Chapter 171 - The Negotiation

“Hey! Wake up!” He didn’t wake up when I shook him, so I had no choice but to slap him. Of course, I had no hard feelings.

“He won’t wake up because he was drugged… You can be quite a scary girl, my pretty. I feel like I’ll be smacked a lot when I marry.”

I didn’t mind the Master’s blabbering from the side and kept slapping Rey. Even if he’s drugged, he will wake up if I keep going at it.

“AARGH! WHAT?!”

I almost cried when Rey woke up. I was worried something had gone wrong. You’re safe!

“Marina! Why are you here… Am I dreaming?”

He looked dazed from drowsiness, so I grabbed his collar to speak. “You a*sh*le. Have you ever heard of a lady rescuing her knight? You just made me the only lady who’s done that!”

In response to my words, Rey lowered his head and mumbled, “You shouldn’t have come. You could’ve… just abandon me.”

I became angry at his words and slapped him.

“Whoa, girl. You just slapped him on top of that swollen face! What a woman. I feel like I’m in love in such fierce ways!”

He talks at Rave’s level. It’s best that I don’t pay any attention to such a*sh*les. I kept ignoring him and offered my hand to Rey. “Cut that out, will you? I’ll never give up on my chess pieces. I came here to save you not only because you’re my cousin but because you’re useful to me. So let’s go back. Besides, the lady who loves you is waiting for you.”

Rey then immediately looked up in surprise and questioned, “Beatrice?”

“Yeah. She asked me to bring you back safe, stupid! And what’s wrong with your status? If I become a high-ranking officer, you’ll become the knight of a high-ranking officer! Of course, I might get fired from going off today… Anyway, I don’t think His Highness will fire me. There aren’t many who can take on his ill manners.”

Even If I like the Crown Prince, it’s undeniable that he’s a bad-mannered person. The fact that only I was called to the palace among all those officers proves that I’m the only one who could take him on. He won’t come to save me, but I’m sure he won’t fire me if I did return to him.

At that, Rey looked at me with his swollen face, then got up. “Yeah. Thank you, Marina.”

The Guild Master clapped at us, but turned quiet when I glared at him. I hope I never have to see that crazy fool again… but he’ll come to attack us again.

“We’ll go now. I’ll kick you and your client in the butt soon, so you might want to be ready for it.”

He replied to me with a kiss instead of answering my declaration of war. It brought chills to my skin, but I had no choice but to retreat. And it was when I was going out of the cave I heard his amused voice.

“You’re so popular, pretty. You have not one but two tagging along with you.”

Two? Was he talking about Rey and Daisy? That meaningful word “two” kept coming up in my head, but I wanted to get out of here fast, so I pretended I didn’t hear him and got out of the cave.

***

I was on the way back on a horse with Rey behind me when he spoke softly, “You’re so reckless, Marina.”

“The same goes for you, too. You should have run if you thought you couldn’t win.”

“Didn’t you say I should keep going forward?”

“That’s a pawn’s work. All the other pieces can retreat.”

Rey sighed at those words, and I felt heaviness on my back from him putting his face on it. “I’m not sure if I’m a pawn, knight or a rook.”