Chapter 15
“What are you talking about? Why would I suddenly go back to the annex?”
Alesia’s voice trembled slightly. She swallowed dryly before continuing.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
Stay calm.
“I’m staying in the Second Prince’s palace right now, as you can see.”
Stay calm, Lesa.
“So why—”
“Because you weren’t anywhere. Your maid was gone, your bedroom and sitting room were empty, so I…”
Franz’s voice sank low, almost breaking. He nervously clenched and unclenched his fists.
“Because I forced a kiss on you. I thought you’d grown disgusted with me and decided to leave.”
Alesia momentarily lost her words, staring silently at him.
Why is he saying this? As if he’s afraid of losing me. It’s strange.
In her memory, Franz had always been arrogant and confident—not someone who would say something so vulnerable.
“Have you ever seen a bride run away just before her wedding for such a trivial reason?”
She frowned, attempting a cold tone, but the slight tremor betrayed her. Worried that he might have noticed her agitation, she carefully examined Franz’s face. Yet, his expression remained unchanged, eyes fixed deeply on her, as if he were seeing into her soul.
“…As long as that’s not the case, it’s fine.”
Franz gently reached out, taking hold of her fingertips. When she flinched at his cold touch, he wrapped his hand around hers completely.
“Last time, you never answered my question clearly—tell me now that you won’t run away.”
Franz’s eyes burned intensely, revealing emotions Alesia couldn’t fully grasp, yet clearly directed toward her.
She was at the center of Franz’s unwavering gaze.
“Must I really say it out loud?”
“It’s important to me. If you run off recklessly and get hurt, I won’t be able to handle it.”
Alesia met his eyes directly. She had no intention of yielding to or fleeing from him.
At least, not until her revenge was complete.
“You don’t need to worry about me.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about—it’s myself.”
He tightened his grip on her hand, slowly raising it to gently press his lips against her knuckles, never breaking eye contact.
“If I lose you, I might truly go mad.”
His uncertain gaze gradually steadied. Franz whispered in a deep voice,
“It doesn’t matter if you despise me, as long as you stay by my side.”
“I…”
Alesia faltered, lips trembling.
It was as if he already knew everything—her plans for revenge, her intentions to leave him afterward.
Impossible.
Alesia withdrew sharply, pulling her hand free from his grasp. As she stepped back, the world reopened around her, and the sound of the fountain filled her ears.
Startled, she blinked rapidly. She’d briefly forgotten even her surroundings, overwhelmed by him.
She glanced briefly toward the fountain, biting her lip.
She turned suspicious eyes back to Franz, who still stood watching her quietly.
“If you give me this fountain, perhaps I’ll think about it.”
“The fountain?”
Franz furrowed his brows, eyes moving thoughtfully between Alesia and the fountain. Her heart thudded anxiously as his gaze darkened.
He must think I’m ridiculous, suddenly demanding a fountain.
It was stubborn pride. She wanted something back—even if it was small—from all Franz had taken from her.
Getting the fountain wouldn’t change anything fundamentally, yet maybe it would ease the ache she felt every time she looked at it. It could symbolize her power to prevent repeating the painful past.
If Franz gave it to her, that is.
His troubled eyes returned to hers, and in a swift motion, he drew her slender waist toward him.
“That’s easy.”
His hand brushed softly against her jawline.
“Would that really be enough?”
Franz smiled faintly, confidently meeting her eyes.
“If it meant keeping you by my side, I’d give you not just a fountain, but the entire Second Prince’s palace.”
His confident expression returned, making Alesia wonder if she’d unwittingly struck a poor bargain.
Franz was every bit the confident son of the radiant sun—an attitude she’d once admired deeply, now something she found utterly repulsive.
“From now on, this fountain is yours. So promise me clearly. Say you won’t run.”
Biting her lip again, a faint redness appeared. Franz gently brushed her lips with his thumb.
“Be careful,” he murmured. “My bride, my soul bond, mustn’t get hurt.”
Her lips parted slightly at his whisper.
Now she understood clearly why he’d been acting so anxiously, desperately clinging to her.
Because I’m his soul bond.
As Franz said, Alesia was his “soul bond”—a truth that wouldn’t change no matter how many lives they lived.
The bond became complete when two people married and consummated. Even in her past life, despite his disgust, Franz had repeatedly embraced her because acquiring the soul bond subdued his violently unstable mana.
Finally, all his desperation made sense. If she disappeared before the wedding—before their bond fully formed—he would suffer greatly.
Thus, his obsession.
How naïve or foolish am I?
Alesia inwardly mocked herself. Despite knowing his true nature from her previous life, she’d momentarily wavered at a few gentle gestures.
“I promise. I won’t run,” she replied coldly, pushing away Franz’s hand.
Turning away sharply, she added coolly, “But I still don’t understand why you brought up the annex. I don’t even know where it is.”
Her voice was flat and emotionless as she walked away without awaiting a response.
“You don’t have to fret so much—I’ll become your ‘soul bond’ regardless.”
“Alesia—”
“So please, don’t bother me again.”
Avoiding his attempt to reach her, Alesia glared back fiercely.
Franz, who moments ago had seemed calm with relief, now appeared distressed once more.
Observing his crumbling expression, Alesia felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Her eyes widened as realization struck.
He’s just like me—exactly like I was in my past life.
Franz’s mood shifted drastically at every word she said, exactly mirroring how she had once desperately reacted to his words.
It stunned her that the “soul bond” could render him this vulnerable.
If she’d known earlier, she might have used the bond to capture his heart, sparing herself endless tears and heartache.
Too late now.
Alesia scoffed bitterly. The past couldn’t be rewritten. This newfound understanding only deepened her resentment toward him.
“Your Highness?”
Franz jerked upright, blinking in surprise. Across from him sat Duke Elian Corneille.
“…Continue.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Elian raised an eyebrow briefly, then continued his praise-filled speech about Glena. Since his daughter became the First Princess Consort, he’d regularly visited the palace, often dropping by the Second Prince’s quarters as well. Clearly, allying only with Creighton wasn’t enough; he greedily attempted to curry favor with Franz too.
“It’s absurd, really, decorating your banquet hall with Ambrose’s red roses instead of your golden chrysanthemums. Lady Ambrose clearly knows nothing of proper society—”
The moment Alesia had declared her intention to use red roses, Elian had rushed over to complain. Franz gave him an indifferent look, clearly uncaring about flower arrangements.
Unaware, Elian rambled on, seemingly poised to recount the symbolism of golden chrysanthemums next. Franz cut him off abruptly.
“It hardly matters. They’re just flowers that’ll wilt soon anyway.”
“Haha—exactly! Truly, you have the heart of a great leader!”
Startled by Franz’s curt response, Elian laughed awkwardly. Franz coolly set down his cup.
“I’m rather tired today; I have many things to attend to.”
“I’ve clearly taken too much of your time. I’ll take my leave.”
Surprisingly agreeable, Elian rose, brushing off his jacket. As Franz watched him suspiciously, Elian suddenly paused.
“Oh, right, have you heard?”
“About what?”
“Lady Nyris Roshanak, the Empress’s niece. Apparently, she’s returning to Calepes soon after finishing her recuperation.”
