IPWDP 23

Chapter 23

Seluna’s lips curved slightly when she saw the shocked look on Ephelia’s face. But outwardly, she kept a worried expression.

“Oh my, why are you trembling so much? Are you feeling sick?”

Seluna asked with a concerned face.

“Don’t tell me you’re shocked by what I said? Considering what you’ve done, you have no reason to be shocked. Oh, you weren’t thinking that way at all, so that’s why you’re shocked?”

Seeing that Ephelia couldn’t even deny it made Seluna feel satisfied.

“Surely you don’t think it’s not true, do you?”

“I… I…”

She had only said it out of spite because it annoyed her that Ephelia was staying in the palace—the Crown Prince’s palace—but the reaction she got was better than she expected. Seluna’s voice became even more skillfully sympathetic, as if she were truly worried.

“You just can’t bring yourself to say it, right? But everyone surely thinks so. I’m only telling you because I care. You know that, right?”

Ephelia’s already pale face drained of the last bit of color. It looked like she would burst into tears with just one more nudge.

“You think so too, don’t you? That’s why you aren’t denying it.”

When she thought back on it, Ephelia annoyingly didn’t cry much. Even now, she couldn’t speak properly, but she still didn’t cry. Seluna licked her lips in disappointment.

“Stop thinking only of yourself. Think about His Highness, too. Now go inside and rest.”

With that, Seluna left to return to the other ladies. Seeing Ephelia’s ghost-white face filled her with delight, though she kept her expression and gestures drained and disappointed.

“Why isn’t Her Highness the Crown Princess joining us?”

When Seluna returned alone, Lady Irene of the Marquis’ household asked. These were Seluna’s friends—the ones she was supposed to enjoy tea time with until the men returned from the hunt.

Aerin had suggested inviting Ephelia too, and the other young ladies agreed. The thought that they were paying more attention to Ephelia—the future Crown Princess—than to Seluna herself annoyed her, but she couldn’t refuse. So she went under the pretext of inviting Ephelia and instead had lashed out.

“She said she wasn’t feeling well. She’s going to rest.”

“Oh dear, that’s a shame. Should we call a physician?”

“I suggested that as well, but she said rest would be enough.”

The ladies’ expressions hardened. They knew it was an excuse—just an excuse.

Seluna said that, but they understood what those words and actions truly meant. The future Crown Princess had clearly rejected Seluna’s invitation.

If she were truly unwell, she wouldn’t have joined the hunting event at all. Seluna was covering for her. Seluna noticed their realization and laughed inwardly.

“You’re so kind, Lady Seluna.”

“Well, she’s still my sister.”

“So considerate.”

The thought of Ephelia relaxing comfortably in the Crown Prince’s palace—spending time with him—filled Seluna with fury. Even the dress Ephelia wore today was from a boutique Seluna had failed to reserve.

“Then shall we go enjoy our tea until the gentlemen return?”

“I brought some rare desserts. Let’s share them.”

“Sounds lovely. Let’s go.”

As if trying to sweep away their discomfort, the ladies’ voices rose brightly. They walked toward the place where dessert and tea awaited.

Leech.

Was that how she looked—clinging to him like a parasite? Ephelia trembled, unable to say a word. She felt disgusting, like she really was a leech.

She stood there blankly for a long moment before entering the tent. She slowly looked around. This place had been prepared for Regios. She never should have been allowed here.

Then where should she be?

Ephelia let out a bitter smile. There was nowhere she belonged. She had no place in this world. Anyone who had loved her was gone—dead or vanished.

Even here—she was only allowed because she was Regios’ fiancée. Maybe that was all this was. Maybe she was clinging to him because she had nowhere else to go.

Because of something called destiny.

I really am like a leech.

She felt bile rising. Was this not love? Was it just selfishness—clinging to a place that wasn’t hers? If it were love… shouldn’t she let him go?

Ephelia sank into a chair and just drowned in her thoughts.

“What are you doing.”

Regios’ voice snapped her out of it. Cold and emotionless.

“Oh, you’re back already.”

“Already? The hunt is over.”

She should have gone out to watch. She had been so lost in thought she didn’t notice time passing—an obvious mistake.

“Who won?”

“What were you doing that made you lose track of time?”

“I… was just thinking.”

“What were you thinking?”

“Did you win?”

“Yes. Now answer me. What were you thinking?”

His questioning was obsessive. After debating internally, Ephelia chose not to answer. Instead, she called his name.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“Shall we take a walk?”

“There will be a closing ceremony soon. Must it be right now?”

He understood perfectly that she wanted to talk privately. But he sensed that she didn’t actually want to spend time with him, which irritated him. Normally, if he responded in that cold tone, she backed down. But today was different.

“…Yes. I’d like that.”

“…Fine.”

When their knight, Tail, tried to follow, Regios shook his head. As they walked by, nobles offered congratulations.

“As expected of today’s star. You hunted the rare silver fox, right? Will you be giving it to Lady Ephelia?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Oh my, I shouldn’t interrupt. I’ll see you tonight at the banquet.”

The nobles dispersed, understanding that the couple wanted privacy. Regios and Ephelia headed into the forest path.

“So, what did you want to say?”

Ephelia bit her lip. She couldn’t speak. Her mouth wouldn’t open.

“You said you had something to say. Or did you just need an excuse to drag me out?”

“No! It’s not like that—”

“It’s not like that?”

Afraid he would misunderstand again, she blurted everything out.

“Your Highness… do you hate the fact that I am your destiny?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Her heart pounded violently. She felt she’d asked the wrong thing—she hadn’t meant to ask that.

“What answer do you want?”

Instead of answering, he questioned her.

“I…”

“Don’t circle around it. Say what you really want to ask. This isn’t the end of it, is it? You want to ask if I love you.”

She no longer hoped for that answer. She simply looked up at him.

“I want to know if you dislike me… or if you hate me only because I’m your destined match.”

“If you are my destiny, then that means I love you because of destiny. That’s not love.”

The answer was vague—neither acceptance nor rejection.

“It’s not that I don’t feel affection for you. If anything… I feel a terrifying attachment.”

His words finally fell. It was what she had longed to hear. Yet she couldn’t be happy. His voice was filled with pain.

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means the only reason I ever liked you was because of destiny. So it’s not love.”

In the end, whatever he felt—affection or attachment—was pain to him.

Regios. I love you.

A confession she could never speak aloud. She never had—not once. Because she knew how much he hated those words.

But maybe… we were never meant to be destiny at all.

“Let’s break off the engagement.”

Regios froze. Ephelia stopped as well.

“What did you say?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. If things continue like this… Your Highness will be unhappy.”

She didn’t want to be the cause of his misery. His lips twisted in a faint, bitter smile.

“And you think that’s possible?”

“I thought not.”

Breaking destiny wasn’t impossible. Some destined matches still parted if love never formed. But for Regios and Ephelia, it was not possible.

The Emperor would never allow it.

She had never once resented being his destiny. She could endure his coldness, his rejection. Just being by his side had been enough.

But what if that feeling was only hers?

Leech.

The word echoed in her mind. Did he think of her that way? If he did—what should she do?

I only have you.

He knew that—perhaps that was why he recoiled.

“Don’t say something ridiculous. We’re together for life.”

And he would spend that life in unhappiness.

She never wanted to be the source of that misery. That was the one thing she couldn’t endure.