Whitney was at a loss for words at the unexpected question.

‘Did I take the prince to heart?’

She felt as if she had been hit on the head. She couldn’t answer his question right away because she had never thought about it before.

Whitney just wanted to save him who had died unjustly. She didn’t want him to get hurt anymore, and thought they could help each other because their situations seemed similar.

“Lady Orlean. It seems you are wearing several layers of masks. The you I saw then really seemed to be in love.”

“…Ah!”

Whitney finally realized why he said such a thing. He was clearly teasing her now. He must have been listening to what she had said to Gnosis then.

“So you were listening. Even if you are Your Highness, to secretly eavesdrop on others’ conversations and use them as mockery.”

She pressed her lips together with a reddened face. Her flushed face wouldn’t seem to settle down. Cheston tilted his head to the side, laughing once more at her words.

“It seems it was something others could know but I couldn’t.”

“At that time, I thought Mr. Gnosis shouldn’t know about the relationship between Your Highness and me. I had no excuse.”

“Then let me ask again. What should I believe in you to trust that confidence?”

“I just don’t want Your Highness to get hurt.”

“Are you pitying me?”

It wasn’t pity. But she couldn’t think of a word to explain it. Even if it was guilt, she couldn’t tell him. Because there was no reason for her to feel guilty towards him.

Whitney shook her head.

“How dare I pity Your Highness. It’s not that kind of feeling. Just…”

“Just?”

No matter how much she racked her brain, an appropriate answer didn’t come to mind. If thinking that way made it easier for him to have confidence, it was fine to believe so.

After all, Cheston was unlikely to love her, so it would only create confidence between the two of them, wouldn’t it?

“If Your Highness needs to be taken to heart for confidence, then I will do so.”

“…Are you saying now that love can be achieved through effort?”

“Why do you think it’s effort? Your Highness is plenty wonderful enough to be loved.”

If it weren’t for this kind of meeting, Whitney would surely have fallen in love with Cheston at first sight. Beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. And the wounds and pain contained within them. Yet he still had a heart that cared for others.

Perhaps if he learned the facts she knew, he might reveal the claws he had been holding back.

“You…”

The blue eyes looking at her wavered slightly. His ears seemed to be reddening. Could it be that his wounds haven’t fully healed yet and he’s running a fever?

If inflammation still remained, his body temperature wouldn’t go down. Whitney called out to him with a worried look.

“Your Highness?”

“No. It’s nothing. I understand, so I’ll see you at the palace.”

Cheston turned around and left the request room first. Whitney was left there alone with a bewildered expression.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

Cheston’s face, which he hurriedly covered with one hand as he left, looked confused. Whitney alternately looked at where he had left and the chair on the opposite side several times.

“Your Highness! How can you leave alone like that!”

Cheston stopped at Aaron’s words. To say such things with an indifferent face. It seemed he wasn’t aware of what he had said.

“Has Your Highness’s condition worsened again?”

“No. It’s not that. We’d better return quickly.”

“Do you really believe Lady Orlean’s words? That she won’t betray you?”

“If she betrays, it’s not too late to deal with it then.”

Aaron’s mouth gaped open at the unexpected words. He couldn’t believe that Cheston, who always dealt with things before they happened, said it was okay to deal with it later.

Whitney’s face came to Cheston’s mind again. Perhaps because his body was heating up, he unbuttoned his shirt and got on the horse.

He rode the horse quickly to shake off the thoughts that kept coming to mind. He hoped the wind would blow away his thoughts of her.

The faster the horse ran, the fiercer his heart became. The cool wind chilled his head, but the heat in his body wouldn’t go down. Rather, his mouth became parched with thirst.

Although the sharp wind kept brushing past his face making his cheeks numb, Cheston kept thinking of her face.

Her eyes, which spoke calmly with an indifferent expression, held no pity. They seemed to contain just the duty she had to do, no, something beyond that. He couldn’t understand her, who reached out her hand to him without revealing what she wanted from him.

She felt more difficult to understand than anyone else.

Cheston tried to shake off his complicated emotions on the fast-running horse. Would it be okay if he didn’t see her, who kept confusing him?

But hadn’t she kept coming to mind even when he didn’t see her? Cheston tried hard to clear his head.

Cheston, who safely returned to the annex, closed his eyes as he entered his room. He tried to forget about the woman named Whitney that kept floating around in his mind.

“Your Highness Cheston. That bastard has come.”

Cheston’s eyes twisted slightly at Aaron’s words. The bastard he was referring to must be Karl, his half-brother.

“And didn’t I tell you to watch your words? Calling him a bastard, call him Prince Karl. I told you there are many listening ears.”

“…How can I change what’s stuck to my mouth?”

“Swallow it inside.”

“I really don’t know what Your Highness is thinking.”

“No one knows me as well as you do.”

Cheston got up to prepare to greet Karl. It was fortunate that he didn’t visit while he was away.

Soon after, the place where Karl was led by the servant’s guidance was an unexpected place, not the reception room.

“You’re slow. I guess even a Sword Master isn’t much, stuck in the annex with nothing to do.”

Cheston didn’t respond to Karl’s sneering words, just holding a faint smile. Karl seemed to be in a bad mood at his behavior and drew his sword.

“I came thinking we could have a sword match after a long time. What are you doing?”

At Karl’s urging, the servant immediately brought a sword. Aaron approached and whispered quietly, trying to stop him.

“Your wounds haven’t fully healed yet. He surely came to vent his anger, so please refuse.”

“Even if he came to vent his anger, you know I can’t refuse. I’ll match him moderately, so don’t worry.”

Cheston patted Aaron’s shoulder a couple of times and smiled as if telling him not to worry.

“If you’re thinking of matching me moderately, you’d better quit. I’m not in a good mood today.”

“I understand.”

If that’s what he wanted, he was willing to spar with him gladly. Cheston raised his sword and received Karl’s sword that was swung fiercely.

A sharp sound echoed through the garden. It was a good thing, as he needed a place to empty his already complicated mind.

“Damn it!”

Karl cursed as if chewing on the words, perhaps because the match wasn’t going as he wanted. That was his problem. When sparring, one should empty their mind and focus on the tip of the opponent’s sword. Karl’s sword was filled with emotions. Hatred for him, inferiority, contempt, envy.

If he could just empty that, his skills would improve. But he probably won’t be able to let go of it until he dies.

“I should change my sword instructor. To teach me not to be able to beat your pathetic skills.”

“That would be good.”

“Insolent bastard. I don’t like those eyes of yours. The only thing you have in common with father is your blonde hair. It’s truly strange why he likes a half-breed like you. Falling head over heels for a mere marquis’s daughter.”

Karl spat out blood-stained saliva on the ground and gave a foul smile.

“You should know your place and crawl appropriately. Then both you and your mother would be more comfortable. You don’t think I came here just to spar, do you?”

Cheston loosened his grip on the sword. Karl, as if he had been waiting, raised his hand and struck Cheston’s face.

“Do you know what kind of humiliation I suffered because of you today? Because of your dirty blood, father compared me to the likes of you again today. You have no idea how I have to pretend to be a nice person, laughing in front of others.”

He received his anger helplessly. That way it would end quickly. There was no way the Sword Master could not defeat Karl. But he must not defeat Karl.

Cheston silently endured his brother’s harsh kicks that trampled him, without changing his expression. He just hoped this time would pass.

“This is no fun. At least make a sound. You stubborn bastard. That’s why your mother can’t die and endures. Well, maybe she can’t die because you’re alive.”

Cheston clenched his fists. He wanted to twist his neck right away, but he had to endure. Father always let it slide whenever he overcame a life-threatening crisis. The reason was the endless misunderstandings and false accusations surrounding him.

The queen and Karl staged acts claiming that Cheston was the mastermind behind all incidents. That too was not accepted. Since the incidents where Cheston nearly died were also ignored, they thought it should be ignored to be fair.

So Cheston intended to grit his teeth and endure.

Here, only cowardly silence existed.