Merlin Boyd got out of the carriage with a blank expression. She was honestly not happy about being the Crown Princess or anything. The voice of her friend who had been crying was still ringing in her ears, so she couldn't help it.
'It's a glorious position to become Empress someday! Are you going to throw away that honor by talking about friendship?'
But whether he was the Viscount Orca or the Baron Boyd, his children were in the same situation. When political logic started to get involved, family and children were bound to take a back seat.
“Her Majesty the Empress is waiting.”
Besides, it was already too late to back out. Merlin followed the one sent by the Empress.
“Ilya Jackinson. Is that right?”
Just after Merlin's back completely disappeared, the neatly dressed maid turned her head.
"Yes, that's right."
It was Ilya disguised as a maid. Of course, she couldn't escape the Jackinson family on her own.
“His Highness the Third Prince is waiting.”
It was thanks to Damon's help that Ilya was able to enter the palace. Of course, it was a suspicious suggestion to suddenly contact her and pretend to be Merlin Boyd's maid so that they could talk face to face.
'Whether it's divorce or family restructuring, I think I can help you.'
But Damon was the man who offered Ilya what she wanted most, even if he was the devil.
“Follow me.”
At Ilya's words, the attendant took the lead and started walking.
“Your Highness, I have brought a guest.”
“Come in.”
As I was gazing at the ornately patterned pillars, Ilya was granted permission to enter the reception room.
“Ilya Jacinson meets His Highness the Third Prince.”
Since she had come disguised as a maid, her attire was quite shabby. However, that did not mean that her status as a noble had diminished. Ilya bowed to Damon quite elegantly.
“There’s no need to be polite, just sit down.”
Damon nodded haughtily.
“I’m sure you’re most curious about why I called you, how I can help you, and what the conditions are.”
Damon didn't want to waste time on a roundabout conversation. His hasty nature was both his strength and his weakness, but it was his greatest strength for Ilya right now.
"You're right."
When Ilya answered obediently, Damon smiled briefly.
“I hate my brother.”
And then he blurted out his true feelings. It was so direct that Ilya was surprised.
“I’ve hated him since I was little. If he had been a Crown Prince like Brother Aster, then that would be fine, but he was just a Prince like me.”
“...”
“Just by breathing, he was praised and loved.”
No matter how much he tried to show off his talents in front of him or how much effort he put into trying to win his favor, it was all the same. There was always a layer of coldness in the Emperor's gaze when he looked at Damon.
“Even though we are the same children.”
As if looking at someone else.
“They say that even children have fingers that hurt more. Of course, that might have been the case.”
The first Empress who died of illness, Janet Robana Wyatt. Her name was branded on the Emperor's chest like a brand, so she must have been pretty. Furthermore, considering that the Emperor was not on good terms with the current Empress, it was not hard to understand his coldness.
“But I am also his child.”
But he always felt wronged.
Why don't you look at me? Why don't you share the warmth of your embrace with me? I can do well too, so why don't you give me a chance?
Damon was always struggling with an inferiority complex and was twisted and withered, longing for his father's affection.
“Why aren’t our situations the same?”
Thinking about it made Damon angry. Every time he saw Eden, he rebelled more and said mean things to him, which was more like an expression of those feelings.
“I wish he would disappear from the world.”
Even as he was about to take possession of the Crown Prince's crown, his inferiority complex did not disappear. Rather, the anger at not being recognized made Damon even more miserable. So, he wished that Eden, who had made him like this, would disappear from the world completely.
“It has to be me.”
Damon whispered softly. Ilya could tell his sincerity from the hostility in his voice.
“So kill him.”
“ ..”
“Then, in the name of the Crown Prince, and further, in the name of the Emperor, I will return your family. I will also get rid of your trash husband.”
Every word he spat out was sincere. It was a low-quality anger, a sharp hatred that made her skin sting.
“The most important thing is missing. Your Highness, your assurance that I will be protected?”
But Ilya wasn't afraid of those negative emotions. Her father, who was supposedly holding the secret to rebuilding her family, was dead, and her brother was going crazy after squandering the little money he had on gambling tables.
“You’re suspicious. Not bad.”
Ilya was already in hell. And Ilya hated Eden so much that he wanted to kill him, just like Damon.
“Have you figured out a way to kill him?”
Anyway, I couldn't die without killing Eden.
“Sienna.”
Sienna, who had returned to the Marquis of Calibre, came to visit. She had even had a child, and her face had lost weight, which was pitiful. It was a complete contrast to Abby, who had gained weight after having a child.
“Are you eating properly?”
Sienna smiled faintly at Cecilia's question.
“It’s because I have severe morning sickness. I heard that some people suffer from morning sickness until they give birth. I wonder if I’m one of those people.”
Cecilia didn't want to provoke Sienna, who was trying hard to act calm, even more so, knowing what a shock her beloved husband's infidelity was.
“Yes. If there’s anything you like while eating today, I’ll tell the servant to bring it to you.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Cecilia.”
Sienna answered briskly. However, the way she furrowed her brow at the smell of dried tea leaves did not look very pleasant. Cecilia motioned to the maid to pour her some tea.
“His Highness will be here soon. He said he wanted to see your face when he heard you were coming.”
“I told you it was unusual.”
The maid quickly grabbed the teapot and teacups and left the living room.
“I bet you’re not feeling too good either.”
Sienna muttered with an ambiguous face.
“You too, Cecilia?”
And he asked Cecilia a question. Sienna had been a shut-in throughout the competition. It was because the Marquis of Calibre had heard belatedly that Siena had been bleeding and had expressed his wish for her to refrain from going out. Of course, that wasn't the only reason.
“Who would have thought that His Majesty would choose Damon?”
However, after hearing the results of the competition, he said he couldn't bear it anymore. Naturally, Marquis Calibre couldn't stop Siena either.
“Your Majesty, I have no major complaints.”
“I guess he’s just pretending. He secretly has a lot of pride.”
Sienna frowned, tilting her head as if she couldn't understand.
“I thought His Highness would win even without my help, so I didn’t help you, but I feel bad for no reason.”
“It’s nothing for you to be sorry about, Sienna.”
“How did Damon win His Majesty’s heart? It had to be with someone’s help.”
And then, as if something was suspicious, someone unknown was curious about her. Cecilia couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, as if she had encountered someone who was trying to find out her true identity.
“My husband said that quite a few people were going back and forth between the Emperor and the Empress around the time of the competition. It is possible that word got out.”
“The Marquis of Calibre says something like that?”
Sienna nodded to Cecilia's question.
“He also often met with His Majesty. They say His Majesty was displeased because his true intentions were obvious. But he is human, so he may have made mistakes.”
Cecilia nodded with an ambiguous expression at Sienna's words. It seemed that the story about her refusing contact with outsiders as much as possible was just a rumor.
“After all, His Highness the Third Prince is also the son of His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I’m just worried that it won’t work out like that.”
As Sienna was answering pessimistically, there was a knock on the door, and the maid announced that Eden had arrived.
“Either.”
“Don’t move and stay comfortable.”
Eden quickly stopped Sienna's movements as if he was afraid that his cousin would get hurt.
“The boat didn’t come out much.”
“They say that when you have your first child, your stomach doesn’t get very full.”
Sienna answered comfortably.
“It’ll probably be similar when Cecilia has a child. The first children are all like that, so don’t be surprised.”
And then she turned to Cecilia and spoke. The smile on Eden’s face slowly disappeared as he remembered the big fight he had with Cecilia over that issue not long ago.
“Of course, Cecilia won’t be wandering around alone like me.”
Sienna stared at Cecilia as she spoke. She looked envious.
“...”
At the same time, Cecilia met Eden's eyes, who was focused on her. Eden smiled quietly.
A fool who apologized even after scratching and hurting him like that. A stupid man who was still trying to protect her even though she was still tormenting him.
Even as she criticized Eden like that, Cecilia quietly lowered her eyes.
She hated him, and she wished he were dead. But at the same time, and was shaken and miserable every moment. She hated herself for being stupid more than she did.
“The Grand Duke Burnett family will definitely be happy.”
The traveler collapses in the warm sunlight and spring breeze rather than the cold north wind.
Cecilia felt like she had become that pitiful traveler who had been laughed at. It felt like a corner of her heart was slowly being weathered and broken into small pieces.
'It's a glorious position to become Empress someday! Are you going to throw away that honor by talking about friendship?'
But whether he was the Viscount Orca or the Baron Boyd, his children were in the same situation. When political logic started to get involved, family and children were bound to take a back seat.
“Her Majesty the Empress is waiting.”
Besides, it was already too late to back out. Merlin followed the one sent by the Empress.
“Ilya Jackinson. Is that right?”
Just after Merlin's back completely disappeared, the neatly dressed maid turned her head.
"Yes, that's right."
It was Ilya disguised as a maid. Of course, she couldn't escape the Jackinson family on her own.
“His Highness the Third Prince is waiting.”
It was thanks to Damon's help that Ilya was able to enter the palace. Of course, it was a suspicious suggestion to suddenly contact her and pretend to be Merlin Boyd's maid so that they could talk face to face.
'Whether it's divorce or family restructuring, I think I can help you.'
But Damon was the man who offered Ilya what she wanted most, even if he was the devil.
“Follow me.”
At Ilya's words, the attendant took the lead and started walking.
“Your Highness, I have brought a guest.”
“Come in.”
As I was gazing at the ornately patterned pillars, Ilya was granted permission to enter the reception room.
“Ilya Jacinson meets His Highness the Third Prince.”
Since she had come disguised as a maid, her attire was quite shabby. However, that did not mean that her status as a noble had diminished. Ilya bowed to Damon quite elegantly.
“There’s no need to be polite, just sit down.”
Damon nodded haughtily.
“I’m sure you’re most curious about why I called you, how I can help you, and what the conditions are.”
Damon didn't want to waste time on a roundabout conversation. His hasty nature was both his strength and his weakness, but it was his greatest strength for Ilya right now.
"You're right."
When Ilya answered obediently, Damon smiled briefly.
“I hate my brother.”
And then he blurted out his true feelings. It was so direct that Ilya was surprised.
“I’ve hated him since I was little. If he had been a Crown Prince like Brother Aster, then that would be fine, but he was just a Prince like me.”
“...”
“Just by breathing, he was praised and loved.”
No matter how much he tried to show off his talents in front of him or how much effort he put into trying to win his favor, it was all the same. There was always a layer of coldness in the Emperor's gaze when he looked at Damon.
“Even though we are the same children.”
As if looking at someone else.
“They say that even children have fingers that hurt more. Of course, that might have been the case.”
The first Empress who died of illness, Janet Robana Wyatt. Her name was branded on the Emperor's chest like a brand, so she must have been pretty. Furthermore, considering that the Emperor was not on good terms with the current Empress, it was not hard to understand his coldness.
“But I am also his child.”
But he always felt wronged.
Why don't you look at me? Why don't you share the warmth of your embrace with me? I can do well too, so why don't you give me a chance?
Damon was always struggling with an inferiority complex and was twisted and withered, longing for his father's affection.
“Why aren’t our situations the same?”
Thinking about it made Damon angry. Every time he saw Eden, he rebelled more and said mean things to him, which was more like an expression of those feelings.
“I wish he would disappear from the world.”
Even as he was about to take possession of the Crown Prince's crown, his inferiority complex did not disappear. Rather, the anger at not being recognized made Damon even more miserable. So, he wished that Eden, who had made him like this, would disappear from the world completely.
“It has to be me.”
Damon whispered softly. Ilya could tell his sincerity from the hostility in his voice.
“So kill him.”
“ ..”
“Then, in the name of the Crown Prince, and further, in the name of the Emperor, I will return your family. I will also get rid of your trash husband.”
Every word he spat out was sincere. It was a low-quality anger, a sharp hatred that made her skin sting.
“The most important thing is missing. Your Highness, your assurance that I will be protected?”
But Ilya wasn't afraid of those negative emotions. Her father, who was supposedly holding the secret to rebuilding her family, was dead, and her brother was going crazy after squandering the little money he had on gambling tables.
“You’re suspicious. Not bad.”
Ilya was already in hell. And Ilya hated Eden so much that he wanted to kill him, just like Damon.
“Have you figured out a way to kill him?”
Anyway, I couldn't die without killing Eden.
***
“Sienna.”
Sienna, who had returned to the Marquis of Calibre, came to visit. She had even had a child, and her face had lost weight, which was pitiful. It was a complete contrast to Abby, who had gained weight after having a child.
“Are you eating properly?”
Sienna smiled faintly at Cecilia's question.
“It’s because I have severe morning sickness. I heard that some people suffer from morning sickness until they give birth. I wonder if I’m one of those people.”
Cecilia didn't want to provoke Sienna, who was trying hard to act calm, even more so, knowing what a shock her beloved husband's infidelity was.
“Yes. If there’s anything you like while eating today, I’ll tell the servant to bring it to you.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Cecilia.”
Sienna answered briskly. However, the way she furrowed her brow at the smell of dried tea leaves did not look very pleasant. Cecilia motioned to the maid to pour her some tea.
“His Highness will be here soon. He said he wanted to see your face when he heard you were coming.”
“I told you it was unusual.”
The maid quickly grabbed the teapot and teacups and left the living room.
“I bet you’re not feeling too good either.”
Sienna muttered with an ambiguous face.
“You too, Cecilia?”
And he asked Cecilia a question. Sienna had been a shut-in throughout the competition. It was because the Marquis of Calibre had heard belatedly that Siena had been bleeding and had expressed his wish for her to refrain from going out. Of course, that wasn't the only reason.
“Who would have thought that His Majesty would choose Damon?”
However, after hearing the results of the competition, he said he couldn't bear it anymore. Naturally, Marquis Calibre couldn't stop Siena either.
“Your Majesty, I have no major complaints.”
“I guess he’s just pretending. He secretly has a lot of pride.”
Sienna frowned, tilting her head as if she couldn't understand.
“I thought His Highness would win even without my help, so I didn’t help you, but I feel bad for no reason.”
“It’s nothing for you to be sorry about, Sienna.”
“How did Damon win His Majesty’s heart? It had to be with someone’s help.”
And then, as if something was suspicious, someone unknown was curious about her. Cecilia couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, as if she had encountered someone who was trying to find out her true identity.
“My husband said that quite a few people were going back and forth between the Emperor and the Empress around the time of the competition. It is possible that word got out.”
“The Marquis of Calibre says something like that?”
Sienna nodded to Cecilia's question.
“He also often met with His Majesty. They say His Majesty was displeased because his true intentions were obvious. But he is human, so he may have made mistakes.”
Cecilia nodded with an ambiguous expression at Sienna's words. It seemed that the story about her refusing contact with outsiders as much as possible was just a rumor.
“After all, His Highness the Third Prince is also the son of His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I’m just worried that it won’t work out like that.”
As Sienna was answering pessimistically, there was a knock on the door, and the maid announced that Eden had arrived.
“Either.”
“Don’t move and stay comfortable.”
Eden quickly stopped Sienna's movements as if he was afraid that his cousin would get hurt.
“The boat didn’t come out much.”
“They say that when you have your first child, your stomach doesn’t get very full.”
Sienna answered comfortably.
“It’ll probably be similar when Cecilia has a child. The first children are all like that, so don’t be surprised.”
And then she turned to Cecilia and spoke. The smile on Eden’s face slowly disappeared as he remembered the big fight he had with Cecilia over that issue not long ago.
“Of course, Cecilia won’t be wandering around alone like me.”
Sienna stared at Cecilia as she spoke. She looked envious.
“...”
At the same time, Cecilia met Eden's eyes, who was focused on her. Eden smiled quietly.
A fool who apologized even after scratching and hurting him like that. A stupid man who was still trying to protect her even though she was still tormenting him.
Even as she criticized Eden like that, Cecilia quietly lowered her eyes.
She hated him, and she wished he were dead. But at the same time, and was shaken and miserable every moment. She hated herself for being stupid more than she did.
“The Grand Duke Burnett family will definitely be happy.”
The traveler collapses in the warm sunlight and spring breeze rather than the cold north wind.
Cecilia felt like she had become that pitiful traveler who had been laughed at. It felt like a corner of her heart was slowly being weathered and broken into small pieces.
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