Chapter 13

“Alright.”

For the first time, Louis accepted the other person’s flower, his eyes softening with a gentle smile. He wrapped an arm around my waist, his white-gloved hand drawing me close.

“Lady Leonia, you never fail to surprise me.”

Louis chuckled as if amused and whispered, pulling back slightly. Before I knew it, with the face of a man in love, he pressed a kiss to the back of my gloved hand.

“Honestly, how is something like that even possible…”

“…I’m not seeing things, am I?”

By now, everyone had moved beyond surprise into sheer astonishment. Whispers like, ‘Since when? How did that happen between those two?’ filled the banquet hall.

Right now, no one was even thinking about Diego and his fiancée.

It was truly a satisfying banquet.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

“How was the result of your public confession? Are you satisfied?”

Louis asked as he walked down the corridor, still looking every bit the devoted lover.

“I think it wasn’t bad.”

“‘Wasn’t bad,’ huh.”

He had a faint smile on his face, but it didn’t seem to be one made out of amusement.

“Is that all?”

Was he upset that I used him for something so trivial?

All of a sudden, I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. We’ve been heading somewhere secluded for a while now, but surely not…

‘…He’s not planning to stage an accident and kill me, is he?’

Coincidentally, today was the day of the banquet that marked the beginning of the original story. If things had gone the way they were supposed to, I would have been murdered by Diego’s hand tonight, and Alice was meant to witness it.

‘Fortunately, that doesn’t seem possible now.’

The last glimpse I caught of Diego’s face was horribly twisted. In all the years I spent as his fiancée, I had never once seen that look on his face. I’ve trampled his pride so completely that there was no way he would come near me today. And now that my relationship with Louis had been made official, even the emperor’s arranged marriage could probably be overturned.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”

I lifted my head at the voice cutting through the silence.

“That poem I included with my letter before. I hear that these days, many people simply think of it as an ordinary love poem.”

He seemed curious about how I knew the true meaning behind that ancient poem. The truth, of course, was that I had read the original novel, but I could never admit that.

“Was it Lian who told you? I heard you two used to study the ancient language together.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I nodded without even pausing to breathe. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little guilty, but it was too late to start denying it now.

“Can I ask you something as well? Why did you go so far as to send that poem as a clue?”

I swiftly steered the conversation away instead.

“Did you decide I was only worth keeping by your side if I was sharp enough to notice?”

“Nothing would’ve changed even if you hadn’t caught on. Though I might’ve been a little disappointed.”

“…I see.”

He had rambled about first loves and said sweet things, but in the end, he was still as ruthless as ever when it came to anyone incompetent. Then again, when it came to scheming against the emperor and his successor, it was only natural to be cautious.

Just then, I heard unfamiliar footsteps in the quiet corridor.

“There you are.”

The owner of the footsteps was the emperor’s attendant, delivering the message that the emperor was looking for Louis. He was probably trying to confirm the details of tonight’s spectacle and pressure him to abandon our engagement, though I doubt Louis would listen to him.

“I’m afraid I must step away for a moment.”

Louis, looking terribly regretful, pressed a kiss to the back of my gloved hand.

“I’ll be back soon, so wait for me just a little.”

“I’ll be waiting on the third-floor terrace.”

The exchange felt so natural, like we had done it a hundred times before, so I responded with a faint smile. It was only after Louis and the attendant disappeared down the hall that I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

‘Acting really isn’t for everyone.’

I was supposed to look head over heels in love every time I saw Louis’s face, but pulling it off was harder than I thought.

“Hey, Leonia Bellasi.”

I was making my way to the first terrace on the third floor when a familiar voice stopped me.

“What brings you here, Marquis?”

“What, am I not allowed here? Oh, were you trying to set the mood with the Duke, and I got in the way?”

“If you know that much, then just leave.”

Diego’s face contorted with anger at my cold reply.

“You’re just putting on a show because you don’t want to marry that old man, aren’t you?”

I ignored him and stepped out onto the terrace. If I didn’t respond, he’d eventually get tired of it and walk away on his own.

“Did you throw yourself at Louis Arvan?”

I scoffed when Diego followed me onto the terrace with his question.

‘So that’s the level of his thinking.’

“Unfortunately, the Duke isn’t the type to be swayed so easily.”

If anything, he was the kind of man who would cut my throat if I tried.

“He’s someone with a spotless private life.”

“…Do you actually love Louis Arvan?”

“Well, I’m not sure it’s love just yet. But it might become that soon.”

His face froze for a moment, but then he quickly put on a sneer.

“Funny, coming from someone who chased after me for over ten years.”

Even though he said that, his hands were shaking. When I met his gaze with a quiet smile, he scowled and shoved me toward the terrace railing.

“You once told me to jump off a tower, didn’t you?”

‘…This is starting to feel dangerous.’