Whitney stood before the king and queen again after the prince’s long persuasion. And seeing Melissa, who had arrived before her, she looked at Karl.

He gently stroked Whitney’s arm as if to say it was alright. It seemed Melissa had already told them everything before she arrived.

“So, is that true?”

“Yes, Whitney clearly told me. She said she saw His Highness the Second Prince pushing him off the cliff. Though I can’t believe it… she definitely said so.”

Melissa sobbed, prostrating herself on the floor with a pale face. Whitney knew all too well that her crying was fake. When their father was alive, she used to burst into tears without actual tears flowing to get attention.

“Lady Whitney. Did Cheston really try to kill Karl?”

Whitney shrank at the emperor’s angry voice. Her whole body trembled. Though she was certainly not a mute, for some reason her voice wouldn’t come out.

Seeing the king’s eyes, it seemed he wouldn’t let it go lightly this time if it were true.

Whitney shook her head. Then she tried to tell the truth. But her mouth only moved silently, no voice coming out.

‘No. His Highness Prince Cheston did not try to kill His Highness Prince Karl!’

Momentarily bewildered by her voicelessness, Whitney turned to look at Karl. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised.

Her voice never reached the others. As Whitney’s gaze turned to Cheston, who was kneeling, she met his blue eyes.

‘…Why is he looking at me like that?’

With a face of resignation, he slowly shook his head at her. As if telling her not to do anything.

[This is the timeline separator]

News came that Prince Cheston had been detained.

Whitney still couldn’t speak. She had suddenly become mute without knowing why.

“You should have used your heart more kindly. You couldn’t say that one word, so you made me step in?”

“……”

Whitney urgently grabbed Melissa’s skirt. Melissa frowned at her action and swatted her hand away.

“What are you doing? Do you know how much this costs? Why are you like this?!”

Irritated by Whitney pulling on her hand, Melissa took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands.

Whitney pointed at the newspaper and made eye contact with Melissa.

“Can’t you see? It says he’s been detained. It seems they don’t intend to let it go this time.”

Hadn’t they said they would just give a warning and let it go? She had believed Karl’s words since Cheston was also a prince.

‘…Did you really think they would let it go?’

Whitney couldn’t firmly answer “no” to her own question. She felt terribly about herself and her breath caught.

“What? You said Prince Cheston pushed him, and now you’re feeling guilty?”

I didn’t say he pushed him.

Whitney couldn’t say anything because her voice wouldn’t come out. Melissa and Prince Karl had answered in her place.

She tried to say it wasn’t true. That he hadn’t done it, if only her voice had come out she would have said it properly.

“His Highness the Prince has invited us. Get ready quickly. You have to come too.”

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

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

Seeing Melissa looking somewhat excited, Whitney turned away without adding any words.

[This is the timeline separator]

Passing through the large golden main gate, well-manicured lawns came into view. Though she occasionally came to attend royal banquets, they usually went to the banquet hall located in the right wing adjacent to the main palace.

Whitney quietly took in the scenery outside the carriage as it passed through the courtyard heading towards the main palace.

Trees neatly trimmed in rows lined the path, and flowers blooming here and there caught her eye.

Though lush green filled the view under the clear sky, the palace somehow looked lonely.

At last, the carriage stopped in the courtyard of the main palace. When the door opened, someone extended a hand to escort her.

“Oh my, Your Highness.”

Melissa stepped down from the carriage taking Karl’s hand, with a melting smile. Soon after, Karl extended his hand to Whitney as well.

She carefully took his hand. His hand was still warm, and his red eyes were as hot as the blazing sun.

“Thank you for inviting us. Whitney still can’t speak.”

“Is that so? Ah, Lady Whitney. You need to go somewhere else for a moment.”

As Whitney tilted her head, knights appeared at Karl’s gesture. Startled, she grabbed Karl’s collar.

“Don’t worry. It’s just an investigation.”

At this, he leaned in and whispered softly in her ear.

“Since you can’t speak anyway, there’s no use in questioning you. Isn’t it fortunate that you won’t have any difficulties, Whitney?”

“……”

Whitney slowly nodded.

‘What will happen to Prince Cheston?’

Karl kissed Whitney’s hand, then tried to go to Melissa. But Whitney grabbing his collar again stopped him in his tracks.

“Do you have something to say?”

Whitney nodded. Seeing her anxious eyes, Melissa stepped between the two and said,

“She’s like this after hearing the news that Prince Cheston has been detained. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Melissa smiled brightly as she linked arms with Karl and hurried their steps. She didn’t forget to turn her head and look at Whitney.

‘I want to smile like that too.’

She had that exact expression when she went ahead smiling with her stepmother while in father’s arms. Whitney hadn’t forgotten that day.

How could she forget? Because Melissa was bawling, for the first time Whitney had to give up her place in her father’s arms to someone else. Young Whitney hated it.

She tightly clung to her father’s neck again and again, not wanting to lose the father who was all she had left by her side, but in the end, her father took Melissa in his arms. In the end, Whitney turned away after watching the three of them.

The feeling of being on the outside, as if she shouldn’t be there. Thinking they might be happier if only she wasn’t there, she stepped back and tripped over the curb, falling onto the road.

“Whitney!”

At her father’s voice, Whitney turned her head. With the feeling of being embraced, her vision darkened.

Whitney clenched her fist at the memory that surfaced. Though a full 12 years had passed, the memory remained vivid.

[This is the timeline separator]

Taken to the interrogation room with the knights, Whitney shrank from the intimidating atmosphere. The man who seemed to be the captain of the royal guard slammed his hand on the table and asked,

“Answer me! I asked if it’s true that His Highness Prince Cheston pushed him off the cliff. Tell us where and how you saw it.”

Unable to speak, Whitney was frustrated at being told to speak. She shook her head, but the knights, thinking she was refusing to open her mouth, pressed on.

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

“Captain, a decision has been made, they say.”

The man called captain roughly ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

A decision? Has Prince Cheston’s punishment been decided?

Whitney urgently raised her head to look at the captain. She immediately snatched the paper in front of the captain and wrote:

[Prince Cheston did not push him! I didn’t even see his back.]

The captain looked at Whitney after reading the note on the paper. He rubbed his face and nodded to a knight.

“The witness is recanting. It seems this will be difficult if we continue like this, so we have no choice but to confine her.”

“Are you sure we can do that? No matter what, she’s still the daughter of Duke Orlean.”

“Don’t worry and lock her up. She might change her words again. If she says again that she saw it, we’ll bring her out then.”

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

‘Please don’t do this! I told the truth, so why…!’

Dragged to the prison, she clung to the iron bars and shouted with her voiceless voice. But the one who had locked her up didn’t look back.

“Have someone ask her again in about an hour.”

“Understood.”

“If she says anything unnecessary, don’t let her out. She seems unable to speak right now, so give her paper and a pen.”

The knights’ gazes clung to her persistently. Though she couldn’t hear, they seemed to be whispering while constantly looking at her.

Whitney sank down as bad memories surfaced again. She curled up and waited for her breathing to calm.

‘It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s nothing.’

But even chanting the mantra didn’t calm her heart. Her mother’s harsh words, people’s pointing fingers, the words saying it was her fault they died – they swirled in her ears, choking her breath.

“At times like this, close your eyes and breathe in slowly.”

At the low voice, Whitney quietly listened to her own breathing. Following the sudden voice, she slowly inhaled and exhaled, gradually calming her breath.

After a while, as her heart settled, Whitney raised her tear-stained face.

‘Who helped me?’

As she turned her head towards where the voice had come from, she saw blue eyes watching her. Whitney covered her mouth with wide eyes.

The beautiful golden hair said to be inherited by those of royal blood in the kingdom of Reuwen – even in this place where light barely entered, the golden hair like woven gold threads shone.

The moment Whitney saw his eyes, she thought of the sea. And also of Lake Bellende behind the gardens of the detached palace.