WHM | Chapter 33

~Chapter 33~ 

“How could he do that to you? My lady, you were so, so worried about him. You came all the way to this distant, unfamiliar North just for him…”

“I’m okay. I came because I chose to. It can’t be helped.”

“I really thought he would put his fiancée first.”

This wasn’t the first time Eileen had fought with Cedric.

And it likely wouldn’t be the last.

That’s why she calmed down fairly quickly.

“Like I said before, we’re really not a good match.”

They were bound to break up anyway.

Maybe it was better to grow so distant that they couldn’t even stand the sight of each other.

If she could stop caring about what happened to him in the future, maybe that would be better.

‘So I’m fine.’

Eileen forced herself to stay composed.

What she needed more than anything was time to think and a quiet place.

She rubbed her forehead and sighed, her mind overflowing with thoughts.

Finally, she stopped walking when she reached the entrance of an empty, desolate garden.

“Mary, wait here.”

“But, my lady…”

“There’s no one here.”

The vast area looked like it had been abandoned for years.

It must’ve once been a beautiful garden.

But because the lady of the house had been absent for so long, everything was overgrown and neglected.

Without waiting for Mary’s reply, Eileen began walking forward.

‘I can finally breathe.’

Just for a few hours, she wanted to be alone without seeing anyone.

Being around others meant she’d have to talk—and right now, talking was the last thing she wanted.

“Why won’t Cedric just listen to me?”

She muttered, annoyed, as she passed a nearly dried-up, ugly pond.

Then she heard a rustling noise nearby.

‘…Who’s there?’

At first, the word “assassin” flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

What kind of assassin makes that much noise?

She glanced around as she walked—then her foot slipped.

‘Pull yourself together, Eileen!’

She cried out internally.

As she instinctively reached out to grab something, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back forcefully.

Eileen let out a breath of relief and finally looked at the person beside her.

“Are you alright?”

It was a calm and polite voice—clearly someone of noble status.

Realizing that, Eileen immediately straightened her posture.

She let go of his hand as she regained her balance, and the man stepped back.

He was wearing a leather glove—but only on one hand.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Since Eileen didn’t answer right away, the man asked again in a composed voice.

He seemed very calm and collected.

But Eileen’s silence wasn’t because she couldn’t speak.

It was because of what she saw when she finally looked up and met his eyes.

They were a light bluish-gray, like a winter sky—cold and mysterious.

“You’re…”

Eileen had a good idea of who he was.

***

Maybe he took her hesitation as confusion about his identity.

The man stepped back politely and introduced himself.

“Forgive the late greeting. I am Theorn of Arwyn.”

His voice was quiet and steady.

Hearing that, Eileen also regained her composure.

“You’re Prince Theorn of Arwyn. I’m Eileen Cassier.”

“You know who I am?”

He seemed mildly interested now that the conversation was flowing smoothly.

“It would be more troubling if I didn’t. I’m soon to become a member of the Lowell family. Not knowing about Arwyn—a kingdom we’ve long exchanged with—would be careless.”

Of course, that wasn’t really why she knew him.

In truth, Eileen had been startled for a different reason.

If things had gone the way they were supposed to, Theorn shouldn’t be here yet.

He was supposed to come later—part of a royal envoy to congratulate Cedric on inheriting the dukedom.

Not appeared here alone and suddenly, as if he had come out of nowhere.

“That’s not wrong. But…”

His eyes were hard to read. Cold, bluish-gray, emotionless.

After pausing, he continued.

“It’s just… It’s been a long time since someone treated me so casually, even after knowing who I am.”

Ah, so that was the issue.

But now it would be awkward to suddenly act scared or wary.

“It’s wrong to show fear when there’s no reason. It’s also disrespectful to the other person.”

“Most people in the Empire seem to think differently.”

He rubbed the back of his gloved hand with his bare one—a habit, probably unaware of it himself.

Eileen pretended not to notice.

There was a reason Theorn brought this up.

The Kingdom of Arwyn was named after the goddess Arwyn, and not just in name.

The so-called “blessing of the goddess” was real.

While magic didn’t exist in this world, people from Arwyn were known to use something like magic.

But from Eileen’s point of view, their abilities were quite limited—and only worked within their own land.

“Ignorance is the root of fear.”

She met his eyes directly as she said it, and for the first time, Theorn gave a faint smile.

“As someone who occasionally benefits from that fear, I agree.”

People always feared the unknown.

There were still rumors about how the Empire’s first emperor had sent an army into Arwyn, and not a single soldier returned. All had vanished without a trace.

No survivors. No bodies. Nothing.

It was still debated whether it was true.

What was certain was that the goddess’s blessing became useless once they left their land.

That’s why Arwyn remained extremely closed off from the outside world.

Only Arwyn’s royal family, born with the goddess’s mark, could use some of that power outside their homeland.

“So, what brings you to Lowell this time?”

The Empire couldn’t afford to go to war with Arwyn, so they used the northern Lowell family to keep relations peaceful.

“I came to expand trade with the Empire. The Lowell family kindly agreed to act as mediators for the negotiations.”

“…Cedric?”

“Yes. Your fiancé.”

Theorn stared at her directly, like he had known who she was from the beginning.

The more they talked, the more Eileen felt like she was walking through fog, trying to find a path.

He was the complete opposite of Cedric.

“Then… why are you here, in this abandoned place? It’s not like they’d treat an important guest poorly.”

“I heard the Duke of Lowell was away, so I’ve been looking around while I wait. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of my visit or receive loud, formal welcomes.”

“I see.”

Eileen fell silent.

She knew Cedric’s absence was her fault.

So she ended up saying something she normally wouldn’t choose.

“Then… could we talk for a while? I’m curious about Arwyn.”

Once again, the future she knew had changed.

Which meant she couldn’t rely on the “original story” anymore.

She would have to learn and predict things for herself from now on.

And now that the opportunity had come—she wanted to learn as much as she could about the original male lead.