It was a straightforward answer. Cecilia couldn't bring herself to answer right away, so she moved her lips.
"Mother!"
At that moment, a voice shook the quiet Empress’s palace. It was a voice close to old age. The Empress, realizing that it was her son’s voice, furrowed her brows faintly.
“I couldn’t stop just one kid...”
To the Empress, even her grown son seemed like a child. She didn't seem to consider that Damon was already an adult and that he was bigger than the Emperor. Her voice was filled with displeasure as she complained to her servants that they couldn't stop a child.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. His Highness the Third Prince has urgent business to attend to...”
When the Empress rang the bell, the chief maid appeared with a puzzled look on her face.
“Told him to come in.”
The Empress clicked her tongue and allowed Damon to enter.
“We’ll talk again later. I don’t think we can talk any further in this noisy environment.”
Cecilia nodded and stood up from her seat.
“Then I will wake up first.”
Just as Cecilia came out of the reception room after paying her respects to the Empress, Damon, who had been leaning crookedly against the pillar, noticed Cecilia and straightened up.
“What brings Your Highness the Grand Duchess here?”
It was a question, but the tone was somewhat aggressive. The attitude of not hiding hostility still seemed immature.
“Her Majesty the Empress wished to see me briefly while she was in the palace.”
But Cecilia answered without showing any sign of displeasure. In fact, she had never expected much for Damon to be offended by such rudeness.
“What did you talk about?”
“Her Majesty simply asked for my advice regarding Your Highness’s marriage.”
Damon frowned at Cecilia's answer.
“Why do my mothet ask that of the Grand Duchess?”
“How would I know that?”
Cecilia answered as if she didn't know either. After all, it was only a superficial reason, and it was not an appropriate reason to make Damon understand.
“So, who did you push in?”
Pushing in. That was a low-class expression. Cecilia tried to keep her face expressionless so as not to show her displeasure. But Damon seemed to be more displeased by that.
“I recommended Merlin of the Baron Boyd family, a collateral branch of the Viscount Jackinson family. She is a lady of high reputation in society.”
Damon, who was about to get angry, naturally assumed that Eden would bring in a close family, hesitated. Merlin Boyd was a woman Damon knew.
Although she was a bit arrogant, she was a smart and beautiful woman. Furthermore, she was a collateral member of the Jackinson family, so she could not be considered to be excluded from the power relations. She would not have tried to be wary of him.
“I think she is a suitable person to be the Crown Princess. Is that a sufficient answer?”
The calm voice subtly urged them to stop. Damon reluctantly sent Cecilia away. She stepped into the space that was allowed to her.
"Mother."
“Damon.”
The Empress, who had been ordering the fallen glasses to be cleared away and the wet carpets to be changed, turned to Damon.
“It looks like the results are out.”
The Empress did not scold Damon for his rude behavior today. The head maid swallowed a sigh. If only she had shown such care to the Emperor instead of her son, Damon. That was the thought that came to her mind.
“Yes. I won.”
Damon approached his mother with a smiling face and announced the final result of the competition.
“I believed in you, my son!”
The Empress hugged Damon with a bright smile on her face. Damon, in turn, gently stroked his mother's back with a relaxed expression.
“I’ll call my father over tonight and...”
“By the way, I heard that Grand Duchess Burnett mentioned Merlin Boyd. Is that true?”
Damon, who had been enjoying the praise and hugs for a while, pushed his mother away with a moderate amount of force and asked a question. He wasn't entirely happy, as something was on his mind.
“It's true.”
The Empress responded obediently, without showing any sign of embarrassment.
“If you become the Crown Prince, the Orca family will be too dependent on you. That’s why I asked her to recommend me.”
“Did you ask about Merlin Boyd first?”
“No way.”
The Empress shook her head slightly.
'I think she is a suitable person to be the Crown Princess. Is that a sufficient answer?'
Suddenly, Cecilia's answer came to mind. She probably hadn't heard the results yet, but her attitude about the Crown Princess was suspicious no matter how he thought about it.
“...”
A faint sense of certainty came over him. The Emperor wanted to crown Eden as the Crown Prince, but Eden refused. Cecilia and Eden already knew this.
So, this Damon Oberon Wyatt was picking up and eating the places others had left behind.
'I have something to tell your brother separately.'
What did father say when he sent me away? Did he really ask Eden if he had any regrets? Did he tell Eden that he hadn't told anyone yet, so if he changed his mind, he should tell Eden right away?
“What are you thinking about?”
Damon, who had been pondering a question without knowing the answer, let out a short laugh.
“Damon?”
The miserable thing was that even the position he had picked up was unstable. He had not yet been crowned Crown Prince. If the Emperor changed his mind at the end and designated Eden as Crown Prince, that would be it.
“It’s nothing.”
If Eden ever coveted the Emperor's throne, the Emperor would inevitably take away what he had given to Damon.
And if he were alive, he would never be able to let go of his attachment and attachment to him.
'I recommended Merlin of the Baron Boyd family, a collateral branch of the Viscount Jackinson family. She is a lady of high reputation in society.'
Damon gritted his teeth as he recalled the familiar name of the Countess Jackinson.
So, Eden must die and disappear from this world...
After finishing her bath and drying her hair, Cecilia hesitated as she returned. It was because there was an uninvited guest in her bedroom.
“...Cecilia.”
During that time, Eden had not visited Cecilia's bedroom. Of course, Eden said he would not be angry. But Cecilia thought that was his way of expressing his intention.
"I am..."
"Mother!"
At that moment, a voice shook the quiet Empress’s palace. It was a voice close to old age. The Empress, realizing that it was her son’s voice, furrowed her brows faintly.
“I couldn’t stop just one kid...”
To the Empress, even her grown son seemed like a child. She didn't seem to consider that Damon was already an adult and that he was bigger than the Emperor. Her voice was filled with displeasure as she complained to her servants that they couldn't stop a child.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. His Highness the Third Prince has urgent business to attend to...”
When the Empress rang the bell, the chief maid appeared with a puzzled look on her face.
“Told him to come in.”
The Empress clicked her tongue and allowed Damon to enter.
“We’ll talk again later. I don’t think we can talk any further in this noisy environment.”
Cecilia nodded and stood up from her seat.
“Then I will wake up first.”
Just as Cecilia came out of the reception room after paying her respects to the Empress, Damon, who had been leaning crookedly against the pillar, noticed Cecilia and straightened up.
“What brings Your Highness the Grand Duchess here?”
It was a question, but the tone was somewhat aggressive. The attitude of not hiding hostility still seemed immature.
“Her Majesty the Empress wished to see me briefly while she was in the palace.”
But Cecilia answered without showing any sign of displeasure. In fact, she had never expected much for Damon to be offended by such rudeness.
“What did you talk about?”
“Her Majesty simply asked for my advice regarding Your Highness’s marriage.”
Damon frowned at Cecilia's answer.
“Why do my mothet ask that of the Grand Duchess?”
“How would I know that?”
Cecilia answered as if she didn't know either. After all, it was only a superficial reason, and it was not an appropriate reason to make Damon understand.
“So, who did you push in?”
Pushing in. That was a low-class expression. Cecilia tried to keep her face expressionless so as not to show her displeasure. But Damon seemed to be more displeased by that.
“I recommended Merlin of the Baron Boyd family, a collateral branch of the Viscount Jackinson family. She is a lady of high reputation in society.”
Damon, who was about to get angry, naturally assumed that Eden would bring in a close family, hesitated. Merlin Boyd was a woman Damon knew.
Although she was a bit arrogant, she was a smart and beautiful woman. Furthermore, she was a collateral member of the Jackinson family, so she could not be considered to be excluded from the power relations. She would not have tried to be wary of him.
“I think she is a suitable person to be the Crown Princess. Is that a sufficient answer?”
The calm voice subtly urged them to stop. Damon reluctantly sent Cecilia away. She stepped into the space that was allowed to her.
"Mother."
“Damon.”
The Empress, who had been ordering the fallen glasses to be cleared away and the wet carpets to be changed, turned to Damon.
“It looks like the results are out.”
The Empress did not scold Damon for his rude behavior today. The head maid swallowed a sigh. If only she had shown such care to the Emperor instead of her son, Damon. That was the thought that came to her mind.
“Yes. I won.”
Damon approached his mother with a smiling face and announced the final result of the competition.
“I believed in you, my son!”
The Empress hugged Damon with a bright smile on her face. Damon, in turn, gently stroked his mother's back with a relaxed expression.
“I’ll call my father over tonight and...”
“By the way, I heard that Grand Duchess Burnett mentioned Merlin Boyd. Is that true?”
Damon, who had been enjoying the praise and hugs for a while, pushed his mother away with a moderate amount of force and asked a question. He wasn't entirely happy, as something was on his mind.
“It's true.”
The Empress responded obediently, without showing any sign of embarrassment.
“If you become the Crown Prince, the Orca family will be too dependent on you. That’s why I asked her to recommend me.”
“Did you ask about Merlin Boyd first?”
“No way.”
The Empress shook her head slightly.
'I think she is a suitable person to be the Crown Princess. Is that a sufficient answer?'
Suddenly, Cecilia's answer came to mind. She probably hadn't heard the results yet, but her attitude about the Crown Princess was suspicious no matter how he thought about it.
“...”
A faint sense of certainty came over him. The Emperor wanted to crown Eden as the Crown Prince, but Eden refused. Cecilia and Eden already knew this.
So, this Damon Oberon Wyatt was picking up and eating the places others had left behind.
'I have something to tell your brother separately.'
What did father say when he sent me away? Did he really ask Eden if he had any regrets? Did he tell Eden that he hadn't told anyone yet, so if he changed his mind, he should tell Eden right away?
“What are you thinking about?”
Damon, who had been pondering a question without knowing the answer, let out a short laugh.
“Damon?”
The miserable thing was that even the position he had picked up was unstable. He had not yet been crowned Crown Prince. If the Emperor changed his mind at the end and designated Eden as Crown Prince, that would be it.
“It’s nothing.”
If Eden ever coveted the Emperor's throne, the Emperor would inevitably take away what he had given to Damon.
And if he were alive, he would never be able to let go of his attachment and attachment to him.
'I recommended Merlin of the Baron Boyd family, a collateral branch of the Viscount Jackinson family. She is a lady of high reputation in society.'
Damon gritted his teeth as he recalled the familiar name of the Countess Jackinson.
So, Eden must die and disappear from this world...
***
After finishing her bath and drying her hair, Cecilia hesitated as she returned. It was because there was an uninvited guest in her bedroom.
“...Cecilia.”
During that time, Eden had not visited Cecilia's bedroom. Of course, Eden said he would not be angry. But Cecilia thought that was his way of expressing his intention.
You can't sleep skin-to-skin with someone you don't like.
“You must be tired. Go to sleep.”
Cecilia approached the bed, speaking in a calm voice. Eden, who was sitting on the edge, looked up at Cecilia as she approached.
“...”
Cecilia also stared blankly at Eden, who did not move from his seat. Eden quietly reached out his hand while no one avoided the uncomfortable gaze. Cecilia looked down at the tip of the finger that carefully touched the back of her hand and at the large, cold hand that only wrapped around her index finger.
"Sorry."
Eden apologized first. In this life, he had done nothing wrong to Cecilia, yet he did so.
“What is it?”
Cecilia asked, her voice shaking slightly as she was overcome with inexplicable emotion.
“Because I doubted you and made you uncomfortable.”
“...”
“It’s not a sin to not love me, but you make me feel guilty.”
Eden answered with the corners of his lips slightly raised. It was a remark that didn't even sound like words.
“You don’t have to repay my love. That’s your freedom, Cecilia.”
“I just did it because I was impatient and anxious,” Eden added.
“But please, let me stay by your side.”
The voice asking so was faintly fearful. The large hand that barely held one index finger was trembling.
A noble imperial blood. A Grand Duke with vast lands and enormous wealth. A man with such titles was hanging on so pitifully. He seemed like a child who was anxious that he might be left behind.
“Just by your side...”
Cecilia's gaze turned to Eden's hand, which was holding her. It was usually a warm hand, but it was as cold as ice.
“...Where should I go?”
He quietly took her hand away. The moment Eden raised his head in surprise, Cecilia barely opened her mouth.
“Let’s go to sleep, yes?”
And she spoke to Eden gently, as if she was reading a book. Nothing was finished. It was just a facade of covering it up, pretending it was over.
“...”
But Eden seemed satisfied with that alone and came into Cecilia's arms. Cecilia repeatedly stroked Eden's hair as she held him against her chest.
'Killing Eden Lobana Burnett.'
Suddenly, the offer the Empress had made came to mind. The voice whispering that she would help eliminate the disaster and culprit called Eden was still clear in Cecilia's ears.
"Your Highness."
Cecilia called Eden. Eden, who seemed to have not been able to sleep well recently, had already fallen into a deep sleep. The area under his eyes was dark.
Cecilia's fingertips carefully swept under Eden's eyes. Eden didn't flinch at all.
'Cecilia, do you resent Eden?'
To be honest, she was still hesitant to hold the Empress's hand. But on the other hand, she desperately wanted to hold her hand.
The wind was blowing and shaking her. It was even tearing at her weakest part. So she wished someone would hold her strong. She wished someone would lead her down a path from which there was no turning back.
“I have to finish it now.”
She must write a letter to the Empress. She must tell her that she will join her in her cause. And she must move Ilya, who is resenting Eden, to stab him in the heart.
Cecilia hugged Eden's head tightly with both arms. It was a different attitude from the thoughts that were swirling around in her head.
“You must be tired. Go to sleep.”
Cecilia approached the bed, speaking in a calm voice. Eden, who was sitting on the edge, looked up at Cecilia as she approached.
“...”
Cecilia also stared blankly at Eden, who did not move from his seat. Eden quietly reached out his hand while no one avoided the uncomfortable gaze. Cecilia looked down at the tip of the finger that carefully touched the back of her hand and at the large, cold hand that only wrapped around her index finger.
"Sorry."
Eden apologized first. In this life, he had done nothing wrong to Cecilia, yet he did so.
“What is it?”
Cecilia asked, her voice shaking slightly as she was overcome with inexplicable emotion.
“Because I doubted you and made you uncomfortable.”
“...”
“It’s not a sin to not love me, but you make me feel guilty.”
Eden answered with the corners of his lips slightly raised. It was a remark that didn't even sound like words.
“You don’t have to repay my love. That’s your freedom, Cecilia.”
“I just did it because I was impatient and anxious,” Eden added.
“But please, let me stay by your side.”
The voice asking so was faintly fearful. The large hand that barely held one index finger was trembling.
A noble imperial blood. A Grand Duke with vast lands and enormous wealth. A man with such titles was hanging on so pitifully. He seemed like a child who was anxious that he might be left behind.
“Just by your side...”
Cecilia's gaze turned to Eden's hand, which was holding her. It was usually a warm hand, but it was as cold as ice.
“...Where should I go?”
He quietly took her hand away. The moment Eden raised his head in surprise, Cecilia barely opened her mouth.
“Let’s go to sleep, yes?”
And she spoke to Eden gently, as if she was reading a book. Nothing was finished. It was just a facade of covering it up, pretending it was over.
“...”
But Eden seemed satisfied with that alone and came into Cecilia's arms. Cecilia repeatedly stroked Eden's hair as she held him against her chest.
'Killing Eden Lobana Burnett.'
Suddenly, the offer the Empress had made came to mind. The voice whispering that she would help eliminate the disaster and culprit called Eden was still clear in Cecilia's ears.
"Your Highness."
Cecilia called Eden. Eden, who seemed to have not been able to sleep well recently, had already fallen into a deep sleep. The area under his eyes was dark.
Cecilia's fingertips carefully swept under Eden's eyes. Eden didn't flinch at all.
'Cecilia, do you resent Eden?'
To be honest, she was still hesitant to hold the Empress's hand. But on the other hand, she desperately wanted to hold her hand.
The wind was blowing and shaking her. It was even tearing at her weakest part. So she wished someone would hold her strong. She wished someone would lead her down a path from which there was no turning back.
“I have to finish it now.”
She must write a letter to the Empress. She must tell her that she will join her in her cause. And she must move Ilya, who is resenting Eden, to stab him in the heart.
Cecilia hugged Eden's head tightly with both arms. It was a different attitude from the thoughts that were swirling around in her head.
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