When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 58

Turning Away is Someone Else (57)

Leta clearly saw it: a brief flash of blue light around Raili’s neck.

‘I didn’t expect you to come out like this, Sister.’

Seeing Adel’s flustered expression was refreshing.

Raili rose from her seat, approached Adel, and, wearing a worried expression, examined her.

“Are you hurt?”

“Y-yes.”

“Lady Roanna seems to have a lot to worry about.”

Roanna’s face had already turned pale because of the tea spilled on Adel. Everyone was shocked, and chaos ensued.

Raili whispered softly into Roanna’s ear.

“If we leave the Princess as she is, it seems like it will become quite troublesome.”

“……What do you want?”

Roanna gripped the hem of her dress and tightly shut her eyes. If things continued this way, it was obvious that the Princess would throw a fit about returning home as soon as everyone left.

Moreover, if she were to report the humiliation she suffered here to the kingdom, her family’s relationship would end just like that.

“It’s simple, just be on my side.”

Raili smiled brightly. Roanna reluctantly nodded.

*My father had clearly told me to prevent the Trilla family from running rampant, but I have no choice now.*

“Princess Vivianna Adel, would you mind if I took a look at you?”

Adel frowned at Raili’s words. She was not pleased with Raili stepping forward to help her in this humiliating situation.

“I’m upset that the beautiful Princess’s dress is ruined, but I’m also worried that you might be hurt.”

Leta quietly watched this, quickly understanding Raili’s intentions.

“Princess, wouldn’t it be terrible if you were to have a scar? Hurry and go inside to check your injury.”

At Leta’s words, Adel looked at her burning thigh and nodded. She was worried that she might have been burned.

*‘How can Raili be alright when it’s this hot?’*

Adel couldn’t understand this situation. She and Raili had been splashed with tea, but Raili was unharmed.

And what about her dress not even being wet?

In the end, she was led into the Duke’s residence by Raili’s hand. As she entered the room where she was staying, a maid was surprised and quickly prepared clothes.

“What should we do, Princess? It seems there’s only one dress prepared for the party……”

The maid lowered her head with a tearful voice. There was no way there would be another specially ordered dress.

“Then what clothes are prepared?”

Raili asked the maid.

When the prepared clothes were hastily brought out, Adel’s expression darkened rapidly. She didn’t like any of them. To wear such plain dresses in a place where she had to stand out more than anyone else!

However, wearing Lady Roanna’s clothes was even more undesirable. Her tastes didn’t match, and the sizes were different.

“We can’t possibly have the Princess wear these clothes. If the Princess is alright with it, would you like to wear my clothes? I’m fine wearing any of these clothes.”

Adel hesitated as she looked at Raili’s dress.

*Raili had a similar body type to her. Her clothes might fit me.*

*‘Didn’t they say it looked like she had matched clothes with Crown Prince Kavel?’*

It was a desirable dress. Wearing clothes that someone else had worn hurt her pride, but it would be better than the clothes hanging on the rack.

Even if she ordered now, it wouldn’t arrive immediately, so it wasn’t a bad option.

“I don’t want to, but I have no choice.”

“You’ll probably look better in it than I do.”

Raili readily took off her dress. For her, the dress wasn’t important. Gaining favor was more necessary.

The blue dress suited Princess Adel, who had blonde hair and pink eyes, quite well. *Was she the one who almost became the Crown Princess?*

Looking at the Princess getting dressed in front of me, it was no wonder Kavel had fallen for her at first sight.

Recalling Kavel, who had left the Imperial Palace with me, made me feel strangely bad. As Princess Adel was naturally substituted into my place, my brow furrowed.

‘……Why?’

I was just imagining where she should be. Kavel will have to be with someone someday.

Strangely, one corner of my heart ached.

“It looks so good on you!”

The maid said, looking at Adel, who had finished dressing up. Raili wore a dark dress from Adel’s clothes and smiled at Adel.

Raili’s dress fit as if it had been Adel’s clothes from the beginning.

“Do you also think I look better in it?”

Raili nodded at Adel’s words.

I couldn’t bring myself to say it. The words wouldn’t come out.

* * *

“Is she doing well?”

Kavel paced back and forth in front of his desk, looking anxious.

“Can’t you please stay still?”

Haban, who was looking at documents, couldn’t bear it any longer and clutched his head. If you’re so anxious, you shouldn’t have sent her! How long will this go on?

“If something had happened, we would have heard from her already.”

Haban suppressed his boiling anger. He tried to speak calmly, examining the documents again.

“Did you even properly look at this document?”

“Do you think I would have left the work to you if I hadn’t?”

“Isn’t that what you do? I thought that’s what you did every time.”

Kavel tapped the desk at Haban’s words, biting his lip.

“What if Princess Adel says something strange?”

“Was that the problem?!”

She was deeply in love with Kavel and had courted him several times. Nevertheless, Kavel didn’t budge and rejected Princess Adel. She wasn’t the only one, but she was still a formidable opponent.

“I thought she would return to the kingdom, but I didn’t expect her to stay with the Serhin family.”

“They’re quick.”

They must have been thinking of securing a position by seating the Princess as the Crown Princess. The Serhin family, which had recently risen to prominence due to the family that was wiped out for treason, seized the opportunity without missing it.

“Still, isn’t it amazing? Her pride must be hurt.”

Seeing her persevere to the end, it was clear that she had no intention of giving up. Frankly, Princess Adel was more than decent.

“Even if we trade, it would be beneficial to us, but the tariffs have increased because Your Highness refused.”

“I can’t force a marriage.”

“There are even fewer kings who marry for love.”

Kavel propped his chin at Haban’s words.

“I’m a romantic.”

Haban was speechless at Kavel’s words. A romantic who kills people so mercilessly and wipes out families?

“If you govern with romance, the country will fall.”

Besides, wasn’t that romance only applied to Raili?

“Raili is more than qualified. She’s too good for me.”

“Of course.”

Haban shook his head and placed a stack of documents on the desk.

“Please review this again.”

“If Princess Adel harms Raili…….”

She already had bad feelings towards me. How much I suffered when I rejected her date request.

It would be terrible to think about what would happen if Raili found out about the times I had to meet her.

I just ate a meal with her once in the Imperial Palace. What if she misunderstands me? There’s nothing more terrible than that.

How did I barely open her heart!

Kavel wanted to run to her right away.

Haban sighed. No matter how much he was blinded by love, hadn’t he forgotten who Raili was?

“Wouldn’t it be fortunate if Lady Raili doesn’t harm Princess Adel? You seem to have forgotten, but the Lady is clearly a Mana holder [someone who can wield magical energy].”

Anyone could see that Raili was the one to be careful of. As a sword contractor and a Mana holder, she could not only overturn the party if she made a mistake, but also hold a person’s life in her hands.

*‘After seeing what she did to Duke Beritter that day, he’s still saying those things.’*

Haban shuddered, still recalling the chilling murderous intent. He seemed incapable of rational thought because he had cherished her since childhood, but this was too much.

“I should go after all.”

“Do you really want to see me die? Where are you going?”

At Kavel’s words, Haban was horrified and blocked the door.

*쾅!*

With the sound of the door being opened roughly, Haban looked at the door, clutching his pounding heart.

“Raili used Mana.”

Kavel stood up abruptly from his seat with Ren, who suddenly appeared. Judging by their eyes, they were ready to run right away.

“Lady Raili said that if you two show up at the party, she’ll never see you again.”

Haban glared at them and warned them.

It was a lie, but if they actually went there, she would do just that.

She would be doing well on her own, so why were they making such a fuss? This was a disease.

“Don’t you both trust the Lady?”

At Haban’s words, Kavel and Ren shouted at the same time.

“No!”

“That’s not it!”

At their answers, Haban closed the opened door and looked at the clock.

“Process the documents quietly when you come back! Everyone do your own work! Ren, you sit down too!”

At Haban’s words, Ren stood askew and stared at him.

“I’ll tell Lady Raili everything when she comes back.”

Ren’s red eyes were eerie, but Haban raised his head, maintaining a poker face. There was no choice but to resist.

There was only one thing that could subdue the rampaging madmen.

Saying Raili’s name.

*‘I’m sorry. But there was no other way.’*

Ren sat in the chair with a grim expression, rummaging through the documents. It was the moment when the two crazy humans became docile in an instant.