Chapter 31
Now that he thought about it, It must have been the boy’s first love. Fresh and pure first love.
He said he fell in love with Leila at first sight, but that wasn’t true. Of course, she did stand out.
She had platinum blonde hair that looked like it was adorned with gems, blue eyes that seemed to contain the sparkle that lakes carried, and white, smooth skin. He couldn’t help but look at her.
Even though she was not yet an adult, her outward appearance was perfect enough to prove that women did indeed grow faster than men.
On the other hand, the girl’s unique immaturity added a fairy-like mystique to her.
It was obvious she would show off her charm as she got older and became an adult.
The girl was always surrounded by a crowd.
That’s why, Theon never cared for her. She was always surrounded by the walls of people and he never got to look at her much.
A pretty person. At that time, that was the only recognition that Theon held for Leila.
After a little while, their fathers got entangled in business and he naturally got the opportunity to greet Leila.
“Hello, my name is Leila Shan Elantre.”
Leila giggled after saying hello. It was a smile he’d never seen before, hidden behind the human barriers.
“……!”
How could he explain that laugh?
If he had to put it into words, her smile was like sunshine. As soon as she laughed, the surrounding seemed to become brighter and warmer.
His heart was filled with materialistic things, but the cold wind still brushed past it sometimes.
“Hello, Ah…I’m Karsha.”
He was so stunned that he stuttered and couldn’t even introduce himself properly.
Leila, who tilted her head slightly to the side at the sight of Theon’s appearance, laughed brightly again.
“Nice to meet you. I look forward to your kind cooperation.”
Theon unknowingly reached out his hand at the laugh.
“Will you give me the honor to dance with the lady?”
The day Theon and Leila greeted each other so closely, his perception change completely.
There were times when had doubts about it.
It was a natural fact that Leila was beautiful, regardless of gender or preference.
But was it possible for a beautiful woman to warm his heart in an instant just by laughing?
He thought maybe he was overlapping his mother in the laugh of the woman named Leila.
The woman who laughed innocently and purely.
He didn’t even know he might’ve been missing his mother, whose death he thought was fortunate.
He may have hoped that she would smile at him again, reach out and fill his empty heart.
“That’s funny.”
Theon refused to acknowledge his feelings. He wouldn’t admit it.
It was a woman who abandoned him. She was a woman who abandoned her child in order to live her life then died in vain.
She was a cold and cruel woman who’d never given her child proper love.
Why do you miss a woman like that? Why do you want her love?
He was busy filling up his chest with material things.
He wanted to be the lord to have more of it, and he, who was an illegitimate child, had to make desperate efforts to become the lord.
Even more so since he’d started at a much later age than other children.
But even while thinking so, before he knew it, his ears were picking up every news concerning her and his feet moved to the place she was.
He was happy if he could run into her by chance, and when he got the opportunity to dance with her, he was so excited he felt like he could fly.
He was pleased just watching her from afar. His heart beat increased whenever her eyes met his, and as if she knew, she gave him a gentle smile.
“Are you perhaps just looking for someone to spend time with so it’s not boring?”
One day, when he was dancing with her, Leila asked.
Looking at her face, she didn’t seem to be blaming him.
Nevertheless, his heart fell to the floor with a thud.
He was afraid he might have done something, that he might have offended her and she would never smile at him again. He couldn’t bear the thought.
“No, it’s the greatest joy and honor of my life to be with Lady.”
He answered in a hurry, but felt like it wasn’t enough. Still, he couldn’t figure out what else to say.
“I’m so honored and happy. I just…I’m just nervous.”
Leila laughed at the silly words he’d hesitated to bring up. Her smile was so bright it looked like it was bathed in sunlight.
Theon realized it only then. It was too late.
Whether it was because of his mother’s shadow or something else, he’d already fallen in love with Leila.
Theon let go of all the doubts that plagued his mind his mind and decided to admit his feelings.
Unfortunately though, like most of the world’s first loves, his love would not come true.
“Why?”
Leila’s attitude changed considerably from that day.
“I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well, so I want to rest for a while.”
She repeatedly refused whenever he asked her for a dance, and when their eyes met, she looked away as if she could not recognize him.
The more Theon tried to get close to her, the farther away she got. Just like his mother.
She treated him merely like a passing neighbor’s child, a cat digging through garbage, or a stray dog that would roll on his back when given food.
Without knowing it, he was deceived by her laughter and tried to approach her, but she coldly shook him off like the mother who’d abandoned him in an orphanage.
It was empty. It was as empty when a carefully built sand castle disappeared at once after a wave hit.
And the hole in his heart, the one he’d forcibly buried with materialistic things, emptied again – wasting all his efforts.
As if laughing at Theon for not understanding it could not be filled with those things.
An Endless winter came over Theon again.
Nevertheless, even though he knew Leila was trying to shake him off, he couldn’t get away from her.
He believed maybe she’d forgive him, smile at him again and share her warmth.
On the other hand, he couldn’t bear how pathetic he felt whenever he hung around her side even as he wished for it earnestly.
But there was nothing he could do about it. His mother was dead and could never be seen again, but Leila was alive.
He could meet her. He could see her smile from afar.
“:Don’t be silly.”
There was a ball held in the imperial court, and Leila attended it.
Theon paced after Leila, as he had been for some time, unable to overcome his patheticness and followed her into the garden.
“You’re young, your face is balanced. You should be able to deal with all sorts of women if you just lower your eyes a little.”
There stood Lishipe.
It was his first time having a private conversation with the Marchioness of Karsha, who was then called Princess Lishipe.
“I admit that she’s pretty, but it’s pathetic to see her just watching what she can’t eat.”
Lishipe wasn’t well liked. She was promiscuous and didn’t have a good personality either.
Apart from that, Theon didn’t have a good view of Lishipe.
It was because her red hair and green eyes reminded him of his mother.
“Do you want me to help you?”
Lishipe pointed her finger to Theon’s chest as she turned her face to him.
The exaggerated expressions and gestures she sometimes made reminded him of his mother again, so he didn’t want to deal with her even more.
Nevertheless, it was on a whim that he spent the night with Princess Lishipe.
It was annoying that she pointed it out even though he already knew he was stupid and pathetic.
He thought he’d be treated like a real fool if he ran away like this. He wanted to prove it wasn’t like that.
Theon hated her for her appearance, attitude, personality, speech, and behavior.
Even though he thought so, their fiery night ended up lasting for quite a while for no particular reason.
We just had good chemistry. That was all.
“I think you and I are really good partners. Our personalities don’t match at all.”
It wasn’t just Theon’s thinking alone. Lishipe was also quite pleased with the relationship.
The two met again a day later, and as the relationship continued, Theon gradually stopped looking for Leila.
“I’m pregnant.”
Then one day, Lishipe suddenly announced.
It was after they’d slept together, and Theon was putting on his clothes after washing up in this bathroom.
She lay limp on the bed and brought it up carelessly as if she was saying, “I’m going to eat now.”
“Do you know who the father is?”
Theon, who had become stiff for a while, replied casually.
Lishipe put the blanket between her legs and laughed.
“I don’t know. How would I know?”
Theon put his watch on his wrist and decided he should sort out and end his relationship with this crazy woman now.
The Marquis’ chronic disease was already worsening.
External wounds can be easily treated with divine power. Even if the arms and legs are cut off, they can be treated well.
However, in cases of mental and physical diseases, sacred power often did not work. This was the same for the marquis’s illness.
At times like this, the only thing divine power could do was prevent the deterioration of his condition and they had to rely solely on medicine for him to be cured.
Even after doing everything they could, the disease was getting worse, so the issue of succession would emerge soon.
The Marquis turned a blind eye to his official bloodline, because they did not possess the power of his blood.
Whom he chose was Theon, who though illegitimate, carried the power in his blood.
However, most of the people in the family opposed the Marquis’ will.
Thus, in order to overturn the game, the Marquis and Theon had to take out some special card.
“Daddy wants us to get married.”
While Theon was thinking about his family, he heard Lishipe’s words.
“…what?”
Theon unconsciously frowned and looked at Lishipe, who yawned.
“I heard your dad came to my father and asked for my hand in marriage.”
“Dad?”
“Yes, your father. He will use the power of the imperial family to make you the lord, and my father, he will get rid of his troublesome daughter.”
At the unexpected words, Theon panicked and swept his hair over his forehead.
“What about your fiancé?”
Lishipe had a fiance. He was the crown prince of the kingdom right next door, and if it went as scheduled, she would become the queen of another country.
Didn’t you go there just two weeks ago saying you were going to see your fiance?
“Of course we broke up! With what face can you send your pregnant daughter to another country?”
Lishipe continued with a chuckle.
“Actually, I had morning sickness while I was there, and worried about his future queen’s health, he had me do a medical examination and I got caught. I couldn’t even touch anything because he was making such a fuss.”
“Ha…”
“I didn’t know it until then either. My dad blocked the news well, but breaking up the engagement was inevitable. So, let’s just get married.”
I knew she was a crazy woman, but I didn’t know it was to this extent.
Theon was so out of breath that he couldn’t even laugh.
