77 - Teleport
The door creaked softly as it opened. Mariana instinctively looked up. And there he was. Zafiel stepped inside as if he had never left, his presence immediately filling the quiet space once more. In his hand was a small, neatly wrapped box.
Her eyes flickered toward it. “What’s that...?” She asked cautiously.
Without answering right away, Zafiel walked toward her, stopping just beside the small table where she sat. “Sweets.” He said simply, placing the box down in front of her.
Mariana blinked. “You… went out to buy those?”
“Yes.”
“W-Why...?”
Zafiel glanced at her, as if the answer were obvious. “You like them.”
Mariana froze. Her lips parted slightly. Because that wasn’t something she had told him. At least… not directly. “I-I—”
She stopped herself, her fingers curled slightly on her lap. Again, that same unsettling feeling. Like he knew her too well.
Before she could dwell on it further, Zafiel reached into the box and opened it, revealing neatly arranged confections—soft, delicate, and beautifully made.
Her attention shifted despite herself. “… they look good…” She admitted quietly.
Zafiel hummed faintly. Then, his gaze shifted to the book in her hands. “What are you reading?”
Mariana glanced down, as if just remembering. “Oh, this...?” She lifted it slightly.
Cile, who had been quietly observing from nearby, chimed in with a grin. “Ah, that one! Quite popular among noble ladies.”
Mariana blinked. “It is?”
“Oh yes,” Cile nodded enthusiastically. “Romance. Dramatic. Slightly scandalous.”
Mariana’s expression brightened just a little. “Well… it is interesting.”
Zafiel’s gaze lingered on her. “Tell me.”
Mariana hesitated for a second. Then, her eyes lit up. Because if there was one thing she couldn’t resist, it was talking about stories. “It’s about an Emperor,” she began, her voice gaining energy, “a tyrannical one. Cold. Ruthless. Feared by everyone in the empire.”
Zafiel listened silently. Intently.
“And then there’s the female lead,” Mariana continued, smiling faintly. “Priscilla. A baron’s daughter. Gentle, kind, very… saint-like.”
Cile nodded approvingly from the side. “A classic pairing.” She murmured.
Mariana continued, growing more animated.
“They meet under unusual circumstances,” she said, gesturing lightly with the book.
“At first, he’s indifferent to her. But then, he starts noticing her.
Little things. The way she speaks. The way she acts.
” Her voice softened slightly. “And then… he becomes obsessed.”
Zafiel’s gaze sharpened—just a fraction.
Mariana didn’t notice. “He starts controlling things around her,” she went on. “Making decisions for her. Keeping her close. Not letting anyone else near her.” Her smile faltered. “… even when she doesn’t want it.”
Silence. Just for a moment.
Mariana’s fingers tightened around the book. Because suddenly, it didn’t feel like just a story anymore. Priscilla, a kind girl, caught in the attention of a powerful man. One who decided. One who didn’t ask. One who took.
Her voice slowed. “… but she still tries to understand him,” she added more quietly. “To reach him. To… soften him.”
Her chest felt tight. Because the parallels, they were too obvious. Too close. Too uncomfortable.
Mariana stopped mid-thought, her smile fading completely. “I-I think I’ll read something else..." She said abruptly, closing the book.
Zafiel didn’t stop her. Didn’t question it. But his eyes remained on her. Watching. Understanding.
You see it too, don’t you? The resemblance, the reflection.
Mariana quickly stood, moving to another shelf as if escaping the weight of her own thoughts. Her fingers scanned titles hastily before settling on something else. “… this one…” She pulled out a different book. Dustier. Less polished. “A folklore collection…” She murmured.
Cile leaned in, peeking at the cover. “Oh? That’s not a popular one. Stories from the outskirts.”
Mariana nodded slightly, already flipping through the pages. “I like these better sometimes…” Simpler. Stranger. Less predictable.
Behind her, Zafiel watched. And slowly, he smiled.
You really haven’t changed.
Not in the way that mattered. Even before, even back then, she had always been drawn to stories like that. And yet, her earlier choice hadn’t gone unnoticed either.
You still read those kinds of stories too.
His gaze softened slightly.
Possessive men. Obsessive love.
His fingers moved, slowly. He picked up one of the sweets and stepped closer. Mariana didn’t notice at first. Too absorbed in reading. Until, “Open.”
She froze, blinking. “Hu-Huh?”
The sweet was held just in front of her lips. Zafiel’s hand was steady. Unyielding.
Mariana’s face flushed instantly. “I...I can eat it myself...!” She turned her head slightly, trying to avoid it.
But, Zafiel’s other hand lifted. Firm. Gentle. His fingers resting against her chin, guiding her back. “Open.” He repeated.
Her heart slammed against her chest. Her mind went blank. “Yo-Your Imperial Highness, this is...!”
Before she could finish, be slipped the sweet into her mouth. Clean. Effortless. Intentional. Mariana froze. Completely. Her entire body stiff. Her face burning.
Behind them, Cile clicked her tongue. “… Ah, I see.” She picked up a book, muttering under her breath. “Feeding me dog food at my age… how cruel…”
Mariana heard it barely. Because her brain had short-circuited.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!
She chewed mechanically. Slowly. Stiffly. Refusing to look at him.
“It’s good.” Zafiel said calmly.
Mariana nearly choked. “I... I KNOW THAT...!” Her voice came out louder than intended. She quickly lowered it, mortified.
Zafiel said nothing, just picked up another sweet and held it out again. Mariana stared at it. Then at him. Then back at it.
“I-I can eat it myself...” She insisted weakly.
“No.”
“N-No...?”
“I’ll feed you.”
Mariana’s soul nearly left her body.
PLEASE SOMEONE INTERRUPT—
No one did. Not a single person. Cile had conveniently buried herself in her book, though the faint twitch of her shoulders suggested she was holding back laughter.
And so, Mariana suffered. Sweet after sweet. Each one fed to her. Each one increasing her embarrassment. Her mind screamed the entire time.
THIS IS SO WEIRD...! WHY IS HE DOING THIS...?! WHY AM I LETTING HIM...?
But she couldn’t stop him. Didn’t know how to stop him. And worse, a part of her knew. He wouldn’t stop even if she tried.
—
Hours passed, too many hours. Mariana had long since calmed down—externally, at least. Internally, she was still recovering.
But the peaceful atmosphere of the library eventually shifted. The door opened more frequently. Voices grew louder. Customers trickled in. Then more. And more.
“Did you hear?”
“I’m telling you, it was them...”
“The Crown Prince and...”
“The Grand Princess...”
Mariana froze. Zafiel’s expression darkened—just slightly. Whispers spread. Eyes lingered. Too many. Too curious. Too aware. Zafiel’s gaze sharpened.
Annoying.
Without warning, he moved. His hand wrapped around Mariana’s wrist.
“Yo-Your Highne—”
Before she could react, he pulled her swiftly. Decisively into a quieter section of the library, a secluded corner. Shelves towering around them, cutting them off from view.
Mariana stumbled slightly and then, her back met the bookshelf softly but firmly. Her breath hitched. Because Zafiel didn’t step away. He stepped closer. Too close.
Her face pressed lightly against his chest. She froze. “Wa-Wait—”
Her hands instinctively pushed against him but his arm moved, sliding around her waist. Holding her in place. Not tight. But unyielding.
“Stay still." He murmured.
Her mind blanked. Her heart raced. The proximity, the heat, the scent... everything was too much. Too overwhelming. Her thoughts spiraled.
This is bad... This is REALLY BAD...!
Her magic reacted instinctively. Reflexively. Space warped. Mana surged. And in the next instant, they disappeared.
Silence. Complete.
Mariana gasped, her eyes snapping open. Different surroundings. Empty. Isolated. “… I-I teleported…” She breathed out. Relief flooded her.
Finally, space. Distance. Freedom—
“No...” Her voice died.
Because there was still an arm around her waist. Still warmth behind her. Still, him—Zafiel. Unmoved. Unshaken. Untouched by the displacement.
Mariana’s eyes widened in horror. “Thi-This—” Her voice trembled. “Self-teleportation… fails… if someone is holding the mage…”
Slowly, very slowly, she tilted her head back. Meeting his gaze.
Zafiel looked down at her. Calm. Composed. Unbothered. As if nothing unusual had just happened. As if this was exactly where he intended to be.
His hold on her didn’t loosen. If anything, it felt more certain. “Where do you think you’re going?” He asked softly.
Mariana’s breath caught. Because suddenly, the secluded library corner felt a lot safer than wherever they were now.