“Leave us.”

“But, Your Highness…”

“Must I repeat myself?”

The voice giving orders was unbearably cold. Unable to say anything further, Anna dismissed the servants and exited the reception room.

With the heavy sound of the door closing, the room filled with a suffocating silence. It was a void as if neither truly existed in that space. Finally, enduring the man’s icy gaze, Helia broke the silence.

“It’s been a while.”

Her straightforward, gentle voice now sounded almost soft, as though all trace of her former chill had vanished. For a fleeting moment, Ruben felt as if they were somehow close, as absurd as that seemed.

He hadn’t come here to exchange polite greetings clouded by nostalgia, yet she shamelessly uttered such words as if they were close friends. Ruben felt a sudden surge of anger.

“I received your marriage proposal.”

He recalled the royal proposal sealed with the crest, which he had torn apart as soon as he received it.

Helia’s obsession with him had been exceptional since they were young. She had always insisted on being near him, and if he was out of sight for even a moment, she would panic. Her fixation had only intensified over time.

There was a time when he willingly stayed by her side, following her every step. But eventually, he began to feel stifled as her gaze never left him, as if he might flee at any moment.

One winter, he was stranded at home due to a severe snowstorm. He couldn’t get near the palace, and the next day, as soon as he arrived, she scolded him furiously, crying and fainting on the spot. Though he had done nothing wrong, he spent hours by her bedside apologizing until she woke.

Even now, the memory of that cold day sent a chill through his heart. She was a woman with relentless determination. But he never imagined that that fierce tenacity would still endure after a decade without seeing her.

Helia’s face noticeably hardened. She let out a short, empty laugh. It was a weary smile.

“If you truly received it, you wouldn’t have come here just to reject me.”

Clearly, she knew. Ruben didn’t bother with a laugh. Despite the ten years that had passed, he was well-practiced in her kind of game. She only needed to understand one thing: the purpose of his visit. All other conversations were unnecessary.

“Since you understand, I’ll be direct. Please rescind the proposal.”

Even though he was making a request, Ruben’s tone carried an almost commanding weight, as if he were issuing an order.

Helia’s eyebrow arched sharply.

The boy who had once smiled at her so kindly felt like a distant, complete fabrication. Even if he claimed to have changed, to no longer be that person, only ten years had passed to her. Helia couldn’t even muster a laugh.

“And why should I?”

“Your Highness…”

“Yes. I am the princess of Bailey. Only His Majesty could deny me.”

With a proud flick, she raised her fan again to cover her face. Ruben resisted the urge to snatch the fan away, annoyed by how it obstructed his view.

“I’ve heard that many noblemen have proposed to you.”

“So?”

“There are many far better men out there who would cherish and love you.”

It was a confession that he would neither cherish nor love her. Helia clicked her tongue loudly in irritation. She laughed bitterly, snapping her fan.

“But none of them are Ruben Effenberg.”

“…”

“What is it? Did you think I would say I couldn’t live without you?”

Watching her practically mocking him with a fierce vow never to let him go, Ruben realized he had misspoken. What a fool he was, thinking he could talk her into seeing reason.

He finally decided to play his last card, which he had kept back. It wouldn’t make much difference, but it was the last resort he had clung to with a small, faint hope. Even so, the words felt rough and prickly, hesitating at his lips, a discomfort lingering in his heart.

“Do you remember what I said to you ten years ago?”

“You made so many vows to me, I can’t keep track.”

Ruben’s expression twisted again. Helia had a relentless knack for choosing words that would grate on him, constantly provoking memories of a past he wished to forget. Forced to revisit those memories, he spoke as if shivering. Any hesitation had disappeared.

“I told you I couldn’t protect you.”

“I thought your chivalry was lacking, saying you couldn’t protect a lady so openly.”

“Perhaps I should have been more blunt.”

After a short breath, Ruben continued, his voice calm and resolute, just as it had been ten years ago in the Rose Palace courtyard.

“I don’t want to protect you, Your Highness.”

For a moment, the atmosphere sank, colder than a winter breeze. A frozen silence followed. It seemed as if Helia had stopped breathing. She couldn’t have misunderstood his meaning.

“…I know.”

The soft voice that slipped from her throat sounded strangely empty as if he might have gone too far.

“But wasn’t it that fake saint you wanted to protect, even back then?” she snapped, her tone venomous. The fragility of her previous voice was gone so quickly that he wondered if he had imagined it. Resigned, Ruben closed his eyes, listening to her increasingly sharp, bitter outburst.

“But what will you do now? The engagement will proceed, and you’ll become mine. There’s no way this marriage will ever be canceled. So, just go back and prepare for the wedding, will you?”

Ruben sighed deeply. After ten years, this conversation had been far worse than he’d anticipated. It was more exhausting than facing an enemy on the battlefield. Helia Bailey was a woman who returned any wound doubled, who would only be satisfied repaying cruelty with even greater malice.

Ruben opted to end the conversation. He had used this approach with her ten years ago. Ignoring her outburst, he bowed briefly, leaving only a simple farewell, and turned to leave. But before stepping out the door, he addressed her, now stewing in her anger.

“You will regret this.”

Ha. Helia’s cold laugh shot quickly across the reception room.

“We’ll see about that.”

There was nothing left to say. Ruben closed the door behind him.