Chapter 64
Raylenne led Lavita not to the reception room, but to her own room, finding it a more comfortable place for conversation. “Was the journey difficult?” Raylenne asked.
“No… The scenery on the way to the manor was beautiful,” Lavita replied with a faint smile. Raylenne, pleased by her response, suggested, “Before you leave, I’ll show you the view from the tower.”
Raylenne herself had never been up there but knew the general way. ‘This is a good chance for me to enjoy the view too,’ she thought, sipping her tea.
Just then, Lavita reached for a cookie with her pale white hand, her lips hiding behind the treat. Raylenne found it surprising; Lavita hadn’t touched any desserts at the previous tea party. “You seem to like cookies, Lavita,” Raylenne observed.
“Do I?” Lavita responded, somewhat caught off guard.
“At Countess Shablin’s tea party, you didn’t eat any desserts,” Raylenne noted.
Lavita paused, her expression slightly downcast. Raylenne quickly realized her mistake. “I’m sorry if I brought up bad memories, Lavita. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“It’s not your fault…,” Lavita replied, gently setting the cookie down. “I couldn’t eat comfortably at the tea party… It felt like sitting on a bed of thorns.”
Lavita’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, her face tinged with a mix of sadness and something akin to anger.
“I heard something that day… Is it related to Crown Prince Harbian?” Raylenne cautiously asked. Lavita exhaled a slow breath before speaking.
“There were terrible rumors,” Lavita began.
“Rumors?” Raylenne prompted.
“They said I kept pursuing the Crown Prince even after he rejected me… People called me shameless, saying a noble lady should know her place,” Lavita said, her expression ghostly as she forced a smile, only making her look more pitiable.
“But I was really thankful when you stood up for me that day,” Lavita continued.
“…”
“No one has ever stood up for me like that before.”
“Lavita…”
Lavita’s smile became a bit more genuine. “That’s why, when I received your invitation, I was happy. I hesitated to respond because… I was scared. It’s been so long since someone invited me somewhere, I worried I’d make a mistake.”
“I understand. It must not have been easy to come,” Raylenne replied gently. Lavita hesitated before meeting Raylenne’s eyes and asking, “Why did you invite me, Raylenne? I’m grateful, but… I was curious. We didn’t talk much at the party, and there are many other ladies who would have made better friends…”
Raylenne pushed aside her guilt for approaching Lavita with an ulterior motive and smiled. “I didn’t know anyone at the party either, so I was drawn to you because you were quiet.”
She silently vowed to repay Lavita for the lie someday.
“I see…”
Lavita nodded, fiddling with her teacup. “Do you often attend parties?”
“Not often… but sometimes. My father insists, worrying about appearances…”
So that’s why she looked so miserable at the tea party, Raylenne thought. Lavita’s parents seemed quite strict. It made sense why she would hide having a child, even from her own parents.
“It must be tough, being forced to attend places you don’t want to go.”
“Since those strange rumors started about the Crown Prince, my father pushes me to attend even more social gatherings, worrying about our reputation.”
Lavita looked down. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, Raylenne.”
“What is it?”
It took a while for Lavita to gather the courage to speak.
“I never pursued Crown Prince Harbian on my own. He treated me like he loved me.”
Raylenne knew this already, but understanding the difficulty of Lavita’s confession, she felt a pang of sympathy.
Lavita continued in a subdued tone, as if confessing a deep secret. “You might not believe me, but the Crown Prince was very kind to me, saying sweet things that made me think he loved me.”
“…”
“If it’s my fault for mistaking it for love, then so be it. But Raylenne, anyone would have thought the same, looking into those eyes and hearing that voice, like he was truly in love.”
Tears welled up in Lavita’s eyes. She stopped speaking, biting her lip hard.
Raylenne handed her a handkerchief. “You’ve been through a lot, Lavita.”
Lavita took the handkerchief and dabbed her eyes, but the tears kept flowing. Raylenne stood up and gently patted Lavita’s trembling back.
“Heugh…
Lavita finally spoke again. “Raylenne, do you know what’s most frustrating? No one knows the real Harbian… He’s truly terrifying.”
“Lavita…”
“I’m more scared of the way his eyes changed so suddenly than the disdainful looks from other ladies. The Crown Prince is… really scary. That’s why I’ve never talked about this with anyone.”
The fear and anger in Lavita’s eyes left Raylenne momentarily speechless.
“And… he’s not like other people.”
“In what way?”
Lavita hesitated.
“How should I put it, it’s like…”
Like what? Raylenne focused on Lavita’s voice, but she soon shook her head.
“…No, please forget I said anything.”
Lavita quickly composed herself, her voice returning to its usual calmness. “I’m sorry, I must have been too emotional.”
“No need to apologize.”
Raylenne thought how hard it must have been for Lavita, to finally open up like this to someone she’d only met twice. She smiled at Lavita.
“I don’t think you’re the type to make things up, Lavita. I don’t know the Crown Prince well, but if you say so, I believe you.”
“Raylenne…”
Lavita’s tears had stopped, and she finally seemed a little more at ease.
* * *
The time that followed passed smoothly. Raylenne and Lavita talked about everyday things—what hobbies they had, what they usually did, and what subjects they were studying. Occasionally, Lavita’s eyes would take on a sad expression as she spoke about her day, but she would quickly resume the conversation seamlessly. Raylenne speculated that the moments of sadness might be related to Lavita’s hidden child, though Lavita never mentioned the child directly.
Raylenne understood that it would take time for Lavita to open up about the truth. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t anxious, but pressing the matter wouldn’t help. They concluded their visit with a trip to the tower to admire the surrounding landscape. Raylenne had to work hard to keep her mouth from dropping open at the breathtaking view from the tower’s peak. Now, she finally understood why people spoke so highly of the scenery from the castle. While the interior of the castle felt monochrome and barren, the view from here was simply magnificent.
‘Wow, Aiden would love this view,’ Raylenne thought, a private thought she kept to herself.
After their final tour, Raylenne and Lavita stood by the carriage. “Goodbye, Lavita. I hope to visit your estate next time,” Raylenne said.
“You’re always welcome. It would make me very happy if you visited,” Lavita replied, holding Raylenne’s hands warmly. Lavita, who had seemed overly timid and quiet at the tea party, appeared quite different when it was just the two of them.
Although Raylenne had approached Lavita with an ulterior motive, she found herself genuinely enjoying their conversation throughout the day. Lavita was kind and intelligent, and the more they talked, the more Raylenne appreciated her good nature.
“How about sometime next week?” Raylenne suggested.
“Of course, that sounds wonderful,” Lavita agreed.
“Great, I’ll see you then.”
Lavita looked around briefly before leaning close to Raylenne’s ear. “Raylenne, about what I said earlier regarding Crown Prince Harbian… Please keep it a secret.”
“Of course,” Raylenne replied without hesitation. Despite her reassurance, Lavita’s expression remained troubled.
“I promise I won’t tell anyone. You have my word,” Raylenne assured her again, and Lavita’s face finally relaxed.
“Thank you… It may sound strange, but I’m truly afraid of Prince Harbian,” Lavita murmured, glancing at the darkening sky. “He’s… like a devil.”
Raylenne watched Lavita mutter quietly, noting the fear in her voice. Lavita quickly added, “I should go before it gets too dark. See you next week, Raylenne.”
“Take care, Lavita,” Raylenne called as she watched the carriage disappear from sight.
Lavita’s face, shadowed with the memory of calling Harbian a devil, stayed with Raylenne. Both Aiden and Caverion had called him trash, but now Raylenne found herself questioning what Harbian was really like. She frowned, trying to picture the true nature of Crown Prince Harbian.
‘Just what kind of person is he?’
* * *
Meanwhile, in a corner of the imperial palace, events were unfolding that few could believe.
“Come on, Ivan, tell me. Why did my father meet with your uncle?” A handsome blond man asked with a gentle smile, standing before a man bound to a chair.
The bound man, Ivan, wore an expression full of fear. He was an advisor to the emperor. The contrast between the expressions of the two men was like heaven and hell existing in the same room. The only light in the dark, windowless space came from a flickering candle flame.
Ivan’s lips, battered and bruised, trembled as he spoke. “Does His Majesty need a reason to meet his brother, Crown Prince Harbian?”
Yes, the man smiling warmly in front of the bound Ivan was none other than Crown Prince Harbian. Unimpressed by Ivan’s answer, Harbian’s expression grew cold.
“Hmm… It seems I won’t get anything useful from you,” Harbian murmured, rubbing his chin before pulling out a dagger. The blade glinted ominously in the dim light.
