Chapter 68
* * *
The next morning.
Waking in bed, Viern discovered the soft female form nestled in his arms. It was Diana, curled up with her back to him.
For the first time, Viern realized they had fallen asleep in the same bed. Usually, he would tidy up and leave after their encounters, but yesterday, emotions had exploded, leading them to carry on until dawn. The vivid traces remained all over her naked body.
Gazing quietly at those marks, Viern let out a soft, bitter laugh. What an absurd turn of events. That her memory loss and chasing after Aisen were all a scheme to provoke him. That even her kidnapping by the rebel forces was part of her plan.
He had been frantic, obsessively hunting them down for days. Thanks to that, they had discovered and captured the true forces loyal to the late Crown Prince, but there was no trace anywhere of the red-haired man’s group that had kidnapped Diana that day.
Thinking about it now, it made sense they couldn’t be found by investigating the late Crown Prince’s connections. They had no connection to the Crown Prince from the start.
How did you come up with such a lie, my Princess? Though it was outrageous, the fact that she still seemed cute to him meant he must truly be fond of her.
Viern embraced Diana’s body and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. As he did, he felt her small frame shrink even smaller.
“Are you awake?”
He asked in a slightly hoarse voice, letting out a low chuckle.
“Mmm…”
But her voice sounded unusually subdued and sullen, unlike her usual self.
“Your Highness?”
“…….”
He called again, but she didn’t respond. So Viern gently turned her body to face him. Yet, for some reason, Diana seemed unable to look at him and was listless.
‘Is she acting again?’
That suspicion arose immediately, but then tears began to well up in her eyes.
“Your Highness, why…”
As a flustered Viern fumbled to soothe her…
“You’re going to go back to that woman again, aren’t you?”
Viern paused, looking at Diana’s tearful face as she stared at him.
‘Don’t be angry, Viern. I’m also…’
Her bright, cheerful demeanor throughout had made him forget for a moment. The conversation they had by the lakefront, just before she began pretending to lose her memory.
‘……I’m hurt too.’
The memory surfaced of her pitiful face that day—looking up at him with reddened eyes, lying face down on the dirt ground, dripping lake water.
“Now that you know everything was a lie, you’re going to leave me and go back to that woman.”
Fat teardrops fell, as sorrowful as they had that day. Seeing them, Viern’s chest ached with a sharp pang.
Last night, immediately after discovering her deception. While he was astonished and furious at her absurd, mischievous act, knowing her heart had also made him a little happy. But… I was even a little glad to know you didn’t actually like Aisen, but you were suffering, worried I would leave again.
“…….”
His eyes fell on her small, trembling hand resting on the bedsheet. Feeling an inexplicable, stinging ache rise in his throat, Viern covered her hand with his.
“Why would you think that?”
He laced his fingers tightly between hers and squeezed.
“Well, obviously because—”
“I said I love you, didn’t I? You.”
“……!”
At those words, Diana stared at him blankly. Her lips, parted foolishly, were so endearing he had to suppress the urge to kiss them. Instead, he gently guided her hand to rest on his chest.
“I love you, Your Highness. Just thinking of you makes my heart ache with this pounding.”
Then, in a soft voice, he confessed his love once more.
“You’ve made me like this, Your Highness. Where did you think you could go?”
“Huh…?”
Thump, thump, thump, thump. His heart was beating. So fiercely it might seem concerning, as if something were wrong.
“So… you still love me? Even though losing my memory was fake, and liking Aisen was fake…?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I love you.”
At that less-than-welcome name, Viern lifted the corner of his mouth in a bleak smile and replied.
“If you insist on leaving me for Aisen, I’ll make sure he suffers. He’s still family, so I won’t kill him, but I can certainly send him so far away you’ll never see him again.”
“What? Wait, why would I go to him…!”
Just as Diana, startled by the flash of obsession in his eyes, tried to argue, he pulled her into a tight embrace and spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
Thump. His forehead rested against her shoulder.
“The fact that you don’t trust me is entirely my fault.”
“Viern…?”
“Because I think you must have felt the same emotion I did seeing you love another man. Because I think you must have hurt for three long years, all because of me.”
“…….”
“It made me want to kill the part of me that hurt you.”
“…….”
“I deeply regret all the times I knew your heart yet turned away and deceived you. Please, forgive me.”
“Then…”
With a sniffle, Diana looked down at the head resting on her shoulder and asked.
“Then… you’ll keep liking me?”
At her trembling voice, Viern lifted his head.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
He met her gaze directly, answering in a firm, unwavering voice. That he liked her. That he too liked her. At those words, an overwhelming emotion surged in Diana’s chest.
“You’ll keep loving me?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
At his continued answers, Diana choked up, then burst into tears with a wide, radiant smile.
“Me too! I like Viern too!”
Her nose was bright red like a tomato, but she was beaming at him with a radiant smile, making Viern feel his chest tighten painfully.
“I love you, Viern.”
“…….”
Viern looked at her with eyes churning intensely. A smile as clear and warm as sunlight in a blue sky, and a love as vast and deep as ocean waves, were pouring over him once more. Why had he ever taken this immense love and affection for granted?
Squeeze. His arms around her tightened.
“I love you too, Your Highness.”
“Mmm.”
“I love you, Diana.”
“Ahaha, what’s this? It feels weird hearing Viern call me that.”
A clear, tinkling laugh burst from Diana’s small lips at her name spoken by him. Should I not call you that? No, keep calling me, my name. Hearing it again, it doesn’t feel weird—it feels ticklish. Diana… Diana, Diana, Diana…
Gradually, her laughter subsided, and their gazes slowly met.
“…….”
“…….”
Where the sweet honey had scattered, an even deeper heat blossomed. As the shadows slowly lengthened, their lips met softly.
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