Chapter 111

(Lurelia’s Belated Bonus – Update 9/14 🎉)

 

He moved his steps slowly.

“You may go.”

“Yes.”

After sending Jacob away, Ante sat in the place where Angelina had been sitting and picked up the torn and crumpled papers scattered on the table.

[Lina = me? Switched with Catherine?]

[Age 7 memories O – before that?]

[Dark Forest memories?]

[Is it that person? Brother is X.]

[Saint = First Flower?]

[Catherine friend? Role-playing?]

Though scribbled messily, he could roughly understand the content.

The memories from age 7, from the temple, had returned to her.

Ante already knew about that incident from asking Catherine.

How much effort it had taken not to unleash his anger on Catherine when he heard about it.

He had found another reason to hate the already hateful Order even more.

But…

“Thank goodness.”

It was truly fortunate. That the deeper memories had not been unlocked.

How anxious he had been, wondering if the memories he had tightly sealed might be released due to the influence of her recovered memories from around age 7.

Unlike the memories from around age 7 that disappeared due to shock, the truth from 18 years ago was something he had tightly sealed with magic.

That was also why he hadn’t revealed to Angelina that he was the Magic Tower Master.

Honestly, what was the big deal about being discovered as the Magic Tower Master? Angelina would surely find it fascinating and be pleased.

But the problem was the anxiety that if his identity was discovered, the sealed memories might seep out.

But thankfully, she still didn’t remember what kind of monster he was.

Ante rested his forehead on his hand that was clutching the papers.

“Thank goodness.”

As he whispered this over and over, that’s when it happened.

Tap, tap, tap.

There was a sound of something knocking on the window.

Ante’s face crumpled when he identified what it was.

He opened the window with magic, and a bird fluttered in, delivering a note. Then it burst and died.

“Still has terrible taste.”

Muttering quietly, Ante checked the note.

And his face hardened.

[You keep doing interesting things these days? Seems like you’re not afraid of that child learning the truth?]

With his face turning pale, Ante abruptly stood up and flung the door open.

The door broke with a loud noise.

“Huh?! Y-Your Grace?”

Jacob, who was outside, stiffened in surprise.

“Where has Lina gone now?”

When he saw from the window, she was definitely heading toward the Imperial Palace.

“Ah, she said she needed to see His Highness the Crown Prince, so she went to the Imperial Palace…”

“Damn it!”

Whoosh-

With a gust of wind, Ante had already disappeared.

“…Take care.”

Jacob looked toward the direction of the Imperial Palace with a somewhat worried expression.

***

“This is an unexpected visit.”

When Aiden was told he had a visitor, he couldn’t believe his ears.

It wasn’t that he was surprised by having a visitor, but by the visitor’s identity.

“Your Highness always makes surprise visits, so I was curious if it was fun and decided to try it myself. How is it? Is this unexpected enough?”

Her smiling question felt so unfamiliar it was strange.

Aiden smiled slightly and said:

“I didn’t know the young lady had such a mischievous side. Yes, it’s sufficiently unexpected.”

It seemed like she had always been busy keeping her distance whenever they met, so having her visit like this made him feel fluttery.

“Actually, I had something to send to you.”

He flicked his finger at Dominic. Dominic placed a beautifully wrapped item in front of Angelina.

Judging by its size, it looked like a necklace case.

Angelina showed no particular reaction to Aiden’s gift. She had received so many necklaces from Ante that it was difficult to feel excited.

But Aiden spoke as if he had anticipated this.

“Open it. I chose it with some consideration.”

“Then…”

Saying she would take the liberty, Angelina carefully unwrapped the package.

But when the wrapping paper was torn in half, Angelina’s eyes widened in surprise.

“This is… a book?”

The gift she thought would be a necklace was actually a book.

“And this is…”

“I heard you like books. Especially history books.”

From his words, Angelina could tell that he had been having her followed.

She had never told anyone she liked books, and it wasn’t even true.

But his assumption probably came from her frequenting the Grand Library, almost like it was her workplace. She practically lived in the artifacts section.

It wasn’t so strange for the Crown Prince to know about things happening in the Imperial Capital. So she wasn’t really surprised or upset.

‘I didn’t know he was the type to guess people’s preferences.’

It was unexpected.

‘Or is he threatening me, letting me know he’s always watching?’

Given his track record, it was slightly suspicious…

“It’s said to be the history of the Imperial family from the previous Emperor to the present, written like a storybook. Honestly, I found it so boring that I couldn’t finish the first chapter, but you might enjoy it.”

His additional comment erased that suspicion.

“It’s a book difficult to find on the market.”

He seemed quite proud of his gift. Finding it a bit amusing and somewhat cute, Angelina smiled slightly.

“I’ll enjoy reading it.”

She didn’t mention that it wasn’t to her taste. Hadn’t he said he chose it with consideration?

Accepting it gladly seemed like the proper courtesy for his effort.

His face brightened slightly. Like with the theater tickets, he had thought she might refuse.

“But what brings you here?”

He asked as calmly as possible.

“I came to see Your Highness.”

Aiden’s hand holding the teacup flinched. But he calmly brought the cup to his lips.

“Me?”

“Yes. I was considering writing a letter, but thought it would be better to see you in person.”

“…Really?”

Aiden stared at her for a long time, as if trying to confirm if she was telling the truth. So Angelina waited patiently for him to set aside his doubts.

As the silence lengthened, Aiden noticed her intention and let out a long sigh.

“You are… quite a difficult person.”

“Pardon?”

She seems honest at times, but her inner thoughts are unfathomable, and while she appears naive, she never loses out.

“…Thank you for the compliment?”

Even now, her uncertain face answering with “Is that a compliment?” looks incredibly naive.

Yet just moments ago, she had waited for him to organize his thoughts as if she could see right through him.

An awkward sage.

‘Yes, that nickname would suit her.’

Aiden smiled slightly and leaned back comfortably with his arms crossed.

“Tell me. What’s your reason for seeking me out?”

“If I said I just wanted to see you…”

“I wouldn’t believe it. I know enough now to know you’re not that kind of person.”

“Hmm…”

Angelina awkwardly scratched her cheek slightly.

“If I said I came because I wanted to hear more about what Your Highness said about making time for me, would you believe that?”

Aiden’s eyes widened.

Honestly, he had taken it as a complete rejection.

Although he had spoken quite firmly, she had already seemed to have made up her mind.

Even if his mother proceeded with a political marriage with Marquis Flaubert, he thought she wouldn’t make separate time for him.

She just seemed like that kind of woman. Appearing gentle but surprisingly stubborn.

But suddenly…?

“I think I’ll be seeing Your Highness more often in the future.”

She indirectly conveyed that she would simply be seeing him frequently, not that she was seriously considering meeting him.

“Me?”

But Aiden’s brow furrowed.

What could possibly cause her to keep meeting him?

Had the engagement talks progressed further without his knowledge? Had Marquis Flaubert changed his mind and decided to proceed with marriage to him?

Or was there something else? Some other feeling…

‘This is maddening.’

The more he tried to think, the more his thoughts drifted in an emotional direction, preventing clear judgment.

Her gaze on him felt hot. When was the last time his heart had sounded this loud?

At the Flaubert villa, he had laughed at Blake like that, but it seemed he was the one who should have been ridiculed.

From the moment he heard she had come to see him, when he put down everything he was doing and rushed here, it was already a lost cause.

“Do you know the difference between attraction and curiosity?”

How pathetic.

In the end, both are equally addictive and impossible to cut off at will, and why didn’t he realize then that the latter could transform into the former if one wasn’t careful?

“Your Highness. I heard lotus flowers have bloomed in your garden. They say they’re very beautiful.”

It shouldn’t be.

This woman should just be a joker to shake up Marquis Flaubert. She should be a chess piece that would be useful to him once he figured out why Blake Kadenhart was putting in so much effort.

That’s why he had tried to seduce her.

Curiosity.

That’s what it should be.

“Would you like to go boating with me?”

“I’m a person who finds great joy and pleasure in giving my brother what he wants.”

It seems he was already lost when he envied that.

“In that sense, the Saint is truly special. There can’t be any imposters, right?”

Perhaps after she said such things, it wasn’t long before rumors of the Saint began circulating in the capital, and he became caught up in it…

“Yes. Boating sounds good.”

He gladly canceled all his afternoon appointments.