Chapter 30
#030. A Farewell to Break an Engagement
"Why don't you just say it honestly?"
Leopold shrugged his broad shoulders. Unlike his tone, laced with angry sarcasm, his demeanor was quite relaxed. Olivia quietly gazed at Leopold.
"...I don't know if 'honestly' is the right word, but I did tell you the truth."
"Not that."
Leopold swept back his well-groomed blond hair. His handsome lips twisted upward in a sneer.
"You saw me with Maria and got jealous, that's why you're acting like this."
The moment his uniquely confident voice rang in her ears, Olivia trembled all over. If she didn't clasp her hands tightly together, she felt she would show the unsightly spectacle of her lips quivering.
Leopold knew. He knew the reason she had left Tiazza Palace that day.
"...Is that all you have to say to me, despite everything?"
At the very least.
He should have shown her some respect. Even if he enjoyed spending time with Maria Etel. Even if he left her behind and took Maria Etel as his partner.
They were engaged. Even in this completely shattered state, she hoped he would show her at least a minimum of respect.
But Leopold, as always, ignored Olivia's feelings in the most cruel way possible.
"If I ask you out again, you won't see Grand Duke Bikander anymore, will you, Olivia?"
His voice was as sweet as honey. The overbearing content within was now clearly visible.
Leopold had never loved her. The brilliant man she had loved had never once regarded her as an equal as his fiancée.
The moment she acknowledged this fact, Olivia's heart swirled.
Was this anger or sadness?
Overwhelmed by an immeasurable sense of desolation, Olivia couldn't say anything. In the meantime, Leopold, as if interpreting Olivia's silence as affirmation, chuckled softly.
"Yes. Olivia. How good it is to see you listening to me like that."
"..."
"And breaking off the engagement. You didn't really believe Grand Duke Bikander, did you? Olivia. How can you be so naive at nineteen?"
"...Twenty, Your Highness."
"Oh? Were you already twenty?"
Despite Olivia's correction, Leopold nodded as if he didn't care. Olivia, watching him, suddenly burst into laughter.
The beautiful sound of her laughter, ringing out clearly, startled even Baroness Sophron, who was standing quite a distance away. She involuntarily craned her neck to look toward the table.
She could only see the Madeleine's back, unable to confirm what kind of expression she wore.
It was the first time the Madeleine had laughed out loud like that.
A sense of unease crept in, but Baroness Sophron couldn't look any further.
She had noticed the Crown Prince's brow furrowing.
Olivia also noticed Leopold's expression souring. But she had no intention of stopping her laughter.
A man who couldn't even remember how old she was.
Yet she knew everything about Leopold.
It was ridiculous. She had devoted her whole heart to a man who didn't even know her age.
From the first time she entered the palace at the age of nine, until she received the Grand Duke's proposal. Or perhaps even until just a moment ago, when her heart had fluttered.
But now Olivia had made up her mind for sure. In the place where the swirling emotions had blazed and disappeared, nothing remained.
Olivia slowly stopped laughing. A much cooler smile settled on Olivia's lips.
But Leopold, unaware of even that change, spoke in an unpleasant tone.
"It's not polite to laugh alone in front of someone, Madeleine."
"Aren't you amused, Your Highness?"
"By what?"
Leopold replied casually, as if he had no interest.
He should be satisfied that she had softened her heart so kindly to this extent, but Olivia kept talking, seemingly without tiring.
Leopold gave a few perfunctory answers and thought he should really leave now. But the moment he heard Olivia's laughter-tinged voice, that thought disappeared.
"It's the same for you, Your Highness, isn't it? You didn't show me any respect by bringing Lady Etel into my palace without my permission."
"...What?"
Leopold replied a beat late. Olivia smiled faintly and briefly raised her teacup to moisten her lips. It was an elegant gesture that couldn't be faulted.
And when she met his eyes again, the moment he saw her detached green eyes, Leopold's arrogant pride cracked.
Ha. A cold sneer escaped Leopold's lips.
"Are you blaming me now, Madeleine?"
Leopold said coldly. He had never heard anyone blame him, not once in his life.
It was an unthinkable thing.
Especially if the other party was Olivia Madelaine.
Olivia said calmly.
"I thought you liked honesty, so I told you."
"...Hmph. Stop it and go back today. I don't think I want to indulge your tantrums any longer. Refrain from rash behavior, unless you really want to break off the engagement."
Leopold said through gritted teeth.
He would understand this much. He didn't know what kind of scheme she had concocted with the Grand Duke, driven by jealousy, but he knew very well how much Olivia clung to their engagement.
Leopold was about to press his temples, thinking that he should ignore even their Wednesday appointment until Olivia repented, let alone a date.
"As you said, Your Highness will break off the engagement with me."
Was she going to take it to the end?
Leopold glanced at Olivia's calm face and scoffed.
"Over my dead body."
"According to Your Highness's heart and my will."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"You have someone else you want to make Empress, don't you?"
As if trying to gauge whether she was probing or not, his blue eyes stared sharply at Olivia as if to pierce through her. To give him certainty, Olivia said slowly.
"I know my place well. You know that."
A clear voice passed through Olivia's mind. It was Leopold's voice.
"The Madeleine knows her place well. I guarantee she will never cause you any trouble."
"...You've gone beyond jealousy, Madeleine. Did you eavesdrop or something?"
Seeing his face furrow with displeasure, Olivia smiled faintly.
Because she couldn't find even a shred of consideration for her, Olivia stated the facts.
"Rather than eavesdropping, Your Highness forgot our appointment and had a secret rendezvous in the garden of the Crown Princess Consort's palace, where I was waiting."
"Madeleine!"
A flash of murderous intent came over her.
So he was an excellent Knight. She didn't expect to experience it this way. It was an aura that made it impossible to even breathe properly, but Olivia did her best to stand tall.
That was the pride she wanted to protect, and the image she wanted to show last.
And at that moment, a sound of footsteps broke in.
"Is the final farewell over, Mademoiselle?"
Olivia smiled faintly at the neatly delivered voice. Before she knew it, she could breathe comfortably again. Leopold called his name in a low voice.
"...Grand Duke Bikander."
Olivia slowly turned around. His white face, contrasting with his jet-black hair, smiled gently as he approached Olivia's side.
Dressed in a black uniform that emphasized his broad shoulders and firm physique, he looked beautiful and dangerous enough to captivate everyone.
"I greet the Empire's little sun. You seem quite well, Your Highness."
"What is this rudeness?"
Leopold raised one corner of his lips crookedly. Olivia slowly rose from her seat.
"After telling Your Highness that I want to break off the engagement, we plan to go to His Majesty together."
Despite Olivia's answer, Leopold did not hide his impatient anger.
"How dare the Grand Duke enter the Crown Princess Consort's palace without permission?"
"I formally invited him. It was my permitted palace, wasn't it, Your Highness?"
Olivia looked at Leopold for a moment. His handsome face stared at Olivia as if he couldn't believe it.
Olivia couldn't fathom what was swirling beneath his sunken blue eyes. No, she didn't want to fathom it anymore.
She had been mindful of others her whole life. It was time to shed all of that. Olivia smiled brightly.
"...I thought it was my share. But it wasn't. It wasn't mine."
"Olivia."
"So I used the authority given to me for the last time. It was a good choice to end a dreamlike time."
Olivia looked around as if it were new to her. Every blade of grass, every tree, even every pane of glass that supported the palace, Olivia had examined.
All the beautiful things she wanted Leopold to see. That's why she had put so much effort into cultivating her palace.
Olivia, having taken in everything in the palace, was ready to say goodbye to her palace.
Olivia moved her steps lightly. As a matter of course, the place she headed was next to Edwin. It was then.
"...Stop there."
A deeply sunken voice came from behind. Olivia glanced at Leopold.
He looked angry.
There was no need to be angry at all. To Leopold, Olivia Madelaine was just an fiancée who knew her place.
"...Ah."
As if she had just remembered, Olivia turned around with a smile. It was the moment when a faint sense of elation passed over Leopold's face, as if he knew it would happen.
Olivia raised the hem of her dress and paid her respects to Leopold.
"I pay my respects to the Empire's little sun. Olivia Madelaine, I will greet you again soon as Grand Duchess Bikander. I wish you well."
Olivia raised her head. It was an action that did not conform to etiquette, but she didn't care.
Looking at Leopold's face, who was staring at her as if denying the situation unfolding before her, she was reminded of all the moments of the past.
Nine years old, when she first fell in love with him, who was like sunshine.
Fourteen years old, when she smiled, trying to hide the cravat she held in her hand, which had not been given to him when he left for his first expedition.
Eighteen years old, when she believed that her first dance as a Debutante would naturally be with him, but was ultimately crushed.
And twenty years old, seeing her fiancé, who she had no doubt was hers, confessing his love to another in this place.
Poor Olivia Madelaine in every moment.
Olivia Madelaine, who had been craving love, was now finally able to let go of Leopold Franz. Olivia smiled brightly and continued.
"...Until then, I hope you are well."
Olivia turned around. It was the first time she had shown Leopold her back. Edwin, who had paid his respects to the Crown Prince, offered his arm.
Olivia gracefully took his arm lightly.
It was unfamiliar to leave someone behind.
She had already walked away from the Duke and Jade, but she couldn't seem to get used to this strangely unsettling feeling.
She wondered what her back looked like, and Olivia carefully opened her mouth, thinking about how she had always looked at someone's back and craved affection.
"Is it always such a strange feeling to leave someone behind?"
"...How so?"
"The feeling of wondering what my back looks like, such useless things."
No sooner had Olivia finished her answer than a gentle laugh was heard from the side. Olivia looked at Edwin with a puzzled expression.
When he had a sweet smile at the end of his handsome eyes, Edwin laughed softly.
"I saw it."
Edwin glanced back. He saw the Crown Prince, who was making a foolish expression as if he was dumbfounded.
It was very similar to the foolish appearance he had shown a little while ago, when he had forgotten his duty as a Knight and spewed out murderous intent. He remembered the small shoulders that had straightened in front of him.
A dignified will not to bow to anyone.
A posture that revealed a firm determination.
Edwin looked again at the slender hand that held his arm.
The gaze of this little Mademoiselle, who had been solely enduring this faintly trembling sensation, was straighter than anyone else's.
"...It's very wonderful."
Olivia's eyes widened slightly at the low voice. A red glow, like spring flowers, slowly spread across her white cheeks.
Olivia avoided Edwin's gaze. She suddenly looked at the maids, including Baroness Sophron, who were standing there. Their faces were surprised when their eyes met.
"Just a moment."
Olivia, having asked for understanding, approached Baroness Sophron. Baroness Sophron looked at Olivia with a flustered face.
"Mad, Mademoiselle. Then."
Now that she understood the whole situation, the Baroness's face turned white. Olivia laughed softly.
"Thank you for everything, Baroness."
Baroness Sophron couldn't say anything. No matter how much Lady Etel was loved, she thought that the owner of Tiazza Palace would eventually be this elegant Madeleine.
"Please take good care of Tiazza Palace in the future."
She thought that this Madeleine, who showed affection for the palace until the end, would take over the palace.
The Baroness unknowingly let out a low sigh. Who else could show such affection for the palace? Now that she thought about it, she hadn't been killing time when she had looked around the palace earlier.
She shouldn't have interfered.
Irreversible regret seeped out again like a sigh.
The Madeleine moved her steps again. Her back, which never turned around, was resolute. As if she would never come back.
When her elegant figure faded like a dot, Baroness Sophron didn't bother to distinguish whether the emotion that arose in her heart was pity or regret.
She simply felt the emptiness that the owner who had suited this Tiazza Palace the most had left.
