Knights of The Dauntless Princess

Chapter 48: True Feelings

"Dravis!" Amara called out to the young man as she approached him. Dravis only glanced at her and then took a sip of the drink in his glass. Amara asked him, "What happened? Where's Ranz?"

"I've already talked to him, and it seems that what I said had an effect," Dravis replied, then looked toward where Ranz was. "However, it seems he can't come there right away; his intoxicated companions blocked him. Their revelry has just begun, and they're already drunk. What weak creatures!"

Amara grimaced in frustration, "What!? No! Ranz should have left before Louie could return; otherwise, he might not have assumed that the two were together!"

"Hey!" Dravis shouted as Amara suddenly ran towards Ranz. He sighed as he couldn't stop her, only redirecting his gaze towards the young woman. "That girl is really stubborn! Tsk!"

Dravis just watched as Amara helped Ranz escape the pestering of his drunken comrades. His eyes widened when he noticed Amara took the glass of alcohol offered to Ranz and drank it. Meanwhile, Ranz discreetly slipped away when their attention was focused on Amara.

"That woman is going crazy!!!" Dravis muttered irritably and finished his drink before going to Amara.

Meanwhile, Nina sat on the edge of her bed, gazing out of her window. She waited there, even though she knew that what Amara was thinking was impossible.

"Sometimes, princesses can be quite mischievous," Nina whispered to herself with a bitter smile. "I don't know what came into her mind. I wonder what she'll do to find out if Ranz has feelings for me or none."

Several minutes passed, and it seemed that Nina had lost hope. She stood up and faced her window. She felt a pang, not from the wound on her arm, but from the depths of her heart. She pressed her lips tightly to hold back tears. She had lost hope and began to think that everything was just a figment of her imagination.

"I really am ridiculous. Even though I knew it wouldn't happen, I still waited," she said to herself and lowered her head. "I'm such a fool—"

"Nina!!!" Suddenly, her room's door burst open, and she was startled to see Ranz, who appeared angry and concerned.

Nina immediately looked at him, and their gazes met.

"R-Ranz?" Nina uttered in disbelief, feeling like she was dreaming of seeing the young man she had wished to see.

Ranz was also surprised and wondered why Nina was alone there. He seemed lost for a moment when he heard that Nina and Louie were together, but he snapped back to reality.

"Did Louie come here?" Ranz asked.

Nina quickly composed herself. She didn't want to jump to conclusions about why Ranz was there. She turned away and avoided looking at Ranz.

"Why are you looking for that guy here?" Nina said in an irritable tone. "This is my room!"

Ranz was taken aback and paused to think. It suddenly dawned on him that he had been played by Dravis, and he just tapped his forehead in his own foolishness.

"Damn it, I really thought—” Ranz stopped himself from speaking and immediately sealed his mouth.

Meanwhile, Nina still stood with her back turned, waiting for him to leave, realizing that she wasn't the one Ranz had come for. Her heart felt even more shattered. A moment of silence enveloped the room; Nina wasn't sure if the young man had left or not, as she didn't hear any footsteps.

"How's your wound?" Ranz suddenly asked, confirming that he was indeed still there.

Nina was surprised once again and wondered why he was still around. She discreetly glanced at the young man from the corner of her eye and saw that he was indeed looking at her.

"Why do you care? And why are you still here!?" Nina asked, clenching her fists.

"Why are you so grouchy!? I'm just asking!" Ranz replied, annoyed.

Nina faced him, filled with irritation. "I thought you didn't care about me? Didn't you say that? So stop pretending to be concerned about me because it's really getting on my nerves!"

Ranz's eyebrows also furrowed, seemingly unwilling to back down from the confrontation with the feisty girl. "You got hurt! Of course, I might have some concern for you!"

"Then, I don't need your concern! I don't want it because it's fake, so can you please stop asking and just leave!!!" Nina said firmly.

Ranz didn't say anything, but his eyes were fixed seriously on the defiant girl. He knew he had made a mistake, but he had his reasons for saying those things.

Nina turned her back on Ranz again. "If you have nothing else to say, you can leave—"

Nina was taken aback when she felt Ranz grab her arm and turn her to face him again. She hadn't realized that he had approached her so closely, and she was greatly surprised when Ranz locked his eyes with hers. His expression showed that he didn't like what Nina had said.

"So, you're serious about distancing yourself from me!?" Ranz asked.

Nina trembled, attempting to free her hand from Ranz's tight grip.

"Can you... let me go—" Nina's words were cut short as Ranz suddenly sealed her lips with a kiss.

Nina's eyes widened in surprise, unable to comprehend whether it was true that the lips of the man she had loved for so long were pressed against hers. His lips were sweet, causing her to close her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks.

After a brief moment, Ranz ended the kiss and looked at Nina. Nina covered her face and burst into tears.

"N-Nina..."

"Shut up, you jerk!" Nina yelled, her crying continuing. "You have no idea how confused I am right now because of you, you bastard!!!"

"W-What!? What are you saying!?"

"I said, YOU'RE A JERK! GET OUT OF HERE!"

In her frustration, Nina pushed Ranz to leave her room. However, due to Ranz's strength, he held onto the door and closed it to prevent being pushed out.

"Fine! If I'm a jerk, then you are a crazy woman!!!" Ranz retaliated.

"Fine! I'm crazy! I'm completely insane! Because my feelings are all messed up! And it's your fault!!!" Nina blamed him while continuing to shout and sob. "I don't know where I belong anymore! I don't know what you want me to do! Since our childhood, you're the one I've wanted, and you know that! But when you told me straight to my face that you didn't care about me, that made me wake up! I woke up to see that I'm worthless to you! I wanted to free myself from this overwhelming love for you, but what the heck are you doing!? Just when I'm trying my best to free myself from these feelings, you're acting like this towards me! Are you really kidding me? Is there any mercy left for me from you!? I'm struggling so much! I-I don't want this anymore! I don't want to hope for you anymore, Ranz!"

From what Nina said, it seemed like the young man's resolve was slowly crumbling. He truly didn't know why he couldn't resist kissing Nina, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to lie to himself. As he gazed at Nina, who continued to cry, it was as if he no longer cared about the past that held him back. Ranz brushed aside a few strands of hair that covered Nina's face and gently caressed her cheek. He lifted her face slightly so he could look into her eyes once again.

"R-Ranz, stop! Don't give me false hope again. What you're doing hurts even more than the wound on my arm! P-Please, enough!" Nina pleaded once more.

"I-I'm sorry. Forgive me," the young man sincerely apologized. "But I won't let you just give up on me like that."

"Ranz..."

Again, Nina closed her eyes as Ranz kissed her once more. This kiss was more passionate than the first, and Nina could feel the longing in the young man's embrace. It was as though they had both yearned for each other for so long that they couldn't immediately break away from that kiss.

Their feelings seemed to deepen even further. Ranz squeezed Nina's waist, and she wrapped one of her arms around the young man's neck. It was as if they had lost control over the intensity of their bodies pressing against each other.

After a moment, they pulled away from the kiss, gasping for air. Nina looked at Ranz again, her gaze unwavering.

"Why?" Ranz asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's just that I'm not sure... if this is a dream or what," Nina replied. "If it's a dream, please, I beg you, don't wake me up!"

Ranz couldn't help but grin at what the young woman said. He carefully lifted her and laid her on the bed. "I can't wake you up, because you're not asleep. The only thing I can do for you right now... is something I've wanted to do for a long time."

"Wh-What?"

Ranz let out a sigh as he sat on the edge of the bed where Nina lay. He took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"After tonight... I'll be breaking a promise," Ranz said and kissed the young woman's hand. "I hope your father can forgive me."

"I don't understand, what do you mean?" Nina asked with a furrowed brow.

Ranz's forehead furrowed as well, "Can I not answer that question for now? I don't want to ruin our night."

Nina's face turned red and she looked away. She was curious about what Ranz was saying, but she also agreed with him. She didn't want to waste the opportunity she had been waiting for.

"And... what is it that you've wanted to do to me for a long time?" Nina asked, her lips slightly trembling.

Ranz's smile widened. He interlocked their fingers and pinned them on the bed.

"Do you really not know? Or do you want me to do it to you right away?" Ranz asked playfully.

Nina remained silent, for the truth was she did know. The only thing on her mind was that she had no experience of such matters, which made her anxious and embarrassed.

"Tell me. Tell me now whether I should continue with this or not, because once I start, I won't be able to stop myself," Ranz said, his expression turning serious.

Nina's heart raced quickly. Even though she wanted to decline and prepare herself, her body seemed reluctant to respond. It was as if her body, too, anticipated their connection once again, leaving her uncertain about what to do next.

"Don't you have an answer? I'm waiting," Ranz urged.

Nina's lips trembled. She didn't want their night to end abruptly like that, which is why... she reached out and touched the young man's face.

"Please... make love to me tonight, Ranz," Nina confessed.

With Nina's words, it signaled Ranz to kiss her again. Their bodies intertwined once more, and each kiss grew deeper. They both surrendered to the heat between them, unable to hold back any longer. The unique pleasure brought by the young man's kisses, not only on her lips but also on the more intimate parts of Nina's body, intensified her emotions. With every touch and thrust, she knew she would never regret that moment.

"Nina... are you okay?" Ranz asked, seeing that the young woman seemed to be in pain from their actions.

"R-Ranz... you don't need to worry," Nina responded, letting out a soft moan. "The pain is nothing compared to the pleasure you're giving inside me."

Ranz seemed taken aback by what Nina said. Her words only heightened his arousal, and he couldn't help but grin.

"Damn! You're making me even harder, my woman."