106. What Is This Feeling?

Larael sighed deeply and walked past Herwen toward the reception room. Herwen quickly moved to her side and walked alongside her.

“Stay back.”

Larael said coldly, lowering her eyes. Herwen paid no attention and continued walking beside her.

“Your Highness, shall I bring tea?”

“No tea.”

Sasha asked if she should bring tea when they entered the reception room. Larael was not on intimate tea-drinking terms with Herwen, nor did she want to be. At Larael’s cold response, Sasha exchanged glances with Joanna. Then they quietly left the room, leaving the two alone.

Larael briefly looked at the closed reception room door, then sat down as far as possible from Herwen, who had already taken a seat on the sofa. Herwen leaned back deeply into the sofa, observing Larael intently, and when she sat down, he leaned forward, using his thighs as support.

“Larael, I came because there’s something I want to ask. You don’t need to be so obviously wary of me.”

“What is it?”

Larael said, lowering her eyes to avoid Herwen’s gaze.

“I don’t have a habit of beating around the bush, so I’ll ask directly. Why did you become interested in the Krauf disease? Since when did my brother know about it? From the beginning? And how did you find out about Hobbs and the cure?”

Larael frowned at Herwen, who was firing questions one after another as if he didn’t even intend to hear her answers.

“…Do I have an obligation to answer you?”

“Yes. The Krauf disease is also a northern issue.”

“Why are you curious about these things? In court, His Majesty said it was his direct order, so shouldn’t you ask the Emperor? Why ask me? Then should I assume that you were approaching people around me to spy on me?”

“Is that how you see it? Don’t think of it as surveillance, but as my interest in you. Larael, why are you so sharp? You weren’t like this before.”

“Before… Stop comparing to the past. And you know better than anyone why I’m like this.”

“…So you are jealous of Ariella after all? Are you being petty because I got engaged to another woman?”

“No, how is it that your self-centered thinking never changes?”

Larael said, looking at Herwen with eyes full of disgust.

“Tell me. So you moved like a marionette according to Edward’s orders? In the end, you found that taking the position beside Edward wasn’t so bad? You completely betrayed me.”

Failing to get a satisfactory answer from Larael, Herwen asked again on his own terms.

“Yes. It wasn’t bad. I don’t know how you want to think about it, but it wasn’t His Majesty’s order. You may not know me well, but I know you very well. Of course, it was information I learned by chance and good luck, but I don’t need to tell you the source of that information, right? I could clearly see what you were going to do.”

Herwen’s face became frighteningly expressionless as he listened to Larael’s words. He said nothing and just quietly stared at her. His eyes gradually narrowed.

“Larael, are you serious? You… no longer love me…”

Larael couldn’t help but laugh mockingly at his words. She was truly curious about what mental state he must be in to think that she still loved Herwen.

“Remember when I said I wouldn’t let you change your mind? That you don’t know what I might do?”

Seeing his eyes flash ominously, Larael trembled involuntarily. But Larael had already confessed to Edward about the false wedding night. Edward would surely believe her. She tried not to worry about it, but Herwen’s words made her feel strangely anxious.

However, she couldn’t understand why Herwen was acting this way toward her. Was it an obsession with something he couldn’t have? Larael felt disgusted. She wanted to completely sever her ties with Herwen.

“Please stop now. You can’t use me anymore.”

Herwen’s expression changed to one of desperation.

“What are you saying? Larael, use you?”

Herwen stood up and approached Larael. Startled, she got up and stepped backward.

“Don’t come closer. If you do, I’ll call the guard knights. Please leave now.”

When she spoke in alarm, Herwen stopped in his tracks, stared at her intently, and suddenly fell to his knees.

“Larael, if I’ve hurt you, it’s all my fault.”

Larael couldn’t close her increasingly widening mouth. She couldn’t even comprehend what was happening. Herwen crawled on his knees and grabbed Larael’s dress. She was so shocked that she couldn’t scream or move.

“Larael, I was wrong. Yes, I was wrong from the moment I sent you to my brother. You said it, didn’t you? Let’s run away together. Let’s run away even now.”

Herwen was not in his right mind. His reason had long since disappeared. Surprisingly, his heart was now purer than it had ever been. He was simply following what his heart commanded.

Every time Larael spoke sharply to him, his chest felt cold and painful, as if pierced repeatedly by a sharp spear. If Larael turned away from him here, Herwen might truly go insane. A desperate feeling came over him that he needed to hold onto Larael’s heart, even just a little, by any means necessary.

“Are, are you crazy?”

Larael finally managed to speak. She shook her skirt violently as if trying to shake off something dirty. She shook it so hard that Herwen, who was holding onto the hem, wobbled and fell to the floor. Herwen remained fallen, stopped moving, and slowly turned his head to look at Larael. In his eyes, complex emotions were tangled like an unsolvable knot.

“Berser, Handelson!!!”

Larael called out the names of her guard knights with all her might and ran toward the reception room door. She was overcome with fear that Herwen might do something to her if she remained still.

At her desperate cry, the reception room door immediately opened, and Berser and Handelson rushed in.

Larael took shelter behind them and then looked at Herwen through the gap between Berser and Handelson. Herwen, whom she had expected to chase after her, stood still, looking at Larael with a desolate expression.

Berser and Handelson, who had rushed into the reception room with drawn swords, put their swords back in their scabbards when they saw the defenseless Herwen. They had to be careful not to give him any excuse to find fault.

Herwen stood looking at Larael through the gap between them for a long time, then quietly began to walk. Larael flinched and hunched her body. Herwen passed by her and left Abella Palace. His steps were heavy, as if someone were pulling his feet from below. Herwen got into the waiting carriage. He clutched his chest. For some reason, his eyes were moist.

‘What is this? Why am I like this?’

***

Edward tried to go to Abella Palace in the evening, but the work didn’t end, so he finally gave up and focused on his tasks. But missing Larael too much, he hurriedly came to Abella Palace just to see her face before leaving. As it was late at night, Larael was already asleep, of course. Edward waved off the maid who asked if they should wake her, telling them to leave her be.

Edward carefully entered the dark bedroom and stood beside the bed where Larael was sleeping. He smiled as he looked down at her. He couldn’t help smiling just by seeing her. Edward carefully sat on the bed and brushed back the hair that had fallen across Larael’s face. Then his gaze shifted to the small doll cradled in Larael’s arms. He frowned as he looked at the strange-looking doll.

“Mmm…”

Larael stirred and lifted her heavy eyelids slightly. She saw Edward sitting on the bed and opened her eyes wide.

“Your Majesty.”

“I just came to see your face, so go back to sleep.”

Edward said affectionately. His gaze turned to the doll in Larael’s arms.

“What… is that?”