“What happened?”
Leah, who had become attentive to Jade’s voice at some point, asked.
The Richter family wielded equal authority in the kingdom as the royal family.
Despite the kingdom’s altered situation following the conflict with the empire, the fact remained unchanged.
There was curiosity about why he, the successor of such a prestigious family, wasn’t doing well.
“No, I can’t disclose it.”
Jade’s emerald-green eyes calmly glowed. Leah looked at him, puzzled, but didn’t ask any more questions.
After a prolonged eye contact, Leah was the first to avert her gaze.
Jade, who was observing her lowered eyelids, brought up another topic.
“You’ve grown a lot.”
His gentle touch held Leah’s hand more firmly.
“From my memory, you were much smaller than your peers.”
“Well, probably… it’s been six years.”
Leah replied quietly, squinting her eyes as if trying to avoid something. After a moment, she opened them, mustering the courage to speak.
“Lord Richter, I almost couldn’t recognise you at first because you’ve changed so much since the last time we met.”
“As you said, it’s been six years.”
Jade laughed softly as he responded. The music that had been flowing like water came to a stop.
It was time to find another partner. Jade released her hand.
“Shall we go to the terrace for a moment?”
And with another suggestion, he led Leah away.
“Well…”
Leah hesitated, her words trailing off. She briefly wondered if it was okay to leave the palace but quickly concluded that it didn’t matter.
Leah, not checking where Caius was, nodded weakly.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
It seemed better to leave this unbearable situation behind.
* * *
Isabella felt amused throughout the ball.
Of course, the new Crown Prince in front of her was an impeccable partner, leading her with a timely grasp of her hand and skillfully guiding her waist for the next move.
However, his azure eyes never once met Isabella’s.
His cold gaze was fixed on a lady dancing with another gentleman.
‘I can’t help entering the Grand Cathedral, but please be the first to ask me to dance at the ball. It will be a reason when I propose to you later.’
When Isabella made such a request in their previous encounter, the man didn’t hesitate.
‘Sure,’ he replied with his usual expressionless demeanour, simply accepting the proposal.
It wasn’t a bad attitude. She never wished for this man’s affection in the first place, plus she already got what she wanted.
However, watching a man who expressed his emotions so openly made her laugh bitterly.
What was even more amusing was that this man seemed unaware of the expression he had on his face.
Isabella objectively assessed the situation.
Even if he kept that lady in his land until the end, Isabella was confident it wouldn’t matter to her.
She had never expected affection from him, and she had boldly set the terms of the deal herself.
But, of course, it had to be within reasonable limitations that wouldn’t jeopardise her position.
Would this man really maintain that appropriate boundary?
As she pondered the uncertain question, the graceful melody that had been playing came to an end.
Caius gracefully bowed to Isabella with a simple posture.
Even as he slowly straightened his stance, his gaze still followed Leah Ainel, who was leaving the area.
With a glance as cold as ice, Isabella couldn’t shake off the sense of foreboding she felt.
The large terrace was located on the second floor after the lounge prepared for guests.
Leah stood in front of the railing and took a deep breath. Despite the cold breeze seeping in, the suppressed emotions didn’t dissipate.
The moment Caius passed her, the image of him extending his hand to another woman lingered in her mind.
“Ainel is maintaining it’s peace.”
Jade broke the silence with a quiet voice. Turning her head in reaction to his voice, Leah saw his deep emerald eyes.
“All achieved through the princess’ sacrifice for peace.”
Leah’s dull eyes lit up at the unfamiliar words. He seemed to be implying that the peace only existed because of her sacrifice.
Leah replied quietly, “It’s the first time you’ve spoken like that, Lord Richter.”
It was an unfamiliar statement. For Leah, sacrificing herself as a pawn was a natural occurrence among the people of Ainel.
Some were even satisfied with the opportunity to get rid of the illegitimate offspring.
Jade whispered solemnly with an odd sense of guilt on his face, “You must have endured a lot. The Empire’s hostility toward Ainel persists.”
Even though the king and queen, who expelled Leah, would pass by without hesitation, this blameless man felt guilty.
Leah felt embarrassed as she raised her head.
“Oh, no. Of course, it was a bit difficult at first, but after meeting Caius…”
She halted abruptly, realising too late that she had unintentionally mentioned Caius’s name—the thing she had attempted to suppress.
Leah couldn’t continue and bit her lip. Even though she only touched the railing, her fingers turned pale.
Jade, who had been watching her lowered head for a while, smoothly changed the subject.
“Do you remember?”
Jade spoke as if he understood her emotions.
“Whenever I visited the royal palace, you used to follow me around quietly.”
“Ah…”
Leah’s eyes lit up.
His warm voice, out of place with the cold winter breeze, slowly melted the frozen thoughts in Leah’s mind.
Setting aside the encroaching despair, Leah replied softly, ‘I didn’t expect you to remember that.”
“How could I forget?”
Jade smiled gently. That smile reminded her of their childhood days.
Leah found some comfort in this moment, just like when she felt safe around him in the past.
“You always pretended not to notice, even when I greeted you.”
Leah deliberately infused strength into her voice, determined to focus on the current subject. Then, she looked at him after slowly releasing her grip on the railing.
“I wanted to see you again someday, so I’m glad we were able to meet like this.”
“…Speaking of which, I’m also pleased you said that.”
Jade stared at Leah for a long time, his smile carrying a hint of bittersweetness.
After a while, Leah quickly shifted her gaze beyond the railing. The clear night sky shimmered with the starlight.
The ball must still be in full swing. Regardless of the situation, she shouldn’t keep her seat empty for too long.
In an attempt to clear her mind, Leah closed her eyes for a moment before slowly reopening them.
“Leah.”
As she was about to suggest returning, Jade called her name first.
“Can I call you as before, like in the old days?”
The voice seeking permission carried a sincere tone. Leah cautiously met Jade’s gaze and nodded.
“Yes, of course…”
But before she could finish her response, the terrace door opened.
Instinctively turning her head, Leah froze upon confirming the man walking in from behind the door.
The man approached confidently without hesitation, his face expressionless.
“…Caius.”
Leah murmured. Caius, who stopped before her, grabbed her hand without hesitation.
He pulled her towards him without a word. He spoke coldly.
“What are you doing here?”
Leah looked at him silently with no response.
After abandoning her without an explanation and leaving her to fend for herself, he now demanded a reason for her disappearance.
“What happened?”
Leah, who had become attentive to Jade’s voice at some point, asked.
The Richter family wielded equal authority in the kingdom as the royal family.
Despite the kingdom’s altered situation following the conflict with the empire, the fact remained unchanged.
There was curiosity about why he, the successor of such a prestigious family, wasn’t doing well.
“No, I can’t disclose it.”
Jade’s emerald-green eyes calmly glowed. Leah looked at him, puzzled, but didn’t ask any more questions.
After a prolonged eye contact, Leah was the first to avert her gaze.
Jade, who was observing her lowered eyelids, brought up another topic.
“You’ve grown a lot.”
His gentle touch held Leah’s hand more firmly.
“From my memory, you were much smaller than your peers.”
“Well, probably… it’s been six years.”
Leah replied quietly, squinting her eyes as if trying to avoid something. After a moment, she opened them, mustering the courage to speak.
“Lord Richter, I almost couldn’t recognise you at first because you’ve changed so much since the last time we met.”
“As you said, it’s been six years.”
Jade laughed softly as he responded. The music that had been flowing like water came to a stop.
It was time to find another partner. Jade released her hand.
“Shall we go to the terrace for a moment?”
And with another suggestion, he led Leah away.
“Well…”
Leah hesitated, her words trailing off. She briefly wondered if it was okay to leave the palace but quickly concluded that it didn’t matter.
Leah, not checking where Caius was, nodded weakly.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
It seemed better to leave this unbearable situation behind.
* * *
Isabella felt amused throughout the ball.
Of course, the new Crown Prince in front of her was an impeccable partner, leading her with a timely grasp of her hand and skillfully guiding her waist for the next move.
However, his azure eyes never once met Isabella’s.
His cold gaze was fixed on a lady dancing with another gentleman.
‘I can’t help entering the Grand Cathedral, but please be the first to ask me to dance at the ball. It will be a reason when I propose to you later.’
When Isabella made such a request in their previous encounter, the man didn’t hesitate.
‘Sure,’ he replied with his usual expressionless demeanour, simply accepting the proposal.
It wasn’t a bad attitude. She never wished for this man’s affection in the first place, plus she already got what she wanted.
However, watching a man who expressed his emotions so openly made her laugh bitterly.
What was even more amusing was that this man seemed unaware of the expression he had on his face.
Isabella objectively assessed the situation.
Even if he kept that lady in his land until the end, Isabella was confident it wouldn’t matter to her.
She had never expected affection from him, and she had boldly set the terms of the deal herself.
But, of course, it had to be within reasonable limitations that wouldn’t jeopardise her position.
Would this man really maintain that appropriate boundary?
As she pondered the uncertain question, the graceful melody that had been playing came to an end.
Caius gracefully bowed to Isabella with a simple posture.
Even as he slowly straightened his stance, his gaze still followed Leah Ainel, who was leaving the area.
With a glance as cold as ice, Isabella couldn’t shake off the sense of foreboding she felt.
The large terrace was located on the second floor after the lounge prepared for guests.
Leah stood in front of the railing and took a deep breath. Despite the cold breeze seeping in, the suppressed emotions didn’t dissipate.
The moment Caius passed her, the image of him extending his hand to another woman lingered in her mind.
“Ainel is maintaining it’s peace.”
Jade broke the silence with a quiet voice. Turning her head in reaction to his voice, Leah saw his deep emerald eyes.
“All achieved through the princess’ sacrifice for peace.”
Leah’s dull eyes lit up at the unfamiliar words. He seemed to be implying that the peace only existed because of her sacrifice.
Leah replied quietly, “It’s the first time you’ve spoken like that, Lord Richter.”
It was an unfamiliar statement. For Leah, sacrificing herself as a pawn was a natural occurrence among the people of Ainel.
Some were even satisfied with the opportunity to get rid of the illegitimate offspring.
Jade whispered solemnly with an odd sense of guilt on his face, “You must have endured a lot. The Empire’s hostility toward Ainel persists.”
Even though the king and queen, who expelled Leah, would pass by without hesitation, this blameless man felt guilty.
Leah felt embarrassed as she raised her head.
“Oh, no. Of course, it was a bit difficult at first, but after meeting Caius…”
She halted abruptly, realising too late that she had unintentionally mentioned Caius’s name—the thing she had attempted to suppress.
Leah couldn’t continue and bit her lip. Even though she only touched the railing, her fingers turned pale.
Jade, who had been watching her lowered head for a while, smoothly changed the subject.
“Do you remember?”
Jade spoke as if he understood her emotions.
“Whenever I visited the royal palace, you used to follow me around quietly.”
“Ah…”
Leah’s eyes lit up.
His warm voice, out of place with the cold winter breeze, slowly melted the frozen thoughts in Leah’s mind.
Setting aside the encroaching despair, Leah replied softly, ‘I didn’t expect you to remember that.”
“How could I forget?”
Jade smiled gently. That smile reminded her of their childhood days.
Leah found some comfort in this moment, just like when she felt safe around him in the past.
“You always pretended not to notice, even when I greeted you.”
Leah deliberately infused strength into her voice, determined to focus on the current subject. Then, she looked at him after slowly releasing her grip on the railing.
“I wanted to see you again someday, so I’m glad we were able to meet like this.”
“…Speaking of which, I’m also pleased you said that.”
Jade stared at Leah for a long time, his smile carrying a hint of bittersweetness.
After a while, Leah quickly shifted her gaze beyond the railing. The clear night sky shimmered with the starlight.
The ball must still be in full swing. Regardless of the situation, she shouldn’t keep her seat empty for too long.
In an attempt to clear her mind, Leah closed her eyes for a moment before slowly reopening them.
“Leah.”
As she was about to suggest returning, Jade called her name first.
“Can I call you as before, like in the old days?”
The voice seeking permission carried a sincere tone. Leah cautiously met Jade’s gaze and nodded.
“Yes, of course…”
But before she could finish her response, the terrace door opened.
Instinctively turning her head, Leah froze upon confirming the man walking in from behind the door.
The man approached confidently without hesitation, his face expressionless.
“…Caius.”
Leah murmured. Caius, who stopped before her, grabbed her hand without hesitation.
He pulled her towards him without a word. He spoke coldly.
“What are you doing here?”
Leah looked at him silently with no response.
After abandoning her without an explanation and leaving her to fend for herself, he now demanded a reason for her disappearance.
