Episode 131

 

‘Think, I need to think.’

I had to come up with a solution, a way to overcome this situation.

It was hard to clear my head, but I tried my best to think.

If I just stay still like this, only the worst conclusion will come out.

I couldn’t let that happen.

I couldn’t let the situation I caused ruin our family, Lloydin, the Blightons, and myself.

There were so many things I wanted to do in the future.

And I firmly believed that Lloydin would always be with me in all those endeavors.

So I had to find a solution.

I deliberately clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.

It was to wake myself up physically through pain.

And whether it worked or not, the pain gradually cleared my mind.

I pondered over what the Crown Prince had said to me so far.

So…

Was it because he wanted me that he didn’t reveal my secret use of divine power when Ian went on a rampage?

‘Why?’

Why?

The Crown Prince and I hadn’t had much interaction until now.

Because I was often sick, I couldn’t attend social events, and we didn’t know each other personally.

There had never been an opportunity for the Crown Prince to get to know me well enough to develop feelings for me.

So why is he suddenly doing this to me?

‘If that’s the case… is it a political purpose rather than a personal feeling?’

That seemed more likely.

Given his position, even choosing a spouse wouldn’t be a personal matter.

But even so, it didn’t make much sense that he wanted me.

I was already someone else’s wife.

Of course, in this society, affairs are somewhat accepted, but it was too risky for him, a Crown Prince and potentially the next Emperor.

Moreover, there were many unmarried noblewomen in this empire besides me. Whatever political reason he had, they could fulfill the Crown Prince’s objectives as well.

‘Sigh.’

This is difficult.

I sighed inwardly and glanced at the Crown Prince.

Knowing full well that he held the upper hand in this conversation, the Crown Prince displayed a composed and relaxed demeanor.

That attitude only irritated me more, but I suppressed my emotions as much as possible.

Having already shown him enough weaknesses, I had to refrain from such behavior any further.

Resolving myself, I stiffened my expression and parted my lips.

“I have one question.”

“What is it?”

“What is the reason for your proposal to me?”

“It’s very simple.”

“Simple?”

“Yes. It’s a simple and clear reason.”

“So what is that?”

“Because I like you.”

The Crown Prince’s answer was one of the worst reasons.

Hearing that, I felt a wave of discomfort washing over me.

His selfish attitude of trying to manipulate me by exploiting my weakness, without considering my feelings, was utterly disgusting.

But the conversation wasn’t over yet.

I struggled to keep my expression neutral and spoke again.

“I don’t know what you like about me, but don’t you think we’ve known each other for a very short time?”

“Time isn’t that important when it comes to liking someone. The same goes for reasons and timing.”

“What about my feelings? Don’t they matter?”

“It would be better if you felt the same way as I do, but it’s okay if you don’t right now.”

“No matter how much you like me, isn’t it too much to set a trap and push me into it?”

“When I consider something to be mine, I don’t care about the means or methods.”

The Crown Prince replied smugly, as if declaring war.

“And I have given you a choice. Either come to me, or watch Anaïs and the Blighton family fall.”

Anger surged to the top of my head.

There was no reasoning with the Crown Prince.

At the same time, I felt an overwhelming desire to defy him in any way possible.

I desperately wanted to see that smug face of his twisted in frustration.

‘So I need to think.’

How could I achieve that?

How could I…

‘Ah.’

Suddenly, the face of Princess Daina flashed through my mind.

Wouldn’t Princess Daina help?

Even in my dreams, the princess wanted to save Brother Jade and our family.

Moreover, while the Crown Prince was the closest to becoming the next Emperor, the princess was not without her chances.

In fact, as the Emperor’s cherished one and with the support of the temple, Princess Daina was the most likely candidate to be the next ruler.

So if I confided everything to her, there might be a way out.

The princess would surely be a great help, especially with her knowledge of the temple and divine power.

Having made up my mind, I no longer wanted to face the Crown Prince.

I needed to get out of here, so I looked at him and spoke.

“…I need some time to think.”

I deliberately left room for interpretation.

It was the best way to buy time and to make the Crown Prince let his guard down.

“Hmm, how much time do you need to think?”

The Crown Prince raised one corner of his mouth and looked at me with an enigmatic gaze.

“I’m not sure. My mind is too jumbled right now. Your Highness, you must understand how complicated my thoughts are.”

“Indeed. But there’s one thing I want you to consider before I give you time.”

“And what is that?”

“I will not seize power through someone else’s hands; I will ascend to the highest position by my own means.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”

“I understand that there’s a lot of talk in society these days, comparing Princess Daina and me.”

It was as if the Crown Prince had read my mind.

“I don’t know who His Majesty favors, but I don’t intend to let this situation drag on for long.”

“I’m not sure I understand what Your Highness is saying.”

“Just keep that in mind. And know that you will be by my side.”

I couldn’t say anything more as I looked at the Crown Prince spouting ridiculous words.

After hastily wrapping up the conversation with the Crown Prince, I returned to the Blighton estate immediately.

However, by the time I returned, the sun had completely set, and darkness covered the entire world.

As the carriage stopped in front of the mansion and I was about to alight, the door opened, and a large hand reached out towards me.

Recognizing the owner of the hand, I furrowed my brows momentarily but quickly erased my expression.

Then, holding the hand, I stepped down from the carriage and smiled widely at its owner.

“Duke.”

“My dear.”

“When did you return?”

“I haven’t been back for long.”

“Oh, I see. You must be tired; why did you come out?”

“It’s fine. Did you come back from the palace after meeting with Princess Daina?”

“Yes. It ended up being quite late.”

Since it was true that I met with the princess, I wasn’t exactly lying to Lloydin.

Even so, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for hiding my meeting with the Crown Prince.

“I see. Let’s go inside.”

“Yes, my dear.”

As we entered the mansion, I glanced at Lloydin’s expression, but there was nothing particularly revealing on his face.

Feeling slightly relieved, I started chattering beside him as usual, pretending nothing was wrong.

“What about dinner?”

“I was waiting to have it with you, my dear.”

“Oh, then let’s go to the dining room quickly.”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

We headed to the dining room, hand in hand.

After enjoying a delicious dinner together, Lloydin mentioned he had work to do and went to his office, while I told him I would read a book and went to the library.

“Sigh.”

As soon as I was alone, I let out a deep sigh as if the ground would sink.

“This is exhausting.”

It was exhausting, but there was no time to rest.

So I spent what felt like an eternity in the library, pondering and rethinking what to do about today’s events.

Knock, knock.

After a while, I heard a knock at the library door.

“My dear. It’s me.”

Along with the knock, Lloydin’s low, steady voice brought me back to reality from my deep contemplation.