Chapter 80

“Yes. Stubbornness. Do you know how many people were involved in this operation? It failed, but it was a somewhat meaningful operation. But that’s it. No more.”

Vivian looked up at Louis, trying to calm her rough breathing.

“You’re right, Louis. I shouldn’t let many people suffer because of my stubbornness.”

As Vivian admitted this, Louis’s eyes softened slightly.

“But!”

Vivian took a step closer to Louis. Now the distance between them was close enough to fit two fists.

His sharp golden eyes seemed to make Vivian feel increasingly sorrowful today.

“If you had explained it more kindly, I would have understood! I know that others are struggling too.”

Louis’s previously relaxed face hardened. He realized that something was wrong as he looked into Vivian’s eyes.

“When I said I would contact the Earl’s house, it was to find out how that wizard, Tristan or whoever, was contacting them, not for any other reason.”

Watching the furious Vivian, Louis opened and closed his mouth like a fish.

“I don’t know why you’re angry, but you’ve been frowning here since earlier…”

Vivian tapped her forehead with her index finger. At her words, Louis raised his hand and rubbed his own forehead with his fingers.

Something that had been pent up in Vivian’s heart suddenly surged up.

“Do you even have the intention to win back my heart?”

At Vivian’s question, Louis’s fingers froze, and he looked down at his still very angry fiancée’s face, finally realizing what had gone wrong.

“Take care. I’ll be going to Raspol next week, so I’ll see you in two weeks. Goodbye.”

Vivian turned sharply toward the mansion. Her steps were filled with anger. Watching her back, Louis quickly chased after her.

‘Thud.’

Louis grabbed Vivian’s wrist to stop her.

Vivian, turned by the strong force, blinked rapidly as she looked at her wrist. Under the tremendous grip, Vivian’s hand quickly turned pale.

“It’s… it hurts…”

At Vivian’s words, Louis flinched and loosened his grip. Then, after watching her for a moment, he pulled her wrist toward him.

“Oof!”

The sudden shock made Vivian let out an involuntary groan. As the tingling sensation in her nose disappeared, Vivian realized where she was.

“Louis?”

It was Louis’s firm and broad embrace.

“Uh, um, what’s going on…”

Vivian wriggled to escape Louis’s arms, but she couldn’t move an inch due to his arms wrapped around her shoulders.

“I do want to win you back.”

Although it was a very small voice, because they were so close, Louis’s voice reached Vivian’s ear.

* * *

Because of the wedding preparations, Vivian had been visiting the palace frequently lately.

That day, too, after meeting with the Empress for wedding preparations, Vivian stopped by the Crown Prince’s palace.

Her expression was slightly stiffer than usual. Louis, who had asked a servant for a tea similar to what Vivian liked and sat down, heard the most shocking words he’d heard in years.

Hearing Vivian say she would no longer love him, Louis felt his brain momentarily freeze.

And then, his brain started functioning again after he saw the pocket watch Vivian handed over.

The pocket watch he had given Vivian in the Emperor’s forest was like a promise from Louis.

Although he couldn’t love her, he would do his best.

Seeing Vivian hand it over as if that promise was no longer needed, Louis felt something ‘snap’ in his mind.

He couldn’t clearly remember what expression Vivian had or how she spoke at that moment.

He only had the thought that he couldn’t let Vivian go like this filling his mind.

After that, his words and actions were almost instinctive.

Vivian fled the office as if running away, and Louis stared at the tightly closed door. Even after Allen peeked in through the door and then left, he stayed there for a long time.

She said she wouldn’t love him.

She said she would just be the perfect Crown Princess by his side. That’s impossible.

Forgetting all the words and actions he had directed at Vivian until now, Louis returned to his desk and sat down irritably in his chair.

He couldn’t quite remember how he got through the rest of his schedule.

Late at night, he lay in bed, supporting his head with his arm, staring at the ornate ceiling for a long time before falling asleep.

On the day Vivian went to meet Tristan, Louis, who had been at his stakeout position early, was like a lion that hadn’t eaten for days.

The thought of Vivian, who had declared she wouldn’t like him, going to meet such a dangerous person, mixed together, putting Louis’s nerves on edge.

Louis checked and rechecked the formation and received constant reports on the situation at Earl Moore’s house.

“Your Highness. I have something to report.”

When there was little time left until the appointed time, and after receiving a report that Vivian’s carriage was about to arrive at the Earl’s house, Aitor appeared.

“What is it?”

“Something seems off.”

“What is?”

“Tristan isn’t a particularly great wizard, so to use teleportation magic, a series of processes are required, but there’s no trace of it at all.”

“Are you saying…”

Just as Aitor was about to finish speaking, one of the royal knights urgently approached Louis and Aitor.

“Your Highness, there’s a report that the carriage with Young Lady Vivian has left Earl Moore’s estate with her in it.”

The fact that Vivian left as soon as she arrived at Earl Moore’s house meant that something had gone wrong.

They would have to meet Vivian to find out exactly what happened, but it was clear that Tristan hadn’t shown up.

Exchanging glances with Aitor, Louis quickly mounted his horse.

“Everyone except Group 1, stay at your current positions.”

Louis issued a new command and pulled on the reins. The horse started running swiftly toward its destination.

After jumping lightly off the horse and receiving a report that there were no threats in the vicinity, Vivian and Rayden’s carriage arrived shortly after.

It seemed Tristan had canceled the appointment in a hurry. Exchanging glances with Louis, Aitor disappeared with Zero to find out more about the situation.

Louis decided to ride in the carriage to take Vivian back to the mansion instead of the horse he had come on. He extended his hand to escort Vivian as usual, but she had already bypassed his hand and boarded the carriage.

When Vivian stumbled, Louis barely caught her, but instead of a thank you, Vivian quickly pulled away from his touch with a displeased expression.

In fact, Louis thought there might be a bit of pride in Vivian’s words.

Even after boarding the carriage, Vivian didn’t turn her gaze toward him, and feeling a surge of irritation, Louis deliberately sat in the middle and stretched his long legs comfortably.

As the rising annoyance kept bubbling, Louis opened the window to cool down and pondered deeply.

That day, he had said he wouldn’t allow it and to look forward to the future without realizing it, but he kept thinking about whether he had the right to interfere with Vivian’s decision not to like him when he couldn’t return her feelings.

The cold air gradually cooled the heat rising in his head.

Love is a weakness.

He had seen a man, who was destined to become the Emperor of this country and was too strong for anyone to easily touch, crumble because of love.

He had seen the woman he loved most, the wisest and most beautiful woman in the world, shed tears because of love.

To Louis, love was a weakness. A weakness that could bring him down at any moment.

He vaguely knew that she might get tired of endlessly giving love.

But when he saw Vivian declare she wouldn’t love him, his rationality flew away completely. As his head cooled, he found the words he had said that day very displeasing.

No matter what he had said, Louis had to admit that he would have regretted it.

The carriage arrived at the Ducal mansion, and when Vivian tried to contact the Earl’s house again, Louis misspoke.

“Do you even have the intention to win back my heart?”

Vivian left those words and turned away. For some reason, that scene seemed to stretch out very slowly in Louis’s eyes, and he saw the changing expression on Vivian’s face as she turned.

And Louis unknowingly grabbed Vivian and turned her around.

Holding the stiffened Vivian in his arms, Louis thought that maybe he could have a weakness, and if that weakness was Vivian, it might be okay.

In just five minutes, Louis completely overturned the values he had held from the age of 7 to 21.

* * *

On the day of departure to Raspol.

Vivian quickly finished all her preparations and was in the office talking to the head butler, who would be responsible for everything at the capital mansion for a week.

“While I’m in Raspol, the items ordered for the wedding preparations are expected to arrive. Please check the quantity and condition carefully with this list.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

She explained all the tasks that needed to be done over the week. By the time she finished explaining everything, an hour had passed.

“Since you’re about to embark on a long journey, why don’t you take a short rest?”

“Shall I?”

Vivian instructed Tia, who was beside her, to bring tea. With a cup of tea in front of each of them, Vivian and the head butler sat down.

“Could you take this and give it to Madam?”

The head butler took something out of his pocket and handed it to Vivian. When Vivian asked what it was, holding the yellow paper envelope, the head butler smiled, creating wrinkles around his eyes.

“It’s a snack that Madam often looked for when she was in the capital. It’s a dessert not found in Raspol, so she often sought it.”

“I see.”

Vivian smiled slightly and handed the paper envelope to Tia.

“Pack it well so it doesn’t get crushed and put it in the luggage.”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

Tia carefully held the snack prepared by the head butler and left the office.

“When you return from Raspol, you’ll be even busier.”

“Yes. The etiquette teacher from the royal family is coming.”

“You’ll do well, Young Lady.”

The head butler’s gaze was warm and full of trust. Vivian smiled brightly at that gaze and lifted her teacup.

At that moment, someone knocked urgently on the office door, and the head butler, who had risen from his seat, opened the door. It was Charles, who was learning under the head butler.

“The Crown Prince has arrived.”

It was still early in the morning. Surprised by the unannounced visit of her fiancé, Vivian stood up from her seat, and the head butler quickly left the office, saying he would guide him to the reception room.

Shortly after Vivian arrived at the reception room, Louis entered.

“Louis, is something wrong?”

Louis had come without notice early in the morning. Worried that something might have happened, Vivian asked.

Watching the tense Vivian, Louis shook his head and scratched his high nose bridge.

“Today is the day you go to Raspol, isn’t it?”

Slowly removing his gloves, Louis looked around as if entering the reception room for the first time. After meticulously examining the unchanged furniture and decorations, Louis looked at Vivian and hesitantly spoke.

“I don’t think I can go with you.”

At Louis’s sudden words, Vivian shifted her eyes, trying to understand what he meant.

“I tried to adjust the schedule as much as possible… but it seems difficult to go to Raspol with you.”

Vivian finally understood what Louis was saying. She already knew he couldn’t go with her.

To come early in the morning and awkwardly say that he might not be able to go with her.

On the day the operation failed, Louis had uttered embarrassing words in a small voice and disappeared like the wind. Remembering Louis’s back then, Vivian hid her blushing face and ticklish heart as much as possible and spoke as if nothing was wrong.

“It’s okay. Everyone in the capital knows how busy you are, Louis.”

Louis looked at Vivian for a moment, nodded, and tapped his thigh with the gloves he had taken off.

“Is your luggage all packed?”

“Yes.”

“It’s for a week, right?”

“Yes.”

“The Duke went down yesterday?”

“Yes.”

Louis continued to ask questions, and Vivian continued to answer in short responses. Louis, who was asking about things he already knew, seemed a bit anxious for some reason.

“Young Lady, to make it to the gate on time, you should leave now.”

The head butler, who had been watching the two and wondering when to speak, finally spoke up. Realizing the time, Vivian noticed that the departure time was approaching.