Whoa, she got it right!
“Ding dong!”
“That’s an absurd statement, Your Highness.”
“Why is that?”
“Then rumors will spread quickly.”
“Rumors? What rumors?”
“Unpleasant rumors, Your Highness. They will speculate about the nature of our relationship.”
“That’s actually what I was aiming for…”
“What?”
“Oh, no. It’s nothing.”
As expected, it’s still a bit sudden.
‘I’ll have to bring it up again later.’
Claret decided to be satisfied with the progress she made and changed the subject.
There was still a month left to persuade Pristin anyway.
“Anyway, you’re going to the ball with me, right?”
“…”
“Pristin.”
“…If you wish.”
“Yes! I want it! I want it!”
Claret danced by moving her shoulders.
“I’ll have to call the designer tomorrow to order the dress for that day! What color do you like, Pristin?”
“I’m fine with any color.”
“Hmm… I wonder if gold would suit you, or maybe pink?”
Claret observed Pristin, narrowing her eyes.
“Pristin, you’re so beautiful that anything you wear will definitely look good on you!”
Jerald quickly disappeared from the subject. As a result, Pristin’s head, which almost became complicated, quickly stabilized.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Even after the dinner, Pristin and Claret talked over dessert for a long time.
The longer the conversation went on, the more desserts were placed on the table. Pristin unconsciously took them to her mouth during the conversation, and when she came to her senses she found herself eating more than usual.
‘I’m bloated…’
As a result, Pristin was slightly uncomfortable inside after returning to Camer Palace. Pristin murmured, narrowing her brows.
“Did I eat too much…”
Since she ate while talking, she thought that she might’ve eaten it unconsciously.
When Pristin showed signs of discomfort, Aruvina asked Pristin with a worried face.
“Shall I call the palace doctor, young lady?”
“No. It’s all right, Madame Korsol.”
Pristin tried to smile and shook her head.
“I’ll be fine after a short walk. Sitting for too long is getting to me. I’ll go for a walk for a moment.”
“Let’s go together.”
“I’m just going right outside.”
Pristin shook her head with a reassuring expression.
“The imperial palace is a safe place. I’ll go alone.”
“But…”
“I want to walk quietly alone. I’ll be back soon.”
Aruvina nodded as if understanding the added words. Pristin immediately left the chamber.
‘I think there was a small garden nearby.’
Thinking that nothing would be as romantic as a walk in the moonlight, Pristin slowly began to walk in search of the garden.
It had only been a day since she entered the palace. The geography of Camer Palace was still unfamiliar to her.
“Is it here?”
Suddenly, Pristin found herself unsure if she had found the right place while looking at the blooming flowers around her.
“Ah…”
As Pristin was looking around, an unexpected person entered her field of vision. Startled, Pristin instinctively crouched down and sat on the spot without realizing it. She quickly moved behind a nearby tree and looked back at the person she saw first with a bewildered expression.
‘It’s His Majesty.’
It was Jerald.
‘What is he doing here at this late hour?’
The thought didn’t take long. Pristin quickly remembered that the central palace was right next to Camer Palace and sighed.
Oh, she should have thought about the possibility of their paths crossing.
‘More than that, why did I hide…?’
There was no reason to hide, but Pristin had hidden behind the tree.
She thought deeply about the reason and quickly came up with an answer
‘…It’s because I don’t want to bump into him.’
There was nothing good that would come out of meeting face-to-face. Based on Jerald’s attitude to her today.
His intentions toward her were clear, and she couldn’t comply with his desires.
So it would be better for both of them not to encounter each other.
‘I think I’d better go back quietly.’
Pristin, who was still hiding behind the tree, was about to move slowly and return to Camer Palace.
“What are you doing here?”
“Eek!”
Startled by the sudden voice, Pristin stumbled backward.
Seeing her reaction, Jerald chuckled with a somewhat perplexed expression.
“I’m more surprised.”
“…When did you?”
“I heard your footsteps, so I came to check it out.”
Jerald smiled mischievously and Pristin felt bewildered. Were her movements really that noticeable?
‘I don’t think my footsteps were loud…’
Not only that, she thought she was far enough away that he wouldn’t have noticed her presence. How did he sense her?
Was he always this perceptive?
“I didn’t expect anyone I wanted to see to show up.”
“…I see the sun of the empire.”
At that moment, there was nothing to respond to, so all she said was a simple greeting.
Her actions seemed so absurd that Jerald couldn’t help but smirk.
“Even in this situation, you’re still maintaining your manners, Pristin?”
“…”
“I didn’t know you were so formal.”
With those words, Jerald reached out his hand to Pristin. She stared at his extended hand blankly. Somehow, in the radiant moonlight, his already fair hand seemed even whiter.
After a moment, she stood up on her own without taking Jerald’s hand. A tinge of bitterness appeared at the corner of Jerald’s mouth as he watched her actions.
After turning her back and preparing to leave, Pristin nodded once more in his direction.
“I shall take my leave now.”
“Where are you going?”
Jerald gently grasped Pristin’s shoulder as she tried to turn. And respectfully returned her to her original position. Pristin, who suddenly faced Jerald, asked with a puzzled look.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“That’s a question I want to ask.”
Jerald said in a slightly displeased voice.
“Who would say they’re leaving only three minutes after greeting someone?”
“…”
Right here.
“Didn’t you come out for a walk? Let’s walk together.”
“I was just about to go back.”
“Don’t lie.”
He wasn’t buying it.
“You could have come up with a more believable excuse.”
“I’m curious why you don’t believe me.”
“I’ve wandered around this vicinity for quite some time, and I never saw anyone else until now.”
Jerald murmured, slowly dragging up the corners of his mouth.
“I was alone. Until now.”
“…”
“Not anymore.”
“If you’ve been walking for so long, Your Majesty, perhaps you should return as well.”
“That was my plan, but then I saw someone I wanted to see right in front of me.”
A fleeting smile passed over his lips.
“Lucky me, aren’t I?”
“…”
His refreshing smile was once her favorite.
Pristin, who was staring at Jerald, bit her lips slightly without realizing it.
If he made that expression to sway her heart, he had succeeded to some extent.
“Let’s walk together, Pristin. It feels lonely when you’re walking alone.”
“…”
Pristin silently turned towards the direction of the garden. Jerald followed her, his face filled with slight excitement. As he walked toward her, he spoke again.
“Did you just have dinner with Claret?”
“How did you know?”
“I went to Camer Palace because I thought we’d have dinner together, but they said you went to the princess’s palace.”
“…Why would I have dinner with His Majesty?”
“We can have dinner together once in a while.”
“It’s uncomfortable.”
Pristin drew a line.
“And it draws too much attention.”
“I am the emperor.”
“That’s why it draws even more attention.”
Pristin spoke in a dry voice.
“The higher you are, the more you should be careful of the eyes of those below you.”
“I’ve been trying my whole life, but when it comes to things related to you, I just can’t seem to do it well.”
“…”
“Do you like Camer Palace?”
It was fortunate that the subject went elsewhere.
She couldn’t find the words to respond.
Taking a silent sigh of relief, Pristin opened her mouth.
“It’s such a beautiful palace.”
Pristin’s voice carried a tone of complaint.
“But it’s too extravagant for me alone.”
“I never thought of it that way.”
“I didn’t mean to say that it wasn’t a good contribution for having taken care of Her Highness the Princess, but it’s just too spacious for me alone.”
“But I couldn’t help it.”
“Yes?”
“The closest palace to the central palace was Camer Palace.”
“…”
It seemed like Jerald was about to reveal his ulterior motives.
Pristin looked at him with a bewildered expression, and Jerald casually asked.
“Didn’t you know?”
“…No way.”
Pristin answered in a bitter voice.
“I was just shocked by how openly you stated it.”
“No need to be shocked. I mentioned it during the day, didn’t I?”
Jerald spoke without taking his eyes off Pristin, who was walking ahead.
“I want to start over with you.”
“…”
“So I’ll keep appealing to you with my heart.”
“I don’t understand you, Your Majesty.”
Pristin spoke in a questioning tone.
“Reconnecting a severed bond is not an easy task.”
“I know.”
Jerald nodded his head in agreement.
“That’s why I’m making an effort.”
“…Is there a reason why you have to do that?”
Pristin asked, unable to comprehend.
“Everyone in the empire looks up to you, Your Majesty.”
“Does that hold any meaning?”
“Among them, if there is someone who captures Your Majesty’s heart…”
“Pristin.”
Jerald interrupted Pristin’s words with a gentle tone.
In that gentle voice, Pristin felt a subtle sense of intimidation and involuntarily closed her mouth.
“There’s no such person.”
“…”
“There wasn’t in the past and won’t be in the future.”
“…Don’t be so sure about that.”
“I have one more thing that I’m sure of.”
Jerald looked straight into Pristin’s eyes as he spoke.
“That my feelings toward you won’t change.”
“…I have no intention of accepting that, Your Majesty. I…”
Pristin opened her mouth with a complex-looking expression.
“If I dislike Your Majesty, then I do. It’s not good. Not anymore.”
“…”
“You will continue to be rejected. Then you’ll be hurt.”
And I, I don’t want you to be hurt.
“Naturally, your feelings toward me will fade.”
“I understand you hate me.”
No, he wouldn’t understand. He wouldn’t even be able to guess.
Pristin stared at Jerald with an expressionless face.
“That’s why I believe it’s only fair for me to get hurt.”
“…”
“The day I had to leave you first.”
Jerald said with a faint smile.
“I was prepared for that and expected it. There is no point in such a thing to me now, Pristin.”*
[*TN: He means that there’s no point in him leaving her now.]
“…Do as you please.”
Pristin said with a slightly suppressed voice.
“Because what Your Majesty desires will never happen.”
She has no intention of changing her feelings for him. No matter what happens.
“I will take my leave now.”
Pristin turned around without leaving out a polite farewell until the very end. He couldn’t hold onto her as she moved away from him. He could only briefly touch her with his fingertips that couldn’t reach her. When Pristin’s figure completely disappeared from his sight, Jerald murmured in a lonely voice.
“In this world, there is no such thing as ‘never’, Pristin.”
No matter how hurt or rejected he may be, he had no intention of giving up.
If he had even the slightest thought of giving up, he wouldn’t have even considered bringing her into this place.
