When the Main Protagonists Broke Up

After the dissolution ceremony, I returned home right away.

When I passed through the gate and reached the front of the mansion, my parents were out.

“Belita!”

“Belita!”

At the sound of the two calling me, I quickly got off my horse and ran towards them.

“Father! mother!”

Mother first took me in her arms.

As I crept into her arms, I felt that I had finally returned to my mother’s side.

“Belita.”

“Mother.”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine, mother.”

“I’m glad.”

Even after confirming that I was fine, my mother’s voice grew weary. “Mother, I’m back, so don’t cry.”

“I’m happy, I’m happy.”

“Why are you crying on this fine day?”

“It’s good that Belita is back safely.”

I gently stroked her back as she sobbed a little.

At the same time, she made eye contact with her father, who was behind her mother, and smiled lightly.

‘I’m back.’

Now, even without saying anything, I could tell what his eyes meant.

After the tearful reunion, the three of us ate for the first time in a long time.

Most of the time, I ate alone, and my mother and father just stared at me as I ate.

It was a bit burdensome, but I acted more courageously because I knew how they were waiting for me.

“So, that Ryan you brought…You mean he was a prince of the

Luden family? The name…Yeah, it was Clayton Luden, maybe?”

“Yes, that’s right, Father.”

While eating, I told my parents about everything that had happened in Agger Castle.

Among them, the thing I was most curious about was the family of wind.

Unlike his position in Agger Castle, Clayton was imprisoned in the Imperial Palace as soon as he entered the capital.

It was the emperor’s name.

Even if the Luden family was really framed, he was still the son of a traitor because the family had not yet been restored.

Clayton nodded as if to tell me not to worry as he was being taken by the knights.

But I couldn’t let it go like this.

For him, or for Clayton, who was Ryan, I wanted to do anything I could.

That’s why I had to gather as much information as possible about the Luden family, and I knew that there was no one like my father.

“The boy suddenly became an adult while trying to save you? It’s hard to believe because I haven’t seen it myself.”

“But everyone there saw the moment.”

“Hmm, that’s right.”

“The Duchess of Louden was a collateral descendant of the House of Water, maybe?”

“Right.”

“It looks like the Duchess of Luden gave Prince Luden a potion that slows his growth.”

“It seems so. That’s why I’ve been in the form of a boy for over 20 years. I heard that he ran away then, but there was no news so far, so I thought he was dead.”

I was watching the two of them talking, and at the moment I saw my parents exchanging glances.

And after a while, the father opened his mouth.

“I don’t know where to start talking…. The reason I haven’t told you about the family of wind until now is because of Ham Gu-ryeong, but it’s also because I decided that there was nothing good to know.”

“Yes, Belita. There were things involved in that matter that even we didn’t know much about, so we couldn’t just say it out of our mouths.”

My mother agreed with my father’s words with a worried look.

“If it hadn’t been for that child, or Clayton Luden, who had saved your life, I would have remained silent as I have ever been.”

My father still seemed to be struggling.

I waited quietly for my father to speak again.

“Good night. I also always had a burden in my heart about the Duke of Luden leaving like that, so I want to get rid of that burden this time.”

And after a while, I heard a story through my father that I hadn’t heard from Clayton.

“It’s been over 20 years, but I remember that day exactly. That day, as usual, nobles were gathering and having a meeting, but suddenly the Duke of Bayon and knights came in. Then, he immediately grabbed the Duke of Luden, and the Duke of Bayern tried to stop him from using his power.”

“You used your hand to stop using your strength?”

“Yes, the necklace imbued with iron power was quickly filled around the Duke’s neck.”

It was probably the same kind of necklace that Aiden and Owen Est were wearing.

I managed my expression as if I was hearing it for the first time as much as possible. “Is that possible?”

And I asked my father a question that I could have asked if I had heard it for the first time.

“Possible. But that power does not work in our family.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t work?”

“Fire is the opposite of iron, so you can suppress the power of iron with the power of fire.”

Oh, so that was it.

Now I understand how I was able to disable Aiden and Owen Est’s collars.

“Yes…That’s right.”

“Anyway, after arresting the Duke of Luden that day, the Duke of Bayern said that. That the Duke of Luden committed treason.”

“Then, did your father not notice anything until then?”

“I had no idea. That’s why it’s more mysterious.”

Well, my father was one of the four dukes of the Empire, and his eyes and ears spread all over the Empire.

And it was probably the same for other dukes as well.

“But what kind of treason have you committed?”

“It’s a monster.”

“A monster?”

“Yes, they say he tried to destroy the imperial family by using monsters.”

“Is that possible?”

“Well…. At that time it was not a question of whether it was possible or not. The evidence and witnesses presented by the Duke of

Bayern were so clear that no one could take the side of the Duke of Luden.”

“Proof?”

“At that time, it was a nuisance because monsters were infesting all over the empire. In particular, the momentum of the Papus guys who were pushing in from the west was serious. A secret document was found in the House of Wind promising that they would open the gates when they arrived in the capital. And the seal of the Luden family was stamped on it.”

“But that….”

“Yes, it could be fake. However, along with the evidence, witnesses also appeared, further corroborating the evidence.”

“Who was the witness?”

“It was a knight who was closest to the Duke of Luden. He testified that he was supposed to secretly open the door on the orders of the Duke of Luden.”

Irrefutable evidence and witnesses….

I felt an unknown sense of incongruity, perhaps because all the evidence to exterminate a family fit so tightly.

“By the way, my father said he wanted to get rid of the burden on his heart, but that doesn’t mean….”

“At that time, I was also distracted and just skipped over it, but after seeing it, there were not one or two strange things. But when I realized that, it was already after Duke Luden had been beheaded and the family was ruined.”

“Did your father find evidence that the Luden family was framed?”

“I haven’t found that yet. Haven’t you heard anything from that kid, no, Clayton Luden?”

“He said that the Luden family was framed. That’s why I’m sure you’ll get rid of that false accusation.”

“Clear your name….”

“If the Luden family was truly destroyed unjustly, I want to help him.”

At my words, my father suddenly stared at me and let out a deep sigh.

“But it’s not that simple. It happened 20 years ago, and it is an issue involving the imperial family.”

“I know. However, if all of this really happened because of someone’s lies, then I think it needs to be rectified now.”

I answered, staring at my parents with a determined expression.

“I know what you mean. Let’s think about this a little more. Rather, there are things you should know.”

“What is it?”

“The mansion we were using to investigate the carriage case caught fire.”

“Yes? Is there a fire?”

“Yes, the fire spread in an instant and those who were there lost their lives.”

If you lost your life….

“Who was in prison? What happened to the one in prison?”

“They say he was also found burnt to the bone.”

“Ah….”

It must have been Adela or the Duke of Bayern.

“Did you catch the culprit?”

“I couldn’t catch it. It just happened last night, so we haven’t investigated properly yet.”

That it happened last night, I couldn’t help but think that he was trying to kill Owen Est before I returned.

“I’ll be out for a while.”

“You must be tired, so where are you going?”

My mother said to me with a worried expression.

“I will go to the mansion used by the investigation team for a while. I will be back soon.”

“Take an escort.”

“Yes I will.”

After eating, I immediately left the house.

Originally, Lian was mostly in charge of escorting me, but when there were only unfamiliar faces except for one person in front of the carriage, I felt somewhat confused.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, lady.”

Still, thinking that it was fortunate that William was there, he got on the wagon and headed for the house of the investigation team.

“You guys wait here.”

“All right.”

After stopping the carriage in front of the gate, I quickly went inside.

And headed to the place where the purpose of coming here is the dungeon.

The mansion and its surroundings were completely devoid of their original appearance.

You could tell without looking that an enormous fire had engulfed the place.

‘Is this also aimed at me?’

Are you going to drive me to do that?

I went into the dungeon thinking that I would never forgive someone who even killed a person in order to somehow break me down.

Fortunately, the stairs to the inside were stone, not wood, so they kept their shape.

Entering the prison, the acrid smell was still full.

And just like my father said, I couldn’t find Owen Est or anything there.

* * *

After the disbandment ceremony, Aiden returned to the Bayern duchy.

Right before entering the mansion, he briefly recalled the conversation he had with Belita in the cave.

• But the duke must have known that the necklace had lost its power,so what should I do?
• I have a way.
• How?
• First of all, I’m thinking of wearing this necklace again.
• But you’ll get caught soon. If Aiden is in danger….
• It’ll be fine. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.

In fact, there was no clear way.

He just pretended to be there because he didn’t want to see her worried.

‘Ha.’

Perhaps if I went into the mansion now, I might get a new leash.

If so….

He was determined never to become Bayern’s dog again.

No, in other words, I thought I would never become a threat to Belita again.

‘Rather….’

Yes, if that were the case, his choice was only one.

He made up his mind and stepped into the mansion.

Aiden first headed to the office where the duke was.

However, the Duke’s reaction after seeing it for the first time in a long time was very different from what he expected.

He made no mention of the necklace.

‘What?’

I thought it was the duke who tried to kill Belita using the necklace’s power, but he was completely wrong.

Aiden tried not to show his expression in front of the Duke and left the office as if nothing had happened.

‘Then….’

Aiden went straight to Adela’s room.

And when he faced Adela, she didn’t miss the fact that her gaze briefly touched the area around his neck.

But she didn’t say anything about the necklace either.

I just treated him with an expression that was somehow anxious and hiding something, unlike before.

* * *

It was the day the victory banquet was held at the imperial palace.

I was very busy from morning to attend the banquet.

“My lady, you are so beautiful!”

“Thank you, Mary.”

Since today’s banquet was a victory banquet, the emperor ordered that not only the capital’s nobles but also local nobles attend.

Since it was a special day, I wore a red dress that could well represent our family.

After completing all the preparations, I rode a carriage with my parents and headed for the imperial palace.

Upon arriving at the imperial palace, it was certainly different from the previous banquet.

From the entrance to the imperial palace, carriages were lined up without knowing the end.

We quickly passed through the door next to it.

I guessed from the number of wagons, but the inside of the banquet hall was still crowded with many aristocrats.

“So many nobles came.”

“It’s a victory banquet, of course. In particular, local aristocrats have no choice but to come anyway, since they only have the opportunity to attend the banquet at the imperial palace.”

“Okay.”

Hearing his father’s explanation, he immediately thought of Clayton.

‘Considering his merits in the subjugation team, he is also a person who deserves to be here….’

I couldn’t help but feel bitter at the thought of him suffering in prison, let alone attend the banquet.

After a while, I followed my parents around and exchanged greetings with various nobles.

“Duke Heitz, long time no see.”

“Count Phares, long time no see.”

“I heard that Princess Heitz did a great job in the monster subjugation team. As expected, he is the next head of the Heitz family.”

“Hehe, what is the big performance? I did what I had to do for the empire.”

Even as he said that, the corners of his mouth didn’t go down and he stared at me proudly.

“It is very reassuring to have the Heitz family in the Empire. By the way, is it true that the Luden family’s prince came back alive?”

“Hmm, that’s right.”

News of the return of Clayton, the only survivor of the House of Wind, seemed to have already spread throughout the empire.

“I heard that you suddenly changed from a child to an adult. Is that true?”

“Right.”

“Then-.”

“Keuheum, we have to say hello to the others too, so let’s end the conversation here.”

When the count kept trying to pry something out of his father, his father cut off the count with a displeased face.

“Oh, sorry. I was talking too much. Then, if you call me anytime, I will see you separately next time.”

“Do so. Egg plant.”

“Yes, Father.”

I was about to move after my father when I heard the door open.

Naturally, his eyes turned to the door.

At that moment, Aiden’s eyes met as he entered the banquet hall.

‘Aiden!’

Aiden was so cool today.

I smiled broadly at him with a happy heart, but as soon as I saw the Duke of Bayon and Adela next to him, my expression hardened involuntarily.

But unlike me, Adela was staring at me with a sneer on her lips as if she were laughing at me.

But it was just a moment.

She quickly hid the expression she had given me, and returned to her polite expressionless expression.

The three greeted the nobles as soon as they entered the banquet hall, just like we did.

I followed behind my father and occasionally made eye contact with Aiden.

At those times, he and I smiled at each other, lifting the corners of our mouths without anyone noticing.

‘However….’

He looked sad for some reason when I occasionally peeked at him smiling at me but not looking at me.

‘Is something wrong?’

I guess I should have a talk with him.

So while I was thinking about how I could see him separately, the door to the banquet hall opened.

And this time Kane showed up.

He showed no hesitation and came straight to where I was at once.

“Duke Heights, Duchess, long time no see.”

“Duke Maxius, long time no see.”

Even as I exchanged greetings with my father, he cast his gaze at me all the time.

“Princess Heitz.”

Then, after talking with my father, he started talking to me in earnest.

“Duke Maxius.”

“Princess, how are you? Is there any uncomfortable place?”

“It’s okay.”

“Fortunately, the. Before returning to the capital, I was very worried that the princess might be hurt because she was caught in heavy snow and returned to the castle after a few days.”

“Heavy snow?”

“Heavy snow?”

Ha.

Why are you saying that here?

I didn’t tell the story of being stranded because of the heavy snow, fearing that my parents would be worried.

As a result, no one was hurt and returned safely, so it was okay to just skip it.

But that person blew it here.

Anyway, the ugly man chooses and does only the ugly things.

“Couldn’t it be that the princess didn’t tell you?”

“Yes, I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you would worry.”

“Oops, I made a mistake.”

Do you know you made a mistake?

“Belita, what do you mean? Did you get caught in the heavy snow?”

“It’s no big deal, father, mother. I went out of the castle for a while and then I couldn’t move because of the heavy snow.”

“Then why did you go outside the castle?”

“That…I have work for a while.”

If I said that I went to find Aiden here, it could reveal something related to him, so I reserved my words.

However, it was difficult to block that man’s mouth just because I didn’t care.

“You went missing with Prince Baian, and I also wonder why the two of you left the castle that day.”

“Are you Baian Confucius?”

Ha, that’s really crazy.

First of all, I felt like I had to calm down my agitated father.

However, many nobles were paying attention to us, as if my father’s loud voice had already resonated throughout the banquet hall.

And among them were the people of Bayern.

I made eye contact with Aiden for a moment and nodded slightly.

It meant I would take care of it.

“Father, I will go back and explain the matter. So calm down.”

“Yes, honey. There are many eyes to see. Calm down.”

“Kuhm, I get it.”

Thanks to my explanation and mother’s help, my father’s excitement subsided.

I glared at Kane with bitter eyes.

Then, just as he was about to say something to him, the sound of the horn announcing the emperor’s appearance resonated throughout the banquet hall.

Pooh-.

“Here is His Majesty, Emperor Christian Winston Baltheus, the brightest sun of Baltheus. Everyone, stand up and pay your respects to His Majesty.”

Following the attendant’s loud voice, the nobles who were sitting rose from their seats, and the nobles who were conversing also watched the door.

Following the emperor, the empress, the crown prince, and various members of the royal family were entering in a line.

When the members of the imperial family, excluding the emperor, went to the high table and took their seats, the emperor’s congratulatory speech began.

Most of the emperor’s congratulatory speeches were in appreciation for the hard work of the monster subjugation team.

In particular, he praised Kane at length for creating the antidote.

It is true that we fought the battle with ease because he created the antidote.

However, it was not right to praise Kane alone.

After a while, the congratulatory speech, which I did not want to hear, was over, and immediately the instrumental performance came out.

With the music, nobles filled the hall and started dancing.

I don’t really want to dance, so I just looked around, watching my parents go out to dance.

It was then that Aiden and I met eyes.

Despite the distance, I could now recognize him at once wherever he was.

And as expected, his complexion was not very good, as if he hadn’t seen it before.

There was definitely a hint of sadness in his eyes.

‘What the hell is going on?’

I was worried about what might happen to him.

So I nodded to him to come out.

After that, I got up and left the banquet hall and headed towards the garden.

After a while, I heard the door open and close behind me, followed by the sound of footsteps getting closer.

The banquet was in full swing, so no one was to be seen in the garden.

Still, just in case, I went deeper and deeper into the garden, where I could barely feel the presence of people.

Then, thinking that this was enough, he stopped, smiled brightly, and turned back.

Then Aiden looked at me and smiled softly.

“Aiden!”

Even though we were in the same space just before, I quickly approached him with a happy heart as if I hadn’t seen him in a long time.

Then he opened his arms and wrapped them around his waist, hugging Aiden tightly. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

I felt him wince slightly at my active skinship, but then Aiden’s large hands gently caressed my back.

It was so warm and cozy.

We held each other for a while, feeling each other’s body temperature.

Then, remembering his face earlier, I raised my head and looked at him.

“How are you feeling today?”

And I asked him how he was feeling.

“Great.”

“Really good?”

“…yes.”

“Hmm….”

I tilted my head and looked at him even more intently.

“Isn’t something wrong?”

“….”

Aiden didn’t answer, as if he had already noticed that I was asking something after realizing something.

I knew it.

I wasn’t mistaken either.

It was clear something was up with him.

“What happen? Can’t you tell me?”

“…Not really.”

“Then don’t you want to talk now?”

“…no.”

Even though he said that, he still felt sorry for him rather than feeling sad about his appearance.

So I buried my face in his arms.

Then, hoping for comfort, I stroked his waist and back as carefully as he did.

“…bell.”

His pleasant voice came from overhead.

But there was sadness in his voice.

I raised my head again and looked up at him.

“What’s wrong? What happen?”

He wasn’t crying, but as if he was crying, I reached out and ran my hand over his eyes.

He took my hand and put it to his cheek, closing his eyes.

I waited until he made up his mind.

And after a while, he opened his eyes and opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“Your brother….”

If it was a younger brother, he seemed to be referring to the younger brother who had broken up with the circus troupe he had spoken of in the cave at the time.

“Why is your brother? Did you find your brother?”

Even as I said it, I thought it couldn’t be.

If I had found my younger brother, I wouldn’t have looked at him like this.

Even though I couldn’t believe it, I desperately hoped that it wouldn’t be the way I imagined it to be.

But always the wind was mercilessly trampled.

“Your brother is dead.”

“Ah, my brother died…What do you mean?”

Unbeknownst to me, I even stuttered.

Surprised, I hurried out of his arms and looked at him.

‘Ah….’

Even though I bit my lips to not cry, I couldn’t overcome the sadness that was rising, and my heart hurt and my heart hurt just looking at his face.

“Either….”

I called him by his real name.

Come to think of it, comforting him was more important than knowing what was going on.

So I held him in my arms again.

This time, it wasn’t that he was hugging me, but that I was hugging him so that he could alleviate some of the pain.

Then she quietly shut her mouth and patted his back.

He must have felt my heart, and soon after, I heard a high-pitched cry from above.

He…

He was crying

However, even that cry didn’t feel good because he didn’t seem to be able to cry freely as he had in his life so far.

So I hugged him even tighter.

With a heart that wants me to cry more, to shake off even a little bit of the lump in my heart.

How does it feel to lose a family member?

I didn’t have it from the beginning, so I didn’t know the feeling of losing my original family.

So perhaps the original me would not have understood what state he was in now.

But now I had parents.

And Aiden was there too.

So it seemed like I knew it now.

I know what it feels like to lose someone dear to me, and the same tears welled up in my eyes.

After quite a while, Aiden’s crying stopped.

I quickly wiped away my tears and broke away from his arms.

Looking up at his face, he was speechless with tears.

The aftermath of the tears still lingered, and the corners of my eyes were red.

Of course, he will see me as well.

I reached out and put my palms on his cheeks and, as before, I rubbed his eyes gently.

Then, with his face fixed on me, he asked in a soft tone.

“Did you all cry?”

Aiden nodded softly.

“Lie.”

How can I overcome great sadness with this short amount of time?

It was a story that made no sense.

It was evident that he was deliberately holding back, fearing that I would worry more.

But as soon as I said it was a lie, his lips softened slightly and he smiled.

“I am not lying.”

When I looked at him with a puzzled expression, he opened his mouth again.

“I’m not lying because I’ve gotten a lot better thanks to Bell.”

“…is it so?”

If so, I was very fortunate.

The fact that I was a source of strength and comfort to him made me feel so relieved at this moment.

After looking at each other for a while, he opened his mouth.

“I went to Hemoa for a while before coming to the banquet.”

“Hemoa?”

“Yes, I went because there was someone who wanted to meet me.”

“If you want to meet someone….”

“Before leaving for the north, I drew my brother’s face and gave it to some of my subordinates. In the north, you don’t know when they’ll be back, and circuses aren’t the ones you see often, so you shouldn’t miss the opportunity.”

I nodded and quietly listened to his story.

“However, shortly after returning to the capital, one of my subordinates said that someone wanted to meet me. He said he pretended to know him after seeing his brother’s picture, not his brother.”

Aiden bit his lip, as if he suddenly remembered what had happened.

I patted him on the cheek to calm down.

Then he spoke again.

“I heard that I was taken to Hemoa, so I went to Hemoa and met that person.”

“Who was it?”

“Now that I’m an adult like myself, I didn’t know at first, but when I looked closely, I was a kid who used to be with the circus troupe.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but what he said….”

Aiden let out a long sigh as if he couldn’t speak any more.

“If it’s hard to say right now, you don’t have to.”

“No. It’s okay.”

I felt sorry for him when he said he was okay with an unfavorable expression, but instead of saying anything more, I continued to listen to what he had to say.

“What he says is that his brother has already died a long time ago…I did.”

“If in the past, when?”

“They said it was the next day after I left the circus.”

“The next day after leaving?”

“…Yes, the Duke of Bayern came to the circus one day. He stared at me and said he wanted to take me to the Duke’s house. I refused at first. Because I had a younger brother. But the duke made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“What suggestions?”

“You already know that circus children are abused there. Besides, the children there are always hungry. It is because adults say that you have to be light in order to perform acrobatics, and adults do not provide you with proper meals.”

I nodded slightly.

If you think about the condition of Ryan and the other children in the orphanage at that time, you can see how the circus treated them.

“The Duke of Bayern said he would take me first and if I listened carefully, he would bring my younger brother to the ducal family.”

“Ah….”

“So I followed. I judged that there would be a better future than continuing to be in the circus, and because I had the hope that I could bring my younger brother with me, so I followed the duke.” It was certainly an offer no one could resist.

And if it had been a child who had received such an offer, he would not have had time to reconsider.

“But as soon as I went, I put on the necklace.”

“As soon as we go?”

I was fully aware of the pain the necklace had given him, so I bit my lip.

“Yes, and from then on the duke controlled me with the collar and punished me if I did something wrong. Where I thought there would be a better life, it was a worse hell.”

“Then my brother….”

Even as I spoke, I already knew the answer.

I wouldn’t have taken care of him, let alone brought him.

Then…no way….

“Every time I asked about my brother, he said he was looking for a circus troupe. I believed it at first, but at some point I stopped believing it. So I started looking for it myself.”

“….”

“And it is only today that my actions are in vain…I found out.”

“Either….”

I called his name carefully.

Then Aiden continued talking with a sad smile.

“You said earlier that my brother died the next day after I left the circus, right?”

( IF YOU LIKE MY POST PLEASE DROP COMMENTS TO MOTIVATE ME THANKS)