When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 23

“I’ll go for a walk.”

“Ah, has the time already come?”

Habahn’s lips twitched. His fidgety mouth, wearing an expression that he knew everything, kept opening and closing. Kaver left, opening the door before Habahn could even speak.

His face was flushed red. Feeling the heat, he lowered his head without realizing it.

The reason Kaver was reacting this way was none other than Reilly, who often visited the Imperial Palace around this time. She would enter the palace holding her father’s hand, have tea with His Majesty, and then return.

Of course, he sometimes joined them, but Reilly would also come out separately to look around the Imperial Palace.

He remembered her reluctant expression as she was led around, unable to say anything.

The first time Kaver saw her, he thought Reilly was a fairy. She was dazzling as she looked at the flowers in the garden, wearing a bright smile.

* * *

Even at a young age, Kaver felt that only Reilly shone in the glittering Imperial Palace. He would stare at her, mesmerized by the feeling that there was a halo around her.

He even felt sorry for her anxious eyes whenever she came holding her father’s hand, with an expression that she had no interest in anything else.

‘Why does that child always look so precarious?’

The eyes of the children who came to the Imperial Palace were always full of curiosity. They were so busy wanting to see everything and wondering about everything that they were 정신이 없을 정도였다 [completely absorbed].

However, Reilly was different. She wanted to get out of this place quickly.

‘Why? Why?’

Kaver couldn’t easily approach her and watched her from afar. Strangely, just looking at her made him feel good.

It was as if only he and Reilly existed in this place, and he couldn’t hear any sounds, including the voices of the people around him.

“What? Are you looking at my sister right now?”

Kaver was startled by the girl who suddenly spoke from behind and fell on his bottom. Surprised, his eyes widened like a rabbit’s. 놀란 그는 토끼 눈이 되어 있었다 [Surprised, his eyes became like a rabbit’s].

Kyarareureuk. Reilly’s gaze turned this way at the girl’s laughter. His face turned red with embarrassment and shame. Reilly ran over in one step, bowed her head, and asked for forgiveness.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. My sister has come here for the first time and has committed a discourtesy. Please forgive her.”

She was only seven years old. She was three years younger than him, but her 말투 [manner of speaking] and actions seemed more mature than other children of her age. He could see her hand trembling.

Kaver got up from his seat, brushed off his bottom, and smiled, pretending to be nonchalant. He had shown an unsightly 모습 [figure] because of her sister, Leta, but on the other hand, he thought it was fortunate.

‘She spoke to me first……?’

He had seen Reilly every time, but it was the first time she had spoken to him. His heart was pounding so hard that Kaver took a step back.

“Ahem, it can happen. This much is nothing.”

Reilly let out a sigh of relief as she watched Kaver nod slightly.

“What is your name…….”

Kaver asked, pretending not to know who Reilly was, even though he knew. At his words, Reilly smiled faintly and said.

“Reilly Shaltia. I am the Princess of the Trailla family.”

Reilly greeted Kaver with courtesy.

“……Reilly Shaltia.”

Kaver murmured softly. He thought it was a name that suited her well.

“Please, call me Reilly.”

Reilly thought that since they would be seeing each other often anyway, it would be better to become comfortable with each other. Becoming close to the Crown Prince was what her father wanted.

Leta watched the two of them quietly and then clapped her hands together.

“Ah! That’s great! Your Highness, let’s play together like this.”

“What do you mean…….”

“I want to play house, but I was having trouble because there was no one to play the role of the dad.”

“No, I…….”

“My sister will play the role of the mom! If you don’t want to, I can find someone else. I saw Pepe was here earlier.”

Leta turned her body to find someone else, coolly.

“My sister will play the role of the mom!”

These words lingered in Kaver’s ears.

Kaver, who quickly reached out and grabbed Leta’s arm, rolled his eyes and said.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it.”

“Wow! Then let’s go quickly! I’ve already prepared everything.”

Leta smiled brightly, pushing Reilly and Kaver on their backs. That day was the first day Kaver was able to escape from his daily life and laugh sincerely.

After that, whenever Reilly came, they would often have tea together and talk.

Although it wasn’t often, Kaver was unusually excited on the days she came to the Imperial Palace. Habahn, who watched by his side, would even tell him separately the days Reilly was coming.

“Your Highness seems similar to me.”

“Why do you think so?”

“You don’t smile often.”

Reilly said to Kaver, biting a cookie. It was something she said without much thought, but Kaver’s heart fluttered at those words.

‘If I smiled, would you smile too?’

Perhaps that was why.

From that day on, Kaver always had a smile on his face whenever he saw Reilly.

* * *

As the days went by and the two became closer, like friends, Kaver looked for an opportunity to tell Reilly how he felt about her.

“Your Highness smiles whenever you see me.”

Reilly stared at Kaver while drinking tea.

“Because the time I spend with you is the only time I can smile.”

Kaver shrugged his shoulders, trying to clear his throat. He had revealed his inner feelings in his own way, but Reilly’s eyes were indifferent.

“You must be busy with state affairs.”

“Rather than that…….”

I smile because I’m with you.

Kaver couldn’t bring himself to say it. He already knew that Reilly’s heart was not the same as his.

Kaver brought his fingers to the corners of his lips and pulled them up.

“……You must be very bored these days.”

“I was wondering if I would smile if I did this.”

Judging by her unchanging expression, it seemed this wasn’t it either.

Then should I try this? When Kaver made a playful expression, Reilly was so surprised that she spat out her tea.

She coughed incessantly, as if she had choked.

‘Why is he doing that? It must be due to work stress.’ Reilly’s eyes changed to a slightly pitiful look.

It must be hard for him to take the time to have tea with me, but Kaver never missed it and always spent time with me.

“Reilly, what do you think of me?”

Kaver couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze and lowered his head. He watched Reilly, who was fidgeting with her teacup.

“The man I will marry.”

“Cough.”

This time, Kaver was so surprised that his eyes widened. On the other hand, Reilly tilted her head at Kaver’s reaction.

“My father has always told me since I was young. That I must be by Your Highness Kaver’s side.”

She couldn’t understand it, but it was a word she had heard countless times like her duty.

And Reilly thought Kaver wasn’t particularly bad. He had been her only friend she had met outside since she was young.

Kaver’s brow furrowed at Reilly’s words, as if she had been brainwashed.

“You don’t mind marrying me…… do you?”

“Others might criticize me if they heard. Because getting to marry Your Highness is not an opportunity given to everyone.”

Reilly unintentionally drew a line with Kaver. But, she didn’t know what to say to him. For some reason, her face turned red because of his question.

‘It’s really strange today, asking questions he doesn’t usually ask.’ Reilly cooled the heat on her face slightly with her hand and glanced at the clock.

Kaver’s injured shoulders drooped noticeably. The silent sighs of the watching maids were heard here and there.

‘Cheer up, Your Highness!’

‘You’ve knocked a hundred times so far, so try knocking a hundred more times!’

They were quite positive maids.

Everyone in the Imperial Palace knew that Kaver had feelings for Reilly, except for Reilly.

They were pretending not to notice, but Kaver’s heart was all revealed in his expression, which was raised so high that his mouth was about to reach his ears.

Dengdengdeng-

At the same time as the clock rang, Reilly got up from her seat and hurriedly greeted Kaver.

“I’ll be going now. I had fun today too.”

Kaver couldn’t hold Reilly back and had no choice but to let her go. Her ears were slightly red.

“Send someone to send medicine that is good for colds and the body, and food.”

He mistakenly thought that Reilly had a cold because she had overdone it.

* * *

Reilly’s Imperial Palace outings, which seemed like they would last forever, became infrequent in less than five years. Kaver’s face, who had been waiting for her every day, was filled with worry.

Kaver, who had asked Habahn to find out and heard about Reilly’s news, could no longer wait for her.

He came to know the reason why her father had brought her to the Imperial Palace so often. And also why Reilly didn’t want to come here anymore.

Even so, when she occasionally came to the Imperial family, Kaver pretended not to know and spoke to her as usual. The two were not the same as before, but he still did not give up hope.

Eventually, Kaver sent gifts to the mansion for Leta and Reilly, who seemed to be trapped at home like him. They were the same butterfly-shaped pins.

‘Someday, I hope you can come out of that place and fly away.’

Kaver wanted to help them spread their wings if possible. He could only hope that the sincerity in his heart would be conveyed.

From then on, Kaver began to learn the sword. If the reason she didn’t want to come here was because she hated the life of being used as a sword [a political tool], he took up the sword so that it wouldn’t happen.

The imperial family members could not inherit the aura for generations and could not even hold a sword, but Kaver did not give up.

“I can do it. Please continue to teach me.”

At Kaver’s persistence, the teacher did not give up and taught him how to hold a sword.

He tried to hold the sword and create an aura hundreds of times a day. He trained alone every night without anyone knowing, and he did not let go of the sword for ten years with Habahn.

His body continued to break down due to internal injuries that occurred almost every day, but he endured the tearing pain while receiving treatment from Habahn.

Only for Reilly, so that she could be by his side even if she didn’t become a sword in the future.

As a result, he eventually succeeded in changing his body. He changed his body to be able to accept the body that pushed out the aura and became someone who could protect himself.

Reilly was everything to Kaver.