TEWRIT 46

Episode 46

“Grab him by the collar if you have to!” Flint’s men shouted at Heriath.
The way Flint’s people were cheering Heriath on felt incredibly sweet. He’d never been welcomed like this before, and it made his heart swell with pride. But that also meant he was even angrier at the friend who had ruined everything he’d worked for.

At dawn, early in the morning, Heriath stepped into the Howard estate. As someone who often showed up unannounced, no one dared to stop the crown prince.
The butler, hurrying behind him, asked him to wait while he informed the master. But Heriath waved him off, saying this was an urgent matter.

Without warning, the crown prince threw open Flint’s bedroom door. It was a bold and almost threatening move.

“FLINT HOWARD—!!!”

He shouted Flint’s name, only to be startled when Flint came out looking just as shocked.

“H-Heriath?”

Flint Howard… startled? Stuttering?

But Heriath had more important things to deal with than figuring out what was wrong with Flint.

“I opened up the palace for a ball so you could find a bride—and you didn’t even show your face?! Do you know how many couples have already gotten together? Do you think I gave up the royal hall just so you could waste it?!”

The Howard estate’s ballroom couldn’t fit all the guests, so Heriath had opened the grand ballroom of the palace.
To do that, he had to ask the emperor for permission. No one had ever used the palace hall for five days just for a noble’s party.

But Heriath was the emperor’s youngest and most beloved son, and Flint was a war hero who had defeated Malkia. So the emperor allowed it for four whole days—a huge privilege.

The last day was supposed to be at the Howard estate, with only a select few invited—just the final candidates for marriage. But all the best ladies had already declined to attend. Heriath was fuming, pounding his chest in frustration.

“What on earth is going on?! What am I supposed to say to the emperor now?! I told him I’d make sure you got married, and even borrowed the royal ballroom! Now I’m too embarrassed to show my face!”

“Calm down, Heriath. Let’s talk outside,” Flint said, trying to pull his friend out.

But Heriath, face red with anger, shook him off.

“Go outside? You think I’m doing this for my own fun?! You know what the emperor is like! Can’t you use your head for once? Is this what you call loyalty?!”

“Please, let’s talk outside. And lower your voice…”
Flint looked nervous—something unheard of. His silver-grey eyes, always calm and composed, were now filled with unease.

That’s when Heriath noticed something was off. The air in the bedroom felt strange. He frowned, sensing something was wrong, and looked around the room. Then he saw it—a curtain drawn around the bed.

Heriath’s sharp eyes caught the slight movement of the curtain.

Someone was in the bed.

Blinded by anger, Heriath stormed over and yanked the curtain open. Flint didn’t have time to stop him.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Heriath was speechless at the sight inside.

Flint quickly dragged Heriath away from the bed and rushed to close the curtain again.
But it was too late—Heriath had already seen the person in the bed.

Even as he was being pulled away, Heriath screamed.

“Have you lost your mind?!”

Heriath had barged into Flint’s bedroom now and then, thinking, If he finally finds a woman, I’ll clap and celebrate. He even imagined dancing with joy.

But now, seeing who it was, his head went completely cold. He had also noticed the bloodstains on the bedsheets.
He was no child—he knew what that meant.

The moment he recognized the woman, his insides boiled with rage.
He shouted exactly how he felt.

“I can’t believe this. Of all the women in the empire—why her?!”

Flint looked resigned as he replied.

“Heriath, keep your voice down. Please leave.”

He gripped Heriath’s arm tighter.

“I don’t want to disturb the lady’s rest. Don’t you think it’s a bit early to be barging into someone’s bedroom? This is too rude.”

Flint’s low voice was calm, but it clearly carried a scolding tone. Still, Heriath didn’t back down.

“Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt your fun?”

“Heriath.” Flint’s voice grew stern.

“Fine. So it was just a one-night thing. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

At that, Flint tightened his grip on Heriath’s arm.
“Hey, that hurts! Let go! You’re gonna break my arm!”

“Heriath, watch your words. It wasn’t a one-night thing.”

“What?!”

Heriath looked at him like he’d gone crazy.

“So you’re saying… you’re going to marry the woman who turned down the heir to the empire?”

Flint’s face turned serious. After a moment of silence, he asked,

“Do you… like her? Is that what this is about?”

Heriath screamed.

“Have you gone mad?! That’s not what I meant at all!”

He flailed around while Flint, as calm as ever, asked,

“Then what’s the problem?”

“AAARGH!” Heriath let out a frustrated cry, twisting his body. It drove him nuts—Flint just didn’t get it. And he looked even more confused now, like he really couldn’t see what was wrong.

“Heriath, I thought you didn’t like her. Don’t tell me you actually liked her all along and just realized it?”

“Of course not!! What about you?! How can you be so proud after sleeping with a woman I can’t stand?!”

Flint Howard, always proper and by the book, would only spend the night with someone he truly wanted to marry.
Heriath’s mouth went dry.
Flint spoke in a quiet voice.

“I know it’s not proper to spend the night before marriage… but it’s not something to be ashamed of either.”

They were speaking completely different languages now. Heriath hit his chest again in frustration.
Naturally, Flint didn’t even flinch.

“How do you think the emperor will take this?! The crown prince had his eyes on Eliano Rosana, and now you—his rival—ended up with her!”

Flint replied in a calm voice.

“Don’t worry. Once I get permission to marry from the Rosana family, I’ll leave for the North.”

“Flint…!”

“This isn’t the time or place for this talk.”

His tone showed he was clearly thinking of the woman in bed.

Flint Howard, that stone-faced man, caring about someone’s feelings? It made Heriath sick. That the woman was Eliano Rosana made it even worse.

What on earth did she do to my friend?
He wanted to storm in and shake her awake.

“I need to write a proposal. So please leave. This is urgent.”

Her family is strict. With that final comment, Heriath was thrown out of the bedroom.

He screamed again, like someone whose lover had been stolen.
Anyone watching would’ve thought Flint Howard had stolen the woman he loved.