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Chapter 4
Liriope looked once at the engagement contract that Kadin held out to her, then looked back at Kadin’s face.
She looked at the engagement contract again, then back at Kadin, when an utterly ridiculous remark came out of his mouth.
“So, you can’t believe it, can you? But there’s no need to worry. This isn’t a dream.”
“You can rest easy. This is indeed the engagement contract you’ve wanted with me for so long, Duchess.”
Even after hearing that, Liriope continued to stare blankly between the engagement contract and Kadin.
When she showed no intention of taking the document, Kadin simply placed it on the table.
Coincidentally, the contract landed directly over Theo’s face on the front page of the newspaper, covering it perfectly.
“You’re free to celebrate as much as you like, Duchess.”
The Crown Prince spread his arms wide with an exaggerated flourish, like an actor delivering an over-the-top Hollywood performance.
‘What on earth is this…?’
Kadin had been looking down at Liriope with an arrogant gaze, but when she carefully examined every little change in his expression, his eyes shifted away as though her stare had become uncomfortable.
Liriope couldn’t understand why this beautiful idiot had suddenly appeared without warning and shoved an engagement contract in her face.
She seriously racked her brain.
She had worked so hard to avoid becoming engaged to the Crown Prince, so why was she somehow ending up in the exact same situation as the original story?
For a moment, she wondered if no matter how much she changed the plot, she was still destined to die at the Crown Prince’s hands.
Her heart sank.
‘Don’t tell me this damned fate is determined to give me a tragic death no matter what I do?’
The thought snapped her back to reality.
‘No. Absolutely not. I didn’t earn a second chance at life just to throw it away. I plan to enjoy living as an almost diamond-spoon duchess for the rest of my life and die peacefully of old age.’
Liriope steeled her resolve once more.
If fate insisted on dragging her toward death, then she would simply keep twisting the original story.
As long as she stayed away from the Crown Prince and didn’t become jealous of—or bully—the original heroine he loved, there was no reason she should die.
‘I’d rather become Rosearin’s closest friend.’
Without realizing it, Liriope nodded to herself, renewing her determination to become best friends with Rosearin.
Then her eyes met Kadin’s.
First things first.
She had to deal with the bomb sitting right in front of her.
Speaking firmly, she said,
“I’m already engaged.”
The handsome Crown Prince’s face twisted instantly.
She briefly admired how even his angry expression was beautiful.
Then the beautiful fool opened his mouth and said something so absurd that she instinctively frowned.
“I told you, you can stop this little performance now.”
‘A performance…?’
“You’ve already gotten enough of my attention. I even came here myself with an engagement contract.”
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t get engaged to Theo to attract your attention.”
At Liriope’s words, a flash of hostility crossed the Crown Prince’s face.
Apparently, he had expected her to joyfully stamp the contract the moment he presented it.
“Since when did you start calling that bastard by his name?”
Oddly enough, that seemed to be what bothered Kadin the most.
“Um… for quite a while now? Since I started liking him, I guess?”
She muttered it almost to herself.
Kadin’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“Surely you’re not expecting me to believe the ridiculous claim that you’ve actually fallen for that bastard.”
“Unfortunately, it isn’t ridiculous. It’s the truth.”
“Enough with the lies, Duchess.”
The Crown Prince spoke through clenched teeth, his sharply raised brows twitching.
“Why do you keep insisting that I’m lying?”
“Why? Because you—!”
You’ve loved me all this time.
Even though he never finished the sentence, she could practically hear the rest of it.
Liriope let out a quiet sigh before speaking.
“Your Highness, people’s hearts aren’t meant to stay the same forever.”
Kadin’s expression instantly stiffened.
“The same goes for love. And I’m not foolish enough to spend my entire life chasing after a love that can never be returned.”
“You’ve been clinging to me for well over ten years.”
Kadin let out a scoffing laugh.
A look of superiority flickered across his face.
He clearly still believed that Liriope would love only him for the rest of her life.
The novel hadn’t shown everything, but there had been enough brief descriptions and conversations among noble ladies to reveal just how coldly and cruelly the Crown Prince had treated Liriope.
Even so, she had continued loving him faithfully.
So, in a way, she could understand why he thought this way.
“You’re right. Now that I think about it, it has been a very long time.”
Liriope nodded.
There was a cool smile on her face.
It carried a coldness Kadin had never once seen before.
Avoiding her icy gaze, Kadin spoke.
“Exactly. So even if you claim you’ve fallen for another man now, you’ll eventually come back to me—”
“You know, after liking Your Highness for all those years, you still call me ‘Duchess.’”
Liriope interrupted him with a mocking smile.
Kadin’s face immediately hardened.
She had deliberately brought up something that had always hurt Liriope in the original novel.
The way he addressed her.
Ever since their academy days, Kadin had always shortened the names of noble ladies he was close to and called them by affectionate nicknames.
Every noble lady who received such a nickname had become a target of Liriope’s jealousy.
Rosearin had been no exception.
But Kadin had always addressed Liriope formally.
Always.
As “Duchess.”
“That is…”
Kadin started to make an excuse.
Then he shut his mouth.
“Why won’t you call me by a nickname?!”
“Move aside, Duchess.”
“Please call me Liri, Your Highness!”
“Stop hanging around in front of me, Duchess!”
One after another, memories surfaced of how carelessly he had treated her.
Liriope simply stared at him.
In the end, there had always been that much distance between them.
So why had he suddenly come here and created a situation that had never even happened in the original story?
She briefly wondered if his feelings had evolved from her affection means less than dirt beneath my feet into I don’t want her, but I don’t want anyone else to have her either.
But judging by Kadin’s expression…
That didn’t seem quite right either.
“I’m curious why Your Highness suddenly decided to visit the Duke’s estate after never once coming here before. And I’m even more curious why you’re offering an engagement contract to someone who’s already signed one with another man.”
“Wh-What reason? Since you’ve gone this far with your little performance, I eventually—”
“How many times do I have to tell you? This isn’t a performance. I’m really engaged to Theo.”
“You know perfectly well that a worthless engagement contract like that can be broken at any time.”
Kadin frowned.
He wasn’t wrong.
In this world, signing an engagement contract was little more than a verbal promise.
Only after both parties signed the contract and held an official engagement ceremony did the engagement become legally binding.
It was much like signing a marriage registration form but not officially becoming married until the paperwork was submitted.
“We’ll be setting the date for the engagement ceremony soon.”
“Duchess!”
She flinched.
The Crown Prince suddenly shouted so loudly that her whole body jerked in surprise.
‘You scared me!’
“Why are you yelling?!”
Liriope wasn’t exactly a meek person either.
Whether he was the Crown Prince or not, she immediately raised her voice right back at him.
‘The louder person usually wins anyway.’
Kadin blinked in complete disbelief.
Never before had Liriope ever raised her voice at him.
Now she was shouting just as loudly as he was.
Liriope continued firmly,
“I don’t need that engagement contract. I’m already engaged to Theo!”
“D-Don’t say that bastard’s name in front of me!”
Kadin’s face had turned bright red.
Even his eyes had become watery as he glared at her.
As though this simply couldn’t be happening, he shouted again.
“How can love just change like that?!”
…Seriously?
Liriope shook her head and let out a small sigh.
“I think you should leave now.”
His condition honestly didn’t look very good.
It seemed best to send him home.
But instead of leaving, Kadin only grew angrier, his nostrils flaring like a furious rhinoceros.
Then, as his face slowly turned pale, he asked,
“You… you’re not seriously saying that, are you?”
“Oh? Could you tell me exactly what about me doesn’t seem sincere?”
Lowering her head, Liriope adjusted the shawl draped over her shoulders and muttered,
“I wonder what I’d have to show you before you’d believe I’m serious.”
Watching her, the Crown Prince simply opened and closed his mouth in stunned silence.
He looked just like a goldfish.
A very handsome goldfish.
Looking straight at the handsome goldfish, Liriope continued decisively.
“I think you’re mistaken in believing that everything I’ve done was just to get your attention, so let me make this perfectly clear. I don’t like Your Highness anymore. In fact, I’ve liked Theo for quite a long time now, and—”
“That’s impossible! You expect me to believe that?!”
“Well, what if you don’t?”
Liriope answered as though she couldn’t believe his reaction.
Kadin’s face immediately flushed bright red.
Unable to contain his anger, his features twisted.
“When would you have ever had the chance to meet that bastard?”
“We must have crossed paths now and then.”
“Does that even make sense?! You happened to meet him a few times, and suddenly the woman who’s loved me all these years fell for him instead?! Do you take me for an idiot—!”
At that moment—
“I do have the sort of face someone could fall in love with at first sight.”
The deep, pleasant voice that came from behind them made Liriope immediately turn toward the reception room door.
