Eden held up a clear crystal glass. The amber liquid sloshed as she moved it. It was a color so natural that you couldn't tell that it contained something else.
“No matter what, I know that my brother had a better chance of becoming Crown Prince than I did.”
Damon opened his mouth leisurely. He wanted to show off his composure as a winner.
“It was possible because you insisted on fair competition.”
And he also wanted to say that he was the one who won after a fair competition and received the Emperor's support. Eden was just someone who received the Emperor's favor, and he was more capable.
Damon wanted to scratch and tease Eden, to see him feel inferior like he did.
“Thank you, brother.”
Damon added and laughed, and his narrowed eyes quickly scanned Eden's mood. He should be upset, and he should be annoyed.
“The one who wants something most earnestly gets what he wants.”
But Eden was calm and composed. Far from being angry or annoyed, he even seemed to be preoccupied with something else.
“Does that mean you weren’t desperate?”
Damon asked in a low, gruff voice.
“It’s true that it wasn’t earnest.”
Damon let out a short laugh. Eden acted like he knew how to make him feel bad without having to say much.
It was funny. Damon tried to provoke Eden, but the only one who actually got provoked was Damon. That made it even worse.
“Because you could have it if you wanted it?”
Eden blinked at Damon's question. Unlike his own sapphire blue eyes, his eyes, like calm river water, were staring at Damon. Always, always was Eden.
Unwaveringly, calmly, without twists and turns, plainly.
'Eden is not the type to be greatly affected by moods. In fact, I have thought that Eden is the person fit for the position of Emperor.'
As if mocking Damon's attitude of always being up and down. As if saying that what Aster had once said about Eden being the person most suited for the highest position was true.
It was unpleasant. Damon barely managed a smile through gritted teeth.
“Unlike my brother, I’ve always been very earnest, so it’s hard for me to empathize.”
“Damon. That’s not what I meant...”
“The trust of my father and brother, the faith of the people in me. The opportunity to show my abilities. None of it was easy for me.”
In any case, I'm the winner. That's what he wanted to say.
“It doesn’t really matter anymore. Let’s have a toast.”
Damon raised his glass in the air. Eden also raised his glass once, then without hesitation, he twisted his wrist and poured the drink down his throat. Damon watched with a smiling face.
After repeating this several times, the glass became empty, and the full bottle became empty.
“You must be tired, and I’ve kept you here too long. I think it’s time for you to leave.”
Eden nodded and stood up. It was a somewhat dull movement, a bit different from usual. Damon stood up and saw Eden off with a smile.
“The Grand Duke seems a little drunk, so take him to the bedroom.”
He did not forget to give the same order to his servant.
“...”
And finally, that was the moment when Eden disappeared from sight.
“I will do my best as you have supported me.”
Damon grinned. It was a hearty smile.
“I think I can do even better now that my brother won’t be around anymore.”
It felt like the tooth he had been aching for had fallen out.
Eden's body swayed noticeably, similar to the behavior of a drunk who is too drunk to move.
“His Highness the Grand Duke is sleeping, so everyone, move carefully.”
The servant who had laid Eden on the bed warned the guards outside. Eden stared at the ceiling, letting out a slow, slurred breath.
Usually, when he gets drunk, the sky spins, and he feels great, but not now. His body just felt like water-soaked cotton, and he couldn't move as he wanted.
"...Ha."
His vision kept blurring. Eden let out a slow laugh, a beat slower than he had expected. He had a gut feeling that Damon had fed him something. Still, he was his little brother, so he figured he wouldn't do anything stupid.
Well, if he thought about it, his relationship with Aster was even stranger. Even the relationship between father and son becomes ruthless in the face of power.
It was when even that kind of consciousness was fading away. The door opened carefully, and a thin beam of light came in. Could it be Cecilia? Eden unconsciously tightened her eyelids.
“It’s been a long time, Your Highness.”
The whispering voice was weak. The face of a woman who had finally stepped out of the pitch-black darkness and into the realm of moonlight was visible. It was Ilya, her face distorted strangely with the joy of being able to take revenge.
“Fortunately, I got a chance to kill you before you killed me.”
Ilya came closer, giggling. Eden just quietly exhaled. Even though he knew it was dangerous, his consciousness kept slipping away. His body, under the influence of drugs, was weak.
“But His Highness the Third Prince was very kind. He asked me to let you go in peace, as you were his older brother. After you completely lost consciousness, he asked me to let you go without any memories or pain.”
Ilya, sitting on the edge of the bed, whispered while fiddling with the edge of the cushion.
“But I didn’t want to do that.”
“...”
“You want me to be the most miserable person in the world, so you’re trying to kill my father and completely destroy our family. Why me?”
It was a voice seething with contempt and hatred towards Eden.
He has to push. Eden was a strong man, and he still had the strength to do it. As he squeezed out the last of his strength to push Ilya away and call someone, Eden suddenly had that thought.
He chose Cecilia and pretended not to hear the Emperor's call, which resulted in the death of his older brother Aster. His younger brother was anxious about his very existence and tried to kill him. The same was true of Ilya, who had been at odds with him.
"Ah."
His wife, Cecilia, also wants to leave him. As long as he is still breathing, he wants to beg and cling to her.
“You, too, should know why you are being killed.”
In that case, wouldn't it be better for everyone to just disappear like they wanted? It would be an apology to Aster, and it would be a happy thing for Cecilia, who had regained her freedom.
“Please die.”
He didn't want to be the one who tormented Cecilia. He didn't want to be hated anymore. But while he was alive, the thought of tormenting Cecilia because of this love made him suffer to the point of death.
The despair that had been welling up from the tips of his feet soon turned into sadness. Eden closed his eyes. The pain piercing through his chest was so terrible that he just wanted to die.
“Let’s never meet again.”
Ilya, who had whispered like that, pushed the pillow she was holding to one side. Then she climbed up Eden’s upper body, holding the handle of the sword with both hands.
The sound of a blow cutting through the air came closer. The cold blade tore through a layer of shirt. Eden thought of only one thing in his darkened consciousness.
I wish nothing would bother you, even if it's my love.
Both the Empress and Cecilia froze in their seats at the same time. A strange anxiety was coursing through them.
“Does His Highness the Crown Prince think the same way as Your Majesty?”
Cecilia asked. The sapphire-like eyes of the Empress rolled slowly. Her face was uncertain. For a long time, Damon's inferiority complex toward Eden had a somewhat pathological edge.
“...First, let me get up.”
She knew it was rude. But her heart was pounding, and her hands and feet felt cold. Unable to overcome her anxiety, Cecilia kicked the seat and left.
“Where is Damon? Where is the Grand Duke?”
The sound of the Empress urging her servants to answer was faintly scattered. Only the bizarre sight, the face that the Empress was unsure of, and the strange atmosphere remained in her mind. Cecilia hurried her steps. The hem of her skirt swayed violently in the blowing wind.
“Your Highness, what is the matter?”
The servants assigned by the Emperor hurriedly followed Cecilia and asked her questions. The moment the question reached her ears, Cecilia stopped walking.
Just die. Please don't torment me anymore and just disappear.
After she started living a new life, she always thought that way. She was always anxious that she would be kicked out by Eden at any time. She was both miserable and scared at the same time.
‘...Why are you leaving me?’
Eden was distant. He always was. That's why she didn't want to be around him. So she pretended to like him on the outside, but she tried her best to keep her heart as far away as possible.
"Ah..."
Cecilia laughed hollowly. The realization that she had been turning her head away and pretending not to know followed. It wasn't just that she was afraid of death that she was so afraid of Eden.
It was because of this feeling. Deep in her heart, the emotions that were buried with a heavy weight hanging on her kept stirring. She thought they might finally break free from the chains that had bound them tightly and burst out.
"Your Highness?"
Knowing that its name is still love, she had a premonition that it would surely lose the reins again someday.
I knew I couldn't beat you.
That's why I was so scared and desperate.
“No matter what, I know that my brother had a better chance of becoming Crown Prince than I did.”
Damon opened his mouth leisurely. He wanted to show off his composure as a winner.
“It was possible because you insisted on fair competition.”
And he also wanted to say that he was the one who won after a fair competition and received the Emperor's support. Eden was just someone who received the Emperor's favor, and he was more capable.
Damon wanted to scratch and tease Eden, to see him feel inferior like he did.
“Thank you, brother.”
Damon added and laughed, and his narrowed eyes quickly scanned Eden's mood. He should be upset, and he should be annoyed.
“The one who wants something most earnestly gets what he wants.”
But Eden was calm and composed. Far from being angry or annoyed, he even seemed to be preoccupied with something else.
“Does that mean you weren’t desperate?”
Damon asked in a low, gruff voice.
“It’s true that it wasn’t earnest.”
Damon let out a short laugh. Eden acted like he knew how to make him feel bad without having to say much.
It was funny. Damon tried to provoke Eden, but the only one who actually got provoked was Damon. That made it even worse.
“Because you could have it if you wanted it?”
Eden blinked at Damon's question. Unlike his own sapphire blue eyes, his eyes, like calm river water, were staring at Damon. Always, always was Eden.
Unwaveringly, calmly, without twists and turns, plainly.
'Eden is not the type to be greatly affected by moods. In fact, I have thought that Eden is the person fit for the position of Emperor.'
As if mocking Damon's attitude of always being up and down. As if saying that what Aster had once said about Eden being the person most suited for the highest position was true.
It was unpleasant. Damon barely managed a smile through gritted teeth.
“Unlike my brother, I’ve always been very earnest, so it’s hard for me to empathize.”
“Damon. That’s not what I meant...”
“The trust of my father and brother, the faith of the people in me. The opportunity to show my abilities. None of it was easy for me.”
In any case, I'm the winner. That's what he wanted to say.
“It doesn’t really matter anymore. Let’s have a toast.”
Damon raised his glass in the air. Eden also raised his glass once, then without hesitation, he twisted his wrist and poured the drink down his throat. Damon watched with a smiling face.
After repeating this several times, the glass became empty, and the full bottle became empty.
“You must be tired, and I’ve kept you here too long. I think it’s time for you to leave.”
Eden nodded and stood up. It was a somewhat dull movement, a bit different from usual. Damon stood up and saw Eden off with a smile.
“The Grand Duke seems a little drunk, so take him to the bedroom.”
He did not forget to give the same order to his servant.
“...”
And finally, that was the moment when Eden disappeared from sight.
“I will do my best as you have supported me.”
Damon grinned. It was a hearty smile.
“I think I can do even better now that my brother won’t be around anymore.”
It felt like the tooth he had been aching for had fallen out.
***
Eden's body swayed noticeably, similar to the behavior of a drunk who is too drunk to move.
“His Highness the Grand Duke is sleeping, so everyone, move carefully.”
The servant who had laid Eden on the bed warned the guards outside. Eden stared at the ceiling, letting out a slow, slurred breath.
Usually, when he gets drunk, the sky spins, and he feels great, but not now. His body just felt like water-soaked cotton, and he couldn't move as he wanted.
"...Ha."
His vision kept blurring. Eden let out a slow laugh, a beat slower than he had expected. He had a gut feeling that Damon had fed him something. Still, he was his little brother, so he figured he wouldn't do anything stupid.
Well, if he thought about it, his relationship with Aster was even stranger. Even the relationship between father and son becomes ruthless in the face of power.
It was when even that kind of consciousness was fading away. The door opened carefully, and a thin beam of light came in. Could it be Cecilia? Eden unconsciously tightened her eyelids.
“It’s been a long time, Your Highness.”
The whispering voice was weak. The face of a woman who had finally stepped out of the pitch-black darkness and into the realm of moonlight was visible. It was Ilya, her face distorted strangely with the joy of being able to take revenge.
“Fortunately, I got a chance to kill you before you killed me.”
Ilya came closer, giggling. Eden just quietly exhaled. Even though he knew it was dangerous, his consciousness kept slipping away. His body, under the influence of drugs, was weak.
“But His Highness the Third Prince was very kind. He asked me to let you go in peace, as you were his older brother. After you completely lost consciousness, he asked me to let you go without any memories or pain.”
Ilya, sitting on the edge of the bed, whispered while fiddling with the edge of the cushion.
“But I didn’t want to do that.”
“...”
“You want me to be the most miserable person in the world, so you’re trying to kill my father and completely destroy our family. Why me?”
It was a voice seething with contempt and hatred towards Eden.
He has to push. Eden was a strong man, and he still had the strength to do it. As he squeezed out the last of his strength to push Ilya away and call someone, Eden suddenly had that thought.
He chose Cecilia and pretended not to hear the Emperor's call, which resulted in the death of his older brother Aster. His younger brother was anxious about his very existence and tried to kill him. The same was true of Ilya, who had been at odds with him.
"Ah."
His wife, Cecilia, also wants to leave him. As long as he is still breathing, he wants to beg and cling to her.
“You, too, should know why you are being killed.”
In that case, wouldn't it be better for everyone to just disappear like they wanted? It would be an apology to Aster, and it would be a happy thing for Cecilia, who had regained her freedom.
“Please die.”
He didn't want to be the one who tormented Cecilia. He didn't want to be hated anymore. But while he was alive, the thought of tormenting Cecilia because of this love made him suffer to the point of death.
The despair that had been welling up from the tips of his feet soon turned into sadness. Eden closed his eyes. The pain piercing through his chest was so terrible that he just wanted to die.
“Let’s never meet again.”
Ilya, who had whispered like that, pushed the pillow she was holding to one side. Then she climbed up Eden’s upper body, holding the handle of the sword with both hands.
The sound of a blow cutting through the air came closer. The cold blade tore through a layer of shirt. Eden thought of only one thing in his darkened consciousness.
I wish nothing would bother you, even if it's my love.
***
Both the Empress and Cecilia froze in their seats at the same time. A strange anxiety was coursing through them.
“Does His Highness the Crown Prince think the same way as Your Majesty?”
Cecilia asked. The sapphire-like eyes of the Empress rolled slowly. Her face was uncertain. For a long time, Damon's inferiority complex toward Eden had a somewhat pathological edge.
“...First, let me get up.”
She knew it was rude. But her heart was pounding, and her hands and feet felt cold. Unable to overcome her anxiety, Cecilia kicked the seat and left.
“Where is Damon? Where is the Grand Duke?”
The sound of the Empress urging her servants to answer was faintly scattered. Only the bizarre sight, the face that the Empress was unsure of, and the strange atmosphere remained in her mind. Cecilia hurried her steps. The hem of her skirt swayed violently in the blowing wind.
“Your Highness, what is the matter?”
The servants assigned by the Emperor hurriedly followed Cecilia and asked her questions. The moment the question reached her ears, Cecilia stopped walking.
Just die. Please don't torment me anymore and just disappear.
After she started living a new life, she always thought that way. She was always anxious that she would be kicked out by Eden at any time. She was both miserable and scared at the same time.
‘...Why are you leaving me?’
Eden was distant. He always was. That's why she didn't want to be around him. So she pretended to like him on the outside, but she tried her best to keep her heart as far away as possible.
"Ah..."
Cecilia laughed hollowly. The realization that she had been turning her head away and pretending not to know followed. It wasn't just that she was afraid of death that she was so afraid of Eden.
It was because of this feeling. Deep in her heart, the emotions that were buried with a heavy weight hanging on her kept stirring. She thought they might finally break free from the chains that had bound them tightly and burst out.
"Your Highness?"
Knowing that its name is still love, she had a premonition that it would surely lose the reins again someday.
I knew I couldn't beat you.
That's why I was so scared and desperate.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment