Chapter 123

A seat was hastily added. Louis nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the grandly prepared dishes after sitting down.  

Placing the napkin on his lap, Louis split a warm piece of bread in half and put it into his mouth, but then frowned.  

“Why? Does it taste strange?”  

Vivian, who was sitting across from Louis, asked. Louis shook his head and rubbed his left cheek.  

“It’s all torn inside, so it’s a bit uncomfortable to eat.”  

At Louis’s words, Lucas awkwardly stood up from his seat.  

“Sh-should I take a look for you?”  

“No, it’s fine.”  

Louis shook his head and declined, and Lucas slowly sat back down, glancing around nervously. Even while cutting his food into small pieces and chewing only on the right side, Louis seemed to be in a strangely good mood.  

Vivian, watching Louis, turned her gaze toward the Duke. Duke Tereon was also staring at Louis, fork in hand, perhaps curious about Louis’s sudden appearance.  

Aitor, too, was staring at Louis while holding his glass to his lips. In fact, everyone in the dining hall was looking at Louis.  

“Did… you run away from home?”  

“Yes.”  

Louis took a sip of wine and winced, as if his mouth stung, before answering the Duke’s question.  

“May I ask why you ran away?”  

“I’d prefer if you didn’t ask. It’s a rather sensitive issue.”  

At Louis’s brazen response, Duke Tereon’s mouth fell open. Thus, the meal ended in an awkward atmosphere.  

The butler reported that preparations for the surprise guest’s accommodations were complete, and Louis rose from his seat, saying he would head up first.  

Duke Tereon, who had been staring at the Crown Prince’s empty seat, also stood.  

“It’s been a tiring day. Everyone, you’ve worked hard.”

The Duke shook his head and left the dining room. Once the Duke left, Teresa picked up a wine bottle and poured the remaining wine into her glass with a loud splash.  

“A late-stage rebellious phase. That’s scary.”

Leaving Teresa, Lucas, and Aitor behind to chat further, Vivian exited the dining room with Rosie. Vivian’s steps felt heavy as she walked out of the mansion with Rosie to see her off.  

“Something happened during the recess in the trial?”

Rosie asked cautiously, and Vivian gave a small nod.

On her way back from taking Laila to the restroom, Vivian had seen Louis heading somewhere with Dave. She had left Laila with Rosie and followed them.

When Vivian returned alone after following Louis for a long time, her face was stiff. Then Louis appeared, and Rosie was utterly shocked at the sight of his face.  

Amid the joy of Aitor’s acquittal, Rosie had momentarily forgotten everything, but the Crown Prince suddenly showing up, claiming to have run away, was unexpected.  

“Did he really run away?”  

Rosie asked in a low voice, glancing around. Vivian shook her head slightly, as if she didn’t know, and looked up at the lit room on the second floor of the mansion.  

The hastily prepared room was on the same floor where the Duke’s family resided, right next to Ian’s room.  

“By tomorrow, it’ll probably bruise.”  

Rosie sighed deeply, wondering why another problem emerged as soon as one was resolved, and climbed into the carriage.  

Even as she soaked in the bathtub after returning, Vivian pondered how to approach Louis.  

It wasn’t a problem she could easily intervene in. The issue stemmed from wounds that had been hidden and buried since the time of the late Emperor and had now burst open.

Even as the water grew cold, Vivian’s concerns persisted.

After finishing her preparations for bed, Vivian changed direction instead of heading to the bed. While rummaging through the piles of documents on her desk, she found a jar of ointment and a note.  

[They say this helps bruises heal faster. -Aitor-]  

Looking back and forth between the note and the jar of ointment, Vivian slipped on her gown with a determined expression.  

She opened the door and cautiously peeked outside. Perhaps because she had spent so long in the bathroom, the hallway was quiet. Carefully closing the door to avoid making noise, Vivian tiptoed down the hall.  

She passed Ian’s room, where he was already asleep. After taking a few more steps, she stopped in front of the room where Louis was staying.  

Faint light seeped through the gap under the door. Confirming that he wasn’t asleep yet, Vivian took a deep breath and stared at the door.  

Knock, knock.  

After hesitating, Vivian knocked.  

“Are you awake?”  

When no response came, Vivian pressed her ear against the door.  

“Vivian. Do you hear anything inside?”  

Startled by the voice behind her, Vivian trembled and turned around.  

“L-Louis?”  

“Shh.”  

As Louis brought a finger to his lips to quiet her, Vivian glared at him and looked around.  

“Where are you coming from?”  

“Uh… It’s a secret?”  

At his playful expression, Vivian turned and began walking briskly. Unlike her cautious steps earlier, her angry strides were loud and forceful. Louis quickly blocked her path.  

“Were you coming to see me?”  

“Yes.”  

“Then why are you leaving?”  

Vivian glared up at Louis with determined eyes and handed him the ointment she was holding.  

“What’s this?”  

“Aitor told me to give it to you. He said you’ll bruise tomorrow, and if you apply this, the bruise will heal faster. Now, I’ll be going.”  

As Vivian tried to pass him, Louis tilted his head and blocked her path again.  

“Are you mad? Is it because I startled you?”  

Vivian narrowed her eyes at Louis’s playful smile. She had worked up so much courage to come here, but Louis’s teasing made her feel a surge of frustration.  

Then, noticing his cheek in the lantern light, Vivian sighed and looked around. The quiet hallway was filled only with the faint sound of wind and the occasional chirping of nocturnal birds.  

“Want to take a walk for a bit?”  

“Now?”  

Louis nodded and told her to wait before disappearing into his room. A moment later, he returned with a small blanket, which he draped over Vivian’s shoulders before gesturing toward the stairs with a tilt of his chin.  

As they carefully descended the stairs and exited the mansion, Vivian’s heart pounded, even though they weren’t doing anything wrong.  

Once in the garden, Vivian’s mouth fell open at the sight of the scenery.  

She had thought it would be too dark to see anything, but she was wrong. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the garden’s unique beauty began to reveal itself.  

The flower buds sparkled, reflecting the soft moonlight and starlight. The lanterns scattered throughout the garden created a mystical atmosphere.  

“Is this your first time coming out at night?”  

Vivian nodded and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. Louis chuckled softly and pointed to a bench.  

“Wait a second.”  

Before Vivian could sit, Louis spread a handkerchief on the bench and patted the spot.  

Only then did Vivian notice Louis’s outfit. His relaxed attire and the loose shirt revealed parts of his body that glowed under the moonlight, drawing her eyes. Flustered, she quickly looked away and cautiously sat beside him.  

“Hmm… Do I just apply this?”  

Louis muttered as he examined the ointment Aitor had left. He opened the lid, sniffed it, and scooped out a generous amount, smearing it on his left cheek.  

“It feels cool.”  

Apparently liking the ointment, he scooped out more and slathered it on his cheek.  

“You can’t apply it like that!”  

Vivian hesitated as she saw the clumps of ointment on his cheek.  

“Here?”  

Louis rubbed a completely different spot with his finger. Frustrated, Vivian finally stood and moved in front of him.  

“Turn your head.”  

At her words, Louis tilted his head slightly. Vivian spread the clumped ointment evenly across his cheek. Despite her gentle touch, Louis flinched.  

“Does it hurt?”  

“A little.”  

“How strong is the Emperor…?”  

Vivian muttered quietly, and Louis chuckled.  

“Why are you laughing?”  

“The Emperor is stronger than me. His swordsmanship is remarkable, almost as good as Stephan’s.”  

“…I see.”  

Vivian nodded in agreement.  

“Done.”  

After finishing, Vivian sat beside Louis and glanced at him.  

“If you’re curious about anything, ask me. If it’s something you’re curious about, I’ll answer anything.”  

Louis smiled softly, recalling Vivian’s earlier curious expression. His smile glowed under the gentle moonlight. Even in the darkness, his radiant smile made Vivian lower her head and fiddle with her fingers.  

“Did you really run away from home?”  

After hesitating for a moment, Vivian asked.  

“Yes. I even packed my things before leaving.”  

Louis’s serious tone made Vivian look up. His sincere expression left her speechless. Smiling faintly at her reaction, Louis leaned back against the bench and gazed at the garden.  

“Robert Fame is dead.”  

Louis spoke in an indifferent tone.  

“They said he passed away in the underground prison during the trial. His Majesty knew who he was. Today must have been a hard day for the Emperor.”  

Louis took a deep breath. The slightly chilly night air carried the fragrant scent of spring.  

Vivian knew who Robert Fame was from what her father had told her.  

Hearing that Robert Fame, who harbored deep resentment against the Imperial Family, had died in the underground prison, Vivian felt a mix of emotions she couldn’t put into words.  

If I felt this way, how must Louis feel? 

Vivian couldn’t bring herself to speak.  

“The reason I ran away… Somehow, it just became hard to stay in Dovelia Palace.”  

A bitter smile appeared on Louis’s lips. He clasped his hands together and glanced at Vivian’s serious expression.  

“I felt like I needed some time to think outside the Imperial Palace. Remember when you said you wanted me to be happy?”  

Vivian nodded at his words. Louis smiled and gently ruffled her small head.  

“I’ll be happy.”  

Running away at his age—this wasn’t right. He should return to Dovelia Palace and think things through. The Empress would surely be worried.  

That’s what Vivian wanted to say. She had seen Empress Annette secretly startled by the sight of Louis’s cheek, trying to calm her racing heart.  

But when Louis said he would find happiness, Vivian couldn’t bring herself to voice those words.  

Clenching her fists, Vivian suddenly stood. The blanket Louis had given her slipped off and fell to the ground.  

“I’ll support your running away!”

At Vivian’s resolute support, Louis blinked rapidly. Seeing her determined gaze, he burst into laughter, picked up the blanket, and stood.  

“You’ll catch a cold if you keep supporting me like this.”

Louis dusted off the blanket and draped it over Vivian again. Stepping back slightly, he watched her.  

“Thanks for your support, Vivian. So, I’ll say this…”  

Taking another step back, Louis spoke.  

“I like you.”