“Episode 18”
“Now, let’s go.”
“I…”
“If you keep wandering like this, Lysio will find it hard to protect you. For his sake… just go back.”
It was her best effort not to get angry, but she kept crossing the line. What does she want from me? A laugh involuntarily escaped Diana’s lips as she looked at Hadeia, who refused to leave. Diana slowly got up from her seat.
“Hadeia. To others, it seems like we’re the headquarters for mischief and the beloved government officials to the duke.”
“It’s not like that at all!”
“If not, then please leave. I don’t have the heart to fight with you anymore.”
If Hadeia didn’t leave, Diana would leave as if she intended to. Hadeia urgently tried to speak.
“It’s not like that, Your Highness, I mean, it’s not like that for the Duke either.”
But she still didn’t intend to leave, and now she was more inclined to take Lysio’s side.
“What do you mean it’s not like that?”
“He… His Highness, um, cherishes you more than anyone else…”
“He loves you, cherishes you, or thinks of you more than anyone else?”
“Well, that’s…”
Before she knew it, Diana approached the door and grabbed the handle. She smirked sarcastically.
“Hadeia. It doesn’t matter what you say. Whether you love me or not.”
“B-but…”
“There’s no ‘but.’ We’re already separated as a couple. We can’t turn back time. So you don’t need to come to me like this. Or apologize. Or feel sorry.”
Her voice lacked any enthusiasm, like that of someone who had lost the will to live. She just spat out words like a doll speaking.
“But you have to listen.”
“…Hadeia. Don’t make me resent you even more.”
Hadeia was someone who didn’t know how beautiful she was, but was endlessly beautiful. She was pure and lovely.
Even though Diana had taken care of herself for a few days, her hair was still frizzy. In contrast, Hadeia sparkled. Her well-maintained hair shone, and her skin was full of vitality. Even though Diana tried not to compare herself to Hadeia, somewhere in her heart, she did.
‘That’s why Lysio couldn’t love me.’
Realizing that she was standing by the door again, Diana spat out with a calmer tone than before.
“I seem to be the bad guy again.”
Only then did Lysio realize that Diana was by the door.
“Diana.”
“You don’t have to look at me like that. Hadeia was just apologizing to me. I didn’t accept it and caused a scene. Isn’t that enough for you?”
Ryksio silently watched Diana, who spoke word by word in a stern voice.
“What more do you want to add? Do you want to be a nuisance to your government? If you need to be in such a bad place, I’ll allow it. We’ve already had our conversation.”
“Stop it, Diana.”
“Why should I stop? Wasn’t this what you wanted? I said I would do as you wished, so what’s bothering you now?”
Hadeia, who had been uttering various words until just now, remained silent, clenching her lips shut.
Ryksio alternated between the two women, unsure of what to do. Whom should he choose? Even though he knew he was being foolish, Ryksio couldn’t grasp whom he should choose.
But this was Diana’s room. Therefore, he thought he should take Diana’s hand and soothe her, but he also grabbed Hadeia’s wrist.
“Hadeia, go back.”
“I came to apologize…”
“First, go out and talk.”
With a pained expression, Ryksio pulled Hadeia, who seemed to want to say something, out of the room. At that moment, Diana’s heart sank heavily.
“So I still had feelings left, huh? It hurts to see myself lamenting over such a sight.”
Holding hands with another woman, soothing her, it didn’t feel okay, even though she tried to pretend it was. Her heart felt like it had been torn apart and sprinkled with salt.
Resentment momentarily blinded the emotion of love. But it wasn’t an emotion that could be hidden. Diana slowly moved her trembling legs and turned away from them, pretending to be indifferent as she sat by the window. But it wasn’t okay.
If Hadeia hadn’t been here, none of this would have happened. If she didn’t exist. If she hadn’t come. No matter how much she mulled it over, the emotions didn’t improve.
Resentment and anger gnawed at her, emotions that couldn’t be easily shaken off.
“How could it be okay? How…”
Even though she pretended to be okay, it wasn’t.
No more tears came from her dried-up eyes. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t sad. Diana bit her lips so hard they wouldn’t bleed. She chuckled ruefully.
It hurt more when Ryksio suddenly appeared and left with Hadeia, holding her hand.
“I can’t let go of this feeling even now. How foolish of me. Like a fool.”
Clutching her fist tightly, Diana stared out the window as if her soul had left her. The passing clouds. People living their daily lives. In that world, Diana felt like she was the only one standing still.
“This isn’t the time. Now that I have some idea of who he might be… I need to go to Briana’s temple to confirm. If he’s not the one I had in mind, I’ll have to search again.”
Intentionally thinking of other things, she tried to erase the nagging thoughts from her mind.
