Chapter 89
Turning around in confusion, she saw Franz walking toward her.
“Prince?”
Behind him, Mr. O’Neil came rushing down the hotel stairs.
“This canât be happening!”
Betty, standing beside her, also gasped in surprise.
“Ah, miss⌠Iâm not seeing things, am I?”
His expression showed disbelief. It was hard for Yela to believe too, but seeing it with her own eyes, there was no denying it.
Perhaps because she had seen him from a faraway country, his sudden appearance brought a mixture of happiness and a strange feeling.
“Whatâs he doing here?”
Without even considering it might be because of her, Yela stared blankly at Franz, who was rapidly approaching.
“Hello, Prince.”
Yela greeted him with more formality than usual.
Franz looked down at her in stunned silence at her unexpectedly composed greeting. The courtesy radiating from her posture made him even more bewildered.
Here he was, completely uneasy, yet the person responsible for putting him in this position calmly asked a simple âhello.â It was hard to know how to respond.
“You may be well, but I am far from it.”
Out of sheer bewilderment, the words slipped out with a hint of reproach. Somehow, they felt sharp and cutting. Yela tried to ignore that feeling.
“Oh! I left a letter when I went to Grenville because you werenât there. Did you receive it?”
Her tone had unconsciously shifted to formal speech.
“Yes, I saw it. You wrote a long note apologizing and thanking me.”
Franz let out a small chuckle and replied cynically. Momentarily flustered, Yela hesitated, searching for an appropriate response, then continued.
“Ah, writing it down made me realize how much Iâm grateful for⌠and also sorry. But why are you here? I never expected to meet you here.”
“If youâre happy to see me, letâs go inside and talk for a bit.”
Yela nodded. Honestly, while she was barely getting her emotions under control, she couldnât possibly feel happy about this meetingâbut seeing the prince like this, she couldnât help but feel as if he had come to Paris because of her. Perhaps he was upset that she left only a letterâit was strange.
“No. Donât be mistaken. Itâs just a coincidence.”
She inwardly laughed at the thoughtâwhy would he come all this way just to meet her?
“We wonât be going far.”
“No need to go far.”
Franz led Yela to the salon in the hotel lobby.
From the lobby to the salon, Yela was momentarily overwhelmed by the excessive greetings and attentiveness of the staff. The prince was clearly an extraordinary person, but this level of attention rivaled anything in Lapland.
Amidst all this attention, Yela finally sat down. Franz, as if naturally, pulled out her chair, eliciting sighs of admiration from those nearby.
“I really didnât expect to meet like this. Honestly, it was a little nice to see you, like you said.”
“Is that so?”
Franzâs slight smile didnât look particularly pleased, but Yela didnât notice.
“Yes. But what brings you to Rouen?”
“This hotel is mine. I had some business to attend to.”
“Really? Truly?”
Yela was genuinely surprised. To think that the extremely wealthy person Bianca had mentioned was the princeâit was astonishing.
And once again, this meeting was truly a coincidence. She shivered at the thought of asking if he had come because of herâwhat humiliation that would have been.
“As I was passing the hotel, Biancaâah! Bianca is my tutor, by the wayâwell, I was hearing about the hotel just earlier. What a coincidence.”
Franz looked at Yelaâs innocent smile and sighed, wondering what he was doing.
“Should I have just admitted I came to see her?”
Even so, would she have been so innocently happy? He doubted it.
The reunion he had imagined wasnât like this. Even if there wasnât crying or shouting, he had expected her to be at least a little flustered.
She just left a letter and ran off, yet she seemed unaffected?
Franz asked bluntly.
“Why are you in Paris? Is the National Art Academy really your purpose?”
“Of course.”
Yela answered without hesitation.
“Are you holding a grudge against me?”
“âŚI donât understand what you mean.”
From Yelaâs perspective, she couldnât tell what he was referring to, so she was cautious.
“The Royal Academy in Lapland.”
“WhatâŚ?”
“I told you Iâd arrange for you to attend the Royal Academy.”
“Ah⌠Itâs not as easy as it sounds.”
Yela understood what Franz meant and smiled as if to say it was fine.
“It wasnât that difficult. But I didnât want you to enter, endure things alone, be ignored, or undervalued. I had to prepare more.”
In fact, he had gathered a few like-minded senators and was close to implementing a law change to officially allow female students to enroll.
“I know you keep your promises, Prince. I trust you completely.”
“Then why come here?”
If it wasnât for that, he didnât understand why she had chosen to do it herself. He could have trusted him to handle everythingâwhy take the trouble?
“When I was in Manches, Sir Londiaz told me that if I asked you, I could easily earn money and have my talents recognized in a comfortable environment. Why would I choose hardship instead?”
Franz listened quietly to the story he hadnât known.
“So I said, I want to be proud and not a burden to you. I might earn a lot of money, but I wouldnât feel true fulfillment.”
Unsure whether to explain or defend herself, she shared a partially sincere explanation.
“A burden? Why would you think that?”
“One day, people will recognize my talents. But until then, all sorts of rumors will spread about us. They might even criticize you unfairly. I can endure it, but I canât bear malicious words about you. I donât want to trouble you like that.”
Looking into her clear, sincere eyes, he realized she meant it. But his already twisted mind made it hard to take her words at face value.
“Were you running away because you were scared of Allen Gibermanâs threats?”
A chill ran down Yelaâs spine.
“You⌠knew?”
She opened her mouth slowly, hardly daring to believe it.
“I did.”
Franz tried to remain calm, leaning back on the sofa with crossed legs.
“Since when?”
“When do you think I knew?”
There was no need to think longâit could only have been one day.
“The day after the play, at Gibermanâs ball?”
“Yes, thatâs right.”
His answer was precise, as if he had anticipated this. Anger welled up inside Yela at his knowing without telling her.
Her pupils trembled slightly. It was a secret she had wanted only him to remain unaware of. That was why she had left quietly. His unexpected comment froze her expression like ice.
“Ah⌠I wished I hadnât known, but now I do. Why didnât you tell me? You were curious.”
“I havenât been curious about your secret for a long time. The secret Miss Giberman told me was trivial. I admired your efforts to hide it. I didnât feel it necessary to check.”
Yela lowered her head in painful silence.
She had felt endless shame, anxiety about being discovered, and self-loathingâbut for the prince, it was insignificant. Everything felt like her fault. Why was it so easy for him?
Realizing all her struggles had been trivial made her feel utterly insignificant in front of him.
“Miss Giberman wonât spread that story anymore. Donât worry.”
“Thank goodness. Thank you.”
Yela managed a small smile, though her hands trembled under the table.
“So now, youâll go back, right?”
“What? Go back? I donât understand what you mean.”
“The matter is resolved, so letâs return to Lapland. You came on business, but since weâve met, weâll go together. No need to thank me.”
He said, as if magnanimously, that she need not be grateful for him personally coming.
But Yelaâs thoughts were different. Not only did she refuse, but she did so immediately.
“I wonât go back. I donât need to thank you for coming to deliver that message. You came on business, after all.”
Being in Lapland with the prince would make her heart ache so much she wouldnât even be able to breathe properly. Now, she finally felt she could breathe freelyâbut she couldnât go back. That was why she had to be even firmer.
“Are you embarrassed in front of me? You donât need to be. I understand.”
“It was so embarrassing that I worried youâd find out. I feel a little relieved that you understand, but my decision about the Paris National Art Academy isnât related to that.”
Her calm smile carried no resentment or malice. That only made him more restless.
