The Crown Prince’s remark about “3 years” with the parlor door open soon reached the ears of nobles throughout the imperial palace and beyond.

And after circulating around, the news eventually reached Layla in the Crown Prince’s palace.

It happened while Layla, who had been running errands all over the imperial palace during the day and gotten quite dirty, was being washed by the maids who were holding their noses at the smell and chatting.

One of the maids who heard the 3-year remark spoke in a slightly anxious voice.

“…What if Princess Fitzroy gets angry and invades Harkin too?”

“There’s no way. It’s not like we’re Wessex… oh.”

When Wessex was mentioned, the maid glanced at Layla for a moment.

There was no one in the Harkin imperial palace who didn’t know that the now fallen Layla was the princess of Wessex. That scope could probably be expanded to the entire Damburnen without much difficulty.

However, Layla silently endured the maid carelessly splashing water over her head without much reaction.

Not only from her, but Layla occasionally heard stories about Wessex.

Of course, the most direct person was the Emperor not long ago.

There must have been words after that which she should have understood but didn’t want to imagine.

Remembering that made Layla’s heart ache again.

Still, she thought she was being treated relatively well. She didn’t know why Adrian was treating her this way, but he showed a lenient attitude anyway, and although she was nervous about being a concubine, she wasn’t particularly sent to someone else.

The work others made her do during the day was still nauseating, but she would get used to it someday.

Rather, since the first night when Maeve brought her in, Adrian no longer sought out Layla at night. It had been four days like that.

‘Maybe he didn’t really like it…’

In fact, last time was her very first, so she was just dragged around by Adrian. From his perspective, it may not have been a very satisfying night.

The problem was that if her value disappeared like that, would Adrian just leave her alone.

For the four days he didn’t seek her out, whenever she was locked up alone in her room, she became anxious and kept fidgeting her hands.

Adrian said she had political symbolism to him, but that was only for a moment. Plus, she had no attunement ability, so she couldn’t help him when he said he was going through a rebound.

And of course, the decision about Layla’s whereabouts was up to Adrian. It meant he could cast her out at any time if she wasn’t satisfactory as a concubine.

Nevertheless, if he kept her, there could only be one reason.

Layla recalled the long scar etched across his belly.

In addition, the Emperor’s warning to her.

The reason the Emperor told her such a story was clear.

It meant not to dare harbor other thoughts towards the Crown Prince of Harkin. He said the King of Wessex’s death was the price of foolishness, but he must have also thought it was the price of betrayal.

If Wessex had not become independent, it would not have met such an end.

Recalling the fear of the hammer that would one day fall upon her, Layla waited in her room until evening, buried in the scent of the perfume oil the maids had applied, saying it made her body smell good.

This time, like last time, it was Maeve who came to get her.

Creak.

When the sound rang out, Layla gasped as she saw Maeve holding a lamp. Then Maeve, who had been staring at the somehow anxious Layla, ordered the maid who had come with her.

“Your lip color has faded. Bring the tools.”

And after the maid stepped aside, she gently closed the door.

Left alone together, Maeve shone the lamplight on Layla’s face to examine it, then tilted her head.

“Are you perhaps feeling unwell somewhere?”

Surprised by the respectful tone like before, Layla’s eyes widened and then she shook her head.

“It’s not that I’m sick…”

“Then do you have any worries?”

Since coming to the imperial palace, Maeve was the first person to ask such a question, and Layla felt like she was about to cry.

However, she pressed her lips tightly together to calm her heart for a moment, and thinking that kind Maeve might give her an answer, she softly opened her mouth.

“On His Highness’s body, I mean his stomach… I saw there was a scar and wondered if that was from… that time.”

Actually, she noticed this part as soon as she saw it yesterday, but she still wanted to confirm it.

Maeve understood right away even though Layla euphemistically said “that time” and answered her.

“…It is from the time you are thinking of.”

“Then how badly was His Highness injured at the time? I want to hear without filtering.”

At Layla’s request, Maeve seemed to hesitate for a moment, then lowered her body in front of Layla who was sitting on the bed. And as if telling her not to be surprised after hearing, she patted the back of Layla’s hand and spoke.

“Everyone said his life was in danger. Even the imperial physicians gave up. But now that he has overcome it well, isn’t it okay?”

“…”

“Rather than that, it would be best not to speak of such things in front of His Majesty or His Highness.”

The reasons they wouldn’t like it were different, but Maeve lumped it together for now.

In any case, if Layla brought up unpleasant happenings in the imperial family, that in itself would be a problem. Given her status, once she was caught, it would not pass as a simple incident.

And upon hearing those words, the color drained from Layla’s face. Her blue eyes wavered, unable to find a place to settle.

Maeve saw Layla like that, but the maid she had sent on an errand returned, so she could not continue the conversation further.

Maeve kindly added more color to Layla’s lips, and took her directly to Adrian’s bedchamber like that.

Arriving in front of the bedchamber that seemed to be waiting for her with the door open, Layla took a deep breath at the scene she immediately faced.

Unlike last time, Adrian had already arrived. It felt like this time, summoning her was not simply Maeve’s will.

Discovering his back as he sat at the small, round table arranged in the bedroom, Layla tensely took careful steps forward one by one.

The closer she got to him, the more violently her heart pounded as well.

Adrian turned to look at her with a tired face as she walked surrounded by maids.

The moment their eyes met, Layla felt like crying for some reason.

Looking at the silver hair that had flowed down a little over his forehead and the soft violet eyes between them, she kept thinking of when she was young.

The man who was her first love.

Back then, he also unhesitatingly told Layla that he loved her.

However.

Now they had become the worst to each other, to the point where she couldn’t even bring up the stories from those days.

Was it a mistake to say she would follow Adrian?

She couldn’t help but think that again.

She slightly regretted unhesitatingly answering that she would when he told her to abandon the Wessex name. She didn’t know she would feel so frightened and guilty every time she saw him.

Layla knelt before him with an apologetic heart.

Unlike before, Adrian, who was in comfortable attire, was enjoying warm tea while resting. Seeing Layla kneeling and bowing her head before him, he dismissed all the attendants around with a glance.

Only after the door closed did Adrian lightly lift his teacup and offered.

“Want to drink? If you want, sit here.”

Layla shook her head.

“Ah, no, I’m fine.”

Actually, she wanted to drink the warm tea, but sitting together with the Crown Prince was unthinkable. Adrian seemed disappointed by her reaction.

“That’s too bad. I thought you would like it.”

Should she have said she would drink it?

Layla looked at him nervously, afraid he might get angry at the words that followed. Noticing her fidgeting, Adrian took the initiative to ease the atmosphere.

“Raise your head, and if you have something to say, go ahead. It’s just the two of us, so it’s okay, Layla.”

“Then… may I drink the tea?”

Seeing Adrian nod, Layla slowly got up. Still not used to it, she moved her heavy feet like a thousand pounds and sat across from Adrian.

However, Adrian stared at Layla who still had her head bowed.

Layla rolled her eyes and hurriedly picked up the teapot to pour tea into Adrian’s empty cup.

But seeing her trembling hands, Adrian sighed and grabbed Layla’s hand.

The tea that had been pouring out with a trickle stopped midway, and Layla looked up with surprised blue eyes.

“Did I make some mistake?”

Then Adrian asked in a small voice.

“Are you perhaps afraid of me, Layla?”