EURL CH 9

Chapter 9

“Please execute me, Your Highness.”

Elphine pleaded in a tightly restrained voice.

“I have committed an unforgivable sin. I dared to attach my own name to a precious item bestowed by Your Highness and lied about it. I know that you cherish my sister. I also know why you could not approach her. But… but please forgive me. If loyalty to the Imperial House is the destiny of our family, then so be it. I know she cannot escape that duty either. However… she is still young, and she has only just—only just—”

Elphine shut his eyes tightly and forced out the rest.

“…started to smile again.”

“……”

“I cannot watch that child, who has only just managed to stand back up and walk again, fall into the abyss once more. Your Highness, as you know, she has always been… always kind… never caring for herself… completely honest about her feelings and her life. So I…”

His voice trembled as if he were coughing up blood.

They both knew what he meant.

He was afraid Aira would be hurt again because of him.

He could not bear to see Rubellus make her unhappy once more.

Rubellus bit down on his lower lip.

Even Elphine, who had known him better than anyone, did not trust him.

Elphine was pushing away not just the Crown Prince, but Rubellus the friend.

That… hurt.

Rubellus clenched his teeth. In that instant, a violent aura burst from him without restraint.

Elphine let out a strained gasp and began to tremble. It wasn’t simple fear. Rubellus’s presence was crushing him completely.

***

How long did they stand like that?

With a faint scoff, Rubellus withdrew his pressure.

“…I’m angry, but what can I do? This is my own doing.”

He muttered with a sigh.

“My head feels numb. I didn’t expect things to twist like this.”

His voice was calmer now, quieter than before.

Still, Elphine did not dare lift his head easily. Rubellus looked down at him for a long time.

“You knew why I chose to hold the coronation on her birthday, and yet you interfered like this. Whether you’re going to help or not, choose one, Elphine. And…”

Elphine heard the faint rustle of fabric before him. The soft brush of grass. A small sigh.

But Rubellus did not finish his sentence.

What?

Elphine cautiously raised his head—

And his eyes widened.

Rubellus was slowly kneeling before him.

Then he bowed his head.

The Crown Prince of a nation—who in mere minutes would become the supreme ruler—was kneeling before Elphine.

It was unthinkable.

Elphine’s vision spun.

“Y-Your Highness!”

He leapt up and hurriedly pulled Rubellus to his feet. He knew full well he should not lay hands on a royal personage, but this was an emergency.

Had he nearly overturned the foundation of the nation? How could the Crown Prince kneel to him?

“You must not do this! The one who will become the sky of this nation cannot kneel before me—how could you!”

As Elphine shouted in horror, Rubellus glared at him silently.

Even through the lens, it felt as though red was beginning to show in his eyes.

“……”

Elphine froze.

He was one of the few who knew Rubellus’s secret.

“I know this is a selfish request.”

Rubellus spoke slowly, his eyes flickering faintly with red.

His voice was nothing like the furious one from earlier.

It was heavy with bitterness.

“But you must understand.”

“Your Highness, please—”

“I haven’t finished. Hear me out.”

“……”

“I just want her to know that I love her. That’s all. I only wanted to tell her the truth she doesn’t know. You know better than anyone why I couldn’t respond to her confession, why I had to turn away from her.”

Elphine’s face twisted.

Yes. He knew.

Rubellus had his reasons for turning away from Aira.

But—

As Elphine clenched his jaw, Rubellus looked at him directly.

“Elphine, I love that child. I truly do. She is like my reverse scale.”

With the calm gaze of a serpent-like predator and the fierce presence of a hawk-like warrior, he continued:

“Help me tell her again.”

Elphine couldn’t meet his eyes.

Because he knew every word was true.

At last, with a hollow voice, Elphine sank down.

“How could I refuse you… As a member of House Wildenbiston, how could I turn away from Your Highness and this nation?”

His gentle voice carried resentment as he spoke.

Rubellus gave a crooked smile.

“You’re wrong. You heard her earlier, didn’t you? Aira is a Wildenbiston too. And she says she’s given up on me.”

He slowly recalled the sight of her walking away.

Her eyes were red, and she was clutching her skirt tightly, forcing a smile as she spoke.

“So please don’t worry, Your Highness. I’ve completely given up on you. Just because you smiled at me today doesn’t mean my heart will start fluttering again. I know why you smiled. It’s because I gave up my one-sided love, right? I kept my distance, so you’re praising me. Isn’t that it?”

“She says her heart doesn’t even flutter anymore.”

Rubellus lowered his gaze for a moment, then forced out something that barely resembled a smile.

“How do I win her back?”

The smile on his face looked painfully similar to the one Aira had worn earlier.

I stepped into the Grand Banquet Hall of the main palace.

It hadn’t even taken ten minutes to get there from the Great Imperial Forest. A royal knight—likely sent by Elphine—escorted me.

Well, “escort” might be generous. It felt more like a one-on-one surveillance.

If they’d added shackles, I would’ve looked like a criminal being transported.

I was mortified.

What if someone saw me returning like this?

“Aira!”

Just as I entered the hall, someone rushed toward me.

It was Reni.

She clutched her skirt and strode over as if she’d been watching the entrance the entire time.

“Where did you go? Are you really going to cause trouble even today? We were worried sick! Lady Wildenbiston and Bianca were panicking! They were about to mobilize palace attendants to search for you! Do you know what happens if palace attendants get involved? Rumors spread through high society instantly!”

Reni glared at me and scolded in a low voice.

If we weren’t in public, she probably would’ve smacked me with her fan.

Normally, her angry tone would scare me.

But today, it oddly reassured me.

It felt like I’d finally returned to reality.

“Well? Are you going to tell me where you went? If you don’t, I’m not covering for you!”

I hesitated, pressing my upper lip over my lower one.

“Well… I went to the Great Imperial Forest to skip out for a bit…”

“I knew it. And?”

“Um…”

I snapped my mouth shut.

For some reason, I felt like I shouldn’t say what happened next.

That I met Rubellus.

That he smiled at me.

That he was acting strange.

Even if it was the truth, I didn’t want to say it.

And Reni probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.

She might say, “That makes no sense. My friend has finally gone mad. Let’s end this friendship.”

I didn’t have many friends. I couldn’t lose Reni.

“So anyway… it wasn’t the same place as before. It’s changed a lot. The little spots I used to decorate were ruined. The torches were full of bugs, and the blankets were rotting. I was just about to leave when I ran into a knight who guided me back.”

Lying might be a sin, but surely even God would forgive this small one.

I clasped my hands behind my back and said it casually.

Apparently, it was convincing enough. Reni nodded without suspicion.

“Of course it’s not the same. The forest is huge. They say all sorts of strange things happen there because of the sacred imperial aura.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. And do you know how dangerous tree roots are? My cousin tried cutting down a tree recently and tripped over a massive root—broke his leg. If that happened to you, what would you have done alone in that huge forest?”

“That… that is scary.”

I imagined myself screaming in pain with a broken leg in the middle of the forest.

No one is watching.

No one is coming to rescue me.

Unless I just happened to run into His Highness again…

“Be careful. Got it?”

“Got it.”

I nodded obediently and quickly added,

“Anyway, I won’t be going back there again.”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

I nodded twice.

Reni studied my face carefully.

I straightened my shoulders and tried to look confident.

After a long moment, she sighed.

“Aira.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve never thought you were stupid. Sometimes you’re sharper than me. You’re talented at a lot of things.”

“Mm-hm.”

“But somehow, whenever you come to the palace, you turn into an idiot.”

“…Mm.”

It was true.

And it hurt because it was true.

I clutched my chest and shot her a look.

“Even if it’s true, could you say it more gently? That hurts.”

“You recovered fast.”

Reni smirked—then suddenly brightened as she looked past me.

Then she leaned in and whispered,

“Your mother’s here.”

“My sister too?”

“Yeah.”

Right after she answered—

“Aira Wildenbiston!”