TEWRIT 11

Chapter 11

“I don’t want to remember something shameful between us. Instead…” Eliano paused, then lifted her eyes to meet his. “Please lend me your wisdom and strength, sir.”

For a moment, Flint said nothing.

His dark eyes remained fixed on her, calm and unreadable as ever. Yet Eliano could not shake the strange feeling that something had changed.

In her previous life, she had never understood this man.

She had mistaken his sincerity for interference, his concern for arrogance, and his advice for an attempt to control her. Back then, she had been too blinded by her feelings to recognize the person standing in front of her.

But now…

Now she knew better.

And she also knew that Duke Flint Howard was one of the few people in the empire she could trust.

“Wisdom and strength?”

His deep voice was quiet, but there was a faint curiosity hidden beneath it.

Eliano nodded.

“Yes.”

She glanced at the broken butterfly hairpin still resting in his palm.

“My father is moving again. I don’t know what he intends to do this time, but I know that whatever it is, it will eventually involve the Crown Prince.”

Her voice remained soft.

“I don’t want to become another piece on his chessboard.”

Flint’s expression hardened slightly.

He understood exactly what she meant.

The Rosana family was powerful, ambitious, and dangerous. Duke Damian Rosana had spent years building his influence around the imperial court. And now that the Crown Prince had returned, the balance of power had become even more delicate.

“You want to oppose your father?”

“No.”

Eliano shook her head.

“I want to survive him.”

For the first time, Flint’s eyes showed something unmistakably different.

Surprise.

Eliano smiled faintly.

“I may be a Rosana by blood, but that doesn’t mean I want to follow the same path.”

Flint stared at her for a long moment.

Then, slowly, he closed his fingers around the broken hairpin.

“I understand.”

That simple answer made Eliano’s heart tighten.

In her previous life, he had said the same words.

But this time, she understood what they meant.

He wasn’t promising to save her.

He wasn’t telling her what to do.

He was simply telling her that he believed her.

“I’ll help you.”

The words were straightforward, without hesitation.

Eliano blinked.

Then she smiled.

“Thank you, Duke Howard.”

Flint nodded.

“But there is one thing you should know.”

“What is it?”

“The Crown Prince doesn’t trust you.”

Eliano’s smile disappeared.

“I know.”

“He may not trust you for a long time.”

“I know that too.”

Flint studied her face.

“And yet you still want to remain near him?”

Eliano looked toward the distant palace.

The place where Heraith Bianteca had returned as a hero.

The place where, in her previous life, everything had begun to fall apart.

“Yes.”

Her eyes were calm.

“Because this time, I’m not going to make the same mistakes.”

The wind moved gently through the garden, carrying the faint scent of roses.

Flint remained silent.

Then he finally extended his hand again, the broken butterfly pin resting upon his palm.

Eliano looked at it.

“You should keep it,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because it’s yours.”

She hesitated before taking it.

Their fingers brushed for the briefest moment.

Eliano immediately pulled her hand back.

Flint’s expression remained unchanged.

But neither of them noticed the figure standing far away beneath the palace corridor.

A pair of golden eyes watched them in silence.

Crown Prince Heraith Bianteca.

His gaze fell upon Flint’s hand.

Then upon Eliano.

His expression darkened.

“…What are those two talking about?”

No one dared answer.

Heraith turned away.

But for some reason, the sight of Eliano smiling at another man left an inexplicable irritation in his chest.

And he hated it.

Even more than he hated the Rosana family.