Chapter 33

Episode 33

“I don’t want Yulina to cause a fuss again either.”

As soon as Alec thought of his immature younger sister, a sigh escaped his lips.

In some ways, this felt more like paying off a debt.

Although Ilian hadn’t said anything specific, having let Yulina’s actions slide to some extent, that didn’t mean it wasn’t a problem.

Alec also knew full well that his cherished sister could sometimes behave with shocking immaturity.

“I’m well aware of the fuss Yulina caused at the marquess’s residence. I do feel sorry about that.”

“It’s not something Your Highness needs to apologize for.”

Still, Lydia had lowered her guard considerably compared to the beginning.

It was likely because she began to understand why Ilian referred to Alec as the royal family’s only hope, after hearing the crown prince’s sincere apology.

“It’s largely my fault that my sister didn’t give up on an impossible wish earlier.”

“…An impossible wish?”

“Marriage to Ilian. No matter how many times I tried to talk her out of it since she was young, that was the one thing she absolutely refused to listen to.”

“Then are you saying Princess Yulina’s marriage to the marquess was never actually discussed?”

With a wry smile, the crown prince gestured toward a chair near the table. Once Lydia was seated comfortably, he sat down as well and continued speaking.

“If you consider Yulina’s one-sided proposal a discussion, then I suppose it was, in a way. My mother’s refusal to give up and her constant fueling of that fantasy also played a role.”

With a lonely expression, as if bearing the burden of the entire royal family alone, he gazed off into the distance.

“I always wished for my siblings to be at least somewhat free from the obligations of the royal family. That’s why I supported sending Celine to study abroad in such a faraway place, and honestly, I turned a blind eye to Yulina growing up so recklessly.”

At the mention of an unfamiliar name, Lydia quickly tried to recall.

Since she was mentioned alongside Yulina, it didn’t take long to deduce who she was.

Celine — it had to be the second princess known for her intelligence.

Alec spun the thick ring on his finger a few times before stopping and turning his gaze back to Lydia.

“But Celine will eventually have to marry based entirely on what’s best for the kingdom. And Yulina will be the same. That’s an unavoidable future. Being born into the royal family is practically a fate.”

Though he was of high status, a trace of a plea — asking her to overlook his sister’s rudeness just this once — lingered in his words.

Ilian too bore the responsibility of leading Esteban, but Esteban was, after all, just a single noble house.

No matter how distant, he also had a strong ally in Katrina.

But Alec seemed to have no one like that.

“I don’t think I can come to like Princess Yulina, but I do understand.”

That was Lydia’s conclusion.

Since Alec had opened up so honestly, she felt it only right to share her own honest impressions, even if they sounded a bit harsh.

Perhaps she felt reassured knowing with certainty that there truly was nothing personal between Ilian and Yulina — and never would be.

‘As if I have a reason to feel reassured…’

It didn’t make sense, but that’s how Lydia felt.

Perhaps hearing someone else reaffirm that it was entirely a one-sided feeling on Princess Yulina’s part, and that Ilian was firmly against it, brought her an odd sense of comfort.

At that moment, Alec let out a short laugh, cutting off Lydia’s thoughts.

“Now I understand why Ilian fell for you.”

Though in truth, their meeting had been for practical reasons and not emotional ones, Lydia could only offer a vague smile in response to that remark.

Still smiling, Alec rubbed his hands together and spoke in a noticeably more relaxed tone.

“Sometimes, I envy Ilian. He leads a powerful house, but since it’s not the royal family, he can be free.”

Indeed, both Ilian and Katrina acted as though they feared nothing in the world.

Of course, it was because they had strong backgrounds that they could do so, but ultimately, their actions would only ever be judged within the bounds of their family, not on a national level.

“That’s partly why we became friends. I’d never seen someone so self-centered in my life.”

“You think so too, Your Highness?”

To act so bluntly even toward someone he considered a friend — it was strangely fair, yet baffling, especially considering how frequently he made use of Ilian.

“It seems we share some opinions about Ilian.”

“If I think back to when we first met, just calling him self-centered doesn’t quite cover it…”

Lydia trailed off mid-sentence.

She realized she might’ve spoken too freely, excited to finally have someone to talk to about Ilian’s eccentric personality.

She needed to be careful when discussing their shared history.

“…You’re right.”

“Still, I’ve never seen Ilian care this much about someone before.”

“About me?”

“I’ve never seen him make a request on someone else’s behalf. That’s why I thought — he must be deeply taken.”

Alec’s tone was so definitive that Lydia was at a loss for words.

While it might be true, hearing such an objective opinion directly felt different.

“I never imagined Your Highness could be summoned so freely.”

Unsure of how to respond, Lydia chose to change the subject.

“That’s one of Ilian’s traits.”

“Acting on his own and issuing unilateral commands in a way that makes it impossible to refuse?”

When she listed off Ilian’s familiar traits, a warm smile spread across Alec’s face.

“There are times when that actually works to my advantage. In court meetings, for instance, he volunteers to play the villain. He claims it’s simply because the old nobles irritate him.”

Hearing about Ilian’s activities beyond her knowledge made Lydia feel unexpectedly curious.

When they were together, Ilian didn’t seem overly harsh or distant — he shared everything without filtering and wasn’t nearly as cold as people claimed.

“…How long have you known the Marquis?”

“I see the Marquis’s wife is curious about her husband.”

As a knowing smile passed across Alec’s face, Lydia felt her cheeks grow warm and nodded awkwardly.

She had asked purely out of curiosity, but it seemed her conversation partner had taken it differently.

“Let me tell you. We have time to kill until Ilian arrives anyway, and what’s more entertaining than badmouthing someone who isn’t present? Especially if that someone is the arrogant Ilian Esteban.”

Leaning forward slightly as if sharing a secret, the crown prince’s whispering tone made it hard for Lydia to hold back her laughter.

It seemed she had stumbled upon quite the rare opportunity.

Ilian Esteban had surely not anticipated that such a conversation would take place when he sent the crown prince here, but then again, perhaps that was a natural consequence of treating a crown prince as someone who could be summoned at will.

When Ilian returned after a brief conversation with Katrina, the scene that greeted him was far different from what he had expected.

He wasn’t quite sure what he had been expecting, but Alec and Lydia sitting across from each other at a table, leaning back against the wall, quietly chatting — that definitely wasn’t it.

“So…”

“Really? …But still…”

Observing them from a distance without announcing his presence, he couldn’t make out the content of their conversation.

But Lydia’s frequent nodding and the relaxed way she joined in made her seem entirely too comfortable, which he didn’t quite like.

He had chosen to send Alec simply because he figured he could drive away whoever it was with discretion.

But he had overlooked the fact that, when Alec wasn’t asserting his position as crown prince, he could be an incredibly charming conversational partner.

‘…Is “overlooked” the right word?’

Even that, he wasn’t sure of. Why did such a pleasant scene suddenly put him in a bad mood?

“Ilian.”

But the one to notice and call out to him first wasn’t Alec — it was Lydia.

She had once struggled to drop formalities, yet now outside, she so easily called his name. That stirred some strange emotions within him.

“Lydia.”

Her violet eyes curved warmly as they met his, filled with genuine joy — and just like that, all the swirling thoughts in his mind vanished.