When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 16

Turning Away, He’s a Stranger (15)

Crown Prince Kaver Baritas.

He was someone who hadn’t shown his face at any public events since his coming-of-age ceremony. Rumor had it that his personality was quite different in his childhood compared to how he is now.

Yet, here he was, at Duke Printz’s residence.

“What do you mean…? I had a room prepared. Let me escort you inside first.”

Theodore swallowed hard, forcing an awkward smile as he tried to defuse the tense atmosphere.

“Do you think I came all this way just to have tea with you?”

“Then… may I ask what brings you here?”

The Crown Prince sneered. The only reason he was here was Railey.

Judging by the Duke’s reaction, he didn’t even seem to know that Railey had filed for divorce. The Crown Prince tilted his head slightly, surveying the Duke’s residence.

He couldn’t sense Railey’s presence. She had already left.

He wondered if he should consider himself fortunate, and what expression she would have worn if she had faced him. He vaguely recalled her childhood face, but he quickly shook his head.

‘Do you think you can ever see the smile she gave me back then?’

He scoffed, dismissing the thought as absurd.

He should have known from the letter, which only specified the date and time… Ren seemed to have anticipated everything and had no intention of allowing even a brief meeting between him and Railey.

It had taken a while, but he had been working tirelessly to ensure everything was in Railey’s favor.

‘That bastard Ren… he clearly passed the buck to me.’

Kaver clicked his tongue inwardly, his brow furrowing.

If Railey had intended to stay at the Duke’s residence, she wouldn’t have used her ability [likely referring to a magical or special skill].

“So, who are you to dare question me?”

Theodore’s fists clenched and unclenched at the Crown Prince’s condescending tone and sneering.

“…I apologize.”

It was a humiliation he had never experienced before. The Crown Prince clicked his tongue dismissively as the Duke lowered his head.

“Tsk.”

‘Beside a guy like this, what were you doing…’

The Crown Prince didn’t want to waste any more time. Seeing the Duke groveling before him only made him feel disgusted.

How could a head that bowed so easily be as unyielding as an unbroken tree to her? Kaver couldn’t help but imagine him looking down at Railey with his head held high and eyes lowered.

Theodore was suffocating. Could the Crown Prince really be here because of Railey? Wasn’t she abandoned by both the Imperial Family and her own family for lacking ability?

‘What… what is it about Railey?’

To him, she was just a discarded daughter of the Trilaila family, useful only for continuing the bloodline. She had a beautiful appearance, but nothing else.

Isn’t that what everyone thinks of her?

But Kaver was different. He couldn’t be sure, but it was clear that he held different feelings for Railey than others did.

The Crown Prince’s gaze, which continued to scrutinize him intently, sent a chill down his spine.

“Sign here.”

The Crown Prince handed Theodore a crumpled, barely legible document. It was the divorce confirmation, with only the space for the other party’s signature blank.

Railey’s signature was already there, so if Theodore agreed, the divorce would be finalized.

“Your Highness, I have no intention of divorcing my wife. Why should I have to divorce—”

“Enough.”

Kaver raised a hand to silence Theodore. The smile on his face vanished instantly.

“I’m giving you a chance to live, you know. From now on, you need to think carefully before you speak.”

Kaver took a step towards Theodore. His tightly closed lips and suppressed emotions flickered in his eyes.

They were ugly emotions: resentment, embarrassment, and crushed pride.

Kaver placed his hand on Theodore’s shoulder and pressed down lightly.

Theodore’s body trembled. He tried to appear nonchalant, glancing at the hand on his shoulder.

“Did Railey lean her head on this shoulder? No, have you ever even lent your shoulder to Railey?”

“…What are you suddenly talking about?”

“Well, there must have been at least once.”

Theodore didn’t answer. But the Crown Prince supplied his own answer and twisted the corners of his lips.

Crack.

“Ugh, ugh!”

With a sickening sound, Theodore screamed. One of Theodore’s shoulder blades was broken by Kaver’s hand.

His face contorted in agony, Theodore clutched his shoulder and collapsed to the ground.

“Didn’t I tell you to think carefully before answering?”

“Ugh! Your, Your Highness… Ugh, this is clearly an outrage! How can someone who will become the Emperor in the future do such… ugh, a thing without even telling me the reason!”

Theodore’s voice, leaking through his tightly clenched lips, cracked. Groans escaped him in pain.

“That’s not the answer I want either.”

Kaver looked at Theodore writhing in pain, then bent down slightly to meet his gaze.

“Above all, someone like you shouldn’t carelessly comment on the qualifications of the Emperor.”

Kaver, wearing a chilling smile, patted the back of Theodore’s hand, which was clutching his broken shoulder blade. He grabbed Theodore’s tightly clenched hand and pried it open.

“Ugh, why are you doing this to me!”

“Did you stroke her face and touch her body with this dirty hand?”

“N, no!”

Theodore shook his head in denial, feeling an ominous premonition. But Kaver didn’t release Theodore’s hand.

“Oh dear, you’re lying to me, the Crown Prince.”

He had already had people investigate the Duke’s residence. Moreover, there was no way he, who had communicated with Ren, wouldn’t know all the facts.

A chilling smile spread across Kaver’s face. Theodore’s face turned pale as he frantically tried to pull his hand away, but it was no use.

Snap.

With another crushing sound, Theodore’s body twisted again.

“Aaaagh!”

“She was so precious to me that I was content just looking at her.”

He couldn’t even scream anymore. Theodore was in so much pain that it felt surreal.

“Sign.”

A chilling, low voice echoed softly. Kaver handed the document to Theodore again, who was struggling on the floor, groaning.

“Your Highness Kaver.”

Haban, who had gotten out of the carriage, remained calm even after seeing the scene unfolding before him. He simply adjusted his glasses and sighed.

Haban, as his aide, had followed the Crown Prince as a precaution. However, he had decided to quietly observe from the carriage, trusting Kaver’s promise that he wouldn’t kill him, no matter how angry he was.

“Didn’t you say that you shouldn’t kill people, no matter how angry you are?”

“Hey, Haban. Anyone who sees this would misunderstand.”

I haven’t killed him yet.

Haban shook his head at the Crown Prince’s confident reply. Kaver looked at Theodore, who was motionless, and poked him once.

He was unconscious. Kaver’s face hardened as he looked at the documents in his hand.

“Wake him up, whether you fix him or just make him regain consciousness.”

“My ability is not for healing trash.”

Haban said firmly. Kaver nodded and issued a silent order.

“If you need a signature, you don’t necessarily have to heal him, do you?”

Haban bent down and placed a pen in Theodore’s hand. Then, he grabbed his hand and arbitrarily wrote Theodore’s name in the signature box, then looked up at the Crown Prince.

Theodore’s name, crooked but clear to anyone, was written.

“Isn’t this enough?”

“Isn’t that a fabrication? There’s no one to properly prove it, so wake him up again.”

“Your Highness, why isn’t there? There’s a more reliable witness than anyone else.”

Haban got to his feet, adjusted Theodore to look superficially presentable, then casually slung him over his shoulder and headed into the Duke’s residence. He entered with a bright smile and soon emerged with a stack of documents in his hand.

“Wouldn’t this much witness testimony be enough?”

With this, no one would believe Theodore’s words.

* * *

Clang-

“May I put a poster up here?”

It was the guard. Railey nodded, signaling that it was okay.

‘Oh, right!’

Railey suddenly remembered the paper posted on the wall. She hurriedly opened the door and went out to speak to the guard.

“Here, put it here. This paper needs to be easily seen.”

She even specified the location, in case the words ‘Staff Wanted’ were covered.

“Yes, I understand.”

The guard placed the poster in the location Railey indicated.

‘But what kind of poster is it?’

She shook her head, about to dismiss her curiosity. It must be another wanted poster.

‘Still, there have been a lot of posters lately.’

It had been a month since Railey came here. In that time, there had been frequent incidents and accidents in the city.

“It’s cold. I should go inside.”

She felt a chill as the wind blew. Railey closed the door and went inside to check the clock.

“Ren will be here soon.”

Railey looked at the newly acquired raw stones while displaying the jewels. A ruby of a particularly striking red color caught her eye.

“This would suit Ren well.”

She was thinking of making a pendant. The red color seemed to suit him quite well. He would probably scold her for giving him something he could sell again, but she didn’t care.

She carefully placed the ruby she had been examining with tweezers back in its place. Just then, the scarf around her neck loosened and slipped to the floor.

Railey bent down and picked up the scarf. She lightly dusted it off and tried to tie it around her neck again.

Clang-

“Ren?”

“……”

There was no answer.

Railey, who finished tying the scarf while looking in the mirror, straightened her hair and turned towards the door.

“……Railey?”

The man standing there calling her name was someone Railey had never seen before.