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Chapter 12
An Unexpected Encounter
Not the famous Third Princess, and not the Fourth Princess known for complete lack of social activity, yet she’s the wife?
“Even as a delusion, this is a bit much.”
Even though she was illegitimate, Odette was still a princess.
And from the brief glimpse Louis had caught, she seemed like the type of woman that combined every trait he would detest.
“Quiet, rigid-looking…”
With no social activities and no experience in romance, it must have been unbearably frustrating. Was there even any topic he could discuss with her?
It made Louis feel that Odette was precisely the kind of person he would rarely be inclined to speak to of his own accord.
The problem was that her hallucinations continued to torment him.
“Even now, after the pain has disappeared.”
Odette’s hallucinations occasionally appeared out of nowhere. And most of the time, she argued with Louis and sometimes even cried.
“I regret marrying you. It was the worst decision of my life…”
Even while suffering, Louis couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
“All I did was glance at her face…”
Why all of a sudden? Moreover, it seemed that some emotion had somehow synced with Odette’s hallucinations. Afterward, he continually felt strange—a sharp pang in his chest, a sense of emptiness as if he had lost something profoundly important.
It was a sensation distinct from physical pain.
Not only did he feel pain through her hallucinations, but now he was tormented by this peculiar feeling as well.
“She must be cursed.”
Eventually, Louis concluded this and, regaining his composure, went to the academy. He considered visiting the Fourth Princess, but approaching Odette was a gamble while it was uncertain whether she had placed a curse.
“But in the end, I gain nothing.”
Should he try seeing the Fourth Princess after all?
With a sigh, Louis finished his meeting with Zantife and stepped out. As he rounded a corner in the corridor:
“…Your Highness, the Fourth Princess?”
Louis’s eyes widened at the unexpected scene.
Not far away stood a silver-haired woman. Recognizing her wasn’t difficult; she was the very person who hadn’t left Louis’s mind for days.
The problem was that she wasn’t alone.
“Is that… Regis Xavier?”
The flashy-looking man beside her was someone Louis also knew. They had been reasonably close during their time at the academy, but he suddenly went abroad to study, and news of him had vanished.
But why was he with the Fourth Princess now?
Luck, after all, rarely favors anyone.
And right now, Odette was painfully realizing that truth.
The reason was simple. On her way alone to Epona after leaving Annesophie’s lab, she unexpectedly ran into a familiar face.
“I never expected to see Your Highness here. If this isn’t fate, what is?”
Regis Xavier—that dreadful face.
“Why on earth is he here?”
Had she ignored him, it would have been natural, but the encounter was too sudden, causing Odette to falter slightly. Regis seized that moment, approaching with a delighted grin.
Even though years had passed since she last saw him, his appearance remained glossy and neat: hair combed back, a fairly handsome face, even an intelligent aura if he didn’t speak. He looked just as he had once unsettled her heart—or perhaps a bit more matured.
“I heard he returned recently after studying abroad.”
Odette forced down the frown forming on her face and gave a slight nod in greeting. She couldn’t ignore him entirely, so a brief acknowledgment would have to suffice.
“If fate dictates our encounter, so be it. I’m in a hurry, so I must be on my way.”
“It’s been a while, and it’s a pity to just pass by. Tell me where you’re headed, and I’ll escort you.”
Escort? Did he really think they were close enough for that?
“Did all that shamelessness come back from overseas?”
Regis and Odette had never been on good terms, not even in words. Naturally, their previous interactions had ended disastrously.
“Don’t ever appear before me again.”
“Odette!”
“Don’t call my name—you don’t deserve it.”
That had been their final exchange before he left for overseas studies. Now he acted as if nothing had happened, trying to act friendly?
Suppressing a scoff, Odette responded coolly.
“No need. We’re not that close. You probably have somewhere to be anyway, so go on.”
She was about to leave when:
“Odette, are you still angry about that?”
Her arm was grabbed, and Odette’s face immediately scrunched up.
“Let go of me.”
“I was wrong. Huh? That was long ago. Until I returned, all I could think of was you—”
“LET GO!”
Odette finally snapped, jerking free from Regis’s grasp. Everything about him was irritating—the same audacious tone, the shameless expression, the past it reminded her of.
During their academy days:
“You’re always here. Easy to find, I like that.”
Odette usually read alone, keeping to herself to avoid revealing her status. The corner of Epona Hall, where tree shadows offered a perfect shade, was her favorite spot. Regis would naturally approach her:
“Your gaze drew me; I wanted to speak. I haven’t seen you before.”
“I’m not good at talking… you should converse with others, it’ll be more enjoyable.”
“They’re too noisy. You’re quiet, nice to be around.”
“…!”
“You smell nice. Perfume?”
Even though he knew she wouldn’t be wearing any, Regis leaned in and asked. Her cheeks would redden, which he seemed to enjoy immensely. A naive pretty girl—fun to tease, fun to see flustered.
Odette suppressed a surge of emotion and issued a cold warning.
“I don’t want to speak with you at all. And don’t be presumptuous enough to speak informally. Maybe I tolerated it before, but not anymore.”
“…Tolerate? You’re still angry?”
“I said don’t speak informally.”
Regis switched his tone to polite, but the shamelessness remained.
“I truly apologize for deceiving Your Highness back then. But I want you to know my feelings were genuine.”
“Not worth listening to. Don’t speak to me again.”
“Odette!”
Again, her arm was seized, this time with more force. No one was around.
“I regretted sending you away. I went abroad to forget, but it was useless—I had to return.”
“I don’t care. Let go!”
“Just a moment. Let me explain!”
Odette struggled, pale with anger, when:
“I didn’t know Count Xavier would behave so recklessly in broad daylight.”
A sharp voice intervened, and her arm was released. Looking up, she saw a familiar, handsome face, slightly thinner than before but unmistakable.
It was Louis Clovis. He smiled faintly.
Regis looked startled at Louis’s arrival.
“L-Louis?”
“Yes, long time no see.”
“Ah… yes, indeed. I recently returned, but your complexion—”
“I’ve been unwell lately. I’m fine now. More importantly, what exactly is going on here?”
Regis’s attempt to dismiss the incident with a casual comment was blocked immediately.
“If I’m not mistaken, you were threatening the Fourth Princess, were you not?”
“Threaten? What nonsense! Even a fool couldn’t do that.”
“I see. Just a precaution. You were bold even at the academy, weren’t you?”
Louis subtly mocked Regis’s flamboyant past, making Regis’s face contort.
Damn it…
She thought she could quietly talk with Odette since no one was around, but now Louis was here.
Odette had stopped socializing after the tea party. Even with rumors, she had no reason to appear publicly. Regis had been forced to track her down through a maid in the Fourth Princess’s quarters.
“That girl went to Belfort Academy. Maybe an ‘accidental’ reunion will work. Who knows? First love always wins.”
Yes, first love always wins. And Regis considered himself Odette’s first love.
“She was a naïve girl who fell for flattery easily.”
In Regis’s memory, Odette had been young and innocent, which made the situation enjoyable. The sweetness in her golden eyes, the subtle affection—it had been entertaining. Even the messy ending hadn’t dulled the thrill of remembering her.
“If only I hadn’t been discovered… I could have played with her longer…”
Of course, this was the nature of regret. Yet, for a habitual womanizer like Regis, there was only one woman he still thought about. Only Odette.
“It’s strange… no matter who I meet, I can’t get her out of my mind.”
He had returned from abroad just because of her, intending to claim her—but now Louis appeared and disrupted everything.
“Could it be… Your Highness, that you have some sort of connection with Count Clovis?”
