CHAPTER 53…………………………………
If I were to forcibly separate the real from the fake, I’d be the fake April.
I let out a deflated laugh at the sight of Damien waiting just for me to answer.
“Damien, why are you looking for April…?”
Do you really think I’m the real April? The words stuck in my throat and wouldn’t come out.
No, to be precise, I couldn’t speak because of the door that suddenly opened.
As the tightly shut door of the reception room swung open, Persephone, having just finished her preparations, stared at us with a puzzled expression.
“Did you two at least reconcile?”
Anyone could see that Damien was the one threatening and I was the one being threatened, yet she asked that so casually.
The moment Persephone’s words fell, I exhaled the short, restrained breath I’d been holding in.
Half of it was out of frustration, but I was glad I hadn’t said it. Speaking would’ve only made things awkward. In a way, Persephone’s perfectly timed entrance was a godsend.
Even though she couldn’t have failed to notice the chilly tension in the room, Persephone asked innocently:
“Did you two talk things over?”
“Thanks to you.”
The words didn’t come from me, but from Damien. I couldn’t help laughing quietly at the shameless, smooth lie he delivered without even blinking.
As Persephone emerged from her residence, her pink hair, like azaleas stealing the view, caught my eye.
No one was unaware that Rozian and Persephone didn’t get along, so she hadn’t come to see Persephone.
“I suppose you’re on your way to His Majesty, then.”
To reach the Sun Palace, one must pass through Persephone’s residence, so whether it was good timing or bad luck, we met exactly like this.
Despite the emperor being indecisive today and tomorrow, the priest Tamitart accompanied Rozian, who hadn’t yet lost hope.
We exchanged a brief, formal glance, but Tamitart pretended not to recognize me.
It was natural for him to pretend, but seeing him act like that made the events of last night feel like nothing more than a dream.
“Yes, as the days gradually grow colder, it’s a time that requires more attention. But it seems the three of you are going to have tea together amicably.”
“We plan to pretend to be fiancés soon for the upcoming Founding Festival.”
I quietly admired Persephone’s lighthearted smile. She had been terrified of Rozian as a little girl, yet now she was saying things that subtly pricked at him—it was fascinating.
Rozian wanted a lady from a different noble family to be beside Persephone, so naturally, her words were unsettling.
But the old fox of the royal family maintained a calm, unreadable smile, unaffected by Persephone’s words.
When his half-moon green eyes turned toward me, Rozian spoke:
“Being the three of us together brings back many old memories.”
“……”
“But if you’re pretending to be fiancés, wouldn’t it be better if only the two of you were together?”
Rozian was a rose incarnate—splendid and beautiful, but bristling with thorns. His thorns were the words he spoke.
“I worry that idle gossip will only give weight to meaningless rumors.”
His subtly sharp gaze seemed eager to belittle me. Undermining me would automatically reduce the perceived worth of Persephone as his fiancée.
“There’s already enough rumor circulating. I hope you’ll be careful.”
“……”
“I also recall Your Majesty’s very early childhood. There was a period when you didn’t speak, and during that time, both I and His Majesty worried greatly…”
Persephone’s cheerful smile faltered.
Her muteness had started from the day of the Empress’s funeral.
People thought the young crown prince had lost his mother too early and had been shocked into silence… but the Empress had always been frail.
Could it really be that Persephone had become mute because of the Empress’s illness? It seemed far more likely that her muteness had something to do with Rozian rather than the Empress’s death.
Seeing Persephone lose her composure, I carefully reached out, took her hand, and moved closer.
“Since Rozian spoke of old memories, I too recall many things.”
Rozian’s gaze fixed on me, yet his smile remained haughty as he nodded.
“I first met Rozian when I was around fourteen, and I remember that day vividly.”
“Really? What kind of memory is that? Quite some time has passed, and the lady was young then.”
“Of course. It was the first time I saw someone as beautiful as Rozian.”
Unlike Rozian, who seemed somewhat pleased by my words, Persephone and Damien looked at me as if I were crazy.
Rozian’s very presence, favored by the emperor and living in the royal palace, was a shameful secret for the empire.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? Nearly ten years have passed…”
Even looking at Persephone, three years was a long enough time to notice change.
She had grown taller, her voice had deepened, and the childlike innocence of her youth had vanished, replaced by a handsome young woman.
Seeing Persephone grown in just three years, the difference was striking—but Rozian was different.
“Rozian hasn’t changed a bit in ten years. You remain the same.”
It was as if time had stopped for him.
“It’s almost as if you’re taking a potion to never age.”
I lightly covered my mouth with my hand and spoke to him. His laughing face immediately hardened.
I lifted the corner of my mouth without changing expression.
“You seem almost immortal. Of course, that’s impossible.”
The two men who knew nothing looked at me oddly, while only Tamitart, who knew my secret, went pale.
They probably never expected me to speak so bluntly.
“May I take my leave first?”
“……Of course, lady.”
Had they known nothing, Rozian’s expression would have seemed normal. But Tamitart had heard everything, so his subtle facial shifts didn’t escape my notice.
Though I worried about leaving Tamitart alone with Rozian, I strode forward and asked:
“Have you ever thought it strange, Your Majesty, and Damien, that a person can maintain the same youthful appearance as ten years ago?”
They silently listened.
No one knew better than them that it should be impossible, so they remained silent.
“Oh, Lady!”
As I entered the Friel Boutique, the madam greeted me with exaggerated excitement.
I marveled briefly at how much bigger and wider the boutique had grown since my last visit.
The Friel Boutique had become a trendsetter in the empire because I frequently used it.
“You should have called ahead. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have received customers today.”
“I didn’t call to avoid that. Still, it’s business—I don’t want you to lose out, madam.”
“Oh my, oh my.”
The madam was surprised to see Persephone and Damien following me into the boutique.
Although the boutique sold men’s clothing, the main items—clothing, jewelry, shoes, perfumes—were for noblewomen.
The two standing awkwardly in such a place looked unexpectedly cute, so I covered my slightly lifted smile with my hand.
Even if Persephone was used to this, Damien had surely never been to such a place with a noble lady.
“It seems it’s been years since you came together. You used to come alone, right?”
The last time we moved as a trio, I was still attending the academy from the duke’s household.
While a royal engagement could never be like that of an ordinary noble family, the madam’s words suggested that even though April had finally become engaged to Persephone, she had never visited the boutique before.
“That’s right. It’s been three years. My busy fiancé made time just for me.”
Madam didn’t contradict me, nor did Persephone or Damien show surprise.
So, for three years, I had truly come alone.
“Today, she insisted we go together.”
I had suggested going together, yet it came out as if I were speaking brazenly.
While Persephone’s presence as my fiancée made sense, I added a remark for Damien, whose presence seemed puzzling:
“Damien came to the capital after a long time, so I suggested we go together.”
Madam let out a short “Ah.”
Slightly flustered by the royal visit, she hastily bowed to Persephone.
“We are honored to see the empire’s little sun.”
Persephone responded with a light nod.
