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Chapter – 26
The Knights’ Quarters.
Hayson couldn’t fall asleep until late into the night. Pale-faced, he stood with his forehead pressed against the window.
“Damn it…”
The low curse echoed through the room.
His conversation with Caesar replayed endlessly in his mind. The damned prince’s cold, razor-sharp gaze still sent chills down his spine. Hayson kept muttering curses under his breath.
The Empress had planned to use him to cast off the Regifields—and then discard Hayson as well? That he was nothing more than a chess piece?
But what unsettled him even more than that was the look in Caesar’s eyes.
‘Even if you join hands with my mother and succeed in your schemes, the one who will end up holding power… will be me.’
The contempt that followed those words. The sense of rejection. He’d tried to catch multiple rabbits with one hand—and now stood to lose even the one he had.
Hayson grabbed the wineglass on the table and drained it in one gulp. The bitterness slid down his throat.
At first, this encounter had been simple. It began with the Empress’s suggestion, and Hayson had calculated what he could gain from it. But it hadn’t ended there. Reina was a dazzling person.
Memories of the time he spent with her surfaced one by one—walks through the garden, opera outings, conversations in teahouses. Moments when they laughed together.
“…Ha. What meaning does any of that have now?”
Hayson roughly ran a hand through his hair.
This had to end as carefully as possible. If his relationship with the Regifields soured, his standing in high society would suffer.
This is all Caesar’s fault.
Suddenly, his anger turned toward Caesar.
Yes—if Caesar had properly accepted Reina’s feelings from the start, none of this would have happened. If Reina hadn’t clung to Caesar, there would have been no room for Hayson to step in.
Countless thoughts surged through his mind, then slipped away, leaving only traces behind. And then—a good idea struck him.
“No… wait.”
Hayson’s eyes flashed.
What if he reframed everything?
What if he accused Reina of two-timing him and Caesar? What if he claimed she’d met him while still unable to give up on Caesar—still harboring lingering feelings for the prince?
He could spin it that way. And just in case, spread some rumors around.
Hayson’s eyes gleamed with malice.
Everyone knew about Reina’s history of stalking. The fact that she had followed Caesar for eight years was common knowledge. If he used that…
“I’d become the victim.”
It would be even better if he framed it as Reina approaching him first. The Reina he knew had been bright and gentle. If he intimidated her, she’d be too frightened to argue back. What could a fragile woman possibly do?
Hayson rubbed his chin. Any lingering affection or guilt toward Reina, he buried deep in his heart.
Consort Viviana always valued results. She believed achieving one’s goal—by any means necessary—was a virtue. If he utterly destroyed Reina’s reputation, that would surely be seen as an accomplishment.
A woman with such a filthy reputation could never become the Crown Princess. What mattered now was spreading the story well—how Reina met him while still unable to forget Caesar, how she occasionally brought up the prince in conversation.
“High society is smaller than people think.”
Rumors would spread quickly. Especially among those who knew Reina’s past—they’d find it easy to believe. After all, it sounded far more plausible that a woman who stalked Caesar for eight years still had feelings for him than that she’d suddenly moved on.
“Rochester might be a problem, though…”
Reina’s older brother, Rochester Regifield. He definitely wouldn’t sit still. But once the rumors spread, he wouldn’t be able to stop them. In fact, the more violently he reacted, the more believable the gossip would seem.
Hayson poured himself another glass of wine. As the alcohol spread through his veins, warmth flooded his blood.
The plan was perfect. Tomorrow, he’d put it into action. First, he’d casually bring it up during a drinking session with fellow knights. Then, he’d inform Reina that they were finished.
Hayson ran his tongue over his dry lips.
He believed he could escape this mire completely unscathed.
That is—until the next day, when Reina came to find him.
＊ ＊ ＊
Avoiding Rochester to meet Hayson was no easy task. If he found out I was seeing Hayson, he’d drop everything and follow me around with packed lunches just to stop me. Truly, not helpful to my love life at all.
So once again, I parked a carriage near the Knights’ headquarters and waited for Hayson to come out—standing in a blind spot where the building couldn’t see me. Like filming 007.
Even delivering a message was difficult. I had to hand a messenger boy working at the knights three times his usual pay before I finally secured a promise: “Even if the sky splits in two, I won’t tell Sir Rochester.”
My legs trembled anxiously. Ugh—what if I get caught? Every time the door opened, I thought Rochester might come out. My heart dropped, then rose again, over and over. Up until now, Hayson had always avoided Rochester to come see me—this was the first time it felt different.
I don’t know how long I waited.
Ah—there he is.
“Hayson!”
I flung open the carriage door and waved frantically at him.
Hayson seemed to recognize me and hesitated. Normally, he would’ve broken into a bright smile and run toward me. But this time, he approached with a cold, stiff expression. I could feel it—something had gone wrong between us. My own face slowly stiffened in response.
“Lady Regifield.”
“…Hayson?”
“This sort of visit is inappropriate. As I’ve said before, I want to establish myself within the knights. If I get on Sir Regifield’s bad side, it would be extremely troublesome. You know how influential Sir Regifield is.”
“I understand that. But there’s something I wanted to ask—”
Hayson, as if he’d sold off all his manners, cut me off and continued speaking.
“And from now on, I’d appreciate it if you never came here like this again.”
The way he looked at me was cold. A gaze he’d never once directed at me before.
“Hayson… did something happen?”
“…Ha. There’s a limit to how much someone can make another person feel like a fool.”
“What? Speak clearly. What are you even talking about?”
“…I was sincere with you, but it seems you weren’t. Isn’t that too cruel? Having that kind of relationship with Prince Caesar while meeting me—was I just your plaything?”
Wait. Why is Caesar suddenly part of this?
My brow furrowed sharply. I snapped back at the incomprehensible words coming out of Hayson’s mouth.
“What kind of relationship do I have with His Highness?”
“Wouldn’t you know better than I would? Thanks to you, I almost ended up in serious trouble! Who are you trying to ruin the life of?”
Whose life am I ruining? What am I supposed to know?
If there was a misunderstanding, I had intended to clear it up. Unnecessary misunderstandings really can ruin people’s lives—just like he said.
But no, you’re out, you bastard. I don’t know what nonsense you’ve heard or from whom, but you didn’t even bother confirming it with me before accusing me so rudely? Just because you talk loud and fast doesn’t make you right. He wouldn’t even give me a chance to speak.
