The day has come for Damon to be officially recognized as the Crown Prince. Cecilia and Eden, who had received the Emperor's invitation, prepared themselves and headed to the palace.
“Grand Duke Burnett has arrived.”
As it had been a long time since the slope was built, the palace was bustling. Cecilia got out of the carriage, pretending not to notice the gazes glancing at her and Eden.
“What an elegant couple.”
“That’s right. If I had told the Third Prince, he would have been annoyed already.”
The people who had been whispering shook their heads as if it was burdensome to even think about. Damon's irritation was not limited to people. If he hadn't become the Crown Prince, he would have already caught a few of those people.
“It’s a little disappointing.”
“What can we do? The Emperor has already made his decision.”
The Crown Prince was soon to become the Emperor. His character and learning had to be thoroughly examined. There were quite a few who felt that it was unfair to lose the opportunity due to one mistake.
“You all have loose lips.”
Damon already knew that fact. So, regardless of the Emperor's decision, he couldn't help but regard Eden as an uneasy enemy.
“The priest has come too.”
“Because the Emperor is also the representative of God.”
It was said that they had come to carry out the will of the gods. After the ceremony was held, Cecilia watched indifferently as the Emperor placed a crown on Damon's head.
“...”
Finally, Damon stood up from his seat, wearing the Crown Prince's crown on his head. He looked around at the attendees and smiled confidently.
Cecilia looked away from Damon and back at Eden. It was hard to find any greed, regret, or sadness in his expressionless face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
However, he only reacts quickly to Cecilia's attention. Cecilia felt his gaze and turned to look at Eden, who lightly covered her hand.
Eden's body flinched for a moment, and then he grabbed Cecilia's hand tightly.
As if greedily licking that handful of warmth.
The banquet did not last long.
This was because Damon, the person involved, had expressed his opinion that it was not right to hold a noisy event since Aster had only died so recently. The Emperor, who pretended not to care but secretly felt uncomfortable, also agreed.
“Still, it seems like the new Crown Prince has matured.”
The nobles also whispered that Damon was quite good and that they could look forward to the future at least a little.
“Thank you for coming, Your Highness.”
There's no way to know exactly what Damon was thinking, but Cecilia had thought so too, to some extent. It seemed like the original Damon wouldn't even be able to make things up.
“That's only natural.”
The Empress smiled with satisfaction. She seemed very pleased that things were in order just the way she wanted them to be.
“Are you planning to go back to the townhouse right away?”
At that moment, Damon asked Eden a question. Eden, who was rinsing his mouth with water after eating, looked at Damon with a puzzled face. The Emperor was the same.
“I think so.”
“I told you to speak comfortably, brother.”
“It is now natural not to have private conversations.”
Eden answered formally. Now that Damon was Eden's younger brother, he was also Wyatt's Crown Prince, so he couldn't speak to him so casually.
“It’s because the Grand Duke is such a thorough person. The Crown Prince also tries to respect the Grand Duke’s wishes.”
“I’m not used to it yet...”
Damon wrinkled his nose with an embarrassed expression at the Empress's advice.
“Please give me one last grace period, brother.”
And Damon hit Eden quite friendly. It seemed like he was able to talk easily because he thought he was the winner.
“How about we have a drink together and spend some time together as brothers, and then go back tomorrow morning?”
“Damon’s words make sense.”
The Emperor, who had been listening quietly, quietly stroked his beard and agreed.
“I’ve already had a few glasses of wine anyway, so I think it would be better to have a relaxing chat with Damon one last time before heading out tomorrow.”
A faint trace of time passed over his face. The Emperor was old and weary. He had not yet completely buried his lost child in his heart, and he was afraid of losing his remaining child as well.
“Yes, Your Highness. Take your time and rest. If you are worried about the Grand Duchess being alone, I will be with her, so don’t worry.”
In the midst of all this, the Empress was acting sweetly. Eden glanced at the empress with eyes mixed with suspicion, as was his habit.
“Please do so, Your Highness.”
But once Cecilia agreed, there was no longer any reason to refuse.
“I will do that.”
Eden reluctantly answered. The Emperor laughed softly. It had been a long time since he had broken his son's will.
“Let’s have a meal together before we go. I’m tired now, so I need to rest.”
And as if he was afraid that Eden might change his mind, he quickly got up from his seat.
“Let’s leave the brothers to their own devices and move on?”
Cecilia nodded and stood up. She had something to say to the Empress anyway.
“I’ll be there on time.”
Eden whispered to Cecilia, who was standing up from her seat. Cecilia tried to answer by nodding.
“Don’t drink too much.”
However, he couldn't ignore the face that desperately yearned for even a single bit of attention and affection. Eden nodded with a smile at Cecilia's added words.
“Let’s go now, Grand Duchess.”
Finally, the hand that Eden had been holding slowly fell away. Cecilia turned around, savoring the lukewarm sensation of the firm hand brushing her fingertips.
“It seems like we have a lot to talk about among ourselves, so it’s a good thing.”
As the Empress spoke, she walked ahead. Cecilia followed behind her without saying anything in return.
“...?”
Then, suddenly, the side profile of the maid walking past her with her face covered seemed familiar. Cecilia stopped walking naturally.
“Why are you suddenly like that?”
The Empress looked back at Cecilia, seemingly puzzled.
“I think I saw someone I know. I’m sorry.”
At Cecilia's words, the Empress shook her head with a smile and hurried her steps.
The Empress must have wondered what Cecilia was thinking right now. She clearly wanted revenge on Eden, but she kept quiet when she suggested that they join together.
“Just have a glass of wine each, and you all leave. I want to have a comfortable conversation with the Grand Duchess.”
Cecilia was not unaware of that fact. In fact, on the night she and Eden slept together after reconciling, she had clearly decided to write a letter to the Empress.
“Call me whenever you need me, Your Majesty.”
The maid spoke as she placed two glasses of blood-red wine on the table. The Empress nodded absentmindedly and gestured for them to leave.
“...”
Cecilia stared blankly at the red liquid in the clear glass.
“What are you thinking about now, Cecilia?”
The Empress asked first. Cecilia looked up and met the Empress's gaze.
In fact, she had already written a letter to send to the Empress. She had clearly made up her mind. She had also been thinking of killing Eden. It was nothing new. However, she could not send it.
“Actually, I thought you would contact me first.”
“...”
“I thought you would naturally agree with me.”
As the Empress spoke, she lifted her glass. Beyond the tilted glass, a small amount of red liquid disappeared into the Empress’s mouth.
“But until today, there has been no answer from you.”
“...”
“I’m thinking about whether my guess was wrong.”
The Empress spoke softly. At first glance, her voice seemed very gentle. However, the eyes she was looking at Cecilia were not affectionate at all.
“What do you think, what is your opinion?”
In fact, Cecilia and the Empress were bound to be on the same ship. They knew each other's futures. They were the most difficult opponents to fight.
“What if I say I do not share Your Majesty’s views?”
Cecilia asked. The Empress quietly raised one corner of her mouth slightly.
“There should be no risk factors, so I guess you should just die.”
And she answered honestly. It was all the more vicious because it was not a lie.
“Of course, it won’t be easy.”
“...”
“That’s why I’m trying to convince you now.”
The Empress placed her glass back on the table, leaned forward, and leaned closer to Cecilia.
“Do you still love the traitor who ruined your family and brought you close to death? Enough to hesitate to kill him?”
And then she whispered, as if all the feelings she was harboring right now were foolish and should never be.
“You’re foolish, Cecilia.”
The Empress stood up from her seat, muttering in regret. Then she slowly walked towards the window where moonlight was streaming in.
“Well, it’s foolish to do something called love.”
Cecilia's eyes moved following the Empress's trajectory.
“Yeah. Well, I guess you need to think about it more. You might need to gather your thoughts.”
The Empress added softly, but she looked quite displeased. Her fingers tapped and groped the marble of the window frame as if searching for something to relieve her desire. Her eyes were fixed on the servants moving beyond the window.
“I’ll give you some time, so think about it. But remember. The person who betrayed you once is in this life...”
“I haven’t had time to send a reply, but I have already written a letter regarding what you mentioned.”
After a moment of silence, Cecilia confessed and was about to say that she would help if Eden was killed.
The blue moonlight fell upon the Empress's head. The moonlight was so strong that it made her bright blond hair look like pale silver hair. Cecilia instinctively recalled the hair and face of the maid she had passed by earlier.
Ilya Jackinson. No, Ilya Nova.
The moment she thought of that name, a gust of wind blew in from outside the window, knocking the glass that was barely hanging on the edge of the table.
A sharp crack tore through the silence. Blood-red wine stained the corners of the carpet.
“Grand Duke Burnett has arrived.”
As it had been a long time since the slope was built, the palace was bustling. Cecilia got out of the carriage, pretending not to notice the gazes glancing at her and Eden.
“What an elegant couple.”
“That’s right. If I had told the Third Prince, he would have been annoyed already.”
The people who had been whispering shook their heads as if it was burdensome to even think about. Damon's irritation was not limited to people. If he hadn't become the Crown Prince, he would have already caught a few of those people.
“It’s a little disappointing.”
“What can we do? The Emperor has already made his decision.”
The Crown Prince was soon to become the Emperor. His character and learning had to be thoroughly examined. There were quite a few who felt that it was unfair to lose the opportunity due to one mistake.
“You all have loose lips.”
Damon already knew that fact. So, regardless of the Emperor's decision, he couldn't help but regard Eden as an uneasy enemy.
“The priest has come too.”
“Because the Emperor is also the representative of God.”
It was said that they had come to carry out the will of the gods. After the ceremony was held, Cecilia watched indifferently as the Emperor placed a crown on Damon's head.
“...”
Finally, Damon stood up from his seat, wearing the Crown Prince's crown on his head. He looked around at the attendees and smiled confidently.
Cecilia looked away from Damon and back at Eden. It was hard to find any greed, regret, or sadness in his expressionless face.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
However, he only reacts quickly to Cecilia's attention. Cecilia felt his gaze and turned to look at Eden, who lightly covered her hand.
Eden's body flinched for a moment, and then he grabbed Cecilia's hand tightly.
As if greedily licking that handful of warmth.
***
The banquet did not last long.
This was because Damon, the person involved, had expressed his opinion that it was not right to hold a noisy event since Aster had only died so recently. The Emperor, who pretended not to care but secretly felt uncomfortable, also agreed.
“Still, it seems like the new Crown Prince has matured.”
The nobles also whispered that Damon was quite good and that they could look forward to the future at least a little.
“Thank you for coming, Your Highness.”
There's no way to know exactly what Damon was thinking, but Cecilia had thought so too, to some extent. It seemed like the original Damon wouldn't even be able to make things up.
“That's only natural.”
The Empress smiled with satisfaction. She seemed very pleased that things were in order just the way she wanted them to be.
“Are you planning to go back to the townhouse right away?”
At that moment, Damon asked Eden a question. Eden, who was rinsing his mouth with water after eating, looked at Damon with a puzzled face. The Emperor was the same.
“I think so.”
“I told you to speak comfortably, brother.”
“It is now natural not to have private conversations.”
Eden answered formally. Now that Damon was Eden's younger brother, he was also Wyatt's Crown Prince, so he couldn't speak to him so casually.
“It’s because the Grand Duke is such a thorough person. The Crown Prince also tries to respect the Grand Duke’s wishes.”
“I’m not used to it yet...”
Damon wrinkled his nose with an embarrassed expression at the Empress's advice.
“Please give me one last grace period, brother.”
And Damon hit Eden quite friendly. It seemed like he was able to talk easily because he thought he was the winner.
“How about we have a drink together and spend some time together as brothers, and then go back tomorrow morning?”
“Damon’s words make sense.”
The Emperor, who had been listening quietly, quietly stroked his beard and agreed.
“I’ve already had a few glasses of wine anyway, so I think it would be better to have a relaxing chat with Damon one last time before heading out tomorrow.”
A faint trace of time passed over his face. The Emperor was old and weary. He had not yet completely buried his lost child in his heart, and he was afraid of losing his remaining child as well.
“Yes, Your Highness. Take your time and rest. If you are worried about the Grand Duchess being alone, I will be with her, so don’t worry.”
In the midst of all this, the Empress was acting sweetly. Eden glanced at the empress with eyes mixed with suspicion, as was his habit.
“Please do so, Your Highness.”
But once Cecilia agreed, there was no longer any reason to refuse.
“I will do that.”
Eden reluctantly answered. The Emperor laughed softly. It had been a long time since he had broken his son's will.
“Let’s have a meal together before we go. I’m tired now, so I need to rest.”
And as if he was afraid that Eden might change his mind, he quickly got up from his seat.
“Let’s leave the brothers to their own devices and move on?”
Cecilia nodded and stood up. She had something to say to the Empress anyway.
“I’ll be there on time.”
Eden whispered to Cecilia, who was standing up from her seat. Cecilia tried to answer by nodding.
“Don’t drink too much.”
However, he couldn't ignore the face that desperately yearned for even a single bit of attention and affection. Eden nodded with a smile at Cecilia's added words.
“Let’s go now, Grand Duchess.”
Finally, the hand that Eden had been holding slowly fell away. Cecilia turned around, savoring the lukewarm sensation of the firm hand brushing her fingertips.
“It seems like we have a lot to talk about among ourselves, so it’s a good thing.”
As the Empress spoke, she walked ahead. Cecilia followed behind her without saying anything in return.
“...?”
Then, suddenly, the side profile of the maid walking past her with her face covered seemed familiar. Cecilia stopped walking naturally.
“Why are you suddenly like that?”
The Empress looked back at Cecilia, seemingly puzzled.
“I think I saw someone I know. I’m sorry.”
At Cecilia's words, the Empress shook her head with a smile and hurried her steps.
The Empress must have wondered what Cecilia was thinking right now. She clearly wanted revenge on Eden, but she kept quiet when she suggested that they join together.
“Just have a glass of wine each, and you all leave. I want to have a comfortable conversation with the Grand Duchess.”
Cecilia was not unaware of that fact. In fact, on the night she and Eden slept together after reconciling, she had clearly decided to write a letter to the Empress.
“Call me whenever you need me, Your Majesty.”
The maid spoke as she placed two glasses of blood-red wine on the table. The Empress nodded absentmindedly and gestured for them to leave.
“...”
Cecilia stared blankly at the red liquid in the clear glass.
“What are you thinking about now, Cecilia?”
The Empress asked first. Cecilia looked up and met the Empress's gaze.
In fact, she had already written a letter to send to the Empress. She had clearly made up her mind. She had also been thinking of killing Eden. It was nothing new. However, she could not send it.
“Actually, I thought you would contact me first.”
“...”
“I thought you would naturally agree with me.”
As the Empress spoke, she lifted her glass. Beyond the tilted glass, a small amount of red liquid disappeared into the Empress’s mouth.
“But until today, there has been no answer from you.”
“...”
“I’m thinking about whether my guess was wrong.”
The Empress spoke softly. At first glance, her voice seemed very gentle. However, the eyes she was looking at Cecilia were not affectionate at all.
“What do you think, what is your opinion?”
In fact, Cecilia and the Empress were bound to be on the same ship. They knew each other's futures. They were the most difficult opponents to fight.
“What if I say I do not share Your Majesty’s views?”
Cecilia asked. The Empress quietly raised one corner of her mouth slightly.
“There should be no risk factors, so I guess you should just die.”
And she answered honestly. It was all the more vicious because it was not a lie.
“Of course, it won’t be easy.”
“...”
“That’s why I’m trying to convince you now.”
The Empress placed her glass back on the table, leaned forward, and leaned closer to Cecilia.
“Do you still love the traitor who ruined your family and brought you close to death? Enough to hesitate to kill him?”
And then she whispered, as if all the feelings she was harboring right now were foolish and should never be.
“You’re foolish, Cecilia.”
The Empress stood up from her seat, muttering in regret. Then she slowly walked towards the window where moonlight was streaming in.
“Well, it’s foolish to do something called love.”
Cecilia's eyes moved following the Empress's trajectory.
“Yeah. Well, I guess you need to think about it more. You might need to gather your thoughts.”
The Empress added softly, but she looked quite displeased. Her fingers tapped and groped the marble of the window frame as if searching for something to relieve her desire. Her eyes were fixed on the servants moving beyond the window.
“I’ll give you some time, so think about it. But remember. The person who betrayed you once is in this life...”
“I haven’t had time to send a reply, but I have already written a letter regarding what you mentioned.”
After a moment of silence, Cecilia confessed and was about to say that she would help if Eden was killed.
The blue moonlight fell upon the Empress's head. The moonlight was so strong that it made her bright blond hair look like pale silver hair. Cecilia instinctively recalled the hair and face of the maid she had passed by earlier.
Ilya Jackinson. No, Ilya Nova.
The moment she thought of that name, a gust of wind blew in from outside the window, knocking the glass that was barely hanging on the edge of the table.
A sharp crack tore through the silence. Blood-red wine stained the corners of the carpet.
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