He stood there, facing me, without saying a word for a while.
Then suddenly, he turned away from me.
What is he doing?
In confusion at his inexplicable behavior, I watched as he started walking briskly forward.
As he moved further away, I stared blankly at his retreating figure.
What’s going on… again?
It seems like he’s running away or something.
‘!!!!!!!’
Running away?
It seemed absurd that his back, moving away from me, was running away, even though he was not running.
Hey!
After receiving a confession, who leaves just like that?
Where are his manners?
I just stood there staring at his disappearing figure until he was completely out of sight.
Finally, when he was completely gone, my senses returned.
What was all that about?
It was truly baffling.
But soon, I corrected my thoughts.
I wondered how surprised and moved he must have been to leave like that without saying a word.
Phew…
I guess he was so moved that he was shocked, huh?
I’ll tell you more often from now on, to get used to it.
Once you get used to being loved, you won’t develop the dreadful sentiment of killing the woman you love, Calix.
With the warm sunshine-like feeling of a writer looking at the male lead, I firmly armed myself.
*****
Calix never felt afraid of anyone, no matter who the opponent was.
For example, even towards the factions of the Empress who sought to depose him and enthrone Prince Leon, he harbored no feelings of fear or dislike.
They were simply adversaries with opposing goals. But a strange woman appeared.
Kailyn Brockburg, the only princess of Brockburg House.
Clearly, her goal, like that of the Empress’s faction, was to secure Leon’s succession to the throne and her own ascent as Empress.
However, her methods were completely defying his predictions.
However, that method was completely breaking his prediction.
‘To launch a psychological attack by claiming affection… and that too, with hints of obsession and overwhelming possessiveness…’
Calix shuddered as he reflected on his encounter with Kailyn Brockburg during the day.
While it wasn’t as if her strange psychological attacks posed a tangible threat to him, considering she had been the main contributor to the alliance between the Empress and the Duke, Calix couldn’t shake off his inexplicable fear of her.
The confession of love, glistening eyes, blinking faces, even foreshadowing obsession, somehow looked like it was sincere and not a false craft…
‘Is she truly a master of psychological warfare?’
Terrifying obsession, terrifying possessiveness.
With her terrifying obsession and frightening possessiveness, and her skill at making him doubt whether the deranged lady truly harbored affection for him, Calix felt an inexplicable surge of emotions and tension in his left hand.
*****
Without knowing the future and without understanding his daughter’s heart, father continued to maintain a close relationship with the Empress, and Leon also occasionally sent flowers and letters to me.
Foolish people!
I’m starting to get tired now too.
The Crown Prince will kill you!
I didn’t convey Calix’s warning to my father.
Even if I did, it seemed like it would only worsen their relationship without offering any help, as long as my father didn’t change his mind.
The only consolation was that Calix would soon be better. Since I confessed my feelings to him, he would soon break down the walls of his anxious heart and naturally express his feelings towards me.
In the end, the relationship between my father and Calix would have to find a resolution after that.
Adjusting my survival strategy little by little, many days passed while waiting for a full-fledged reaction from Calix.
Meanwhile, something quite unrelated to my novel happened in our house, making it feel like a world away.
It was the presence of a character named Abby.
Abby, like a sparrow visiting a mill, often visited our house to spend passionate moments with my brother Luke.
Sometimes, when she visited my room after stopping by my brother’s room, there were several buttons scattered around as if they had been aggressive.
Perhaps it was the philosophy of putting theory learned from books into practice, as they began to apply it diligently to reality.
To intrude into a novel intended for general audiences and even to introduce 19+ content… I had originally set Luke’s character as a decent and upright man and a sister fool, but what kind of setting is this?
Recently, whenever Luke found an opportunity, he would follow me around, murmuring about how men couldn’t be trusted and how one should be especially careful around handsome men, probably sincere advice stemming from his own experience of losing control.
Fortunately, Luke’s room and mine were on the same floor, so Abby would run to my room like a squirrel, sew back the torn buttons herself, put it back on and go home.
Despite her openness and freedom, she was to become the future Duchess when she entered this house.
It seemed inappropriate to assign such sewing tasks to the maids
who would eventually serve her before she even got married.
And it wasn’t just any sewing—it was simply sewing back on buttons he had ripped off.
On this day, when Abby, after visiting Luke, came to my room, she proudly mentioned that only one button had fallen off this time and asked me.
“Lyn, shall we go to the opera recital at Letian Park this weekend?”
“Opera recital?”
What’s that?
“The performance this weekend is the opening act of the year.”
“Just the two of us?”
I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I pretended to understand for now.
“No, what’s the fun of just you and me going together? With Lord Luke… Again…”
Ugh, why am I getting dragged along when they’re going on a date?
“Just go with my brother. Why are you taking me?”
“What about Grand Duke Leon?”
“What?!”
My voice shot up sharply and loudly.
“Why are you so surprised, Lyn?”
“Grand Duke Leon? Why would he be there! I don’t want to go!”
“Oh my, what’s gotten into you? You were making such a fuss about getting married, and now you’re acting coy?”
Yeah, that’s what Kailyn did.
A dreamy-eyed romantic nurturing her love. She didn’t even know she was growing her own tree in her love garden.
Abby still thought that was the case. I need to make it clear to her that it’s not the case anymore.
“I have no interest in Grand Duke Leon anymore! Absolutely none! So don’t ever want to involved with him, Abby!”
I said firmly.
But with an indifferent tone and expression quite different from my firmness, Abby replied,
“Got it. Why are you being so uptight? I was just asking. It’s Just! Anyway, are we going to the opera or not?”
“Ah…”
Looking at Abby’s crestfallen expression, I realized that I had reacted too strongly to someone who didn’t know anything.
However, despite my self-reflection, Abby’s previously crestfallen expression disappeared, and she smiled, waiting for my answer.
Looking at her face, feeling embarrassed and sorry for speaking out in anger, I decided to go along with Abby’s rhythm.
I didn’t exactly know what an opera recital was, but I thought it might be nice to have a change of pace and lift my spirits.
“Sure. Let’s go!”
With an awkward laugh, my response sealed the decision for Abby, Luke, and me to attend the opera recital.
*****
I was eagerly waiting for the weekend, anticipating the start of the opera performance.
The opera stage was set up on the wide grassy area of the park, with the Letian River flowing on the right side.
Upon inquiry, I learned that this opera performance was a royal initiative to provide free opera shows to both nobles and commoners in an outdoor setting.
Of course, the noble seats were in the front, while the commoners’ seats were at the back.
Letian Park, Letian River…
While waiting for the performance to start, I suddenly remembered something and asked Luke, who was sitting beside me.
“Luke! Isn’t this where…?”
“Huh?”
“When I was young, I fell into the river. Isn’t this where it was?”
It occurred to me that this was the background of the accident, which led to Kailyn’s descent to the countryside estate.
I fell into the Letian River. Since we were playing by the water, it must have been a park. Luke’s eyes widened at my question.
“Oh!! That’s right. Yeah, it was here. I forgot.”
Ah… That’s right.
This is the park.
Although I had written about it, I had never seen the park and river in real life, so it felt strange to see them now.
Then, it happened.
The sound of rustling grass reached us.
Even though it was the seating area for the nobles, it was an outdoor stage set up in the park, so the seats were like mats spread out on the grass.
Our seating area, which was quite distant from the other guests, was reserved for high-ranking nobles, probably as important as our group, if not more.
“Oh! They’re here.”
Abby stood up from her seat with a big smile. Luke stood up, too.
Who came? And why did they stand up?
Turning their heads in the direction they were looking, I also stood up reflexively.
It was Calix and Grand Duke Leon!
Why did they come together like a set?
Especially Leon, why is he here?
Confused, I glared at Abby.
But Abby seemed completely unaware of my thoughts as she politely bowed and greeted Calix and Leon as they approached.
“Greetings to His Royal Highness and the Grand Duke.”
Ah, that Abby!
What’s that natural attitude?
She must have known that the Prince and the Grand Duke were coming!
Was I the only one who didn’t know?
Although it was a pleasant surprise to unexpectedly meet Calix, the fact that Leon was with him was ambiguous.
Has Leon’s leg healed enough for him to wander around like this?
He recovered so quickly.
However, I soon decided to compose myself and focus on the situation.
Pull yourself together!
Yes, this is an opportunity!
Once again, a chance to reveal my feelings to Calix.
Unbeknownst to me, it seemed that even Leon and Calix hadn’t anticipated meeting our group.
Then were Leon and Calix attending this event without any relation to us?
It was understandable for Leon, but why Calix?
Calix had no interest in anything other than the throne, war, and Kailyn.
He wasn’t interested in anything else.
He didn’t even try to hide his indifference.
Wait a minute!
Calix came to this park? That’s strange, isn’t it?
He usually avoids coming to this park since Kailyn’s accident in the water…
Why do he keep acting differently from the Calix I wrote about?
Oh?
But… the seats.
Amidst the various thoughts and concerns about Calix, Leon and Calix were already trying to take their seats.
Starting from the right, Luke, Abby, and I were seated in order, and the mat to my left was empty, but Leon was trying to sit right next to me.
No! That’s not possible!
I quickly spoke up.
“Your Highness! Please sit over here! This is the best seat with the best view… Grand Duke, since you might still be uncomfortable with your leg, it would be better to sit a little further out!”
Since it was the same mat whether it was this seat or that, my words were nothing but an excuse.
But Calix should sit next to me.
I wanted to avoid sitting next to Leon as much as possible.
It seemed like both men saw through my excuse.
Leon’s expression hardened, and Calix’s expression… um…
It was even stiffer than Leon’s.
We will be taking a hiatus for the meantime to put our studies and health first. Sorry for the inconvenience!
