“Pristin?”
Claret asked, widening her eyes.
“Why? For what?”
“His Majesty said that there is something to discuss about the palace.”
“Oh, really?”
Claret said to Pristin, as if to be glad to hear it.
“Go and come back, Pristin. Let’s have dinner together when you come back. Yeah?”
“Yes. Dinner is fine, but…”
Pristin asked in a bewildered voice.
“Do I have to go to the central palace again?”
“Yes? Do you not feel like it?”
“…”
She didn’t feel like it. But it was hard to answer honestly, so Pristin just lied.
“…No, Your Highness.”
“Go and come back, Pristin. See you later!”
Claret sent Pristin off with a bright smile. Eventually, Pristin followed the servant of the central palace and found herself once again meeting with Jerald.
‘Since I had something to discuss regarding the palace issue anyway.’
Pristin thought to herself, not to feel burdened, and finally stood in front of the same door she had entered earlier.
“Your Majesty, Lady Lamont has arrived.”
“Please send her in.”
When the emperor’s permission was given, the servants from both sides opened the door.
Pristin stepped inside with a slightly tense expression.
Jerald, who was enjoying his tea, smiled warmly and greeted her.
“Welcome, Pristin.”
…It seemed like now all formalities were thrown out the window.
Pristin looked at Jerald with embarrassment. But she soon greeted him casually.
“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor, the sun of Limburg.”
“We don’t need such formality between us, Pristin.”
“That was the case before when I didn’t know you were the emperor.”
Pristin went on calmly.
“But not now.”
“…Are you treating me like any other man?”
“I’m not treating you like any other man, Your Majesty. I’m treating you as you are, Your Majesty.”
Pristin, who approached Jerald, asked.
“Why did you give me the palace?”
“It’s a reward for taking care of the princess in exile and for saving her life.”
“It’s too much, Your Majesty.”
Pristin said, shaking her head.
“I will reside in the princess’s palace. Just one room is enough. I believe that is what the princess would prefer as well.”
“Well…”
Jerald asked with a smile that seemed to hold a hidden meaning.
“Are you sure?”
“…What do you mean?”
“That is to say that Claret may prefer to comply with the decree I have given.”
“Why? It’s easy to call and meet if we were in the same palace…”
“That’s true in the short run.”
Jerald continued with cryptic statements.
Pristin narrowed her brows as if she could not understand him. Then she soon redirected the conversation back to the original topic.
“In any case, take away the decree, Your Majesty. It’s too much.”
“Are you completely disregarding what I said initially? The value of the princess’s life is even greater than that.”
“I understand, but I don’t want it.”
“Why?”
Jerald, who asked the question, rose from his seat. Then he began to approach Pristin with slow, deliberate steps.
Pristin, realizing that she was at the end of Jerald’s gaze, pulled herself back in an involuntary panic. Seeing her reaction, Jerald asked.
“Are you afraid?”
Caught off guard by his ambiguous question, Pristin couldn’t answer and only bit her lip. Meanwhile, Jerald continued to advance towards her.
Before she knew it, the distance between Pristin and Jerald became very close. Feeling overwhelmed, Pristin unconsciously took a few steps backward.
Despite Pristin’s retreat, Jerald continued to close the distance between them, resembling a predator closing in on its prey.
At last Pristin’s heels, which had kept backing away, touched the wall, which meant that she could no longer run away. Pristin made a dry sound, embarrassed by the unexpected wall.
“Ah…”
With nothing more to do, she finally looked up.
There was Jerald, who looked at her with a gaze that seemed unrecognizable. His eyes seemed to be longing for the answer to the question he had asked earlier.
Pristin made eye contact with Jerald for a moment, and soon, unable to bear the burning gaze, opened her mouth; her voice feeble.
“Whatever it may be, I am afraid, Your Majesty.”
“Why?”
“Because Your Majesty is Your Majesty.”
Pristin hesitated for a moment and then opened her mouth.
“You may have guessed, but I am a fallen noblewoman.”
Even if it wasn’t the case when they first met, it was undoubtedly true now.
“The reason we were able to have a relationship as a man and a woman in the past was purely because I thought you were a servant of the imperial palace.”
“…”
“I do not take issue with the fact that you deceived me. I also deceived you, and considering Your Majesty’s status, it is not unfathomable to act in such a manner. However, if I had known then that you were the Crown Prince of Limburg, I never would have…”
“Stop.”
At that moment, Jerald interrupted Pristin. She stared at Jerald with no sign of displeasure. It was less painful to accept his eyes than before.
But that was also brief. As the burning eyes of desire turned into a pitiful, wounded ones, it became difficult to see.
In whatever way, his gaze made her suffer. If that was the ending, then it was the ending.
“Stop it, Pristin.”
“…”
“The important thing is that I’m not completely unappealing to you as a person.”
“That’s…”
“If I was unappealing to you as a person, you wouldn’t have even tried to establish a relationship at all. Right?”
In the questioning voice, there was a kind of sadness. It seemed like each of his actions was trying to find positive clues in their relationship. His feelings were conveyed so well that Pristin couldn’t answer for a moment.
And after a long while, she finally spoke again.
“Is that important now?”
“It is important.”
Jerald nodded and said in a voice of certainty.
“It’s not because I’m unappealing that you’re pushing me away.”
“While Your Majesty may find that more important, there are other things that matter more to me.”
“You’re a noble anyway. So any disqualification for our relationship…”
“Your Majesty.”
Pristin interrupted him, quietly calling Jerald. Jerald, with a somewhat dazed expression, stared at Pristin. His face was expressionless, and in an atmosphere that seemed even colder than before, Jerald couldn’t easily continue speaking.
“Do you think I am simply trying to cut off my relationship with Your Majesty because of the wall of status?”
Various emotions were revealed on the face that asked that question. Disillusionment, bitterness, resignation, and affection. Too many emotions were mixed and intertwined, making it difficult to discern which one was the essence. Perhaps they were all the essence.
Jerald replied, narrowing his brows.
“It sounds like there’s another reason.”
“…”
“Tell me. What is it?”
“No. I don’t want to answer.”
“Pristin.”
“There are many noble ladies in the court, and the majority of them want Your Majesty.”
Pristin spoke to Jerald in an emotionless voice.
“You won’t have a hard time finding a new woman.”
At Pristin’s words, Jerald stared at Pristin with a somewhat shocked face. Pristin deliberately turned away from his eyes.
It was obvious what he would look like even if she didn’t look. A face filled with disbelief, as if asking how she could say such a thing. A face that was deeply wounded, making her feel incredibly weak.
Knowing this, Pristin avoided looking at his face even more. If she did, her resolve would weaken. That was certain.
“So please withdraw the edict for the palace, Your Majesty. I’m afraid it will only give rise to negative rumors about Her Highness and Your Majesty because of me for nothing.”
“There is no one daring enough to utter such disrespectful words towards the royal family, unless they want to be thrown out of the empire.”
“It hasn’t been long since you rose to the throne.”
Pristin went on, disregarding Jerald’s calm demeanor.
“Although you have ample legitimacy, there have been significant incidents along the way. It’s better to be cautious and prevent anything from happening.”
“…Seems like you’re not completely indifferent to me.”
Jerald said with a faint smirk.
“Seeing you have such worries.”
“It’s merely loyalty that I have as a citizen of the empire towards the royal family.”
“…”
“It is neither more or less, Your Majesty.”
“…You’re cruel.”
Jerald murmured in a slightly trembling voice. Pristin, who had been looking elsewhere the entire time, turned her gaze. And as she confirmed Jerald’s eyes, which were trembling as much as his voice, she unconsciously bit her lip.
“It seems like you’re deliberately trying to hurt me.”
“…”
“I heard that you wrote a contract with the princess stating that you will stay in the palace for the time being, right?”
Still staring intensely at Pristin, he spoke with eyes that seemed slightly more bloodshot than before.
“I have no intention of withdrawing the edict.”
“Your Majesty.”
“If you want that edict to be rescinded, reconsider our relationship.”
“…”
“That’s all I want from you.”
There was not a smile on Jerald’s face, as if to show the truth of the words. Pristin was speechless and looked at Jerald.
And after a while, she opened her mouth in a nonchalant tone.
“Then grant me the smallest palace, Your Majesty. I don’t want to waste it.”
It was a waste of her to use the palace alone, who was already not even an imperial family member, but in the current situation, there was no choice. Pristin added with a dry voice.
“Furthermore, there’s no need to assign maids to me.”
“There are maids assigned to each palace as basic management.”
Jerald asked in a voice full of despair.
“…Do you dislike starting over with me that much?”
Pristin did not reply. Silence was positive.
In such a situation, Jerald let out a hollow laugh and muttered softly.
“Fine. There will be plenty to see in the future anyway.”
“…”
“Aruvina.”
And immediately, he called out someone’s name. After a moment, the door opened, and a middle-aged lady entered.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Did you summon me?”
“From today, you will be in the service of Lady Lamont, not me.”
“Your Majesty.”
It was a lady of high rank who came inside. Moreover, it was highly likely that she was the closest to the emperor, considering that she resided in the central palace. Pristin looked at Jerald with bewildered eyes, as if it couldn’t be possible.
“Assist Lady Lamont in her stay at the palace and ensure her comfort.”
But he went on coldly. Just as Pristin did to Jerald earlier.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall fulfill your command.”
The lady, who had never even heard of someone named Lamont, replied casually.
Pristin felt uneasy at Aruvina’s excessive loyalty. Shouldn’t she at least ask who she was and why she was to serve her?
As she was caught up in such thoughts, Jerald’s voice followed.
“From today onwards, you will reside in Camer Palace. Help Lady Lamont prepare the necessary things.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her without any inconvenience.”
Aruvina replied in a polite voice, and immediately turned to Pristin.
“Follow me, young lady. I’ll take you to Camer Palace.”
“…”
Pristin had nothing more to say to Jerald at that moment. She gritted her lips, glancing at him for a moment before finally turning away. Jerald watched the back of Pristin leaving the room with Aruvina until the end, and only after the door was closed did his composure appear to falter for a moment.
“Hah…”
A deep sigh came out of his pursed lips.
It was true that the ending had not been ideal, and the price to pay would surely not be insignificant.
