Chapter 2
The man clicked his tongue at her cold reply. Six years ago, she had been so cute—how disappointing that she grew up to be so unamusing. Forgetting that Isilia was the same age as he was, the man spoke with a bored expression.
“So I call her sometimes. Even if she acts mature, she’s only four. You’re a rather strict mother.”
“…Who would dare touch a carriage sent by the Imperial Family?”
“My son may adore her, but El is still a child. The palace is full of enemies. Do you plan to send her alone?”
“……”
At the crown prince’s words, Isilia turned her head. El was playing with the royal grandson. Soft giggles drifted over—an illusion of sound, because her daughter made no noise when she laughed. When she looked closely, El was indeed smiling silently.
“On top of that, she cannot even call for help.”
His deep blue eyes scolded her. Isilia admitted her mistake. The child who resembled both her and him had been born unable to speak. When the baby first came into the world, she and her husband had been terrified. Without the expected cry, they assumed she was dead. The inability to hear the voice that was surely destined to be lovely had caused them pain, but she remembered his words: since she is ours, we must love her.
They poured all their love into the child. He still cherished their daughter. It had hurt to hear what he shouted that day, but it was him who had pushed Luian away—not El. She wondered if she should simply be grateful that he didn’t mistreat the children. A bitter laugh rose to her lips, and a languid gaze fell upon her. Jordán, silently watching her golden eyes, clicked his tongue.
“Who said it would disgrace your name? There’s nothing left to protect. Why worry? I only wanted to see an old friend, but the rumors trailing behind are excessive.”
“……”
“I know what rumors circulated about me and Princess Ariel. I didn’t realize something that ended long ago was still gossiped about in society.”
Isilia lowered her gaze. Jordán Ayl Neriangri Padivan—his marriage to Princess Ariel had once been the greatest gossip of high society. The princess, a year older than he, had married him for political reasons, and the marriage collapsed in a single year. The empire had shaken with the scandal; the memory alone gave Isilia a headache.
[Jordán? Not a nickname I like. How about Georgie? It’s cute.]
Isilia had frozen for a long moment when she heard the princess utter those words, not with joy but with a bored expression. Simply because she disliked his nickname, Princess Ariel relentlessly called him by a common name one might hear in the streets. When Isilia looked around, everyone was staring, speechless, while her husband frowned deeply.
The Padivan Empire in the south and the Ftasian Empire in the north married their sixteen-year-old crown prince to a seventeen-year-old princess. Envoys from various nations attending the wedding sighed as they watched the young “sun” and “moon.”
“I’m sorry, but if not you, I have no one to entertain me. You know she left to find a new man, and the Lady Brangio… is too difficult to deal with.”
Princess Ariel had been a free-spirited woman. Strong-willed, to the point where, if she had been born a man, the ministers whispered she would have conquered an empire. When she returned to her homeland, a year later she married a powerful noble of Ftasia. Jordán’s eyebrow twitched in irritation before he shook his head. Lady Brangio—before Isilia married her husband, that woman had been Luian’s fiancée. Rare silver hair, delicate impression, yet cold to the core: the epitome of a true duchess.
“They say marriage softened her, but she’s still a fierce woman.”
The crown prince sighed. Lady Brangio was indeed someone no one dared approach in high society. Isilia—who had worked desperately for five years to stand beside her—had been captivated by her dignity. If marrying Isilia had caused many women to shed tears, then Lady Brangio’s marriage had made countless men weep.
“My name doesn’t matter. A reputation already ruined—why bother preserving it?”
Thanks to a vigorous emperor, Jordán—at twenty-one—was still crown prince. Even though he had handled half the government workload for three years, he remained perpetually bored. Isilia exhaled. Her friend of six years, like a true child of an emperor who prized talent, had a brilliant mind. He must have called her here for a reason. Realizing she was choosing her words carefully, she forced a smile. Unlike her at twenty-one, the sixteen-year-old girl she once was had spoken whatever came to mind.
“What is it you wish to say, Your Highness? Whenever you speak this much, you usually have a favor to ask.”
“Do I look like someone who only comes to you when I need something?”
…His language grew even rougher after meeting the princess. Isilia pitied the officials who surely shed tears because of him. Jordán, staring at her oddly, suddenly spoke.
“How is the duke lately?”
“……”
The sudden question left Isilia speechless. The crown prince was impossible to read. Just like how her heart still raced at the sight of Luian, Jordán’s unpredictability remained unchanged.
“I’ve heard an amusing rumor.”
“…Please keep it a secret.”
“From whom?”
“…My brother and father must never know. You can do that, can’t you, Your Highness?”
“For a friend’s request? I could refuse, but I won’t. Still—your admission was quick.”
“……”
Watching his silent friend, Jordán raised his teacup. It had gone cold—bitter on his tongue.
“Doesn’t it hurt? Loving someone else?”
Of course it hurt. And still, Jordán continued speaking as if it didn’t matter.
“Even if I try to stop it, no secret is perfect. If your brother and Count Agnes find out, work will be disrupted. His Majesty will remain silent—but only because of that.”
“I know.”
“Before you hear it from someone else, shouldn’t you say it yourself?”
Her expression finally cracked. Her trembling eyes dropped downward. Fiddling with the cooled teacup, she hesitated before lifting her face.
“No. It’s fine. My apologies, Your Highness.”
“Is that so? But soon… no, never mind. It’s time for me to go.”
“Yes, I will take my leave.”
Isilia rose silently and approached the children. After comforting El, who didn’t want to leave, and saying goodbye to the royal grandson, she turned back. Jordán’s golden eyes had dimmed. He watched her for a moment, then spoke abruptly.
“You’ve changed a lot, Ria.”
“…Farewell, Your Highness.”
Isilia stiffened at the familiar nickname. She felt his gaze on her back, but she never turned around. Lowering his eyes, Jordán looked at his son standing beside him, waving at Isilia and her daughter until they vanished. Should he call that innocence… or something else? He couldn’t tell who the boy resembled.
“The Endrianz family will be busy in many ways. We won’t be seeing them for a while.”
“……”
His son understood the hidden implication but feigned ignorance. Those deep blue eyes—so much like Jordán’s—stared at him steadily. Clever child. The crown prince ruffled his son’s hair with a mischievous grin.
[You’re probably the first person to make him react like that.]
Jordán had said that while she watched the man treat her coldly. The young girl laughed at his remark, her cheeks turning red. Seeing them, the crown prince laughed as well. At sixteen, she and Jordán often talked in front of Luian. He would stand there awkwardly after finishing paperwork, unable to understand why they insisted on speaking in front of him—yet he never left. Whenever she found an excuse to talk to Luian while the crown prince was away, Isilia would simply stare at him. That alone made her happy. Hearing his voice brought happiness. Falling in love at first sight and diving this deeply, some said it was childish infatuation, but she didn’t care.
What mattered to her was the heart that raced in his presence.
She returned to the duke’s residence. Carrying her sleepy child out of the carriage, she soothed her and rubbed her back. The waiting butler approached.
“Master has summoned you.”
Her heart pounded wildly. After sending El to her room, Isilia headed toward the study.
It had been during a time when complications arose within the department he worked for. Exhausted, he had suggested using separate bedrooms. She stayed awake at night waiting for him to return and then agreed. She thought he was simply being considerate of her and the children…
That had been a year ago.
“Luian, you called for me?”
