Chapter 04

When she raised her head at the shadow blocking her path, Ethan was standing there.

The ship carrying the Crown Prince of Palestian was soon due to dock at the port of Franz.

They were on their way toward the very dock she had left exactly eight years ago.

Various emotions crossed through Eroica all at once.

She was returning to Franz carrying hatred in her heart.

“It smells familiar.”

Eroica recalled a scent she could never forget.

“And it’s painfully cold.”

As they drew closer to Franz, light snowflakes began to scatter through the air. Gradually, a cruel chill began to touch her skin.

“I have waited for this day for so long. It feels strangely familiar.”

Ethan quietly looked at her.

She was as beautiful as ever. Yet her inner self was as firm and unyielding as a hardened core.

Ethan had always liked Eroica.

She had always been close enough for him to reach, yet never close enough for him to truly hold.

That was why he had decided to put all his strength into helping her with her revenge, as long as it was within his power.

And he dreamed that, once her revenge was over, he would be the one to win her heart.

“The Third Prince of Sorvenia greets His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Franz.”

“The Second Princess of Dorthea greets His Imperial Majesty.”

“I am an envoy from Jakman. On behalf of His Majesty the King, I convey his regards and wish Your Majesty good health.”

The Empire was overflowing with blessings thanks to the endless stream of foreign royalty and delegations visiting Franz.

Ahead of the coming-of-age ceremony, the Emperor and the princes personally came outside to welcome the visitors.

The Emperor, the Fourteenth Prince, and his brothers were all seated together to receive the guests.

Only the Third Prince, Andrea Halshaltar, was absent from Kyleve’s coming-of-age ceremony, as he was bedridden due to poor health.

Among the brothers seated in order, the Fourteenth Prince occupied the seat beside the Emperor.

As a wielder of Divine Power, he held the highest rank among the brothers, so it was only natural that he be given a place of honor.

The Empire was enjoying greater luxury than ever as visitors arrived carrying bundles of precious jewels and extravagant gifts.

Bosarba certainly did not hide how delighted he was by it all.

“The daughter of Dorthea is quite beautiful.”

Every time another beautiful woman appeared, Bosarba would add some remark with a chuckle.

His voice was especially excited today.

Yet no response ever came.

Why does the person beside me have to be that cold Kyleve?

The very chill of Kyleve’s presence was enough to dampen his excitement.

Feeling awkward, Bosarba quickly turned away from his younger brother.

On the day of the prince’s coming-of-age ceremony, all of the brothers wore bright expressions.

Since it was an event representing the Empire, everyone present naturally shared in the festive atmosphere.

Only Kyleve, the very person at the center of the celebration, remained expressionless.

However, he was paying more attention than usual to the guests who arrived.

It was toward the very end of the ceremony that the Crown Prince of Palestian, whom Kyleve had been waiting for, finally appeared.

Amid loud commotion from afar, Ethan appeared, accompanied by magnificent gold ornaments and exotic beasts.

“Che. How noisy. Is he showing off because he’s so proud of being from a country of wealth and prosperity?”

Bosarba’s displeased voice could be heard, but all of Kyleve’s attention was focused on a single point.

He had hoped that the letter he had read was a lie.

He desperately wished that Ethan had insulted the Emperor by sending false information.

But that wish was not granted.

From a distance, Kyleve could see Ethan getting out of his carriage.

Then Ethan extended his hand toward someone inside.

Kyleve held his breath as he watched.

Perhaps, somewhere deep down, he had always known that the future would eventually lead to this moment.

But this was the one scene he had never wanted to face.

He had sincerely hoped that she would live happily after leaving far away.

Yet he could not predict what she would be thinking now that she had returned.

A pale, delicate hand was placed over Ethan’s large, sun-darkened hand.

Then a slender white ankle emerged, and she lightly stepped onto the soil of the Empire.

The silver hair and violet eyes he had imagined countless times appeared before him.

Unable to face her, Kyleve lowered his head toward the ground for no reason at all.

“That girl must be the youngest daughter of Claudis, right? She’s incredibly beautiful.”

He wanted to silence Bosarba, who had no idea what was going on.

He wanted to clutch his pounding heart and force it to stop.

Yet before that, an even stronger desire surged within him—the desire to see the face he had longed for all these years.

“Ethan Hoffman of Palestian greets His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Franz, and His Highness the Princes. I congratulate His Highness Prince Kyleve on reaching adulthood.”

Kyleve heard none of the Crown Prince’s congratulations.

His head refused to rise, caught between his inability to lift his gaze and his desperate desire to see her face.

“Are you the hidden youngest daughter of House Claudis?”

While Kyleve struggled with his thoughts, Bosarba, impatient by nature, suddenly asked the woman standing behind Ethan.

The head that had refused to rise finally moved toward the Emperor.

“Yes, I am. Eroica Claudis greets His Imperial Majesty.”

Her smooth voice, speaking Franzian clearly and precisely, made Kyleve’s entire body react before his mind could.

He forced himself to raise the head he could no longer control.

At last, he managed to look forward.

His blurred vision gradually came into focus.

And when their eyes met, his heart pounded so violently that he felt as though it might burst from his chest.

“I have come to Franz in person to celebrate His Highness the Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony. Congratulations, Your Highness.”

She was looking at him—not at the Emperor—with eyes that had grown deeper than before.

And she was smiling.

It was no longer the innocent smile of the girl he remembered.

It was a fresh yet alluring smile belonging to a mature woman.

“We shall speak about you in greater detail later. For now, please enjoy the prince’s coming-of-age ceremony.”

The youngest daughter of House Claudis, whom everyone had believed to have been wiped out along with her family, naturally aroused everyone’s curiosity.

But for the time being, receiving the endless stream of guests came first.

The Emperor also had many questions he wanted to ask her, but for now, he dismissed her.

Kyleve continued staring at the place where Eroica had disappeared.

For a long time.

He could not acknowledge that he knew her in front of so many watching eyes.

After that, he remembered nothing.

It felt as though his mind had gone completely blank.

Even when someone presented a gift or offered congratulations, none of it remained in his mind.

No matter how hard he tried to think about something else, his thoughts always returned to her.

No matter how much he tried to deny her existence, she was still exactly the same girl from his childhood.

The pure child who had once made the entire world seem quiet.

The face he had only been able to imagine had appeared before his eyes.

The familiar girl had grown into a mature young lady.

Kyleve, who could maintain his composure no matter what happened, could not remain calm in front of Eroica.

“Why are you…?”

After the final guest had left, Kyleve immediately abandoned his place.

The moment he returned to his room, he roughly tore at the tie constricting his chest, followed by the buttons of his shirt.

His throat felt parched.

Even after he gulped down an entire glass of water, the thirst would not disappear.

He wondered several times whether he should go straight to her room.

Then—

Knock. Knock.

Someone carefully knocked on the door.

Already on edge, Kyleve irritably turned toward the sound.

It seemed an unwelcome guest had come to visit.

“Who is it?”

His voice was sharp enough to make one’s bones ache.

“Your Highness, it’s me. May I come in for a moment?”

There was only one woman in the Empire who would not be intimidated by Kyleve’s icy voice.

Recognizing the owner of the voice, Kyleve let out a deep sigh and approached the door.

His mood became even worse, but he could not turn away a guest like her.

In the end, Kyleve opened the door slightly and turned his back on her.

Brigitte entered the room, following the prince who did not even spare her a glance despite her arrival.

It was a familiar form of dismissal, but seeing his back always hurt her heart.

“Congratulations on reaching adulthood. It’s nothing special, but I prepared a small gift for you. Would you accept it?”

Brigitte forced a bright tone into her voice as she held out a small box behind the prince.

As the only daughter of Count Vesalonia, she had never stopped pursuing Kyleve since the very first time she saw him.

He had found it too bothersome to explicitly push her away, so he had simply remained indifferent.

Before long, people had arbitrarily decided that she would become the prince’s consort.

“Put it over there.”

He truly was an indifferent man.

Kyleve did not even consider opening the box the woman had brought as a gift.

Instead, he simply pointed toward the table.

Brigitte paid no attention to his indifference.

She opened the box herself and took out a cravat that she had embroidered personally.

“I would be very happy if you wore this cravat to the banquet. And may I also hope that you will escort me tonight?”

Brigitte always looked at the prince with clear, sincere eyes.

Because there was not the slightest trace of deceit in them, Kyleve never bothered to reject her outright.

Whenever he needed to choose a partner, he would simply accompany the count’s daughter, as she was the one who would cause the least gossip.

Having a different woman constantly by his side would have been troublesome in its own way.

However, she interpreted his meaningless kindness as encouragement and continued hoping for more.

“I will. Is there anything else?”

If they continued talking like this, the conversation would only grow longer.

Kyleve made it clear with his expression that if she had finished her business, she should leave.

To emphasize that he would give her no more of his time, he even picked up a novel—something he rarely ever read—and opened it.

Brigitte had no choice but to believe the prince when he said he would escort her.

As far as she knew, her beloved did not seem to be very good at lying.

“Then I’ll see you soon, Your Highness. I’ll be waiting for you.”

His answer had not been a perfect promise, but she had managed to receive something resembling an affirmative response, and that was enough.

Unlike when she had arrived, Brigitte left with a much lighter step and cheerfully closed the door behind her.

Only after hearing the door close did Kyleve shut the book.

He wanted to clear his cluttered mind.

Especially when it came to the troublesome Brigitte.

Eroica was alive.

That was the only thought he wanted to focus on.