Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: I Don't Love You Anymore
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Surely, it took something like this for him to withdraw his opinion.
He was utterly cold and calculating when it came to anyone who wasn't his own.
From my perspective, it was quite the asshole move, but for him, who'd decided to hold onto his position as prince, it seemed like a pretty good strategy.
...Of course, I had no intention of just taking it lying down.
It was time to etch it deep into his bones that Marso, who loved Ryan, was no longer here.
"I'm so glad you've finally come to trust me."
I flashed a blooming, flower-like smile at Ryan, who was waiting for my response.
"Right. So—"
"That means we can finally put this to a clean end, doesn't it? You've always denied me because of my feelings for you, after all."
I struck at the core.
The biggest reason Ryan hadn't believed I'd changed was because he thought I still loved him.
So, saying he trusted me ultimately meant...
"...What exactly do you mean by that?"
Ryan blinked.
With my smile unchanged, I interlaced my fingers and murmured.
"Well, obviously, that you've finally come to believe that I don't love you anymore."
I stared at him as I slowly let my smile fade.
"You've been tormenting me all this time, thinking I was framing Resuan because you couldn't believe it."
"Tormenting you? That's—"
"Oh my, you just acknowledged that I've changed, and now you're going back on your words."
Ryan bit his lip. The conversation wasn't going his way, and irritation was rising.
"I meant that I believe you won't harass Resuan anymore."
"I see it as the same thing."
The only reason I'd have to harass Resuan was Ryan. If I wasn't harassing her, that was proof I no longer favored him.
I hadn't sent him gifts anymore, written letters, or demanded anything.
Ryan's eyes shook like those of a lost child. It had been a long time since I'd seen him lose his composure like this in front of me.
Even when he'd come storming in before, yelling at me not to harass Resuan, he'd shown his emotions wildly—but for a different reason.
I took a step forward, staring straight into his eyes. I didn't avert my gaze because I instinctively knew this moment was different from all the previous ones.
Because I thought if it wasn't now, I could never shatter his foolish delusion.
"You didn't expect this from me."
The look in Ryan's eyes was different from how he usually saw me. Not contempt or disgust, but bewilderment—it was unfamiliar even to me.
As if, only now, he was truly facing the changed me.
Until now, he'd thought my actions were just a show to gain his approval. So he'd assumed that once he acknowledged me, I'd reveal my true intentions.
That I'd openly beg for his love again.
I'd finally shattered the rose-tinted glasses he'd been wearing.
Finally.
How long had I waited for this moment? With all the frustrating drama choking me, it felt like someone had poured a refreshing soda down my throat.
'Now that it's come to this, let's end it completely.'
I planned to re-enter society, so it was best to extinguish even the spark of rumors.
"I know Your Highness isn't one to speak with a forked tongue. You won't misunderstand any rumors from now on that I'm harassing Lady Resuan, right?"
"..."
"I'll make sure everyone knows that you won't."
In other words, this would make Ryan regret his words.
It would clear up the rumors and scratch at his heart—one stone, two birds.
Acknowledging with words alone that I'd changed was easy.
But I knew Ryan didn't truly believe I'd changed.
It was his stubbornness, his pride.
Yet as a prince, he had to protect that pride too, so he must be in quite a bind right now.
Well, what would he say?
I waited for Ryan's response.
It was time for him to drop the unusually soft mask and explode in anger.
Or else he'd shove some other reason at me, resort to threats, or make excuses.
But what came from his mouth was unexpected.
"You really don't love me."
It was a lament.
I furrowed my brow and let out a small sigh.
...What was this?
I'd thought there was nothing left to surprise me in front of Ryan, but this was honestly out of left field.
"You?"
His blue eyes gradually darkened. The eerily deep hue evoked the ocean.
"Isn't that what you wanted?"
"..."
"I've changed, and I won't touch you or Lady Resuan anymore."
I bristled with thorns again.
"A changed person came to see me, breaking their promise of seclusion."
That seclusion wasn't for you in the first place! It was because everything was exhausting, not some considerate act for Ryan.
Just as I was about to dispel his delusion, a massive roar erupted from behind.
An explosion? I whipped my head around and spotted what had once been a door, shattered amid billowing smoke.
The wreckage looked like it'd been hit by a cannon—pure malice.
Didn't the entire imperial palace have a barrier preventing magic use?
I was seriously pondering palace security when someone emerged from the smoke.
Darsi, elegantly brushing back his silver hair, walked in with his cravat loosened around his neck.
I flinched at his furrowed brow and advancing steps. Goosebumps rose on my back.
Was this the instinct of facing a beast? The raw side he never showed me made it crystal clear why he'd survived as a powerhouse.
Darsi lowered his head with a sigh-like motion, then lifted it—like the grim reaper himself.
"You fucking prince, pulling cheap tricks from where?"
Darsi crossed his arms and blinked slowly.
"I knew you were petty, but you picked the wrong person to mess with."
His words were icy as frost. Without waiting for Ryan's reply, he shifted his gaze to me.
"Do you even know what your actions just now mean for the imperial family?"
Ryan, as shocked as I was by the door, growled lowly, but it had no effect on Darsi.
He acted as if Ryan didn't exist.
As if to prove it, the fierce expression he'd worn while looking at Ryan bloomed into a fresh smile.
Vitality lit his eyes as they met mine.
He smiled. That beautifully painted smile was for me alone.
Seeing Darsi so freely reveal a side no one else saw sent shivers through me.
My face heated up.
It was because a base thrill surged at the fact that I alone could make Darsi smile.
Pure selfishness on my part.
"Listen when people—"
Darsi shoved Ryan aside and leaned close to my ear with a serious face, whispering.
"Shall we go?"
Had he noticed my flushed face?
I bowed my head to hide my nervousness.
"Yeah."
In the end, we left Ryan behind and stepped out.
As soon as Darsi and I exited the room, people waiting in the corridor rushed in.
Their common trait? They glanced at Darsi, flinched, and made way.
'So it was Darsi who did it.'
I'd suspected when he entered alone through the smoke, and sure enough.
"Why'd you blow up the door?"
"...Incidentally."
"Huh?"
"It's an event to show the nobles what kind of person I am today. Also a warning to Ryan to watch his step."
I'd thought he'd done it out of anger, but no. Makes sense—he wouldn't blow it up just because we were talking.
The Darsi I knew might look a bit crazy on the surface, but he was rational.
I felt sorry for almost misunderstanding him and stared openly, but Darsi murmured.
"Yeah, that's all."
"I know, I trust you. So, what image do you want to imprint?"
Darsi narrowed his eyes and leaned toward me. Then, as if sharing a secret I shouldn't hear, he whispered intimately.
"The kind of psycho you don't mess with?"
"Then it was perfect. The warning to Ryan definitely sank in."
Everyone attending the ball tonight would pass this corridor and see the disaster.
And the way he'd approached me earlier was truly...
His intent made sense. I praised him.
Darsi blinked at my words, then asked with a strange expression.
"Did I look that much like a madman?"
I nodded readily.
"Yeah."
"..."
Darsi's silence stretched oddly long. He stared at me, then asked.
"Marso, aren't you scared of madmen?"
"Scared?"
"I'll be imprinted with that image from now on. Won't it make you uncomfortable?"
I hadn't realized he'd thought that far.
"Of course, I'm not really that kind of person."
I knew that. He was actually this considerate.
The face Darsi showed to Ryan or others was crafted for survival.
'It'd be a lie to say I'm not scared at all.'
How lucky I was that Darsi was on my side. I couldn't even imagine having someone like him as an enemy.
Darsi bit his lip, looking anxious as he awaited my answer.
His slightly downcast face was like a puppy's. A puppy needing praise.
After a brief hesitation, I stood before Darsi.
"How could I, when I know what kind of person you are?"
With my sincere words, I placed my hand on his shoulder and patted it.
"Good job."
A smile bloomed across Darsi's face.
"Patting my shoulder... is that praise?"
"It's the praise I can give. Offended? Then I won't."
"No way."
Darsi shook his head at my words, then crouched down to look up at me.
...This angle was new.
"If you're at it, pat my head too. Say good job."
The praise-hungry puppy had become a seductive fox, tempting me.