CH 62

Really, a date after a long time?

‘I guess this is the first time after writing the breakup contract.’

Nevertheless, could that be considered a date when they were discussing about their breakup while sitting nearby a window where lots of people passed by?

Anyway, this was the first time since she had gone out a date with him doing nothing.

“Aww! Princess! You’re so pretty!”

Cecile, who was adjusting the hem of her light blue dress from below, squealed.

She tried to do her makeup moderately, yet she was drawn by what Cecile said and looked in the mirror. Looking at herself in the mirror was neither flashy or plain, just right. She looked the same as usual, but it felt something was different somehow, even Cecile told her that she looked prettier than usual….

‘It’s awkward.’

Melissa always dressed her up fancily, but it looked more awkward.

She tilted her head to clear her awkwardness. The woman in the mirror also tilted her head. Her blue cross earrings drooped at an angle.

“The Duke will also say you’re pretty absolutely!”

“The Duke said doesn’t like me even when I was dressed more fancy than this.”

“Ugh…. But, but, the duke doesn’t like flashy things!”

Cecile finished her grooming by inserting the brooch-shaped artifact she was holding onto her chest. Cecil clenched her fists.

“Do not worry. If he says otherwise, I will scold him!”

“… Aren’t you going to get fired if you do that?”

Fortunately, Cecile was never fired.

Verndia, seeing her like that, said,

“Shall we not go out?”

Even though he is already handsome, he dressed up himself exceptionally well today and Psychke, who was mesmerized by his beauty by that sparkling and shining light from afar, was surprised upon seeing him.

“Yes?”

“Just the thought of it makes me a little… annoyed.”

“.. Do I look that bad?”

She thought she would look fine because Cecile was so confident, but does she look so bad that he didn’t want to go out together with her?

Her face hardened and the bewildered Verndia tried hard to say his excuse.

“That’s not it, princess!”

Cecile saw that the two going out, refuted his words. On the other hand, Isolet took advantage of the gap and understood Verndia’s language. He felt that he was the one protecting their relationship, that ugly snout.

“You shouldn’t take the Duke’s words as they are. The Princess is so pretty that other men will stare at you, that’ why the Duke is annoyed—”

“Shut up.”

The red-eared Verndia cut him off. But the important content was behind everyone. He almost hugged the distraught Psychke and put her in the carriage.

***

Clack, Clack, Clack.

In the subdued silence, only the regular sound of horses’ hooves filled the space. She couldn’t keep my eyes open.

She was embarrassed, awkward, ashamed.

Psychke bowed her head, and she fidgeted with her fingernails.

And her face was slightly red.

Verndia, whose ear color had returned to normal, was pretending to leisurely look out the window with his arms crossed. Then, wanting to say something to lighten the mood, he feigned composure and opened his mouth.

“I’ll tell you in case you misunderstand. I’m not that you look bad.”

Psychke’s pupils toward the floor trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

“I’m usually annoyed, but today it’s a little more so… Damn it.”

Why is he explaining this?

Verndia touched his forehead. Again, the word tender was far from him. Clearing his expression, he went straight to the point.

“It’s not a big deal that I’m going to confess, it just happened yesterday in the imperial palace.”

“Ah yes.”

She was happy to change the subject. Psychke looked at her knees.

“There is ordinary news, mediocre news, and bad news. What do you want to hear?”

She reflexively raised her eyes. Then she averted her gaze from his purple eyes that contained her face and figure. Her face, which had barely calmed down, was about to heat up again. She wanted to calm her pounding heart, so she chose the least irritating thing.

“Please start with the ordinary news.”

“I said in front of His Majesty that I have no intention of breaking off the marriage with the Princess.”

“Yes?”

Her heartbeat couldn’t stop beating abnormally and her eyes fell to the floor. Psychke immediately raised her eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“Then, here is the bad news.”

Even though she couldn’t say anything else, Verndia, who crinkled his locking brow, quickly jolted the next.

“Princess was almost sold out to the Empire of Hestie.”

Psychke’s face hardened.

‘Why me there?’

Prior to her regression, she had never been proposed to in Hestie. She didn’t do anything in this life that she could relate to.

“Finally, the mediocre news is an oracle.”

Verndia simplifies the stories of ‘Glory that has lost its light’ and ‘A flower bloomed by silence’. But he didn’t say that one of them seemed to relate to thee.

She decided that there was no need to create unnecessary anxiety by letting her know something she wasn’t sure about.

“Do you have any questions?”

“Why did Hestie say they wanted me?”

“They said he wanted to have a deep relationship through marriage. I haven’t heard anything other than that.”

“Did His Majesty speak directly?”

Even thinking about it again, she was dumbfounded, so Verndia involuntarily nodded his head.

A look of bewilderment crept over Psychke’s face.

“Silkisia can’t go where snow falls. Didn’t your father tell you?”

“He didn’t say anything like that. More importantly, Snow?”

“Yes. Ah, this is a family secret. Please don’t tell others. Silkisia has such a phobia that they can’t even move if we go near snows. Else, they’ll go mad.”

“…?”

Verndia’s expression became strange. He chuckled silently, licking his dry lips with his tongue.

“Princess, are you scared of snows?”

“Yes. That’s why I always stayed in the southern manor in winter. Because it doesn’t snow in the South.”

“The Duke of Silkisia and his two sons got around just fine even in the heavy snow?”

“They are not afraid of the snow.”

“I heard that Silkisia has a snow phobia?”

“Ah?”

Realizing the contradiction, Psychke was greatly perplexed. Currently, no one in Silkisia is afraid of snow. Then how did she know that Silkisia was afraid of snows?

Verndia asked calmly.

“How did you know that Silkisia had a snow phobia?”

“That-”

Psychke was speechless.

It seemed that she heard it from someone else.

Who was it, then?

No matter how hard she tried, no one came to her mind as if that person disappeared in her memory. Verndia broke her confusion, adding,

“I guess Logan didn’t know because he didn’t say it. Princess, you’re an adoptee. How did you know something that even no one in Silkisia knows?”

“…!”

Her blue eyes twitched widely. How did she know this?

She said nothing but munched her lips. And then,

“Ugh.”

She suddenly grabbed her head and bent her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a painful moan.

‘Did she remember something?’

Previously, up to this extent, she would have been fainted and she had been holding out for some quite time. In case she fainted, Verndia prepared to accept it.

It was then.

Black sparks flew from Psychke. There was also the sound of breaking, something breaking. Unable to keep her balance, she stumbled and fell helplessly.

“Princess!”

Verndia was stunned and hurriedly embraced her. He thought she would faint again so he gently touched her cheek. The quivering eyelids fluttered open.

“……Why me?”

The hazy look seemed to have just woken up from sleep. Why was she being embraced by the Duke again?

‘Did I fail again?’

She had a different reaction. She asked him urgently, while embracing her as she tried to escape.

“How far do you remember our conversation?”

“I’m afraid of the snow, and even that I’m an adopted child?”

“Do you remember when Logan and the two Princes said they weren’t afraid of the snow?”

“Yes. I do remember everything. Sorry. I must have fallen asleep.”

No way.

Was that spark created when the magic was destroyed? It is forbidden to make hasty judgments. He definitely needed to check it out.

He then blurted bluntly.

“The princess is the daughter of Leas.”

“Yes?”

She was taken aback by what he said out of the blue and Verndia reasoned step by step.

“…. That.”

Psychke, who had been listening quietly, answered. She was clutching her head, her face distorted, for as she listened to him, she felt her terrible headache.

“That’s… I heard that all of the former Silkisia died 20 years ago….Ugh.”

She didn’t faint but she was in so much pain, feeling like she couldn’t push herself together anymore. It seemed that her magic had been broken, but it was not.

Verndia shut his mouth.

Apparently, her magic loosens when she felt herself detached.

There is a way, a gap, and all he has to do is induce. He decided to lead Psychke to the correct answer step by step.

“Alright. Let’s assume that we don’t know how you got to know Silkisia’s secret. Then why does it seem that the secret lies with the princess?”

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence.”

“I don’t think it’s common to have severe ocular phobia that you can’t move.”

“Yes, but it makes more sense than me being the real Silkisia.”

“I wonder if it has something to do with the Princess’s ability but think about it carefully. Why do you think the princess has an ability that has been passed down from generation to generation in Silkisia?”