CHAPTER 09
“My child, have you calmed down?”
Evgeni buried her face in her pillow and sniffled.
“Yes…”
“Good. Then let’s talk.”
Sitting beside her was Crown Prince Evgenius, her older brother.
He looked at her for a long moment before gently brushing her hair back.
“…Why are you crying again?”
“She hates me…”
“You mean Lirien?”
Evgeni nodded with a trembling lip.
“She used to love me so much… but now she looks at me like I’m a monster. She won’t even talk to me…”
“You fainted because of that?”
“…Brother.”
Her soft voice trembled.
“Did Father really believe her? Over me…?”
Evgenius was silent for a while before answering.
“You know how Father is.”
“…He believed her.”
Evgeni’s expression twisted in despair. Her knuckles turned white as she clutched the bedsheets.
“I just wanted to talk to her, but she pushed me away. And now everyone looks at me like I’m the villain!”
Tears streamed down her cheeks again.
“Riri is different… She was always sweet before… Why does she hate me now?”
Meanwhile—
“Her Highness the Second Princess has begun to recover.”
Upon hearing that, I calmly flipped a page in my book.
I wasn’t surprised.
She was bound to get up sooner or later.
Still, I couldn’t ignore the pressure that followed: gifts, inquiries, whispers around the palace… Evgeni had played her cards well. Her fainting spell had made me look like the bad guy.
“…Now that she’s up, it’s time to prepare for what’s next.”
The next day.
I was strolling through the garden when a high-pitched voice rang out.
“Riri!”
Evgeni.
As expected.
I stopped walking and turned around slowly.
She ran toward me—deliberately slower this time, her maids trailing behind her.
“Riri… we need to talk.”
I glanced around. Several nobles were watching us from a distance.
So this was for show.
She wanted witnesses.
I didn’t respond, only raised an eyebrow.
Evgeni bit her lip.
“I… I was wrong. I misunderstood you, and I overreacted.”
…What?
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I realized you must have felt overwhelmed too. I shouldn’t have accused you.”
What in the world was she doing?
I narrowed my eyes slightly. This wasn’t like the Evgeni I remembered.
Her words were too polished. Too rehearsed.
“I’m sorry, Riri. Can we go back to how we were?”
She reached out toward me.
I stared at her outstretched hand.
Behind her, her maids were watching me with narrowed eyes.
And I could feel the gaze of the nobles around us.
If I refused, they’d say I was holding a grudge.
If I accepted, I’d be playing right into her hands.
She had cornered me.
This wasn’t an apology. It was a performance.
One designed to make me look cold and unforgiving if I didn’t accept.
In the past, I would have nodded and hugged her, forcing a smile while gritting my teeth.
But not anymore.
I took a step forward.
Evgeni’s eyes sparkled with expectation.
I reached out—
And instead of taking her hand, I gently pushed it down.
“I accept your apology.”
Her eyes widened.
“But I don’t think we can go back to how we were.”
A hush fell over the garden.
“I think it’s best if we keep our distance for now.”
“W-What?”
Evgeni’s expression twisted in real time.
“I’m not saying we’ll never talk again. But… I need time.”
She looked around—at the nobles watching us—then back at me.
“You… you’re saying that in front of everyone…?”
“I thought that’s why you came here.”
She flinched.
“…You’ve changed.”
“I had to.”
I gave her a small, polite smile.
Then I turned and walked away.
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