The massive golden iron gates, adorned with the crests of the Kingdom of Brit dynasties, slowly opened.
At the subtle sound, Johann Leopold slowly opened his eyes, which had been closed.
He saw the Princess of Krantz silently gazing out the window. The Carriage moved again.
A vast garden, arranged with geometric patterns, stretched endlessly.
At its end, the sunset rippled over a magnificent palace built of ivory marble.
The Carriage, having just left the grand garden filled with red roses, the national flower of the Kingdom of Brit, finally came to a stop.
"It's been a while, Catherine."
The Crown Prince and his wife were there to greet them.
"How have you been?"
The Crown Prince and Princess Catherine lightly embraced and kissed each other on the cheek. Watching this, Anne Boleyn swallowed a sigh.
They really do make a perfect couple… if only Louise weren't there.
"Welcome."
The Crown Prince, having released Catherine, greeted Johann Leopold warmly.
"Congratulations on your engagement."
"Thank you."
Johann Leopold's voice, as he offered his greetings, was dry.
"It's good to see you like this, Princess."
Crown Prince Alex didn't forget to acknowledge Johann Leopold's fiancée, and guided the guests inside.
Belatedly congratulating Catherine on her birthday, the Crown Prince joked that he had paid special attention to the banquet.
At the same time, he praised his wife, who had prepared the banquet. Anne Boleyn disapproved of his doting behavior.
The lavish banquet table, prepared flawlessly to entertain the honored guests, was filled with the sweet scent of flowers.
However, the guests, being accustomed to such things, were not particularly surprised or impressed, except for Catherine.
"Oh my. The colors are so beautiful."
Catherine spoke kindly to the Crown Princess, who had worked hard for this occasion.
Even if she hadn't arranged the flowers herself, the Crown Princess must have personally chosen each one.
"Thank you for saying so."
Louise smiled at Catherine.
"I thought there were too many red hues, making it a bit distracting and overwhelming. Catherine is so kind,"
As expected, Anne Boleyn had to say something.
She never just lets things pass. Louise hid her expression and said,
"Since red and crimson are the symbols of the Rondos and Krantz royal families, I paid attention to that."
It was an intention that could no longer be disparaged. Anne Boleyn primly lowered her eyes and meticulously scanned the table.
At this, Louise simply smiled quietly.
"Well, let's have a drink."
The Crown Prince lifted a silver glass, changing the atmosphere. After a toast to solidify the eternal bond between the three countries, the banquet began.
"How is the tournament preparation going?"
Catherine asked Anne Boleyn, cutting the venison into manageable pieces.
"Smoothly."
She said with a bright smile, but in reality, it wasn't.
The problem was the lack of a satisfactory designer. She eventually ordered the design Madam Lauren had shown her to be replicated exactly.
Of course, even if Olivia Blanchett wore the same competition outfit, it wouldn't be a problem.
Olivia Blanchett would simply become the woman who copies the Princess.
"I heard your ex-wife played tennis for quite a while?"
An unexpected question flew towards Johann Leopold, who had mostly been listening.
A moment of silence ensued.
The rude topic showed no consideration for Johann Leopold's fiancée.
Uncomfortable gazes turned reproachfully towards Anne Boleyn, then slowly shifted to Johann Leopold.
"I don't know."
Johann Leopold tilted his wine glass. The luscious grape clusters and vines engraved on the surface shone coldly in the chandelier light.
"I've never seen her."
It was a nonchalant answer, making it impossible to add anything more.
Meeting his steely, hardened gray eyes, Anne Boleyn flinched and finally acknowledged the existence of his fiancée.
"I'm sorry. I was impolite."
"No, don't worry about it, Princess."
Irene smiled faintly.
"You'll stay until the finals, right?"
Anne Boleyn asked Catherine. The topic of conversation shifted back to the Dumbledin Championship.
Johann Leopold checked the time as a habit. The tips of his long fingers slowly lifted the stiff cuff.
"Think of me whenever you look at this watch."
The words, pressed down with clumsy handwriting, came to mind.
"Your Highness."
Johann Leopold, having quietly placed his Champagne glass down, called out to the Crown Prince. It was quite impulsive.
The Crown Prince, who had been talking with Catherine, turned his head.
"I think I'll take my leave now."
"Oh dear. I've kept a busy man for too long. Next time, let's go riding together."
"Call me anytime. Then."
The Crown Prince readily let him go.
Johann Leopold, having risen from his seat, offered a polite greeting and left the banquet hall.
It was an extremely aloof action, but no one felt that Johann Leopold was being rude.
Johann Leopold, having boarded the Carriage, ordered the coachman.
"Riverside 3rd Street."
The Carriage began to move. Outside the darkened window, the massive city was bathed in crimson light.
***
It was completely evening when the Carriage entered the city center. The road was unusually congested, and the Carriage repeatedly stopped and started.
Olivia Blanchett barely managed to resist the pouring sleepiness, trying to maintain a straight posture. But it wasn't easy.
Her conclusion today was that playing with children was more difficult than playing tennis.
The crimson streetlights that kept appearing beyond the Carriage window flickered and blurred.
"Instead of that, close your eyes for a moment."
Edgar said with a smile.
"No. I'm fine."
Olivia Blanchett said firmly.
Olivia Blanchett shook her head, abruptly widening her eyes that had almost closed just now.
She clasped her hands tightly and massaged them.
The movement of rubbing her white hands until they turned bright red slowed down, and soon her eyelids gently lowered. Olivia Blanchett widened her eyes.
Edgar chuckled and offered a solution.
"Pretend I'm not here."
"You are here."
"You hear that you're stubborn a lot, right?"
"It's just because my sleeping face is ugly."
Olivia Blanchett narrowed her sleepy eyes sharply and retorted primly. Edgar burst into laughter.
Then, with an expression that turned cold in an instant, he asked.
"How did you know that?"
It was a chilling voice.
Edgar had never looked at a woman who had fallen asleep after being intimate. There had never been a partner he cared for that much.
What about this woman?
The eyes staring at Olivia Blanchett grew even darker. A strangely hot desire slowly simmered.
The woman blankly stared at him. Soon, her crimson lips parted slightly.
"That's…"
The woman trailed off.
'Han Ji-an. You drooled.'
When she was on stakeout duty with her senior, they would take turns catching a few winks.
She tried desperately not to fall asleep, but it was no use. Whenever she succumbed to sleep and opened her eyes in embarrassment, he would always tease her.
'You were grinding your teeth too.'
He said with a grin.
'Don't fall asleep just anywhere. It's ugly.'
Olivia Blanchett, who was about to answer Edgar, closed her lips and turned her head. Showing such a figure was enough with that man alone.
Are you doing well?
That world where no one was waiting for her or welcoming her, if it came unexpectedly like now, her eyes would foolishly grow hot.
Because she missed it unbearably.
Edgar's gaze deepened as he looked at the woman's profile, her neck flushed red.
The woman's sleeping appearance, which only Yohan knew.
'Olivia. No way.'
Bullshit.
Edgar scoffed. Recalling Yohan's warning, an annoyingly unpleasant sensation surged like a tidal wave.
You don't know if it's possible until you try.
Edgar's gaze, wearing a twisted smile, was still directed at the woman, and her gaze was floating somewhere outside the window, dyed with the sunset.
Before she knew it, the red energy in the blue sky gradually deepened to navy blue.
As the woman's eyelids gently closed, enveloped in the reddish streetlight, her slender body slowly tilted following the swaying of the Carriage.
It was then that the Carriage suddenly braked sharply. Just as Olivia Blanchett's head was about to slam into the wall, Edgar reached out his arm.
The woman who had been acting like a model of a proper lady was no more.
The woman's dense eyelashes cast long shadows in the streetlight that had seeped into the clear glass.
Olivia Blanchett, with her crimson lips slightly parted, rested her head on Edgar's palm and breathed evenly.
A street where even the secret breathing was clearly audible. Below her slender neck, the taut front of her blouse slowly swelled and slowly sank.
Following that rhythm, Edgar's Adam's apple twitched.
The Carriage moved again.
The woman flinched and woke up at the jolting recoil. It was at the same time that her eyes met a pair of deep blue eyes right in front of her.
It was when the Carriage carrying Yohan Leopold had just escaped the financial district, which was like hell on Fridays.
An old horse pulling a baggage cart had died in the middle of the road.
The Carriage, which had been picking up speed as if finally able to breathe, stopped again. Carriages going both uptown and downtown were tangled together.
The road instantly became noisy due to the death of one old horse.
Yohan Leopold, leaning back against the seat and crossing his legs, stared blankly out the window and looked down at his watch with narrowly opened eyes.
7:45 PM.
It was highly likely that Olivia Blanchett was at home at this time. Since it was late for a lady to be walking around alone without a guardian.
The Carriage moved again.
Yohan Leopold, who was about to lift his head and look out the Carriage window, froze coldly for a moment.
"…"
It was her.
The woman who had been his wife. Olivia Blanchett. And.
It was then that the surprised woman tried to take her face away as if running away.
Edgar put strength into the fingertips that were cupping Olivia Blanchett's chin.
Her panicked blue eyes moved busily here and there, and her face, which had been white, gradually turned red.
At that moment, Edgar lowered his face.
"Here."
As if about to touch her soft earlobe. As if sharing a kiss.
"There's something on it."
It was when he was whispering softly in Olivia Blanchett's ear that his eyes met Yohan Leopold's.
His neat mouth was stretched long. Edgar's gaze was fixed on Yohan Leopold beyond the Carriage window.
In the moment when the two men's eyes collided, the Carriage slowly passed by.
It was disgustingly childish, but incredibly thrilling.
