Chapter 17

But there was no way he could be here. Hadn’t she been the one to reject him so coldly?

There’s no way he came looking for me.

It was absurd. Even while she had been at the estate, she had entertained the possibility, however briefly, but she hadn’t seen so much as his shadow.

If someone asked whether she regretted it, her answer would be no.

After all, everything associated with the Imperial Family was something she despised.

Rayleigh glanced at Kaber. His appearance was different, but his behavior was more than enough to remind her of that man.

How ridiculous.

How ridiculous that she was thinking of him now, of all times, and even allowing herself to entertain some inexplicable hope.

Kaber’s ears perked up.

Hearing her say that he looked familiar had filled him with a small, involuntary flicker of hope.

Could she recognize me, even a little?

He had changed his appearance, but perhaps there was still a faint chance that she might recognize him.

That sliver of hope lasted only a moment.

“I’m not sure. Maybe I saw you in the newspaper?”

Rayleigh’s face remained expressionless, and her voice was utterly indifferent.

Kaber felt his heart tighten.

Ah…

What a fool he was to have expected anything.

He met Rayleigh’s eyes.

“I’m hardly an important enough person to appear in the newspaper.”

Kaber forced an awkward smile, then turned his gaze away and began stroking the innocent chair beside him.

She clearly hadn’t recognized him in disguise.

Ren started shaking with barely suppressed laughter.

“Perhaps coming here without a disguise would have been…”

Kaber muttered under his breath and pressed a hand to his forehead.

He hated how this reunion had turned out. When he saw her again, he had intended to explain everything to her.

Watching Kaber with evident amusement, Ren moved closer to Rayleigh.

“Give that to me. No matter how many times you try, you’re still no better at it.”

“You’re just good at it, Ren.”

Ren took the ribbon Rayleigh had been struggling to tie and deftly fashioned it into a beautiful bow.

“Did you deliver everything safely?”

“Of course. I always do.”

Ren had just returned from delivering an item at Rayleigh’s request. She had fussed endlessly about how terrible it would be if the item got damaged, leaving him with no choice but to go make the delivery himself while she stayed behind.

Good thing I came back quickly.

Ren let out a quiet sigh as he watched Rayleigh stand beside him, closely observing his wrapping technique.

Then his brows drew together.

Kaber was staring at Rayleigh so openly that even Ren could feel the intensity of his gaze.

If he keeps staring at her like that, Rayleigh is bound to find it strange. What an idiot…

To get Rayleigh to move farther inside the shop, Ren casually brought up something he knew would interest her.

“Setria, I brought the raw gemstones you asked for.”

“Mhm.”

Rayleigh didn’t hear a word he said.

How could someone wrap a present so beautifully?

She was amazed by Ren’s meticulousness several times a day, and this was no exception.

Ren really is incredible.

She continued watching the gift take shape, letting out one admiring exclamation after another.

Ren had rolled up his sleeves, revealing muscular forearms with prominent veins. It was hard to believe that someone with such rough, powerful hands could tie ribbons better than she could.

Tap.

A large hand settled on Rayleigh’s head.

Startled, she looked up.

“Go inside and take a look. If you tell me later that you don’t like it, I’m never buying you anything again.”

Before Rayleigh could even respond, Ren gently spun her around with his hand.

Caught off guard, she had no choice but to head inside.

She glanced back at Kaber.

He had been quietly watching the two of them. When their eyes met, he lowered his head slightly in greeting.

“You’ll love it! Goodbye! Oh, and please come again!”

Rayleigh smiled brightly as she bid him farewell.

Kaber’s expression crumpled in an instant.

At least she looks much healthier now.

He was growing increasingly restless. Seeing her again had only made his anxiety worse.

What if she was living beside someone else, just as she had before? What if he had arrived too late again?

Kaber roughly rubbed his face with both hands and lowered his head.

After struggling to find the words, he finally spoke to Ren.

“Why did you hide her from me?”

“Because Rayleigh doesn’t want you to know about her yet.”

“Ah…”

At Ren’s answer, Kaber felt a wave of relief.

He had been afraid that there was some other reason she didn’t want to return.

“But…”

With a smile, Ren handed Kaber the beautifully wrapped present and continued.

“I’ll have to think about whether I should send anything to you.”

Besides, Rayleigh’s memories were still incomplete.

She had forcibly erased the memories associated with the child and entered into a contract, leaving gaps scattered throughout her recollections.

What she had wanted to forget was the guilt and pain surrounding the child.

Ren didn’t fully understand why, but Rayleigh also seemed to have lost some of her memories from before those events. Perhaps it was a side effect of the imperfect contract.

Even the reason she had come to this place might have been distorted in her mind.

“And one more thing… Don’t say anything foolish. Rayleigh’s memories are fragmented right now.”

At Ren’s words, Kaber’s lips parted as if he wanted to say something.

But just then, Rayleigh came back outside, and he firmly closed his mouth.

He immediately understood what Ren meant.

There was no way Rayleigh could have simply forgotten the pain of losing her child. Yet the woman standing before him seemed far too cheerful.

Following Ren’s advice, Kaber decided it would be better to keep his words to himself for now.

Did she erase even her memories of the past?

A sharp ache pierced one corner of his heart.

He was afraid that even his existence had disappeared from her memories.

Ren composed his expression as Rayleigh approached and asked her in a gentle voice, deliberately ignoring Kaber’s persistent gaze.

“Do you like it?”

“The gemstones are lovely. They must have been quite difficult to find.”

Rayleigh nodded and smiled in approval.

When she noticed someone looking at her, she turned her head, and her eyes met Kaber’s for a few seconds.

Ah… He hasn’t left yet. I hope he likes it.

Rayleigh’s gaze shifted to the gift in her hands.

“I’ll have the rest delivered to you.”

Ren spoke to Kaber in an even tone.

In the end, Kaber offered a brief farewell and forced himself to leave, despite how reluctant his feet were to move.

It was a retreat he had no choice but to make.

Jingle.

The bell above the door rang as Kaber left the shop.

Ren’s eyes narrowed.

Pretending not to notice his gaze, Rayleigh busied herself arranging the gemstones, even though there was nothing wrong with them.

“You. Earlier…”

“Hm?”

A lecture. That was what this was going to be.

Rayleigh rolled her eyes, desperately searching for a way to escape.

“I told you to be careful.”

“…I didn’t mean to.”

Ren turned Rayleigh to face him.

She fidgeted with her lips before managing an awkward smile.

He gently straightened her crooked scarf, gazing at her with tender eyes.

An imperfect contract. A sword that continued to demand another contract.

She could no longer resist the incessant calls forever.

Still, Ren wanted Rayleigh to forget everything and be happy, even if only for a little while.

Even if her time was running out, he wanted her to keep smiling just as she was now, for as long as possible.

That is, if that idiot can keep his patience in check.

“Your Highness, have you checked?”

“Ah, I must have been mistaken.”

“Understood. But what is that paper you’re holding?”

Haban asked, his eyes fixed on the paper in Kaber’s hand.

At a glance, he could make out the words Urgently Hiring.

A sense of foreboding swept over him, and Haban quickly shook his head.

Surely he didn’t take that from the shop…

Kaber’s expression had certainly looked strange when he came out, but Haban had assumed it was simply because he hadn’t found Rayleigh.

“Oh, this?”

Kaber readily handed him the paper.

“So, I’ve decided I need to keep an eye on things.”

“Pardon? K-keep an eye on what, exactly?”

His eyes darted nervously from side to side as he examined the paper.

[HELP WANTED — URGENT]

No. Surely not. Good grief, I really have been letting my imagination run wild lately.

Haban gave a small, self-deprecating chuckle and crumpled the paper in his hand.

Then, wearing an innocent smile and widening his eyes as though he hadn’t seen a thing, he shook his head vigorously at Kaber.

“I don’t mean I’ll go there every day. It clearly says they only need someone in the morning, not for the entire day.”

“Ah! You mean you’ll send someone there to keep an eye on the situation, Your Highness?”

Haban played dumb with an almost childlike innocence, shrugging his shoulders as he spoke.

It was painfully obvious how desperately he hoped that was the case.

Unfortunately, Kaber shattered that hope without the slightest hesitation.

“No. I’ll be working there myself. Make sure you take care of everything else.”

“…Absolutely not. I would rather die!”

Haban shook his head with grim determination, his expression hardening.

Kaber, however, merely gazed once more at the shop where Rayleigh was and patted Haban on the shoulder.

“Shouldn’t you be getting used to this by now?”

This lunatic of a Crown Prince…!

An insult nearly burst from Haban’s lips.

He swallowed it just in time. If he actually said it aloud, he might genuinely lose his head.

With tears welling in his eyes, Haban lowered his head.

The moment they returned, he would have a mountain of work waiting for him.

First, he needed to arrange a false identity that would conceal the Crown Prince’s status. And then there was the matter of reporting this to His Majesty.

What kind of insane country has its Crown Prince doing menial work in a shop?!

His head throbbed so badly that he wanted nothing more than to lie down and give up on life.

“Absolutely not.”

This was one request he simply could not grant.

For a moment, he even considered throwing himself on the ground and telling Kaber to walk over him if he wanted to proceed so badly.

No, wait. He really would walk over me.

Haban desperately tried to think of an alternative proposal.

But Kaber was so stubborn that there was little hope of changing his mind.

“If I report this to His Majesty, I might be executed on the spot.”

“Then I’ll report it myself.”

“Do you not realize that the mere fact that you report it yourself could cost me my head?”

“It’s important for a Crown Prince to experience the lives of his people firsthand.”

“Your intentions are impure.”

No matter how Kaber tried to dress it up, Haban wasn’t foolish enough to misunderstand his motives.

Even if Rayleigh wasn’t the only reason, there was undoubtedly a connection between her and his determination to remain close to that shop.

“What is your real reason?”

“Haban. Do you dare question my intentions?”

Kaber furrowed his brows and put on a solemn expression.

It was a reasonably intimidating display.

Unfortunately, Haban had known Kaber since childhood.

He knew perfectly well that such a trick wouldn’t work on him.

“No matter what you say, Your Highness, I absolutely cannot allow it.”

“Other people won’t do. They don’t know Rayleigh well enough. Isn’t that a reasonable argument?”

“No, Your Highness. It is not.”

“You know there’s no point in arguing with me.”

Once Kaber made up his mind, he never backed down.

And Haban, who had served him for so long, was exactly the same.

“You know perfectly well that I’m just as stubborn.”

“Haban!”

“Shouting won’t help, either. Surely you aren’t planning to throw a childish tantrum or resort to some ridiculous display of cuteness, are you?”

Haban did everything in his power to shut down Kaber’s arguments.

The Crown Prince working as an ordinary shop employee? It was simply unthinkable.

If the common people ever found out, what would become of the Imperial Family’s prestige…?

The hairs on his body stood on end, and a chill ran down his spine. Shuddering, he wrapped both arms around himself, unable to shake off the creeping sense of dread.