The Rejection Is Too Much

After Raviel’s visit, her heart was not at ease.

Her unsettling feeling about him, who had looked so strangely unwell, would not fade.

‘But why did he want to leave with me? What exactly was he trying to escape from?’

The doubts that hadn’t occurred to her when she was busy firmly rejecting the head priest’s pressure finally raised their heads.

When he had mentioned childhood promises and asked her to go with him, there had been faint fear underlying his face.

It felt like he was struggling to escape before being consumed by that fear.

……So what was he afraid of?

‘Sigh, I can’t go back and ask what happened.’

It was when she was just sighing deeply in frustration.

“Miss, a letter has arrived.”

Mandy handed her a letter. The imperial seal was stamped on the front.

Surprisingly, the sender was the empress.

It said she wanted to invite her for tea.

‘Why would Her Majesty the empress want to see me……’

Suddenly the crown prince, the empress’s only child, came to mind.

Along with his confession.

‘I told Mother that I wanted to personally introduce the woman who would become crown princess. If the count is interested, she can tell me anytime.’

Surely he wouldn’t have introduced me first without saying anything……?

‘No, the crown prince isn’t that inconsiderate.’

But just in case, she first sent a letter to the crown prince to sort out their relationship.

Unfortunately, due to his schedule, the crown prince could only meet after having tea time with the empress.

‘Ugh, d*mn……’

She had no choice but to meet with the empress first and then have a conversation with the crown prince.

When the appointed day came, she visited the empress’s palace feeling extremely nervous.

The empress with rose-like luxurious hair sat elegantly waiting for her.

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Welcome, Count.”

The empress smiled gently and welcomed her.

She firmly grasped her hands and seated her beside herself, asking kindly.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes, has Your Majesty also been in good health?”

“Thanks to you, my illness has completely healed and I’m spending peaceful days.”

As if those words weren’t false, the empress’s complexion was bright.

Moreover, she no longer wore long dresses that covered her neck or the backs of her hands.

The antique velvet dress that slightly revealed her shoulders suited her very well.

The empress, quietly watching her take a sip of tea, suddenly opened her mouth.

“The reason I called you today is none other than……”

She stopped mid-motion of tilting her teacup and perked up her ears.

Please don’t let the crown prince topic come up, please…….

Whether her earnest prayer worked, the empress brought up an unexpected topic.

“Long ago, your mother once hinted that the former Duke and Duchess of Celsior wanted to inform me of something.”

Ah, come to think of it, it was written in the letter Mom received too.

That they planned to meet the empress with the heretic registry.

“But after that, your mother passed away, and since the duke and duchess said nothing more, I forgot about it.”

It seemed that because their mother, who had been entrusted with the registry, suddenly passed away, Carl’s parents couldn’t retrieve it and thus the empress never got to meet them at all.

After sipping her tea for a moment, the empress continued in a low voice.

“When I learned that they had been murdered this time, I suddenly thought that perhaps there was something they wanted to say but couldn’t.”

She was inwardly surprised by the words that pierced through to the truth at once.

Indeed, becoming empress isn’t something just anyone can do. How can she deduce so accurately?

“Is there anything your mother left behind regarding this?”

She even got this right.

She briefly considered whether to mention the heretic registry. But she soon thought it would be hasty to speak carelessly.

Since the emperor’s name was even listed in the registry, she couldn’t predict how the empress would react.

“……I’m sorry, but I think it would be better for Your Majesty to discuss that matter with Lord Diart or Duke Diart rather than with me.”

When she politely withdrew, the empress also nodded without probing further.

“I understand. Then let us leisurely enjoy our tea.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Fortunately, only ordinary conversation followed after that. Talk about garden flowers, recent weather, desserts and such.

She had been nervous that the crown prince might be mentioned, but no words about him came up at all.

Phew, saved.

When she was planning to reject his confession, it would be terrible if the empress had her eye on her as crown princess.

‘It would also be awkward to tell that mother that I’m going to reject her son……’

She secretly patted her chest and greeted appropriately before leaving.

“Thank you for inviting me today. It was an honor to have tea together.”

“Same for me. Get home safely, Count.”

After being lightly seen off by the empress and exiting the empress’s palace, she thought.

‘I need to hurry and reject the crown prince’s confession……’

Right then.

“Count Sharofe.”

A tall figure standing near a pillar at the entrance called her with a familiar voice.

It seems the saying about tigers appearing when you speak of them applies in this world too.

She was a bit surprised to see the one she was supposed to meet at the crown prince’s palace waiting for her in front of the empress’s palace.

“I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

When she bowed her head respectfully, the crown prince put his hands in his pockets and nodded his chin.

“Shall we walk a bit?”

They strolled through the garden between the empress’s palace and the crown prince’s palace.

Even in the weather that had entered winter, flowers in full bloom created a splendid landscape.

Looking around at this, she was genuinely impressed.

“I felt this before too, but the imperial palace garden seems truly beautiful.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

“Then, how about making it your garden?”

She flinched at the heavy words thrown casually.

Her steps naturally slowed gradually. She chose her words inwardly and slowly opened her mouth.

“……I’ve thought quite a bit about what Your Highness said before.”

Then the crown prince walked matching her pace and slightly lowered his head toward her.

Eventually stopping, she bowed her head deeply toward him.

“I’m sorry. I think I’m someone who suits the place outside the imperial palace better.”

It was a gentle rejection that she couldn’t accept his feelings.

At this, the crown prince raised one eyebrow sharply and rubbed the corner of his mouth.

Though he didn’t seem flustered as if he had expected it to some degree, he had an expression as if he was thinking about something deeply.

“Are you rejecting me because you don’t like me, because the position of crown princess  is burdensome, or because you have someone else you like?”

He who had been seeking the reason for her rejection casually added.

“Or is it because you have someone you like?”

“If I had to choose, it would be closest to the third, but I’m not rejecting Your Highness because of that person.”

She answered calmly. Even if it hadn’t been for Carl, she wouldn’t have accepted the crown prince’s confession.

Though she had tried to win his favor according to her mission, though she hadn’t failed to feel human fondness.

She had never once purely liked the crown prince of her own will.

So she didn’t intend to cowardly blame Carl for her rejection.

“Your Highness is handsome, wise, and charming, but I wasn’t big-hearted enough to hold Your Highness in my heart.”

She meant it was purely a matter of her own emotions. The crown prince quietly looked down at her.

His golden eyes rippled chaotically. Though she had spoken as indirectly as possible, it seemed she couldn’t avoid hurting him.

Indeed, there’s no such thing as a beautiful rejection in this world.

“I’m sorry, for approaching first and then pulling back like this now……”

“Don’t think that way.”

To her who bowed her head deeply in guilt, the crown prince deliberately smiled with a chuckle.

“If you think about it, I’m also a ridiculous guy for suspiciously doubting you at first and then confessing belatedly.”

“Please don’t think that way either, Your Highness.”

When she replied firmly, he opened his eyes slightly wide, then soon turned his head and ran his hand through his hair.

After a moment of silence, the crown prince asked indifferently.

“Did Duke Celsior say he would make you happy?”

“……What?”

When Carl was suddenly mentioned, she couldn’t manage her expression and was flustered.

D*mn, I was trying not to bring up Carl’s name.

“Haha, well……”

Unable to find words to make excuses, she awkwardly rolled her eyes and trailed off.

Watching her like that, the crown prince smiled as if he understood and threw out a murderous joke.

“I thought he was no ordinary guy from the first time I saw him, I should have eliminated him earlier.”

Even knowing it was clearly a joke, she unconsciously exclaimed.

“Ah, no!”

“……”

“……I’m sorry.”

Wow, I must have seemed really dramatic just now?