Chapter 83
She didn’t think he wouldn’t notice that she had deliberately avoided him. But she simply didn’t know how to face the prince at that moment. After accidentally overhearing the conversation on the balcony, it only got worse.
“Who’s the woman you’ve been seeing these days? An opera singer? No, was it a baron’s daughter? Did she come today?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Why? Do you hate that I’m meeting someone?”
“Yes, I hate it. She and I are nothing, and I don’t have any feelings for her. Don’t get involved in my affairs or pay attention to them.”
Suddenly, she had felt so ashamed that she fled back into the ballroom as if running away. She had tried to find Luisa to leave right away, but in the vast hall, finding her wasn’t easy.
The truth was, even before Prince Franz and Crown Prince Frederick had stepped out onto the balcony, Iella had already been there. Seeing him with the crown prince, she had instinctively hidden behind a pillar and ended up overhearing their entire conversation. When she finally thought about revealing herself, the conversation had already mentioned her directly, and it was even more impossible to step out.
“Honestly, she is pretty though.”
Being called pretty brought her no joy. It felt as if she were being treated like a trophy.
If she hadn’t dressed up so convincingly, the prince wouldn’t have been drawn to her in the first place. Of course, he would still have shown her enough consideration as his shield, but nothing more.
If she had been foolish enough to confess without realizing she was being treated as some decorative trophy, she didn’t even want to imagine how that would have ended.
She was already hurt enough, but hearing him say to an ex-lover that they were “nothing at all” stabbed her heart painfully. And yet, the fact that her feelings for him remained unchanged made her more upset than ever.
Chloe Hollander. The woman who was now the Queen of Altria had once been Prince Franz’s fiancée.
While living in the capital, Iella had never cared for the gossip of socialites, but three years ago, when she had been back in her hometown of Centaur, such stories had been even more rampant. Even then, she had heard enough to know how perfect the pair had seemed together, and how Chloe Hollander had been an impeccable candidate for a princess.
Had he still not forgotten her?
So much so that he didn’t even want to be misunderstood by an ex-lover who had abandoned him? To Franz, she truly was nothing. In front of the person he loved, even pretending through lies wasn’t an option for him. Because he still had feelings left.
For him, deceiving anyone in Lapland was possible—but never the woman he had once loved.
On the surface, she could adorn herself to look beautiful and dazzle the prince’s eyes, but that was never enough to win his heart. How foolish had she been to expect otherwise?
Excited over someone who felt nothing for her, soaring and crashing alone, was just pathetic. Her own naive hopes made her look pitiful.
“How dare I even look at him? What kind of future did I think I could dream of?”
In that instant, her powerless position seemed so pitiful, her immature attempts to avoid reality so embarrassing, and the inferiority she felt so self-degrading.
If he were going to treat her like this, he shouldn’t have promised her a “next time.”
But if she thought rationally, she knew—it had all been her own doing. She couldn’t blame anyone.
The moment she accepted the prince’s proposal, it was as if she had grasped a double-edged sword. Even if she were cut and wounded by it, if that pain was the price of choosing him, then she had no choice but to endure it.
She knew this all too well, yet her heart betrayed her will and hurt anyway.
“It hurts so much. Is liking someone supposed to feel like my heart is being torn apart?”
Her chest throbbed as though it were splitting apart, so much that she could barely breathe.
“Are you alright, Lady?”
A man, realizing something was wrong with Iella’s complexion, asked in alarm.
“Ah…”
Iella couldn’t even answer. She sank to the floor. Gasps erupted around her.
“Oh my goodness.”
“Heavens.”
“Someone has collapsed!”
She pressed her hand against her chest, even patted it lightly, but it was no use. Her pale face grew frighteningly blue.
People began crowding around, murmuring.
“Are you okay, Lady? Can you hear me?”
The man she had been dancing with knelt before her with a worried face. Just as he reached toward her shoulder, a shadow blocked his path.
“Iella. Breathe slowly.”
Franz leaned close, whispering in a low voice. Struggling to breathe, Iella silently looked up at him.
“It’s alright. Iella.”
Through the storm of emotions clouding her consciousness, a familiar voice reached her like an echo.
“It’s alright. It’s alright.”
Her blurred vision began to clear, and a face gradually came into focus—the last one she wanted to see, yet the one that also reassured her most.
“Your Highness?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Ah…”
Iella gasped, closing and opening her eyes. As her breathing steadied, her surroundings came back into focus. People were circled around, watching her.
If only she could faint outright. Having never once lost consciousness in her life, for the first time she wished she could.
“Can you stand?”
At his gentle question, Iella weakly nodded. She let Franz help her up. She had enough strength to stand on her own, but she saw no reason to refuse his support.
Seeing that she was safe, the crowd erupted into applause for Franz’s quick response. Iella gave a short, bitter laugh at the absurdity of it all.
What a ridiculous farce.
Of all people, she had ended up enacting the fainting spell other young ladies had always put on as a performance.
It was humiliating. She tried to pull away, but his arm around her waist didn’t loosen.
Franz maintained his composure with difficulty, sighing with relief inside. He had been terrified something dreadful might happen. How fortunate she had recovered quickly.
At first, when she avoided his gaze yet smiled at another man, he thought it was some new ploy. But when he noticed her face growing paler and paler, he realized something was wrong. Before he knew it, he was moving, just in time to catch her as she collapsed.
Soon, Luisa rushed over after hearing the commotion, Andrew by her side.
“Sister, are you alright?”
“Yes.”
Seeing her sister’s worried eyes, Iella could only smile in reassurance.
“You should rest a bit.”
When Luisa glanced at Franz, he nodded.
He led them out of the ballroom to a nearby lounge, where Iella was settled onto a couch.
“Sister, are you sure you’re alright? Should we go home?”
“No. Earlier… I just couldn’t breathe. I guess I’m not used to the corset.”
The excuse was the most believable she could think of. Luisa wavered between laughter and tears, finally choosing to laugh.
“It’s true that corsets aren’t your thing. I was so shocked, though. When they said someone had fainted, I never thought it would be you.”
Iella only smiled faintly. Relieved, Luisa turned her attention to Andrew, chatting lightly with him on a sofa nearby.
“Shall I call a doctor?”
“Thank you, but that’s not necessary.”
Even as she insisted, his worried expression didn’t ease, as if he thought she was lying.
Her chest still felt heavy, something hot rising inside. She didn’t know what to say, how to face him, so she just averted her eyes and bit her lip.
Silence fell between them.
“Why are you so quiet today? Is being a proper lady the theme of this masquerade?”
Franz chuckled, but Iella stubbornly didn’t smile.
“That was supposed to make you laugh. Why didn’t you?”
“Oh, I didn’t realize it was meant to be funny. And it’s not a theme—I am a proper lady.”
“Then perhaps the word ‘proper’ you use means something different from what I know. When did its meaning change, I wonder?”
“Regardless of what anyone says, I am a proper lady.”
She said firmly, chin slightly lifted.
Silence stretched. The faint sounds of the orchestra and distant laughter seeped in.
“Your Highness, until now… haven’t you always gotten everything you wanted?”
“….”
Franz only looked at her, surprised by the sudden question. Since she wasn’t expecting an answer, she wasn’t bothered.
“Why ask that all of a sudden?”
“No reason. I was just… envious.”
“Envious? That’s not like you.”
Puzzled, Franz tilted his head. Iella gave a small, bitter laugh.
“True. But today, I feel a little envious. Anyway, didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”
“I’ll say it later.”
This wasn’t the time or place. They weren’t alone, after all.
“I see.”
She nodded, her face openly regretful, as if afraid she might never hear it.
“You should go back to the ballroom. You’re the main guest tonight. It wouldn’t look good to be gone too long.”
She forced a few smiles, but her expression was shadowed with worry. He wanted to comfort her, but no words came.
“Then… perhaps if we—”
“Don’t worry. Luisa and Lord Maurice are here. I’ll be fine.”
“…Alright. Then rest.”
Franz hesitated, torn about staying, but it didn’t feel like she wanted that. Nor did it feel like she wanted anything else. Maybe she truly just wanted to be left to rest.
Something about it felt strange, but for now, letting her rest seemed best. Reluctantly, he left, his steps heavy as he returned to the ballroom.
Iella leaned back against the couch, exhaustion plain on her face. Luisa approached with concern.
“Are you okay?”
“No. Not really.”
“If you’re not well, let’s just go home.”
“No, you enjoy yourself. You were looking forward to this.”
“I don’t mind. Let’s at least tell Mother.”
