Chapter 42
“Ah, don’t worry. As soon as I heard you’d departed, I gave the order to release them. They should have arrived back at the estate by now.”
Killian said it with a soft smile, his eyes gently curving.
Escorted by him, Adelaide made her first appearance at the imperial ball and people immediately began to gather around her.
“So this is Count Eport’s daughter? My, why have you never attended any social events before?”
“Indeed. Such a beautiful and refined lady…”
Killian wrapped an arm firmly around Adelaide’s shoulders and answered in her stead.
“Lady Eport has been someone very precious to me for a long time. I wished to spare my beloved from unnecessary danger, so her debut had to be delayed.”
A ripple of shock spread through the crowd.
It was always like this. Her past was trimmed, reshaped, and embellished to suit Killian’s narrative. Listening to him, Adelaide had to bite back the urge to scream more than once.
In his version of the story, they were young lovers nurturing a secret romance. If one believed his lies, there could be no more romantic tale.
“Last night, Adelaide accepted my proposal.”
“Oh my—then that means…”
The nobles exchanged glances, speaking carefully.
Killian, with the expression of the happiest man alive, pressed a kiss to Adelaide’s shoulder.
“That’s right. We’ll be holding the wedding soon. It won’t take long, I can’t bear to be apart from her any longer.”
The women flushed, flustered by this side of the Crown Prince they had never seen before.
“Isn’t that right, Adelaide?”
At his question, Adelaide forced her lips into a smile and nodded.
“Yes… I feel the same, Your Highness. I want to… be with you… even if only one day sooner…”
Killian kissed her shoulder again.
Adelaide swallowed the nausea rising in her throat and smiled at the crowd as though she were blissfully in love.
* * *
This had been the very day she was supposed to leave for Clayton with her brother and his wife.
It had only been a few days ago, yet now it felt like something from a past life.
She had believed that crossing the sea to another country would mark the beginning of a new life. She hadn’t gone to Clayton—but in a way, her wish had still come true.
A different life had begun.
After her appearance at the imperial ball, hundreds of invitations flooded the Eport estate. Those who had once treated Adelaide like a ghost now scrambled desperately to establish a connection with her.
When she didn’t respond, they began visiting in person.
A life that had changed overnight. A life she had once longed for. And yet, Adelaide felt no joy at all.
Killian began visiting the estate almost daily. Now that there was nothing left to hide, he carried himself with even greater confidence.
“Welcome, Killian. I’ve been waiting.”
Every time he came, Adelaide had to greet him with a bright smile.
“This is our first proper meeting, Lady Eport.”
On the day she was formally presented, the Emperor—who bore a striking resemblance to Killian—looked down at her with cold, emotionless eyes.
“There is only one thing I ask of you. That you live peacefully within this palace.”
At first glance, the words sounded kind.
But Adelaide instinctively understood the warning beneath them. Do not provoke Killian again. Do not cause another disturbance.
The Emperor gave a faint nod, as if acknowledging that she understood.
“Now that we are family, what happens within the palace concerns the Eport house as well. For the sake of the family who would worry about you from afar, I trust you will live happily here.”
If my son can do such things, do you think I cannot? That was the unspoken message.
If she caused trouble, if Killian acted recklessly again, the consequences would fall entirely upon the Eport family.
The Emperor’s threat was effective.
There was only one thing expected of her: To soothe Killian. To keep him stable.
If it means protecting my family… I’ll do it. Adelaide repeated those words to herself.
As if it had become the most natural thing in the world, Killian leaned in to kiss her.
Adelaide parted her lips without resistance, so that the intruder could take her all the more
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