Only this much. I must go now.'
Speaking as he carefully detached his lips, Theon's voice was particularly hoarse.
Contrary to her thoughts that they would exchange a slightly deeper kiss, when Theon gently detached his lips, Ayla unconsciously smacked hers.
Why Why did she do that? She must be really crazy.
As if surprised by her own actions, Ayla opened her eyes wide and looked at him.
As if she were dissatisfied with Theon, who had been keeping a deep gaze on her with his grey eyes out of focus, she frowned and raised the corners of her mouth.
You must come quickly. I'll be patiently waiting for you.'
Theon grabbed Ayla's cheeks and kissed her lightly at the sound of her voice, which showed a hint of regret.
He left, saying that he really should go now, and she stayed there until his increasingly distant figure disappeared completely.
But the unknown desire did not disappear overnight.
As the vulgar words she had uttered last night flashed through her mind like a film, her cheeks turned red without giving her a chance to stop them.
Ayla, bewildered by Owen's eyes, which looked as if he could see through everything, cleared her throat and turned her gaze away.
There is something.'
Owen's face was filled with certainty.
Owen, who had a hard expression on his face, lowered his head and sighed.
He suddenly felt annoyed as he saw Ayla blushing.
There was a subject of delusion, but looking at the circumstances, it became clear that it was not himself.
He was both resentful and sad towards Claire, who, out of many, many days, had to visit him right on that day, at that time. As if she had never humiliated him at the banquet hall.
It was easy for the delusion to clear up the first time, but it took several days to come back to one's right mind after being repeatedly exposed.
There were times where the delusion did not clear up for several months, so he was very screwed.
He thought about his actions, saying he shouldn't have had an evil heart in the first place, but it was already too late to regret it.
Owen was already exhausted from the thought of having to face Claire's twinkling eyes and persistent dedication for a while.
"Ayla"
"Tell me."
Ayla straightened her posture and responded to Owen, who weakly called her while sprawling himself over the desk.
"About me and Miss Claire"
"?"
There is nothing going on.
He wanted to say the words that were lingering in his mouth, but only now did he wonder what those words meant.
Owen's plans had already failed; and, although he doesn't know who it is, she seems to have been seduced by someone else.
"Ugh. It's nothing. I just wanted to call your name. Ayla."
"What. That's nonsense. I have finished brewing the tea, so drink it quickly."
Owen's lips trembled slightly at the sight of Ayla holding out the teacup with a light smile.
"Hahaha. I don't have much of an appetite today."
Recalling the extremely bitter fruit tea he had tasted the other day, Owen waved his hands and said he was fine.
He couldn't understand how on earth Theon could drink something like that every day, every hour.
"Is it Not to your taste?"
Although the taste of the tea was unspeakably awful, he didn't want to let her know.
He didn't want to make her depressed by saying pointless words. Because her always confident self was beautiful.
She seemed to be proud of the taste of the tea she brewed, so he decided to lie in good faith for her.
"N No! That's not it!! I ate a lot during lunch, so I'm really full. Ayla. L-Look at this. My belly is the size of a mountain."
"Hm Well, it really is."
As she mumbled with a sulky expression on her face, Owen forced his stomach to stick out and made small talk.
Ayla, who was looking down with an indifferent expression on her face, nodded as if she understood.
Owen, who was smiling forcibly at Ayla, slowly rolled his eyes and sighed in relief.
Tack, tack.
At that moment, Owen frowned slightly when he heard the sound of shoes coming from outside.
In the end, something has come.'
Seeing Owen swallowing dry with a sad expression on his face, Ayla tilted her head as if asking what was wrong.
Click.
At the sound of the doorknob turning without warning, Owen closed his eyes tightly as if he was meeting an opponent he didn't want to face.
***
Time passed, and it had already been one week since Theon had been away from the palace.
Because of Claire, who was practically living in Owen's office, she was spending her days relatively easily, but her heart was not light at all.
"He said he would come soon"
After finishing the tea service, Ayla, who was heading to the detached palace, grumbled a little and kicked the air.