YWPWYLFDM 78

Chapter 78

It had been a confusing day, and her emotions kept threatening to overflow. Still, for now, she had no choice but to trust Cloud’s words and carry on as usual.

No one else would guard her secret like Cloud did.

“Yes, milady. I… will keep watch for you.”

Still kneeling, Cloud said this before rising and carefully opening the door. He even stayed nearby to ensure she could return safely.

When Aila returned to her room, Capella and Laura were fast asleep, completely unaware of the world around them.

Laura stirred slightly at the sound of her entering, but fortunately, she didn’t wake up.

Lying on her bed, staring at the dark ceiling, Aila recalled what had just happened.

Cloud… had noticed her secret. Yet he had kept it hidden. Moreover, he had even saved her from danger today.

“This can’t be real.”

It felt like a dream.

She stayed awake all night, turning over the same thoughts again and again. Could she trust Cloud? Or should she consider another course of action?

After all, he had deceived her all her life. She had been tricked by him and Byron, abandoning the natural bonds she should have cherished—a sin she could never undo, a pain that should have consumed her.

But that hadn’t happened yet—not at this point.

And Cloud… unlike the others who had looked down on her, had been the only one to show her some consideration.

“That doesn’t erase the fact that he deceived me.”

Even if he had treated her kindly out of some feeble sense of guilt, he was still one of those who had tried to use her.

She couldn’t trust him completely.

“But if I don’t trust him… is there another way to silence this?”

She couldn’t secretly kill Cloud. His power was beyond her, and she wasn’t even sure she could sneak into his room unnoticed. Even if he let his guard down today, she hadn’t managed to catch him off guard.

She couldn’t use poison either. There was no laboratory here for her to concoct anything.

And if Cloud died… who knew how disastrously things could unfold?

Most of all…

Though it was hard to admit to herself, she wanted to try trusting him.

In this terrible predicament, with cliffs surrounding her on all sides, there was at least one person on her side…

She let out an almost imperceptible, deflating laugh.

How ridiculous, she thought. To find herself wanting to trust Cloud in such a situation. How laughable it was for such a weak creature to struggle for revenge…

“No, if I think about it carefully… I just need to hang on a little longer.”

She didn’t know how long Cloud’s whims would last, but seeing him allow Laura to infiltrate the duke’s estate, it seemed her return home wasn’t far off.

So she just had to endure… a little longer…

By the time she decided she had no choice but to trust Cloud for now, the chirping of birds outside signaled the arrival of morning.

“Your Highness, please open your eyes and eat. At this rate, the fork will end up in your nose.”

Joseph’s scolding had begun again. Winfred was practically half-asleep while having lunch.

It was fortunate he was eating alone today; otherwise, anyone witnessing the Crown Prince’s table manners would be horrified.

‘Well, if there were guests, he wouldn’t behave so freely anyway.’

Winfred often acted casually in front of Joseph, yet when observed, he presented the perfect image of a Crown Prince—so it was a small relief.

With the steward’s nagging, Winfred yawned widely, rubbing his eyes.

“Just for today. I’m dying of sleepiness…”

He had stayed up all night finishing the homework assigned by the economics teacher scheduled after lunch—a task so extensive he had barely completed it by dawn.

The topic had been: “The Impact of Lower-Class Income Levels on the Empire’s Economy.”

Joseph didn’t comment but, seeing the young Crown Prince’s punishing schedule, he silently poured coffee into his cup.

Even half-asleep, Winfred diligently chewed the salad in his mouth, then suddenly sat up straight, as if recalling something.

“What is it, Your Highness?”

“My homework! I left it on my desk in the room!”

He had left the recently completed assignment on the desk in his bedroom.

“Someone could fetch it for you… perhaps finish your meal first—”

“No! I have to go myself.”

Joseph’s suggestion was reasonable, yet there was a major problem: in the assignment, there was a page where Winfred had drawn Aila’s portrait for stress relief.

He had gone straight to bed after finishing the homework, hoping to rest for a few hours.

Winfred downed his still-warm coffee and finished eating quickly—he had to get to the bedroom.

‘Idiot! Leaving that drawing out so carelessly and going to sleep…’

He slapped his own head as he moved toward the bedroom. If Joseph noticed, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but if the spies planted by his uncle saw it… he couldn’t guarantee Aila’s safety.

Bursting into his room, he found someone inside.

Binka, startled by the sudden appearance of the Crown Prince while trying to organize the desk, dropped the papers she was holding, which fluttered to the floor.

“Ahhh! That!”

Winfred lunged at the fallen papers, panic-stricken. By bad luck, Aila’s portrait had ended up on top of the stack.

Flailing awkwardly, he shoved the drawing behind his back, looking at Binka with desperate eyes.

“D-did you see it?”

Please, let her not have noticed. The moment had been too brief for her to catch a proper glimpse.

“Uh… the… the girl’s portrait? Yes, I saw it.”

Alas, his hope was dashed. Binka’s keen eyesight had already caught the drawing in that split second.

“…Ah.”

It was over.

Winfred’s mind raced through countless scenarios.

‘What if Binka spreads rumors? But she doesn’t seem the type… Still, I can’t be sure.’

And his worries didn’t stop there.

‘Could Binka be a spy planted by my uncle? She’s only seventeen… Surely they wouldn’t use someone so young… But given how she’s involved with Aila, I can’t completely rule it out.’

He even considered that she might be working for Byron and approached him deliberately, but that seemed far-fetched.

How could the people of his uncle accidentally discover his lost handkerchief? Ridiculous.

And if Binka were truly a spy… would she be so careless? She was always clumsy and often scolded by Joseph.

As Winfred sweated over these thoughts, Binka approached, looking flustered as usual when making mistakes, and began picking up the scattered papers.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I was so startled…”

“No, it’s my fault for barging in.”

He stared blankly at Binka as she gathered the papers, wondering how to bring up what had happened and ask her to keep it a secret.

Before he could speak, Binka preempted him.

“D-don’t worry, Your Highness. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Huh?”

“The drawing.”

Binka stacked the papers neatly on the desk and smiled warmly—a reassuring, gentle smile.

“You protect my secrets, Your Highness. Couldn’t I do the same?”

Winfred suddenly realized an important fact.

‘Right, Binka and I share a special bond—we share secrets.’

It was just another secret added to their relationship.

“…Th-thank you.”

Relieved, Winfred hesitantly hid the portrait in a drawer that could only be opened with a key.

“She must be someone you really like. There’s so much care put into the drawing.”

“Yes… she’s someone I truly care about.”

Binka’s words made his face heat up. He felt as if his sister had caught him in a romance.

Of course, Binka wasn’t his sister—he simply liked her on his own, and he and Aila weren’t a couple.

“Ah, so that’s why you kept your distance from me? Because you liked someone?”

She smiled slyly, teasing him.

“…Yes.”

He blushed but could only nod—because it was true.

“Your Highness, if there’s ever anything I can do to help with her, don’t hesitate to ask. A woman understands another woman’s heart best.”

Binka winked, offering her help—essentially, a proposal to give him love advice.