WHM | Chapter 35

~Chapter 35~

Eileen, looking a bit awkward but still firm, suddenly said to Prince Theorn:

“I’m sorry to interrupt our conversation, but I think I have to go now.”

“Is that so,” Theorn replied.

He looked at both Eileen and Cedric, who were standing far apart but staring at each other, and quickly sensed there was something complicated between them.

Eileen’s expression looked somewhat gloomy or troubled. Cedric, on the other hand, couldn’t take his eyes off Eileen, but at the same time, he seemed wary of Theorn. Yet, he didn’t come closer—he just stood there, staring.

Curiosity is human nature—especially when the people involved are the future head of House Lowell and his fiancée.

Theorn tilted his head slightly and asked in a casual tone:

“Is there some kind of problem?”

“No, not at all,” Eileen answered quickly—too quickly, which actually made it obvious that there was something going on.

She sighed inwardly. She didn’t want to let Theorn Arwyn see the messy emotions between her and Cedric. Even if he was turning out to be a better conversation partner than she expected, this was still their first meeting.

But then Theorn looked at her with his calm bluish-gray eyes and said something unexpected:

“If there’s anything I can help you with, please let me know. I’ll help you.”

“Without asking for anything in return? Just out of kindness?” Eileen blurted out.

She asked that because she remembered the original novel’s story. In that version, Diana and Theorn first met in a snowy forest, where Diana got lost. Theorn happened to pass by and offered her a ride on his horse. When he told her she’d “owe him a debt,” she argued, “How can saving someone’s life be considered a debt?”—and their story began with that playful argument.

After that, their relationship developed with mutual misunderstandings, clashing feelings, and eventually, sweet but complicated love.

In the end, Diana chased love all the way to Arwyn, while Cedric was left behind, only realizing too late what he had lost.

Back in the present, Theorn answered her question:

“You kept me company when I was bored, so of course I should return the favor.”

Theorn wasn’t usually the type to enjoy chatting with others. Everything he was doing today was uncharacteristic.

But with Eileen Cassiar, he felt a strange sense of similarity.

After his mother died and his father quickly remarried, Theorn became an outcast within the royal family. The first thing he learned was how to suppress his emotions. He trained himself to hide how he felt, to act like he felt nothing at all.

Now, watching Eileen, he sensed the same thing in her: the way she smiled briefly, then quickly returned to a calm, blank face and chose her words carefully.

That’s probably why, uncharacteristically, he spoke to her with some emotion in his voice:

“…Then someday, if there’s really something I need help with, I’ll let you know.”

But both of them knew she’d probably never actually ask him for help.

There’s no point dragging this out, she thought.

If Eileen truly was like him, then of course, she would be wary of sudden kindness. She would never just accept it easily.

So when she gave the expected answer, Theorn wasn’t disappointed. He simply nodded politely and ended their meeting.

“It was nice meeting you today. Let’s meet again another time.”

“It was nice meeting you, too, Your Highness.”

Still, he found it hard to look away from her eyes one last time.

Most outsiders never made direct eye contact with him. But her clear green eyes met his without hesitation, and he knew the image would stay in his mind for a long time.

***

“…I’m Cedric Lowell. I heard you arrived while I was away. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Cedric finally approached, treating Theorn like a proper noble, as the head of House Lowell should. His apology was polite, but he didn’t bow unnecessarily.

“It’s fine. I happened to meet your fiancée and had a conversation with her.”

The moment Eileen was mentioned, Cedric’s emotions changed. Even though he tried to act calm, Theorn noticed him glancing repeatedly in the direction Eileen had gone.

“…She seemed to have something urgent to do.”

“Is that so?”

“Lady Cassiar told me quite a bit about you.”

“About me?”

Cedric felt both pleased and annoyed. He was happy that Eileen had spoken about him—but irritated that this man was the one who heard it.

“Yes,” Theorn said, without adding any more detail.

His unusual bluish-gray eyes calmly observed Cedric, almost like he was studying him.

“She’s a very kind person,” Theorn said.

“Yes… Eileen is like that.”

Cedric deliberately called her Eileen—not my fiancée. It was on purpose. He didn’t like the way Theorn spoke as if he knew Eileen well. Cedric wanted to make it clear: I know her best.

And yet… Cedric thought, maybe this prince was intentionally bringing up Eileen to get a reaction out of him.

Maybe he’d guessed from Eileen’s cold behavior earlier that their relationship wasn’t going well.

Even if that’s true… Cedric told himself, why should Theorn care unless he had feelings for Eileen?

That thought made Cedric even more irritated.

“Let’s continue this conversation in my office.”

Cedric decided to shut down all talk about Eileen and change the topic. He didn’t want to get involved with Theorn in anything related to her.

We’re going to break off the engagement anyway, he reminded himself.

So it shouldn’t matter who Eileen liked or what kind of life she wanted to live. She could meet someone “better” than Cedric, and it would have nothing to do with him.

But this time… Cedric couldn’t bring himself to follow that logic.

***

Meanwhile, Eileen actually had a good guess where Diana might be.

“They still haven’t found her?”

“Apparently not,” said Mary.

Mary didn’t sound very worried—in fact, she sounded half relieved. But Eileen, leaning on her chin and looking out the window at the setting sun, let out a sigh.

Whether Cedric runs around the whole castle or Diana stubbornly refuses to come back… I was planning to stay out of it.

But now the sky was getting dark, and the weather was turning cold. She couldn’t just ignore what she knew.

If it snowed tonight and Diana still didn’t return, Eileen herself wouldn’t be able to sleep in peace.

She made up her mind, stood up suddenly, and took a thick coat from the wardrobe.

“Mary, you stay here.”

“Why are you putting on a coat all of a sudden? Are you going out alone?”

Eileen put on the coat quickly without help, tied the ends of her long hair into a loose braid, and replied:

“I’m going to find Diana.”

“Why you?!”

“The whole castle is in an uproar. It’s annoying.”

“Miss, you really shouldn’t go alone.”

“If I’m not back in a couple of hours, tell Cedric about the old abandoned tower outside the castle. He’ll understand.”

As she left the room, she added one last instruction:

“I’ll be fine, Mary. Don’t worry. I’m just saying this as a precaution. I’ll bring Diana back.”

Eileen walked quickly down the stairs, recalling what she remembered from the original novel.

If Diana had a secret hideout no one else knew about, there was only one possible place: the old, crumbling tower just outside the castle.

I hope I’m remembering correctly…

The wind outside had grown much colder. Eileen pulled her coat tighter around her. She could even see her breath now.

Cedric had been right—if Diana really insisted on staying outside tonight, she’d at least catch a cold.

Dragging her back by force won’t work anyway, Eileen thought.

Instead, she decided this was the perfect opportunity to have a proper conversation with Diana herself—rather than letting Cedric, who would always protect and excuse her, handle it.

This was a situation Diana herself needed to understand and take responsibility for.