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Chapter 25
Orte left the greenhouse, and as her breath rose to her throat, she forced strength into her body.
She tried to stop, but Clef’s grip on her wrist did not loosen.
“I’ll go on my own.”
“……”
“Young Master.”
Only after Orte raised her voice slightly and called him again did Clef stop.
After making sure no one was around, he turned to her.
“Tell me the truth.”
Orte rubbed the wrist he had grabbed. It already throbbed as if a bruise had formed.
“About what?”
“What is your relationship with the Crown Prince?”
Again, that question.
Orte frowned.
“I already told you. We have no relationship. Today was the first time I met him.”
“If there’s nothing between you, why would the Crown Prince call you?”
“Didn’t you see? The Crown Prince was just using me to mess with the young master.”
Clef parted his lips.
He had been so focused on watching Orte, worried she might cause trouble, that he hadn’t had time to observe the Crown Prince.
Even his reason was telling him the same thing as Orte. But Clef decided to push her anyway, just to be certain there was truly nothing between them.
He grabbed both her shoulders.
The rough force made Orte shut her eyes tightly before opening them again. Taking a deep breath, she spoke calmly.
“It hurts.”
“Talk.”
“I said it hurts.”
“Talk!”
“Why are you acting like this?”
Orte finally shouted.
She twisted her body roughly and broke free from his grip, facing Clef whose face was distorted.
His shoulders moved up and down as he breathed heavily.
“Why are you doing this? Just ignore me like you always do.”
Orte brushed off the shoulder he had grabbed.
“You’re good at that, aren’t you? No matter what I do, no matter what happens to me, you never even look my way.”
“You…”
“I don’t understand anymore either.”
She thought staying still would be enough.
She thought doing nothing would be enough.
“You really hate me.”
Enough to tear her down even when she did nothing.
“I stay quietly locked in my room like you want, and that’s still not enough for you?”
“……”
“I didn’t even get in your way, yet you hate me that much?”
“…There’s no reason for me to like you.”
It was the answer she had been expecting, so Orte replied without hesitation.
“Then just leave me alone.”
“……”
“I’m not staying here because I want to either.”
***
The banquet had begun, but Ellen couldn’t focus at all.
He smiled and exchanged light conversations with those who approached him, but his mind was filled only with the missing brooch.
While dealing with the nobles, Ellen slowly retraced his memory.
It was definitely there until yesterday.
He vaguely remembered taking out the brooch while drunk and muttering something to it. Then he had carefully put it back inside his clothes.
After that, he drank more, fell asleep, and then…
I never checked it.
He had been too busy since morning to even think about it. Colin hadn’t given him a single moment to breathe.
It was most likely still in his room, but Ellen felt uneasy.
What if it’s not?
He smiled at the person in front of him while swallowing dryly.
He wanted to run to his room right away. It wasn’t something expensive, but it had been given to him by the person he cherished most.
“Ellen, please…”
A soft woman’s voice echoed.
“If I disappear someday, please take care of that child…”
“Ellen.”
At the Duke of Weekend’s call, Ellen snapped back to his senses.
“Ah… yes, Father.”
“Are you alright? What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“It’s nothing.”
Ellen clenched his damp palm. His hands were already cold.
Clef returned with a stiff expression, and the banquet gradually became more lively. Ellen talked and laughed with others, but for him, every second felt unbearably slow.
“Um, Young Master…”
At the voice calling him, Ellen turned.
It was a maid.
Not one serving at the banquet, but a lower servant.
“I have something to tell you.”
Ellen excused himself from the noble he was speaking with and whispered coldly,
“Do you even know where you are? Do you want to be dragged away by the butler?”
Already anxious, his patience had worn thin.
Despite his sharp tone, the maid only flinched slightly and did not back away.
“It’s… about the brooch.”
“…What?”
“I saw it. Miss Orte took your brooch. If you check her room, you’ll find it right away!”
After finishing, Anna lowered her head, smiling faintly.
Ellen immediately brushed past her.
“Ellen?”
The Duke of Weekend, surprised by Ellen suddenly leaving, followed him out.
Ellen quickly climbed the stairs. With each step, it felt like his heart would burst.
He flung the door open.
Orte, dressed comfortably and looking slightly tired, frowned when she saw him.
She didn’t ask why he had come.
Is he angry because of the Crown Prince?
Since he seemed angry enough to come here during the banquet just to vent, she didn’t feel the need to ask.
With the thought that he could vent as much as he wanted, Orte simply looked at him.
Ellen walked over and started pulling out every drawer, throwing them onto the floor.
The sound of things breaking made Orte’s eyes widen in surprise.
“…What are you doing?”
She had never seen Ellen express anger like this before.
Did he hate that I attended the ceremony that much?
Orte decided to stay silent until his anger cooled.
Without saying anything, Ellen looked around before going into the dressing room, pulling out a jewelry box and overturning it.
Among the scattered accessories, something familiar caught his eye.
“…Ha.”
It was his brooch.
His hand trembled as he grabbed it. He walked back out and seized Orte’s wrist.
Startled, Orte tried to pull away, but couldn’t.
“What are you doing?!”
Dragged along with overwhelming force, her nails dug into his skin, but he didn’t stop.
By the time they reached the hall, they ran into the Duke of Weekend.
“Ellen, what is this disturbance?”
Only then did Ellen stop and shove Orte’s hand away. She staggered but managed to stay standing.
“I kept calling you a parasite, and now you really act like one? How dare you steal my brooch!”
Only then did Orte notice what was in his other hand—the brooch he always treasured.
So that’s why he searched my room…
She took a deep breath.
“…It wasn’t me. I didn’t do it.”
“Ha, still denying it? It was found in your room, and you say it wasn’t you?!”
“I don’t know who told you that, but I didn’t even know it was there. Ask Sef. I stayed in my room all day.”
“No, you didn’t. You came to the ceremony.”
“That was because the Crown Prince called me—”
“You filthy bastard child. You don’t even know gratitude for being taken in. You’re nothing but a stain on the Weekend family!”
Orte froze mid-explanation.
“You’re a stain, you parasite. No one will ever welcome you anywhere. The temple? Do you think they truly care about you? Without even the mark of the main god, you’ll be abandoned soon. No matter where you go, you’ll always be a stain.”
