TPMBHSW 05

Chapter 05

I crossed the imperial palace, organizing the situation in my head.

‘There’s only one reason Damon is acting like this.’

The existence of Princess Sasha, who had miraculously returned not long ago. A strong contender had appeared in a race he’d been running alone without competition.

He must need the Bellua Dukedom’s name now.

The problem was that for me, maintaining a relationship with Damon was no longer necessary. No—it wasn’t just unnecessary; the longer I maintained it, the more I lost.

‘This alone proves it.’

In the front pages of Trouble-Love published over the past three days, three people appeared as if by promise.

Me, him, and her.

I trust you can tell who’s who without explanation. Just look at today’s headline.

[Will the Legendary Couple Reunite?]

If I leave this alone, by next week there might be an article about him and her dueling over me. That’s how gossip works, isn’t it? Blow something this small up to thiiiis size and if it’s wrong, oh well.

‘Before that, I need to end things with him first.’

Noah seemed to think that maintaining a romantic relationship with Damon while inheriting the dukedom would be a problem, but I thought differently.

It was five years ago that my father started embezzling Damon’s personal funds. Whether I broke up with Damon now or not, we were already as entangled as we could be.

Whether I broke up with Damon now or not, if the personal funds issue surfaced, people would undoubtedly gossip that I had approached Damon deliberately.

‘Well, in a sense, that’s not wrong.’

So there was only one reason I wanted to end things with Damon.

‘Before this absurd love triangle gets officially stamped into high society, I need to end it.’

Before some madam asks with a titter, ‘Is it true that Duke Bellua is holding flowers in both hands?’

Having entered the palace with only that single-minded determination, I soon regretted it.

I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed.

I should have just stayed lying down.

Whatever Noah said, I should have let it go in one ear and out the other.

I shouldn’t have opened the invitation Damon sent.

‘Then this wouldn’t have happened!’

How could we run into each other so perfectly, as if he’d been waiting!

I didn’t even have time to prepare myself. The one I encountered the moment I turned the corner looked somewhat disheveled.

As if he’d ridden a horse here, Richard stood at the opposite end of the corridor with hair lightly tousled by the wind.

It’s not a new thing for the imperial palace to become a meeting place for men and women, but this was too much.

Why? Because this is the central hall. It means nobles who can’t bear boredom and wander in search of gossip are swarming everywhere.

And to them, he and I were surely delicious pieces of meat.

Ah. I can feel it.

The glinting gazes from all sides and the rustle of fans unfurling. Rumors spreading through glances and nods.

They were intrigued but no one dared speak first. It’s fine to watch from within the crowd, but stepping forward first is burdensome.

Thank goodness. If things continued this way, quietly…

“Would this be what they call enemies meeting on a narrow bridge?”

At that moment, a familiar voice broke the silence and rang through the corridor.

I immediately turned my head toward the sound to identify the speaker.

Countess Kindel.

The woman who truly loved Damon and wanted to become Crown Princess. So I hadn’t expected her, who loathed me terribly, to be here.

Even at my gaze, Natalie didn’t avert her eyes—she raised her chin. Judging by the twisted corner of her mouth, she was clearly enjoying this situation with her whole body.

‘Good for you that at least you’re enjoying this, Natalie. But will you get it right before you blab?’

He’s not an enemy, he’s an ex-lover.

Emboldened by Natalie breaking the ice, a few madams began whispering.

“My goodness, it seems like sparks might fly between those two again—anyone want to bet with me?”

Stop betting on other people’s love lives. What is high society, a gambling den? Why is everyone so desperate to put money on everything?

“I’ll bet on the Princess. It’s so romantic. A knight who saved her from monsters and a princess! It’s like a fairy tale, isn’t it?”

Who is that?

That fairy tale—I’ll tear it up, so would you bring it to me, Lady Milton?

Lady Milton, whose eyes met mine, smiled awkwardly and covered her face with her fan. Yet she didn’t leave, which showed everyone found this situation terribly entertaining. Eyes that seemed dying of amusement or anticipation.

What exactly is this? Surely you’re not expecting me to perform a melodrama with Richard here?

‘It’s just that we happened to run into each other while walking down the corridor!’

I gritted my teeth inwardly while looking at the man who had stopped across from me just as I had. I had no choice. There was nowhere else to look.

And the moment I finally faced Richard, what I felt was simple.

‘Looks like he had new clothes tailored in the past few days.’

Ah. There’s no longer anything left of him that I remember.

He was no longer wearing the worn shirts or the North’s distinctive leather from ten years ago. He was wearing what was clearly a custom-made shirt, a cravat, and a jacket that fell cleanly along his shoulder line.

Richard, dressed in clothes that seemed copied straight from the Empire’s latest fashion, exuded a strangely ascetic air.

A well-groomed body, and quality clothes that fit it perfectly. Everything was unfamiliar, and I unconsciously faltered and stepped back. At that, the red eyes that had been quietly watching me sharpened.

W-what did I do? I don’t know why, but I read his mood and stepped back as much as I’d retreated, then stepped forward again.

At that, Richard’s expression sank back into indifference. As if it had been that way from the start.

Before I could even grasp what was happening, the noblewomen began whispering again.

“Whichever way it goes, that commoner knight from back then has certainly risen in the world.”

“Oh my, commoner? Madam, how long ago was that? He’s Count Winston now. Just the northern territory he holds is enormous! I heard he’s still unmarried—I’m already curious who’ll claim that man!”

They’re right. Richard built everything with his own hands.

His title, his territory, even the surname Winston.

I, who had nothing to show but Bellua, felt intensely ashamed in that moment. All the more so because even that had come into my hands only because my father happened to die.

I wanted to turn and run away right then. I wanted to bury my face in a mouse hole and hide. My face burned hot at the fact that after being so cruel to you, all I’d gained was this.

“Count Winston. It’s been a while.”

But now wasn’t the time to be emotional.

I took a step toward him and spoke first. I could feel interested gazes from all sides. To not give them room, I had to end this here as a light greeting between former lovers who’d met after a long time.

“Have you been well?”

Just appropriately, not badly—as if we’d parted on decent terms and become appropriately distant.

So play along, Richard. You don’t want to become a spectacle either, do you?

—I put that meaning into my desperate eye signals as I continued.

“I should have contacted you first. Shall we have tea sometime when there’s a chance? I’ve been feeling uneasy that I haven’t properly thanked you for the other day.”

Say something. I know you hate me, so just play along appropriately.

“Is that a promise you intend to keep, Duke Bellua?”

Not that.

A chill silence momentarily wrapped around the corridor. I don’t know when I ever broke a promise, but this direction wasn’t good.

“…Look around you.”

I stepped close to Richard and pressed firmly on his arm.

Contrary to my expectations, Richard bent his upper body toward me. When I faltered at the suddenly close proximity, Richard’s eyes narrowed.

“Why? Didn’t you have something to say?”

“No. Um…”

“Speak, Duke Bellua.”

His hair tickled my forehead. Close, too close.

When I, my mind gone blank, said nothing, Richard’s eyes narrowed further.

He hesitated a moment, then his lips moved again.

“Bella?”

The moment his voice, a level lower than in my memory, called my nickname, I felt my throat go dry.

“Those two—surely they’re not kissing right now?”

And what snapped me out of it was Natalie’s voice.