Chapter 6 – Part 7

“I said, don’t do it. She’s off-limits.”

Cedric’s expression grew threatening. His command only fueled Elesio’s rebellious spirit. The absurdity of it struck him. Why should he comply with Cedric’s whims when Cedric was the one who severed ties?

‘And now I’m supposed to play along with it? Why would I?’

Elesio had no intention of following Cedric’s wishes.

‘In fact, now that you’ve told me not to, I’m even more inclined to.’

When they were younger, Elesio tried to get close to Cedric, but Cedric coldly rejected every gesture of friendship. Every positive feeling Elesio had offered had been returned with scorn.

‘Kindness was met with disdain and goodwill with malice…‘

“I don’t understand why I should follow your orders, Prince Cedric.“

Elesio’s defiant remark made Cedric glare at him. He knew well that Elesio harbored no fond feelings toward him. From the moment Elesio entered the palace, Cedric bullied and humiliated him.

Eliana likely harbored ill feelings toward Cedric as well. If Elesio and Eliana were to converse, Cedric was sure their shared topic would be nothing but resentment toward him. This made Cedric dislike their interaction even more.

“Maybe she bothers you, but she doesn’t bother me. I’ve always talked to whoever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I get curious, and when I see something beautiful, I’m drawn to it.“

Elesio’s reply was nothing short of provocative.

‘Curious? Drawn to?’

Every word that came out of his mouth sounded cheap to Cedric.

‘Does he even see her as a woman?’

Cedric furrowed his brow at Elesio’s unexpected remarks. His older brother’s expression was like he was looking at a bug. In response, Elesio smiled leisurely, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

“You may disagree, but Eliana Leiberte is quite an engaging conversationalist. She’s sharper than you’d expect, quick-witted. She’s also bold and communicates well.”

Elesio continued to provoke Cedric by showering Eliana with more compliments. Cedric’s face contorted further in anger.

“Why don’t you go ahead and ask her to dance? Show everyone just how low a prince like you can sink.”

The mention of being low-born made Elesio’s green eyes briefly harden before he smiled again. During his childhood, talks of status and bloodline had always been the go-to insults from Empress Heather and Cedric.

“Since you’re suggesting it, I might as well.“

Elesio’s gaze turned defiant, meeting Cedric’s.

“You’re insane!”

Cedric lunged, grabbing the black fabric of Elesio’s uniform and pulling him harshly. The force nearly knocked loose one of the medals pinned to his chest. His half-brother had a particular talent for making people angry. From the moment Cedric had first laid eyes on him, he had disliked him.

Elesio’s pretty face—so feminine that he’d mistaken him for a girl at first—starkly contrasted Cedric’s own. They had different hair and eye colors, and Cedric had never considered them siblings. Only one person needed to hold the possibility of becoming emperor in this palace, and that was Cedric.

He had beaten that pretty face until it turned blue, thinking that eventually, Elesio would leave the palace. But Elesio had stayed.

“I have nowhere to go… Please, let me live here.”

Those words, spoken with a soft plea, had allowed Elesio to endure the cruel treatment and grow up, becoming the snake-like figure who stood beside Cedric even now. As Elesio matured, it became impossible to tell whether his words were genuine or mocking.

“Your Highness,“ Elesio spoke in a low tone, his green eyes scanning Cedric’s face.

“Calm down.”

“What?“

“I hear you made a vow to become complete strangers with her in the temple. Don’t you have a new, precious soulmate to worry about? She’s gazing longingly at you as we speak. You should focus on her.”

Every word Elesio spoke grated on Cedric’s nerves. He hadn’t expected such remarks from his brother’s lips.

‘He’s using Eliana to get under my skin. All I wanted was to get rid of her, and yet…’

Cedric had assumed that no one would show her any interest once he discarded Eliana. She was worth less than a pebble on the ground to him, and he believed every nobleman in Moira would feel the same.

“Hah…”

Cedric tightened his grip on Elesio’s collar, barely containing his patience.

“And I didn’t realize you still cared about Eliana Leiberte.“

“I don’t care about her!“

“Then there’s no need to get angry, is there?”

What infuriated Cedric even more was that he had no argument against Elesio’s words. After all, they had made a vow in the temple.

“Have you been secretly plotting with Eliana Leiberte behind my back?“ Cedric growled.

“Plotting? What are you talking about, Your Highness?“ Elesio feigned ignorance.

“Scheming behind my back is your specialty, isn’t it? Don’t tell me it’s not.“

Cedric’s face twisted with suspicion.

“From her suggestion to make that vow to your sudden praise of her—all of it reeks of something fishy.“

“You have quite the imagination, Your Highness. I only exchanged a few words with her, and my compliments were sincere.“

‘Sincere.‘ The word didn’t suit Elesio, and Cedric’s fist nearly flew at him.

“Watch your mouth. I’m warning you—not because I care about Eliana, but because I’m worried that your infamous recklessness will drag the royal family’s honor through the dirt. A true prince would never behave like you.”

With that, Cedric roughly let go of Elesio’s uniform, tossing it aside as though it was something filthy. He made a show of wiping his hands with a handkerchief.

‘A true prince. So now he brings up my royal status when it’s convenient for him to insult me.’

Elesio watched as Cedric fumed. He knew full well that Cedric wasn’t angry for the sake of royal honor. It was clear that Cedric was upset because Elesio had shown interest in Eliana, something Cedric hadn’t anticipated.

‘Such a strange emotion. But it works to my advantage.’

Elesio downed the rest of his drink. The liquor tasted sweet, even though it was intense.

The angrier Cedric became, the more it amused Elesio. He had no desire to see Cedric happy. Cedric had assumed that throwing someone away meant they’d remain discarded forever, but his calculation had been off. The person he had deemed worthless had walked confidently into the party, looking more beautiful than ever.

‘No, Eliana Leiberte was even more stunning than before.’

Elesio recalled her luscious blonde hair and radiant, angelic face. Her gaze had grown sharper, no longer naively sweet.

‘Where is she sitting?’

Elesio scanned the tables where the nobles were seated. He spotted Eliana sitting alone. She seemed to be the only one without a companion.

‘She looks like she could use a friend.’

Elesio, having mastered the art of befriending the lonely and knowing how to escape isolation, couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

‘I could be that friend.’

It promised an interesting development—for him, her, and Cedric. With a new drink in hand, Elesio’s green eyes fixated on Eliana, intent on his next move.

‘No one else will dare ask Eliana Leiberte to dance, too afraid of Cedric’s reaction.’

As Elesio watched, the Duke of Calix Vartica moved toward Eliana. His gaze remained locked on her. Elesio narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the scene.

‘What’s he up to?’

Then, something unexpected happened.

‘…!’

Calix Vartica bowed slightly, offering his hand to Eliana for a dance. Though Elesio was too far to hear, the courteous gesture unmistakably signaled a request to dance. Eliana accepted his hand without hesitation.

The two of them walked out onto the ballroom floor.

‘Interesting.’

A sly grin tugged at Elesio’s lips. He had intended to disrupt the situation himself, but now a surprising figure had taken Eliana’s hand. She wasn’t alone anymore.

Elesio glanced over at Cedric. His brother’s eyes weren’t even on the dance floor yet; he hadn’t noticed that Eliana had taken to the floor.

“Your Highness, you might want to look at the dance floor.”

Cedric glared at Elesio as if to ask what nonsense he was spouting this time.

“Your former lover, Eliana Leiberte, has found a new dance partner.”

At Elesio’s words, Cedric sharply turned toward the dance floor.

‘Dance partner?’

Elesio wasn’t lying. Eliana stood in the center of the floor, her body pressed close to Calix Vartica.

Cedric’s golden eyes widened before twisting with rage.

‘That damn Duke… Him again?! He crossed me during the hunting competition, siding with Eliana with his righteous nonsense, and now, right in front of me, he dares wrap his arm around her waist?’

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