Chapter 4
Click, click.
Sharp footsteps echoed with every step Estelle took down the stairs. She walked toward Melody.
‘If I were to fill your mouth with snake venom, would you feel the gut-wrenching pain I endured?’
As always, Estelle greeted Melody with a look of affection.
‘It would be painful, but you’d die too quickly, wouldn’t you?’
The thought that Melody’s suffering would be brief was disappointing.
‘So, my dearest little sister, I’d rather see you wither away slowly.’
She wanted to drag Melody down when she was at her happiest, when she thought she had everything, when she stood triumphantly at the top.
Pretending to be the kind, loving older sister wasn’t difficult. It was a role she had long mastered.
After all, losing something you thought was firmly in your grasp was far more excruciating.
“Good morning, Melody. Did you sleep well?”
“I’m still sleepy. I stayed up late last night,” Melody said, leaning into Estelle and whining. The lavender scent emanating from her made Estelle’s stomach churn.
“By the way, where are you going, sister?”
“…I have an appointment with Prince Leonov.”
Estelle deliberately mentioned Leonov’s name, observing Melody’s reaction.
“You’re going to see His Highness, the Crown Prince? That sounds fun! Can I come too? Please, take me with you!” Melody’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
‘Yes, I prepared meticulously, over a long time. The moment I decided I had to kill you was when I saw how happy you were, preparing for my wedding.’
“Oh dear, I’m afraid not today. We have something important to discuss.”
“But I want to see the palace…”
“I’ll take you next time,” Estelle said firmly.
Melody pouted, sticking out her lower lip.
“You promise, right? You have to take me next time.”
As Estelle caressed Melody’s cheek, she caught sight of her delicate neck. A surge of dark anger bubbled up inside her.
‘If I grabbed it and squeezed, you’d die, wouldn’t you?’
She barely restrained the urge to strangle her right then and there. She wanted to wait for Melody to grow older. Ideally, until she reached the same age Melody had been when she killed her.
‘So this time, I can be the one to kill you.’
The moment Estelle boarded the carriage, she let her forcibly lifted smile fade.
She had clenched her lips so tightly they trembled and ached.
As she tried to calm her excitement and closed her eyes, the carriage slowed and eventually came to a stop.
“Lady Estelle Winchester,” a voice called out.
Waiting to greet her was Leonov’s head maid.
“I will escort you to the glass conservatory.”
The glass conservatory. The very place where Leonov had cradled Melody and whispered words of love.
Knowing everything, stepping inside felt like walking on shards of glass.
“These are rosemary tea leaves sent by the Ruweon Royal Family,” the maid said, pouring the pinkish tea into Estelle’s cup.
The fresh scent of rosemary made Estelle feel nauseous.
‘Of all things, rosemary.’
Without so much as glancing at the cup, Estelle merely pressed her lips together in silent disdain.
Time passed, the steaming tea cooling as no one appeared.
Eventually, the faint outline of a woman emerged across from her.
The woman, with long silver hair, looked visibly distressed from the heat.
That woman was none other than Estelle herself.
‘So, it was today.’
Hours passed, and by the time the cold tea was replaced with fresh tea that also grew cold, Leonov had yet to appear.
When Leonov finally arrived at dusk, he rebuked Estelle.
“Lady, if I forgot our appointment because I was busy, you should have sent someone to remind me. What are you doing just sitting here foolishly? Do you have any idea how much people must have gossiped?”
“…I’m sorry, Your Highness. I didn’t want to disturb you while you were working.”
“How frustrating. I have another appointment now, so just return to your estate.”
Rather than apologizing, Leonov scolded her for not sending someone to fetch him, making it her fault.
Estelle had done nothing wrong, and she knew it.
Even so, she had lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze, apologizing to placate his embarrassment.
Because she loved him, Estelle willingly made herself weak.
No matter how much she tried, Leonov had never loved her.
“I’ll bring you a fresh cup of tea,” the maid said, noticing the cold tea.
“That’s fine,” Estelle replied.
When she tapped the table lightly with her fingers, the maid hesitated and set the cup back down.
The maid’s duty wasn’t to brew new tea.
She should have sought Leonov and brought him to her.
The maid had not committed any overt disrespect or neglect.
It was simply that Estelle’s patience had become an unspoken expectation for the maid.
Since Estelle never got angry even when the maid failed to inform Leonov of her visit, the maid had grown accustomed to such treatment.
“…It seems His Highness the Crown Prince has forgotten our appointment.”
“P-perhaps His Highness was too b-busy,” the maid stammered, taken aback by Estelle’s calm yet pointed remark.
‘She probably didn’t expect me to say it so openly.’
“If His Highness forgot, shouldn’t you have informed him that Lady Winchester was here?”
“I’ll fetch His Highness right away, my lady,” the maid said, bowing deeply before hurrying off to the Emerald Palace, where Leonov resided.
Moments later, Leonov entered the glass conservatory, his expression laden with irritation as he walked at a leisurely pace.
“Lady, I apologize. I forgot about our appointment,” Leonov said, his tone devoid of genuine remorse.
She had loved him once.
Back when she didn’t know what kind of gaze those eyes held when looking at Melody.
‘It was at my debutante ball, when I was eight years old, that I first met you…’
Looking back, it hadn’t been a short amount of time.
The tiresome, unrequited love she once thought she could endure without reciprocation had now reached its end.
Waiting endlessly without hope was never something she could bear after all.
“…It’s fine, Your Highness.”
“I’m relieved to hear that—”
“I don’t plan on making any more appointments with you in the future.”
Estelle cut Leonov’s words short.
“You’ve changed quite a bit since I last saw you, Lady,” Leonov said, furrowing his brow.
“I believe I once told you I prefer when you wear your hair down. Don’t you remember?”
“How could I forget?”
“And today, I see you’re not even wearing the ruby brooch,” he remarked, stroking his chin in puzzlement. His emerald-green eyes gleamed with annoyance.
“Are you upset because I was late? I thought you, being the kind and understanding lady you are, wouldn’t mind. I can’t understand why you’re so sensitive.”
When she hadn’t sent for him, he had called her foolish. Now, he disliked that she wasn’t forgiving enough.
For the first time, Estelle was grateful she had let go of her feelings for him.
Had she not, his words would have wounded her once again.
“Your Highness, have you ever heard the saying that anger only arises when there are still lingering emotions?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Strangely enough, I wasn’t angry at all while waiting for you. I suppose I no longer have any emotions left.”
Leonov raised an eyebrow, his usual reaction when something displeased him.
“I’d like to call off our engagement.”
“What did you just say…?” Leonov asked, incredulity plain on his face.
“We haven’t held an engagement ceremony, nor exchanged gifts, so there won’t be any complications.”
“…Is this the Duke of Winchester’s decision?” Leonov’s response was purely political, devoid of consideration for Estelle’s feelings.
“The Winchester family continues to support His Highness,” she replied, wanting to make it clear that her decision wasn’t tied to her family’s will. She wanted Leonov to understand: she no longer loved him.
“Then what is the reason?”
“I simply no longer wish to be engaged to you.”
Her words came out more composed than she had expected.
“Haha!”
Leonov, who had been tense, burst into laughter so hard tears pricked his eyes.
“You?”
His arrogant smirk returned as he crossed his legs, utterly dismissing her statement.
“You must have been deeply upset by my tardiness today. But as someone destined to be the Crown Princess, you should learn to be more magnanimous.”
His tone was filled with certainty that she couldn’t possibly mean what she said.
“Well, I didn’t want to be engaged to you either, so have it your way. But when you come crawling back, I’ll make sure you beg on your knees for forgiveness.”
Leonov declared confidently as he strode out of the conservatory, as if certain she would soon regret her words and plead for his forgiveness.
Estelle watched his retreating figure and then poured the cold tea onto the floor.
It was truly over now.
She had been the one to start this relationship, and she had been the one to end it.
‘I don’t have to wear my hair down anymore.’
In this sweltering summer heat, it was a blessing indeed.
—
When she returned home at dusk, the butler was waiting at the gates of the Winchester estate.
As the carriage came to a halt, Estelle disembarked with the butler’s assistance.
If the butler, who was always by the Duke’s side, had come out to greet her, it could only mean one thing…
“Welcome back, my lady.”
“Is something the matter?”
“The Duke has summoned you to his study.”
As expected, it was a summons from her father, the Duke of Winchester.
