Chapter 134

“That’s right. It might be difficult.”

He calmly agreed.

“But.”

And he added.

“The pain of having many unforgettable memories is better than the regret of having done nothing.”

At his exceptionally tender answer while firmly holding her hand, Angelina bowed her head deeply.

Until now, she had tried to remain composed. She thought it would be unsightly to dwell on a fate that couldn’t be changed anyway.

If she didn’t expect anything, she wouldn’t be disappointed, so she shifted her focus from her illness to her brother’s survival.

By focusing on that, she felt she could view her situation more objectively.

So even when her brother found out, she was only desperate to comfort his heart, not thinking about herself.

More precisely, she tried not to think about it.

But behind the dam she had built firmly in her heart, all kinds of emotions were pooling.

After seeing the lingering thoughts of the Saint, those emotions began to overflow, but she held them back.

She was good at enduring and giving up, so she thought this time would be no different.

But the moment she heard Blake’s words, the dam collapsed.

“Would you allow me to do so?”

“That’s not fair…”

The tears Angelina had been holding back finally fell helplessly.

The dam that had cracked while feeling the heart of the Saint who was left alone was nudged by Blake’s words.

It was enough force to cause the cracked dam to come crashing down.

How much she had wanted to hold this hand.

She thought it was right not to start anything since a tragic ending was predetermined.

So she turned away with all her might.

Both her feelings for him and his feelings for her.

But her pretense of composure was just a smoke screen.

She wore a mask to hide her emotions because that was the only way she could avoid falling apart.

“Hic…!”

Now that the mask was removed, Angelina couldn’t swallow the emotions bursting forth.

She bit her lip firmly, but the more she did, the more tears flowed.

Blake’s heart boiled at the sight of Angelina sobbing pitifully like someone who had forgotten how to cry.

Just how long had this woman been enduring alone?

Because of her calm demeanor, people often forget how much she carries on her shoulders.

They think she’s really fine because she acts like she is. But that can’t be true.

“Miss Flaubert.”

Blake cupped her face.

Wiping the tears wetting her cheeks, he spoke softly.

“Since I’ve already cheated… I’ll be a bit more unfair.”

Then he pulled her hand that he was holding.

Since Angelina was also holding his hand tightly, not wanting to let go, she was helplessly drawn in by his gentle pull.

As she fell into his embrace, a warm sensation briefly touched her cheek and then withdrew.

Smooch.

Her tears were wiped away by his lips.

Surprised, Angelina opened her eyes wide.

More tears rolled down beneath her large eyes.

After gently wiping away the pearl-like tears with his thumb, he kissed her forehead. Then he gazed down at her intently.

There was not a trace of hesitation in his blue eyes.

They contained only pure and burning desire.

A gentle affection was mixed in as well.

“If I had known time was limited, I wouldn’t have acted so indecisively.”

He whispered, leaning toward her.

“I’m afraid… I won’t be able to exercise the patience to maintain propriety from now on. I apologize in advance.”

With that agonized whisper, his lips overlapped hers.

He had tried to maintain boundaries. Knowing that she didn’t want his emotions, he had tried to approach slowly.

But now that he knew there was no time, that patience evaporated.

Urgency pushed aside courtesy.

Firmly supporting the nape of her neck, he delved between her lips.

Angelina, who had been surprised by Blake’s sudden actions, soon relaxed her body.

Closing her eyes and hugging him tightly, she allowed his invasion into her mouth.

Although it was a sensation she had never experienced before, her heart welcomed the new emotion with loud thumps, and the heated air mingling with the night breeze stimulated her sensitized skin.

Emotions that had almost touched but couldn’t finally found each other and connected.

It was a warm night.

***

A quiet night.

Only the small hole in the small, high space built of stone revealed that it was night outside.

Thump thump. Clatter.

A stone in the ceiling of the cold underground prison moved with a rattling sound.

An old man sitting in meditation in the prison turned his gaze toward the hole that had appeared in the ceiling.

A moment later, a black figure dropped from the black hole.

There were no troops to notice his intrusion into the prison.

Already, a few minutes earlier, they had all been called out because of a commotion outside.

Though he wore black clothes to avoid being noticed, he couldn’t completely hide the red hair under his hood.

“Ho… I didn’t expect Your Highness to come first.”

The one who had secretly entered the prison was none other than Crown Prince Aiden.

The old man smiled at him.

He seemed to have known that he would come.

“Are you the village chief of Kuns Village?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Ha, so it’s true.”

Aiden let out an irritated sigh.

After hearing that Angelina and Blake’s visit to Kuns Village was related to the Order’s sinister plot, he had been investigating.

And finally, he was able to discover the attack that had taken place there and the location of the village chief.

When he learned that it was in the basement of one of his mother’s many palace annexes, it felt like a blow to the back of his head.

And he could understand why Angelina had said they needed to sever ties with the Empress to catch the Order.

“So what brings Your Highness here?”

“I came because I have questions.”

With Dominic’s help, he had even created a non-existent commotion to make time to meet with him.

“Hmm… What I have to say to Your Highness…”

Despite having been imprisoned here for a long time, he maintained his composure. He stroked his beard while maintaining his meditative posture.

It could be considered quite rude in front of the Crown Prince, but he no longer cared about such things.

He knew that the duty of Kuns Village had already come to an end.

“Have you come as the small sun of the empire, or as the rose?”

Aiden let out a hollow laugh at his question.

He found the attitude of testing him very vexing. But knowing the reason, he couldn’t get angry.

“I came as Grandonia.”

The old man laughed at the answer that contained many meanings.

Then he changed his posture.

Kneeling before Aiden, he asked.

“What would you like to know?”

“I hear the people of Kuns Village call themselves ‘messengers’?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What are you meant to deliver?”

“The truth.”

“That’s what I came to hear.”

At Aiden’s request, the village chief of Kuns Village stroked his beard again, falling into contemplation.

He was considering which history, how much, and how to tell him.

“You must have seen the memories of the lingering thoughts.”

“…Yes.”

When Angelina and her companions saw the memories left by the Saint, he, too, saw the same thing.

From Grandonia’s perspective.

He saw everything falling apart because of him, and realized the reason for the imperial family’s existence.

‘Aiden. The rose of Grandonia must look after the world. You must love your people. That is the promise and destiny we must keep, do you understand?’

His father’s words that he would understand everything when he became Emperor.

The Emperor seemed to vaguely know the truth of history.

But Aiden couldn’t wait until he became Emperor.

“Then… may I sing you a song?”

“A song?”

“Yes.”

Aiden nodded at the old man who wore a gentle smile.

After exhaling a long breath, the old man’s mouth opened.

The rose loved the sun.

The sun was abundant in the world.

The sun loved the world.

The rose was part of the world.

It was the same music that Angelina and Blake had heard in Kuns Village.

Aiden narrowed his eyes and concentrated on the lyrics.

The sun was protected by the knight.

The priest always followed.

It wasn’t a simple song. It was like what he had seen in the lingering thoughts.

Of course, there were also some different parts.

Deceived the knight of the sword.

Stole the knight’s sword.

Gained the forbidden power.

It was true that the rose was deceived by the witch, but he never betrayed as terribly as the song suggested.

Stabbed the silver priest.

Took the priest’s heart.

Attached large wings.

But he couldn’t entirely deny it either.

In the end, because of the witch’s power, the priest’s heart was torn out and the knight’s sword was sealed.

Don’t regret, rose,

This is the rose’s choice,

The sun will surely fall.

Aiden’s face hardened. The sun’s fall was never the rose’s choice.