EEA Chapter 7

A few days later, Roylin' servant came to find Ailea and told her that the Crown Prince was summoning her to his office.

Ailea clearly remembered this day from two years before her death.

With only a few days left until the wedding, she had excitedly put on all the few ornaments she owned and rushed to him. But what she heard from him was that Clint Rishers was leaving to reclaim Geneta Castle, so she should go recuperate at his castle for a while.

That day, Ailea had a premonition that she would never be able to return to this imperial palace again. So she knelt down right there and begged Roylin not to send her away.

Ailea smiled.

Fortunately, now there would be no need to kneel and beg him.

Because she knew it was useless.

Ailea walked across the imperial palace for the first time in a long while. She was covering her face with a hat wrapped in black veil, as if she were in mourning.

Throughout the sun-drenched imperial palace, royal women and their friends and maids were enjoying their time pleasantly. Ailea both envied the joy of women her age and felt embarrassed by their sidelong glances at her, so she quickened her pace as much as possible.

At the center of the laughing group was Rita Brea. For the sake of her breathtakingly beautiful happiness, Roylin had killed Ailea. Golden hair more lustrous than Ailea's platinum locks, dazzling and brilliant. Blue eyes clearer than Ailea's pale sky-blue ones, shining like jewels. Rita was a woman who stood out wherever she was.

Rita's gaze was directed somewhere, so Ailea looked up. From the Crown Prince's office on the second floor of the imperial palace, Roylin was looking at Rita.

From this time on, the two had been sharing their love so openly—why had she foolishly remained unaware? Ailea reproached herself as she headed to Roylin' office.

When Ailea entered and greeted him, removing her veil, Roylin unusually greeted her gently.

"Ailea, it's been a while."

"Yes, Your Highness Roylin."

Roylin had been born in the imperial palace and raised his entire life without knowing discomfort. The greatest pain that had come to such a man was Ailea.

Roylin had disliked Ailea from the beginning. The mere fact that he had to marry a woman he didn't love was irritating enough.

Her young age of thirteen and shy personality. Nothing about her caught Roylin' eye. If she had at least been charming despite all that, it might have been different, but she showed a stubborn attitude and a shabby persistence in trying to fix even broken things.

Still, around sixteen, she had been beautiful enough to momentarily dazzle Roylin. Not long after he had accepted marriage to her, entranced by her appearance, a curse befell Ailea. Black spots began blooming on her transparently white skin, and soon her entire body became mottled like a cow. From then on, he had kept his distance from her, but today he was unusually affectionate.

"I heard your skin is getting progressively worse."

"Yes."

"Hot spring water is good for skin conditions."

"I see."

Before her death, when Ailea had heard his words up to this point, her heart had raced. It was the first interest he had shown since her illness began. She had thought he was asking if she would like to go recuperate briefly before the wedding.

And she had been crushed by Roylin' words that followed.

"So how about we postpone our wedding a little and you treat your skin at the outer castle? Clint will be leaving the outer castle soon."

Roylin gently coaxed Ailea. He wanted to send Ailea away without much expenditure of energy and emotion. If she were to cry and beg not to be sent away, not to postpone the wedding, it would be far too tiresome.

The past Ailea had disappointed such expectations of his. She had started crying the moment the word "postpone" came from Roylin' lips.

However, even experiencing this for the second time, these words weren't shocking enough to bring tears.

Roylin had burned Ailea alive to ensure he suffered no loss at all. When he had been thinking of merely postponing the wedding, it had been rather cute in comparison.

Ailea said calmly,

"If that's the case, how about I leave tomorrow right away?"

"Leave tomorrow?"

"I'll have to live there continuously from now on, won't I? So I want to greet the former owner and say I'll serve him well."

"...You won't be there very long. You're just going out temporarily to treat your illness."

"I know. Still, I want to greet him."

At Ailea's calm request, Roylin fell silent for a moment. It was such a different reaction from what he had expected. He was even taken aback that she was planning to quietly live at the outer castle, just as he wanted.

Roylin answered,

"Do as you please."

"Thank you."

She smiled warmly and left as if she had nothing more to say. Roylin' brow furrowed. After she greeted him and left, Roylin' secretary looked at his expression and asked,

"Your Highness Roylin, what's the matter?"

"Usually, wouldn't she cry? When told to postpone the wedding."

"Perhaps she realized that the Crown Princess position was beyond her station?"

"And so?"

"It seems she's given up being stubborn."

Given up?

What is she to give up? Roylin' expression crumpled slightly. It should be him discarding her because he didn't like her appearance.

He didn't like this situation where it seemed she had turned her heart away first.