WLYV 07

WLYV

Posted by Bela, Released on October 15, 2025

Chapter 7

Feelings Like This Are Often Called Love
2024.02.07.

The next day, Luance came to see Lorencia again.
He seemed to be in an unusually good mood — clearly pleased that the power he had been waiting for had finally manifested.

“I had another dream last night.”
“What kind of dream, Lorencia?”

At her words, Luance narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.

“In the dream, Crown Prince Adrian didn’t die.”
“What are you talking about? You said he was shot and killed by Marquis Spencer of the Foloid Empire.”

“Yes. In the dream before, he was hit by the arrow Marquis Spencer shot and fell.
But in last night’s dream, Marquis Spencer didn’t even attend the hunting competition.”

Lorencia told this lie without blinking an eye.

“What? Why not? Did you check what changed in the dream, Lorencia?”
“That’s…”

Seeing her hesitate, Luance’s eyes narrowed even further, as though suppressing irritation that was rising in his throat.

“Can dreams even change? Do you really have no idea why you dreamed that? None at all?”

His lips trembled slightly — a physical sign that his voice would rise soon.

“Why did it change? Just yesterday you said you dreamed of my brother dying!”

Lorencia had to pretend to be disheartened by his venomous tone.

“As I said, in last night’s dream, Marquis Spencer didn’t come to the hunting tournament.”
“Explain it so I can understand.”
“In the first dream, Marquis Spencer came to find me at the hunting competition.”
“Why would he look for you?”
“I’m not sure. But in the dream, he and I knew each other.”

(It wasn’t exactly a lie — she would come to know Tayshar Spencer eventually.)

“What? You — who haven’t even had your debutante ball — attended the hunting competition?”
“Yes.”

In those days, Lorencia hadn’t been allowed to attend.
She was an illegitimate child and hadn’t had her debutante presentation.
Her debut was held quietly, almost forcibly, after Luance became emperor — at the count’s manor rather than the imperial ballroom.

High nobles and royals held their debuts in the imperial palace, but it wasn’t uncommon for lower nobles to do so at home, usually under the supervision of a chaperone or gentlewoman.
Lorencia’s chaperone had been Lady Anne.

Even for a small, private debut, a chaperone would usually provide instruction in etiquette and grace.
But Lorencia never received any of that guidance.
All she did was wear the pitch-black dress Anne had prepared and dance once with the male instructor who’d taught her a few steps.

Later, she learned that black dresses were often used at debuts to humiliate illegitimate children.

“In the dream where the Crown Prince died, I was wandering the hunting grounds — I saw it happen.
But in the dream where he didn’t die, I wasn’t there at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“In the dream where he died, I was present at the scene. In the dream where he lived, I wasn’t.”

Luance fell silent, deep in thought.
He was pleased that Lorencia’s power as a “monster” had awakened — but something about these dreams bothered him.
A strange, cold feeling crept over him, as if walking through fog.

“The reason I wasn’t there,” Lorencia continued, bowing her head, “was because I fell down the stairs and died.”
“Fell? Someone pushed you?”
“It was just a dream — I overreacted, didn’t I?”
“Lorencia.”
“Yes?”
“You promised to tell me everything, remember? Did you see who pushed you?”
“Yes.”

Lorencia had lived through more than ten years of memories.
She remembered everything, down to the finest speck of dust buried in her mind.
She would no longer be deceived by Luance’s worried face or gentle tone.
Now it was her turn to deceive him.

“Tell me. Who pushed you down the stairs?”
“It wasn’t on purpose. It must have been an accident.”
“Lorencia. Why won’t you answer me directly?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Hah… Do you know that your apologies are starting to make me sick?”

After Luance had left her room the night before, Illina had stormed in, furious — just as Lorencia expected she would.
And, just as expected, Illina began screaming at her.

“When did I ever give you a cat as a gift?!”
“Then what should I have said?”

Lorencia had begun to see Illina’s flaws clearly now — impulsive, impatient, quick to anger, shallow, foolish, yet beautiful.

“I couldn’t exactly tell His Highness that you like killing animals, could I?”
“What did you just say?”
“I told him I couldn’t kill the cat. I said I’d decided to keep it.”
“What?!”
“You told me I could do whatever I wanted with it — kill it or not, remember?”

Lorencia licked her lips and laughed, a low chuckle escaping her.
To Illina, that laughter felt mocking — humiliating.
Ever since this wretched woman, lower than a dog or pig, had come to this room, she’d changed — and that infuriated Illina.

“I named the cat Leo. Suits him, doesn’t it?”

Illina twitched her eyebrows oddly — then screamed in rage.
The maids outside quickly rushed in, restraining her as she threw things and stomped in fury, dragging her out of the room.

“Stop stalling, Lorencia. Who made you fall down the stairs?”
“It was Illina.”
“What? Illina?”

Luance remembered how, after leaving Lorencia’s room the previous night, he’d gone to warn Illina — angry that she’d given Lorencia a cat as a gift.
Lorencia must never be allowed to have something precious.

At first, he was annoyed at Illina for giving her that cat.
But later, he reconsidered — perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing.
If Lorencia had something precious, he could pretend to protect it, to comfort her when she lost it, to make her depend on him more.
Yes, that would be useful.

So the cat had to disappear.
Then he could teach Lorencia that having something precious only leads to pain.

“Get rid of the cat when the time comes.”
“Yes, Your Highness. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

But this was a crucial time — Lorencia’s powers had awakened.
Illina’s recklessness could not be tolerated.
He couldn’t let her petty jealousy ruin his plans.

Still, Luance’s head throbbed.
He needed the financial support of Count Pol Heredian’s family; he couldn’t simply discard Illina.
But he couldn’t let go of Lorencia either — his carefully cultivated “monster,” who had just begun to see the future.

“Then… Lorencia.”
“Yes.”
“That means if you exist, my brother dies.”
“At least, that’s how it was in my dream, Your Highness.”

In the dream where the Crown Prince died, Lorencia was present.
In the one where he lived, she was dead.

The conclusion was clear.
Lorencia must live — and be brought to the hunting competition.
But to do that, there was one thing he had to arrange.

“Since you’re now officially Count Pol Heredian’s daughter, I’ll personally prepare your debutante ball.”
“My debutante…? Truly? I can’t believe it.”

Lorencia smiled brightly.

“I’ll even choose your chaperone myself. And at the ball on the last day of the month, I’ll escort you personally.”

No man would ever take interest in such a short, plain, hideous “monster.”
They’d probably just see him — Luance — as a kind, compassionate prince for escorting her.
The thought pleased him.
After all, jewels shine brightest when they’re buried in dirt.

“But I’m illegitimate. If you escort me, people might talk…”
“I don’t care what they say because of you, Lorencia. It doesn’t matter.”

A faint blush spread over her cheeks.
Luance looked down at her, satisfied.

“For you, Lorencia, I’d endure any ridicule.”
“Why… why would you go so far for me?”
“Because I like you, Lorencia.”
“You… like me?”
“Yes. Feelings like this are often called love.”

His voice was so sweet it could melt anyone who heard it.
Lorencia’s eyes widened — remembering the words he’d whispered to her, right before her death in another life.