Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Prince's Selfishness
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Dazed, Ryan hurriedly shook his head.
“The person I love is you. What kind of thoughts would I have with someone I love...?”
He hoped Marso Etwar would remain the woman he knew.
“But from what I see, it's different.”
He hoped that blind gaze from their childhood would stay with her forever.
“Just as I confronted my own heart, I hope Your Highness can have that time too. I think it's the best advice I can give to Your Highness, who has truly respected and cherished me.”
Ryan stared at Resuan with a blank face.
Comically, the words about confronting his heart brought Marso's face to mind.
'What?'
He had a lot to discuss with Resuan today. He had planned to spend a pleasant time together and offer her comfort. Since he had saved her last time, he thought they had grown closer.
But what Resuan did was draw a line between them. She even gave him cold-hearted advice.
He thought they were finally becoming true lovers, but instead, things between him and Resuan had plunged deeper into a maze.
Where had it gone wrong? He truly couldn't tell.
It seemed impossible to continue the conversation like this.
“...You seem to have a lot on your mind too, so let's end today's talk here.”
He didn't know what Resuan might say next, nor what his own muddled head might think up.
As Ryan rose from his seat, he spotted a familiar figure approaching.
“Kaisen.”
The sight of him walking through the attendants looked more familiar than expected. Resuan greeted him naturally.
Ryan let out a hollow laugh.
“...Ha, what is this?”
He couldn't help but get angry.
Ryan muttered in a low voice.
“Are you pushing me away because of Kaisen?”
“No, Your Highness. I know both of you care for me, but my meetings with the Knight Commander aren't like that.”
“Then what are they?”
“The Knight Commander has been helping me with my exercise lately. He suggested it because I wasn't feeling well, and it was a good idea.”
Resuan answered in a calm, steady voice. There was nothing wrong with her words.
The anger that had just flared up stemmed from his own petty jealousy.
It was a side of himself he didn't want Resuan to see. Realizing his perfect image had cracked, heat rushed to Ryan's face. He felt genuinely ashamed.
He pressed his lips together and turned his back to Resuan.
“I'll come back later.”
After parting with Resuan, he pondered deeply.
She had told him to confront his heart. If he listened to her, could he truly love her?
He sorted through his thoughts about Marso.
He didn't believe Marso's words that she didn't love him.
“...No, I just don't want to believe it.”
Why was he so obsessed with Marso's feelings? No matter how much he thought, he couldn't understand.
“I don't know what my feelings for you are.”
Emotions that had once been clear were now shattered.
The one he had courted had abandoned him, and the one who kept coming to mind was Marso, whom he had rejected his whole life.
To him, Marso's love was like a gift he had received long ago.
It took a very long time, but Ryan finally accepted one fact.
“Of course, it means you believe that I don't love you, Your Highness.”
He recalled her face every time she said those words. That face irritated him beyond endurance.
He wanted those feelings back. Even if he wouldn't accept them.
Marso Etwar's love was too natural to him.
“If I go to her, talk a few times, and give her gifts, she'll come back.”
It had always been that way. She would seem hurt and distant, but when he pulled her back, she returned to her place in an instant.
During the past year, he had truly been bothered, so he had tormented her more. Her drastically changed appearance had made him sensitive.
Stay in your place.
In the end, selfishness took root.
Resuan had told him to confront his heart, after all.
Besides, he was in a position where he had to use Marso.
He had to make her love him... It was also an order from the emperor for the sake of the future.
This wasn't just for his own sake. It was part of reclaiming his place as the true prince by pushing Darsi aside.
It wasn't a bad start. Ryan recalled what he had said to Marso.
“It means I believe you won't torment Resuan anymore.”
He had even acknowledged that she had changed. The old grudges must have eased a bit.
So now, what he had to do was...
“I'll make you love me again.”
Just put everything back in its place.
His relationship with Resuan, and with Marso, the same.
'Why is Ryan here?'
He had to know this teaparty was made up only of factions supporting— no, backing—Darsi.
The fact that he came today of all days irritated her the most.
“You've accepted him.”
Ryan entered with a triumphant face and greeted the ladies. I let out a sigh.
“...We must have misjudged the person.”
Weruna whispered to me. It was the moment when rivals who had fought like they wanted to devour each other felt a sense of camaraderie as allies. I nodded vigorously in agreement.
“I must once again express my admiration for the Duchess's discernment.”
“I just like pretty things so much.”
“Prince Ryan has quite the looks himself.”
I subtly pushed Ryan forward.
“I like long hair. Men with long hair that suits them well aren't common.”
Unfortunately, it didn't work.
...Darsi is prettier anyway. With that proud-parent thought, I rose from my seat.
Now it was time to send off the uninvited guest. For once, Ryan had fallen silent. He seemed to finally realize something was off.
“A prince has come all this way; surely you know it's rude to send him off like this.”
Ryan laid down the threat.
“For someone in enemy territory, you speak so eloquently.”
“Enemy territory? The Prince Darsi and I share the same blood as brothers, so we must be on the same side. It's only natural for me, as the elder brother, to welcome him.”
It was nonsense by any measure, but we couldn't chase him out.
'And he calls Darsi his brother.'
I hadn't expected Ryan to be this shameless...
As I was thinking only of how to escape this situation, an idea suddenly struck me.
Ryan's reason for coming here was clear: to shake me and pull me away from Darsi.
Couldn't I turn that against him?
He knew my bond with Darsi was closer than expected. To separate us, he would need to sow discord between us.
That meant he would have to spill the information he knew to me.
Of course, I didn't want to be with Ryan.
But for information that could help Darsi, I could offer him a cup of tea. That was the best I could do.
Ryan had timed it perfectly, even thinking ahead to after the teaparty. In the end, I gave him the drawing room. Of course, only after seeing off all the other ladies.
Weruna, climbing into her carriage last, gave me a nonchalant farewell.
“Then I'll write you later. The best letter for Prince Darsi, so look forward to it.”
“...I'll be waiting.”
Ryan hadn't even registered with her, same as always. After seeing her off, I headed to the drawing room.
'I was planning to sort out magic tools with Eton after the teaparty...'
I could only hope the conversation would end quickly.
Seated, I clamped my mouth shut. There was no reason to speak first.
He was the one in a hurry, not me.
Ryan followed my silence, quietly gauging the mood. The reversed situation between us was absurd. Was he the type who could show such poise in front of me?
“...If I apologize for my actions so far, will you recognize my sincerity?”
So that's why he came—to spout more nonsense.
“Even if you apologize, Your Highness, it won't erase what you've done to me. And isn't it unreasonable to expect recognition of your sincerity from the one you're apologizing to first?”
Sighing, I thought of Darsi's face. Right, let's coax Ryan and extract some information somehow.
Honestly, it was doubtful if it would work.
Ryan didn't like Marso, and his current attempts to win my favor were just part of a strategy.
“...But if Your Highness truly shows me your sincerity, I think it could be different.”
I forced out words against my feelings and barely lifted the corners of my mouth.
Thanks to the past year of desperately smiling to win their approval, faking a smile to hide my heart had become second nature. So it wouldn't look awkward.
Ryan gazed at me steadily.
Seeing his somewhat impassive face staring at me made my stomach churn. What was he about to say now?
As expected, Ryan soon opened his mouth.
“It's been a really long time since I saw you smile.”
“...Pardon?”
But the words that came out surprised me.
'I heard he hasn't been seeing Resuan lately... Has he really lost his mind?'
After our conversation, whether he had truly decided to change, Resuan had all but vanished from high society.
'Not that it's any of my business anymore.'
Sighing, I spotted Eton beyond the window behind Ryan.
A chill ran down my spine.