Chapter 27
Of course, things had never been like this in the past. Princess Gaia had never come to this place before. But even so, Argent knew how Gaia and the people of her kingdom had treated Pri.
So he let it happen. Let the misunderstanding take root. Let Gaia react sharply toward Pri. Let her be the reason Pri would choose to leave on her own.
If she hadn’t been a princess, the people surrounding her would have been trash enough to deserve physical punishment. Argent knew this was the only way for Pri to be free, yet the moment he heard she had met Gaia, he came running.
Pri had always come to the garden to compose herself whenever it involved her family. This time would be no different.
“It must hurt. A lot. It must be hard.”
It was then that something thick and warm settled on Pri’s shoulders as she silently stared at the sky.
Like a man under a spell, Argent hesitantly removed his cloak and draped it over her shoulders.
“…Ah.”
“It seemed like you were cold. Did something happen?”
“…Didn’t you already know?”
“All I heard was that you met with your sister. That alone didn’t tell me much.”
“……”
“I promised myself I wouldn’t ask anything… but I have to ask. Did that woman do something to you?”
Pri’s gaze slowly shifted.
“Why are you worried? You’re the one who made this happen.”
“Do you hate me?”
“…It’s hard to understand why you’re asking me that, when this whole situation is your own doing.”
“I see. I’m just worried.”
“…There’s no need for you to worry about me.”
You’re going to send me away anyway.
That’s why you brought her here. Pretending to care—it’s disgusting.
Unintentionally, Pri felt a surge of anger toward Argent.
If this was how it was going to be… why did he let her feel warmth from another human being?
“If you want…”
“If I want, you’ll send my sister away?”
“Yes. I will.”
“…Didn’t you bring her here because you liked her? Why are you doing this to me?”
Pri. I didn’t expect you to react this way.
Not knowing what Gaia might have done, Argent felt a heavy weight settle in his chest.
“It’d be better if she just got hurt, again and again, and left on her own.”
“You’re right. I don’t even know why I care about you so much. If it’s your sister, there’s no need to worry.”
“…Worry.”
“I’ll treat her better than anyone else.”
Those words struck an oddly sore spot in Pri’s heart.
Maybe because of everything she’d endured, Pri couldn’t hide her discomfort.
“Thanks.”
Her cold, lifeless gaze hit him squarely.
No matter what he asked, Pri’s answers were always set in stone.
Argent had done countless things in the past to try and change her life. But in the end, all they did was wound her further. None were true solutions.
Eventually, Pri had rotted from within and ended her own life.
That’s why he hadn’t told her he’d do anything she wanted. He couldn’t say he’d do nothing for her either, nor that he was just waiting for her to take off and fly away without getting attached here.
She wasn’t his Pri anymore.
“Just this once, I’ll let you be free. Live your life.”
As Argent wordlessly gazed at her, Pri couldn’t stand it and turned her head.
“You don’t need to look at me like that. I didn’t say anything bad to my sister.”
“…Is that so?”
“She also told me to tell you to give her the medicine she mentioned. I don’t know why she’s going through me though…”
Both of them were so cruel.
Why did they always put her in the middle as a messenger?
“Did you refuse to give her the medicine she asked for?”
“It’s a dangerous drug.”
“…You sure do worry a lot. You don’t have to. My sister values her life more than anyone. She wouldn’t do anything risky.”
“I see.”
“If possible, just give it to her. If you don’t… I feel like I’ll end up getting dragged into it.”
Already, she could imagine Gaia storming toward her in a tantrum. Pri’s face naturally hardened. Her sister always had to get what she wanted.
Sometimes it was a book Pri was reading or a bookmark tucked inside it. Sometimes it was just one of her many dresses.
Most of the time, she craved the things Pri had.
When they were children, Pri had thrown tantrums to avoid losing her belongings, but she always ended up scolded for not yielding to her sister.
The Kingdom of Ezan always revolved around Gaia.
Especially after her engagement to the Emperor of the Behport Empire was decided.
“I’ll consider it.”
“…But you know that bringing my sister here is practically a declaration of war against the Behport Empire, don’t you?”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
“…So you do plan to keep her here.”
“Yes.”
But if you want… Argent swallowed the rest of the sentence out of habit.
“…Fine. Are you staying here longer?”
“It’s time I go.”
Pri, who had been still, removed the cloak he had draped over her shoulders.
“You should take what’s yours.”
“…Right.”
As he took back his cloak, their fingers brushed beneath it. The moment was brief, but both froze in place.
It was like touching fire. For a second, Pri felt her hand burn, and she quickly pulled it back.
Because of that, Argent’s cloak slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.
“Ah—sorry.”
Startled, Pri stood up quickly and picked it up again. She brushed off the dust as gently as she could.
Scent.
Maybe because she’d never been this close to him before, or maybe because she was unusually sensitive today—
She could strongly smell his scent clinging to the cloak. A scent that made her chest tremble.
“What’s wrong?”
Only when Pri’s hands stopped moving did Argent bend down to take the cloak again.
“It’s nothing. Anyway… please take good care of my sister.”
“You sound like you’re never going to see her again. Do you dislike her?”
“…Does it matter?”
“You’re right. It doesn’t.”
Staring at her for a long moment, as if he had something more to say, Argent finally looked at the chair and table she’d been sitting at with an unreadable expression and turned away.
He didn’t say goodbye. He just left.
Pri watched him quietly, then slowly sat back down in her chair. When she had jumped up, the breeze had knocked the stuffed doll on the table slightly askew.
Worried it might fall, she gently picked it up again.
She fiddled with the ruby eyes, but unlike before, her mind didn’t wander.
She just watched Argent’s back as he walked away.
“…It’s ridiculous. That man… he only pretends to be kind. Now that my sister’s here, he’ll just send me away… so why do I care so much about him?”
“Why am I so desperate to understand what he’s feeling? I don’t even have a single good memory with him—so why?”
There wasn’t even room for feelings.
In fact, it would’ve made more sense to hate him. But this strange emotion growing deep inside her kept following after him.
As if changing places with Argent, Ian slowly approached from the distance.
Holding a thick shawl in his arms, he gave her a gentle smile and draped it over her shoulders.
“His Majesty just left, didn’t he?”
“You didn’t run into him?”
“No. I thought maybe he’d been here… looks like I was right.”
“You’re not asking what we talked about.”
“I believe you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
Always, always the same.
Pri gazed at him in silence. Argent and Ian were opposites in every way.
Argent stirred up problems on his own, asked questions he had no intention of resolving, and then acted like none of it mattered to him.
So much so that Pri wanted to tell him, “Don’t even bother asking.”
But Ian was the exact opposite.
He never asked. He just stayed by her side.
Like family. Like a mother.
Born of a maid, not even a lady-in-waiting, Pri was an illegitimate child. Her mother died during childbirth, so she never knew parental love. None of her family members ever loved her.
The first empress, mother to Gaia and Princess Itar. The second empress, who couldn’t have children and reluctantly adopted Pri as her own. Even the current empress.
All were too busy protecting themselves, too afraid of losing the king’s love, to love a princess as hated as Pri. No one gave her a mother’s warmth or unconditional care.
Only Zelle ever looked at me like that.
Here, maybe Seth and Ian were the ones who did.
“You’re kind. That’s why… I always get confused.”
“Lady Pri…”
“It’s pathetic. I’ve lived my whole life this way… but I almost lost myself in your kindness.”
“Isn’t it okay to lose a little of yourself? You’ve lived your whole life as a princess. Now, you can live as just Pri. His Majesty hopes you’ll lay down your burdens here, if only in this place.”
His gaze held more kindness and sorrow than ever before.
