As the first prince had arranged, a room was prepared in the palace, and Laila was taking a moment to rest there.
The spring sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains was refreshing. The warmth settling on her body seemed to unravel the tension in her muscles.
However, the events at the engagement ceremony had transpired so quickly that Laila’s mind was still in a state of disarray. Numerous thoughts flooded her mind, making it seem like it would take some time to organize them all.
After sending her maid away and lying sideways on the bed, Laila kept shifting her position as she reflected on the recent events.
She still couldn’t believe she had managed to break off the engagement with Milley’s help. Though they hadn’t been able to perform the dance they had practiced at Milley’s house, it no longer mattered.
‘That man… he really helped me.’
She still found him mysterious, but this time his assistance was undeniable. Whether it was all pre-planned or things just happened to fall into place, Milley’s behavior at the ceremony seemed like he had been planning it for a long time.
Remembering Reynald being helplessly dragged away by his servants, Laila pressed down her fluttering heart.
Then, a thought crossed her mind unbidden.
‘Will Marquis Milley come to see me?’
He had promised to reveal his true identity once everything was over. But Laila knew that unless someone deliberately arranged it, they were unlikely to meet again.
Laila could simply return to Wessex, and Milley had his own business to finish here.
Their relationship was such that they could part ways without any issues.
Laila knew it was greedy to want more after achieving the desired annulment, yet she couldn’t help wanting to see him again.
She was too curious about Marquis Milley’s real identity.
She even considered visiting his temporary residence before leaving for Wessex.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door of the room where Laila was resting.
“Are you there?”
It was a calm and composed voice.
Hearing Milley’s voice, Laila quickly got up from the bed. Eager to open the door, she stepped out of bed, but fortunately, she managed to control herself just before reaching the doorknob.
It was a close call.
Even though she had been waiting for him, to rush to open the door at the sound of his voice was not appropriate, especially for a man who was not her lover.
Though it was true she had been waiting, reacting this way to a man who was not her lover was not appropriate.
Laila was trying to calm her racing heart when Milley knocked again.
“Princess? I was told you were here.”
Laila deliberately took a step back to ensure her voice didn’t sound too close.
“Yes, Marquis Milley. …Is there something you need?”
There seemed to be a pause before Milley responded.
“I came to see if you sprained your ankle when the building shook earlier. I thought I saw you stumble.”
He probably noticed because he was nearby.
Laila tried to calm herself. She couldn’t attribute meaning to every word and action of Milley’s.
Of course. He was a man adept at lying.
Even at the engagement ceremony, Milley spoke unblinking lies that sounded like truths in front of the king and many nobles.
Everyone was deceived by his words.
Even Reynald, the one being targeted, couldn’t retaliate and was cast out by the king’s orders.
It was clear Reynald wouldn’t recover from this. He was completely ousted from the struggle for the throne.
Such a tremendous feat was accomplished by a man from a foreign land, not even an internal noble of Filmer. It was a deed terrifying enough to be feared.
Laila knew she shouldn’t be carelessly swayed by him.
‘Get a grip.’
Laila, still not opening the door, relayed her response to Milley.
“I’m fine. I’m just resting due to fatigue, and I plan to leave the palace soon.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Thank you for today, Marquis.”
There was no reply to Laila’s clearly delineated tone. Sensing the conversation was over, Laila sighed in relief and turned back towards the bed.
Just as she sat down, Milley’s voice reached her again.
“The dress you wore last evening, my servants must have washed and dried it well. How should I handle it? Shall I send it here via a messenger?”
“…”
Laila hesitated, trying to interpret Milley’s question.
‘Is this some kind of signal?’
An invitation to his estate.
In truth, the dress wasn’t so important; she wouldn’t have minded if it was burnt. If he planned to send it via a messenger, he wouldn’t have needed to ask; he could have just sent it. The fact that he came to ask in person suggested something else.
Moreover, with many eyes in the palace, especially after what happened earlier, Milley couldn’t boldly ask to enter her room.
But what if she misunderstood his intentions?
While she pondered this, Milley offered another option.
“If your stay here isn’t going to be long, would you prefer to come and pick it up yourself?”
Hearing this, Laila was certain she hadn’t misinterpreted his signal.
Her pulse quickened at his covert invitation. She put a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart and replied.
“I think I’ll be leaving the palace around sunset… so I’ll head to your estate then.”
“Understood.”
It was unclear if he was satisfied with the answer, but Milley calmly promised a meeting later.
“Then I’ll be waiting for the sunset.”
It was a rather charming farewell.
“Gasp, ugh…!”
Having hurriedly arrived at the estate by carriage, Adrian immediately entered his room. As soon as he closed the door, his body nearly collapsed, supported only by leaning on a table.
Adrian, seeing his hand covered in red blood, colored his eyes with dismay. Lilburn, who followed him and opened the door, screamed out in horror.
“Your Highness!”
Lilburn, supporting Adrian’s staggering body, wore an expression of shock. Seeing this, Adrian hurriedly gestured for him to lock the door.
Lilburn regained his senses and locked the door, narrowly preventing Mev from following up after hearing the scream.
Breathing heavily, Adrian, with Lilburn’s help, barely managed to sit on the bed. He swallowed the blood trying to rise in his throat and let out a groan.
Lilburn watched him with eyes full of anxiety, grinding his teeth.
“Why did you have to exert yourself again?”
Adrian laughed faintly despite the pain.
“I couldn’t let them discover my identity there.”
“Please. This might really end badly, Your Highness.”
Ignoring the nagging, Adrian took a handkerchief from his pocket to clean the blood from his mouth and hand.
He stabilized his breathing and reassured his aide.
“It’s okay, for now… And now, until we return to Harkin, there really is no need to use it anymore.”
Most of the plans Adrian had made upon coming to Filmer were nearly complete. With today’s events, even the First Prince had fallen into the trap, and if necessary, Adrian could wrap things up after returning to Harkin.
However, Lilburn seemed dissatisfied with Adrian’s excuses and sighed in frustration, bringing up Laila.
“Does Princess Laila Wessex truly lack any power as a manipulator?”
“Yes, Laila does.”
“Then why all this trouble to protect that woman…!”
“Lilburn.”
Adrian’s eyebrows rose when Lilburn referred to Laila as ‘that woman’. But Lilburn, faced with his seriously ill master, who seemed almost on borrowed time, was not intimidated.
“Honestly, Your Highness, it seems you’re out of your mind. Wessex is at odds with the Harkin Imperial Family! What’s the point in sending that princess back to Wessex? Wouldn’t it be better to kidnap her like the mad First Princess of Fitzroy and use her to intimidate Wessex?”
“Your words are too much.”
Adrian warned him shortly, but Lilburn did not relax the tension in his eyes. His gaze was filled with resentment towards both Adrian and Laila.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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