Chapter 30
“Rein?”
When Layla’s eyes began to show fear after a moment, Reinier immediately let go of her shoulders.
“You seemed to like butterflies.”
“Oh… yes, I do.”
When she replied like that, he stepped back and covered his face with his large hand. The way she said she liked butterflies had taken on an oddly different meaning, making it hard for him to meet her gaze.
“They’re really beautiful.”
Layla looked away from him and turned her attention to the translucent butterflies fluttering around her.
They flew like real butterflies but didn’t quite look like them. They had no bodies—only wings that fluttered gently. It made them seem more like layered petals moving like butterflies than actual insects.
The wings were white, but they shimmered with an aurora-like glow. It was clear they weren’t real butterflies, as nothing like this existed in the world.
Still, she found them fascinating. When she reached out to touch one, it didn’t feel solid, yet it trembled in response to her touch before flitting away again.
“What are these?”
“A gift from the Western Dvor Kingdom.”
“Ah.”
Layla recalled that the Western Dvor was the homeland of Reinier’s mother, the former empress.
“I used to live here once.”
“Pardon?”
“I lived here, Layla.”
Startled by the change in how he addressed her—from “Miss” to simply “Layla”—she turned away from the butterflies and looked at Reinier.
“Are you royalty?”
At her question, Reinier frowned slightly, then looked into her eyes. He forced a casual smile and said,
“I told you I’d answer one question truthfully. Is this the one you’re choosing?”
“…Yes.”
As she answered, he stepped closer to her once again.
Layla looked up at him. Even in her high heels, he towered over her, which made her fully realize just how tall he was.
“Yes, I’m royalty. I’m Reinier Ignacio Zikmund, the prince everyone believes is dead.”
She hadn’t expected him to reveal everything so easily. Stunned, she just stood there, silently staring up at him.
Seeing her widened eyes and sensing that her emotions weren’t negative, Reinier felt a sense of relief.
“Is it okay to tell me something like that?”
“I told you—I’m a double agent.”
When Layla blinked, he chuckled softly.
“I don’t believe you.”
“What?”
Reinier looked genuinely taken aback. He hadn’t expected her reaction to be disbelief.
“Why not?”
“Who would believe someone claiming to be a dead prince? And what prince becomes a doctor? If it were me, I’d just go back to the palace and live comfortably.”
“Haha…”
His laugh sounded more like a scoff than amusement.
“The dead prince has a burn mark on his back.”
“Oh, right.”
Layla recalled the description of the burn scar from the original story. Thanks to that scar, he had been able to reclaim his position as prince without much difficulty.
“I’ll show you.”
“Go ahead.”
At her words, Reinier quickly unbuttoned his vest. He started to undo his shirt but paused.
“If I really am the late Prince Reinier, what will you do?”
“If you are… then I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“Actually, Her Majesty the Empress told me to get close to you.”
In truth, Layla already knew he was the male lead from the original story. But she was pretending not to, trying to gain his trust by acting like she was on his side.
Reinier, however, couldn’t read that deeply into her intentions.
So when he saw the friendly emotions in her eyes, he froze for a moment.
“That thing you wanted to say…”
“It’s a warning.”
As she spoke, his hands crumpled his shirt, tightening his grip as he’d been about to take it off.
“Aren’t you going to show me?”
Reinier stared at her silently, and Layla tilted her head and asked.
With a complicated expression, he sighed and began unbuttoning his shirt. One corner of his mouth twitched up in a reluctant smirk, as if he didn’t want to smile but couldn’t help it.
Once all the buttons were undone, his muscular chest was revealed. Layla kept her expression neutral and looked at him.
Reinier turned and showed her his back.
“Oh my…”
Layla took in the large burn scar across his back.
The scar, which covered his shoulder blades, looked like butterfly wings—so perfectly shaped it seemed intentional.
“Did someone make that on purpose?”
“The person who tried to kill me did.”
Layla already knew that the scar had been caused by an assassin sent by the current empress to kill him.
It had originally been intended as a brand to slowly torture and kill him. But he hadn’t died when the scar was first made.
There had been several more assassination attempts afterward.
When they faked his death later, they even branded the corpse with the same mark to make it believable.
“That must’ve hurt.”
“Do you find it grotesque?”
“No.”
“Then touch it.”
Layla didn’t particularly want to touch it. She wasn’t sure why he asked, but since he’d revealed his identity, it didn’t seem like the right moment to refuse.
She didn’t understand his true intentions.
But he seemed kind to her, and more than anything, he looked like he genuinely wanted to help.
If that was the case, she would have to respond in kind to maintain this relationship.
Layla had never been treated kindly without some hidden motive before, so she couldn’t stop herself from doubting if he truly had none.
“It’s not grotesque.”
She said, then reached out and touched the scar lightly with her fingertips.
“But, wow…”
“…”
“Your back is so hard.”
“Khff…”
Her silly remark made him laugh. He laughed quietly as if genuinely amused, and once she withdrew her hand, he put his shirt back on.
“Is the name ‘Rein’ taken from your real name?”
“Yes.”
“That’s such a lazy alias. What if someone gets suspicious?”
“I figured it was so similar no one would suspect it.”
As Reinier buttoned up, he glanced at her. Layla seemed calm and composed, which was a little disappointing.
He was the one who’d taken off and put on his clothes, yet he was the one blushing. Meanwhile, she didn’t seem flustered at all.
Still, it seemed she had accepted that he was on her side.
“Do you believe me now?”
“Yes.”
Reinier looked into her eyes to see if she was lying. What he found there was sincerity.
It felt like a peaceful emotion, perhaps even relief.
“I think I understand why Her Majesty brought you in.”
“Yes. She probably suspects me.”
“But she’s not sure?”
“She isn’t. If she were, she wouldn’t use you—she’d send assassins to kill me.”
At his calm words, Layla fell silent out of concern for him.
“Then what should we do?”
“Just help me. And I’ll help you.”
Layla thought this was actually a good outcome. She needed his blood, after all.
“Alright. Let’s work together.”
She reached out her hand for a handshake. But Reinier pulled her hand toward him, and then—
“Ah…”
He kissed the back of her hand.
“Let’s work well together, my lady.”
“Ah… yes…”
Layla stared at him in surprise, stunned by the gesture in place of a handshake.
But now that she saw him this close, his beauty looked even more unreal.
And so, the two of them wandered the old palace—not for one, but for more than two hours.
* * *
“From now until we reach the carriage, you must not speak a word.”
“Got it.”
Layla agreed to follow his instructions.
Earlier, when she stayed silent, the palace guards acted as if they couldn’t see them. She was curious about how it worked, but couldn’t ask—she’d already used her one question.
So she took his outstretched hand and walked out of the old palace.
They slowly moved across the grass, yet the guards truly seemed unable to see them.
Layla’s heart pounded nervously, but no one seemed to notice them at all.
“Hahaha! If it were me, I’d go back to my estate!”
“Lady Emilia, honestly. Try feeling sorry for Lady Bardel!”
“You say that, but Lady Lucy is laughing too!”
“Oh no, I’ve been caught!”
A group of noble ladies were laughing and coming outside. The masquerade ball still seemed lively.
Layla quietly walked as Reinier led her, his hand firmly holding hers.
Neither the ladies nor the young men saw them. Layla glanced curiously at them, then resumed walking.
Silently, they made their way to where the carriage was waiting.
When the Abier family’s carriage came into view, Reinier turned and whispered softly into her ear,
“I’ll be waiting at the mansion, my lady.”
“Ah… okay.”
With that, he helped her into the carriage.
But there was one thing Reinier hadn’t expected—
Inside the carriage, where Layla had taken her seat…
“Layla.”
Sonet was already sitting there, having returned from escorting Bardel Rockfell.
