~Chapter 102~
In Leah’s room, after biting the people inside, Johann immediately told Samuel to bring him some paper.
He quickly wrote a letter about today’s events and handed it to Samuel.
“Send this to His Majesty the Emperor right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
After Samuel left, Johann walked over to Leah, who was sitting on the sofa.
“…Your cheeks are red. Did the princess hit you?”
Johann carefully touched Leah’s cheek as he asked.
“…Yeah. But it doesn’t really hurt.”
Leah looked down as she answered.
“Your cheek’s swollen. No way it doesn’t hurt.”
Johann frowned and gently brushed her cheek.
“That damned princess. I really can’t let this slide this time.”
He let out a heavy sigh.
“Duke, but… how did you get here so fast?”
“The high-level meeting this afternoon got canceled.”
“Really?”
“The Emperor probably faked being sick because he was tired of all the meetings since this morning… but for me, it worked out well.”
Johann kept staring at her left cheek.
“Yeah… I guess the Emperor’s fake illness turned out to be a lucky break for us.”
“If I’d come a little earlier, you wouldn’t have been slapped by the princess. Sorry.”
Johann apologized like he’d committed a serious crime.
“Sorry? I’m actually really grateful.”
Leah gave him a small smile and held his hand.
Her warm touch spread into his hand.
The spot where they touched felt almost ticklish.
“…”
Johann was caught off guard by how much kinder Leah was today.
“Seeing you today, I think I really need to make Rafi study harder—so he can handle any situation like you do.”
“…Uh, yeah. Right.”
He just stared at their joined hands, completely spaced out.
“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t even realize…”
Noticing, Leah awkwardly tried to pull her hand back.
“No, I should be thanking you—thanks for saying that.”
Johann held onto her hand so she couldn’t pull away.
“…I just meant it, that’s all.”
Leah turned her head slightly, her cheeks red.
The way she blushed after grabbing his hand first was… cute.
“By the way, what’s that jewelry box in your hand?”
Johan looked down at her soft hand in his, and then noticed the box.
“Oh, this? It’s nothing…”
Flustered, Leah tried to hide the jewelry box behind her.
“…In the middle… is that an owl?”
At his question, her hand froze.
“Ah, well…”
Johann pulled her hand holding the box closer.
He could feel her trembling slightly.
‘…It really is the owl.’
Up close, Johann recognized it—it was a jewelry box he’d seen when he was young.
“Hi, Johann!”
In the Crown Prince’s playroom—
His only friend, a shy girl named Alicia, came in.
“…Hi, Alicia.”
He looked up from his book and greeted her.
“You’re reading again, and so early too.”
“Yeah.”
As the Crown Prince Matthias’ playmate, Johann always arrived early and sat on the long sofa by the window, reading, before the prince came.
“What are you reading?”
“…Basic Swordsmanship Theory.”
“You really love swordsmanship, huh? Johann, can you look at this for a second?”
Alicia placed an old-fashioned jewelry box on top of his book.
“A jewelry box?”
It was golden, with the Goldscheider family crest—an owl—engraved in the middle.
“Yeah! My father gave it to my mother as a gift, and someday they’ll pass it down to me. Hehe.”
Alicia’s voice was bright as she bragged.
“Isn’t it pretty? I wanted to show you, so I got permission to bring it.”
She smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.
Since she was happy, he was happy too.
“It’s pretty.”
It was a precious childhood memory he’d forgotten.
But now… why was Alicia’s jewelry box, from the girl who’d long since passed away, in Leah’s hands?
“Leah… how do you have this jewelry box—”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Leah still looked flustered, unsure what to do.
Johann had believed Alicia died in the Goldscheider mansion fire.
Even though Leah looked a lot like her, he’d never connected them as the same person.
Leah had even been Alicia’s family nickname.
My god.
He’d secretly liked Alicia, and her sudden death had shocked him deeply.
Thinking about her had always hurt, so he buried the memories and tried to forget.
“…Duke, I… I mean…”
Her gentle voice, the slightly drooping eyes, those mysterious emerald eyes, her soft brown hair fluttering in the breeze—everything.
‘I forced myself to forget… That’s why I didn’t recognize her sooner.’
“Leah, are you… Alicia?”
“…”
Leah flinched and stepped back.
“…So you really are Alicia.”
Her silence was all the confirmation he needed.
“…How did you figure it out?”
“You look so much like you did back then, it’s ridiculous I didn’t realize sooner.”
He let out a bitter laugh, staring into her emerald eyes.
“No, you’re exactly the same.”
“Did you know me from before? Did we meet when we were little…?”
“You once brought that jewelry box and bragged about it, remember?”
Johann’s voice carried a hint of hurt.
“…Oh.”
Now that she thought about it—besides her cousin, the Crown Prince—there had been another boy her age in the palace.
‘It’s fuzzy, but… black hair, and… red eyes.’
Then it clicked.
That boy had been Johann.
“I remember now.”
‘So we actually knew each other before.’
If she recalled correctly, she had even called him “Johann.”
“They told me the Goldscheider family died in a big fire, that you were gone… What happened?”
Johann gripped her shoulders, his hands trembling.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She’d feared he might order her to leave if he knew she was from a disgraced family.
But he didn’t.
His eyes were filled with tears, about to fall.
“…I only found out about myself recently.”
Leah brushed the corner of his eye with her thumb.
‘He… really missed me. Missed Alicia.’
“What? What do you mean?”
“The truth is…”
She decided she could trust him.
She told him everything—about her father’s arrest, what had happened to her, and why she’d lost her childhood memories until recently.
Johann sat quietly, listening until she finished.
“I probably wouldn’t have remembered so soon if I hadn’t seen the Crown Prince.”
“…Yeah, probably.”
“Do you think the princess guessed who I was when she saw the jewelry box?”
She’d taken it back quickly, but if the princess had noticed the owl like Johann had…
“Don’t worry, the princess doesn’t have that kind of sharp eye.”
Johann patted her shoulder gently.
“I’m not just saying that to comfort you—it’s true. When she’s angry, she can’t see anything else.”
He spoke like someone who had plenty of experience with her temper.
“…Still, maybe I should take the jewelry box and leave this place.”
“What?”
“If something happens, everyone here could be in danger because of me.”
“No, Leah.”
“I’m the heir of a family accused of killing the Empress, Duke.”
“…It’s a false charge.”
‘He… already knew?’
“The Crown Prince and I both know the Goldscheiders were framed by the Queen’s scheme.”
Even so, in the Empire’s eyes, a criminal was still a criminal.
“I only have suspicions for now, but I’ll prove the Queen was involved in the Empress’ death and make her pay.”
His eyes burned with a long-held determination.
“…”
Leah’s heart wavered.
She wanted to trust him.
“Leah, please… don’t say you’ll leave.”
His desperate plea made her chest ache.
“I’ll clear the Goldscheider name as soon as I can.”
How much did he know about the Queen? Did he know she used dark magic?
“…I…”
She was about to speak when Samuel knocked and came in.
“Sir, we need you for a moment.”
“Is it urgent?”
“Yes.”
“…Sigh. Let’s go.”
Reluctantly, Johann stood up.
“Leah, get some rest.”
‘He’s probably busy cleaning up after what the princess did. I’ll ask him later.’
“Yes, come back soon.”
Selfishly, she didn’t want him to go.
She wanted to keep talking.
As she watched him leave, he suddenly turned back and walked toward her quickly—his steps fast and sure.
“Alicia… thank you for being alive.”
Then he hugged her—tightly, like someone embracing a person they’d missed for years.
In his broad, solid arms, Leah finally let the tears she’d been holding back fall.
