71

Dante stared at the empress with an expressionless face.

 

If he was to die, he would have preferred to die at his mother’s hands, but…

‘No.’

He shook his head internally.

His mother was already in a precarious mental state.

Asking her to kill him would be too cruel, and it would be terrible if she felt any guilt…

‘No.’

In a moment, Dante gave a short snort.

It was a chilling smile, uncharacteristic of a seven-year-old boy.

‘It’s just my own selfish desire.’

His mother probably wouldn’t feel anything about his death.

Just as one doesn’t mourn every ant crushed inadvertently while riding in a carriage.

‘Well, maybe that’s better.’

He wished for his mother’s happiness at least.

With that thought, Dante moved.

He opened the window and climbed onto it.

The neatly arranged flower bed looked far below.

At the same time, a look of joy appeared faintly on the pale face of the Empress.

[Yes, jump off!]

The Empress exclaimed cheerfully.

Hearing that shout, Dante thought,

‘Mother will hate me all her life.’

So, perhaps it might be better if he quickly disappeared from this world.

The sight of his mother going mad moment by moment as she faced him.

And the royal family members frowning, calling his existence a disgrace to the monarchy.

…He was utterly sick of it all.

Just as Dante was about to throw himself out of the window.

[Oh my, Prince Dante!]

Just as a maid was entering the room, she gasped and rushed toward Dante.

She grabbed Dante and pulled him back into the room, and a piercing scream rang out.

[What are you doing!]

It was the Empress.

[Why try to save him?]

The Empress distorted her face in despair.

[Why are you trying to save that horrible thing?]

[Your Majesty, you shouldn’t be saying such things. Please, calm down…]

[Calm down?]

The Empress glared at the maid with a sharp look.

[Do you think I can calm down in this situation?]

[Please, Your Majesty.]

[How could you do this to me?]

The Empress’s eerie eyes turned toward Dante.

[Are you telling me to live with that horrible thing for the rest of my life?]

[No, that’s not what I meant. I…!]

[Then why! If he wants to die by himself, why stop him!]

The Empress, screaming until her throat was raw, suddenly closed her mouth.

[Fine, if he won’t die.]

The Empress muttered in a frenzied voice.

[I’ll just leave.]

The Empress quickly turned and left the room.

Through the half-open door, the silhouette of the Empress walking away could be seen.

A hollow laugh echoed distantly.

[Ha, haha, hahahaha…]

The Empress burst into insane laughter.

[Ahahahaha!]

The maid, watching with a sorrowful gaze, sharply pulled Dante away from her embrace.

[Prince Dante!]

The maid sharply reprimanded Dante.

[Why did you do that?]

[…….]

[You know how precarious the Empress’s condition is. Why did you provoke her…!]

Dante stared at the maid with an empty gaze.

Finally, the maid shot Dante a fierce look, stood up abruptly, and chased after the Empress.

[Your Majesty! Your Majesty!]
[황녀님! 황녀님!]

[…….]

Left alone, Dante watched the two disappearing figures with a dark gaze.

‘Why was I even born?’

‘Perhaps it would have been better if I had died at birth, just as mother said.’

As he blinked his eyes.

The scene suddenly changed.

Suddenly, Dante was standing in a lavish bathroom.

In front of him, there was a large marble bathtub.

The stiffened Dante looked down at the bathtub.

‘Mother.’

Pale silver hair floated softly among the red water.

Her eyes were gently closed.

From a large wound on her wrist, blood flowed ceaselessly.

At that moment, Dante realized.

She…. had refused to be Dante’s mother until the end.

But then.

‘…Elze?’

Dante’s eyes widened in shock.

‘It was definitely Mother before?’

The pale silver hair had suddenly transformed into a deep pink, resembling dried roses.

A face devoid of any hint of blood.

Eyelids firmly closed.

Floating atop the red water, Elze was lifelessly adrift.

‘It’s a lie.’

Dante gasped quietly.

‘Elze.’

Just like Mother, you too, Elze.

…refused to be my lover until the end.

You abandoned me like this.

Even though you promised to love only me forever!

“……Marquis.”

“……”

“Marquis!”

Gasp!

Dante gasped for air, his eyes bulging as if he had just surfaced from the deepest part of a cold lake.

It felt as if his lungs were tearing apart.

“Hah, Hah, Hah!”

A small, worried face looked down at him through the blurry vision.

It looked terribly worried.

“Are you okay?”

Slender, pale fingers touched Dante’s forehead, which was dotted with cold sweat.

“I woke you up because it seemed like you were having a nightmare…”

In that moment, Dante felt a deep relief inside.

Elze is still by my side.

She… hasn’t abandoned me.

“Darling.”

Dante sprung up from the bed.

He abruptly pulled Elze into his embrace.

The startled Elze stiffened.

“Marquis?”

“You’re really here, right?”

Dante whispered urgently.

“Huh? You’re right beside me, right? Please answer.”

“……”

After a moment of silence, Elze hugged Dante back

She patted his back reassuringly.

“Yes, I’m here.”

“……”

As he heard her answer, the tension slowly drained from Dante’s body.

Elze whispered tenderly.

“You’re safe.”

“……Hmm.”

Dante hugged Elze tightly and rubbed his face against hers.

Feeling her warm body temperature and soft skin, his wildly beating heart slowly found its rhythm again.

‘She is here.’

‘She won’t leave me…’

Dante mulled over these thoughts repeatedly inside his mouth.

Finally.
.

The bubbling anxiety settled down.

* * *

Elze looked down at Dante with an expressionless face as he slept.

‘What could it be?’

Ever since last night, when Dante suddenly appeared at the boarding school without any prior contact.

He’d wanted her like crazy.

In his arms, Elze was violently shaken, sobbed uncontrollably unable to withstand the pleasure, and pleaded for him to stop, but to no avail.

Dante clung to her even more desperately.

After reaching the peak several times.

She had checked that he had fallen asleep as if he had fainted…

[Elze, please…!]

Just a few hours into his sleep, Dante started convulsing.

Startled, Elze woke him up.

[You’re really here, right?]

Waking up from his sleep, Dante clung to Elze like a frightened young animal.

[Yes, I’m here].

After soothing and comforting him several times, Dante finally fell back asleep.

‘…What kind of dream did he have?’

Elze absentmindedly stroked Dante’s closed eyelids.

Her fingertips became damp.

It was tears.

“……”

Elze looked at the tears wetting her fingertips as if she was seeing something very strange and mysterious.

‘Dante… cried.’

At that moment.

A multitude of suppressed questions chaotically stirred in her mind.

Why do you keep coming to me?

Why do you show me your vulnerable side?

You’ve always just left me to manage the boarding school, never once thinking to look back at me.

You’ve always thought of me as nothing more than a stranger.

You never showed me your weaknesses.

But why?

Why…

“Why do you act… like you love me?”

Unable to hold back, Elze suddenly asked Dante.

“……”

But no answer came.

Facing the soundly sleeping Dante, Elze clenched her teeth and continued.

“Just ignore me like before. Annoy me, shove me in the corner, and don’t look back at me.”

“……”

“If you keep doing this, I will…”

Her emotions welled up.

“……Ugh.”

Elze bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

However.

The hand stroking his sweat-soaked forehead was still incredibly gentle.

* * *

The next day.

“Ah… my head hurts.”

Having barely slept through the night, I was briefly awakened by the sound of someone groaning.

Barely lifting my heavy eyelids,

I saw Dante, wearing only a robe, frowning and holding his forehead.

‘Well, that figures, after drinking so much, he was bound to have a hangover.’

I looked at Dante with a cold gaze.

Feeling my stare, Dante glanced over.

“Darling, are you awake?”