When the Female Lead Went Off-Script, the Main Male Lead Became the Tyrant's Empress - Chapter 28.1
Arden turned toward the central entrance.
An imperial carriage and a servant were waiting at the entrance for Clary and Haster.
“Where is the Grand Duke?”
“He is inside.”
When Arden opened the door, Haster was seated inside, just as the servant had said.
“Haster.”
Arden called to him, but there was no answer.
Haster had his arms crossed and his eyes closed.
Judging by his quiet breathing, he seemed to be deeply asleep.
Instead of waking him, Arden rested his chin on his hand and watched him.
‘It’s only natural that he’s tired. He returned late from the salon, and then he went through the documents sent from the grand duchy.’
He had even risen early in the morning and gone for a walk.
It was the weekend, so he could have slept in, but this inflexible man hadn’t.
No matter how tired he was, Haster always followed the schedule he had set for himself.
As he slept soundly in the chair, Haster was completely defenseless.
‘Is it really alright for someone guarding the border to be like this? Where did all his vigilance go?’
With each quiet breath, his chest, woven from solid muscle, rose and fell.
Arden carefully reached out and touched his hair, then pressed the same hand over his cheek.
But Haster didn’t wake up.
“…….”
As Arden silently watched his handsome sleeping face, a mischievous smile appeared on his lips.
He poked his head out the window.
“Depart.”
At the Crown Prince’s order, the coachman who had been waiting for Clary looked bewildered.
“But Her Highness the Duke hasn’t boarded yet.”
“Her Highness the Duke hasn’t, but His Highness the Crown Prince has. Hurry up and drive!”
At Arden’s command, accompanied by him impatiently slapping the carriage door with his palm, the coachman urged the horses forward.
When you’re told to do something, you do it.
Clary had been walking briskly while excitedly shouting, “I’m going out!” when she spotted the carriage leaving without her and let out a shriek.
“Aaaaaah! Thief! Thief! My uncle is stealing someone else’s carriage and running away!”
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Haster awoke at the sensation of someone stroking his hair.
Light pierced like needles through his narrowly opened eyelids.
“Wake up, darling. Let’s have some fun.”
A heavy fist swung viciously.
Startled, Arden quickly stepped backward.
A fist with knuckles gone white struck the spot where his face had been.
He thought he even heard something crack and break…….
“You startled me!”
Arden grumbled as he clutched his startled heart.
Haster glared at him and growled in a low voice.
“Stop making a fuss. Where’s Clary? Why are you here?”
Arden made a sullen face when Haster immediately asked about Clary the moment he awoke.
“That’s all you have to say the moment you open your eyes? How boring.”
“I didn’t say it to entertain you. I’ll ask you again. Where is Clary? And where are we?”
Under the increasingly menacing gaze of those icy blue eyes, Arden raised both hands.
If he continued fooling around, Haster might drive something other than his fist into him.
“Clary is at the palace. And this is…….”
“We’re going back.”
Today was the day he was supposed to go out with Clary.
Yet they had left behind the most important person, Clary herself.
He had no time to remain here.
He had to take her into the city as promised.
“Ah, wait! Just a moment.”
Arden hurried after Haster as he searched for the coachman.
Haster frowned.
Where in the world were they?
They were beside a lake somewhere in the forest.
The lake was larger than the one in the imperial palace garden.
Whenever a gentle breeze blew, the calm ripples gleaming beneath the sunlight shone brilliantly.
There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.
The occasional cries of birds broke through the monotony.
Had anyone else been there, they would have absorbed the lakeside scenery with awe-filled eyes.
But Haster didn’t.
Scenery or otherwise, he had to return to Clary as quickly as possible.
What kind of behavior was it to drag a sleeping man to a secluded place?
As his resentment toward Arden accumulated, his self-loathing deepened in equal measure.
No matter how tired he had been, how had he failed to wake up even once along the way?
His vigilance had undoubtedly grown lax.
“Damn it.”
After cursing, he searched for the coachman.
However, no matter where he looked, he couldn’t see the coachman or even a single strand of his hair.
“Where is the coachman?”
“Calm down and—”
“I asked where the coachman is.”
Haster stepped close enough to stand directly before Arden and demanded the answer viciously.
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