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chapter 4
“And even if I marry the Crown Prince, I have no intention of leaving your side.”
“What?”
“The person I want to spend my life with is you. Becoming the Crown Princess won’t change that. We’ll remain the same as before.”
After that day, he completely severed ties with Erika Medina.
“There’s no way he could have ever harbored feelings for a woman like her. Not that he ever did, to begin with.”
“Is that so? Then does that mean Yuriela Longo truly loves him?”
“Yes, she does.”
The Crown Prince suddenly burst into loud laughter.
“Is something wrong?”
“Not wrong, just… it’s a little funny. Love, huh? Loving the woman who killed my father?”
At the Crown Prince’s blunt words, Duke Baraota’s smiling expression vanished completely.
“Why? Did I say something I shouldn’t have? Or are you just surprised because you know the truth?”
“You say Yuriela killed him herself, but that was a false accusation. It was actually done by someone who had lent him money.”
“Regardless, aren’t you supposed to be grieving your father’s death?”
Duke Baraota had no idea how much the Crown Prince knew, or from when.
“He wasn’t someone worthy of being called a father.”
“That’s true. He sold his daughters for money, even the youngest. But don’t worry too much. This is still something only I know.”
“Since when have you been so interested in the Baraota family?”
“I wasn’t, but now I’m trying to take more interest.”
The Crown Prince could now be certain from their earlier conversation: unlike Yuriela and himself, Duke Baraota remembered nothing.
‘The Duke remembers nothing.’
The Crown Prince smiled faintly at the thought, while Duke Baraota felt a strange, uneasy premonition.
Yuriela cautiously lifted her head when she no longer heard the Crown Prince’s voice.
‘Has he gone?’
She tried to calm her wildly beating heart with steady breaths, though it helped little.
“How I wish it were Rey who held all the memories instead of the Crown Prince.”
Hoping against hope, she had mentioned the word “dream” to Duke Baraota, but he truly seemed to remember nothing.
“If that were the case, I could’ve just asked him… about whether he and my family, and even the entire Baraota household, risked rebellion knowing full well we could all die. And why he did such a thing.”
Exhausted from everything she had endured, Yuriela buried her face in her knees and drifted off to sleep.
The rustling of some noise gradually woke Yuriela.
“You’re awake, it seems.”
She startled at the sight of Duke Baraota sitting by the bedside, reviewing documents.
“Rey… when did you come? And the reception—”
“You must have been tired. You were asleep in an awkward position. The reception ended well.”
Relieved that the reception had gone smoothly, Yuriela then noticed she had already been changed into her pajamas and blushed.
“My… my clothes…”
“Madel took care of it.”
Yuriela exhaled in relief.
“Oh, so Madel did it.”
“You’ve grown close to Madel, haven’t you?”
“Yes, Madel was so kind and attentive that I opened up to her quickly.”
Duke Baraota set the documents on the drawer and moved closer to Yuriela.
“Rey?”
She worried that her wildly beating heart might be obvious from this close.
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything.”
“Huh?”
“Or… is that what you were hoping for?”
Yuriela’s face flushed instantly at his question.
“Don’t joke.”
“Why do you think I’m joking?”
“But we’re just a contractual couple. Besides…”
She swallowed her words, unable to continue.
‘For two years, we’ve spent countless nights in the same room, yet we’ve never shared a night in that sense.’
Before her regression, Yuriela and Duke Baraota avoided any physical contact outside of public appearances.
‘Even when we held hands like a loving couple, the moment we entered this room, it was like we were strangers again.’
“Besides?”
“Besides, Rey has never had that kind of interest in me.”
Though Duke Baraota claimed he loved her from the first time he saw her before his death, Yuriela did not believe him.
‘If that were true, we wouldn’t have wasted so much time.’
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said.”
Duke Baraota frowned at her answer, displeased.
“If you have something to say, say it properly.”
“…I have nothing to say.”
She turned her head quickly, unable to speak.
‘It’s too close; I can’t speak properly.’
Duke Baraota gently turned her face toward him. She tried to turn away, but he didn’t let go.
“Let go.”
“If you want me to, say it properly. Don’t hesitate halfway. You don’t believe I’m interested in that, huh?”
Their eyes met, and a subtle tension hung between them.
“…Rey.”
Unable to bear it, Yuriela finally spoke.
“Why?”
“Just… what if, very hypothetically…”
Duke Baraota waited silently for her to continue.
“What if you had to do something… something dangerous?”
“What kind of danger?”
She lowered her gaze under his intense stare.
“A danger that could threaten not only your life but everyone in the Baraota household, including me and my family.”
“There’s no way I’d do anything so dangerous.”
“I said if, hypothetically.”
Though Duke Baraota didn’t understand her improbable scenario, he had to respond to her serious expression.
“That won’t happen. If it threatened the lives of others as well as mine, it simply won’t happen.”
“Really?”
Seeing his expression, Yuriela dared to meet his eyes.
“Yes. One of our contract terms was to protect you and your family. That won’t be broken.”
Even without hearing a firm promise, Yuriela felt reassured.
‘Yes, it can’t happen. Rey would never do that.’
Her lips curved into a smile. Duke Baraota released her face, quickly turning his own.
“Rey?”
Oblivious to his blushing, she called him.
“Why?”
“Just… you turned your head suddenly.”
“Tired. Now go to sleep.”
Duke Baraota got up.
“And Rey?”
“I need to check something. You go to sleep first.”
“Understood.”
He tidied her blanket and left the room.
“Ha… that was risky.”
He lightly brushed his own face.
“Kian!”
Late at night, a furious woman barged into the Crown Prince’s palace.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
It was none other than the Empress herself.
“Do you think this is the time for polite greetings? Because of you, everything has gone wrong!”
“Mother, please calm yourself.”
“Calm myself? Just a little longer and the Baraota family would have belonged to the Sylvestri Marquises! I’ve done all this for you, and yet—”
“For me?”
The Crown Prince smiled wryly.
“Mother, are you thinking of me as your son?”
“What… what did you say?”
The Empress, unused to her son speaking back, looked slightly taken aback.
“Be honest, Mother. This isn’t for me, it’s for you. Reviving your Sylvestri relatives is far more beneficial than my father ever being on the throne.”
Snap—the Crown Prince turned his face sharply.
“If you want to hit someone, don’t hit the face. What will you tell the Emperor in the morning? Ah, never mind. He doesn’t care about me anyway.”
He felt oddly relieved after being slapped.
“You’ve completely lost your mind.”
“Do I seem that way? I’ve never been more sane in my life.”
The Empress raised her hand again, but the Crown Prince caught it effortlessly.
“Can’t let go?”
She struggled.
“Do you think I allowed myself to be hit all this time?”
“Let go! How dare you play with me?”
He held her hands firmly to prevent any action.
“I would take it if I could, but that would be troublesome.”
‘If only there were no gathering tomorrow… I’d let her hit me once more. Riel is weak to the weak-hearted.’
He remembered Yuriela’s worried gaze when he got hurt, unable to dodge a thrown object.
‘Seeing her face, I’d weaken again and tell her to get treatment.’
He suppressed his desire to rush to the Baraota mansion and see Yuriela.
“Let go! I said let go!”
The Empress screamed in frustration.
“I’ll save your pride, Mother, so please return home now.”
