Chapter 95

Theodore replied dismissively, as if the other man’s words held no meaning.

“Effort is important to achieve a dream, but the most crucial thing is ‘time.’ Without time, no matter how much effort you put in, it will only lead to ‘failure.’”

Patzraelli glared at Theodore.

Theodore, wearing a pleasant smile, continued speaking.

“If you truly desire something, it’s not just about ‘effort,’ but about staking your entire life on it, young master of an unknown empire.”

Patzraelli narrowed his eyes and responded.

“I don’t know which empire you’re from, but I’m not some noble young master.”

Theodore nodded without changing his expression.

“Ah, I see. Then are you a commoner? For a commoner, your attire is quite noble-like… You must be a wealthy commoner.”

At his words, Patzraelli’s face turned red.

This was the moment when he should declare, ‘I am not a commoner! I am the Crown Prince! I am of the Imperial Family!’ Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Patzraelli closed his eyes, then opened them, and spoke cautiously.

“You’re quite oblivious.”

Theodore understood perfectly well that this was Patzraelli’s roundabout way of saying, ‘You’ve misjudged me!’

To Theodore, the Crown Prince’s petty provocation seemed laughable and childish.

It sounded as if Patzraelli was saying, ‘I’m an important person, so you’d better figure it out and act accordingly.’

“You seem to lack perception yourself.”

Bang!

Patzraelli slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and roared in anger.

However, Theodore merely looked at him with an indifferent gaze, as if it were nothing.

“How insolent and rude.”

Patzraelli took deep breaths, trying to suppress his rage.

***

Puring learned from Chloe, the mage guarding the entrance to the Mage Tower, that Patzraelli had arrived at the tower.

“Thank you, Chloe.”

After turning off the magic orb, Puring fell into deep thought.

Him? Why? What business does he have with Meia?

It didn’t seem like he was here for a Mage Tower request, so Puring sighed.

He could roughly guess why he had come.

Despite their relationship being over, he had come all the way to the Mage Tower to see Meia, clinging to the past.

Puring wasn’t pleased with Patzraelli, who had unilaterally broken off the engagement and now seemed to regret it enough to come begging.

Still, there was a chance. He might not be here to beg Meia but for another reason entirely.

When Puring, lost in his complicated thoughts, arrived at the reception room door, he heard the voices of Patzraelli and Theodore, raised as if they were about to fight.

“What is going on here?”

The two men fell silent upon seeing Puring.

From Puring’s perspective, he needed to greet the person of higher status first.

Naturally, Puring moved to greet Theodore first, but he gestured toward Patzraelli with a tilt of his chin.

It was a sign to greet Patzraelli first, not him.

Understanding his gesture, Puring nodded and approached Patzraelli to greet him.

“I, Grand Mage Puring, greets His Highness, the Crown Prince of the Carpen Empire.”

“It’s been a while, Puring.”

Patzraelli, having received his greeting, turned his glowing eyes toward Theodore.

However, even after learning his true identity, Theodore’s expression remained unchanged.

‘He must be so shocked that he’s frozen.’

Patzraelli, thinking this, spoke to Theodore with a triumphant tone.

“Now do you understand why I said you lack perception?”

Puring immediately followed up with her words.

“Your Highness, Crown Prince, this gentleman is Grand Duke Florence of the Sirius Empire.”

At Puring’s words, Patzraelli’s face crumpled.

“What are you doing, Your Highness? Shouldn’t you greet His Grace, the Grand Duke?”

Theodore raised the corners of his mouth and replied.

“I have no desire to receive a greeting from the Crown Prince of Carpen.”

Hearing Theodore’s dismissive words, Puring assumed he was in a foul mood because he had encountered Meia’s former fiancé.

Grinding his teeth, Theodore spoke.

“The Crown Prince of the Carpen Empire is both arrogant and utterly clueless.”

While he could suppress the irritation in his voice, he couldn’t quell the irritation in his heart.

Patzraelli’s expression grew darker and darker.

And just as Patzraelli was about to stammer out a response…

“Don’t bother apologizing, Crown Prince of Carpen.”

“…What?”

Patzraelli closed his mouth.

Watching this, Puring wiped the sweat from his brow and dragged Patzraelli to his room.

Theodore, meanwhile, headed straight for the room where Meia was.

The reason her former fiancé had come was likely to cling to her.

The memory of Patzraelli’s clinging words, intertwined with talk of strawberry tea, vividly resurfaced in his mind.

What if Patzraelli begged her to return to the Carpen Empire?

What if he asked her to take him back?

“Ugh.”

Suddenly, Theodore felt a sharp pain in his chest and collapsed, clutching his left heart with his hand. Anxiety and restlessness consumed him. 

What would I do if she left me? How would I live?

“Argh…”

The mere thought of Meia leaving caused excruciating chest pain—surely a symptom of lovesickness.

‘I need to see Meia right away!’

Physician Worst had explained that even the thought of being separated from Meia would cause unimaginable pain, a hallmark of ‘lovesickness.’ He had also said that seeing her face would alleviate the pain.

“Ugh.”

Rising to his feet, Theodore, with a face contorted in agony, took one step at a time toward where Meia was.

If he swept the Carpen Empire into war, wouldn’t Meia have no choice but to stay by my side?

Or perhaps I should present the Carpen Empire to her as a gift?

Thinking such thoughts, the pain in his chest began to subside.

“Phew.”

When he opened the door to Meia’s room, however, she was not there.

Theodore collapsed again, clutching his left heart. She had already left the room after hearing that Patzraelli had arrived.

***

Meia told Puring that she wanted to speak with Patzraelli alone.

“What brings you here, Your Highness, the Crown Prince?”

“Meia.”

“Please speak, Your Highness. What brings you here? I’m very busy with Mage Tower requests, so please keep it brief.”

“Return to the Carpen Empire.”

Meia hoped he wouldn’t ask her to become his fiancée again.

“Be my fiancée again. After the coming-of-age ceremony, become the Crown Princess!”

She found him pathetic for saying exactly what she had expected.

“Are you planning to break off your engagement with Lady Meryl?”

To break off an engagement so easily, form another just as easily, and then come back now?

“I will break off my engagement with Lady Meryl.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Patzraelli’s Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably.

“Mei.”

“I would appreciate it if you refrained from using my nickname so casually.”

Patzraelli asked in a pained voice.

“Is it that you can’t forgive me? Lady Meia, I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.”

A brief silence fell.

Meia was the first to break it.

“When someone receives an apology, they tend to trust the person apologizing. It’s because they acknowledge their wrongdoing and seek forgiveness. However, I find no trust in your apology. And I have no intention of forgiving you in the first place.”

Patzraelli stared at Meia with a look that showed he didn’t understand.

“Your Highness, you don’t need to apologize to me.”

“I want to apologize. Sincerely!”

“Your Highness, you have no reason to apologize to me.”

“I was wrong.”

“Our relationship was merely a political engagement. It wasn’t born out of mad love for one another. Naturally, it was inevitable that Lady Meryl, with her strong background, would become your fiancée instead of an orphaned lady like me. That’s just how political engagements work. They’re made easily and broken easily.”

“If you return, I won’t take any concubines! I’ll give you everything you want!”

His words sounded more contemptible and pathetic than desperate.

“I prefer to obtain what I want on my own. Having others do it for me hurts my pride. We’ll meet again at the coming-of-age ceremony, Your Highness, but I don’t want to hear this kind of talk then.”

Suppressing his anguished expression, Patzraelli said.

“Don’t turn away from me. I’ll do better. Please, can’t you?”

“Why do you want to break off your engagement with Lady Meryl?”

“I didn’t realize it when you were here, but after you left, I missed you terribly. And I realized… I love you, Meia. I want to undo my mistake.”

His expression seemed earnest.

But to Meia, he looked like a child throwing a tantrum because they wanted candy or chocolate.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

As Meia rose from her seat, Patzraelli grabbed her wrist and cried out desperately.

“Please, forgive me. I’m bowing my head and apologizing.”

Meia shook off his hand sharply and glared at him coldly.

“Don’t delude yourself, Your Highness. I won’t return just because you bow your head. So don’t come looking for me, and don’t seek me out.”

“I love you, Meia.”

His sudden confession of love left Meia astonished.

“If you truly love me, give up your position as Crown Prince to Prince Demian. If you do that, I’ll accept you.”

Patzraelli could never give up his position as Crown Prince.

The moment Demian became Crown Prince, Patzraelli would be the first to be purged.

“If it’s because of Prince Demian, I’d be fine living in a place where no one could find us, just the two of us.”

Though Meia spoke of a romantic notion, Patzraelli gave no reply.

His silence made Meia smile faintly. Even without hearing his answer, the conclusion was clear.

“That’s your answer, Your Highness. I understand. Please don’t seek me out again.”

“I never thought I’d be forgiven so easily.”

“Are you perhaps afraid that I might marry Prince Demian?”

Meia looked him straight in the eye. Patzraelli avoided her gaze.

“I’ve made my feelings clear.”

“I’ll come again.”

“Safe travels, Your Highness.”

Patzraelli couldn’t bring himself to stop Meia as she left the room.