Blackening the Affectionate Male Lead (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2

Whitney stood once again before the king and queen, having finally yielded to the prince’s lengthy persuasion. And upon seeing Melissa already there ahead of her, she spotted Karl.

He gently patted Whitney’s arm as if to reassure her everything was fine. It seemed Melissa had already told them everything before Whitney even arrived.

“So it’s truly as you said.”

“Yes, Whitney clearly told me herself. She said she saw His Royal Highness, the Second Prince, push him off the cliff. I find it hard to believe… but she certainly said so.”

Melissa knelt on the floor, her face pale with fear, tears trembling in her eyes. Whitney knew all too well that her tears were false—when their father was still alive, Melissa often feigned tearless sobbing just to draw his attention.

“Lady Whitney, did Chester truly attempt to kill Karl?”

At the emperor’s furious tone, Whitney shrank back. Her whole body trembled. Though she was certainly no mute, for some reason, no words would come out.

Judging by the king’s gaze, if it were true, he wouldn’t let it go lightly this time.

Whitney shook her head and tried to speak the truth. Yet her lips moved without sound.

‘No! His Royal Highness Prince Chester never tried to kill His Royal Highness Prince Karl!’

For a moment, Whitney felt flustered by her mute voice, then turned to look at Karl. The corners of his mouth had curled into a faint smile.

Her voice never reached the others. The moment Whitney’s eyes turned toward Chester, who knelt on his knees, she met his blue gaze.

‘…Why does he look at me like that?’

His expression seemed resigned to everything. Slowly, he shook his head at her—as if telling her to do nothing at all.

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News arrived that Prince Chester had been detained.

Whitney still couldn’t produce a voice. Without understanding why, she had suddenly become mute.

“You really should’ve used a kinder heart. Because you couldn’t say just one word, I had to step in myself?”

“…….”

Whitney urgently grabbed the hem of Melissa’s dress. Melissa wrinkled her face in displeasure and slapped Whitney’s hand away.

“What are you doing? Do you even know how expensive this is? Why are you acting like this?!”

Annoyed by Whitney tugging at her hand, Melissa pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her palm clean.

Whitney gestured toward the newspaper and gave Melissa a meaningful look.

“Can’t you see? He’s been detained. It seems they won’t let this slide this time.”

Hadn’t they said they’d only issue a warning? Since Chester was also a prince, they had believed Karl’s words.

‘…Did I really think they’d let it go?’

Whitney couldn’t firmly answer her own question with a “no.” Overwhelmed by self-loathing, her breath caught in her throat.

“What? Even though you claimed Prince Chester pushed him, are you feeling guilty now?”

I never said I was the one who pushed him.

Unable to speak, Whitney couldn’t utter a single word. Melissa and Prince Karl had spoken for her.

She had wanted to say “no,” to declare he hadn’t done it—if only her voice had come, she would have spoken clearly.

“His Highness has summoned you. Prepare quickly—you must attend as well.”

Whitney’s eyes widened. At Prince Karl’s words, she clenched the hem of her dress tightly. She felt uneasy, as if she were deceiving Melissa.

Did Melissa know that Prince Karl had kissed her and whispered words of love?

Seeing Melissa’s unusually cheerful expression, Whitney turned away without adding another word.

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Passing through the grand gate gilded in gold, neatly trimmed grass came into view. Though she occasionally attended royal banquets, she usually went to the banquet hall located in the right wing annex beside the main palace.

Whitney quietly took in the scenery outside the carriage window as it rolled past the courtyard leading to the main palace.

Trees stood in orderly rows, their branches pruned with precision, and colorful flowers bloomed here and there.

Though lush green filled the clear sky, the palace somehow felt lonely.

Soon, the carriage stopped in the courtyard of the main palace. As the door opened, someone extended a hand to escort her.

“Oh my, Your Highness.”

Melissa melted into a sweet smile as she took Karl’s hand and stepped down from the carriage. Karl then offered his hand to Whitney as well.

She carefully took it. His hand remained warm, and his red eyes burned as fiercely as the blazing sun.

“Thank you for the invitation. Whitney still cannot speak.”

“Is that so? Ah, Lady Whitney—you must go somewhere else for a moment.”

When Whitney tilted her head in confusion, guards appeared at Karl’s gesture. Startled, she grabbed the collar of his coat.

“Please don’t worry. It’s merely an inquiry.”

At that moment, he leaned down and whispered softly into her ear.

“Since you can’t speak anyway, questioning you would be pointless. Isn’t it fortunate, Whitney, that you won’t have to endure any hardship?”

“…….”

Whitney slowly nodded.

‘What will become of His Royal Highness Prince Chester?’

Karl kissed the back of Whitney’s hand and started toward Melissa—but halted when she tugged his collar again.

“Do you have something to say?”

Whitney nodded. Seeing her anxious eyes, Melissa stepped between them and spoke.

“She’s like this because she heard Prince Chester was detained. There’s no need to worry about it.”

Melissa beamed brightly, linking her arm through Karl’s and urging him onward. She didn’t forget to glance back at Whitney either.

‘I want to smile like that too.’

Even when walking ahead, laughing with her stepmother while nestled in her father’s arms, her expression had been exactly like that. Whitney had never forgotten that day.

How could she forget? Because Melissa’s loud sobbing had caused her father to take Melissa into his arms, for the first time ever, young Whitney had to give up his embrace to someone else. She hadn’t liked it at all.

Afraid her father—the one person left beside her—might be taken away too, she clung tightly to his neck again and again. But in the end, her father embraced Melissa. Whitney finally turned away, watching the three of them.

She felt like an outsider, as if she didn’t belong there. Maybe they’d be happier without her? As she stepped backward with that thought, she tripped over a curb and fell onto the road.

“Whitney!”

At her father’s voice, Whitney turned her head. Darkness enveloped her vision as she was pulled into an embrace.

Gripping her fists at the resurfacing memory, Whitney felt its sharp clarity—even after twelve long years.

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Entering the interrogation room with the guards, Whitney shrank under their imposing presence. A man who appeared to be the captain slammed his hand on the table and demanded,

“Answer me! Did His Royal Highness Prince Chester truly push him off the cliff? Tell us exactly where and how you saw it!”

Frustrated, Whitney couldn’t respond—how could she speak when she had no voice? Though she shook her head, the guards pressed on, assuming she refused to talk.

“If you won’t speak, we’ll have no choice.”

“Sir, the verdict has been issued.”

The man called “captain” roughly ran his hand through his hair and let out a sigh.

A verdict? Had Prince Chester’s fate already been decided?

Whitney urgently raised her head to look at the captain. She quickly snatched the paper before him and wrote:

[His Royal Highness Prince Chester did not push him! I didn’t even see his back!]

The captain read the note, then stared at Whitney. After rubbing his face, he nodded to the guard.

“The witness has retracted her statement. At this rate, it’ll be difficult—we’ll have to detain her.”

“But is that really acceptable? She’s still the daughter of House of Duke Orleans.”

“Don’t worry—just lock her up. She might change her story again. If she insists she really saw it, we’ll release her then.”

At the man’s words, Whitney was led out of the interrogation room by the guards.

‘Don’t do this! I told the truth—why…!’

Dragged to the prison, she gripped the iron bars and cried out with her voiceless throat. But those who imprisoned her didn’t look back.

“Ask her again in about an hour.”

“Understood.”

“If she says anything unnecessary, don’t release her. Since she can’t speak now, give her paper and a pen.”

The guards’ stares fixed intently on her. Though she couldn’t hear them, they kept glancing her way, whispering among themselves.

Whitney sank to the floor as yet another painful memory surfaced. Curling into herself, she waited for her breathing to calm.

‘It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s nothing serious.’

Yet no matter how many times she repeated it, her heart wouldn’t settle. Her mother’s harsh words, people pointing fingers at her, and the phrase “You’re the reason he died” echoed in her ears, choking her breath.

“When that happens, close your eyes and breathe in slowly.”

At the quiet voice, Whitney focused on her own breathing. Following the sudden voice, she inhaled and exhaled slowly, and gradually her breathing steadied.

After a while, calmer now, Whitney lifted her tear-streaked face.

‘Who helped me?’

Turning toward the voice, she saw a pair of blue eyes gazing at her. Whitney’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in shock.

The golden hair inherited by the bloodline of the Kingdom of Lewen shimmered like woven gold thread—even in this dim place where light barely reached.

The moment Whitney met his eyes, the sea came to mind—and also Lake Belende behind the courtyard of the secondary palace.