TBKBS 29

Chapter : 29

Despite my strong resolve, sitting there made me so uncomfortable that I was practically twisting in my seat.

The Emperor didn’t seem particularly concerned that I, the daughter of a duke and the chancellor, was suddenly going to become the Crown Princess of the rival Dakus Empire. He said nothing special—just a formal congratulation, and then he and Eden carried on with casual conversation.

And the Empress…

I could tell from her demeanor that she had already been informed about my marriage to Eden.

But because my father’s arrangement with Eden—and the plan regarding the Crown Prince—remained unchanged, although she might have been inwardly annoyed that I had refused marriage to Leon, she showed no overt hostility.

She hadn’t pushed for this marriage out of fondness for me; she needed the support and backing my father would bring along.

Even if I left, I was no longer a necessary factor in this arrangement with my father.

While gauging the Emperor and Empress’s mood and pondering their intentions, I tried my best not to look at Leon.

But in the end, I couldn’t completely avoid his eyes, which openly stared at me.

Duke Leon’s face… sigh…

I thought he might cry at any moment.

With such a fragile heart…

In my novel, Kaelin had a taste for men who stirred her protective instincts.

As for my own taste in the real world—I’d never even had a proper romance—I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t think this style suited me.

Looking back, despite Leon’s pretty face and his genuine feelings for Kaelin, I had always remained indifferent to him.

Of course, I knew he was a dangerous man, so I probably couldn’t view him without bias from the start.

Finally, when my eyes met Leon’s, I awkwardly asked about his well-being.

“Your Grace, Duke Leon… is your leg completely healed now?”

“It’s fine. Kaelin… when is the wedding?”

He asked about the marriage schedule—something no one had asked him before.

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

I didn’t even know.

But Eden seemed to have already made plans.

Whether he had been listening to my conversation with Leon or not, he answered smoothly as if prepared, filling the awkward silence for me.

“I will return to the Dakus Empire soon and submit a marriage proposal. Within a few months, we should be able to bring Lin to the Dakus Empire. The wedding will have to be held there, of course.”

Within a few months?

That soon?

I looked at Eden in surprise.

He gave me a casual smile as if saying, “You didn’t know?”

Ridiculous. How could I have known? We never discussed such things.

As I was exchanging glances with Eden, suddenly the table went quiet. When I turned my head, I realized I had made eye contact with Calix—someone I had been desperately avoiding even more than Leon.

I had vowed never to look him in the eye again.

Why was he staring at me?

I quickly lowered my head.

A living witness to my embarrassing past.

Never again, I swore.

But Calix’s voice wouldn’t leave me alone.

“Princess Kaelin Brockburk, congratulations. It seems you’ve found the love you were talking about before.”

The love I was talking about before?

Ah, no…

I didn’t want to understand, but unfortunately, I did.

The love I had mentioned at the palace party about half a year ago.

“I believe in love so persistent and obsessive that one would risk their life for it.”

That was what he was talking about.

Forget it, please… just forget it!

“Ah… thank you.”

I forced a smile and replied, trying to appear composed.

Couldn’t he just not speak to me?

But Calix wasn’t done.

“Although, it seems the love you spoke of then and the love you now show are somewhat different.”

???

What does he mean?

I didn’t understand at first, and Calix, noticing my confusion, kindly explained further.

Not that I needed him to…

“From what I see, your love moves quite freely.”

!!!!!!!

My face burned.

How dare he openly criticize me like that.

Why is he like this?

Is it not just disinterest but actual hostility?

Was he so displeased that he had to single me out like this?

He mocked me for having no interest, and now that I’m marrying someone else, he can’t bear to see it?

Well, it probably wasn’t so much about personal interest or malice, but watching love seem to migrate like a migratory bird—from Duke Leon to Calix, and then from Calix to Crown Prince Eden.

From his perspective, my heart must appear completely erratic.

“Ah… well…”

I didn’t know how to respond.

Then, suddenly, Eden wrapped his hand around mine, which had been holding the teacup.

What’s he doing now?

I stared at him, wide-eyed.

But Eden’s gaze wasn’t on me—it was on Calix.

“Your Highness, that is how love works. When a new love appears, previous feelings can become nothing but dust. My fiancée, Lin, seems to be a passionate lover.”

Ah… that’s not helping, Eden.

Is that supposed to help me, or is it just tormenting me?

As I feared, the cold atmosphere around the table became even frostier.

On the surface, it seemed Eden was countering Calix’s words, but in reality, his words struck Leon’s heart.

Suddenly, Leon stood abruptly.

“I’m not feeling well. Excuse me, I’ll step away for a moment.”

Leon, usually polite and composed, rarely behaved inappropriately.

A courteous and gentle man—yet he acted like this.

As Leon stood, the Empress’s expression also soured noticeably.

Ugh, Eden, why did you make this scene and say such unnecessary things!

I lowered my head even more, trying to stay unnoticed.

Huh?!!!

Looking down, I saw Calix’s left hand on the table.

sigh… What’s up with that hand?

Veins bulging, his fist radiated anger.

At what point, and why, had he become so angry?

Following the clear anger in his hand, I dared to glance at his eyes.

Strangely, his gaze was on my hand in Eden’s, not on me.

Why…!? What’s happening?

Do I look that terrible in love?

Or does he think someone like me shouldn’t marry?

With such blazing eyes, and veins throbbing on his hand…?

Ah, really!

This is terrifying.

At that moment, I made a decision.

I must hurry the marriage.

Running off to the Dakus Empire even a day earlier seemed best for my sanity.

Calix was increasingly bewildered by his strange emotions.

Kaelin Brockburk had certainly been a crazy woman.

Before rescuing her from the water, she was truly just odd.

But after saving her—and recalling the girl from his childhood who seemed to be her—she was no longer merely strange.

She began to unravel his mind in inexplicable ways.

He had always felt peculiar watching her bizarre behavior and listening to her strange words through Rajif.

But now, he felt a need to see her directly, with his own eyes.

A feeling he couldn’t quite define.

Afraid, yet curious and compelled to watch…

The absurd notion of her dating Eden was now overshadowed by the news that she would marry him.

He had expected an alliance between Leon and Kaelin Brockburk. That was why he had interpreted her odd behavior as a bid to become Empress after Leon ascended the throne.

But now, suddenly, she was marrying Eden Dakus.

What did her previous claims of liking him truly mean? What were her intentions?

The more he thought, the more puzzling—and increasingly enraging—it became.

He kept recalling Eden’s irritating words during tea time, and the moment Eden held Kaelin’s hand.

“Ugh… enough!”

He exhaled deeply and shook his head.

Then he tried to focus on his paperwork.

Yet one fact dominated his mind:

She was leaving the Everetian Empire.

“Relieved.”

He said it out loud.

But he immediately admitted to himself that it was a lie.

Not relieved at all.

Upset.

Very intensely.

“Your Highness! I like you! I really like you!”

Her voice and expression replayed vividly in his mind.

Again, his left hand clenched, veins bulging.

Finally, Eden announced he would soon submit a proposal and left the Everetian Empire. Shortly after, the proposal arrived.

Now, it was really happening.

I began preparations for the wedding.

Though wedding preparations mostly meant my father’s generous dowry, a wedding dress, and a ring for Eden.

The day after a designer visited our home to choose my wedding dress, Abby came to see me.

“Lin, what is this! I thought I’d marry first, but you’re going first—and with Crown Prince Eden, not Duke Leon…”

“Indeed, Abby.”

It was funny, in a way.

Despite Abby’s passionate romance with a pretense of marriage, I would marry first.

“You never know what will happen. I only expected you to marry Duke Leon…”

“Ah… yes…”

Indeed, the future is unpredictable.

I agreed with her in a different sense.

Not only did I enter the world of my novel, but now I was marrying a previously insignificant character.

“Lin, shall we go get a fortune telling?”

Abby made the unexpected suggestion, perhaps inspired by discussing the unpredictable future.

“What? Fortune telling?”

They have that here too?

“Card reading.”

Ah, I see. Sounds fun.

“Now?”

“No, Lin, you know nothing. Popular card readers have long waits… I’ll make a reservation. But weren’t you going somewhere?”

I had indeed planned to take a walk in the park.

Now that I had hope for a longer life, I wanted to stay healthy, and a walk would help.

“I’m going for a walk. Want to come?”

I had never gone for a walk with anyone other than Eden, but Abby was my only friend, so I had grown somewhat fond of her.

Once I moved to the Dakus Empire, I wouldn’t see her, so a walk together seemed fine.

Abby hesitated briefly, then agreed.

Freed from worries about my life, the park seemed more beautiful, the sky bluer.

At the park entrance, Abby asked curiously:

“You still come here even after falling into the river?”

“I don’t go close to the river. I mostly walk in the shade of these trees, and watch people.”

“I see… Lin. But my leg hurts. Let’s sit a bit.”

Abby and I sat on a bench, watching the people.

Not far away, a mother and two siblings were playing with a ball.

Ball games…

As I watched absentmindedly, a ball rolled toward me.

“Throw it, please!”

The little girl shouted.

I picked up the ball and tried to throw it as hard as I could, but my coordination was terrible.

The ball went completely off-target, rolled just a few meters, and stopped.

Such a pathetic body.

As I sighed and walked to retrieve it…

“Uh?!!!!!!”

I froze, stunned at the person in front of the rolling ball.

Calix?