Caius quietly observed the disheveled appearance of the young woman before gesturing towards Sophia.
Sophia, who was observing the situation while holding her breath, understood the command and hurried to support Leah.
Led by Sophia, Leah walked down the corridor with Caius following closely behind. His demeanor remained unchanged, making it hard to believe that something happened a short while ago.
Leaving the palace behind, Sophia helped Leah into the carriage prepared for them and slowly stepped back.
Caius walked past Sophia and took a seat on the opposite side of the carriage.
“I.. I never did such a thing.”
As the carriage had just left the palace, Leah broke the silence and spoke with a shaky voice.
“I swear, I didn’t do it.”
Was she feeling unjustly accused? Caius pursed his lips, not responding.
“I’m telling the truth. I…”
“I know.”
He spoke indifferently, and Leah’s eyes shook with uncertainty.
After a brief silence, she asked again.
“If you knew… then why did you..?”
Shocked by the question, Caius turned away from the flushed Leah.
Without delving deeper into what the Empress did, it was evident that this woman was caught up in an unjust situation. And irrespective of the allegations against her, he knew that the Empress would not be able to punish Leah.
After all, she was not the type to tarnish her reputation intentionally. Carelessly punishing her stepson’s fiancée for any reason would ultimately ruin the image she had built. However, Caius remained silent as there was no need to explain the intricate details. He had come this far only to rescue this woman and had no intention of giving her comfort, solace or taking on any trifling tasks.
“To you, am I….”
Unable to bear the silence, Leah asked a desperate question that made her sound like she was hanging onto her last straw.
“Am I nothing to you now?”
Caius raised his gaze to meet her eyes. Even though she knew he lost his memory, this woman still clung to futile hope.
He felt a strange aversion when he saw her pleading eyes.
After his return, he heard countless things from those around him. Words of flattery that admired his dedication to the Empire, formal congratulations on his imminent ascension to the throne and then talks about this woman.
“There’s no way I meant nothing to you .”
Caius responded coldly.
“Everyone claims that I loved you or something of that sort.”
Everyone who knew him, even the Empress herself, talked about Leah Ainel as if it were a known fact. He knew they were aware of his relationship with this woman, even though he had no memory of it.
“I’ve thought about it. Did I truly love you?”
Caius raised his eyes to look directly at Leah. His slightly curled lips delivered a harsh response without hesitation.
“There’s no way I loved you.”
He realised why he felt the way he did when he spoke with the Empress in the palace. He could tell it wasn’t the first time such an incident had occurred. The Empress probably finds delight in causing trouble for this woman, only to see his reaction. And he must have reacted the way she wanted him to.
For some reason whether out of pity or curiosity, she repeatedly occupied his thoughts. He might have mistaken these fleeting affections for love.
Caius, who had an unexplainable sneer on his face, suddenly composed himself.
“My feelings for you were no more than childish infatuations from when I was younger .”
If he had not been so young, those emotions would not count. As he came to this conclusion, the heavy emotions that had been choking the side of his chest seemed to go down.
Leah sat in a daze and opened her quivering lips to deny his words.
“No, no. We…”
Her words disappeared into thin air and the eyes that once stared at him sunk.
Caius turned away from the speechless woman and stared out the window absentmindedly. When the scenery outside the window finally changed into their destination, he turned to face her.
Only then did he notice that she was crying. She made no sound, and her face didn’t show she was crying.
Clenching his fist unconsciously with furrowed brows, Caius felt a bit of regret towards his actions.
There was no reason for him to console the crying woman. If this helps her to let go of all those futile expectations, it might as well be for the best.
Caius forced himself to look away as he got off the carriage first.
After instructing a palace maid standing at the entrance to take her to an empty room, he turned away as if considering his task done.
Leah sat at the table in the empty room with a blank expression.
Her darting eyes aimlessly scanned the patterns on the black wooden table. Although her heart felt empty, Caius constantly revolved in her mind unconsciously.
The words he spoke to her occupied and disappeared from her mind repeatedly.
The first time they met, the times they examined each other’s wounds, the moment she was sure he felt the same as she did, the countless times they held each other, and the first kisses they shared were still so vivid, yet he cruelly denied all those memories.
She couldn’t bear to hear him deny those memories because she was scared. She didn’t want to hear Caius say he didn’t love her again.
As she thought over those words, her breathing felt constricted. Leah pursed her trembling lips as she slowly swallowed her breath.
She knew she couldn’t expect those past emotions from Caius, who had lost his memory. She was well aware, but it was difficult to accept that fact.
Leah looked outside the window draped in a shawl.
The afternoon sun was setting.
“It must be a part of the Empress’s plan. There is no other reason why the Empress would suddenly change her mind, right?”
Leah whispered as she suspected the Empress’s involvement.
It had been exactly one week since the incident happened. Whether the news reached him from the Western Palace or if he fell for the Empress’s persuasion, the Emperor unexpectedly brought up Caius’s engagement.
He didn’t directly order for it to be broken off, but he subtly indicated the need to discuss how to proceed with the engagement with the princess.
This was rather strange considering the Emperor’s personality. If he didn’t like what he had heard, he would have ended the engagement immediately. No, come to think of it, the Emperor agreeing to this engagement in the first place was even weirder.
“Your Highness, what will you do?” Victor asked cautiously after releasing a frustrated sigh.
Caius, lost in thought, recalled the incident that occurred recently.
It was easy to tell that the person who conveyed the message to the Emperor was the Empress herself. Since she was quick to assess situations and didn’t miss any opportunities, she would have already realised that the princess meant nothing to him. Perhaps, she was trying to reconfirm his feelings.
Caius stood as he thought deeply about the situation.
Fidgeting nervously, Victor spoke.
“No matter what, you’ve spent time with Lady Leah. And not just that… If you break off the engagement right now, the Empress will try to find another noble family for you to be matched with.”
Victor was right. With the Empress involving the Emperor in this matter, Caius had no choice but to decide if he would proceed with the engagement with the princess as planned or continue to drag this meaningless engagement for a bit longer.
Caius’s cold, gray eyes stared into the distance as he thought of the disheveled crying woman who was somewhere in the Western Palace.
Her staying in the Western Palace was just him being considerate of the troubled woman and nothing more. If it were someone else, he would have done the same thing.
Even if she returned to the Imperial Palace after some time, she would still find herself in a position where she wouldn’t show her face. Whether or not the Empress was involved, the engagement was still questionable.
“Do you intend to break off the engagement with Lady Leah?” Victor repeated his question while observing Caius.
After a long silence, Caius responded quietly.
“Well.”
Victor, who expected a more direct answer, blinked in surprise.
“Yes? What does that mean…”
Caius stood with a proper posture and stared at the spacious garden. When it came to affairs that determined the future of the imperial family, the Empress had the upper hand. If Caius immediately declared that he would break off the engagement with the princess, the Empress would select a new woman for him. Given the circumstances, having the princess by his side for a short while was preferable.
The princess was not of imperial blood and she didn’t even have a strong backing, but she was easier to manipulate and dispose of than any other woman. Furthermore, there would be no leftover problems to deal with once she is disposed of.
At least until he ascended the throne, he needed to conceal his relationship from the Empress and her followers. During this time, he could find people from new families that would suit them both. Until all these preparations were in place, he would postpone the engagement.
With crossed arms, Caius commanded nonchalantly.
“Inform His Majesty that I will be visiting with the princess soon.”
Caius quietly observed the disheveled appearance of the young woman before gesturing towards Sophia.
Sophia, who was observing the situation while holding her breath, understood the command and hurried to support Leah.
Led by Sophia, Leah walked down the corridor with Caius following closely behind. His demeanor remained unchanged, making it hard to believe that something happened a short while ago.
Leaving the palace behind, Sophia helped Leah into the carriage prepared for them and slowly stepped back.
Caius walked past Sophia and took a seat on the opposite side of the carriage.
“I.. I never did such a thing.”
As the carriage had just left the palace, Leah broke the silence and spoke with a shaky voice.
“I swear, I didn’t do it.”
Was she feeling unjustly accused? Caius pursed his lips, not responding.
“I’m telling the truth. I…”
“I know.”
He spoke indifferently, and Leah’s eyes shook with uncertainty.
After a brief silence, she asked again.
“If you knew… then why did you..?”
Shocked by the question, Caius turned away from the flushed Leah.
Without delving deeper into what the Empress did, it was evident that this woman was caught up in an unjust situation. And irrespective of the allegations against her, he knew that the Empress would not be able to punish Leah.
After all, she was not the type to tarnish her reputation intentionally. Carelessly punishing her stepson’s fiancée for any reason would ultimately ruin the image she had built. However, Caius remained silent as there was no need to explain the intricate details. He had come this far only to rescue this woman and had no intention of giving her comfort, solace or taking on any trifling tasks.
“To you, am I….”
Unable to bear the silence, Leah asked a desperate question that made her sound like she was hanging onto her last straw.
“Am I nothing to you now?”
Caius raised his gaze to meet her eyes. Even though she knew he lost his memory, this woman still clung to futile hope.
He felt a strange aversion when he saw her pleading eyes.
After his return, he heard countless things from those around him. Words of flattery that admired his dedication to the Empire, formal congratulations on his imminent ascension to the throne and then talks about this woman.
“There’s no way I meant nothing to you .”
Caius responded coldly.
“Everyone claims that I loved you or something of that sort.”
Everyone who knew him, even the Empress herself, talked about Leah Ainel as if it were a known fact. He knew they were aware of his relationship with this woman, even though he had no memory of it.
“I’ve thought about it. Did I truly love you?”
Caius raised his eyes to look directly at Leah. His slightly curled lips delivered a harsh response without hesitation.
“There’s no way I loved you.”
He realised why he felt the way he did when he spoke with the Empress in the palace. He could tell it wasn’t the first time such an incident had occurred. The Empress probably finds delight in causing trouble for this woman, only to see his reaction. And he must have reacted the way she wanted him to.
For some reason whether out of pity or curiosity, she repeatedly occupied his thoughts. He might have mistaken these fleeting affections for love.
Caius, who had an unexplainable sneer on his face, suddenly composed himself.
“My feelings for you were no more than childish infatuations from when I was younger .”
If he had not been so young, those emotions would not count. As he came to this conclusion, the heavy emotions that had been choking the side of his chest seemed to go down.
Leah sat in a daze and opened her quivering lips to deny his words.
“No, no. We…”
Her words disappeared into thin air and the eyes that once stared at him sunk.
Caius turned away from the speechless woman and stared out the window absentmindedly. When the scenery outside the window finally changed into their destination, he turned to face her.
Only then did he notice that she was crying. She made no sound, and her face didn’t show she was crying.
Clenching his fist unconsciously with furrowed brows, Caius felt a bit of regret towards his actions.
There was no reason for him to console the crying woman. If this helps her to let go of all those futile expectations, it might as well be for the best.
Caius forced himself to look away as he got off the carriage first.
After instructing a palace maid standing at the entrance to take her to an empty room, he turned away as if considering his task done.
Leah sat at the table in the empty room with a blank expression.
Her darting eyes aimlessly scanned the patterns on the black wooden table. Although her heart felt empty, Caius constantly revolved in her mind unconsciously.
The words he spoke to her occupied and disappeared from her mind repeatedly.
The first time they met, the times they examined each other’s wounds, the moment she was sure he felt the same as she did, the countless times they held each other, and the first kisses they shared were still so vivid, yet he cruelly denied all those memories.
She couldn’t bear to hear him deny those memories because she was scared. She didn’t want to hear Caius say he didn’t love her again.
As she thought over those words, her breathing felt constricted. Leah pursed her trembling lips as she slowly swallowed her breath.
She knew she couldn’t expect those past emotions from Caius, who had lost his memory. She was well aware, but it was difficult to accept that fact.
Leah looked outside the window draped in a shawl.
The afternoon sun was setting.
“It must be a part of the Empress’s plan. There is no other reason why the Empress would suddenly change her mind, right?”
Leah whispered as she suspected the Empress’s involvement.
It had been exactly one week since the incident happened. Whether the news reached him from the Western Palace or if he fell for the Empress’s persuasion, the Emperor unexpectedly brought up Caius’s engagement.
He didn’t directly order for it to be broken off, but he subtly indicated the need to discuss how to proceed with the engagement with the princess.
This was rather strange considering the Emperor’s personality. If he didn’t like what he had heard, he would have ended the engagement immediately. No, come to think of it, the Emperor agreeing to this engagement in the first place was even weirder.
“Your Highness, what will you do?” Victor asked cautiously after releasing a frustrated sigh.
Caius, lost in thought, recalled the incident that occurred recently.
It was easy to tell that the person who conveyed the message to the Emperor was the Empress herself. Since she was quick to assess situations and didn’t miss any opportunities, she would have already realised that the princess meant nothing to him. Perhaps, she was trying to reconfirm his feelings.
Caius stood as he thought deeply about the situation.
Fidgeting nervously, Victor spoke.
“No matter what, you’ve spent time with Lady Leah. And not just that… If you break off the engagement right now, the Empress will try to find another noble family for you to be matched with.”
Victor was right. With the Empress involving the Emperor in this matter, Caius had no choice but to decide if he would proceed with the engagement with the princess as planned or continue to drag this meaningless engagement for a bit longer.
Caius’s cold, gray eyes stared into the distance as he thought of the disheveled crying woman who was somewhere in the Western Palace.
Her staying in the Western Palace was just him being considerate of the troubled woman and nothing more. If it were someone else, he would have done the same thing.
Even if she returned to the Imperial Palace after some time, she would still find herself in a position where she wouldn’t show her face. Whether or not the Empress was involved, the engagement was still questionable.
“Do you intend to break off the engagement with Lady Leah?” Victor repeated his question while observing Caius.
After a long silence, Caius responded quietly.
“Well.”
Victor, who expected a more direct answer, blinked in surprise.
“Yes? What does that mean…”
Caius stood with a proper posture and stared at the spacious garden. When it came to affairs that determined the future of the imperial family, the Empress had the upper hand. If Caius immediately declared that he would break off the engagement with the princess, the Empress would select a new woman for him. Given the circumstances, having the princess by his side for a short while was preferable.
The princess was not of imperial blood and she didn’t even have a strong backing, but she was easier to manipulate and dispose of than any other woman. Furthermore, there would be no leftover problems to deal with once she is disposed of.
At least until he ascended the throne, he needed to conceal his relationship from the Empress and her followers. During this time, he could find people from new families that would suit them both. Until all these preparations were in place, he would postpone the engagement.
With crossed arms, Caius commanded nonchalantly.
“Inform His Majesty that I will be visiting with the princess soon.”
