04

Aris tried to carefully recall what had happened. But no matter how much she tried to remember, nothing came to mind.

She just remembered continuously drinking alone in a secluded spot, and then at some point, her memory was blank. She seemed to vaguely remember seeing Kalaian, but……

Aris bit her lip and then sighed. Just then, a quiet question came from across her.

“Is it not to your liking?”

“Ah, no! How could it be?”

Aris answered with a start, waving her hands. She picked up some salad with her fork and chewed. The piercing gaze from across made her feel like she might choke.

‘I almost got into big trouble earlier……’

Waking up to find Kalaian in front of her, and realizing she had done something unthinkable with him was shocking enough to almost make her faint.

The problem was when Kalaian, who woke up after her, called a servant and requested women’s clothes. It was unavoidable since Aris’s clothes were in a mess, but……

However that news was delivered, the chefs from the Magic Department rushed out without being asked and carefully prepared meals for two.

Having stayed at the Magic Department for 5 years now, Aris couldn’t help but know them. So she had to desperately curl up and hide herself under the blanket.

Fortunately, by Kalaian’s order, the servants and chefs all withdrew, and Aris was able to dress neatly in the clothes he handed her.

“Have this too.”

“Y-yes……”

Aris barely answered with a trembling voice. Then she forced herself to eat the food he kept pushing towards her.

She really felt like she might suffocate. Aris imagined slapping her own cheeks dozens of times in her mind. Although she couldn’t remember, given the circumstances, she was sure she had spent the night with him.

Even when she was his wife, they hadn’t consummated their marriage!

‘How, how could you as an unmarried woman……! You’ve really gone mad, Aristena!’

If it were someone else, it might have been different. But it had to be Kalaian, and he was the very Crown Prince whom Aris had previously rejected a proposal from.

Aris closed her eyes tightly and crunched the bell pepper in her mouth. It felt so desperate, as if it were the sound of the world ending.

Aris’s mind raced, trying to find a way out.

‘……Why doesn’t this person have a fiancée? There’s no excuse for me to run away……’

For some reason, he hadn’t taken a fiancée since Aris rejected his proposal. I heard he was rejecting all other marriage talks. Because of that, the matter of harmony between the East and West was smoothly achieved with the imperial family offering good conditions.

“Um…… Your Highness.”

After hesitating, Aris raised her head that had been deeply bowed. The violet gaze met Aris’s eyes. He took a sip of white wine and said,

“Speak.”

“Well……”

He stopped eating and waited for her to speak. Aris fidgeted with her hands under the pressure, and reluctantly said.

“About yesterday……”

“Yes.”

As Aris began to speak, Kalaian showed a faint smile. Her mouth moved, too afraid to continue speaking.

Having rejected the Crown Prince’s proposal, and now after spending the night with him, if she tried to pretend it never happened. In the worst case, couldn’t she be charged with insulting the imperial family?

Aris clenched her hands and gathered courage.

“Since yesterday’s incident was something neither of us wanted…… how about we pretend it never happened?”

At that, Kalaian’s face subtly hardened. Aris closed her mouth as soon as she spoke and watched his reaction. But when he maintained a frightening silence, Aris had to open her mouth again.

“We were both drunk…… it was a mistake, wasn’t it……”

It was something that couldn’t be explained without the influence of alcohol. Kalaian probably had no feelings for Aris, and Aris was trying hard not to even look at Kalaian.

She thought hard about what else to say, and then had a flash of inspiration and opened her mouth.

“I absolutely won’t tell Miss Frencia.”

Although she didn’t know why he wasn’t taking Serena as his fiancée, Aris believed the two were dating.

Even if that wasn’t the case, they were surely on good terms. Because they were in her past life. So Kalaian would probably want to pretend last night’s mistake never happened too.

Aris looked at him with an anxious heart.

“So, let’s pretend yesterday never……”

Kalaian put down the glass he was holding. Thud, at that dull yet sharp sound, Aris felt a chill run down her spine.

He silently stared at Aris. The smile lingering on his lips remained the same, but his eyes didn’t seem to be smiling at all, which was frightening.

Just as Aris was about to bite her lower lip unconsciously, unable to bear the anxiety…

“Do you remember what happened yesterday?”

Kalaian said. Aris couldn’t answer. To tell the truth, she couldn’t remember anything at all. But was it okay to answer this straightforwardly?

Kalaian silently looked at Aris’s face, then lightly lowered his gaze and said,

“……I understand. Let’s pretend it never happened.”

Aris barely escaped from the suffocating meal. She couldn’t even remember what state of mind she was in when she ran out.

The fortunate thing in this misfortune was that he also seemed to want to pretend this never happened, and he even showed the kindness of letting Aris leave first to avoid being noticed by others.

Aris, who was staying in a modest three-story villa near the Magic Department in the village, entered her home and slammed the door shut. She immediately slid down with her back against the door.

‘How could this be….. It’s unbelievable. What on earth did I do yesterday?’

Aris buried her face in her hands and tried to carefully retrace her memories. But as if there was a big hole in her head, she had no memory after getting drunk.

It was truly so embarrassing and overwhelming that she felt like crying.

‘It’s okay, he said he’d pretend it never happened…..’

Just act like normal. He’s someone I hardly ever run into anyway. Besides the graduation ceremony and this award ceremony, I’ve barely seen him…..

Aris raised her head with a tearful expression. She sighed and got up dejectedly.

She checked the time. Lunchtime had just passed. She had work to do today, so she needed to go to the Magic Department, but…..

Aris squeezed her eyes shut. Her whole body had been aching and stinging since earlier, and it was all she could do to stand properly. Thinking that this was all evidence of yesterday’s events made her face flush hot.

“I don’t know if I should be glad I can’t remember…..”

After hesitating, Aris changed her clothes and prepared to go to the Magic Department. If she had gone wearing the clothes Kalaian gave her, her stealthy escape would have been in vain.

Slinging on a large leather cross bag about three spans in size, and tying her hair into a single ponytail with a green ribbon, Aris left her house. Although her physical condition was terrible, she couldn’t neglect her work.

‘……Come on, cheer up today too, Aristena. Don’t think about what happened earlier. It never happened.’

Trying hard to ignore yesterday’s events, Aris headed to the Magic Department. It was about a 15-minute walk from her house to the Magic Department building.

Fitting for the leisurely afternoon, people who had finished their lunch could be seen strolling around the village at ease. Passing by them, Aris walked briskly and soon arrived at the main building of the Magic Department.

‘Enough time has passed, so he must have left by now, right?’

Although the space where Aris worked was different from the building where the reception was held, she entered the main building while looking around cautiously, just in case.

“Aris!”

Aris, who had entered the corridor with suspicious movements, turned around, startled. Belle, who had run over in one breath, linked arms with her. Belle asked with a grinning smile.

“Did you get home okay yesterday?”

“Ah, yes…..”

“What’s wrong? You don’t look so good.”

“Um, Belle. Did you by any chance see me again after you left yesterday?”

“No, why?”

She had wanted to ask in case Belle knew about the situation then, but it seemed she didn’t know either.

‘Well, if Belle had known, she would have acted strangely from the start.’

Aris shook her head lightly, saying it was nothing with a slight smile. Belle started chattering about something else.

“His Highness the Crown Prince came to the award ceremony yesterday, right.”

“Yes, he did.”

“And he also attended the reception.”

“Yes.”