To My Dearly Detested | ✎

6 | artistic thumb

The next morning, Adrien was frustrated.

Since his heated argument with Kagami last night, he hadn't spoken to her since. Their interactions were brief glances as she tagged along with him and Marinette throughout the day, remaining ever-so-silent as she strode behind them. Marinette, sensing the tension, hadn't said a word to him since breakfast.

In a way, he was glad Marinette wasn't trying to speak to him because he wasn't in the mood. He had only escorted her to the main hall to revisit the mile stretch of portraits hung on the wall of his ancestry because she had timidly asked. When they actually arrived in the hall, her knights were both there to greet her, as if they had known she would be there.

Marinette left his side as soon as she saw them. A part of him was quite relieved to have her spend her time with them rather than with him. However, the other half of him really wished she wouldn't leave him alone with Kagami.

"Luka, you know all about art, do you not?" Marinette looped her arm around her knight's—a very improper gesture from what Adrien understood. He was tempted to say something, but he didn't have any right. So instead, he glowered at the interaction, truly annoyed by it.

"Somewhat." Her knight in question replied in slight confusion. "What do you want to know?"

Marinette's words became inaudible to him as she and her knights continued further down the hall. Adrien had no interest in trying to catch up with them. Instead, he kept a scowl on his face as he lingered behind. With his arms folded across his chest, he perfected the look of a spoiled prince.

Kagami was close behind him—so close that he could practically feel the heat radiating off of her. It had him scoffing, which then had him throwing her a glare over his shoulder. "You are too close. Step back."

Kagami simply arched a brow at him. There was no emotion behind it. "Since when has my closeness ever bothered you before?"

He ignored her question. "That is an order. Step back."

She did as she was told without another word being said, and her expression never changed as she did so. Adrien was bothered that she could mask everything behind a callous expression so well. He often envied such a talent.

He turned his eyes forward again, refocusing his gaze on Marinette and her knights. It seemed she wasn't even interested in the art, despite her having him believe she had wanted to see the pieces. She was busy walking in between her two knights, talking to them both as she turned her head from one to the next.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he wondered what they were talking about.

His eyes darted to his left when he realized Kagami was now at his side, still at his requested distance away. She kept herself in stride with him, looking at him with nothing but blandness. "You should consider ceasing your pouting unless you want the princess to beg her father for a dissolution of your soon-to-be marriage." She said rather emotionlessly.

"Then perhaps I should pout harder." He replied stubbornly.

Kagami's gaze hardened ever-so-slightly. "With all due respect, Your Highness, but you are acting like a child. If anyone suspects or notices that you are making the progression of this union difficult—"

"Why on earth are you acting like it is a concern of yours?" Adrien shot her a glare, unashamedly interrupting her. "Were you not upset with me last night when I mentioned some progression? When I revealed to you my conversation with the princess about seeing the snow?"

"I admit I overreacted." She admitted blandly, which was not something Kagami usually did. "However, you can understand the source of my anger, can you not? You were thinking about that while we were making love."