The results were known without having to wait a few days to hear them. Game 3 was a crushing defeat for Eden.
“What the heck is this...”
At the end, there was a lot of muttering about whether he had simply not wanted to become the Crown Prince. The Emperor also watched Eden with a stiff face and then left. It seemed as if he had a hard time watching his son's weak logic.
“Thank you for your hard work, brother.”
The nobles stood up one by one, taking notice. Damon also laughed at Eden one last time and turned around. Eden, who was left alone in the arena, burst into laughter. It was self-mockery and a sense of self-loathing.
Because he was so caught up in his emotions that he didn't even know what he was doing.
All the way back to the townhouse, the carriage was silent. Enon couldn't offer a word of comfort, even though he knew Eden had screwed up the race.
"Your Highness."
Upon hearing the news of his return, Cecilia was waiting to greet him. Enon, not knowing how to watch the anxious couple, chose to run away as soon as he got out of the carriage.
“I was going to ask you to have dinner together.”
Cecilia, who had been looking in the direction where Enon had disappeared with a bewildered face, turned her head with a smile.
“It looks like something urgent is going on.”
“Is that so?”
“Bring me some wine and a glass.”
Eden gave orders to his servant with a calm face and started walking. Cecilia followed calmly.
“How was the competition today?”
Just as he reached the bedroom and was undoing the cuffs on his sleeves, a gentle voice prompted Eden.
“...I guess I wasn’t made of lumber.”
Eden didn't have the confidence to show an indifferent expression. He didn't look back, afraid that he would explode with anger the moment their eyes met.
“What do you mean?”
With a thud, the cuffs were placed on the round table. Cecilia stared blankly at Eden’s broad back, which was turned away from her. The back of the vest was tight.
“I gave a strange answer to the last question.”
“...”
“I knew that to become the Crown Prince, I had to tell the story that His Majesty wanted, but I couldn’t do it.”
It was a story that was difficult for Cecilia to understand, as she was not in the same place.
“...”
Did it mean that he lost the third competition? Her pupils rolled slowly under her lowered eyes. She looked like she was thinking deeply, but in fact, Cecilia was a little anxious.
“I proposed a law that would prevent divorce if even one member objects.”
But the moment she heard the unexpected story, Cecilia forgot to even think.
"...Yes?"
It was because it sounded unbelievable. At least, as far as Cecilia knew, it wasn't something Eden would say.
“Why are you saying that...”
The proposal that Eden had made in the third competition in her previous life was not like that. Cecilia was flustered without realizing it and trailed off.
“Because I keep feeling anxious.”
When she was unable to add anything, Eden turned around. Cecilia stared at the blue eyes staring straight at her with unfamiliarity.
“Owen Casper is here.”
Eden loosened the tie that had been choking his neck with a leisurely hand. Eden tossed the tie, which had slipped out smoothly from under his shirt collar, onto the bed as if he were almost throwing it away.
“I was following you and James Morak.”
“You were following me?”
Cecilia frowned as she asked, but Eden didn't answer. In fact, he didn't have the presence of mind to answer each question.
“James Morak has been providing you with an herb called Raditus regularly.”
Eden's voice was soft and gentle, as usual.
“And that herb, including its antipyretic properties, was said to be used as an ingredient in birth control pills in Lederick.”
But the shadows cast over his face were gloomier than ever. It was different from what Cecilia usually saw, and she could clearly feel the temperature difference.
“I thought you wanted to have children.”
“...”
“So I thought maybe he wanted to stir things up between us out of revenge.”
Cecilia swallowed without realizing it. The room was so quiet that you could almost hear the movement of the dust rolling across the floor.
“But when I found out that the herb was actually used as an ingredient in birth control pills...”
Eden laughed briefly. It was a sound close to dejection.
“Why did you lie?”
And in an instant, the smile disappeared from his face, and he turned to Cecilia.
“You never wanted to have children.”
“...”
“And you knew that if you brought up the maid story and pretended to be sorry, I wouldn’t bring up the child.”
Of course, Eden also knew at some point that Cecilia didn't love him. He guessed that it was something somewhere between family promises, loyalty, fear, saving face, and resignation.
The reason she stayed by his side while whispering her love on the outside...
"We."
I didn't think it was a deception.
“How about we be honest now, Cecilia?”
But his guess was wrong. And now, he couldn't just let it pass without asking. He couldn't just bury it in his heart and forget it.
“I don’t know what you want to say to me.”
Cecilia faced Eden with an indifferent expression. It was an effort to avoid the situation as much as possible.
“Owen Casper has bad intentions toward me. Do you believe a thing he says?”
“...”
“It’s true that I received herbs from James. However, they were just ingredients for the medicine I usually take.”
But Eden's face was expressionless. He didn't believe Cecilia's words at all. It was an expression so obvious that even a passing dog could tell.
“Do you think I'm questioning you based solely on Owen Casper's word?"
Eden asked, raising his lips. His expression couldn't be said to be any better than before. His eyes weren't smiling at all.
“...You assigned someone to me?”
Cecilia knew that face well. It was a face she had looked at with disgust in her previous life, right up until the moment she died.
Smiling mockingly, teasingly pitiful.
She felt her fingertips slowly growing colder. Cecilia clasped her hands under her sleeves.
“Not you, but to James Morak.”
Eden corrected the error in speech, as if she didn't know it was that important, very nonchalantly.
“Because you keep him close.”
"...Your Highness!"
“I was curious to know what you were thinking.”
Eden exhaled slowly. He stopped touching his neck out of habit, as if he was frustrated. It was because he realized that he had already loosened his tie.
“Is James Morak your mistress?”
Eden asked.
“Eden Lobana Burnett!”
Cecilia's sharp voice tore through the air.
“He’s Abby’s husband! How can you say something like that when you know how much I care about her?”
It was because she couldn't understand why she had to listen to such insulting remarks. It was Eden who betrayed and tormented his wife by interfering with the government. Not me!
“You didn’t trust me, so you hired someone?”
“...”
“You ask if the husband of the maid I cherished like my own body is my lover? How can you be so calm when you insult me like that?”
The fear that he had been following her secret suddenly changed.
In fact, when fear and anger combined, she changed her appearance to ignore the fear. To forget the anxiety that was growing because things weren't going the way she wanted.
'Because Your Highness loved me.'
To bring up the past, to cover up fear with justified hatred and contempt.
“You’ve been like that since the beginning. You make fun of me, and you...”
“Since long ago?”
"Child?"
Cecilia asked, one corner of her mouth raised.
“Yeah. I’ve never wanted one before.”
And now, she was telling Eden the truth, which was no longer a secret. She laughed at the faint feeling of betrayal spreading across Eden's face.
“Because I don’t love you.”
Cecilia swung her knife at his chest. There was no physical blade, but it sounded like it was cutting something.
“But everyone has their own place. I just thought we should somehow survive.”
“...”
“If we keep doing that, someday, we will succeed.”
Eden unconsciously raised his hand and felt his chest. Underneath his unbuttoned vest, he felt only the soft, flat shirt.
“It was my last consideration not to let you know that I had changed my mind, but since you even kicked me away, I can’t help it.”
Cecilia watched the scene with cold eyes. She knew that Eden, who whispered that he loved her, was in pain. Because that was what she had told him to do.
“If you really can’t stand it, you should break up.”
Cecilia blurted it out. It was very impulsive, but she really thought it would be better to just end it like this. There were many moments when she hated herself for being tossed around like a boat, unable to control her hatred and revenge.
“What I wanted to ask was what I did wrong.”
“...”
“I know you’re not that kind of person. But if that’s not the case, I just can’t understand why. I can’t understand why you keep getting further away from me.”
After a moment of silence, Eden finally opened his mouth. His voice was full of despair.
“You are the one who deceived my heart.”
“...”
“Why are you angry at me?”
The blue lake rippled and splashed with water droplets. Cecilia stared blankly at the tears falling from his blue eyes.
“What the heck is this...”
At the end, there was a lot of muttering about whether he had simply not wanted to become the Crown Prince. The Emperor also watched Eden with a stiff face and then left. It seemed as if he had a hard time watching his son's weak logic.
“Thank you for your hard work, brother.”
The nobles stood up one by one, taking notice. Damon also laughed at Eden one last time and turned around. Eden, who was left alone in the arena, burst into laughter. It was self-mockery and a sense of self-loathing.
Because he was so caught up in his emotions that he didn't even know what he was doing.
***
All the way back to the townhouse, the carriage was silent. Enon couldn't offer a word of comfort, even though he knew Eden had screwed up the race.
"Your Highness."
Upon hearing the news of his return, Cecilia was waiting to greet him. Enon, not knowing how to watch the anxious couple, chose to run away as soon as he got out of the carriage.
“I was going to ask you to have dinner together.”
Cecilia, who had been looking in the direction where Enon had disappeared with a bewildered face, turned her head with a smile.
“It looks like something urgent is going on.”
“Is that so?”
“Bring me some wine and a glass.”
Eden gave orders to his servant with a calm face and started walking. Cecilia followed calmly.
“How was the competition today?”
Just as he reached the bedroom and was undoing the cuffs on his sleeves, a gentle voice prompted Eden.
“...I guess I wasn’t made of lumber.”
Eden didn't have the confidence to show an indifferent expression. He didn't look back, afraid that he would explode with anger the moment their eyes met.
“What do you mean?”
With a thud, the cuffs were placed on the round table. Cecilia stared blankly at Eden’s broad back, which was turned away from her. The back of the vest was tight.
“I gave a strange answer to the last question.”
“...”
“I knew that to become the Crown Prince, I had to tell the story that His Majesty wanted, but I couldn’t do it.”
It was a story that was difficult for Cecilia to understand, as she was not in the same place.
“...”
Did it mean that he lost the third competition? Her pupils rolled slowly under her lowered eyes. She looked like she was thinking deeply, but in fact, Cecilia was a little anxious.
“I proposed a law that would prevent divorce if even one member objects.”
But the moment she heard the unexpected story, Cecilia forgot to even think.
"...Yes?"
It was because it sounded unbelievable. At least, as far as Cecilia knew, it wasn't something Eden would say.
“Why are you saying that...”
The proposal that Eden had made in the third competition in her previous life was not like that. Cecilia was flustered without realizing it and trailed off.
“Because I keep feeling anxious.”
When she was unable to add anything, Eden turned around. Cecilia stared at the blue eyes staring straight at her with unfamiliarity.
“Owen Casper is here.”
Eden loosened the tie that had been choking his neck with a leisurely hand. Eden tossed the tie, which had slipped out smoothly from under his shirt collar, onto the bed as if he were almost throwing it away.
“I was following you and James Morak.”
“You were following me?”
Cecilia frowned as she asked, but Eden didn't answer. In fact, he didn't have the presence of mind to answer each question.
“James Morak has been providing you with an herb called Raditus regularly.”
Eden's voice was soft and gentle, as usual.
“And that herb, including its antipyretic properties, was said to be used as an ingredient in birth control pills in Lederick.”
But the shadows cast over his face were gloomier than ever. It was different from what Cecilia usually saw, and she could clearly feel the temperature difference.
“I thought you wanted to have children.”
“...”
“So I thought maybe he wanted to stir things up between us out of revenge.”
Cecilia swallowed without realizing it. The room was so quiet that you could almost hear the movement of the dust rolling across the floor.
“But when I found out that the herb was actually used as an ingredient in birth control pills...”
Eden laughed briefly. It was a sound close to dejection.
“Why did you lie?”
And in an instant, the smile disappeared from his face, and he turned to Cecilia.
“You never wanted to have children.”
“...”
“And you knew that if you brought up the maid story and pretended to be sorry, I wouldn’t bring up the child.”
Of course, Eden also knew at some point that Cecilia didn't love him. He guessed that it was something somewhere between family promises, loyalty, fear, saving face, and resignation.
The reason she stayed by his side while whispering her love on the outside...
"We."
I didn't think it was a deception.
“How about we be honest now, Cecilia?”
But his guess was wrong. And now, he couldn't just let it pass without asking. He couldn't just bury it in his heart and forget it.
“I don’t know what you want to say to me.”
Cecilia faced Eden with an indifferent expression. It was an effort to avoid the situation as much as possible.
“Owen Casper has bad intentions toward me. Do you believe a thing he says?”
“...”
“It’s true that I received herbs from James. However, they were just ingredients for the medicine I usually take.”
But Eden's face was expressionless. He didn't believe Cecilia's words at all. It was an expression so obvious that even a passing dog could tell.
“Do you think I'm questioning you based solely on Owen Casper's word?"
Eden asked, raising his lips. His expression couldn't be said to be any better than before. His eyes weren't smiling at all.
“...You assigned someone to me?”
Cecilia knew that face well. It was a face she had looked at with disgust in her previous life, right up until the moment she died.
Smiling mockingly, teasingly pitiful.
She felt her fingertips slowly growing colder. Cecilia clasped her hands under her sleeves.
“Not you, but to James Morak.”
Eden corrected the error in speech, as if she didn't know it was that important, very nonchalantly.
“Because you keep him close.”
"...Your Highness!"
“I was curious to know what you were thinking.”
Eden exhaled slowly. He stopped touching his neck out of habit, as if he was frustrated. It was because he realized that he had already loosened his tie.
“Is James Morak your mistress?”
Eden asked.
“Eden Lobana Burnett!”
Cecilia's sharp voice tore through the air.
“He’s Abby’s husband! How can you say something like that when you know how much I care about her?”
It was because she couldn't understand why she had to listen to such insulting remarks. It was Eden who betrayed and tormented his wife by interfering with the government. Not me!
“You didn’t trust me, so you hired someone?”
“...”
“You ask if the husband of the maid I cherished like my own body is my lover? How can you be so calm when you insult me like that?”
The fear that he had been following her secret suddenly changed.
In fact, when fear and anger combined, she changed her appearance to ignore the fear. To forget the anxiety that was growing because things weren't going the way she wanted.
'Because Your Highness loved me.'
To bring up the past, to cover up fear with justified hatred and contempt.
“You’ve been like that since the beginning. You make fun of me, and you...”
“Since long ago?”
"Child?"
Cecilia asked, one corner of her mouth raised.
“Yeah. I’ve never wanted one before.”
And now, she was telling Eden the truth, which was no longer a secret. She laughed at the faint feeling of betrayal spreading across Eden's face.
“Because I don’t love you.”
Cecilia swung her knife at his chest. There was no physical blade, but it sounded like it was cutting something.
“But everyone has their own place. I just thought we should somehow survive.”
“...”
“If we keep doing that, someday, we will succeed.”
Eden unconsciously raised his hand and felt his chest. Underneath his unbuttoned vest, he felt only the soft, flat shirt.
“It was my last consideration not to let you know that I had changed my mind, but since you even kicked me away, I can’t help it.”
Cecilia watched the scene with cold eyes. She knew that Eden, who whispered that he loved her, was in pain. Because that was what she had told him to do.
“If you really can’t stand it, you should break up.”
Cecilia blurted it out. It was very impulsive, but she really thought it would be better to just end it like this. There were many moments when she hated herself for being tossed around like a boat, unable to control her hatred and revenge.
“What I wanted to ask was what I did wrong.”
“...”
“I know you’re not that kind of person. But if that’s not the case, I just can’t understand why. I can’t understand why you keep getting further away from me.”
After a moment of silence, Eden finally opened his mouth. His voice was full of despair.
“You are the one who deceived my heart.”
“...”
“Why are you angry at me?”
The blue lake rippled and splashed with water droplets. Cecilia stared blankly at the tears falling from his blue eyes.
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