When the One-Sided Love Female Lead Loses Her Memory - Chapter 34

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“Ah, aah, the wedding. Right. The two of you are about to get married.”

As Diana nodded awkwardly and chimed in, Sophia smiled faintly and linked her arm through Viern’s.

“Your Highness will come and give us your blessing, won’t you?”

“Of course. I’ll bless you both.”

Diana answered, her eyes curving into crescents. It was Sophia who was flustered by this cheerful well-wishing. She looked at the Princess with suspicious eyes, wondering if she was smiling like that while harboring some ulterior motive.

It was none other than Viern who brought an end to this awkward and prickly situation.

“Thank you for coming all this way to deliver it, My Lady, though you could have sent someone.”

“Not at all. Of course I should come myself. I also wanted to see how Your Grace is managing his work.”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you off properly today.”

“That’s alright. I just came for a brief visit. I’ll be on my way now.”

Sophia bid them farewell with flawlessly elegant movements and withdrew. After she left, in the brief silence that followed, Viern was the first to offer his hand to Diana.

“Let me escort you.”

“Hmm.”

Diana replied with a somewhat uneasy voice and placed her hand on his palm. They walked side by side along the quiet corridor until they neared her room.

“Hmm, the woman who came by a little while ago.”

She brought it up abruptly.

“Lady Sophia Silberk of the Marquis of Silberk.”

“Yes. So, she is Your Grace’s lover, is she not?”

“We are simply in marriage discussions. It is not so grand a title as ‘lover’.”

Viern corrected her immediately at the word ‘lover’. It was a swift clarification, as if he had been waiting for this topic to arise.

“I was unaware Your Grace had someone like that. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry, you say?”

Viern slowly halted his steps, following her lead, and looked at her with a bewildered expression.

“From now on, I won’t make such requests of Your Grace. I must have caused you much trouble all this time because of me.”

Diana, who had let go of his hand and taken a step back, spoke in a tone that was quite apologetic.

“What does that… mean.”

“Well then, Your Grace should prepare for your engagement properly.”

Towards Viern, who stared back with a disconcerted face, Diana gave a beaming smile, fluttered her hand in a wave, then slipped into her room.

Thud. The door closed.

“……”

Left alone, Viern blinked his eyes in a daze. A moment ago, the meaning behind Diana’s words was all too clear. She was drawing a clean line for him.

Was she… stepping back this easily? Over something as trivial as the fact that I have a prospective fiancée?

Unable to believe it, Viern remained rooted to the spot for a long while, staring vacantly at the closed door.

A strange, hollow sensation washed over him.

* * *

True to her word about not making such requests anymore, Diana did not seek him out or pester him thereafter. As a result, Viern’s days were unprecedentedly quiet and peaceful.

Diana, who had always stirred up noise around him, no longer visited his office. Encounters by chance in the halls became rare as well.

As this state persisted for one day, then two, three, four… Viern grew puzzled. Had the distance between them always been this great? Until now, she had always been the one to chase after him. A mere turn of his head and their gazes would meet—whether he was strolling in the palace gardens, walking down a corridor, or glancing out the window of his office for a moment while handling state affairs.

But now, he could scarcely see her face unless he deliberately sought her out. And even when he purposely went to find her…

‘What is the matter, Your Grace?’

She would ask with a languid face, as if her time with Aisen was being disturbed. He still couldn’t get used to those eyes that no longer held the glittering affection once directed at him.

This is for the best. Yes, this should definitely be for the best. Didn’t I hope there would be no complications regarding my engagement? It’s a good thing she withdrew of her own accord, so I don’t even have to wrestle with her about it.

He tried hard to think that way, persuading his own mind, which kept wanting to grow displeased.

Above all, she seemed to have lost interest in those outlandish antics of hers, like wanting to ‘gain experience’ to suit Aisen’s tastes. How fortunate is that?

‘She doesn’t seem to be summoning street thugs like before either. Has she completely put a stop to that now?’

Of course, knowing Diana’s innate, extraordinary tenacity, Viern couldn’t let his guard down entirely and remained on high alert regarding her. He was receiving reports from the Princess’s attendants on her every move, but nothing particularly unusual had surfaced yet. He was not aware of how excessively preoccupied with the Princess he himself had become.

“Then we will adjust the placement of the musicians as you instructed, and the invitations will all be sent out three days from now…”

Viern examined the documents while listening to his aide’s report. The National Founding Day was approaching. Originally, preparing for royal events was the Queen’s role, but in the absence of a Queen, it naturally fell to Diana as the highest-ranking woman of the royal house. However, he had always taken care of it on her behalf until now.

“Ah, that’s right. For the banquet following the Founding Day ceremony, I assume Sir Aisen will be escorting Her Highness the Princess again this year as well?”