Chapter 4 – Part 5

“The Count got hurt because of you, Eliana.”

“What do you mean by that?“

“If you hadn’t been disrespectful to me, I wouldn’t have announced the breakup today, and the Count wouldn’t have had to cling to me. Isn’t that right?”

After shamelessly shifting the blame, he added,

“The physician will take care of it, so move aside. Let’s go, Noah.”

Cedric tried to walk past her. Eliana grabbed his arm. Cedric’s gaze fell on her slender fingers holding onto him.

“No, Your Highness. You are responsible for my father’s injury. I believe you must stay until you hear that he’s alright.“

Cedric’s face twisted at Eliana’s words.

“Duty? The fact that I stopped the hunt is more than enough consideration for your father.“

“What did you say?“

“Let go of me. I never gave you permission to touch me.”

Although he ordered her to release him, Eliana refused. She had no intention of letting go. He needed to stay, ensure her father recovered, and offer a sincere apology.

His arrogance, which allowed him to erase all his wrongdoings simply because he was royalty, was reminiscent of his past life and reignited Eliana’s anger.

Cedric, trying to shake her off, and Eliana, refusing to let go, were locked in a silent battle of wills. Their struggle drew the attention of everyone around them.

“What on earth are they doing?”

Among those watching were the Emperor and Empress. A gravely injured count, the crown prince, his fiancée arguing, and the imperial couple watching them. The nearby nobles and servants held their breath.

“This is…! Let go! Do you want to be hit?”

Cedric shouted. Eliana’s eyes, glowing icy blue and burning with intensity, bore deep, unimaginable fury. This emotion had been building for a long time and was directed at Cedric.

‘Not long ago, you looked at me with nothing but love in your eyes, to the point where I wanted to avoid it…’

Now, Eliana’s gaze was so unfamiliar to him.

“Stop acting like a crazy woman and move! I have nothing more to say to you or your father.“

“You do. Apologize and check on him.”

She confronted Cedric without blinking. For the first time, Cedric saw Eliana Leiberte differently. She was no longer the gentle girl whose only skill was smiling at him.

It was as if the old Eliana had died, replaced by someone entirely new. Cedric shook his arm more violently. With the rough movement, Eliana was at risk of being thrown to the ground. Her dress caught underfoot, tearing as it dragged across the floor. But even then, Eliana didn’t back down, and the more she resisted, the more aggressive Cedric became.

“Hah…!”

The tension continued to rise, and suppressed breaths escaped from the watching nobles.

“That’s it!”

Cedric’s patience snapped. He raised his hand as if to strike her. Just as Eliana braced herself for the blow, a large shadow loomed over her, shielding her.

Suddenly, Eliana found herself pulled back. A large, solid body blocked her path like a fortress.

“Compose yourself, Your Highness.”

Calix was there, preventing Cedric from laying a finger on Eliana.

“Your behavior is unbecoming of a crown prince.“

Calix’s sharp rebuke contorted Cedric’s face with anger.

“Move aside, Duke Vartica. That’s an order from the crown prince.”

Cedric gritted his teeth, trying to intimidate him, but Calix remained unmoved.

“Move!”

Cedric pushed against his chest, but Calix didn’t budge an inch.

“…!”

In a contest of strength, Cedric had no chance. Cedric, who had only ventured into easy areas on the battlefield to avoid triggering his symptoms, was no match for Calix, who had led from the front in the most dangerous places.

Calix didn’t even need to exert his full strength. The pressure from the crown prince wasn’t threatening at all. Cedric tried again to push him aside, but all it did was prove how outmatched he was.

“Move, now!”

When brute force failed, Cedric reached for his sword. He looked as though he was about to draw it.

‘No.’

Seeing this, Eliana bit her lip. Cedric, in his rage, might do something unimaginable to Calix. She had hoped to repay Calix somehow for what she couldn’t do in her past life. But she couldn’t let him face danger because of her.

“Calix.”

Eliana tried to step forward again, intending to protect Calix.

‘I should be the one to face the sword.’

She harbored long-standing anger toward Cedric for his despicable behavior. It was her responsibility to confront him one-on-one. But as if Calix had read her thoughts, he reached back and stopped her.

‘Stay where you are.’

His precise hand gesture seemed to convey the message from his heart.

“This is utterly ridiculous.”

Having witnessed everything, Cedric was now filled with rage. He drew his sword, and its blade gleamed as he pointed it at Calix’s neck. Just as he was about to strike,

“Prince Cedric, Duke Calix.”

The voice of Colton, the Emperor’s attendant, rang out nearby.

“The Emperor orders you both to stop.”

A voice cut through the tension like a taut string snapping.

“Who dares!”

Cedric glared at Colton.

“It is His Majesty’s command. He has decided to end the hunting event here. We are returning to the palace immediately, and everyone is to follow.”

It was clear to everyone that the Emperor’s intervention was meant to de-escalate the situation before it turned even more dire.

Eliana looked over at the Emperor, who was watching from afar. Cedric glared at him, too, frustrated that he hadn’t been able to strike Calix. Eliana glared back.

“Calix Vartica, you won’t get away with this next time.”

Cedric grabbed Calix by the collar and shouted. He released him with a shove, then turned and walked away, having done none of what Eliana had demanded and everything he wanted.

Calix turned to face Eliana.

His eyes fell on the torn hem of her dress. The soiled, tattered garment did not suit her at all.

“Why did you do that?”

Eliana asked with a worried look in her eyes.

“If there was a fight to be had with His Highness, it should have been mine…”

“……”

“I don’t want you to be in danger, Calix.”

Cedric had looked like he was ready to do something terrible to Eliana at any moment. Calix understood what she meant, but he didn’t have the luxury to think about such things.

The moment he saw that his body reacted first, almost instinctively.

“From now on, you don’t have to involve yourself in my matters, Calix…”

“……”

“What I mean is… I don’t want you to get into trouble because of me.”

“……”

“Understood?”

Eliana spoke as if trying to make him promise. Her expression and voice were completely different from when she had talked to Cedric. Her gaze was full of kindness and concern, and Calix felt his heart flutter in response.

“Eliana, stay here. I’ll go check on the Count. The wound is deep; it’s best if you don’t see him.“

“No, it’s our family matter.”

Eliana moved ahead of Calix, going to where her father was.

Meanwhile, the Emperor and Empress watched the events unfold from a distance. They had already heard that the Count had been injured by an arrow shot by Cedric.

“How badly is the Count hurt?”

Empress Heather asked.

“He’s not gravely injured, but it seems he was wounded by an arrow, Your Majesty,“ a servant reported.

“It’s a relief that the injury isn’t severe,“ the Emperor said.

Despite the injury, the Emperor was about to call off the hunting event when he noticed Cedric and Eliana arguing.

“That girl is quite brazen, daring to confront Cedric rudely, without decorum,“ Empress Heather clicked her tongue.

“She pretended to be meek all this time, but that was clearly a lie.”

“……”

“To cause such a commotion in front of everyone… This proves that she is not fit to be the crown princess. Cedric’s desire to break off the engagement is justified in many ways, Your Majesty.”

Empress Heather spoke her true feelings, gauging the Emperor’s reaction.

“I agree with you.”

Emperor Davon also did not view Eliana’s behavior towards Cedric favorably.

‘She shows no sign of repentance for the points I have criticized her for.’

Surprisingly, Cedric had an affair with another noblewoman despite being engaged. It was certainly not something to be praised. But when the Emperor brought a new person into the palace, he had hoped not such a defiant attitude but someone who could surrender everything to the royal family, even their life.

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.