Though Blain struggled frantically, Ishakan’s grip didn’t loosen in the least. He watched Blain calmly, controlling his strength so he only rendered him unconscious. Once Blain had gone limp, Ishakan checked his pulse and then dropped him on the floor like he was garbage.

His eyes were cool and indifferent as he looked at Leah, and when she met those familiar golden eyes, the strength suddenly left her legs.

“Ah…”

Ishakan quickly caught her. The warmth of his body was so reassuring. But the more she thought about what had just happened, the more her blood ran cold. He wasn’t worried in the least; he just seemed to think he had done his duty.

Leah’s hand went to her pounding heart. He would not have done this, in the past. Before, he had just watched as Blain dragged her wherever he wanted. Ishakan had asked if she wanted help before he helped her. He had always prioritized Leah’s wishes.

Young Ishakan was much more impulsive.

He frowned as he saw her smiling.

“Why are you happy? You were in danger…”

“I wasn’t in danger,” Leah replied warmly. “You protected me.”

Ishkan’s eyes dropped, and the sight of his shyness gave Leah the naughty impulse to kiss him on the cheek.

Carefully, he laid her on the bed, then quickly tore up the curtains to make a rope to bind Blain, tossing him in a closet.

“I’m sorry. I’ve made trouble for you,” he said, finally looking back at Leah, who was sitting up on the bed, watching.

“Don’t worry, I’ll manage it.” Leah had no idea how, but she wanted to reassure him. “Maybe we should just run away.”

She meant it as a joke, but he took it seriously.

“…Yes.” Slowly, he knelt before her, and Leah’s eyes widened as he carefully took her hand. “Run away with me to the desert.”

He had already proposed this to her before.

“It is not a peaceful place. It’s even more dangerous than the royal palace, but I will protect you. I will never allow anyone to treat you badly.”

The young man’s face reddened.

“I know I have nothing, but I don’t want to leave you here…”

He had even kidnapped her to save her. Now that he had seen her trembling before Blain, he couldn’t leave without her.

No matter when they met, Ishakan would save her.

Leah threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She could have cried, the offer was so sweet. And though he froze at first, his arms clumsily moved around her.

“…I’m sorry,” Leah said softly. “I can’t leave.”

It would always be this way between them.

She wanted to protect him from everything that was coming. But she couldn’t know how much the future might change if she went to the desert with him now. Even if this was just a dream, she had changed so many things, and it felt like she might ruin her future with him if she did anything more.

“Don’t you want to get away from the man you hate?” he asked angrily, and Leah couldn’t answer that question. “I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

“Thank you, Ishakan.”

He jolted at the name she gave him. 

“You can’t call me that. I am not a kan.”

She ignored the correction.

“Will you come and get me afterward?” she asked.