Chapter 2.1

“Ugh, I’m going to die…”

My eyelids felt heavy. My body felt even heavier. I had been staying up late for several nights in a row, and eating meat right before bed had left me feeling bloated. Nothing had gone right since that Jeras guy showed up.

I groaned and hugged my pillow, then my eyes shot open. I have to go for a walk with Sion!

“Good morning, my lady. Did you sleep well?”

“Mm. Where’s my brother?”

“He said he would wait until you woke up, my lady. He asked me to let him know the moment you did.”

Sion is an angel. An angel sent from heaven to save poor me, who is being tormented by Jeras. I need to hurry up and get my favorite character therapy.

“Could you help me up, please? I don’t have any strength.”

“Perhaps you should rest today? You look pale. Or should I call a doctor?”

“No. It’s because I went to bed late. Let’s get ready quickly.”

I couldn’t make Sion wait for too long. I got dressed with the help of the maids and styled my hair. I didn’t have much time, so I braided it into a thick single braid, put on a hat, and called it a day.

“Where is Brother? Is he in his room?”

“The Young Prince is probably in the training ground.”

“The training ground? Why there?”

“I heard he’s sparring with His Highness, the Prince.”

That guy has to get involved in everything. Just hearing his name gave me a headache. There was no reason to ruin my mood by seeing that annoying face first thing in the morning. I’ll send a message to Sion and wait in my room.

Just as I was about to tell her to go to him, the maid, who had been hesitating and opening and closing her mouth several times, carefully asked, “Um… would you like to go to the training ground, Princess? It’s been a long time since the two of them have sparred, so…”

I get it. Putting aside my personal feelings, Jeras was a handsome young man.

I don’t know whether this girl likes Sion or Jeras, but a scene with two handsome men clashing swords is worth watching, no matter what.

‘I do want to see it. Sion using his sword.’

If they’re sparring, they won’t have the luxury of paying attention to anything else. It might not be a bad idea to go and watch for a bit without being noticed by Jeras. It would also be cruel to ignore the girl’s romantic feelings.

I smiled sweetly at the maid, who was fidgeting with her hands clasped together.

“Shall we go?”

“Yes!”

The training ground was on the west side of the mansion. The sun was too bright, so we decided to quietly watch from the window of an empty guest room right above the training ground.

I pulled up a chair and sat by the window. The maid opened the window. Clang! The sound of metal hitting against metal echoed loudly.

In the middle of the wide, dirt-covered training ground, Sion and Jeras were facing each other, their swords crossed. A fierce gaze passed between them over their swords. They both seemed to be putting all their strength into pushing each other back, as the ground was dented beneath their feet.

Jeras was wearing a sleeveless top, and the veins on his muscular forearms were protruding. In comparison, Sion didn’t seem to be struggling much.

‘They say he’s the best swordsman in the Empire, but he’s not all that. Our Sion is so much stronger.’

“Ah!”

The maid standing next to me let out a short cry. The standoff that seemed like it would go on forever ended, and the two of them began to swing their swords in earnest.

They moved so fast that I couldn’t even see them properly. All I could see were the sword blades flashing as they reflected the sunlight.

Clang, clang, clang! The noisy sound suddenly stopped. Then a black mass soared into the air. It was Jeras.

Sion seemed to have lost sight of Jeras and was looking around. Jeras, having reached the highest point in the air, raised his sword.

I jumped up from my chair and shouted loudly, “Brother! Above you!”

Sion disappeared. Jeras’s sword sliced through the air and plunged into the ground. Sion, who had vanished, suddenly appeared behind Jeras. Jeras quickly turned around and raised his sword to block, but Sion was a little faster.

Jeras’s sword was hit by Sion’s and flew far away, clattering on the ground.

“Yay! Brother won!”

That’s it. This is our Sion! As I clapped my hands and cheered, Sion looked up at me and smiled happily.

Hooray! Hooray! Sion is the best! As I was making a fuss, Jeras, who walked over like a defeated soldier to pick up his sword, said loudly enough for me to hear, “Sion, I’m disappointed. To think you’ve become so weak you can’t beat me without cheating.”

How dare he pick a fight with a calm Sion?

“It’s not cheating!”

“If telling your opponent their next move isn’t cheating, what is? This match is invalid.”

“Losers don’t get to talk. You lost, so you lost. Accepting it gracefully like a man is also a virtue of a loser.”

“Princess.”

Jeras put his sword on his shoulder and tilted his head up.

What? What do you want? Who’s scared of you? This is my house, you know.

I lifted my chin as if I wouldn’t lose.

“It’s better for you to get on my good side. If you want to get what you want.”

“What do you mean? You said you’d grant my request.”

“I said I would think about it, not that I would grant it.”

Jeras gave a beaming smile. Sion, who had been watching the situation silently, looked back and forth between Jeras and me and asked, “A request, Eloe? What did you ask the Prince for? Tell me, what is it?”

“It’s a request you can’t handle. And since we’re on the subject, the Princess and I had a passionate night together yesterday.”

Sion’s face hardened. That crazy bastard, what is he saying!

“It was so passionate, I almost burned my lips.”

“No, Brother. Don’t misunderstand. We just grilled and ate meat. We grilled meat because I was so hungry!”

You piece of trash! You’re making Sion misunderstand!

I grabbed whatever I could and threw it at Jeras. Jeras easily dodged them with simple movements like twisting his body or tilting his head.

Sion couldn’t hide his anger and grabbed Jeras by the collar. Jeras looked up at me and a corner of his lip curled up.

And I’m supposed to ask a guy like that to take me to Rivai? I’d rather just swim there, even if it means turning into a ghost in the water.

I stomped my feet and turned around.

 

***

 

Unfortunately, if life always went according to plan, there would be no unhappiness in the world. My life was no exception; nothing went my way.

First, my hunger strike for the trip to Rivai ended in just one day. It wasn’t because I succeeded. It wasn’t even because I couldn’t bear the hunger. The reason was none other than the Grand Duke.

At lunchtime, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess came down to the dining hall. The Grand Duke looked around at all of us gathered at the table and made a solemn declaration.

“I won’t eat either, until Eloe changes her mind. I won’t even touch water, not a single drop.”

“Honey! What are you doing? You should be trying to persuade Eloe!”

The Grand Duchess, who seemed to have been unaware of his plan, got angry and scolded him. The Grand Duke pressed his lips together and closed his eyes. The butler stood a distance away, looking unsure of whether he should bring out the food or not.

The Grand Duchess and Sion subtly glanced at me. I couldn’t just ignore their silent question of, ‘What are you going to do?’

This was a problem. I was desperate, too. I had to save Sion.

“I don’t know what the matter is, but wouldn’t it be better to eat?”

“No, Your Highness. I apologize for making you uncomfortable. Please, eat. What are you all doing standing around? Bring out the food!”

“The Grand Duke is a strong man, but I’m still worried. If there’s anything I can do to help, I will. Princess, could you please tell me why you’re refusing to eat?”

Jeras smiled at me. His brazenness, feigning ignorance without a change in expression, was truly on another level.

Before I could retort with a cold remark, the Grand Duke stepped in to handle the situation. He likely didn’t want to let others know of my plan to go to Rivai, especially Jeras, who would be leaving for Rivai soon.

“It’s a private family matter. There’s no need for Your Highness to concern yourself with it.”

“I thought you considered me like a son… I’m a little hurt.”

“Of course, Your Highness is like family to us. When it’s resolved, I’ll let you know. Don’t be upset.”

“I see. Though if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t let such a good father skip a meal.”

What was he trying to say? It was obvious. He was trying to call me a bad daughter. He intended to provoke me so that I would have to ask him to take me to Rivai. Knowing his transparent motives made me even more upset.

I was, in fact, an unfilial daughter using my weak body to get my way. Even if my intentions were good, my family didn’t know that.

My feelings were complicated. Seeing the Grand Duke genuinely refusing to eat made my heart waver. I remembered his gentle voice calling my name and his kind eyes that told me he would do anything for me.

A thought suddenly occurred to me: I wanted to help them and make them happy by saving Sion, but if I was just causing them more worry, what was the point?

In the end, I declared my surrender. I wasn’t happy about it, but I could just get Jeras to help me.

“Eloe! My lovely daughter! You do understand your father’s heart after all. I knew it!”

My family rejoiced and hugged me. They jumped up and down, causing a big commotion, while Jeras continued to eat his meal in silence.

The thought of having to deal with that man’s extraordinary stubbornness in the future already gave me a headache.

 

***

 

The family was relieved, assuming I had given up on my trip to Rivai. I used their moment of calm to try and make contact with Jeras.

But, as expected, it wasn’t so simple. I hadn’t run into him at all in the ducal castle since then. The timing was so precise that it felt as though he was either deliberately avoiding me or toying with me.

‘That guy is more than capable of that.’

Since I wasn’t allowed to leave the ducal castle, I couldn’t go out to look for Jeras. I had made sure to repeatedly instruct the maids and servants to call me the moment he returned.

On the third day of waiting for Jeras like a statue, my limited patience finally ran out. I asked the knight guarding the castle gate, “Has His Highness, the Prince, not come in at all?”

“No, Princess. Records show he has been entering either in the middle of the night or at dawn.”

It must have been so late that even the servants were asleep and hadn’t been able to wake me. I pushed a loose strand of hair back and folded my arms.

“When did he leave the castle?”

“He left right after sunrise. Why do you ask, Princess?” the knight asked as he flipped through the entry log.

I gave a vague excuse that it was nothing and fumed all the way back to my room.

‘He’s avoiding me on purpose, to make me furious.’

If that’s the case, I have my own way of doing things. Jeras only stays in the castle for about three to six hours. Since he leaves right after sunrise, I have plenty of time before Sion would come looking for me.

Did he really think I would wait forever?

‘There’s no time. I have to do something before Sion goes to Rivai.’

I was tired of this endless waiting. There was no point in putting it off any longer. Tonight. It was going to be tonight! I would settle this with that guy once and for all.

 

***

 

The room was completely silent. The space was drenched in thick darkness, not a single speck of light to be found. I was scared that something might jump out of the shadows. I kept fiddling with the switch on the lamp I had brought, debating whether to turn it on.

If there was one good thing about how dark and scary it was, it was that the tension kept me wide awake. Thanks to that, I was waiting for Jeras with a perfectly clear head. I could probably even read a book in this state of mind.

‘When is this guy going to show up?’

No matter how hard I stared at the firmly closed door, it showed no sign of opening.

I turned on the lamp. Because I had been huddled in the darkness for so long, the not-so-bright light made my vision go white for a moment before it returned to normal.

Jeras’s guest room was more extravagant than a guest room had any right to be. And it was all decorated in purple. It didn’t seem like an ordinary guest room; it was probably a room only he was allowed to use.

It was a two-room suite with a large bedroom and a drawing room of equal size. Though not as ornate as my own room, it was full of very expensive-looking things. It was also true that my room was excessively lavish.

I sat on the soft-looking purple sofa. As I set the lamp on the table, its light gently illuminated my surroundings. As the tension wore off, I started to feel sleepy.

“Haaaah.”

I yawned, stretched, and did all sorts of things to stay awake, but I soon found myself dozing off.

Snap out of it. Don’t fall asleep! All the time I’ve spent waiting will be for nothing!

I shot up and slapped my cheeks.

Wake up. Wake up. Don’t sleep!

“What are you doing? In someone else’s room.”

“Ahhh!”

I was startled by the voice that came out of nowhere from behind me. In my shock, I flailed around like an eel and tripped over the table. My body tilted.

I’m going to fall… I swung my arms wildly. At that moment, my fingertips caught on something. Meanwhile, my balance was completely gone, and all that was left was to fall backward. It was pure instinct to grab whatever my fingers caught.

“Princess.”

I didn’t fall backward, and I didn’t hit my head on the table. Instead, a large hand was supporting my back. It was Jeras’s hand.

Jeras’s face, right above me, was smiling faintly.

“Why are you pulling my hair out?”

“Huh? Ah, I’m sorry…!”

Only then did I realize that what I had grabbed was not a rope but Jeras’s hair. I was so startled that I apologized and let go. Jeras’s face came even closer.

My cheeks felt hot, and I was embarrassed by this strange and awkward posture, half-lying and half-supported by him.

“This is my room.”

“Ah, I know. I was waiting for you, Prince.”

“For me? At this late hour? Why?”

His lips curled into a flirtatious smile. I hated to admit it, but his red lips could only be described as that.

‘Don’t create a weird atmosphere! You’re not my type!’

If I got swept up in this, I wouldn’t even be able to get to my point. I lowered my voice as much as possible, to show the dignity of a princess.

“Please let me go first, then we can talk.”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“I’ll scream. That you’re a pervert.”

“You’re so consistent, Princess. Don’t you have any other strategies?”

“Which do you prefer? Pervert, creep, trash, or human scum? Just so you know, this is my house.”

“Those are some very scary words.”

Jeras replied in a light, feathery voice and gently let me go. He was an utterly unpredictable guy. I couldn’t understand his intentions at all.

When dealing with a man like this, being subtle is just exhausting. It’s better to go straight for it.

“Help me go to Rivai.”

“Why Rivai? Your whole family is against it.”

“I can’t tell you the reason. You just need to help me. I’ll give you a sufficient reward.”

“Princess, who do you think I am?”

A random moment of self-discovery. But I was the one who needed help, so I answered wearily, “You’re the Prince.”

“Jeras Al Difon Borrestian. That’s my name.”

“Wow, what a wonderful name.”

Clap, clap, clap. As I clapped mechanically, Jeras smiled an inscrutable smile. I understood his intention for the sudden introduction only after hearing his next words.

“There’s nothing I, the future ruler of the Empire, can’t have. Do you understand? The negotiation is off.”

“W-wait a minute!”

Jeras, who had lost interest and turned to leave, looked back. The pressure to persuade him made me say whatever came to mind.

“No matter if you’re a prince—or even if the Emperor himself came here! No one can own everything in this world. That vast sky up there! Is that all yours? No, right? And there are countless beautiful things in this world that money, honor, and power can never buy. How can you already be living like some worshipper of gold?”

Jeras turned his body fully toward me. His hardened face, devoid of any smile, was a little scary.

After thinking for a moment, he asked me, “What is there?”

“What?”

“I asked what things can’t be bought with money, fame, or power.”

“Uh… for example… someone’s sincerity?”

“Sincerity.”

A smile slowly spread across Jeras’s face as he chewed on my words.

My gut feeling was ringing a loud siren. Alert, alert!

“Then you, who knows so much about it, can prove it to me.”

“W-what?”

“Show me your sincerity and move me. Then I’ll take you to Rivai. Without your family knowing. Secretly. Perfectly.”

Jeras, whispering such a thing, was like a demon handing out a sweet temptation.

When I showed no reaction, Jeras brushed his lips against the back of my hand and grinned.

“Jeras Al Difon Borrestian. I swear on my name. I will definitely take the Princess to Rivai.”

 

***

 

What the hell is sincerity anyway? How am I supposed to show it?

‘Why did I say something to make things so complicated? I should have just asked him if there was anything he wanted.’

Materialism, all the way. Problems that can be solved with money should be solved with money.

I knew that, so why did I blabber on about sincerity? I let out a sigh, feeling pathetic.

I was propping up my chin with both hands and sighing for the umpteenth time when Karin, my personal maid, who had been waiting anxiously, spoke up.

“Princess, is something wrong? You seem to be in deep thought.”

“Karin, what do you think sincerity is?”

“Pardon? Sincerity?”

“Yeah. Anything is fine, just speak freely. My mind is blank.”

“Well, I’m not sure… maybe it’s an honest heart without pretense? Or it could be a desperate, earnest feeling.”

That was the textbook answer. An honest, sincere, earnest, and desperate heart.

That’s exactly how I feel right now. I want to go to Rivai. Truly! Desperately!

But I know that if I tell Jeras this, it won’t mean a thing to him.

“Or maybe…”

“Hmm?”

“Ah, never mind. It was just another thought.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“Maybe it could also be a heart that cares for another person? We use the word ‘sincerity’ a lot when we pledge loyalty or confess our love.”

“That could be it. You thought about it so hard, Karin? Thank you.”

Karin lowered her eyes and smiled bashfully. If only everyone in the world were as good as her, life would be joyful, happy, and fulfilling. Why did I have to get tangled up with a guy like Jeras?

I couldn’t just keep complaining. At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to stop Sion from going to Rivai.

I racked my brain, trying to figure out what kind of sincerity I could show Jeras. Loyalty, as Karin mentioned, was a given. Love? Just the thought of it gave me goosebumps.

Friendship, trust, pity, compassion… Of all the emotions that came to mind, not a single one was something I wanted to show to Jeras.

‘I’m not the female lead… and once this whole thing is over, I won’t have to see him again anyway.’

I clutched my head and groaned, but there was no answer.

Maybe this is what Jeras intended all along. To make me think, to torment me, to put me in a difficult position.

This was far more likely. What would Jeras do with my sincerity anyway? He’d probably just use it to mess with me. He was more than capable of it.

I had a strong feeling that I shouldn’t let Jeras get a hold of my weakness or be in his debt. I’ll pretend to be thinking about it while I look for another way. Jeras will be my last resort.