Chapter 2

𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖔: 𝕿𝖔𝖑𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

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𝐌𝐞𝐳𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟖𝟎𝟎

This would have been a great year if it hadn't been for that event, her pained gazes, and his chilling voice.

When Caliere and Liana entered Velm Hall together, holding hands and exchanging glances, the bouquet officially started. Caliere smiled at her, showing a side of himself that I had never seen before. It was a loving grin.

The first time I realised I'd lost against Liana

Anger, hate, envy, pain, and resentment spilled over into my being. I shouldn't have felt like this as a crown princess, but I did. As the rose petals began to descend again to the floor, a sweet, soft chuckle reverberated around the hall.

I heard him chuckle, and it was only for her, the young woman of foreign descent who had won his heart right away. A scene as wonderful as a beautiful ending for a child of God and a prince in a cage

The magnificent event seemed to go on forever; it was as though an enchanted haze permeated the place, and the comforting mingling of noises joyfully celebrated the arrival of a fresh start and a new hope in Liana.

Shouldn't I, as the crown princess, be beside Caliere, embracing him, and grinning at the esteemed visitors? I felt the chills of a room that appeared empty as I peered around. It was as though there was no one around, and the light could not possibly be more focused on me.

The entrancing noises disappeared, chilling winter whispers touched my skin, a spooky feeling of shivers, and foggy eyesight turned into a resounding relief to my perspective of what ought to have been to the present.

The warmth inside vanishes, giving way to the unending comfort of darkness, like water running endlessly, creating waves as stones fall.

Every night I prayed and begged someone to wake me from this somnolence, but no matter how hard I tried, no shadow would become accustomed to a person who was disliked, detested, and unloved.

Wanting to ease my parents' burden, I remained silent, worried myself into seclusion, turned jealousy into a lifeline, and eventually developed bitterness.

Life was what? What was the point of being alive? When I was younger, I used to know this, but as I became older, I lost track of what I should be doing. Why was all of this happening?

My vision became blurry, the path I would have gone was lost, and I was unable to see where I was going to go ahead.

I kept wishing as soon as I looked at Liana.

I wanted to be her.

I hoped Caliere would give me a friendly smile.

I wanted him to adore me the way she did.

I hoped I would be the one to provide him with endless joy.

I had no idea at the time that I was the one making him feel hopeless. Would I be able to declare that I had had enough if I had known that way back when I started my doomed reverie?

That evening, even though no one seemed to be aware of me, I put my worries aside and concentrated on the kindness that everyone offered. Upon the conclusion of the festivities, I noticed that my hands were donning white gloves.

My lips lifted as I glanced at my outfit, but my eyes remained fixed. Even though the outfit my parents gave me was stunning and shimmered like an unending pearl, I was unable to ask him to dance.

When I turned to look around, the hall blocked my view. My feet took this step on their own initiative. I think I'm lost. I sighed. I think this is the first time my thoughts have taken control of me before I've realised the direction I've gone.

As I turned around and started to go back, I noticed a shadow heading the other way. I knew better than to be inquisitive, but I was, and I ducked behind the bushes as I saw two worried-looking people turn toward one another.

I had no idea that Liana and Verfeil Mezore, the second prince, would cross paths in a remote part of the garden. Liana had a new look on her face, one of longing mingled with mistrust, dread, and anxiety.

I moved closer to hear what they had to say. However, when I heard Liana wail, I froze. The music echoed like whispers of cold blended with sweet spring.

"I love Caliere, Verfeil; I'm sorry. I like you, though merely as a friend. I apologise." Liana bolted from his sight after saying those words. I thought Verfeil would follow her, but he remained motionless. He was looking down at his hands, and I could see the misery on his face.

I watched a man cry silently for the first time in my life.

I was able to see him and understand the mentality he had—he would conceal his own emotions, even at the expense of hurting himself more than the people he cared about.

Then I thought back to that day, our first meeting; he was in the imperial residence, inside a tiny lake. I used to follow Caliere, but when I got lost, my feet would eventually lead me to a small kid.

He was reading a book in his tiny hands while he leaned against a massive tree, his eyes reflecting the warm light from the lake. The clashing breeze of cold and warmth caused his silver hair to sway. It appeared as though someone other than Caliere was enthralling me because I couldn't take my eyes off him.

When he tried to stare up at the sky, his eyes took on a more golden tone that made me think of the crown prince. I was going to ask him where I'd been, but he began staring at me when I walked on a small branch.

In an instant, our gazes met, and not a word was said. The moment fireflies began to fly around and clouds of indestructible petals swirled around, it seemed as though everything got warmer. It was so magical that I opened my mouth to speak, but I was at a loss for words.

Rather than experiencing sadness on that day, I was relieved to meet Verfeil, who turned out to be my first friend. Later on, I discovered that Verfeil was also Caliere's younger brother.

We often spoke about a lot of topics. Whenever I felt depressed over Caliere's constant disregard for me or hatred towards me, Verfeil would be there to console me. He would also grab my hands and lead me back to our original meeting spot.

Our friendship became stronger over the course of a year, but it also ended when Caliere forbade me from speaking with Verfeil. I once attempted to defy him, but it was Verfeil who turned me down—as if he couldn't stand me.

It was as though Caliere had somehow inspired him to express his constant anger towards me. That had to be the initial cause of our friendship's breakdown.

Even though I wanted to give Verfeil a hug and console him like we used to, I was unable to look at him and would rather flee. Ultimately, I understood that he wanted to be alone. However, just as on our first encounter, I produced a sound by stomping on a little branch.

Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, his deep, low, husky, and inquisitive voice reached my ears. A soft voice that would always make me feel comfortable but ultimately turn on me. I wiggled in the bushes while acting like a cat.

I was hoping that by convincing him that there was a fugitive cat in the house, Verfeil, as I knew him, would find a way to learn the truth.

I was going to turn around and walk away when I saw his face inches from mine. I couldn't help but watch as his eyes widened as well.

He ought to have retreated, but my hands moved more quickly than I noticed, and before I realized what I had done, I felt a friend's warmth and the sensation of cold water brushing across the tips of my fingers.

"I apologize," I replied, taking a step back. But he kept going till my back struck some bushes.

"Tia..." he murmured, sounding like a kid reporting to me that their sweets had been taken. I looked aside, flustered, but I couldn't stop myself from speaking the words I would say to him.

"You look pathetic, Verfeil," and I turned to watch him laugh. He laughed, but I could tell that he had been splashed with both cold and warm water.

I missed his voice, but his words lingered in my mind. "I shouldn't have stayed away from my dearest friend; now that I knew the truth, he couldn't believe it and acted as if he would never forgive you," he said.

As he went on to explain something that was distinct from what he had previously explained, I wanted to know more.

"Would things have turned out differently, Tia, if he had known the truth before I did? Would things then work out the way I deserved to?" Then it hit me—every time I yearned for someone who would never genuinely love me, I could see the identical image of myself in his eyes.

I didn't give a damn if anyone saw us at the time; all I wanted was to give this bewildered young man—who had once been my friend—some solace. Without thinking, I give him a hug.

"Verfeil, everything will be okay. Do you recall what I used to always tell you?" He laughed when I said, "You look so pitiful when you cry." I sighed as I kept patting his head.

"We all make choices, Verfeil, and if you want to choose anything, I hope it will be for your own happiness..."

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Author-nim: edited ^-^ Please forgive my grammar ^-^; English is not my first language.