“You clearly said before... that you liked it.”
“...That was...”
Richard’s words cut off abruptly.
He clenched his teeth.
Damn it. Back then, he had been furious because Cailus was so blatantly trying to win Lady Daphne’s favor. He had only pretended to like it so he could steal it from him....
He bit the inside of his lip.
If he fell silent now, Cailus would know.
“......That’s right.”
Richard forced out the lie.
“I like it very much....”
He gritted his teeth. Otherwise, he felt he might tear into Cailus’s throat with his own teeth.
“Hmm.”
Cailus narrowed his eyes.
Then his crimson eyes curved slightly as he gave a quiet laugh.
“That is fortunate.”
Leaning back at ease in his chair, he pushed the dish of pudding forward as though he had been waiting for someone to take the bait.
“Then finish every last bite.”
His tone was gentle.
But there was neither playfulness nor goodwill behind it.
It was blatant mockery.
Bastard....
Richard silently picked up the spoon.
Then he scooped up some pudding.
The soft red jelly slid into his mouth.
Cloying sweetness.
An overpowering cherry fragrance.
A taste sickeningly familiar, yet repulsive enough to make him want to vomit.
He swallowed without chewing.
Forcing it down as though it were scorching his throat.
“......”
One spoonful.
Then another.
Deliberately wiping all expression from his face, he repeatedly raised the spoon to his mouth and swallowed.
Cailus watched him in silence.
Then, at some point, a quiet chuckle escaped him.
“......How amusing.”
Richard did not answer.
He merely shoved what remained of the pudding toward the edge of the plate.
“Well, then. I should go to work.”
Cailus quietly rose from his seat.
His formal uniform was immaculate, his appearance as rigidly composed as though no emotion could ever shake him.
He did not look back.
He simply opened the door and walked out without a care.
Thud.
Only after the door closed did Richard let out a long breath.
“...Lunatic.”
He hurled the word like a curse into the empty room.
Then he walked quietly to the sofa and sprawled across it.
The afternoon passed unbearably slowly.
Reading was dull, and there was nothing particularly interesting outside the window.
There was simply nothing to do.
He passed the time in silent boredom.
Then twilight fell and evening drew near—
The door opened.
“You’re back.”
Richard was sitting by the window.
Without a word, Cailus removed his coat and quietly entered the room.
“Are you sleeping here again tonight?”
Richard asked.
Instead of answering, Cailus sat on the bed.
He naturally drew back the covers, leaving one side vacant.
“...How dreadful.”
Richard said as he sat on the opposite side of the bed.
He pulled the covers up to his waist and turned his back.
“Then let us sleep.”
Cailus extinguished the last lamp.
The room was instantly submerged in darkness.
“......”
Neither of them spoke.
Only the faint sound of their breathing filled the room.
“......Do not touch me.”
“I didn’t.”
“You just bumped into me.”
“...You must have dreamed it.”
“...Ha.”
Richard gave a short sigh.
The warmth against his back irritated him.
But he lacked even the energy to divide the covers again.
And so they lay with their backs to each other,
closing their eyes once more at opposite ends of the bed.
The night passed quietly.
Richard....
The voice was so tender that it was cruel.
The whisper at his ear trembled as though suppressing sobs,
clinging to him desperately, as though pleading for something.
Please, please... don’t do this....
He could not breathe.
His chest burned.
Those words, that voice, that touch.
Everything was... far too late.
Even for a moment, can we talk...?
......I’m sorry.
Richard murmured the words.
A single tear slowly slipped from beneath his closed eyelids.
He could not bear it.
That painful fact.
That truth.
He simply—
could not bear it.
And then,
he took that step.
Several days passed.
“Yawn....”
Richard opened his eyes in Cailus’s bedroom and sat up, feeling refreshed.
I slept without even dreaming.
He stretched as the thought crossed his mind.
He could now be certain.
The “curse” in the contract did not affect him.
So far, he had not had so much as a dream, let alone a nightmare.
......Cailus....
Richard glanced beside him.
As expected, he’s gone.
The other side of the bed was empty, without a trace of warmth.
As though it were only natural.
It had been that way ever since the first morning.
Cailus always rose before Richard woke
and returned to the room only after he had fallen asleep.
Despite sharing a room, they almost never saw each other.
He really is avoiding me.
At first, Richard had wondered why Cailus was deliberately keeping his distance,
but now that several days had passed, he found it more convenient.
They effectively never crossed paths.
There were no conversations and no points of contact between them.
This is... more comfortable than I expected.
Murmuring almost to himself, Richard picked up his robe.
He swept back his disheveled hair and slowly rose from the bed.
His life over the past several days had been quiet and monotonous.
Every morning, he woke in Cailus’s bedroom to find the space beside him empty.
He ate most of his meals alone, and Cailus had not sat across from him even once.
It was always Cailus who avoided their meals together, sending some excuse in his stead.
Sending messages just to avoid me... Such remarkable dedication.
Richard thought with a sneer, though it suited him perfectly well.
His days consisted of lessons, meals, and brief walks through the garden.
He spent them learning court etiquette, Imperial history, and proper conduct at banquets.
In other words, lessons for the future Empress.
The palace servants still regarded him coldly,
but outwardly, his days were peaceful.
......Still, today....
Richard drew a leisurely breath and approached the window.
When he pulled back the lace curtains, gentle sunlight streamed into the room.
Spring had already arrived outside.
Every trace of the long winter had vanished,
and pale green shoots and the faint fragrance of flowers softly enveloped the palace.
The season had changed.
And at this time of year, the Imperial court observed the same annual rite.
...The prayer ceremony.
The Empire’s largest annual event.
Nominally, it was an occasion for offering prayers to the god,
but in practice, it was a stage upon which power and standing were displayed.
Members of the Imperial family and the nobility gathered in one place,
plainly revealing their rank, position, and the power dynamics beneath the surface.
Richard could not be absent.
Although he had resorted to coercive means, he was still formally engaged to the Crown Prince.
As the “public other half” who embodied the dignity of the Imperial family, his presence was indispensable.
He leaned against the window for a moment and slowly closed his eyes.
Nothing will... happen, right?
The sky was high and clear.
A solemn hush permeated the breeze, tinged with the faint warmth of spring.
Before the temple, nobles dressed in white formal uniforms ascended the vast white stone staircase in succession.
At the center, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the other members of the Imperial family had already taken their places,
while high priests in platinum ceremonial robes stood in formation opposite them.
“His Highness the Crown Prince and Young Lord Friedrich may enter.”
A composed voice rang out.
The prayers proceeded according to rank.
The Emperor went first.
Next came Crown Prince Cailus and his fiancé, Richard.
“......”
Cailus slowly rose from his seat.
Richard naturally followed behind him.
Every gaze turned toward them at once.
No matter how often I see it, I cannot get used to this.
A male fiancé....
Whispers rang in his ears.
......They aren’t even trying to hide their disapproval.
Richard straightened and walked forward without betraying any reaction.
They stopped before the door to the prayer chamber.
A priest opened it.
The heavy wooden doors parted to either side, slowly revealing the silent darkness within.
“This chamber may be entered only by the Crown Prince and his fiancé. No one else is permitted inside.”
The priest bowed his head.
Cailus nodded, and Richard quietly returned the gesture.
Then the two stepped inside side by side.
The prayer chamber was silent, as though cut off from the rest of the world.
Almost no light reached it from outside. Only the sacred statue, the candles, and the holy flame atop the altar illuminated the space.
The door closed behind them.
The air was stifling.
Richard unconsciously curled his fingers into his palms.
...It’s cold.
Was it the temperature?
Or was it the silence?
Cailus remained wordless beside him.
Not once had his expression wavered.
Richard suddenly glanced at his profile.
A pale silhouette beyond the candlelight, and eyes devoid of emotion.
......What in the world is he thinking?
But he soon dismissed the question.
There would be no answer anyway.
What should I pray for?
Richard decided to focus on the prayer for now.
He slowly clasped his hands
and bowed his head in silence.
When he closed his eyes, Lady Daphne’s face came to mind.
Her pale green eyes, like new spring shoots.
Her unassuming brown hair.
And....
The tenderness in her eyes.
She was always... kind to me.
The only person who had been kind to him from beginning to end.
The one who had always stayed beside him when he was falling apart, when he was suffering.
......O God.
Very slowly, he whispered the prayer in his mind.
Please... at least this time, let Lady Daphne be happy.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter