When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 72

Turning Away (71)

“I thought you’d be in a terrible mood, but I guess I was wrong.”

Dressed to the nines, Adel greeted Caberre warmly.

He was prepared to be slapped, but instead, he seemed perfectly composed.

“I can’t mistreat a princess from another country.”

Caberre forced a smile, holding it in place.

“But who’s the child behind you?”

Adel’s expression twisted subtly at the sight of Ryley in the Imperial uniform.

Standing behind Caberre, she didn’t even seem to notice Adel.

“Ah, this is Sir Ryley, the Empire’s Sword.”

“That’s not why I asked. Isn’t it customary for knights to use their family name?”

“Sir Ryley is too important to the Imperial Family to be considered ordinary. She’s also my personal guard, so don’t mind her.”

Using the name Shaltia would not help her recover her reputation because of her father.

The Imperial Family didn’t particularly welcome it either, so Ryley was referred to by her given name, not her inherited family name.

Unaware of these circumstances, Adel bit her lip at Caberre’s words.

“Shouldn’t she be called Lady Shaltia?”

Her eyes were as dead as the rumors suggested, and it seemed the contract had failed as I wanted.

‘Since she has no ego, even if a contract was made, it would be a failure.’

I managed to get an opportunity more easily than I thought. Perhaps it was possible because they didn’t know my abilities.

“Well, I’m busy and short on time, so I should just have tea and leave.”

“I see. You’re going to be the Emperor, so I understand.”

Adel took a sip of her tea, glancing sideways.

Seeing no trace of the Ryley she had met before, she couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘Now she looks like her name.’

Like a tool, she should be by his side without any emotions, just like now.

The Emperor acted as if he would really give me the chance to become the Crown Princess because he didn’t think Ryley’s ego would return easily.

Adel knew in advance that her mana would cause a conflict.

She thought it would somehow affect the contract. However, she didn’t expect to achieve such a great result.

“Oh, you have something on your face.”

Caberre leaned forward slightly and wiped Adel’s mouth with his hand.

Adel blinked, seemingly a little flustered by his sudden display of affection.

“Your Highness…?”

Has my efforts worked on him a little bit?

Adel’s cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head shyly.

Caberre forced a smile, wiping the hand that had touched her with a handkerchief.

“I didn’t know you’d be touched by such a small thing.”

He glanced back at Ryley, who was standing behind him.

‘Is this not enough?’

Ryley, standing motionless with a blank expression, still stared ahead.

Then what about the opposite?

Caberre deliberately got crumbs near his lips. Seeing this, Adel reached out with a very nervous expression.

“You… Your Highness, you have something on your lips too.”

Thud-

However, her hand couldn’t reach Caberre.

Ryley, stiffening, stopped Adel’s hand and grabbed her wrist tightly.

“Ah!”

“You must not touch His Highness’s body carelessly.”

Ryley shook off her hand and stood back in her place as if nothing had happened.

“Huh?”

Grasping her throbbing wrist, Adel glared at Ryley with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry about this, then would you wipe it off for me?”

Caberre turned his head nonchalantly and presented his face to Ryley without wiping off the crumbs.

“I don’t have such a task.”

“But I can’t show such an unsightly appearance in front of a foreign princess, can I? I’m the one you have to protect, right?”

Ryley was slightly confused by Caberre’s words.

In fact, her body had reacted first, so she hadn’t yet defined her actions in her mind.

‘Is this also a kind of mission?’

Her head throbbed as if it were broken.

From the moment she saw Princess Adel, an unknown emotion surged within her. She didn’t know what it was, so she remained still.

Eventually, she reached out and wiped the crumbs from his lips, just as Caberre had done to Adel earlier.

Her eyes widened and then narrowed slightly at the sensation of her fingers touching his soft lips.

‘It’s strange.’

She sensed danger throughout her body.

Ryley quickly withdrew her hand and stepped away from Caberre.

Caberre, with a satisfied expression, turned his head and looked at Adel. His smile deepened as he noticed the anger and embarrassment filling her eyes.

* * *

“Ah!”

Crash.

Princess Adel couldn’t contain her anger, and she seethed.

“Y-Your Highness.”

Lirita, trembling with fear, pressed her body close to the floor and lowered her posture.

‘Why is she suddenly going crazy like that! She was in a good mood this morning.’

As if she had expected this, her mistress, Duchess Roana, was currently away from the mansion.

So, there was no one to stop her.

A mere maid couldn’t dare to touch the princess’s body.

“Was the reason you had tea with me just for that?”

The more she thought about it, the more she felt angry.

She could only laugh at the thought of what the two of them had done in front of her.

She felt so pathetic and miserable for liking Caberre’s actions without knowing it.

Not only was she humiliated, but she was also used.

Princess Adel couldn’t overcome her anger and collapsed into her seat.

“How could you do this to me…!”

But is it really true that she lost her ego?

She remembered the expression on her face when she frowned at me for a moment.

“Lirita, I need you to help me again this time.”

Her eyes, which had turned cold in an instant, turned to Lirita. She raised her trembling body and looked at Princess Adel.

“M-Me?”

“Yes, didn’t you say you know many people in the Imperial Palace?”

Princess Adel dusted off her dress, stood up, looked around the room, and narrowed her brows.

“It would be better to clean the room first.”

Seeing the messy broken cups and scattered objects, she felt a surge of annoyance.

“I’ll be out for a while, so clean it up as if nothing happened.”

Adel put on her white mesh gloves and left the room.

Lirita sank down, staring at the door Adel had left with bewildered eyes.

She couldn’t even stand because her legs were weak.

“What on earth are you trying to make me do…?”

Unlike the eyes she had seen at first, Princess Adel’s eyes seemed like she was about to do something irreversible. Lirita was torn whether to inform Duchess Roana about this.

‘I might not be able to get out of the Duke’s mansion alive.’

Her eyes flashed as she chewed on her fingernails.

It seemed that this was the only way for her to survive.

* * *

“Your Highness, a maid from the Serhin mansion has requested an audience.”

“The Serhin mansion, where Princess Adel is staying?”

Haban nodded.

A maid, begging for her life and kneeling before me, handed me a letter. After reading the letter, Haban immediately imprisoned her.

“You will have to lie low here for the time being.”

“P-Please, just save me. Please, I was wrong.”

Kapne, who had been a maid in the Imperial Palace, begged Haban with tears streaming down her face. He predicted that this child would not survive if Caberre found out.

“That’s not my concern, so it’s no use telling me that.”

It may sound cold, but it was true.

“You won’t be safe for spreading rumors while in the Imperial Palace.”

Kapne cried out as she was imprisoned. She grabbed Haban’s pants and wouldn’t let go, saying she would tell everything if he just saved her.

Eventually, the maid from the Serhin Duke’s mansion, who was also involved with her, requested to meet the Crown Prince.

“Why should I see them?”

“They said they would tell everything about Princess Adel.”

Caberre put down the documents he was looking at and tapped the table with his finger.

“So, they allowed the affairs of the Imperial Family to leak out.”

“If you ask me about this, I will take responsibility.”

Caberre shook his head at Haban’s words.

“That’s not your fault as an aide. It’s not your job.”

Perhaps this could be a good opportunity for me. For example, a reasonable piece of evidence that I can take to my father.

“Does Duchess Roana know about this?”

“She doesn’t seem to know. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to have escaped in a hurry.”

“So, you’re saying that Princess Adel did this alone?”

“That’s probably the case. Sir Ryley said that she had previously brought Duchess Roana to our side, so she wouldn’t have acted carelessly.”

Haban’s words made sense. As the eldest daughter of the Serhin family, Duchess Roana is well aware that her actions affect the family.

She has a wide network in society and a good reputation, so she wouldn’t interfere in matters related to the Imperial Family.

“I don’t know what they’re going to say, but I’m quite looking forward to it.”

Caberre smiled, folding his eyes as he recalled Adel’s distorted expression at the gathering.

“But why isn’t Sir Ryley here today?”

Haban looked around, puzzled that Ryley, who was always by his side, was not visible.

“Ah, I sent her to do something else for a while.”

“I guess she went to rest.”

“Well, it might be a hardship for her.”

Caberre sighed, looking at the garden.

Ryley, sitting still in the same spot, caught his eye.

“I hope that guy treats her well.”

“Which guy are you talking about?”

“Never mind. An unlucky guy.”

Caberre frowned and smiled faintly.

At that moment, Ren, who was next to Ryley, looked towards the office.

‘It’s strange, my ear is itchy.’

For some reason, it feels like someone is harshly cursing me.