Chapter 23
“Ugh, the crown prince is so handsome. He’s tall and really resembles the Empress. Sister, didn’t you say the Empress was such a beauty when she was young, that she received proposals endlessly? I guess that’s why.”
Melody stared intently at Leonov’s retreating figure. She found it amusing how she had studied him so carefully in such a short moment.
“Sister? Why aren’t you answering?”
“…Yeah, he’s handsome.”
“Hey, sister. You said you wouldn’t get engaged to the crown prince, right? Then, can I take his place?”
In Melody’s pink eyes, there was blatant greed.
‘…Since I said I wouldn’t get engaged, it seems you’re not even trying to hide it anymore.’
In a way, it was better this way.
‘If you stay the same and don’t change, I won’t hesitate to kill you in the future.’
Melody sniffled and grabbed Estelle’s hand.
“Sister, you’re not upset, are you? I didn’t mean anything bad.”
“Upset? No, I’m just tired. Anyway, the engagement hasn’t happened, so if you take his place, I’d be happy. Why don’t you ask the Duke?”
“Really? Thank you, sister. Hearing you say that has made me feel much better.”
Melody was an orphan from the slums. It was something everyone in high society knew.
‘Even if I give my approval, will the Empress accept you? No, will the Duke even bring it up, knowing he’s the one you’re asking?’
Even if her status changed by adoption, the fundamental roots that had been laid would never change.
‘Unless the Duke is mad, no matter how much he cares for you, he’ll never be crazy enough to try to make you the crown princess.’
Melody had been a mere consort even when she had been pregnant with Leonov’s first child.
“Oh, look, here comes father. I’ll ask him now. I’ll show him that I’m okay, and maybe he’ll think about it.”
“Y-Yeah, I guess?”
Just then, Duke Winchester was walking toward them. Estelle deliberately encouraged Melody, wanting her to realize the difference between them.
“Daddy!”
Empowered, Melody rushed to Duke Winchester and hugged him.
“Melody, you were here.”
“Yes! I escorted the crown prince with my sister.”
Usually, Duke Winchester would have gently stroked Melody’s hair and welcomed her, but he seemed awkward this time.
“Wait a moment, Melody. I need to ask your sister something.”
“Yes.”
He carefully separated her, who was clinging to him, and approached Estelle.
“Estelle, may I ask why the crown prince came to see you? Was it something to do with the engagement?”
The Duke’s tone was surprisingly gentle. Normally, he would have scolded her nine times out of ten when facing her, but this was a completely unfamiliar attitude.
“I told you my decision hasn’t changed. Melody, didn’t you have something to say to the Duke?”
Estelle looked at Melody and gave her a subtle signal.
“Well, Dad, since my sister is so firm about not getting engaged, shouldn’t we respect her decision?”
“…Melody. I wasn’t trying to force anything.”
“I know. You’re just worried about her, right? So, how about I get engaged to the crown prince in her place?”
Melody, who had been twisting her body awkwardly, spoke up.
“Hmm.”
Estelle’s prediction was spot on. Duke Winchester couldn’t bring himself to speak easily.
‘To be honest, he’s worried Melody might get hurt, and giving in to her wishes would be difficult.’
It was amusing that she could clearly see his thoughts without him saying a word.
“Sweetheart, it’s not certain what will happen between the crown prince and your sister.”
“Oh, come on. Sister just said it, didn’t she? She won’t change her decision. She already gave me her permission. She said she’d be happy if I took her place.”
Melody winked at Duke Winchester secretly, signaling him to help her.
‘She still doesn’t understand why the Duke won’t give his approval. She’s still in denial.’
Watching her for a bit longer wasn’t so bad.
“It’s fine. If I get engaged to the crown prince in my sister’s place, wouldn’t that be a good thing for you, too?”
“…Estelle, come to my office.”
Duke Winchester let out an irritated sigh and started walking toward his office.
“Sister…”
“It’s okay, Melody. It seems like he wants to talk to me alone. I’ll let you know later.”
“Okay. Thanks, sister.”
Estelle reassured Melody and entered the Duke’s office.
‘Every time I step in here, it feels like I can’t breathe.’
Looking around the office, she was overwhelmed with emotions from past days and felt like she was being controlled by them.
Duke Winchester walked around with his hands behind his back for a while before stopping.
“Estelle Winchester. I don’t think you’re so naive that you don’t know. Melody can never be considered as the crown princess, right? Why do you think that is?”
“…”
“Melody, that child may be innocent, but-.”
Duke Winchester scolded her for allowing Melody to have false hope.
‘False hope was something Melody had, not me. Did I bring it up first?’
It was true that Estelle had deliberately pushed her to feel deprived, but she felt wronged by the way she was being treated now.
“It was Melody who brought up the idea of getting engaged in my place after the crown prince left.”
“Yes, I suppose so. But why didn’t you stop her from having false hope? You could have told her that it wouldn’t work out! In the end, she’s just going to get hurt.”
It was almost tearful.
‘I’ve endured so many wounds that I can’t even count them.’
The father’s love, so concerned about a hurt Melody who hadn’t even suffered yet, was truly remarkable.
“You always told me to give in. Everything I had, everything I wanted, you told me to give it all to Melody.”
“!”
“And it was you who taught me, without knowing my place, to give up everything so freely and to dare say that she wanted to marry the man her sister almost got engaged to.”
Duke Winchester had no right to say such things.
‘Estelle Winchester, what have you done to make your sister cry again?’
‘Melody wanted my rabbit doll…’
‘It’s just a doll, and you couldn’t give it up as the older sister!’
‘But it was a gift from my grandfather. It’s something precious to me. I couldn’t sleep at night without it…’
It was him who, more than anyone else, had taken Estelle’s rabbit doll and given it to Melody.
“I just did what I’ve always done, giving in.”
“Estelle Winchester.”
“Well, go ahead and try to calm her down. If she doesn’t change her mind, it might be good to show her reality. Innocence is fine, but if it goes too far, it’s just stupidity.”
Leaving the Duke, who was at a loss for words, Estelle walked out of the office.
‘I never thought he would blame me for this too.’
If he raised her so foolishly, then he should take responsibility for it himself.
“Sister! What did Dad say? Huh?”
“Go inside. It’s better if you hear it directly from the Duke.”
Once again, Estelle sent Melody into the office, knowing that her sister would hold on to false hopes, hoping that maybe this time things would turn out differently.
—
Inside the carriage, Leonov was struggling to suppress his anger. The heavy lavender scent that lingered in the air was bothering him.
“What kind of perfume did she put on so heavily?”
The strong scent of perfume clung to his body, making him dizzy. He had wanted to speak more with Estelle, but the perfume smell had made him leave the conversation.
“The perfume is giving me a headache! Open the window!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Estelle never smelled like this kind of artificial scent.
‘It’s more of a comforting scent, probably the smell of her skin.’
Estelle Winchester.
He had met her for the first time at a debutante ball, and she had always shown interest in him. Her family was appropriate for a crown princess, and her appearance was acceptable.
‘No, to be honest, she was pretty.’
But her introverted and dark side didn’t sit well with him. When he was around her, it felt like the mood would darken, so he had deliberately reduced the time they spent together.
‘What’s the reason for her changing so drastically, like she’s someone else?’
She had told him that she no longer loved him, and had looked him in the eye for the first time, her usual deep, distant blue eyes showing a glimmer of life.
‘I can tolerate this little bit of stubbornness.’
He now saw the waves in her eyes, something he hadn’t noticed before. When he hadn’t known, he had no regrets, but now that he had seen it, he didn’t want to let it go.
“Go to the Empress. Tell her that soon we’ll be inviting the young lady to the Empress’s palace.”
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