Chapter 32
She had only helped him because she thought—
as long as she didn’t let Rose Arin be the one to save the dying crown prince,
he wouldn’t end up obsessing over Rose Arin the way he did in the original story.
Of course, even without that reasoning, she couldn’t just walk past someone who was struggling to fight a monster,
so she’d helped him anyway.
But she certainly hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.
“Liri, I think I’ve fallen for you.”
At Kardin’s completely unexpected words, Liriope could only stare at him in stunned silence.
Then, noticing the blood trickling down his forehead, she snapped back to her senses.
“You’re hurt—your head! You’ve hit your head.”
She pointed a finger at his forehead as if to emphasize
that all the nonsense coming out of his mouth was clearly the result of that injury.
Kardin, unfazed, wiped the blood off with the back of his hand
and looked down at the crimson stain on his skin.
Even with blood on him, that disgustingly beautiful face exuded a kind of decadent allure.
Liriope caught herself staring at him and, almost reflexively, pulled out a handkerchief and handed it over.
Taking it, Kardin pressed it to his forehead, then called to her softly:
“Liri.”
He didn’t even bother saying Lady anymore.
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“I get it now—you like that bastard. Fine. People’s hearts can waver. I can accept that.”
She thought it ridiculous that he was only just now believing her,
but still—if it meant he would finally drop the issue, then so be it.
It was a relief, in a way.
His head injury worried her a little,
but since he didn’t seem completely deranged, she figured those earlier words had just slipped out.
Then Kardin shattered that fragile assumption.
“So, fall for me again, Liri.”
With a deadly serious expression she had never seen before.
Liriope’s mouth dropped open wider than before.
“…What?”
Apparently, the crown prince’s character setting was:
‘He falls in love with the one who saves him from danger.’
Otherwise, there was no reason this lunatic would be clinging to her like this.
“What part of me did you fall for, Liri? Think about it. No, actually, just knowing that I love you—
isn’t that reason enough for you to fall for me again?”
“…”
“Come on, Liri. I’m the crown prince of this empire. Soon to be emperor.
That means you’d be the empress. Doesn’t that sound far better than being the wife of some northern duke ruling over a barren wasteland?”
Kardin followed right at her heels, babbling nonstop nonsense,
and Liriope’s head was starting to throb.
“Being empress means a life full of excitement, you know. Far more interesting than that dull dukedom.”
“…”
“Besides, Liri, we were destined to marry anyway. Don’t you think so?
You saving me—it’s proof of our fate. You’re fated to love me, and I’m fated to love you.”
His absurd talk of “fate” made her temples pulse painfully.
Finally, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Kardin, who had been trailing behind, stopped as well.
“Your Highness, you’ve hit your head—hard. You have no idea what you’re saying right now.”
“I’m fine. Well, not fine, but fine enough.”
“And yet you’re saying things like that?”
She glared at him and turned back around, walking briskly.
She needed to get him back to the tent quickly—
the imperial physician was waiting there and could examine him.
Honestly, she wouldn’t mind bumping into Rose Arin along the way
so that Rose could heal him and his bizarre fixation could return to its proper target.
Still, if separating him for a while could make things easier for Rose and Theo to get together,
that wasn’t a bad outcome either.
So she just focused on getting him back.
“I’m telling you, I’m fine. That’s why I can say these things.”
“If you were fine, you wouldn’t be saying them.
You’ve treated me like a passing pebble all your life.”
“Me? Never.”
“Or worse—you downright disliked me.”
“What? That’s ridiculous!”
Kardin shouted, looking genuinely offended.
Without even glancing back, Liriope shook her head.
“You clearly found the girl who chased after you since childhood to be annoying.
When I begged Father to take me to the palace, you literally ran away to avoid me.”
“T-that was… I was young back then!”
“So was Liriope.”
Those few lines were enough to show just how coldly he had treated her in the past.
It wasn’t her past, but she could easily imagine how deeply the body’s original owner had been hurt.
“But I’m saying I like you now! I’m in love with you!
Shouldn’t you feel like your lifelong wish has finally come true?!”
‘What in the world…’
Liriope’s eyebrows shot up.
“Oh my, what a shallow ‘lifelong wish.’
Besides, I’m already in love with Theo.”
“Don’t throw that word ‘love’ around so lightly, Liri!”
“Lightly? He’s my fiancé.”
“When you marry me later, you’ll regret saying that! Are you sure you’re okay with that?!”
At his outburst, Liriope looked utterly appalled.
Who was marrying whom, exactly?
For the man who had killed her to be saying things like this—it was infuriating.
Could changing the original story really alter someone’s personality this much?
Knowing how much Kardin had despised Liriope in the original,
she was completely thrown by this new version of him.
Listening to Kardin’s delusional ramblings about “loving him again” all the way to the tent,
Liriope quickly summoned the imperial physician to check his condition.
“His head and shoulder are injured,” the physician said.
“Since it was caused by a high-level monster, I recommend using holy water.”
At Liriope’s nod, the physician poured holy water over Kardin’s forehead and shoulder,
then looked at her hesitantly.
“My lady, you seem to be injured as well.”
Following his gaze, both Kardin and Liriope looked down at her left hand.
“You’re hurt!”
Kardin immediately shot up and grabbed her wrist.
Liriope twisted her hand free and pressed down on his uninjured shoulder, forcing him to sit again.
“Please, calm down, Your Highness.”
It was just a shallow cut across the back of her hand—
probably from the wind monster’s attack.
“I’ll treat it when we return.”
“Use holy water on her wound,” Kardin ordered sternly.
The physician, caught between them, hesitated but took out the vial again.
But being treated by the imperial physician felt excessive,
so Liriope quickly shook her head.
“There’s no need. It’s not that serious.”
Then she gestured for the physician to continue treating Kardin instead.
The physician turned back and resumed his work.
While the physician and his assistant bustled about tending to the crown prince,
Liriope stood by, answering occasional questions.
The type of monster mattered—its venom or magic attribute could change the treatment method.
As she calmly explained, Kardin just kept staring at her.
His gaze was so blatant that she almost commented on it,
but since every time he opened his mouth nonsense came out, she decided to ignore it.
Then, after a while, he lightly tapped her arm.
When she turned to look, he spoke again—more absurdity.
“Liri. Since I’m injured, why don’t you stay at the palace for a while and nurse me?”
Her eyes widened instantly.
“What…?”
What kind of bullshit is that?
She bit back the words, glaring at him instead.
“You saved me, so it’s only right that you take care of me until I’m healed.”
Right, sure. In your dreams.
“You saved me, so you have to take responsibility.”
“Your Highness.”
“You always wanted to visit the Crown Prince’s Palace, didn’t you?”
“That was ages ago.”
Digging up old memories now? Her patience was wearing thin.
“Anyway, if you stay with me, I’ll recover faster.”
“The imperial physicians are far more qualified to handle that.”
“Come on, I’m not talking about real nursing.”
“Then what kind of fake nursing is that?”
“Just… being there.
If you’re at the palace, I feel like I’ll heal faster.”
Even he seemed embarrassed by his own words—his ears turned bright red.
Liriope just stared at him in disbelief before sighing softly.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
“Why?”
“I’m not that curious about the palace anymore.
And I doubt Theo would approve.”
“Why the hell would you need that bastard’s permission?!”
“He’s my fiancé. Of course I would.”
“That stupid scrap of paper you call an engagement contract means nothing!
I told you, Liri—fall for me again.”
“Your Highness.”
“If you love me again, then everything you ever wanted with me will…”
And at that moment—
“Kardin!”
A sharp female voice cut him off.
Both Kardin and Liriope turned toward the sound.
A pale-faced middle-aged woman was hurrying toward them.
It was the Empress.
