The Dragon King's Hated Bride
Chapter 80: Get Caught

Chapter 80: Get Caught

>>Ariston

Red.

My breath caught.

Red. All three of them bled red.

Doubt clouded my mind for a split second. I was wrong? I was pretty positive they loved Ruoxy a bit too much. My pulse quickened, frustration creeping in.

"Ah—" Kitty hissed, drawing the attention of her companions.

"It looks like someone cut me..." she muttered, eyes narrowing.

"Me too," one of the other maids frowned, examining her own arm.

"That’s strange," the third one added, looking around in suspicion.

I turned on my heel, ready to disappear into the crowd before they could piece things together. But just as I did, a firm hand shot out and grabbed my hood, yanking me backward.

!?!?

My heart lurched.

"You!" Kitty’s voice was sharp, accusing. "You did this, didn’t you?!"

The crowd around us turned to look. Heat crept up my spine as I felt their gazes pinning me in place. My fingers twitched at my side, my instincts screaming at me to act—fast.

My breath caught in my throat as I slowly turned to face her, masking my rising panic with a cool stare.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, forcing my voice into an even tone.

Kitty’s eyes burned with suspicion. "You cut me," she accused, holding up her arm where a thin line of red blood beaded against her pale skin. "You cut all of us!"

I scoffed, tugging my hood back into place. "Why would I do that? I don’t even know who you are." I was using a different voice while talking.

Her brows furrowed, lips parting slightly as if my words had struck her. For a fleeting second, doubt flickered in her gaze, but she quickly regained her composure, her grip on me unwavering.

"Don’t lie," she pressed. "I saw you walking right past us. I felt it."

"You saw me walking. That doesn’t mean I did anything."

Kitty’s eyes flickered with determination. "Then let me check," she said, voice firm, as she reached for me. "I’ll see for myself if you have a blade."

Her hands landed on my arms, firm and searching. A sharp jolt of panic raced through me, my stomach knotting. If she found my dagger—if even a glint of metal peeked from my sleeve—everything would be over.

I smacked her hand away. "What do you think you’re doing?" I snapped, stepping back. "That’s inappropriate!"

Gasps rippled through the onlookers. More people had turned their attention toward us now, eyes gleaming with intrigue. The festival’s joyous chatter dimmed into hushed murmurs, the weight of their gazes pressing down on me like a lead weight.

Kitty didn’t back down. "Don’t act so defensive," she shot back. "If you have nothing to hide, then let me search you."

"I don’t need to prove anything to you," I countered. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, but I clenched my fists to steady myself. "You’re making baseless accusations."

"Oh, really?" Kitty crossed her arms, her sharp gaze raking over me

"Yes," I folded my arms back, "And why are you looking for a blade? Someone could have cut you with their claw."

She rolled her eyes, "A claw and a metal has different feels." Her suspicion grew, "I’ve never seen you before."

"Well, duh, I’ve never seen you before either."

My answer infuriated her, "Everyone here is with someone, enjoying the festival. But you—you’re alone. That makes you suspicious."

A cold prickle crawled up my spine. I could feel it now—the shift in the crowd, the subtle way they angled their bodies toward me, the way a few demons’ tails flicked with slow, calculating motions.

I clenched my jaw. "I’m not alone," I blurted.

Kitty cocked her head. "Oh? Where’s your partner, then?"

"He went to get snacks." I forced my voice to stay casual, adjusting my posture to seem relaxed. "He’ll be back any second now."

Kitty didn’t look convinced. "You’re lying."

"Why would I lie about something so simple?" I countered, injecting irritation into my tone. I needed to get out of this—fast.

"Then you won’t mind waiting right here," she said smoothly. "We’ll see if your ’partner’ shows up." Then she looked at the demons around her, "If no one shows up, it means you were lying. And you are the culprit."

I stiffened as the demons around us began stepping in closer. A tall, broad-shouldered one with curved horns cracked his knuckles, his heavy tail thumping against the cobblestone. Another, smaller but just as dangerous-looking, flicked a knife between their fingers with practiced ease.

A bead of sweat rolled down my spine.

I took a step back, but they mirrored the movement.

I could run.

But if I ran, I’d only confirm their suspicions.

If I stayed, they’d search me.

My fingers twitched toward the dagger strapped to my thigh beneath the dress, hidden but not unreachable. My mind raced through my options, but with every passing second, my window of escape grew smaller.

I was trapped.

But Just as the air around me tightened, thick with suspicion, a deep, commanding voice cut through the tension.

"Ari?! What is happening here?" A man’s voice

!??!

The crowd stilled. The demons encroaching on me hesitated, their aggression wavering. Then, like parting waves, they stepped back to make way for the towering figure that strode into the scene.

Tall. Broad. His presence alone sent an undeniable ripple through the gathered onlookers.

I stared at the man approaching me, my mind scrambling for recognition. My heart pounded as I took in his strong build, the way he moved with effortless confidence.

Do I know this person? And did he just call me Ari??

He came right to me, stepping in close, and then—he leaned down, bringing his face level with mine.

My breath caught.

!?!?!?

Drakkar.

My body locked in place, shock rendering me momentarily speechless.

He smirked. That damned smirk—one filled with amusement, arrogance, and something else entirely as his golden eyes trailed over me. I suddenly became acutely aware of the way I must have looked—my long red wig, my delicate features, the navy dress that barely skimmed above my knees.

His gaze lingered there. On my exposed legs.

A slow exhale left him before he moved.

Before I could react, he was suddenly there—his body warm against mine, his hands sliding over my waist, pulling me closer with casual ease, as if he had done it a thousand times before. The heat of his touch seeped through the thin fabric of my dress.

Then, his fingers drifted lower.

Under my skirt.

A startled gasp nearly escaped me, but I bit my lip to suppress it. My body tensed, every nerve set alight by his touch.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Drakkar asked, his voice deceptively light, but his golden eyes burned with a silent threat as he looked at the demons still lingering around us.

The tension in the air shifted.

Some of the demons hesitated before quietly slinking away, unwilling to get in the way of someone like him. I think he has an enchantment on, because till the time he was right before me, I couldn’t tell who he was.

Most people scattered.

Kitty, however, still stood her ground, even as her friends backed away. "That person cut me and my friends," she said, glaring up at him. "I saw her do it."

Drakkar straightened, releasing his hold on me only to reach out and casually brush my cheek with the back of his fingers. It was an intimate gesture, one that made my skin crawl but I had no choice but to play along.

Drakkar chuckled lowly. "My Ari?" He turned his attention back to Kitty, his fingers curling possessively around my arm. "My Ari can’t even hurt a fly."

As he spoke, his grip on my skin tightened—just enough for me to feel the subtle pinch of his fingers digging in.

I swallowed hard, my pulse drumming in my ears as I looked at Kitty. Her expression twisted in frustration, but she must have realized that there was no point in arguing further. Drakkar’s presence alone had turned the situation entirely in my favor.

One by one, the last of the onlookers drifted away, the festival’s laughter and music swallowing up the lingering whispers.

Drakkar smirked down at me, his hand still possessively resting against my waist.

Kitty’s face twisted in anger, her lips curling into a snarl. "Tch." She clenched her fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms before she exhaled sharply and turned away. "Forget it."

Frustration radiated off her in waves as she spun on her heel, storming off into the crowd. The rest of the demons hesitated only a moment longer before they, too, dispersed, their interest fading now that no fight was about to break out.

The tension in my shoulders loosened, relief creeping in as the pressure of all those eyes on me disappeared. This was my chance.

I took a single step back—then turned sharply, ready to slip into the festival’s crowd and disappear.

But the moment I moved, an arm came around me, slamming me back into a solid body. The force knocked me off balance for a split second, but before I could even stumble, two strong arms wrapped around my waist in an unrelenting grip, locking me in place.

I stiffened.

What—?!

I barely had time to process what had happened before a familiar deep chuckle rumbled right by my ear.

"What are you doing?" I snapped, whipping my head up to glare at Drakkar. I was now right next to his chest.

Drakkar merely looked down at me, golden eyes gleaming with amusement. His hold on me was secure, firm, but his touch was deceptively light—teasing, even.

"That is what I should be asking you," he murmured, lips curling into a smirk. Then, voice dipping lower, he drawled out the name like a lazy purr, "Ari~"

A shiver crawled up my spine.

I grit my teeth. "Let me go."

Drakkar only tightened his grip. "And let my little Ari slip away into the night?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "Not a chance." His hands traveled under my skirt

!??

"Hey!" I felt his big hands grab my ass

"Oho!" His eyes were shining, "What do we have here?" The look of perversity increased in his eyes, making my face go red.