Chapter 77
A few days before going to Earl Moore’s house, four people gathered in the Crown Prince’s office.
“This is a chart outlining the roles shared with the Dinever Ducal knights. I thought it would be good for you to know as well, Vivian.”
Rayden handed a few sheets of paper to Vivian. They contained the layout of Earl Moore’s mansion and the roles divided between the Royal Knights and Dinever Ducal knights.
As Vivian read through the layout, the detailed map of the Earl’s estate, and the specified roles, a sense of tension began to creep into her heart.
“I’ll be here, waiting with Zero.”
“Zero too?”
“Zero is very sensitive to magic.”
“I see.”
Vivian, staring intently at the spot where Aitor was waiting, suddenly looked up at the familiar name.
“Why is Louis here?”
Not far from Aitor, Vivian poked her finger at the name ‘Luideos.’
“I’m also waiting there as a precaution.”
Is this matter significant enough for the Crown Prince to step in directly?
Seeing worry and guilt on Vivian’s face, Louis, with an indifferent expression, propped his chin on his hand, as if wondering who was worrying about whom.
“That’s right. Young Lady, just worry about yourself. There are the knights, and besides, someone who trains daily to an absurd degree is there.”
Is training the same as real combat?
Vivian, unable to voice her concerns, swallowed her words with difficulty.
After the brief meeting ended, Rayden, claiming he had things to do, was the first to rise.
“Vivi. Shall we go too?”
“Now?”
At Vivian’s words, Aitor, holding a stack of papers, glanced between the Crown Prince and Vivian.
“Hmm. I guess I should go first. I promised to play with Ian.”
Winking at the visibly flustered Vivian, Aitor greeted Louis and quickly left the office.
With Aitor gone, silence settled between the two for a moment.
Vivian glanced at Louis and clasped her hands tightly.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Pardon? Oh. Yes…”
Vivian cautiously handed Louis a luxurious leather document case she had brought.
“What is this?”
“It’s about the place we visited before. While talking with my father about the area near the Zenta River, I heard that some nobles have already started buying buildings there.”
Louis took out a rather thick stack of papers from the case Vivian handed him.
“So I brought some ideas I had and documents my father gave me.”
“You’re busy with wedding preparations and work for the Ducal house, so when did you prepare all this?”
“I did it quickly. Uncle Pedro helped me too.”
Looking at the well-organized documents, Louis recalled the new talent Allen had been singing praises of lately, then quickly dismissed the thought with a chuckle.
Louis, saying he would consider it, put the papers back into the case and stood up, leaving a simple note on Allen’s desk.
Watching Louis, who was supporting himself with one arm on the desk while writing, Vivian scratched her neck awkwardly and looked around.
Louis, who had finished writing the note and was about to return to his desk, noticed Vivian looking awkward.
“It seems you have something else to say?”
Seeing Louis standing askew with his head tilted to the side, Vivian pointed to the seat he had just been sitting in.
As Louis slowly walked over and sat on the sofa, Vivian looked at him and grinned.
“Can I ask you a favor?”
When Louis gestured for her to go ahead, Vivian smiled, showing her white, even teeth, and handed him a paper with several numbers written on it.
“Why a jewelry estimate?”
“Actually, these are what Her Majesty the Empress said she would give as a wedding gift.”
“And?”
“I don’t need such extravagant jewels, just this one would be enough.”
Vivian pointed to the one with the smallest number.
“I told her it was fine, but she insists that wedding commemorative jewels are different from other jewels and that I must accept them.”
When Louis looked at her with an expression of disbelief, Vivian shifted closer to him.
“These and these, such things, I don’t usually wear…”
Vivian earnestly explained why she didn’t need such extravagant jewels, but Louis’s expression remained full of questions.
“So what I’m saying is, instead of purchasing these, how about donating the money to an orphanage?”
Vivian, seemingly giving up on persuading him, snatched the estimate from his hand. Louis, displeased with the estimate being taken away, snatched it back and quickly scanned its contents.
“So, the amount you want to donate to the orphanage is?”
“The amount excluding the ring and tiara.”
Nodding, Louis handed the estimate back to Vivian and opened his desk drawer, scribbling something quickly.
“Go to the Tapeullon Empire Bank, meet the bank manager, and give him this. You can think about which orphanage to donate to later.”
It was a check with Louis’s signature.
Vivian, staring blankly at the check, asked.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“You said you wanted to donate.”
At Louis’s words, Vivian’s light brown eyebrows twitched.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What’s the problem? You get to donate, and you also receive the jewels Her Majesty wants to gift you. Isn’t that good?”
Vivian took a deep breath and stood up.
“Do you know?”
“Know what?”
Louis still hadn’t taken back the check he handed to Vivian.
“Subtly, Louis, you don’t quite grasp the core of the problem.”
“The core of the problem?”
“Yes.”
Louis frowned as if hearing a foreign language, looking back and forth between Vivian and the check.
“What I wanted wasn’t this check.”
“Then what?”
“I’m still not comfortable expressing my opinions to Her Majesty. So I was hoping you would step up and help.”
Leaving those words, Vivian quickly turned and left Louis’s office. Just then, Allen, walking briskly down the hallway, greeted her.
Vivian greeted Allen and quickly walked down the hallway. Watching her retreating figure, Allen adjusted his glasses, which had slipped down, and looked at his boss’s office.
Watching the swiftly retreating Vivian, Allen sighed deeply.
“He’s done it again. Made her upset.”
Clicking his tongue, Allen turned to enter the office where his surely upset boss awaited.
“What did I do?”
Startled, Allen nearly threw all the documents in his hands at Louis. Exercising tremendous self-control, Allen shook his head vigorously, and Louis shot him a look before quickly walking in the direction Vivian had disappeared.
“Vivian!”
Taking large strides, Louis caught Vivian by the arm.
“Respecting Her Majesty’s desire to gift you jewels and your wish to donate. Isn’t this the best way?”
Seeing Louis’s expression, which clearly didn’t understand, Vivian felt another surge of emotion.
“The idea wasn’t to spend your money, Louis, but rather to use that money for a good cause. Instead of keeping accessories I won’t use in a jewelry box, I wanted to make a donation in our names as a couple for the first time as a wedding commemoration.”
It was the second time. When she was ten, on the day Louis first went to apologize to Vivian, she had shouted at him with the same eyes she had now, calling him ugly.
“It seems like my feelings don’t matter to you at all, Louis. It feels like it’s just another problem to be solved quickly and efficiently.”
Louis loosened his grip, and Vivian’s slender arm slipped out of his hand.
* * *
“Is it marriage blues?”
“What’s that?”
“Depression before marriage.”
“What? Isn’t that serious?”
Tia and Rosie whispered, watching Vivian, who seemed out of it, repeatedly looking at the wedding dress design book.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. She hasn’t told me anything about what’s going on with His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Rosie clicked her tongue sharply, but Vivian, seemingly not hearing, continued to flip through the design book with a blank expression.
Next to her, a designer sent by the royal family stood awkwardly, sweating.
“Vivi. At this rate, you’ll be up all night. You’re busy, so why are you so out of it?”
When Rosie snatched the design book away, Vivian finally realized she had been dazed.
“Sorry. I’m just a bit tired…”
“Not at all. Is wedding preparation a bit tough? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime day. Especially a royal wedding, so there’s more to do.”
“I’ll choose again.”
Despite the designer’s words, Vivian couldn’t erase her apologetic expression as she reached out for the design book Rosie had taken.
“Vivi. Do you know how important choosing a dress is? We’re already pressed for time. You need to choose a dress to match the shoes and jewels.”
At the word “jewels” from Rosie’s mouth, Vivian looked as if she was about to cry.
Startled, Rosie, Tia, and the designer hurriedly searched for something to wipe her tears.
“It seems we’ll have to be satisfied with just taking measurements today.”
At Rosie’s words, the designer nodded and bowed before leaving. Tia also disappeared, saying she’d bring something to drink, and Vivian lifted her head from the handkerchief.
“What should I do?”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Sniffling, Vivian recounted what had happened the previous day. Listening quietly to Vivian’s story, Rosie crossed her arms and made a reluctant expression.
“You should have calmly explained instead of getting angry. Or just asked for help from the start…”
Vivian slumped her shoulders, wondering if she could ever rid herself of the impulsive temper of the Dinever Dukedom.
“Why worry about such things? It’s something you can say in a relationship, isn’t it?”
“We’re not in a relationship…”
Watching the dejected Vivian, Rosie glanced around to ensure no one was nearby.
“That Crown Prince is really mean. Why does he act like that? Is it just because he’s handsome? Just because he’s the Crown Prince? Why is he so arrogant?”
Startled by Rosie’s sudden criticism of the Crown Prince, Vivian quickly looked around.
“There’s no one. I checked. It’s not like we’re badmouthing him in front of him, just behind his back, so what’s the problem?”
Rosie confidently continued, complaining about Louis for upsetting her dear friend.
“It’s not that bad… He’s not that terrible a person.”
When Vivian defended Louis, Rosie glared at her fiercely.
“Don’t ever come to me for relationship advice again.”
Declaring that love makes even friends useless, Rosie said relationship advice shouldn’t be given for free, pounding her chest in frustration.
“The Crown Prince is complacent now. Since you’ve shown your feelings for him so openly since you were ten, he subconsciously thinks your feelings won’t change. So he naturally pays less attention.”
“Then what should I do?”
In response to Vivian’s question, Rosie smirked and raised one corner of her mouth.
“You need to break that illusion that you’ll always only have eyes for the Crown Prince.”
Vivian gulped and tightly gripped the handkerchief Tia and Rosie had given her.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
