Chapter 53: Never Come Back Again

 “I asked what is going on here.”

 Edmund asked the figure before him in a voice devoid of any emotion.

 However, his gaze was full of contempt, as though he was looking at something insignificant.

 Meeting Edmund’s gaze, Lloyd smiled cynically as if finding it absurd and said.

 “I greet Your Highness, the great Crown Prince.”

 “Just answer the question.”

 Despite the cold voice that made their years of friendship seem meaningless, Lloyd wasn’t intimidated at all.

 Rather, he was increasingly irritated by Edmund’s brazen behavior.

 “I’ve come to take my fiancée.”

 Edmund and Clea were equally annoyed.

 The happy atmosphere that had continued until just moments ago completely disappeared due to Lloyd’s shameless answer.

 ‘This isn’t even the imperial palace. I’d like to avoid causing a disturbance in the temple.’

 She sighed as she noticed the attention they were drawing.

 She didn’t want to be labeled an even worse person when she was already marked as a person of interest.

 Yet here she was, causing a disturbance in the temple.

 To resolve this situation quickly, she spoke directly to Lloyd.

 “How could our relationship continue when I’ve left the Odoi family?”

 She had already said this several times, but she thought he would surely understand if she said it this often.

 Their engagement was merely strategically arranged by both families.

 It was meant to inform him that there was absolutely no reason to continue the relationship once she had left the Odoi family.

 Lloyd fully understood what Clea was saying.

 Yet he didn’t back down at all.

 Rather, as if he had anticipated such words, Lloyd looked at Clea with an unfazed expression.

 “Think about it. Our relationship wasn’t just connected by family ties.”

 “So what?”

 Clea frowned her delicate brow as if she had heard something unpleasant.

 Seeing her expression, Lloyd approached her one step at a time.

 It was his first effort to try to close the distance in their already broken relationship.

 “You and I were in love.”

 “I loved you?”

 Clea dropped formalities, finding it difficult to even respect the other person anymore.

 Lloyd smiled at her undeterred.

 To others, that smile seemed to contain special emotions.

 But for Clea, it only evoked feelings of disgust.

 “Not at all, Lloyd. I’ve never loved you even once. And you’ve never loved me either.”

 “Clea! Why are you denying it!”

 She heard him asking why she was denying his feelings when she was only stating facts.

 Clea felt like grabbing him by the collar.

 Because she seemed to know why he was causing a disturbance by coming here, still unable to come to his senses.

 ‘You’re still captivated by that girl.’

 By this point, she could feel sorry for him.

 As the distance between them grew closer, someone appeared to block their path.

 “Step aside. I’m going to take my fiancée and leave here.”

 “You’re the one who should get out of my sight.”

 “Your Highness, please respect the person in front of you.”

 “One must have value worthy of respect, shouldn’t they? And even now, I want you to know that I’m being very patient out of consideration for our past friendship.”

 “Your Highness!”

 “Lloyd Persi.”

 Edmund’s voice, calmer than ever, sent chills down the listeners’ spines.

 Even though he spoke quietly, his voice clearly contained hostility.

 But Lloyd still wasn’t intimidated by that hostile voice at all.

 Edmund found Lloyd’s defiant gaze even more ridiculous.

 “Does Grand Duke Persi know you’re acting like this?”

 “My father will support me.”

 “He’ll support you well. If he sees his heir openly trying to antagonize the crown prince.”

 “Isn’t it Your Highness who’s behaving improperly? Clea is my woman.”

 As soon as she heard Lloyd claiming her as his woman, Clea slowly moved her feet.

 In a direction away from both men.

 She didn’t want to be seen by others. She needed to escape quickly.

 Most importantly, she absolutely didn’t want Edmund to see her.

 As her footsteps sounded, the surroundings became completely quiet.

 Everyone’s eyes turned toward Clea.

 No one knew what would happen according to her actions.

 Meanwhile, Lloyd’s expression slowly hardened as if he had noticed something.

 ‘This happened before too……’

 “Ugh.”

 Blood, redder than roses, came out of her mouth.

 People couldn’t even breathe at the sudden event.

 Everyone froze at her cold gaze.

 They couldn’t move easily or open their mouths.

 Only one person could speak here.

 “Look at me in this state. Do you still claim that I loved you?”

 Look at who’s causing me to suffer. As her words seemed to point at Lloyd, people’s gazes turned toward him.

 It was a fact known to everyone that she had suffered emotionally because of Lloyd.

 “Whether I was in pain or not, you were always selfish like now. You were always violent toward me.”

 Her health gradually worsened as she faced him.

 “As if I could have loved someone who acts so selfishly.”

 She brushed her snow-white hair with her blood-stained hand.

 Her beauty stood out in the mismatched color combination.

 “I was in a good mood today, but thanks to you, it’s become the worst.”

 “Clea, I……”

 “I told you before. Never look for me again.”

 For some reason, Lloyd felt a desperation he had never experienced before.

 At this moment, it wasn’t a forced emotion due to Aria’s instigation.

 He desperately hoped she wouldn’t look at him that way anymore. At the same time, he hoped she wouldn’t say the next words.

 She probably didn’t occupy much space in his life. Nevertheless, Lloyd didn’t want to hear the word ‘end’ right now.

 But Clea had absolutely no reason to consider his circumstances.

 “I hate you. More than death. So this is the last time.”

 With the word ‘last,’ she raised the corners of her mouth.

 Her hand, colder than a corpse, touched Lloyd’s cheek.

 “If you don’t wish for my death, never look for me again.”

 Lloyd’s body froze like ice.

 With those final words, Clea slowly closed her eyes.

 Her hand fell limply downward, and her body also began to tilt toward the floor.

 Seeing this, Lloyd reached out his hand to catch Clea as she collapsed to the floor.

 But there was a hand that moved before him.

 “Get out of my sight right now.”

 It was Edmund who knocked away Lloyd’s hand and caught Clea with his other arm.

 He felt the urge to grab Lloyd by the collar with his burning red eyes.

 But right now, the Clea in front of him came first.

 “I am her fiancé. Her fiancé!”

Edmund held the unconscious woman tightly in his arms and headed back to the room where they had been staying.

 But Lloyd continued to shout as if he couldn’t accept it.

 That he was her fiancé.

 He insisted that Clea be returned to him, but the people watching this scene became convinced.

 That Clea Odoi didn’t love Lloyd as the rumors suggested.

 “Clea! Clea!”

 People who witnessed her heart filled with hatred and disgust rather than love began to look at Lloyd with cold eyes.

 They started whispering about how badly he must have treated her for her body to be in such a state, wondering if they had been turning a blind eye all this time.

 But Lloyd couldn’t hear the whispers of others.

 What mattered to him now was Edmund and Clea, who were getting further away.

 Lloyd desperately wanted to take Clea from Edmund, but his feet wouldn’t move, as if completely frozen.

 It was exactly like that time.

 Like when Clea first coughed up blood in front of him.

 For a long time afterward, he remained in that spot, not moving, only calling her name.

 * * *

 “Ugh.”

 Clea woke up with a groan, her insides burning with pain.

 “Take this. It’s a painkiller.”

 Clea turned her gaze toward the voice in her ear.

 Right beside her was Edmund, looking at her with concerned eyes.

 She inwardly clicked her tongue.

 She really hadn’t wanted him to see her coughing up blood.

 Because she knew he would wear a worried expression if he saw it.

 After taking the medicine and water offered to her, she carefully lay back down and said,

 “Thank you. And I’m sorry.”

 “What do you have to be sorry for?”

 “I think I caused you worry.”

 “Why should you be sorry for making me worry?”

 “Then I wish you wouldn’t make that expression.”

 Her blurry vision became somewhat clearer after taking the medicine.

 Thanks to that, she could see what expression Edmund was making as he watched over her.

 An expression of wanting to do anything for her but feeling helpless.

 Clea didn’t want him to make such an expression because of her.

 “You’re the first.”

 “Clea.”

 He took her hand very carefully, as if he would never let go.

 Seeing Edmund looking anxious, Clea whispered.

 That he was the first to teach her many emotions she hadn’t known before.

 “Joy, sadness, happiness—you taught me all of these. So I don’t want you to make that expression.”

 The reason she hadn’t clung to this world was because she hadn’t felt any of the emotions she just mentioned.

 Happiness, joy, sadness, hope.

 Unable to feel any of these, the only thing she fully possessed was pain.

 She had grown weary in such a life, but after meeting Edmund, she was now living a completely different life.

 “The person I truly love is you.”

 The painkiller seemed to be taking effect as she no longer felt any pain.

 Clea didn’t resist her closing eyes.

 “I love you, Edmund.”