Chapter 1 – Part 4

‘Calix… My childhood friend who was the only one besides my father to respond to my plea for help when I was imprisoned…’

Calix was a nobleman with black hair and red eyes who opposed Cedric. As he approached, the surrounding atmosphere buzzed. His striking appearance and the numerous honors he had earned in war attracted the attention of many noblewomen.

‘Is it the aura of death he carries from hunting down monsters at the emperor’s command?’

There was a coldness about Calix that made him seem unapproachable. Even in her previous life, many women had approached him, but Calix had never settled down, and no woman stayed by his side for long.

‘He wasn’t always like this…’

In the past, Calix Vartica had been a kind boy to Eliana.

He was a child raised with love by his father, who was close to the royal family, and his beautiful mother. He had a lot of smiles and a gentle heart that loved animals. Eliana had liked that about him, and Calix didn’t seem to mind her either, as they quickly became friends.

But their childhood friendship didn’t last long.

‘After his parents’ sudden deaths, it became difficult to contact him.’

The doors of the Vartica estate were physically closed. Rumor had it that he secluded himself with his aunt and uncle inside, trying to recover.

‘Calix, I wanted to be there for you. I prayed that you could smile again.’

A year passed, then two, and more. Even after so much time, Calix didn’t leave the estate. There were even rumors that he would never return to noble society.

But before his twentieth birthday, he reappeared in society, defying everyone’s expectations.

“Eliana, it’s been a while.”

Calix’s demeanor had changed. His dark hair and piercing red eyes emitted a mysterious glow that made him seem untouchable. His every move exuded both grace and strength. He was no longer the boy who had shed tears over his parents’ deaths; he had grown into a man.

“You… You’re like a different person.”

Eliana approached him that day, excited to see him again. She almost grabbed his hand in joy when Count Leiberte strongly intervened.

“You can’t do that anymore, Eliana. You’re going to be the Crown Princess, aren’t you?”

“The Crown Princess?”

Calix had stared at her, his eyes hardening instead of offering congratulations.

“Yes, I will be the Crown Prince’s wife.”

Eliana smiled brightly as she said it, but Calix’s eyes showed mixed emotions that were hard to decipher. After that, Eliana became Cedric’s fiancée, and she couldn’t see Calix as often as she did in their childhood.

Since Cedric disliked him, Eliana could no longer approach Calix as freely as before. Their conversations became formal and distant.

Calix’s footsteps grew closer until he stood right before them. Cedric turned his head to see him approaching.

“Your Highness, it’s an honor to greet you.”

Calix first greeted Cedric before addressing Eliana. Despite receiving the greeting, Cedric didn’t respond immediately.

“…Yes.”

Cedric nodded curtly, his response lacking sincerity. The more accolades Calix received, the more Cedric distanced himself from him, driven by jealousy. While Cedric hesitated to go to the battlefield due to his health, Calix was the opposite.

‘And Calix has some royal blood as well…’

This made Cedric even more wary of him. Up until now, it had been the usual exchange of greetings. Calix’s gaze lingered on Eliana, his eyes holding hers steadily.

He was about to enter the party when Eliana called out.

“Calix.”

He stopped in his tracks.

“…”

Calix looked down at her.

“I heard you achieved great success in the Battle of Grinnish?”

Eliana deliberately brought up the war. Calix had earned significant recognition in that battle, so much so that Emperor Davon had sent a personal letter of congratulations. It was the perfect topic to irritate Cedric.

“Congratulations; you must have worked so hard. I think it’s truly amazing.”

Eliana offered her sincere congratulations.

Calix stared at her in silence. It was unusual for Eliana to approach him like this, especially when Cedric was around, and to offer such warm praise.

“…”

Calix lowered his gaze briefly before lifting it again. Eliana’s blue eyes shone with a beautiful light.

“Thank you for the congratulations.“

“You’ve proven once again that the title ‘Immortal Sword‘ is well deserved, Calix.“

Calix’s eyes narrowed slightly at Eliana’s unusual behavior.

‘He must be wondering why I’m acting like this today.’

Her cheek stung under Cedric’s piercing gaze. When she turned her head, she saw him glaring at her with a displeased expression.

‘How dare you congratulate Calix Vartica in front of me?’

His jealousy was ugly and intense. She had successfully struck a nerve.

“Your Highness, wouldn’t you like to say something too?”

Eliana pressed on.

“What?“

Cedric’s response was curt, almost dismissive.

“The Duke of Vartica has achieved a remarkable feat. Though His Majesty has already praised him, it would be nice if you could also acknowledge his accomplishments.”

Eliana smiled sweetly.

“…”

The muscles in Cedric’s jaw tensed visibly. He glanced between Eliana and Calix with a sharp, displeased look.

“I’ve already offered more than enough praise.”

Cedric spat out the words and turned his head away.

“It’s time to head inside, Your Highness. Everyone is waiting.”

At that moment, Noah, Cedric’s aide, spoke up. He was Cedric’s constant shadow, guarding him diligently, and was always respectful to Eliana, whom she found somewhat reassuring. It was time for Eliana and Cedric to show the nobles that their relationship was still intact by entering together.

But Cedric didn’t offer his arm. Instead, he headed straight for the entrance, forcing Eliana to hurry after him. His refusal to walk with her clearly demonstrated how much her actions had irritated him.

“Oh dear, it seems His Highness is upset. You’d better catch up, Eliana.”

Rachel spoke with a concerned tone.

‘Disgusting.’

Eliana was surrounded by loathsome people. Instead of chasing after Cedric with a worried expression, she looked at Calix once more. The tall man stood silently, observing the situation.

“I’ll be going in first.”

Eliana moved slowly towards the entrance. The fact that they were entering separately was already causing whispers among the nobles.

‘Go ahead, gossip all you want.’

The best seats were reserved for Cedric and Eliana. As she sat beside Cedric, she noticed Rachel sitting diagonally across from them, where she could most easily catch Cedric’s gaze. Rachel always seemed to end up in that seat.

‘I used to think having my friend Rachel nearby was nice… How foolish I was.’

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. It was a laugh at her own naivety.

“Eliana Leiberte.”

Cedric growled, glaring at her with narrowed eyes.

“Why are you laughing?“

“I was reminded of a certain moment.“

“What moment?“

“A moment when I trusted someone unconditionally and was betrayed.”

For a moment, a complex emotion flickered in Cedric’s eyes. It wasn’t the look of someone who felt guilty. Cedric wasn’t the kind of person to be affected by something so minor.

“Stop speaking in riddles. If you have something to say, say it outright instead of trying to ruin my mood.”

He sighed heavily and shook his head.

“Are you upset because I was late?”

Despite having no good reason, Cedric brought up the topic himself.

“It wasn’t exactly pleasant. But…”

Eliana paused briefly.

“But what?“

“I wouldn’t say it’s serious enough to warrant discussing it with you, considering it’s not the first time you’ve done this.”

Unlike usual, Eliana showed no hesitation or nervousness. Gone was her timid, almost servile tone when asking for even the most minor favor.

“Hah.”

Cedric leaned back in his chair, tilting his head to the side.

“So, what? Do you have a bigger complaint against me? You?”

The contempt on his face was unmistakable.

“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t? From how you’ve treated me, from arriving late to how you’ve shown me no respect as your fiancée, it’s been a long time since you’ve shown me any consideration.”

“Eliana.“

“Yes, Your Highness?“

“Just because the temple acknowledged you, do you think you’re in a position to receive special treatment from me?“

“...”

“It’s you who should be making adjustments, not me.”

He continued speaking, his tone cold and dismissive.

“Even knowing that I’m not always keen on having you by my side daily, you still cling to me like a leech, even when I wish you’d take the hint and leave.“

“...”

“You’ve often ruined my mood by not understanding the situation, yet you act as if I’m entirely wrong. It’s absurd.”

Cedric unleashed his pent-up frustrations, twisting Eliana’s rightful demands for respect as his fiancée into her own faults. He spoke as if it were only natural that he could treat her however he pleased.