Chapter 40

‘It’s just that the toy he lost interest in suddenly looks appealing now that it’s disappearing in front of his eyes.’

Or maybe he simply wants to keep both me and Lapheche in his hands.

Whatever it is, unfortunate as it may be for Esadien, I am not a toy.

“When he meets someone new, I hope he’ll be able to express his feelings honestly. I truly wish him happiness, Your Highness.”

My voice had become completely hollow now, reciting the words without a shred of soul.

The Crown Princess pressed her eyelids firmly with her fingers as she listened. She realized my resolve was unshakable.

“…Yes. Edi was far too late.”

She let out a sigh and then grasped my hand tightly.

“Minuelle, you are the sister of my dearest friend. Regardless of this engagement, I truly care for you.”

Ah, that line.

“This feels like a prelude to a favor…”

“To say this to someone like you makes me feel shameless, but… Esadien is still my younger brother. So I have no choice but to ask.”

“Of course.”

My second “Of course” of the day.

As I slowly blinked, the Crown Princess finally got to the point.

“Please, part with him as gently as you can.”

Better than Esadien, who was trying to hold on—but still, it was a selfish request.

Even so, I could understand it.

I didn’t have a younger sibling, but if I had someone I loved as much as I loved my sisters, maybe I would’ve set aside my pride and begged like this too.

That said, understanding and agreeing are two separate things.

Maybe some instinct in me had already sensed what was coming—because I couldn’t promise. I could only say: “…I’ll try.”

Even that was enough to make the Crown Princess grateful.

Moved by her expression, I spoke again without thinking.

“Crown Princess—no, Sister Lumière. This will probably be the last time I get to call you that.”

“No, didn’t I say it already? I care about you. Elga’s sister is like my sister too.”

“Then, Sister.”

How sharp is Esadien’s hearing out there? Could he hear this conversation right now?

A part of me hoped he could—hoped he would hear this, feel betrayed, and finally let me go.

“I promised to keep it a secret, but I’m no longer the Prince’s fiancée… and I believe telling you this is the only way I can help him.”

“A secret?”

“The Second Prince is still sending assassins after the Third Prince.”

Let me take away at least one reason you’re still holding on to me, Esadien.

* * *

‘Was he always this persistent?’

Even though the Crown Princess had arranged for me to enter the Imperial library, I couldn’t concentrate on any of the books in front of me.

No wonder—I could feel the piercing gaze boring into the back of my head.

‘Why is he following me around like this?!’

When I told the Crown Princess I didn’t want to ride in the carriage with Esadien, she had simply replied: “Then just leave him here. If Edi really wants to come, he’ll find his own way. He’s got the will, at least.”

She had already asked me for a favor, so this was her way of saying she wouldn’t interfere beyond that.

At the time, I felt a bit lighter.

But I had no idea how long I’d been searching through the stacks when—sensing an odd heat at my side—I turned and saw Esadien standing right there.

‘Ack!’

Startled, I ended up dropping all the books tucked under my arm.

I hurried to crouch down and pick them up—but somehow, despite having been several steps away, Esadien’s hand reached them first.

“I’ll get them.”

There was sweat on his forehead, and his chest was rising and falling deeply.

Did… did he run here?

It had taken the carriage twenty minutes. Did he really run all that way?

Is he out of his mind?

I was seriously starting to doubt his sanity—but told myself it wasn’t my problem and tried to ignore it.

I shouldn’t have.

‘This lunatic…’

Now I was screaming internally.

Worried he’d take the seat directly across from me if I chose a general reading area, I’d taken a single-person desk—and now he was standing behind me like a guardian statue, silently staring down at me.

Ignoring the curious stares from others completely!

It wasn’t even my fault, but my face was burning red with embarrassment.

‘I’m going to skim this book and leave.’

Just as I resolved that, he approached—as if he’d read my mind—and asked:

“What are you looking for?”

“……”

“It would be more efficient if we did it together.”

“Hah.”

Letting out a short sigh, I stood up from my seat.

“Forget this book or that book. I give up!”

“Minuelle.”

I ignored the way he called my name and placed all the books onto a book cart. Just as I was heading for the exit, Esadien hurriedly grabbed my arm to stop me.

“Can’t you at least hear me out?”

“Hear what, exactly—!”

I nearly snapped at him, my temper flaring.

Luckily—or unluckily—the tiny shred of reason I had left reminded me this was a library. Also of the Crown Princess’ request: “Please part with him as gently as you can.”

Gently. Kindly. I clenched my jaw as I repeated those two words to myself.

I’d always thought of myself as a relatively kind person, but I never realized just how hard being “gentle and kind” could be.

“…Let’s go somewhere else.”

Sister Crown Princess, this is the best I can do.

Esadien flinched under my sharp glare and hesitantly asked, as if to confirm: “You mean… to go outside?”

I nodded. Since he understood perfectly, I figured I could at least listen for a minute or so while getting away from the crowd.

That thought helped me calm down a bit.

When I glanced back discreetly, I saw him following closely behind me, his face visibly brightened.

“Go ahead. Speak.”

We’d arrived at a quiet, secluded corner of the library’s back garden.

I stood firmly, arms crossed.

But instead of speaking, Esadien started looking around.

“What are you doing?”

“There’s nowhere to sit. You must be tired, Minuelle…”

“I’m fine. Please speak.”

“But still…”

“Just get to the point!”

The temper I’d been holding back finally slipped through.

As I covered my nose—suddenly imagining the metallic tang of blood again—Esadien flinched and hesitantly opened his mouth to speak.

“So, Minuelle. There’s absolutely nothing going on between Lady Celeste and me. Not a single impure act. Not even the slightest bit.”

“……”

“The time I spent with her—it was all under the Emperor’s secret orders.”

Esadien lowered his voice and leaned in close to me.

The cool scent that still lingered on him pushed away the metallic tang of blood my body had remembered.

I instinctively tried to step back, but his next words stopped me.

“He ordered me to investigate the Baron’s household.”

My head snapped up at the unexpected statement.

“The Emperor… ordered an investigation into House Celeste?”

Frowning, since nothing about it made sense, I listened as Esadien continued with his explanation.

“Because of that, I stayed close to Lady Celeste and monitored her every move. There were many other things to investigate as well.”

“I see. So I misunderstood, then.”

“Yes. I—”

“I saw you embracing Lady Lapheche Celeste, who was wearing nothing but her undergarments.”

“That—!”

Our eyes met—his filled with rage.

It was the first time I had seen such a distorted expression on his face, and I flinched back before I realized it.

Noticing his own state, Esadien covered his eyes with one hand and let out a long, deep sigh.

“Haa… At that moment, Minuelle, I—regarding Lady Celeste, I…”

He opened his mouth several times, but couldn’t finish the sentence.

I waited a while but eventually lost my patience.

“If you can’t speak, then let’s end this here.”

“Minuelle!”

Just as I turned to leave, Esadien quickly grabbed my arm.

I glared at him, and his trembling fingertips fell away almost instantly.

“Then say it. Quickly.”

“Minuelle, I’m… afraid.”

At this rate, my name’s going to wear out.

“Afraid of what?”

My question came out flat, disinterested—but his answer was unexpected.

“That you’ll think I’m less than human.”

“What, did you try to kill Lady Celeste or something?”

It was a throwaway remark—sarcastic, absurd.

But then came an even more unexpected reaction.

“……”

“……?”

What… Why is he avoiding my eyes?

Why isn’t he denying it?

I was so flustered I could feel the trembling in my eyes.

As if he had expected that reaction, Esadien gently grasped the hem of my clothes.

“I can’t give you the full details, but I discovered that the Baron’s family funds were being funneled somewhere. That’s why I went there—and ended up in that situation, unintentionally.”

He said “unintentionally”, but it wasn’t like Lapheche was entirely innocent either.

On the day of my coming-of-age, she’d suspiciously summoned me to her private room.

‘Clever little thing, aren’t you.’

While I snorted to myself, Esadien slowly continued his apology.

“I’m truly sorry. I should never have put you in a position to misunderstand.”

“Yes. You shouldn’t have.”

“Then, Minuelle… would you forgive me?”

I answered clearly and without hesitation.

“No.”

Esadien’s eyes widened.

His perfectly shaped lips quivered slightly before he barely managed to speak.

“Why?”

It was obvious he hadn’t expected this outcome. Poor thing.

What I had seen in Lapheche’s private room had definitely been a fatal blow between us—our last bang, so to speak.

But that alone wasn’t the reason we broke up.

“Everything has its time, doesn’t it? Your Highness… you missed that ‘time.’”

He had more than enough chances to set things right.

When I still loved him.

When I asked him for an explanation.

When he should’ve, at the very least, denied his relationship with Lapheche Celeste to me.

When I asked him—one last time—how he felt about me.

“Your Highness, ties that pass with time… can’t be brought back.”

He had denied his feelings for me three times and kept too many things hidden.

Back then, I had loved him too much to see it—but now I know.

I can’t spend my life with someone like that.

“So please… let me go.”

Esadien stared at me for a long, long while.

Like someone studying a stain on the wallpaper they had always overlooked.

I waited, willingly.

Hoping that he was erasing, from his mind, the image of a Minuelle who loved him.

If this was how it could end, I could wait as long as it took.

…Okay, maybe not that long. My legs were starting to hurt.

I could wait, but it’d be nice if he didn’t take forever.

But instead of responding, Esadien just stood there, still as a stone statue, until the ache in my legs turned to numbness.

‘Is this why he wanted me to sit down earlier?!’

I was just about ready to grind my teeth in frustration when Esadien finally reached into the inside pocket of his coat.

What he pulled out was the annulment—more precisely, the formal document of annulment consent.