Chapter 048
Meanwhile, in the Empress’s Palace.
Empress Rielin scoffed.
“What an impressive woman.”
Dragged in as a sacrifice, and now she’s to be the future Crown Princess. The Crown Prince cleverly brought her to his side. This makes it all the harder to stir up trouble.
“Adrian.”
Rielin called Adrian in a gentle voice. Adrian gazed at her with a strange expression.
“I received an invitation this time. How about you go?”
Adrian stared at the invitation. It was an announcement of Alejandro’s engagement, stating that a banquet would be held instead of a grand engagement ceremony.
Adrian blinked slowly.
“Has it become his habit to take everything from me? Now he’s even taking this.”
Adrian muttered coldly.
There were countless things he had wanted but could never have. And now it included a woman.
Adrian picked up the invitation with the tip of his finger. The elegantly written name of Alejandro was loathsome.
What made him different—that he has everything?
Everything Adrian could not have!
“I will go. I will see them in place of my mother.”
Adrian said in a cold voice.
“I will see for myself how great a happiness it is that is destined to shatter.”
“Do so, Adrian. It will be Alejandro’s last struggle. That woman is bound to die anyway. And do make an appearance at the temple from time to time. The Pope wishes to see you.”
Adrian clicked his tongue.
“Since the Pope has summoned the sacrifice for us, shouldn’t we show some sincerity? And if I can get closer to Evelina in the process, that would be even better. She’s just a naive girl with her guard down.”
Just looking at how she treats Sera shows it. That woman had no doubts about Sera at all.
“If you find a gap, you will have an opportunity.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Adrian replied.
He didn’t like the fact that he had to meet the Pope regularly, but he could endure it. The soulmate of the soul. The Pope was fixated on this idea and was obsessed with Adrian.
Yet Adrian felt nothing from the Pope. But even that had its value. The Pope’s obsession was a great help in keeping Adrian’s lifeline intact.
The divine power the Pope bestowed was akin to Adrian’s lifeline. The Pope kept talking about how it was possible because they were soulmates.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed as he thought of Evelina.
Above all, she was a woman who sparkled like a jewel. If he could hold that woman in his hands, Adrian felt he could shine just as brightly.
* * *
On the day of the banquet.
It was the engagement celebration prepared by Alejandro. Today, I needed to be as glamorous and beautiful as possible. One of the dress shops we had previously dealt with stepped forward.
Actually, about three shops volunteered to make the banquet dress, and I chose one of them. The other shops were disappointed but stepped back.
The dress prepared by the shop made me look like a new bride.
The silken fabric in a pale pink, almost silver, fluttered like petals with every movement. The cubic stones embedded in the dress shimmered like waves, and the soft fabric wrapped around my upper body made me look even more lovely.
I wore a necklace and earrings made of pearls and diamonds, along with a tiara.
I pinned my hair up, letting a few strands fall, making it obvious to anyone that I was a new bride. Moreover, a very happy new bride.
I had truly become a genuine fan among fans. Marrying my favorite character!
My heart trembled uncontrollably. Memories of how I got here flashed through my mind like slideshows.
“Crazy.”
I never thought it would come to this. I swallowed hard and touched my face.
Evelina Regnis.
I was getting engaged to Alejandro with this face and this name. And that was happening today.
* * *
Count Develin gazed at his daughter with gloomy eyes. Her belly was swollen, but his painfully thin daughter looked like a tadpole.
It was the Crown Prince’s maid and Princess Millane who brought Karina directly to Develin.
“…Iliana, thank you so much.”
“Not at all, Uncle. I’ll be heading back now. Karina, keep in touch.”
Karina nodded and hugged Iliana tightly before letting her go. After Karina left, the Crown Prince’s maid remained.
“His Highness the Crown Prince sent you personally.”
“Yes, Count. He instructed me to take care of the Duchess.”
“…Does that mean I can interpret it as His Highness supporting Develin and Karina?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince is a man who upholds justice. If justice lies with Develin, he will become both spear and shield for you.”
Count Develin rubbed his wrinkled face with his hand.
When he first saw the news, he thought it was over. Until he gives back the money to Duke Sidney, Develin wouldn’t be able to retrieve Karina.
But Develin didn’t have that kind of money left. Even if he did, it needed to be spent for the family.
It was considered “customary” for a high-ranking nobleman to have a “mistress.” This would surely be viewed as a trivial matter among nobles.
The misfortune and tears of his daughter weighed too lightly to be compared with the family’s interests.
Count Develin had to send Karina back to Sidney, despite his heart being torn apart. But now, everything has changed.
The Crown Prince hinted at his support for Develin. What could this mean?
If Sidney abuses his power because of this, doesn’t that mean the Crown Prince will protect us? Count Develin clenched his fist.
No matter how common such occurrences are in high society, understanding should not be forced.
The moment he saw his painfully thin daughter, Count Develin realized that Karina would never forgive Duke Sidney.
“Welcome back, Karina.”
Count Develin greeted his daughter with a subdued voice.
“How much you must have suffered…”
In that moment, Count Develin shed hot tears. His deep and kind-hearted Karina. Just thinking about her suffering in silence tore his heart even more.
If the news hadn’t come out this time, Count Develin would have never known until the end.
“Father…”
“As soon as she saw the article, your mother collapsed. Karina, you should have told me about this long ago.”
Both Karina and Count Develin knew that it was just empty words. Nevertheless, those words provided some comfort to each other. They created the illusion that the Develin family could stand by Karina’s side.
And there was someone who could turn that illusion into reality, standing with them.
The count embraced Karina with trembling arms. Karina finally let her tears flow after holding them back for so long.
Even the child in her swollen belly seemed to understand its mother’s heart and remained calm.
“Father…”
“You’ve worked hard; you’ve really worked hard. Truly, truly hard.”
The count awkwardly stroked his daughter’s back. Never again would a shameless man like Duke Sidney cross the threshold of their home.
“Evelina has promised to help us. His Highness the Crown Prince will assist us, and this child will surely inherit the Sidney title.”
“Ah…”
He was genuinely relieved to have the Crown Prince on their side. From this day forward, Develin would stand with and support the Crown Prince. Including the title that the child would inherit from Sidney!
* * *
Alejandro personally prepared the banquet hall. Due to the urgent timeline, it might have been chaotic, but Alejandro made proper use of his status.
For the Empire’s one and only Crown Prince, everyone did their best. Within just a few days, they had set up a perfect banquet hall. The scent of summer flowers that drenched the night was enough to make one dizzy.
The hall was adorned with pink hydrangeas. The flowers filled the banquet hall, adding to the dreamlike atmosphere.
“Lehan.”
Alejandro directed his gaze at me.
“Are you sure you won’t regret this?”
If I wanted to back out, now would be the time. Alejandro could easily date several women better than me. In fact, there was no guarantee that this engagement would lead to marriage. In the meantime, a better woman could appear for Alejandro.
Or perhaps such a fate could come my way.
Still, this engagement would cling to us like a label, refusing to let go.
Alejandro furrowed his brows and asked me,
“Do you regret it?”
The question came back to me.
