Reincarnation of The Villainess: She Has The Duke's Baby!-Chapter 188: Side Story 03-Ixion, Ruby’s Prince On The White Horse!

Chapter 188: Side Story 03-Ixion, Ruby’s Prince On The White Horse!

"Hello, Princess Ruby."

Ruby Askary turned her head and clicked her tongue in annoyance. She had just finished sword practice and was wiping the sweat off her beautiful face using the small towel she had on her shoulder. This beautiful seventeen year old woman had long blonde hair like her Mother—Isabella Lysander—and red eyes like her Father—Ethan Askary.

"Crown Prince Ixion, don’t you have anything else to do in your palace? Why do you have to come to the De Louis empire just to see me every day?"

Ixion Rune Abelavish, the Crown Prince of the Abelavish empire smiled broadly and approached Ruby. Beside Ixion, Jeremy loyally followed. The man was no longer the personal knight of Helios Rune Abelavish, the Emperor of the Abelavish Empire. When Ixion was born, Helios told Jeremy to protect his son. At first, Jeremy refused. There was no way he would leave an Emperor’s side. Moreover, Jeremy has accompanied Helios since the man was still the Crown Prince. However, since Helios said he would be fine, Jeremy couldn’t refuse him anymore.

"Greetings to Princess Ruby Askary. May Elleia’s light always be with you," said Jeremy, bowing. Ruby smiled at Jeremy and nodded. Then, she glanced at Brandon and Ren, who were already kneeling beside her to greet Ixion. Brandon and Ren are her parents’ shadow knights given to them by her uncle, Duke Edmund Gerwyn.

"Greetings to Crown Prince Ixion. May Elleia’s light always be with you."

Ixion nodded and his focus returned to Ruby. "To answer your question earlier, of course I will always come to the Askary mansion every day just to meet you, Princess. I’m sure you know that I am very attracted to you and have liked you since I first saw you when we were little."

"And I’ve told you many times that I don’t like you, Your Highness. I only think of you as a friend and also as an older brother even though we are the same age." Ruby drank the water in the bottle and walked past Ixion. "If you have nothing to talk about, I will leave now. My Father is waiting for me, Your Highness. By the way, you know that my Father doesn’t like it when you get too close to me, right?"

"I’m a real man, Princess Ruby," chuckled Ixion. He decides to follow Ruby and tells Jeremy, Brandon, and Ren not to follow them. "I won’t stop approaching you just because your Father doesn’t like it. I have liked you since I was little and I will never give up on making you love me back."

Ruby snorted and cleared her throat. Every time Ixion came to see her and said sweet words like this, for some reason, Ruby’s heart always beat three times faster. Even now, Ruby could feel her face heating up and most likely already blushing. This man was really good at making her lose her mind!

Because she wasn’t focused on her surroundings, Ruby didn’t see a cat passing in front of her. It was her grandfather’s cat given to him by her beloved aunt, Penelope Askary. The fat cat ran, making Ruby panic and immediately lose her balance. The woman screamed as her body swayed forward. However, something hugged her waist from behind and pulled her body so she didn’t fall. Then, her body was turned and now Ruby was facing Ixion, who was smiling sweetly at her. More precisely, the woman was in the Crown Prince’s arms now.

"Your Highness—"

"Call me Ixion, Ruby," the man whispered as he tucked Ruby’s hair behind her ear. "And, wherever you are, whatever time it is, I will always be there to save you and protect you. Because, in this world, you are the only woman in my heart and only I have the right to be your only Prince on a white horse."

Dammit! Ruby cursed in her heart. How could a man as handsome as this, who was so favored by the women of the Abelavish empire, truly love her and choose her?

"Crown Prince!"

The exclamation made Ruby’s red eyes widen. The woman immediately broke free from Ixion’s embrace and turned to the source of the voice. In front of her, Ethan Askary stood with his arms crossed and staring intently at Ixion. However, Ixion responded calmly to Ruby’s Father’s murderous gaze. The man even smiled and waved his hand.

"F—Father, it’s not what you think!" Ruby exclaimed in a panicked voice. "Me and His Highness Ixion—"

"Hello, Father-in-law," said Ixion. The man bowed. "I came to meet my future wife, my future Empress. How are you today, Father-in-law?"

"Ixion Rune Abelavish!" Ruby exclaimed. The woman immediately covered Ixion’s mouth with both of her hands and smiled awkwardly at her Father. "Father, please don’t listen to His Highness Ixion’s jokes. He was just joking."

Ixion chuckled even though his mouth was covered by Ruby’s hand.

###

A week has passed since the incident at the Askary mansion.

At that time, Ruby was silent when her Father scolded Ixion. Even though Ixion is the Crown Prince, Ethan Askary doesn’t care about that. Likewise with Ixion. He does not treat others whose status is below him unfairly. That’s why Ixion was loved by all the people of the Abelavish empire.

Because of this, Ruby always didn’t like the sight where she saw Ixion surrounded by very beautiful noble women like now. Ruby was also forced to come to the Abelavish empire because Emperor Helios invited her. But, she shouldn’t show her dislike in front of Ixion and the noble women because that would be very impolite. Ruby took a deep breath and approached Ixion to greet him.

"Greetings to His Highness Crown Prince Ixion," Ruby said with a smile. "May Elleia’s light always be with you."

However, something is different. Ruby saw how Ixion was silent and just nodded. His face looked stiff and his eyes were cold and flat. Then, the man said goodbye to all the noble women except her!

What’s the matter with that man? Why did his attitude change like this? Usually, Ixion would be the first to approach her and greet her. The man will smile like a fool and will continue to follow her like a duckling following its Mother.

"Hey, I heard His Highness is getting engaged soon!" exclaimed one of the noble women near Ruby, making Ruby freeze.

Ixion is getting engaged? Why didn’t the man tell her? Who is the woman who will become Ixion’s fiancee? Were... the sweet words full of love that Ixion had been saying to her all this time just a lie?

"I’m curious about the woman who managed to steal His Highness’s heart," whispered another noble woman. "That woman must be very beautiful. I envy her."

Ruby looked down. She could feel the anxious gaze given by Ren, who today was tasked with protecting her. Ruby continued walking towards Emperor Helios’ room.

"Princess Ruby," called Ren who suddenly appeared. "Are you okay?"

Ruby clenched both of her hands into fists. "Why should I not be fine?" The woman turned her head. "His Highness Ixion’s engagement has nothing to do with me, Ren."

Ruby lied. She was very sad and hurt. So far, Ruby has never been honest about her own feelings. The woman fell in love with Ixion. But, Ruby didn’t dare admit it because she thought it would make her look cheap. People would definitely think that just because Ixion kept seeing her and saying sweet things, she fell in love with that man.

"Ruby!"

The exclamation made Ruby freeze. However, she continued to walk. This time, she walked very quickly. She recognized that voice. It was Ixion’s voice! Ruby didn’t want to meet the man first. First, Ruby didn’t know what kind of expression to put on when facing the Crown Prince because of the information about his engagement that she had heard earlier from the noble ladies. Second, Ruby was hurt because of Ixion’s cold attitude a moment ago. And now, the man was calling her out as if he had done nothing wrong?

"Ruby Askary!"

Ruby was forced to stop walking because her arm was being held tightly. She turned her head and saw Ixion frowning.

"Why are you acting as if you didn’t hear me?"

"Forgive my impudence, Your Highness," Ruby said. The language the woman used was very polite, making Ixion raise an eyebrow. "But I’m in a hurry because Emperor Helios summoned me."

"You’re being cold to me." Statements, not questions.

"Oh? I’m glad you caught it quickly." Ruby nodded and jerked Ixion’s hand away. "Then, I have to go now."

"You’re not going anywhere, Ruby Askary!"

Ixion snapped his fingers and a magic circle appeared under his and Ruby’s feet. Ruby was wide-eyed. Her red eyes glared in disbelief at Ixion. Before they disappeared, Ruby could only look at Ren with a panicked look and vice versa.

Meanwhile, Ixion moved them to his room. He was on top of Ruby’s tiny body which was lying on the bed. The woman looked at him with a murderous look. Her face was red with anger.

"What did you just do, Ixion Rune Abelavish?" Ruby growled. She couldn’t be gentle like her Mother, Isabella Lysander. The woman had a strict nature like her Father.

"I moved you here because you didn’t want to listen to me and didn’t want to talk to me. Why are you angry with me?"

"I am not angry."

"Liar," Ixion grumbled. "You’re being indifferent to me, Ruby Askary."

"Weren’t you the one who was cold to me first?"

"What?" Ixion blinked. "When I—"

"You didn’t return my greeting and you preferred to talk to those beautiful noble ladies. You’re also not smiling like you usually do. Oh, I know. You must be bored with me, right? I’m just a toy for you, right? I understand. You are the Crown Prince and I am just the daughter of a Duke. You are free to treat everyone as you wish. If you get bored with me, you throw me away and look for a new toy."

"Ruby, are you jealous?"

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed. She didn’t expect Ixion to be able to smile as amusedly as he did now. "Why would I be jealous?!"

"Because I didn’t pay attention to you like I usually do." Ixion shrugged his shoulders. "That means you love me. Wow, I’m so happy just thinking about it! My heart is beating so fast!"

"Let me go right now, Ixion!"

Ixion chuckled and brought his face closer to Ruby’s. "Ruby, Darling, I can’t possibly throw you away. I really love you. This feeling has been there since I was a child. How many times do I have to tell you this? I didn’t return your greeting and acted indifferent to you because I didn’t want those women to attack you. They don’t know that you are my fiancé."

Ruby blinked. Her mouth was wide open. "I’m... your fiancé?!"

"Your Father didn’t tell you?"

"No!" Ruby shook her head. "What really happened?"

"My Father called you here because he wanted to ask your opinion. Do you want to be the Crown Princess or not. Father has already spoken to Duke Ethan and Duke Ethan told Father to speak directly to you. Duke Ethan doesn’t want to make a decision without involving you. Don’t you know that since last month, you have been my fiancé?"

Ruby was silent. She was still shocked by this information.

"But, you actually feel jealous. Ah, you’re so adorable, my Crown Princess," chuckled Ixion. "From today on, I will treat you like you are an Empress. I won’t talk to any noble ladies. I also won’t make you jealous and sad anymore. Will you forgive me?"

Ruby snorted. She looked away.

"I’m not a cheap woman whose heart will melt just from sweet words like these, Your Highness Ixion."

Ixion laughed. He turned Ruby’s face towards him and prepared to kiss her lips. When their lips were only an inch apart, the door to Ixion’s room opened and Helios entered with an angry face! The man walked quickly towards his only son, then pulled Ixion until the man got off the bed and dragged him out.

"You are truly a shameless son, Ixion Rune Abelavish! Do you want to see Duke Ethan chop off my neck because of your behavior, huh?!"

Ruby got out of bed and smiled when she saw the argument between Helios and Ixion.

As of today, she is the fiancé of Ixion Rune Abelavish. For Ruby Askary, this is a very happy thing for her because she can spend the rest of her life with the man she loves.