Chapter 5
Five years.
That was how long I’d spent with Heilon — and four of those years, I had lived as his Crown Princess.
It wasn’t within the Imperial Palace, but outside those walls, I had still been, without question, the Crown Princess of the Empire.
I’d practiced walking — just walking — hundreds of times, rehearsing for ceremonies that lasted only a few minutes. Compared to that, this short walk across the narrow ballroom floor was nothing at all.
As I moved forward, the eyes of countless people followed me. Some curious, some resentful, some mocking.
But among them, I immediately caught sight of the faces I could never forget — the ones marked by a particular kind of satisfaction.
“I am Berian Clody,” I said clearly.
In an instant, every face around me twisted.
How utterly predictable.
Especially those at the center — the ones leading the whispers — were all too familiar.
“Lady Clody. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. It has been, Lady Fortian.”
Rowen Fortian, daughter of a viscount. And surrounding her were faces I remembered vividly — the same ones etched into my worst memories.
‘Even a concubine outshines the Crown Princess.’
‘No wonder His Highness doesn’t even glance at her — she has no charm at all.’
‘If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to show my face.’
Rowen had tormented me longer than Helen ever had.
Unlike Helen, she never openly insulted me — not in front of others, not while I held the title of Crown Princess.
But behind every false smile, every cruel rumor and veiled insult whispered through the social circles, I always found her shadow.
Always pretending innocence. Always smiling sweetly.
I knew she wouldn’t have anything kind to say to me today — I knew it before she even opened her mouth. Still, I waited.
“My, what a lovely dress you’re wearing, Berian.”
A polite greeting. Different from before.
Still, the air between us was thick and uneasy.
Honestly, I hadn’t planned to cause any scene.
I represented my family, after all — and at a royal celebration, I had no desire to attract unnecessary attention.
“Thank you. You look—”
“But really…”
Rowen cut me off mid-sentence, her voice dripping with pity.
“To show up looking that beautiful — without an escort, no less…”
Of course.
Her eyes gleamed with mockery, and the ladies behind her fanned themselves to hide their smirks.
You haven’t changed a bit, Rowen.
People like her were everywhere in society — those who found joy in looking down on others they deemed beneath them.
But what truly angered me wasn’t just her — it was myself.
The old me, who used to smile and pretend not to notice the insults.
The me who kept silent while my heart broke.
How pathetic.
And then, as if echoing my own thought, Heilon’s voice whispered in my mind — harsh, cold, painfully clear.
For once, I understood him. Maybe, just this once, I could admit it: I really had been pathetic.
“Lady Fortian,” I said evenly.
“Yes, Lady Clody?”
“You truly haven’t changed.”
“What?”
Rowen blinked, uncertain whether she’d heard me correctly.
“You’re exactly the same as the last time we met. Not even a little different.”
My gaze swept from the tip of her jeweled shoes to her eyes, sharp and deliberate.
She stiffened, just for a second.
Then, a dry laugh slipped through her painted lips.
“It seems your time in seclusion has given you a bit of boldness, Lady Clody.” She tapped my shoulder with a single finger, a mockery disguised as casualness.
“But you know, this isn’t the quiet comfort of your manor. It doesn’t suit you to act so… ill-mannered. Didn’t anyone at House Clody ever teach you how the nobility behave?”
“…”
“Ah, yes. You really haven’t changed.”
With that, she turned to leave, her smile smug and victorious.
How laughable.
That same Rowen Fortian — who had always mocked me while I stood silent.
Who took joy in humiliating me because she knew I’d never fight back.
She believed none of that had changed.
That I was still the same docile Berian Clody.
She was wrong.
“I see House Fortian still hasn’t taught its daughters proper etiquette.”
“…What?”
She turned sharply, eyes wide.
My blue gaze met hers — clear, steady, unflinching.
“How bold of you to speak so informally to a daughter of a Count’s family. What a strange sense of decorum.”
The words hit her like a slap.
Because everyone knew what I’d just done — I’d insulted the pride of her noble bloodline.
“You— What nonsense—”
“Oh, perhaps you didn’t realize? Of course — if you had been properly educated, you wouldn’t have acted like that.”
My voice was polite — almost too polite — but every word dripped with scorn.
Color rose to her cheeks, and her jaw clenched tight.
“My mistake,” I added softly. “I simply assumed a viscount’s daughter would have received a better education.”
“Berian.”
“Maybe you should ask your parents to hire you a tutor in manners?”
“Berian!”
“My name, Lady Fortian,” I said, my smile sharp as glass. “Try using it correctly.”
The tension between us sparked like fire.
“Calling me so carelessly,” I added, “is also a breach of etiquette.”
“A breach—?”
Rowen scoffed and grabbed my arm tightly.
“Do you really think you’re in any position to lecture me about decorum? You, who have no standing left, no connections, no influence—what gives you the right?”
Her fingers trembled with rage, but for once, I didn’t flinch.
“Really, Rowen,” I murmured, my voice low enough for only her to hear. “Why are you so upset? All I did was say a few words. Normally you’d ignore me — or insult me behind my back.”
Her eyes flickered, uncertain.
“You’ve always hated me, haven’t you? Always glared at me from afar. I used to wonder why… but now I understand.”
I leaned in, my smile faint, my tone cool.
“You’re afraid.”
“Afraid?” she hissed.
“You’re afraid I’ll come back. That I’ll return to the place above you — where I used to be.”
Her lips trembled.
“Every time I looked happy, you tried to ruin it. Like that night at the party, remember?”
Her expression faltered. She remembered.
“You poured wine on my head.”
Her jaw clenched, and I smiled faintly.
“Your parents called it a child’s mistake.” I tilted my head. “I was thirteen.”
Her silence was answer enough.
“Do you remember how I left that night, soaked and humiliated? My mother had to lead me away, holding my hand. You were watching. Were you proud of yourself?”
“Are you… threatening me?”
“Threatening?” I laughed softly. “No, Rowen. I’m just hoping you were satisfied.”
One step closer — and I could see her pulse quicken in her neck.
“You’ve come of age now,” I said quietly. “So you can’t hide behind childish cruelty anymore.”
I pulled my arm free from her grasp.
She frowned, confused, angry.
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean,” I said calmly, “you can no longer excuse your pettiness as a child’s foolishness.”
I didn’t bother hiding my expression anymore.
I smiled — radiant, graceful, almost angelic.
And in that moment, every pair of eyes around us could only think one thing: how beautiful.
“Berian!”
Rowen’s voice cracked through the hum of the crowd.
“Lower your voice,” I said lightly. “Surely you haven’t forgotten where you are. Or are you no longer concerned with how His Highness might see you?”
It was her own words I threw back at her — the ones she’d used to humiliate me years ago.
Her expression shattered.
And for the first time, I didn’t hide my satisfaction.
“Calm down, Lady Fortian!” one of her friends, Garian, whispered urgently, stepping between us as more people turned to look.
Causing a scene at the Crown Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony was social suicide — for her and everyone standing near her.
“Oh dear,” I murmured. “People are watching. You should quiet down, Lady Fortian. Where’s that handsome fiancé of yours, by the way?”
Her lips pressed together, bloodless.
“Berian, you—”
But before she could finish, the bells rang.
The sound filled the ballroom — deep, solemn, resounding.
The ceremony had begun.
The crowd started to disperse, and I smiled one last time at her.
“It seems time’s up. Excuse me, Lady Fortian.”
Turning away, I walked toward the edge of the hall, glancing back only once.
Rowen still stood there, glaring daggers at me — her fury barely contained.
But I simply smiled and walked on.
The stares that followed me burned like sunlight on my skin, but they didn’t hurt.
For the first time in years, my steps felt light — unbelievably light.
Finally…
I’d escaped her.
The fear, the humiliation — all of it.
A laugh almost escaped me as I stopped at the wine table and lifted a glass.
The sweet aroma rose to meet me.
Sweet, I thought in surprise after the first sip.
I’d only ever drunk bitter wine before.
But this — this tasted like freedom.
For a moment, I let the smile return to my lips.
And then—
“His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Heilon de Obersha, and Her Highness, Princess Sierina de Obersha, are entering!”
The herald’s voice echoed across the hall.
And just like that, the warmth in my chest froze solid.
He’s here.
The one memory I’d spent a lifetime trying to erase — Heilon, that day — stood before me once more.
