Chapter 5
Who would say no if the obstacle in their life suddenly said they’d come to their senses and disappear?
Considering all the terrible things Lilith had done until now, even if people wouldn’t show it openly, they’d probably be happy deep down.
I glanced at Ruschel. Unaware of my thoughts, he simply remained calm.
“Ruschel.”
As I called his name, I straightened my shoulders and spine. A strange surge of confidence welled up in me. I had a feeling things might actually go smoothly.
“Sorry for causing you so much trouble.”
Ruschel visibly flinched at those words. Looking him straight in the eye, I continued.
“It’s late, but I want to try living properly from now on.”
My voice was firm and resolute, and my eyes sparkled with determination.
“I won’t cause any more trouble, I’ll do good deeds, and I’ll stay away from the imperial palace.”
I emphasized the last part with a bit more force.
“I know I’ve made things difficult for you. So I think it’s best if we keep some distance from now on.”
Ruschel didn’t show any change in expression—just blinked.
“I mean, I’m an adult now.”
When he didn’t react, I started to feel embarrassed and my voice trailed off.
“I’ve been acting too immature, and now I just…”
I mumbled on, adding unnecessary explanations. It was a poor excuse, but because it was an excuse, I couldn’t help rambling.
Say something! Anything! Tell me you’re touched, or even scold me for only realizing this now!
“Lily.”
Ruschel, who had silently listened all this time, gently wrapped his hand around mine.
“Did someone insult you at the last banquet?”
“Huh?”
“Was it the Duke of Crescent again, causing trouble?”
“W-what?”
“Just tell me who it was.”
His golden eyes turned serious for a moment, faint anger flickering within them.
“It’s not that. It’s just that my actions were affecting you too—”
Despite the confusion in my voice, Ruschel didn’t seem to care.
“Don’t worry about me. Do what you want.”
When I stood there dumbfounded, he kept going.
“There’s no one in this world who has the right to suppress you.”
His tone was calm, yet resolute.
“If bad rumors spread about me, that’s because of my own shortcomings—not yours.”
He looked genuinely apologetic.
“Were the nobles’ gossip too unpleasant? Should I round them all up?”
He whispered something terrifying in a voice as sweet as honey.
My mind went blank. It felt like someone had just hit me in the back of the head. Ruschel’s reaction was something I never expected.
But… was it really unexpected?
In the original story, Ruschel stayed by Lilith’s side until the end, even knowing it would drag him to ruin. There’s no way a person like that was in their right mind.
If that’s how it is, then I’ll just be blunt.
I finally realized that trying to come up with a reasonable excuse would only hurt me in the end.
“I just don’t want to meet you anymore.”
Even as I said it, it felt like a terrible thing to say. But if I didn’t go that far, I had a feeling he’d never let me go.
But then I froze after seeing his expression. I couldn’t even shiver—it was like I’d turned to stone.
It was just one honest sentence, but the light drained from his face like color fading from a photograph. He stared at me with a terrifyingly cold gaze.
“…It was a joke.”
Panicking, I quickly backpedaled.
“You were being so serious, so I just wanted to tease you a bit…”
Sweat dripped down my forehead as I clumsily explained. My eyes trembled, so I lowered my gaze.
“I didn’t mean we should cut ties completely. Just keep some distance for a while.”
I softened the message, changing my wording.
What I really wanted was to stop coming to the palace altogether. But I knew Ruschel wouldn’t agree. In situations like this, it was best to take one step back first.
My heart pounded. I was scared of what he’d say next. What if he says no again? Then what? Do I have another option?
“Alright.”
His unexpectedly calm answer caught me off guard.
That easily?
It was too simple—it made me suspicious.
“If that’s what you want.”
His eyes crinkled into a soft smile. The suffocating pressure that had been choking me just moments ago vanished without a trace.
But that only made it more terrifying, and I flinched without realizing it.
He’s dangerous…
Still, all I could do was force a stiff smile in return.
Once the tension had cleared, we passed time with some small talk. By the time we were almost done eating the apple pie that had arrived late on the table, a servant approached from beyond the garden.
“Your Highness, it’s almost time for your meeting with Count Brusseln.”
“Understood. I’ll head there now.”
Ruschel stood and approached me, then slowly bowed his head.
“Tomorrow.”
His perfectly sculpted face leaned in so close our noses were practically touching. He smiled with softened eyes.
“I hope you’ll come again.”
His tender smile and the sweet whisper at such close range made my shoulders twitch involuntarily. My whole body tensed up. My ears and cheeks might have turned bright red.
I stood there frozen, unable to respond. Ruschel quietly chuckled and stepped back.
It seemed he didn’t want to leave me, hesitating for a while before finally disappearing beyond the garden at his subordinate’s urging.
Only then did I realize—Ruschel had made plans to see me again tomorrow, completely on his own.
Didn’t he just say “alright” when I asked for space? What a load of crap! Let’s see if I actually show up tomorrow!
And me—why didn’t I just reject him when he shoved that handsome face right in front of mine? I’m such an idiot.
Though it was late at night, the candles in the office showed no sign of being extinguished.
It should have been a busy time, catching up on the work he’d missed during the day, but strangely, the room was silent—no sound of pages turning.
“Your Highness.”
Kane, Ruschel’s subordinate, quietly called out to him, watching the prince who was clearly distracted.
Snapping out of it, Ruschel resumed writing with his quill, but it didn’t last long before the pen stopped again.
By now, Kane was genuinely worried. He’d never seen Ruschel so unfocused before.
To Kane, Ruschel was the perfect prince—competent in every area. He managed the work left behind by the ailing emperor, handled even the most troublesome nobles, and negotiated with foreign powers. There was nothing he couldn’t do.
It was baffling why the emperor hadn’t officially named Ruschel as heir yet.
“…What exactly happened to Lily?”
Ruschel sighed deeply as he murmured her name.
Kane closed his eyes tightly upon hearing the name he’d desperately hoped wouldn’t be the reason behind Ruschel’s turmoil.
Lilith was someone completely incompatible with the prince. She had no knowledge of proper etiquette, no desire to learn, disrespected everyone regardless of rank, and destroyed royal property on a whim.
So what if she was hailed as a divine gift not seen in centuries? Her personality was the real problem!
At least when Lilith was in the palace, things were manageable. If she tried to cause trouble, someone could stop her. The palace acted as a kind of safety net.
But she wasn’t there anymore. For some reason, she had begged Ruschel for a whole month before finally returning to her duchy.
There was no one at the duke’s estate who could rein her in. Kane was convinced it was only a matter of time before a disaster struck.
As a loyal subject, Kane deeply wished to separate Ruschel from Lilith. But if he said that out loud, he’d surely lose his head—even if he was Kane.
“My lady is an adult now. We must respect her decisions.”
“You’re right. You are… but still.”
Ruschel didn’t look at all pleased with that choice.
When he’d heard from Ruschel about what happened during the day, Kane had celebrated inside.
At first, he hadn’t believed what Lilith had said. She lied so often, it was hard to take her seriously. But the way Ruschel was completely out of it—that was proof enough.
“…I’ll have to accept it. I don’t want to ignore her feelings.”
Ruschel muttered gloomily.
“But more importantly…”
His golden eyes darkened. His lips sank lower, and his brow furrowed in clear displeasure.
“What should I do about our disobedient brother?”
There was only one person Ruschel called “brother.”
Calyx Robrant—the First Prince. Ruschel’s greatest thorn in the side.
“What did the young lady say?”
“She said she fell.”
But there was no way Ruschel didn’t know it was Calyx’s doing. Who else would have done such a thing in the imperial greenhouse?
Even so, Ruschel had held back. If Lilith had been upset, she would have told him.
But she hadn’t said a word. And so, Ruschel didn’t press her.
“Then it’s best to let it go,” Kane advised.
It made sense. If she lied, it was surely because she didn’t want Calyx to get in trouble.
Still, Ruschel didn’t like it. She had always been strangely forgiving of Calyx.
If she only gave the word, Ruschel was prepared to kill his own brother with his own hands. But if she didn’t want that, then he couldn’t do it.
“Haa…”
Ruschel sighed deeply and returned his focus to the towering pile of paperwork.
In the end, he would never do anything she hated. He had treated her that way for over a decade, and planned to continue. That one principle of his would never change, no matter how much time passed.
