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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Unbelievable Words
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I heard unbelievable words.
-When are you coming next?
It couldn't be Crown Prince Luciano, of all people, saying something like that.
My stomach had been troubling me, and now my ears were acting up too.
Maybe Espin actually has an incurable disease, suffering from one issue after another before dying young.
That would explain why she doesn't appear in the original story.
Terminal illness tropes were all the rage for a while, weren't they?
That's how I tried to rationalize this absurd situation.
“The answer?”
If Crown Prince Luciano, standing before me like a hallucination, hadn't pressed me.
He was clearly right there, yet he felt strangely unreal.
“Uh, what did you say?”
I unwittingly parroted back like an idiot.
Crown Prince Luciano's lips pressed into a tight line.
Was that a displeased look?
Today alone, I was witnessing a whole range of reactions from Crown Prince Luciano.
“I asked when you'll come next.”
Today really was a bizarre day.
No matter how I racked my brain, it felt like a dream.
Even after blinking furiously, Crown Prince Luciano—with his flawless, picture-perfect features—stood there unmoved.
Was he really curious when I'd come next?
“Why?”
“…….”
When I asked, Crown Prince Luciano pressed his lips together again.
Before the muffin incident, I might have been thrilled, thinking he'd finally fallen for my sunshine strategy.
But not now, no matter how I looked at it.
“Your Highness doesn't actually want to see me again, do you.”
“…….”
Crown Prince Luciano didn't outright deny it.
I'd half-expected as much, so there was no disappointment.
“Then why ask when we'll meet next? If you have business, just say it now.”
I gazed at him steadily, while he just worked his lips silently for ages.
I waited patiently.
After dragging it out for quite some time, he finally spoke, slowly.
“My…… responsibility.”
‘Huh? What responsibility out of nowhere?’
It was utterly random to me.
Unfortunately, I couldn't grasp his words laced with guilt.
“What responsibility?”
“Everything that happened to you.”
He was acting like some massive disaster had befallen me.
Had something huge happened to me without my knowledge?
“What happened to me?”
When I asked, Crown Prince Luciano's eyes widened just a fraction.
His own startled reaction baffled me in turn.
The worst thing on my end was messing up and collapsing in front of Crown Prince Luciano.
“Is it because I screwed up and passed out in front of Your Highness?”
But did that give him any reason to take responsibility?
Sure, I'd fainted, so he might feel obligated to check on me, but forcing down that food had been my choice.
I had no intention of pinning the blame on Crown Prince Luciano.
“That too, and…….”
“That too” implied there was more?
“I really have no idea. What happened to me?”
“……You really do seem unaffected.”
He muttered, sounding faintly deflated.
Now it truly felt like something had gone down with me.
No—had something actually happened?
‘It's my life. What could I not know about it?’
As I scratched my cheek awkwardly, he lapsed into silence again.
Either way, the situation was plain enough.
For whatever reason, he felt responsible for me.
That's why he wanted to keep meeting.
Which meant if he stopped feeling responsible, there'd be no reason to meet at all.
“I don't know what you're worried about, but I'm fine. Your Highness has no need to feel responsible for me.”
I wrapped up the situation neatly.
I'd made it clear there was no reason for pointless guilt, but Crown Prince Luciano's reaction was off.
“Really…….”
He shot me a strange look for a moment before muttering again.
‘No, if you've got something to say, just spit it out.’
His constant mumbling since earlier was frustrating.
At least I'd learned the reason for today's invitation.
My heart had felt heavy from his sudden change, but if it stemmed from guilt and responsibility, telling him I was fine should sort it all out.
With every question answered, the knot in my chest unraveled, leaving me at ease.
“Then, since there's nothing for Your Highness to take responsibility for, I suppose I can just go. Could you close the door?”
My lightened mood brought out an unwittingly bright tone.
Even to my own ears, it was the peppiest voice I'd used all day.
Crown Prince Luciano's expression grew subtly peculiar.
Absurd and incredulous, perhaps.
Then, with a sullen face, he blurted out.
“Your attitude is far too different from a few days ago.”
Was that meant for me to hear?
‘Pot calling the kettle black.’
And,
“Whether my attitude's changed or not—does it matter?”
‘No need to put on a show anymore.’
Crown Prince Luciano's eyes widened in shock at my unfiltered words before he snapped his mouth shut.
What? Why?
‘We’re done, you and me.’
As I sulked, Crown Prince Luciano's expression shifted.
“A few days ago, you were desperate because you couldn't see me.”
Now he looked outright peeved.
It was true I'd hounded after him like that, but hearing it put that way soured my mood.
You turned me away first!
“Back then, I wanted to get close.”
“Not anymore, then.”
‘Did he really just say that?’
His follow-up words sowed confusion.
On top of that, Crown Prince Luciano's face looked downright sulky.
Hold on!
Was this the cliché where he only regrets it now that I'm pulling away?
‘If that's the case, hard pass.’
“Yes. I'd been trying hard for a whole year. One-sided effort wears you out.”
I swallowed the urge to rattle off every way I'd poured my heart into that year and how hurt I'd been because of him, opting for a lofty tone instead.
A bit cocky, maybe?
Crown Prince Luciano fixed me with a sharp glare.
“Wrong.”
“Pardon?”
“One year isn't enough. Put in more effort. Day after tomorrow, 2 p.m.”
Bang—the door slammed shut.
I stood there, mouth agape and mumbling incoherently, as the carriage pulled away.
Through the window, Crown Prince Luciano's tenacious gaze clung after me.
‘What the hell?’
I'd lived through it, yet I still couldn't make sense of what had just happened.
Crown Prince Luciano's reactions today left me utterly dazed.
I could at least understand the responsibility bit.
He was set up with a strong sense of duty, after all.
‘But what was that at the end?’
Why the sudden weird demand to try harder?
No matter how I spun it, it felt like impulsive acceleration.
Was it the cliché where the heroine distances herself, sparking belated lingering feelings?
A delayed protagonist buff kicking in?
But his response didn't carry a romantic vibe.
No hint of it whatsoever.
He seemed regretful, sure—but not because he liked me. That much came through loud and clear.
“Whatever. Beats me.”
I mulled over possibilities before clearing my mind.
Wracking my brain wouldn't uncover Crown Prince Luciano's thoughts anyway. Better to take it easy.
* * *
True to the unilateral appointment, I visited the prince's palace again and blankly stared down at the teacup before me.
“Drink.”
When I just ogled it, he even kindly urged me.
This time, too, I sipped the tea slowly.
Perfectly steeped, its fragrant aroma flooded my mouth.
Delicious flavor spread across my tongue.
“It's uncanny.”
The dream felt too lifelike.
“What's uncanny?”
No—with him striking up conversation like this, maybe it was the unreal part?
“Not a dream, is it?”
“It's not.”
My mutterings kept drawing responses.
But if it wasn't a dream, this was beyond weird.
“Then why serve me tea? You hate sharing meals with others.”
This marked the second time receiving tea from Crown Prince Luciano, no less.
I asked out of genuine curiosity, but he faintly furrowed his brow, as if displeased by the question.
“I served you last time, too.”
“True.”
“Then it's not strange. Why the big reaction?”
Was it? Not strange?
No, it was strange.
Hadn't he turned dead serious over the muffins I'd brought, embarrassing me to no end?
He brushed it off so casually now, making me feel odd for questioning it.
Yet there sat Crown Prince Luciano, languidly sipping his tea with elegant poise.
Utterly nonchalant, as if we'd always spent time like this.
‘If it's this easy, what was all my agony last year?’
What about that mortifying blunder just recently?
Actually, it was so absurd that even facing him now, the memory hadn't crossed my mind.
Bewilderment trumped shame.
This serene interlude felt bizarre and unjust, so I merely nursed my tea.
Before long, silence stretched out once more.
It had felt comfortable enough last time, but today it chafed.
I was the one wanting more, so I broke the ice.
“Um, Your Highness.”
“What?”
See—even his instant reply felt off.
Something had nagged at me since earlier.
But that wasn't the priority now.
“What exactly did you want to take responsibility for?”
I'd mulled over what could possibly make Crown Prince Luciano feel guilty toward me since our last encounter.
Still drew a blank.
I'd accepted today's invitation precisely to resolve that nagging curiosity.
Crown Prince Luciano set his teacup down.
His crimson eyes slowly traced over me.
If gazes had texture, this one would feel clinging.
“Didn't you insist last time that I bore no responsibility?”
He countered with a question instead of an answer.
No matter how I reflected, I couldn't fault him for anything.
“Yes.”
“Then isn't that enough?”
“Huh?”
“If you believe you've suffered no harm, there's no need to know.”
“What kind of......”
Nonsense—I barely bit it back.
Nearly let my abandoned sunshine heroine persona flare up.
I took a deep breath and chose my words carefully.
“From Your Highness's perspective, it seems I have suffered harm.”
“And yet you claim no harm came to you.”
His serene face spouted the most aggravating lines.
“No......!”
I was on the verge of snapping at him for making me repeat myself when—
A tiny detail hit me belatedly: something changed about Crown Prince Luciano.
I recalled our past exchanges.
-You......
-Can't get along with everyone. Go find those who'll accept you.
-What makes you think I'd trust and eat food from you?
Then today's words resurfaced.
-If you believe you've suffered no harm, there's no need to know.
-And yet you claim no harm came to you.
......The way he addressed me had changed.
