Chapter 63 (2/2)
”Shall I escort you to the drawing room, Chapelier prince? Alice seemed to be disappointed that it was hard to see you these days, as you've been away from your house so often.”
”You mean your concubine? There's a rumor that she's pregnant. You must be on good terms with her. I tend to stay away from women who belong to someone else. I hope you will relay the warning that she shouldn't go around being friendly to every man she sees, although I doubt that she would listen. She must not trust you at all if she came to me of all people.”
”You stay away from women who belong to someone else?”
”Of course. Is there any other woman that you claim as yours?”
It was a rhetorical question. That's how Heart deciphered Mad Hatter's explanation. At the same time, Mad Hatter's words reminded him of the time that he had told Heart not to assume that SoYoon was his. Mad Hatter also remembered the time he had found the kiss mark on the back of her neck.
The two men both reached for their weapons. The next moment, the sound of the blue blade of an ax and wire sliced through the air.
Heart pushed off his desk and swung at Mad Hatter's head with his ax. Mad Hatter just barely avoided it and wrapped Heart's wrist with his wire. Heart quickly got out of it and swung again with his loose hand. Although it was not severe, the cut on his cheek was pretty deep, and Mad Hatter frowned.
”Why? Are you afraid you will lose your greatest weapon?”
Heart laughed raucously. Mad Hatter, dripping blood down to his chin, laughed with him.
”Of course. She does like my face so very much.”
The short dialogue ended quickly, and the two men charged at each other again. The ax hit Mad Hatter's shoulder. He blew magic into his wire to strengthen it to block the attack, then swung his leg around to kick Heart's side. Heart faltered a moment then slid his ax down the wire toward Mad Hatter's left hand.
The unsavory sound of metal on metal echoed through the room. Mad Hatter unraveled the wire and stepped back quickly, but his hand was already bleeding heavily.
”Were you planning to chop off my hand?”
”Aren't you right-handed? Isn't it fine to be missing one useless hand?”
Although he said this, Heart had no intention of chopping off Mad Hatter's hand. If he had wanted to, it would have already been flying off before Mad Hatter released his wire. Heart also knew that he could never be a match alone against Mad Hatter's magic.
That meant all this was nothing but a temper tantrum. With SoYoon between them, they were unable to deliver the final blow to each other. Heart swung his ax menacingly and destroyed the back of the sofa. Then he plopped on his armchair. Mad Hatter sat on the undestroyed side of the sofa.
”Compared to last time, the wound is not so bad.”
He frowned at his blood-soaked face then healed just his face with his powers. Heart frowned also but watched without complaint, thinking it was better than having SoYoon fret about Mad Hatter's hurt face.
”Did you finish off your outside business?”
”I destroyed Cheshire's lair in Outhouse and killed most of his men. His position as a lawyer is probably destroyed by now also. Because in Outhouse, you can make anything happen with money,” the young and beautiful descendant of royalty said snidely.
Heart sunk deeper into the sofa and asked lazily, ”What about Cheshire?”
The smile on Mad Hatter's face disappeared. Unlike what he had told SoYoon, he had in fact gone to the hospital where Cheshire was residing.
What awaited him, however, was an empty hospital room. He had checked with the nurse, but they didn't know where he had gone either. Mad Hatter glared at Heart, who he knew already realized all this.
”I lost him. He must have figured out I'd be coming.”
”Oh, what a shame.”