Chapter 15: Lost the Way

“Will I really become the Crown Princess?”

“Yes, who else but you could take that position?”

A warm atmosphere filled Duke Hersher’s residence.

Her father, Duke Hersher, had finally gathered his courage and directly proposed marriage to the Emperor.

The marriage between Aria Hersher and Edmund Wilhelm.

In truth, the Duke had always thought there was no one suitable to marry Edmund except from House Hersher.

Indeed, there were few houses that could match the imperial family besides House Hersher.

House Hersher was a prestigious family that had produced several Empresses over generations, befitting their status as a pro-imperial house.

The fact that Edmund and Aria were already acquainted was also significant.

Everyone knew the story of how close they were at the acade.

The Duke used this point when petitioning the Emperor.

Asking him to allow the two to be betrothed.

‘Though I didn’t get an immediate answer then.’

Odin hadn’t given the Duke an immediate answer.

Though he said he would ask Edmund first, the Duke was confident the marriage would happen since it wasn’t outright rejected.

The reason for his confidence was quite simple.

Among suitable families, Aria was the only daughter of similar age who could match Edmund.

Most others were either already engaged during their academy days or already married.

Among the ducal and marquis families, Aria was the only unmarried daughter of similar age to Edmund.

‘Ah, there is one more.’

But the Duke thought she had absolutely no chance.

He frowned as he recalled one person.

The one he thought had no chance was recently involved in a scandal with Edmund.

And it was a very unsavory scandal at that.

“Aria, are you well acquainted with the daughter of House Odoi?”

“You mean Clea Odoi?”

“Yes.”

Aria paused at the sudden mention of that name.

She didn’t have a very good relationship with Clea.

While Aria got along well with everyone at the acade, including Lloyd, Clea’s fiancé, the problem was Clea herself.

Clea, who extremely disliked her getting close to Lloyd, often harassed Aria.

Some incidents went too far, with Aria nearly getting seriously hurt.

Because of this, Clea earned the nickname ‘villainess’ and began to be disliked by others.

Meanwhile, Aria was surrounded and protected by people.

During this time, Aria found it difficult to understand Clea.

‘Isn’t it good to get along with everyone? It’s not like I have any other feelings for Lloyd.’

She thought lightly.

Because Edmund was the one she would marry.

Besides Edmund, she had never considered anyone else as a potential marriage partner.

That was also why she wanted to get along with everyone.

She wanted to be helpful to Edmund in any way she could.

‘The most radiant person in my life.’

She examined the spot where the mark had completely disappeared.

The curse.

No one had seen Aria’s mark.

The mark that only Aria could see had caused her pain and suffering.

Aria wanted to erase it somehow.

That’s why she still couldn’t forget what happened that day.

The moment when just approaching him made the clock hands stop, and simultaneously, the pain in her chest completely disappeared.

It was a miracle she experienced by his side.

‘They said true love has an effect on curses.’

It was the moment she realized Edmund was the one she truly loved.

“I don’t have a very good relationship with Clea.”

“Then do you know about her relationship with the Crown Prince?”

“What do you mean?”

Aria was confused by the sudden mention of this subject after Clea’s name.

The Duke, finding it strange that Aria, who was practically the center of social circles, hadn’t heard the news, sighed and said,

“The rumor that the Crown Prince had a secret meeting with the daughter from House Odoi.”

After hearing this, Aria’s mind went dark.

“Who with who?”

She dropped her teacup upon hearing this news for the first time.

The teacup fell and shattered on the floor.

Though people around asked if she was alright, Aria repeated the same question.

The Duke, thinking this was troublesome, called out to Aria.

“That’s impossible. Those two never had any connection to begin with.”

People from high houses were always somehow connected to each other.

Of course, in the case of Crown Prince Edmund, one had to approach him first to make a connection.

Unless Edmund approached first.

But Edmund wasn’t the type to approach others first.

The same was true for Clea, so the two had no point of connection.

Yet these two had a secret meeting?

Aria was about to rush to the Duke to ask what was going on, not believing the news.

Since Aria would become agitated about anything related to Edmund, the Duke was troubled.

But just then, news that seemed like salvation reached their ears.

“Your Grace, Young Grand Duke Persi has come to visit.”

“Aria, go see him quickly. Hasn’t the guest come to see you?”

The Duke, who would normally point out Lloyd’s rudeness for visiting without notice, hurriedly tried to send Aria to him.

Aria’s face was full of displeasure.

However, thinking she couldn’t keep a friend waiting, she moved to the reception room where the guest was waiting, following the Duke’s wishes.

* * *

“Aria, how have you been?”

“Fine. I was just having tea.”

“I see, I see.”

Lloyd greeted her asking how she’d been, though they had met just yesterday. Aria calmly received his greeting.

Looking at Lloyd’s tired face for a moment, Aria thought.

“Lloyd, can I ask you something?”

“Anything for you.”

Since Clea was his fiancée.

Thinking this much questioning would be acceptable, she faced him.

It probably wasn’t true anyway.

After all, how much had Clea chased after Lloyd during their days at the acade.

Someone like that couldn’t have turned her eyes to Edmund. She barely managed to calm herself and asked with a bright smile.

“Isn’t it funny? The rumor about Clea having a secret meeting with Edmund? Clea loves you, after all.”

Hearing this, Lloyd’s eyes widened as he looked at Aria.

Seeing Lloyd’s reaction, Aria thought he must be surprised because he, like her, didn’t know about the rumor properly.

“Aria, listen carefully and don’t be shocked.”

“Huh?”

But Lloyd quickly composed himself and tried to convey the truth to Aria.

The truth she neither wanted to hear nor know.

“That rumor seems to be true. When I went to the imperial palace, Edmund and Clea were together.”

* * *

Could someone be talking about her?

Feeling her ears itch, Clea sat peacefully looking at the person across from her.

Hoping to make do with just some small bread and soup alone, she looked at the feast laid out before her and thought.

“The last supper?”

“How could that be?”

She had just heard the news that Edmund had gone to have dinner with Odin. Clea wasn’t particularly disappointed.

It wasn’t strange for a family to have such gatherings after all.

What bothered her was something else.

It was Oberon coming into the room himself to serve her meal.

“I think I only asked for some bread and soup.”

“How could that be enough?”

“At least by my standards, that’s plenty.”

Clea felt full just looking at the feast laid before her.

Though she wasn’t particularly pursuing a light diet, she often ate little because she would get indigestion when eating next to people she disliked.

That had become her lifestyle pattern.

Clea intended to eat just that much this time too. But unfortunately, Oberon seemed unwilling to allow that.

“You need to eat to gain strength.”

“I never expected to hear such words from you.”

“Aren’t you sick because you’re so thin?”

“Then are all the young ladies in the empire sick patients?”

Clea laughed.

Oberon, who trembled briefly at her laughter, cleared his throat and urged her to eat.

Since the effort had been made to prepare it, she decided to eat. In moderation, of course.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t treat me like a patient.”

“What else would a sick person be if not a patient?”

“Pitiful.”

“You see me as a cold-hearted person.”

“Weren’t you someone without blood or tears?”

Clea sighed, finding Oberon’s suddenly changed attitude awkward.

While she was relieved he wasn’t showing the gleeful or mocking attitude she had worried about, this was troublesome in its own way.

Clea ate moderately and stood up from her seat.

Though Oberon continued to say various things about having a physician examine her, Clea, finding it bothersome, ignored it all.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to digest after eating.”

“The outside air is still cold.”

“It’s fine. If cold could kill me, I would have been found dead on that bridge. So don’t follow me.”

“My lady!”

She worried about how Edmund would react if he found out about her situation because of Oberon’s fussing.

How would he react if he heard about her terminal condition after saying things like not letting her go and telling her not to regret.

As she walked, lost in such thoughts, she became aware that she could no longer hear Oberon’s voice and looked around.

“Ah.”

She soon realized her situation.

As a result of walking around trying to escape from Oberon while taking a stroll,

She had become lost in the imperial palace.