Chapter 38
Helis violently threw off his robe as he entered his room, his eyes blazing under the light.
‘So it was true…!’
A few days ago, he had heard from a servant, whom he had placed near his father, that there were talks of Raylenne’s engagement to the Crown Prince. At first, he dismissed it as impossible. The Crown Prince would never marry someone like Raylenne. Despite her beautiful appearance, Raylenne was full of flaws. Although she had recently overcome her social anxiety, she wasn’t as skilled in social graces as other young ladies. Even though her health had improved, she still wasn’t fully recovered.
Yet, she was to marry the Crown Prince of the Empire? Helis laughed maniacally, filling the empty room with his crazed laughter.
“And my marriage was destroyed so ruthlessly.”
He slammed his fist on the desk. He had once wanted to marry a woman when he was nineteen. He was convinced it would be the first and last love of his life. But because of his sister, that dream had been shattered.
He knew it was a difficult love, as the woman was a maid in their household. However, he was determined to endure everything for her. Her shy glances and gentle voice, which seemed to warm the cold castle, gave him the strength to believe he could persuade his father. But he never got the chance to try.
‘If only that incident hadn’t happened…’
Helis bit his lip as he recalled the past.
* * *
Raylenne frequently mistreated the servants. She often slapped her maids, causing commotion in the castle. It enraged Helis to see her tormenting Belle, the woman he loved. Raylenne had even discovered their relationship and mocked them.
[Love blinds people. If that’s what love is, I want no part of it.]
At that time, he held back his anger. There was no point in arguing with his sister. He had planned to tell his father about Belle as soon as he turned twenty and was prepared to leave the castle if his father objected. He was ready to give up everything for her and had no regrets about it.
Then the unexpected happened. One day, after returning to the castle, he heard that Belle had been seriously injured. She had fallen during a conversation with Raylenne and hit her head on a piece of furniture. When he rushed to her room, it was already empty. Desperately, he went to Raylenne’s room. The air smelled faintly of blood, and the floor under the desk was stained dark.
Raylenne was curled up on the bed, motionless.
[What happened here?] he yelled. Raylenne looked up, her eyes blank and empty. Helis was momentarily at a loss for words but quickly became enraged again, shaking her shoulders violently.
[Tell me where Belle is!]
[…]
[Where is Belle?]
Even grabbing her by the collar didn’t change her expression. Seeing her like this made him feel even worse. Why was she acting like the victim? The Raylenne he knew would have smirked and relished in recounting the situation.
[Why are you pretending to be the victim?]
He let go of her collar, causing Raylenne to collapse onto the bed, looking like a soulless doll. Helis gave up on talking to her.
[If anything happens to Belle, it’s your fault!]
He then went to find his father. That day, his father returned home late. As Helis was about to tell him about Belle, his father spoke first.
[I just visited that girl Belle.]
[Is she alright?]
[The village doctor checked her, and she’s not in critical condition.]
Helis almost collapsed in relief.
[Thank goodness…]
The Duke of Ergen loosened his tie roughly.
[She’s not in danger, but she seemed deeply traumatized by what happened.]
[I understand. I’ll go apologize on behalf of my sister. She would never—]
[No.]
The Duke’s firm refusal left Helis blinking slowly in confusion.
[Pardon?]
[She’s so shaken that she doesn’t want to see anyone from our family.]
Helis barely stopped himself from asking, [Even me?] His cold-hearted father had no idea about his relationship with Belle. It wouldn’t help to reveal it now. He forced himself to remain composed.
[But what if others hear about this? We need to apologize properly to close the matter.]
[She said she would leave tonight. She’s too scared to stay near the castle.]
When his father finished speaking, Helis felt like he had turned to ice. The Duke rubbed his forehead and waved Helis away.
[I’m tired. Go back to your room.]
Helis left the Duke’s study in a daze and walked to Belle’s house, still holding onto a sliver of hope. Maybe his father was mistaken. But Belle’s house was cold and empty. He spent the night sitting in front of her house, hoping she would return. But Belle never came back. Day after day, he sat there, hoping her mind would change. His desperate heart ignored the freezing weather. Eventually, he realized that Belle would never return.
That realization ignited an unquenchable fire in his heart. His anger, unable to be contained, turned towards Raylenne.
[It’s all because of my sister.]
He wanted revenge. He needed to repay all the suffering he endured. If Raylenne hadn’t tormented Belle, she wouldn’t have disappeared. Though he also resented Belle for leaving without a word, his hatred for Raylenne was incomparable.
These feelings of resentment and anger persisted over the years. While he lived in torment, Raylenne’s health improved, and she seemed to have overcome her social anxiety, enjoying her life outside. Her improving complexion twisted his insides. Moreover, Caverion seemed to be protecting Raylenne lately, making him feel even worse.
If things continued like this, Raylenne would soon regain her life.
Helis bit his lip. He felt the urgency. Caverion seemed suspicious of his late-night outings and might soon place him under surveillance.
“I need to hurry.”
He had been wandering through the back alleys, seeking a way to get his revenge on Raylenne. When his revenge was complete, perhaps then he would deeply regret his actions. But by then, it would be too late.
Helis’s eyes glinted ominously as he looked out the window.
* * *
Raylenne woke up feeling inexplicably uneasy, with goosebumps rising on her arms.
‘How strange…’
She wondered if she had had a frightening dream without realizing it. Determined to be cautious today, she got out of bed. Pulling the bell cord, she summoned Janie, who entered with the other maids.
After they helped her dress and tidied her hair, Janie bowed her head.
“I’ll go prepare breakfast for the maids.”
“Wait.”
Janie stopped as Raylenne called her back.
“Yes?”
“Have brunch with me today.”
Janie’s mouth fell open in surprise before she quickly nodded.
“Yes, I’ll have them prepare two servings.”
As Raylenne sat at the table, Janie returned and took a seat across from her after relaying the instructions to the maids. Janie’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Raylenne, who, unable to withstand her intense gaze, asked,
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m just happy you asked me to eat with you first…!”
Raylenne cleared her throat and put on a dignified expression.
“It’s a maid’s duty to keep me from being bored, isn’t it?”
“But… I heard you prefer doing things alone or being by yourself.”
Indeed, the original Raylenne had always preferred solitude. Whether she truly enjoyed it or not, she was often found quietly reading in her room.
“Well… occasionally spending time with others isn’t so bad.”
The truth was, Raylenne wanted to have breakfast with Janie to ask her a few questions. Janie was her closest maid and always informed her diligently of any happenings.
Sipping fresh orange juice, Raylenne began,
“Have you always lived around here?”
“No. After serving as your maid, I worked as a maid for the Marchioness in the capital before coming back here.”
Nice, Raylenne thought to herself.
“So, you must have attended social gatherings often.”
“Yes, I frequently accompanied the Marchioness to them.”
Janie mixed the salad and sauce and placed some on Raylenne’s plate.
“What do people usually talk about at these social gatherings?”
“Well… it varies, but they often talk about the high-ranking individuals in the Empire.”
“The high-ranking individuals…?”
Janie’s eyes darted nervously.
“Well…”
“It’s alright. Speak freely.”
Encouraged by Raylenne’s gentle tone, Janie hesitated but then spoke.
“The Royal Family and the two Ducal houses.”
Raylenne assumed her own story would be an interesting topic for the noble ladies. However, she wasn’t interested in their gossip about her. What she was curious about at the moment was…
“So, have you heard anything about the Crown Prince?”
Information about Crown Prince Harbian.
