Chapter 57 Mistake
Killion decided to take the initiative to respond to Windler’s concerns.
He crossed his arms and tilted his head in thoughtful consideration.
“… I hadn’t thought of that part, but now that you mention it, I think you’re right.”
“…”
“I see. I’ll be sure to tell Nia when I get a chance.”
“Yes, Your Excellency. I hope you’ll tell her as sincerely as you told me.”
Windler’s grave expression relaxed a little, and a relaxed smile formed on his face. He handed the newspaper he had been holding to Killion.
“And there’s this article in the paper.”
“What is it?”
“It’s an article about Princess Espin the Kingdom of Hisric.”
“…”
Killion quickly scanned the article, and when his gaze came to the end of it, bewilderment was evident on his face.
“Didn’t you know about this, Your Excellency?”
“…Not at all.”
“Well, you’ve been very busy with state affairs lately.”
Windler was right. Since the death of the First Emperor, Killion had been practically confined to his office in the palace, burying himself in paperwork and traveling from place to place on business.
Even when he did return to the ducal residence, he would only stay for a short time before leaving again in the early morning, which naturally led him to neglect what was happening at home.
‘How true is the story of the youngest princess of the Kingdom of Hisric? Could it be that my godmother invited her because of the… article?’
“…I don’t know about that.”
Windler let out a small sigh at Killion’s answer. The aide’s heart sank as he watched his superior’s face contort.
‘You’ve just met a woman you like, and you seem to be growing closer to her…’
Windler swallowed back another sigh that threatened to burst out and left the office.
***
As usual, Killion didn’t return to the mansion until nearly midnight. He was greeted by his godmother, who was still awake despite the late hour.
“Are you home?”
“Are you still asleep, Mother?”
“We need to talk.”
“Yes.”
Killion followed his godmother to her private parlor.
“You do realize that a diplomatic mission is arriving tomorrow from the Kingdom of Hisric, don’t you?”
“Yes. I’ve also heard that Princess Espin will be staying at our manor, not at the imperial palace.”
Killion spoke in a somewhat cold voice, and the godmother tensed, straightening her back and sitting up straighter.
“I should have consulted with you first, and I apologize for not doing so.”
“That’s because I’ve been so busy.”
The Godmother breathed a sigh of relief at the nuance that she wouldn’t take issue with his unilateral decision to invite guests.
“Speaking of which, Killion, will you be able to attend the reception for the envoys tomorrow?”
The Godmother asked, her eyes twinkling with anticipation. But Killion immediately shook his head.
“No, I’m busy with coronation preparations and other commitments, so I won’t be able to attend the welcome ceremony.”
“…I see. That’s too bad.”
A dark shadow formed on the Godmother’s wrinkled face. She looked deeply disappointed.
She had hoped for nothing more than to see Killion greet Princess Espin in front of so many eyes, but it was all a dream.
But she wasn’t ready to give up completely just yet. Holding on to the last strand of hope, she asked again.
“How about dinner, then? How about coming in a little earlier tomorrow and joining us?”
“…”
Killion paused, avoiding an immediate answer. Impatient with his pause, the godmother spoke up.
“Still, it’s Princess Espin’s first day here, and we can’t let her first day go by without greeting her. It’s not polite. So if you can’t make it to the welcome party, you should at least greet her formally over a meal?”
“…”
“Even if you don’t feel like it, you should at least have basic courtesy.”
Speaking firmly, the Godmother stared at Killion’s lips, which were pressed into a straight line, and waited for his response. She swallowed hard, her mouth dry with nervousness.
Killion’s deliberations continued. Part of him wanted to say no right away, it was such a busy time of year, and her mother’s impure intentions were so transparent.
A favor or two in this way might give her a strange sense of expectation, and he had to prevent that at all costs.
‘But when you have a guest who is a princess from another country, you can’t help but show basic courtesy…’
Killion knew better than to treat a guest who had traveled so far and so much to be expected with anything but sentimentality, so he nodded.
“Very well, I’ll be back in time for dinner tomorrow.”
“Are you sure about that, you won’t talk shit later?”
“Yes.”
The godmother’s eyes widened and she smiled pleasantly. She was a little dubious, but he was a man of his word, so he would show up for dinner tomorrow, no matter what.
“Good night, then.”
“Yes.”
A deep smile formed on the godmother’s face as she watched Killion bow out of the room.
“Tomorrow will be a very busy day.”
The smile, once formed, did not fade and remained on the corners of the godmother’s mouth for the rest of the night.
***
Before he knew it, the busy day was almost over.
“Well, we’d better hurry.”
Glancing absentmindedly at the wall clock, Killion jumped to his feet. There was no time to lose if he wanted to get home in time for dinner.
He didn’t feel like it, but it was a promise he’d made to his mother, and he had to keep it. Besides, he had an important guest coming.
He stretched his long legs out in front of him, hurrying his steps, when the only thing that stole his attention was Veronia.
“Ah, Your Highness Veronia!
Their gazes tangled in the air.
For a moment, Killion forgot that he was walking fast, that he had a dinner to attend, that it was a promise he had made to his mother.
“Ah, to see His Excellency.”
“His Excellency.”
She bowed first, and the laborers beside her did the same.
“Yes. How is the work progressing?”
Killion’s formal question was answered by Flora, the site foreman, in a booming voice.
“Of course, Your Excellency. We started the finishing touches this week, and you should be seeing the finished staircase in a fortnight.”
“I look forward to it.”
“All of us here will do our best to live up to your expectations, Your Excellency.”
“…Thank you.”
Flora’s determined voice echoed through the Star Palace lobby as Veronia approached Killion.
“Your Excellency, I have something to tell you. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course.”
Veronia and Killion made their way to the patronage of the Star Palace, his heart still pounding in his chest, which had begun to thump furiously the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
It was late in the day, just as the sun was setting, and the grounds were deserted. The two sat down at a table under an awning.
A small fountain nearby trickled quietly. The garden, bathed in a reddish sunset, looked like another world.
“Did you get a good night’s rest that day? You must have been tired after such a packed schedule, but are you feeling well…?”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency, but I didn’t rest well, because I was reminded of a mistake I made and I felt so ashamed.”
“…Mistake?”
Killion’s straight eyebrows arched at once. He looked like he’d heard something he wasn’t supposed to.
“Yes. It was a mistake. That day, that kiss… I regretted it a lot. I let my emotions get the best of me, and I made a mistake. Maybe it was because I came back from the dead.”
“…”
“It will never happen again, and I’m so sorry.”
Veronia bowed her head and apologize politely. Killion’s heart sank silently as he watched her look as if she had made up her mind. It was indescribably devastating.
In truth, he had expected this. Given Veronia’s character and circumstances, it was hard to imagine anything else.
‘But I was hoping that maybe it would be different, but… nothing unexpected happens after all.’
He couldn’t help but feel heartbroken, even though he knew what to expect.
It hurt so badly that he felt like crying like a child. There was a glimmer of hope that if he knelt down in front of Veronia and sobbed, maybe she would accept him.
But he decided to save that for last.
For now, he was going to slowly unravel the words he’d been thinking over and over again all day yesterday. His mouth, which had been tightly closed the entire time, slowly opened.
“I didn’t make a mistake. It was the purest, most sincere kiss I’ve ever given, without a shred of falsehood. In fact, it was the truest moment I’ve had in recent years.”
“What? That’s…”
Veronica’s eyes fluttered wide at his sudden confession, but the low, bass voice continued.
“I loved you jumping into the water to save the child, but at the same time, I hated to see you put yourself in danger.”
“…”
“I loved the way you sobbed for your son in hindsight, but at the same time, I wanted you to cry for me…”
