Chapter 14
Ten minutes.
Bang!
That’s how long it took for the door to open again.
This time, she didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was.
“You’re here?”
Katrina was sipping cold tea and didn’t bother to get up from the sofa.
She even had her back turned to the door.
“Katrina.”
Raymond’s voice was unusually stiff.
“What I heard—was it true?”
“You’re late, Your Highness.”
“I asked if it was true.”
Katrina looked at Raymond.
Her lips, which always curved in a smile, were firmly shut this time.
“You mean the part about me telling the Second Prince about Your Highness’s curse?”
Yes.
The aide had delivered exactly what Katrina wanted—to say something that would force Raymond to come running.
She had said she would tell the Second Prince his secret if he didn’t show up right away.
“I only stated the truth.”
“It’s not the truth, Katrina.”
Raymond smiled faintly.
“Who would believe you?”
Katrina frowned.
“You can brush it off as slander, but are you sure you’ll be fine?”
“……”
He had a point.
Who in this world would believe her?
People had always looked down on Katrina, both then and now.
Especially now that multiple rumors and scandals surrounded her.
And what about Raymond?
Born of royal blood, admired by all, and acknowledged for his outstanding capabilities.
She couldn’t compete with him—it wasn’t a fair game.
“Don’t worry. I’ll never let Your Highness’s secret be exposed through my mouth. If it comes out, it’ll be through the Second Prince.”
No one trusted Katrina.
But what if someone else said it?
“I said I’d tell the Second Prince. I never said I’d tell the whole world.”
The Second Prince, Raymond’s half-brother.
He was always lurking, waiting for an opportunity to take Raymond’s place.
He would be eager to tear him apart if given the chance.
“What he does with the information I provide is up to him.”
“……”
“Whether he believes it, spreads it, or buries it.”
Raymond was first in line to inherit the throne, but the position wasn’t guaranteed.
“And I don’t think the Second Prince would be so foolish as to discard someone who handed him useful information.”
Raymond scoffed openly.
“Useful information? That kind of slander—anyone could make it up.”
“With his personality, he’ll investigate thoroughly to see if it’s slander or not.”
“And he’ll find nothing.”
“Can you really be sure of that?”
Katrina crossed her arms and studied Raymond’s face.
There was no visible change in his expression, but she kept prodding him.
“Your Highness is thorough? Everyone knows that. But are you sure you’ve left no traces?”
“……”
“Considering how you collapsed at the last banquet, you probably can’t claim to be completely clean.”
He must’ve gone through many such humiliating moments.
And now he dared to play games with her?
“How unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate?”
“That you ended up cursed and shackled.”
The Raymond Katrina knew hated when things didn’t go according to plan.
He would loathe being caught in such a helpless situation.
“Of course, I don’t actually intend to tell the Second Prince.”
Katrina had no plans to go that far.
She just wanted to give Raymond a warning—not to treat her like this again.
“So don’t ever act this way again. If you do, next time…”
“Katrina.”
Raymond slowly reached out and lightly brushed her cheek.
The moment his fingertips touched her skin, the cold sensation froze the air between them.
“You weren’t like this before.”
His fingers softly traced along her face.
“You’ve been strange ever since you woke up.”
This is my true self.
Katrina wanted to say that to the man who always looked down on her.
“You love me.”
“You love me.”
That face—smiling like a work of art—overlapped perfectly with Raymond’s younger self.
You still think I love you, don’t you?
“Raymond.”
Katrina called his name.
A name she hadn’t spoken since they were children.
“I don’t love you anymore.”
In truth, I never did.
I was only pretending to, so I could go back.
Emerald eyes flickered for a moment. But it was brief, and his face quickly returned to calm.
“Is that so?”
He didn’t seem to believe her.
He thought she was lying.
But whether Raymond believed it or not didn’t matter anymore.
“Don’t treat me like you did in the past.”
“……”
“Our relationship is different now.”
Frankly, he should never have treated her that way back then either.
“There’s only one thing I want from our relationship now.”
“Our relationship?”
Katrina looked at him coldly.
“A mutually beneficial one.”
“……”
“When we’ve both gotten what we want, let’s never see each other again.”
Raymond stared at her, then curled one side of his mouth into a smirk.
“You won’t see me again?”
It was a mocking smile.
So he really doesn’t believe me.
“And Katrina, even if your feelings have changed…”
Raymond’s fingers brushed her ear.
He gently tucked a strand of her hair behind it.
“You still need me—now, just like then.”
“……”
“That hasn’t changed.”
His arrogance still scraped the sky.
Katrina was sick and tired of his unshakable pride.
Smack!
Katrina slapped his arm away.
“I brought perfume. For Your Highness.”
She had intended to just deliver it and leave right away.
Raymond didn’t like her, but she disliked him just as much.
Katrina didn’t want to be involved with him either.
“But I’ve changed my mind.”
She pulled the perfume from her coat.
“This is one week’s worth.”
As she extended her hand to give it to him, Raymond reached out to take it.
Then—
Her tone completely changed.
Like a docile pet turning into a wolf to bite its master’s throat.
“Do whatever you want—crawl on the floor for a week if you have to.”
Katrina popped open the bottle with her thumb.
And poured it.
Onto Raymond’s palm.
“……”
His green eyes looked up at Katrina.
Ignoring him, she stood up.
“I’m leaving.”
A radiant smile bloomed on Katrina’s lips.
What happened after that?
When the perfume spilled into his palm, Raymond’s eyes went briefly hazy.
As if released from the pain that had been tormenting his body, he looked dazed for a moment.
But then he quickly snapped out of it.
“What do you think you’re doing, Katrina?”
Raymond’s face was stiff with fury.
“I’m teaching you to fix that foul mouth of yours, Raymond.”
And with that, Katrina walked out of the room.
In the game, Katrina had always wondered—why did she love this arrogant man?
But sometimes, she thought she understood.
Even if just for a fleeting moment, there was a time when he had been kind.
When his arrogance could be forgotten, just for a bit.
Maybe game-Katrina couldn’t forget that time.
But now, it was all pointless.
The quicker she forgot, the better.
Katrina walked toward the carriage.
“That young lady…”
The coachman was standing nervously in front of it.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well…”
And then—
Bang!
The door opened.
From inside the empty carriage.
Katrina turned, dumbfounded.
“Hello.”
…Lucifer Orléans.
Why are you in my carriage?
