– 22 –
Calix was unconsciously glaring at the letters on his left wrist guard that read, ‘Kailyn Brockburg – Don’t forget.’
She always said she came alone to the café alley. That’s what he had been told, and that’s what he believed.
But during the day, he saw her with Eden Darkus, the crown prince of the Darkus Empire.
Seeing the two of them sitting together in the café was unexpected. But what was even stranger was Calix himself.
He couldn’t understand why he was flustered seeing her with Eden Darkus, or why he even tried to pretend he hadn’t seen her.
Of course, it was even more absurd that he missed the timing to look away, and his eyes met with Kailyn Brockburg’s.
It had only been a few days ago that the woman who had said, “I like you” to him now that she was in a relationship with Eden Darkus.
Not that he had naively believed her words.
But still….
Dating another man so soon….
No, perhaps dating Eden Darkus is just another strategy?
Are they really dating?
So quickly after that?
In any case, what was certain was that the woman he saw today was definitely different from before.
When their eyes met, it was clear she was trying to avoid his gaze in a fluster.
Fiddling with his wrist guard without handling the piled-up documents, Calix suddenly glanced at the wall clock and frowned.
Quite some time had passed.
‘Why am I thinking about that strange woman? Looking at her strange behavior, it’s making me strange too.’
Calix threw the wrist guard he had been gripping.
He was furious with himself for spending the entire evening thinking about her.
*****
It was the day to go for a walk in the park.
“Your Highness Eden, I was thinking of going to the park today. If there’s somewhere else you’d like to go, just let me know.”
“????”
Eden looked at me with wide eyes as I spoke with a smile.
“Shall we go?”
Pretending not to notice his surprised eyes on me, I moved toward the front door first.
However, Eden followed behind me, asking questions incessantly.
“Lyn, what’s going on? You used to treat me like a nuisance, but now you’re suddenly being kind? Do you really want to date me?”
Ugh, my fate.
Date? Yeah, right.
I couldn’t believe I had to beg for my safety from a playboy like him.
“No, date? Your Highness, you’re a distinguished guest, so I’m trying to treat you accordingly. But are you sure you just want to go to the park? I usually just walk around when I go to the park, so there’s nothing particularly special about it….”
I mustered all my pretense to continue speaking politely and kindly to Eden.
It was because of the conclusion I had come to after thinking about exile.
Even if my status and position as an exile changed after my father’s death, it would be better to at least try than to stay here and wait for death with no recourse.
Though he may seem like a thoughtless man, Eden Darkus was the Crown Prince of the Darkus Empire, the most likely candidate for asylum at the moment.
Even though it was only a local war, the fact that he had the power to make decisions about future wars meant that I could at least get a sense of the Darkus Empire’s basic policies on refugees through him.
With asylum being my only means of survival, I needed to gauge its feasibility through him.
Unaware of my intentions, Eden kept scrutinizing me with wide eyes, puzzled by my sudden change in behavior.
“I don’t care if it’s the park or somewhere else, but why are you suddenly being so sweet? Are we really dating?”
Is there nowhere else for asylum but here? I really don’t want to plead with this guy.
“Hahaha, I’m sweet and kind to everyone.”
I answered cheerfully.
Let’s do our best. I need to extract as much accurate information from him as possible about my chances of survival through asylum.
On the way to the park, I tried my best to read Eden’s mood and keep him in good spirits. In fact, it wasn’t that difficult since Eden was naturally a cheerful person.
When we arrived at the park, it was less crowded than usual.
“Shall we sit on that bench and rest for a bit?”
I asked, worried that Eden might be tired.
“Shall we?”
As usual, Eden readily agreed, and we sat on the bench, watching the people in the park.
I glanced sideways at Eden.
The sunlight made his silver hair glisten.
I used to find that dazzling silver hair annoying, but today, for some reason, it seemed more appealing.
Maybe because he might be the lifeline to save my life?
“Why are you looking at me like that? Suddenly finding me handsome?”
Eden asked, looking at me
I must have been staring at him too intently.
Without a second’s hesitation, I answered.
“Yeah, you’re really good-looking. With your silver hair and blue eyes, what more is there to say? You were born with good looks. Who made you this beautiful….?”
It was me, I created you.
“Lyn, is something wrong? Do you really want to date me?”
“Dating? No way.”
I waved my hands dismissively.
Dating? Ridiculous.
No matter how handsome you are, I have no intention of dating a playboy like you.
I prefer a man with a good face, a good body, and a good heart.
And before any of that, I need to survive first.
“That’s a pity. If you liked me, I would welcome it…. I’ve been interested in you since the first time I saw you.”
Oh… really?
Now my story is running on its own.
I never included this setting.
This is going off the rails.
“Thank you for seeing me so kindly.”
I said as politely as possible, needing to make a good impression on him.
The continued conversation tested my patience and enthusiasm.
“And what’s more, our tastes seem to align.”
“Tastes?”
“Books, I mean. Just because they’re picture books doesn’t mean they’re all high quality. There’s a lot of crude ones out there. But you picked one with very high quality. I respect that.”
“??? What… ah!!!!”
A headache!
Not this book talk again!
Ugh, seriously!
Suddenly, Eden’s handsome face started to look annoying.
However, my will to survive was much stronger than my irritation, so I still maintained my politeness.
“Hahaha. Yes, the quality of the book is really no joke. It’s nice that we have the same taste.”
Not good at all.
Please, let’s stop talking about books.
Let’s not share personal tastes.
“So, why don’t you try dating me?”
Why does it always come back to dating?
Could he really be…..?
“Your Highness, are you really interested in me? Do you really like me?”
“Hahaha. Should I really take an interest? And like you too?”
Oh, come on!
That made me unnecessarily tense.
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
I politely declined.
Just have some goodwill towards me. Enough to answer my questions about asylum seriously.
It was a delicate issue to bring up, so I planned to take my time and look for the right opportunity while he stayed at our house.
*****
It was a strange thing.
Eden had been staying at our house for several days without doing much.
Other than accompanying me on my daily walks, he seemed to have nothing else to do.
It was strange.
Is the crown prince of an empire so free?
It’s surprising that someone who looks like an idler like him could have started a war….
In about a year and six months, Eden would start a war to seize Aolium, a chronic disputed area between the Everetian and Darkus Empires, while the current emperor, Klaus Everetian, was critically ill.
Aolium, a major iron ore mining region currently under Everetian control, was owned by the Darkus Empire until half a century ago.
Though there had been provocations at the border, it had been decades since a full-scale battle was fought.
Crown Prince Calix would rush to Aolium to counter Eden’s surprise attack.
While Calix was away from Everen, the Emperor eventually died, and the Empress’s forces, including my father’s, were able to establish Grand Duke Leon as Emperor.
However, this attempt at enthronement would fail within a few days.
Despite the surprise invasion and large-scale attack from the Darkus Empire, Calix would lead a victorious campaign and swiftly return to Everen, exterminating the traitorous faction.
The Empress, my father, my brother, Leon, who had been Emperor for a few days, and Kailyn, who also spent a few days as the new Empress, would all be killed.
After the bloody purge, Calix would demand accountability and reparations from the Darkus Empire for the invasion of Aolium.
As a result, Estelle, Eden’s sister and the princess of the Darkus Empire, would be sent to Everetian as a hostage.
To ensure they kept their promise not to provoke the border region again.
In my book, Eden’s existence was crafted solely to provide the pretext for the heroine, Estelle, to be sent as a hostage to the male lead, Calix, and to play the role of starting a war and then losing it. He was a highly incidental character, a necessary device in the story centered around the male and female leads, with no need for detailed descriptions of his inner world….
Yet, encountering Eden in reality, it was hard to believe he was such an idler.
Despite the role I assigned him, his current behavior while staying at my house made it impossible to see him as someone who could start a war.
In the story, he was a peripheral character, so his psychology or inner world could be ignored. But now that he had become a significant person in my reality, I was curious about the mental world of someone who started a war.
What kind of audacity and courage does it take to start a war?
Eden, who seems to have been born an idler?
The explanation is lacking… The explanation about him.
However, whether the explanation is lacking or not, it didn’t change the fact that I needed to find out the likelihood of successfully seeking asylum in the Darkus Empire through him.
As a result of my tearful kindness toward Eden over the past few days, he and I had become quite friendly.
Thinking it was time to inquire about asylum, I decided to visit Eden’s room on the second floor.
I planned to go quietly and secretly when all the employees were asleep.
After all, spreading rumors about asylum wouldn’t do any good.
Night finally fell, and I arrived in front of the room where he was staying.
I thought I’d casually bring up the topic, just in case, but my heart was pounding with desperation as I stood in front of his room.
Just as I was about to knock and reached for the door…
!!!!
I heard a sound from inside the room.
Strangely, it was my father’s voice.
At this hour? Why was my father in Eden’s room?
I looked around the hallway.
After confirming that no one was there, I hesitated.
Should I just go back to my room?
Or…….
Something felt off about my father visiting Eden’s room at this hour.
In the end, curiosity got the better of me, and I put my ear to the door.
If someone passed by, I could pretend I was about to knock.
As I pressed my ear to the door, I began to hear their voices.
