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IFLDMHF | Chapter 89

Episode 89

Tria, the Viscount who always prided himself on being a loyal subject, had never taken a liking to Evgenia. Even as he sensed the strange atmosphere, he asked with a displeased expression.

“Your Highness… why are you like this? Hasn’t Lady Basilian always been obsessively attached to you, tormenting you relentlessly? If such a woman has finally given up on you and married another, isn’t that a good thing? I thought you would be pleased…”

At that moment, a blade, sharp and cold, was pressed against his throat.

Never had he imagined that the very sword he had relied on more than anyone else on the battlefield would be turned against him by his own liege.

Shocked, the Viscount looked up at Kaiden. But Kaiden, his red eyes gleaming with fury, was glaring at him with a murderous intensity, as if he was ready to tear him apart.

“How dare you speak of Evgenia like that…!”

“Your Highness, please calm down!”

The adjutant, who had been anxiously observing the situation from the side, hurriedly intervened.

In truth, the adjutant had long anticipated that this day would come.

Someone would eventually misread the relationship between the Crown Prince and Lady Basilian and make the grave mistake of speaking about her carelessly in front of him!

As the closest confidant of the Crown Prince, he had watched Kaiden and Evgenia interact for a long time and knew the truth about their peculiar relationship.

Everyone—including the Emperor, Kaiden’s own father—believed that Lady Basilian was madly obsessed with the Crown Prince while he, in turn, despised her.

However, the reality was entirely different.

Though Kaiden constantly pushed Evgenia away with harsh words and actions, he still received regular reports on her well-being and showed an extraordinary degree of concern for her.

Not only that—whenever he invited other noble ladies as partners or gifted them presents, he made sure it was done in front of Evgenia or that she would hear of it. He was obsessively attuned to her reactions and behavior.

The strangest part was that Evgenia was fully aware of this.

The adjutant could never understand the Crown Prince, but even more baffling was Lady Basilian herself.

With her words, she professed love for Kaiden, pleaded for marriage, and insisted she wanted to be by his side.

She even acted in ways that seemed to cater to his whims—such as humiliating other noblewomen and hurling insults at them, as if to say that no one but her could stand by his side.

She did this because she knew that if she didn’t, the women involved would meet an even more miserable fate at Kaiden’s hands.

In the end, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the many atrocious deeds that had tarnished her reputation in high society were actually caused by the Crown Prince himself.

And yet, despite her obsessive attachment to Kaiden, she showed him no genuine devotion.

She was known for her extravagance, but she had never once given him an expensive gift—not even a simple handkerchief when he left for war.

She never visited him first, and whenever Kaiden sought her out, she could barely hide her irritation and exhaustion.

There were even moments when her gaze betrayed an unbearable loathing for being in his presence.

Even the adjutant, who had watched them from the sidelines, could tell that Evgenia despised the Crown Prince rather than loved him, making it impossible for Kaiden, who was fixated on her, to be oblivious.

Thus, the Crown Prince only became more sadistic toward her.

It was a relationship that was both incomprehensible and without resolution.

At the same time, the adjutant believed that the outcome of their relationship was already determined.

The Emperor’s pressure to finalize a marriage alliance with the Basilian Ducal House was growing stronger, and regardless of her true feelings, Evgenia claimed to want marriage. That left Kaiden with only one possible decision—he could not let her go.

The adjutant’s assumption was surprisingly accurate.

In fact, right before setting off for war—more precisely, right after sending a marriage proposal to the Duke of Basilian’s niece—Kaiden had ordered a custom setting for one of the Imperial Treasury’s treasures: a red diamond ring he had received from the Emperor long ago.

Just in case, the adjutant had asked whose finger size the ring should be adjusted for.

Kaiden had scoffed and retorted, “Who else but Evgenia would wear this ring?”

The fact that he had sent a marriage proposal to someone else yet still did something so absurd left the adjutant speechless.

Once again, he assumed that, like many noblewomen before, Evgenia’s cousin was simply being used to provoke her.

And he was right. When Kaiden sent the marriage proposal to the Duke of Basilian’s niece, he had promised the Emperor that this would be the last time—that after the war, there would be no more trouble regarding his marriage.

He was sincere.

He was exhausted from his constant battle of wills with Evgenia.

Until now, he had avoided marriage because he feared that once Evgenia got what she wanted, she would leave him without regret. But he had reached his limit.

What he truly desired from her was not difficult.

He didn’t want her to just say she loved him—he wanted her to mean it. He wanted to see warmth in her eyes when she looked at him, not the cold hostility she always carried.

If she could only do that, he would gladly give her everything she wanted—no, he would place the entire world at her feet.

And at last, he believed he had seen hope.

“Y-Your Highness…!”

That was why Kaiden could not accept Evgenia’s marriage.

And why he could not forgive the Viscount for speaking such nonsense and uttering her name so carelessly.

Even though he knew that drawing a sword on his own subordinate—especially as a commander in the midst of battle—was unacceptable, he could not bring himself to lower his blade.

Just then—

“I am Alexis Basilian, Commander of the 5th Battalion. May I enter?”

A voice called from outside.

The words snapped Kaiden back to his senses, and with a swift motion, he sheathed his sword.

“Enter.”

No sooner had he spoken than Alexis stepped into the tent.

“I greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince…”

Alexis immediately knelt on one knee to show his respects but hesitated before he could finish his greeting.

The tent was filled with an intense, almost suffocating atmosphere, thick with murderous intent.

Proving his instincts right, the Viscount collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

Blinking in confusion, he was still oblivious to the situation and tactlessly turned to Alexis with a question.

“Sir Basilian, you’re family, so you must know well, right?”

“…Excuse me? Know what?”

“The rumors about your sister’s marriage!”

Ah. So, the news had finally reached the battlefield.

Well, it was only natural. The news of Lady Basilian’s marriage must have shaken the capital.

As Alexis nodded internally with a strange sense of pride, the adjutant, desperately hoping for a different answer, asked,

“It’s just a baseless rumor, isn’t it, Sir Basilian?”

“Hmm…”

‘Evgenia specifically told me not to mention the marriage.’

Unconsciously, Alexis glanced at Kaiden.

No matter how he thought about it, the Crown Prince would surely be pleased with Evgenia’s marriage, not displeased.

Besides, he wasn’t the one who brought it up—someone else had already asked with certainty—so Evgenia wouldn’t be able to scold him for having a loose tongue this time.

Resolving himself, Alexis spoke nonchalantly.

“It’s true. She got married.”

Then, out of habit, he glanced at the Crown Prince’s face—and was utterly startled.

“So it’s true! I knew it! My wife clearly mentioned it in her letter!”

The Viscount’s agitated voice, filled with frustration, barely registered.

Kaiden’s face had turned deathly pale.

As if his heart had just been pierced.

“…That can’t be.”

Kaiden tried to deny it again but barely managed to hold onto his composure.

He bit out his next words like he was crushing them between his teeth.

“Who is it? Who the hell… married Evgenia?”

He couldn’t even bring himself to say the word “marriage.”

His voice was bleak, raw with shock and pain.

Momentarily dazed by the sheer weight of it, Alexis finally answered.ط

• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •

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Comment

  1. Ily says:

    He’s so toxic

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