Chapter 20

Even as he issued the order, Esadien’s thoughts drifted back into the past.

After his mother’s death, the current Emperor—who since ascended the throne—took pity on the nephew left all alone at a young age and formally adopted him as his own son.

On the day of the funeral, when the Emperor saw the bruise still clearly visible on Esadien’s neck, he had cried.

“I’m sorry…”

Looking back, those tears had carried the weight of guilt—for not being able to stop his beloved sister from falling apart.

“Where are you going all of a sudden, Your Highness?”

“To the Grand Duchy of Karnian.”

There was no trace of the bruises on Esadien’s body now, but his mother’s teachings remained buried deep in his mind.

So there was no way the feelings he had for Minuelle could be something like love. They shouldn’t be.

‘I don’t want to get hurt.’

He didn’t want to ache the way his mother had. More than anything, he didn’t want to hurt Minuelle either.

The fact that she kept occupying his thoughts was probably because it was his first time borrowing something from someone else. Without even realizing it, he’d felt a mounting pressure to return it as quickly as possible.

In other words, once he returned the book, he wouldn’t keep hearing Minuelle’s voice in his head anymore.

But Minuelle wasn’t at the Grand Duchy.

“Welcome, Your Highness. I’m sorry, but Lady Minuelle has stepped out for a bit…”

Honestly, it was a bit of a letdown. But after coming all this way, he figured Minuelle would be disappointed if he just turned back.

“That’s so mean.”

He could clearly picture her pouting face, lips jutting out in complaint. The image warmed the corners of his mouth like a bird’s soft feather brushing against him.

It was a sharp contrast to the resolve he had built up just moments ago—though Esadien didn’t realize it himself.

“I’ll wait.”

“Then I’ll bring you some tea—”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Shaking his head at the butler, Esadien stepped past him.

“I’ll be in the library.”

Having remembered the path from his last visit, Esadien easily found his way to the library.

He inhaled the distinct scent of a room brimming with books, and his unsettled mind began to calm.

A “library” was the only fitting word for this space—its scale far beyond any noble household’s study.

‘Impressive.’

Though this was only his second visit, he still couldn’t help admiring the towering bookshelves that reached the ceiling along the walls. It had a grandeur entirely different from the 

Royal library’s four-story stone tower.

He placed the borrowed book onto a low rolling cart and began browsing the nearby shelves when a surprised voice caught his ear.

“Ah, isn’t that His Highness the Third Prince?”

Esadien turned—and his expression stiffened.

Fiery red hair like flames, eyes that looked as if they held gold coins—he recognized this face

“You…”

“I’m Lapheche Celeste, Your Highness. We met briefly here once before.”

“I remember.”

How could he not? Even if he set aside the strange feeling he got when he saw her…

“Oh my, I’m honored. Truly delighted.”

As Lapheche approached, Esadien’s eyes scanned her face thoroughly.

Softly arched brows, large eyes with a slight upward tilt, a gentle impression enhanced by deep-set double lids. Full lips, and a tiny, faint beauty mark just at the edge of her mouth.

It was a face that could’ve convinced him his mother had returned from the dead—if she had changed her hair and eye color.

“Um… Is there something on my face?”

Flustered under his intense gaze, Lapheche rubbed her lightly reddened cheek and asked.

“No. Pay it no mind.”

Tearing his eyes away with effort, Esadien turned back to the shelves, pretending to study the book spines.

『The Definition of the Golden Ratio』, 『Understanding Circles』, 『Advanced Applications of Trigonometric Functions』…

He moved to another section, and Lapheche quietly followed, speaking again.

“You must enjoy reading, Your Highness.”

Esadien silently nodded, his eyes skimming new titles.

『The Burning of Alfonos』, 『Ajax and the Blacksmith’s Horse』, The Salt Pirates of Malis』…

“Lady Minuelle also reads in between her work,” Lapheche added gently.

Esadien had been about to smile unconsciously at the mention of Minuelle—until he froze.

Just a moment ago, her face had flashed through his mind, smiling in the sunlight by this very window, but the image vanished as if something brushed through his thoughts and wiped it clean.

‘What was…’

Esadien barely had time to register the strange sensation before it was smothered by something else—a cloying fragrance that wafted in from beside him.

“Oh, my hand…”

Lapheche was reaching for a book just out of arm’s reach, stretching up on her toes, standing so close to Esadien she was almost pressed against him.

“One moment.”

He stepped in to stop her and extended his arm.

“Is this the one you were after?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Strange—she was slightly taller than Minuelle, and yet even this was out of reach?

As he handed her the book, Lapheche cradled it to her chest like something precious and bowed with gratitude.

“Thank you so much.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Esadien answered modestly and turned to leave—but a strange sense of déjà vu tugged at his steps.

‘Why do I feel like this?’

It felt as though some invisible force was pushing him toward her side. Although it unsettled him that her face reminded him of his mother’s, he found his gaze constantly meeting hers—eyes that shimmered golden each time she smiled.

‘Did Mother ever smile like that, so openly?’

Perhaps that was why, when he looked at Lapheche, he didn’t think of Minuelle. It was as though Lapheche was the center of the world, and nothing else existed outside of her.

His heart beat hard.

“Your Highness…do you ever feel lonely?”

“…”

Without realizing it, Lapheche had stepped closer and was now looking up at him.

Esadien stood motionless, staring back.

“The truth is… I don’t have any friends.”

With that, Lapheche began to speak freely, though he hadn’t asked. While she was grateful to the family that adopted her, she still felt awkward around them. She had hoped to grow closer to someone her age like Minuelle at the Karnian estate, but somehow, it hadn’t worked out.

“Did I… maybe do something to make her dislike me?”

Her long lashes trembled as she spoke in a soft, hesitant voice. Esadien bit his lip hard.

If he let down his guard even slightly, he feared the words I’ll be your friend would slip out.

As he remained silent, Lapheche looked up again, her golden eyes locking with his.

“…”

“…”

A moment of silence stretched between them—then, a book perched precariously next to the one Esadien had pulled earlier finally slipped from the shelf.

Thud.

It was a small sound, barely audible. Yet both of them flinched, stepping back in surprise.

“Esadien?”

As if on cue, a familiar voice rang out.

“And… Lady Celeste.”

Both of them instinctively stiffened, shoulders jolting like guilty children.

Standing just inside the door was Minuelle—with Theodore beside her.

“You said you were going to retrieve your handbag. Then I heard you left the opera house in a hurry and was worried something had happened.”

“Oh… It was just… I started to feel a little unwell from being in a cramped space for too long…”

“Did your claustrophobia flare up again?”

“Yes, I truly thought I’d be fine. I’m sorry.”

Lapheche offered a pitiful smile and apologized to Theodore as well—but he only gave a curt nod, his expression frosty.

That expression immediately struck Esadien as odd.

‘Theodore? Angry?’

Theodore was usually a good-natured man, the type to laugh things off even when others wouldn’t. For him to show this kind of coldness… something serious must’ve happened.

Listening to the brief exchange, Esadien realized: she had left the two of them behind without saying a word.

‘She didn’t seem like the type to do that.’

While Esadien mulled this over, Lapheche’s gentle voice continued in the background…

“So, you two came together? Have you grown a little closer?”  

“Yes, thanks to you.”  

“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that. That makes me happy.”  

“But it’s a shame we had to leave in the middle of the show.”  

“That’s all right—”  

Lapheche’s kindly smile was met with a sharp interruption from Minuelle.  

“When you’re with someone else, it’s probably best not to disappear without a word. Of course, I suppose you won’t be going to the opera again anyway.”  

“…Thank you for the advice.”  

Lapheche glanced at Esadien with a sorrowful look.  

‘See? Lady Minuelle hates me.’ 

Her eyes pleaded with him, hoping he’d take her side.  

But Esadien didn’t move an inch. He simply kept his gaze fixed on Minuelle.  

‘She’s angry.’

Of course, Minuelle was only human. Still, it was a side of her he hadn’t seen before. What surprised him more was how he found her anger—beautiful.  

What unsettled him most was the realization that, for even a moment, he’d forgotten that face.  

“Well… I’ll apologize again for earlier.”  

When Lapheche realized she wouldn’t get a reaction out of him, she gave up and forced a weak smile.  

“Then… I hope you have a pleasant evening. I’ll be on my way now…”  

In the heavy silence, Lapheche slowly turned and walked out of the library.  

Click.

She leaned against the closed door and exhaled the breath she’d been holding.  

“Haaaah…”  

A moment later, her face twisted into something unrecognizable from before.  

“Nothing’s going the way I planned.”  

Everything had felt like it was going well—up until she was adopted into House Celeste and made her way to the capital.  

For a while, she even forgot about chasing the scraps that might fall from a grand ducal house.  

But then she met Minuelle. A beauty so stunning anyone would be left speechless.  

It made Lapheche, who once took pride in her own appearance, feel embarrassed by comparison.  

Still, she had wanted to get along. She truly had.  

But for some reason, Minuelle avoided her, subtly yet unmistakably.

“Do you enjoy the opera, my lady? If you ever have the time, perhaps—”  

Then that fickle Theodore started clinging to her.  

Then came Esadien—his beauty was truly otherworldly. So radiant it made even Minuelle fade into the background.  

‘This is what people mean by love at first sight. But that was unexpected.’ 

She assumed, like Theodore, Esadien would fall for her the moment he saw her.  

Even when they were alone, when she purposely closed the distance between them, he didn’t suddenly embrace her or confess his feelings.  

‘Maybe I need to get him drunk. He’d be honest then.’

Lapheche consoled herself with that thought.  

After all, this face was said to resemble his mother so much, like a copy-and-paste.

There was no way he could possibly reject her.