Chapter 20
With Adela’s death, laughter vanished from House Elias.
Raekin, unable to bear the loss, left the family altogether, a shadow of his former self.
For Kalen, the death of his beloved sister shattered something deep inside him.
He had once thought that if marriage could be like Adela’s, then perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.
But now… that thought had been completely turned on its head.
Marriage, to him, had become utterly meaningless.
He, too, had become a ghost wandering the halls of his once-lively home.
Adela’s death also shook Randol and Ruena.
Adela, always bright, always laughing with an unwavering spirit—her absence was a void they couldn’t begin to fill.
Still, compared to Kalen’s devastation, their pain was bearable.
Unable to watch his dear friend wither away, Randol came to find Kallen, dragging Ruena with him.
They found him in a dark room with the curtains drawn, hiding from the world.
Without a word, Randol threw a punch.
Grabbing Kalen by the collar, he shook him hard.
“How long are you planning to live like this?”
Kalen didn’t answer.
“Kalen Elias!”
“…Don’t bother me.”
“Oh, Adela would be so proud to see you like this.”
That name—Adela—snapped something inside Kalen.
The lifeless man suddenly sparked to life, his eyes fierce as he grabbed Randol by the collar and growled low.
“You think you know something? Don’t say her name.”
“I do know. Of course I do. Adela wasn’t just your sister—she was mine too. And Ruena’s.”
“I said, don’t say her name!”
Kalen swung at him, and they fell into a tangled brawl, fists flying, bodies crashing.
Anyone else would have stepped in to stop them—but no one could.
Randol had ordered that they be left alone.
So they fought and fought until their strength gave out.
Bruised and bloodied, the two men collapsed on the floor, gasping for air.
“Hah… hah…”
“Are you done now?” Randol muttered between breaths.
Kalen didn’t respond.
“Your punches are getting soft, Kallen.”
“Shut up. I could knock you out anytime I want.”
“See? Getting hit helped clear your head a little, didn’t it?”
“I said shut up.”
Kalen leaned against the wall, and Randol, groaning, pushed himself into a sitting position.
For a man who hadn’t eaten or slept properly in months, his punches still hurt like hell.
Randol rubbed his aching jaw and looked at Kalen with concern.
“Adela wouldn’t want this—she wouldn’t want to see you like this.”
“I don’t care what she’d want. She left us, didn’t she? Just… left.”
“What about Hena?”
That name struck Kalen like a bolt of lightning.
He looked up, shaken.
He’d forgotten.
Adela’s baby—the little life she’d loved more than her own.
The one she’d begged him to protect, even with her last breath.
The grief had swallowed everything, even the promise he’d made.
Seeing the change in his friend, Randol groaned and stood up.
“Come on.”
“Where to?”
“To Hena.”
Staggering on unsteady legs, Kalen let Randol lead him.
They made their way to the nursery—Adela’s nursery, the one she’d poured her heart into.
A room so magical it looked like fairies might live there.
Inside, Ruena was holding Hena in her arms.
The baby, with her round cheeks and quiet demeanor, didn’t cry or fuss.
As if she understood her mother was gone, and she’d need to be strong.
When Kalen approached, Ruena gently handed Hena to him.
Uncomfortable in unfamiliar arms, the baby began to squirm and fuss.
Ruena whispered:
“Just rock her gently. She’ll like that.”
And she was right.
As he swayed softly, Hena stopped whimpering and smiled—an angelic smile, the same one Adela used to wear.
Kalen looked down at her and made a vow.
“I’ll protect you. From everything in this world. I’ll protect you in her place.”
From that day on, Hena became the center of his world.
After witnessing his sister’s happiness dissolve in an instant—after seeing the curse destroy the one person who dared to love anyway—Kalen gave up on marriage.
It became meaningless.
All that mattered now was doing his part for House Elias.
Living each day with purpose, for those who remained.
Time passed relentlessly.
Six years had gone by since Adela’s death.
Still, her smile lingered in his memory.
Her voice echoed when he closed his eyes.
But today… something had happened.
Something that hadn’t happened before.
Watching El play with Odin and Sif, he saw Adela.
Which didn’t make sense.
El had golden hair and sapphire eyes—nothing like Adela’s black hair and honey-coloured gaze.
And Adela had died before the dogs were ever born.
She never even knew them.
So why… Why had El looked so much like her at that moment?
Was that why he acted on impulse?
He had offered her one of Adela’s dresses—of all things.
She hadn’t worn it, of course.
“Was that… a relief?”
Kalen couldn’t quite tell.
Was he glad El hadn’t reacted to his impulsive gesture, or did he find himself oddly disappointed that she hadn’t worn the dress?
Things that once felt precise—measurable down to the last inch—were starting to unravel, just a little.
Letting out a long breath, Kalen carefully returned Adela’s gown to its place.
A wave of dizziness swept over him, and he quickly popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth.
Today felt like one of those days.
He should probably spend more time with Hena.
***
Celia climbed into the carriage, lips jutting out dramatically in a pout.
On any other day, she’d have taken care not to wrinkle her brand-new dress. Today, she didn’t care.
She stomped her way up into the seat and plopped down with a loud thud, arms crossed tightly, her face twisted into a scowl.
Despite her childish sulking, Leo looked at her with amused fondness.
“Careful. Keep frowning like that, and you’ll get wrinkles.”
At his teasing, Celia whipped her head around to glare at him.
“You could’ve gone by yourself. Why drag me along?”
“It’ll be better with you there.”
“Says who? I don’t wanna go!”
She nearly shouted the words, folding her arms even tighter.
“I hate Father.”
Her lips pressed into a tight line, eyes full of resentment.
Leo’s smile faded a bit at the sight.
“Why do you hate the idea of meeting the princess so much?”
“I just… I don’t like her.”
“Oh dear.”
“She scares me.”
“What’s so scary? She’s as lovely as a flower.”
“Ugh. You’re such a guy. Typical.”
Celia shot him a look of pure disgust.
The siblings, scions of the powerful House Hilly, were on their way to the palace to meet Princess Ruena.
Now twenty-one, Ruena still had no official fiancé.
And while Randol was Crown Prince, Ruena was second in line to the throne—and surrounded by a sea of suitors.
One of them was none other than Leo Hilly, Baron and heir to the mighty Hilly Marquessate of the Kingdom of Eneritten.
Under the guise of assisting with party preparations, the siblings were headed to a gathering hosted by the crown prince himself—an elegant excuse to get closer to the princess.
Celia was to be the bridge between the two families.
But Celia was far from thrilled.
She was only going because their father had insisted.
“Sure, she’s beautiful. Guys only care about a pretty face, after all. But do you know what it feels like when she looks at you? Like she can see straight through you—into your soul. It makes my skin crawl.”
“Why would that scare you if you’ve done nothing wrong?”
“You don’t have to be guilty to feel fear, idiot! You just don’t get it!”
She smacked her chest in frustration at how dense her brother could be.
Honestly, she found men who fawned over a pretty face utterly pathetic.
At least Crown Prince Randol didn’t seem like the type to fall for looks alone.
‘No… wait. He’s got the same eyes as her. What am I saying?’
Randol and Ruena—the first and second in line for the throne—shared the same features: golden-brown hair and haunting violet eyes that shimmered with an otherworldly intensity.
And unsettling as it was, those eyes weren’t their only shared trait.
Both bore the weight of silence, their words few and their eyes impossibly deep—impenetrable, unreadable.
Neither was married.
Neither even engaged.
In truth, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the Kingdom of Eneriten was being quietly ruled by the two of them, side by side.
At first, Randol had overseen foreign affairs, while Ruena handled matters of the royal court.
But somewhere along the way, even those lines had blurred.
Thanks to them, the kingdom remained stable despite the king’s ailing health.
But that very balance also teetered on a blade’s edge—two heirs, equally capable, equally powerful.
Celia, however, cared nothing for politics.
She was too consumed by the anxiety of meeting the fearsome princess whose very gaze seemed to cut straight through her.
When they arrived at the palace, Leo gave her hand a gentle squeeze and offered her a warm look.
“I’m right here, okay? Don’t worry.”
“You could’ve just come alone. How are you supposed to get engaged to the princess with me tagging along, you idiot?”
She shot him a glare and called him a fool—but the truth was, Celia admired her brother.
Unlike other noblemen, he wasn’t condescending, never teased her cruelly, and even surprised her with expensive gifts now and then.
But what truly set him apart was this: he listened.
Listened—even to the smallest things.
Like the time he had gone all the way to the publishing house to get her a fresh-off-the-press copy of the new Palate of the Wizard novel.
The idea of losing that kind of brother to a princess?
Unbearable.
Celia tightened her grip on Leo’s hand.
“You have to stay with me the whole time, okay? We’re only here because of your engagement, remember?”
“I promise.”
“Still… I’m scared.”
Leo looked down at her fondly.
She was six years younger, but to him, she’d always be his baby sister.
Standing before the princess’s chamber, Celia took a deep breath, her face set with a determination so exaggerated it was almost comical.
Leo barely held back a laugh.
“Celia Hilly of House Hilly, here to see Her Highness the Princess,” she announced.
The door opened, and Celia did her best to keep her voice from trembling as she offered a proper greeting.
But the moment her eyes met the princess’s, she instinctively looked away.
“Welcome, Lady Celia Hilly. Baron Leo Hilly,” came the calm, poised voice.
“You are radiant as ever today, Princess Ruena Bellavia,” Leo replied smoothly.
Ruena regarded him with an expression as unreadable as ever.
“Flattery doesn’t suit a baron, Leo.”
“So you saw through me? Still, it’s not entirely untrue, Your Highness. You are beautiful, after all.”
Celia pouted at his glib tone.
She didn’t like Princess Ruena.
Not one bit.
After all, anyone who could make the world’s most wonderful brother sound like a fool couldn’t possibly be a good person.
