursting into laughter. Kasser’s resigned expression and weary sigh only made her laugh harder.

This was the man who said it was okay to steal a national treasure and lose it, give money to the Mara church, or be called a saint by the cults, and he had been upset by not being allowed to watch her depart. He’d even come all the way to the square to wait for her.

The ruler of the Hashi kingdom was renowned for being rational and stern, for loving his country and its people. Eugene often felt Kasser was a king who was respected by his people. Even if they didn’t sing his praises, they looked upon him with reverence and awe.