TPWLM 13

Chapter 13

The next day, it rained.

And the day after that as well.

Damian sat by the window, staring out at the yard as the rain poured down in heavy sheets.

Even though he knew that on a day like this, with rain falling so hard, the girl wouldn’t come outside.

Whenever he thought about what had happened at the mall, his face burned.

Had the sense of privilege that clung to him seemed disgusting to her?

Was he… becoming like his father?

Shame felt like it was clogging his throat.

“Who cares about some kid’s opinion anyway?”

Then suddenly he realized something.

He didn’t even know the kid’s real name.

Damian grabbed at his own hair.

Why hadn’t he asked her name?

How would he know? The thoughts of an eighteen-year-old boy were a mess.

Wait.

Maybe she had wanted him to ask?

Had she been angry because of his arrogance and indifference?

No matter what, he felt like he should apologize.

Yeah. I did act like an idiot.

His gaze drifted to the mirror hanging on the wall.

If she had seen his face properly beneath the bandages.

Or if he had told her that he really was a prince—

Would things have turned out differently?

The moment he realized he was thinking that, a bitter laugh escaped him.

I was sick of people approaching me because I’m a prince. And now I actually want to use that title for once?

The following day, the sky was clear, as if the rain had been a lie.

Early in the morning, after straightening his clothes and steadying his resolve, Damian knocked on the neighbor’s door.

Knock, knock.

He was about to say the apology he had prepared when the door opened—

And the Korean boy appeared.

“Lizzy… I mean, the kid?”

“The girl? She left for Kentucky.”

“Kentucky?”

Kentucky? From Pennsylvania, that was quite far.

“Yeah. Her best friend—a white girl—took her with her family. Carol… something. Anyway, she’s spending the rest of the vacation there.”

“When is she coming back?”

“She’s not. She packed all her stuff and left yesterday.”

“…What?”

Without thinking, Damian grabbed the boy by the collar.

“If you’re messing with me, you’re dead. Where is she?”

“I-I’m serious! She really left! I’m not lying!”

Stunned, Damian shoved him away and began searching around the house.

But the girl was truly gone.

A wave of betrayal washed over him. His mouth tasted bitter, and a hollow laugh slipped out. His body trembled.

“How could she leave without even telling me?”

Anger rose in layers.

What a rude kid.

No matter how disappointed she was in me, shouldn’t she at least have said goodbye?

As if remembering something, he hurried to find Lancaster.

“Change the next tour schedule to Kentucky.”

Lancaster shook his head as if he had just heard something absurd.

But Damian was serious.

He intended to track her down.

If he looked through the list of Korean exchange students attending boarding schools in Pennsylvania, it wouldn’t take long.

Even if he had to search all of Kentucky, he would find her.

You dare run away? Then I’ll chase you to the end.

The stubborn pride of an eighteen-year-old boy, mixed with unfamiliar emotions from being rejected for the first time, tangled inside his head.

Watching him, Lancaster let out a sigh.

“Your Highness. That is the one thing women dislike the most.”

“What?”

Then Lancaster pulled out a folded note from his pocket and handed it to him.

“The young lady left this for you. She had to depart in a hurry and asked me to deliver it.”

“Why are you only telling me now?!”

Snatching the note impatiently, Damian unfolded it and began to read.

“I hope your wounds heal well. Not just the wounds on your face, but the ones in your heart too.

I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. But if we are destined, we’ll meet again. Like a river that flows and meets the sea.”

His hand trembled after finishing it.

Destiny?

What was he supposed to do with something so irresponsible?

Wasn’t that the kind of thing people said when they didn’t want to see someone again?

She hadn’t even told him her name until the end.

Just a kid. Who would care if she disappeared?

He crumpled the note and shoved it into his pocket.

Lancaster spoke in a businesslike tone to the frozen Damian.

“I’m afraid the upcoming schedule is focused on the East Coast. A visit to Kentucky is not possible.”

“……”

“Please pack your belongings, Your Highness. It is time to depart for the next destination.”

As he was led away almost helplessly, Damian thought—

Lancaster was right.

Even if he found her in Kentucky, she probably wouldn’t welcome him.

And soon, he would have to return to Bernhardt.

Even so, he couldn’t hide the regret and lingering disappointment.

If it was truly destiny, would they meet again?

For once, he wanted to believe in that childish word.

Next time I see her, I’ll ask her name first.

I won’t introduce myself as a prince.

And I won’t lose her again.

After finishing his recollection, he gave a faint, strange smile.

The girl he had met again had grown far more beautiful than he had ever imagined.

Hello. The kid who shattered my heart for the first time.

And yet you don’t even remember me. How cruel.

He hadn’t intended to deceive her on purpose.

In that sudden reunion, how could he introduce himself as a prince again?

More than anything, there was something he was curious about.

If it were the current him—

Would she like him?

Not as a crown prince, but as an ordinary man?

Damian recalled her eyes reflecting the sunset.

Whenever he looked into them, it felt as if something inside his chest was lightly struck, igniting a spark.

Thinking of her face, he was walking toward his bedroom when—

His phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, Damian answered immediately. A low voice came through.

“How is the state of the horizon?”

“The boundary has collapsed. Rain will fall soon.”

After giving the coded reply, the man continued.

“We’ve located one of the individuals in the photograph. He likely knows about the secret you’re searching for.”

Damian swallowed.

The person on the other end was a private intelligence agent he had hired in secret.

“It seems the individual is recently under threat. In exchange for information, he is requesting protection from us.”

Damian had been investigating Charlotte’s suspicious death.

He suspected that a private military company called Obsidian had been involved.

Charlotte had been an idealist.

She had dreamed of becoming queen and reforming the corruption within Bernhardt.

Currently, Bernhardt suffered from a widening wealth gap, as hereditary nobles had held power for generations.

Two weeks before her death,

Charlotte had confided a shocking secret to Damian.

“The force behind the Corbona War… it’s highly likely a private military company secretly tied to Bernhardt’s nobles. You know that too.”

“That’s impossible. Are you certain?”

“I’m still gathering evidence. But I’m almost sure.”

Thirty years ago,

In Corbona, a country located on the Balkan Peninsula, a war broke out following a separatist movement by a minority ethnic group.

It became one of the worst tragedies in modern history, claiming thousands of lives.

And yet, the forces behind that war were supposedly nobles of Bernhardt?

If that were true, exposing their rotten faces to the world would open the path to reforming Bernhardt.