Chapter 32
The other party had no idea that someone was waiting for them in a completely different place.
‘So this is how it was.’
Again and again, they kept missing each other. Those misses piled up as resentment, and the resentment grew into wounds.
Until it reached the point where they could no longer avoid tearing each other apart.
And the one who had orchestrated this situation was…
‘Berthold.’
I ground my teeth silently.
The things he had shown me over time—his cryptic words, his strange behavior—when put together, there was only one conclusion.
This was Berthold’s doing.
‘It wasn’t just simple manipulation.’
Whenever there was even the slightest chance that the father-and-son bond might heal, he had always found a way to ruin it.
To isolate Father.
To make sure Father’s only priority would be him.
…Even if it meant Father’s unhappiness.
‘I never thought it would be to this extent.’
What could he possibly gain from Father’s isolation that made him go this far?
My brows furrowed deeply.
The honest truth was, I wanted to run over right now and hit him with everything I had.
I wanted to scream at him to return Father’s stolen childhood.
I wanted to shout for the world to hear that he had committed something unforgivable against my father.
How could a person harbor this much malice?
“Why… why on earth…?”
But Father—
My father, who would never for even a moment believe this was his elder brother’s fault—
“All this… over such a trivial misunderstanding…”
He brushed it off as nothing more than a mere misunderstanding, muttering blankly.
Perhaps it was because he wasn’t thinking straight.
Right now, both of them were too overwhelmed for sound judgment.
“In the end, the fault lies with me—for not going back to find you.”
At last, Grandfather spoke again, his voice a little calmer now.
“I could have sent someone to bring you back to me. But my pride stopped me from even doing that.”
“……”
“I am sorry. Truly.”
His eyes, which had been fixed on the desk, finally lifted to meet Father’s.
“I acted as a father and yet wasted our time on pointless battles of will.”
“……”
“I no longer… I don’t want to live like that with you anymore.”
He didn’t want to spend any more meaningless years.
His voice, heavy with regret, filled the office.
“Even if you don’t accept my apology, it’s fine. I won’t ask for your forgiveness. I only…”
For the first time, a father looked at his son and offered his heart.
“I just want to say I am sorry.”
He bowed his head and repeated those words over and over.
“I am sorry.”
This was a man who had never bowed to anyone in his life.
And now, before his son, he bowed deeply.
The weight of that act—
No one present could fail to grasp it.
Least of all Father.
“……”
He stared blankly for a long moment, then turned away sharply as if unable to bear it.
Finally, he bit down hard on his lips and whispered:
“……I still don’t know.”
And with that, he stood, clutching my hand, and stormed out.
I hurried along beside him, struggling to keep pace, watching his face anxiously.
He looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment.
Why won’t you cry, Father?
It’s okay to cry.
No one would blame you…
“Father…”
Just as I opened my mouth, unable to hold back any longer—
“Harzen? Cece?”
Mother appeared, striding quickly toward us.
“You said you’d bring Cece, but why are you rushing ahead without matching her pace…?”
She stopped when she saw Father’s face. Her words trailed off.
His distorted expression… she must have sensed at least a little of what had happened.
“Harzen.”
Growing serious, she grasped his other hand firmly.
“Let’s leave this place.”
And so, like links of a chain, I followed behind them both.
The maids’ stares prickled at me, but I wanted to shout: Don’t look at us like that. We’re just going for… a family meeting, that’s all. Probably.
The two of them eventually dismissed even the attendants trailing behind us, continuing on in silence.
They didn’t stop until we reached a quiet, secluded garden where no one else was around.
‘I followed out of worry for Father, but…’
Now that we’d come this far, returning to the Empress’s Palace would take quite some time.
Mother must have known that—and yet she had led him here anyway.
Because Father looked so unstable.
“……”
She hadn’t said a word the entire way.
She just kept holding Father’s hand and walking forward.
“Yuria.”
Finally, Father broke the long silence.
He stopped and spoke slowly.
“I think we’ve come far enough.”
Perhaps the walk had helped; his voice was steadier now.
“Besides, I’m fine now. Let’s go back to the Empress’s Palace. You’re always the one saying I must never be late—”
“Harzen.”
Mother finally spoke, her violet eyes flashing with determination.
“If you want to leave, even now, then say so.”
“Even if I stay here alone, it doesn’t matter. You can take Cece and go home first.”
“……”
“Her Majesty’s condition is improving, so even if you leave, no one will stop you.”
Well… excuse me, but I think someone will.
His name is Berthold. He looks like Father but at the same time doesn’t look like him at all.
“To leave you here alone…”
Father’s voice was low, sinking deep.
“That’s no different than telling me to stop breathing.”
I immediately pressed my lips shut.
Of course. That’s exactly the kind of dramatic line a male lead would say without batting an eye.
“Harzen…”
But unlike me, Mother wasn’t fazed at all. She was used to such words by now.
“I can’t stand to see you suffer like this in the palace. No, I won’t stand it.”
“……”
“If you can’t say it yourself, then I’ll go to His Majesty directly. I’ll beg him not to be so harsh on you—”
“That’s not it.”
Father shook his head slowly, his face twisting again as the memory returned.
“On the contrary… it’s the opposite.”
“The opposite?”
“…Yes.”
Then, in a faintly trembling voice, he began recounting everything that had happened.
What he saw when he entered the office.
How he had cornered his father.
How they finally learned that years ago, they had been waiting for each other in the wrong places.
And finally—
“He apologized to me.”
“……”
“Over and over again. With sincerity.”
His head was bowed, his hair falling loosely over his eyes.
Through the strands, his gaze flickered like a stormy sea.
Emotions too vast to comprehend surged within.
“There are moments when you can’t help but recognize the truth, no matter how much you want to deny it.”
Father closed his eyes tightly, as if trying to block out the rising tide.
“It was real. His apology was sincere.”
“……”
“A heartfelt apology I could never deny.”
His words ended, and he bit his lips so hard that blood welled at the corners.
How hard must he have bitten to split his skin?
It must have hurt terribly—yet still, he refused to cry.
Was that his way of holding it all in?
‘I can’t understand.’
I couldn’t even begin to grasp the depth of Father’s feelings in that moment.
