Strangely, Aslan spoke informally to Hestia, and she, in turn, used formal language with him, despite him being a duke’s illegitimate child.
“Anyway, there’s no one else to see us. Let’s just be comfortable.”
Hestia’s main residence was the temple, but she always returned to the palace for the New Year and royal events.
Though it was a rather inappropriate term to use for a person, to put it bluntly, Yorgos was reluctant to completely transfer his ownership rights over her to the temple.
Anyway, thanks to that, Hestia visited the palace more often than Aslan had thought, and each time, she seemed to keep her promise to meet him.
That day was also one when Hestia, who had been absent for a while, showed her face.
Even though he was inwardly pleased, he pretended to be indifferent and asked her with feigned concern, “Is it okay for you to be out like this?”
She immediately nodded.
Contrary to Aslan’s expectation, people didn’t look for Hestia when she disappeared during banquets.
Being both a princess and a saint, she couldn’t belong to any group because she was still considered a ‘child.’
Hestia immediately nodded to Aslan’s question.
“Anyway, the high priest makes all the decisions. If there’s something I need to know, they will tell me tomorrow.”
She was a saint but had no authority.
She was merely a symbolic existence, nothing more, nothing less.
However, Hestia didn’t show any complaints or doubts about her situation.
She was young, and no one had taught her what she should do.
Aslan had to suppress the urge to click his tongue.
“They use her as they please.”
Hestia turned to him with a clear face at his cold words.
“What do you mean?”
The moment he met her purple eyes, Aslan unknowingly clenched his teeth and held his breath. Then, a beat later, he shook his head and slowly exhaled.
“Nothing, it’s nothing.”
He brushed it off, and fortunately, Hestia didn’t ask further.
Why didn’t she understand her own value?
Hestia was the kingdom’s only legitimate princess and a saint.
It felt like a political maneuver to marginalize such a being simply because of her young age.
‘Even though she doesn’t seem to think so.’
Glancing at Hestia, Aslan held back a sigh.
For example, if Hestia expressed feeling ‘hurt’ or ‘upset,’ the royal family and the temple could turn against each other.
Not only that, if she said she wanted ‘to find her place,’ the Elsword nobles might divide into factions supporting Yorgos, the current king, and those supporting the legitimate bloodline.
Everyone knew this, except Hestia, so Aslan saw the adults excluding her from important matters.
Angry at this but also falling into self-loathing, he realized he was no different from the adults at the banquet.
If he ever told Hestia about her influence and worth…
‘What if she stops coming?’
He felt this irrational fear, knowing it was baseless.
That was why. He wanted Hestia to keep coming to him.
Like him, she relied only on him, a lowly wish.
Afraid she might be disappointed if she knew his cunning thoughts, he kept silent and held back his words.
Life in the capital was exceedingly dull, so Aslan’s life was very simple and repetitive.
He would wake up, eat, train, and then read books.
Recently, however, one thing was added.
It was walking in the garden.
Specifically, it was a habit he developed after meeting Hestia.
‘What am I looking at?’
At first, it was curiosity about Hestia.
But after it became a habit, he was captivated by the scenery of seasons other than winter.
Aslan realized a few months after living in the palace that various flowers bloomed here.
It seemed the gardener had taken great care of the trees and plants until Hestia left the palace, as even without care, different flowers bloomed and faded with each season, never allowing one to tire of them.
“So this is what flowers are like.”
Every day, Aslan quietly observed the flowers.
‘Is there no way to share this?’
He wanted to show his father and friends all that he saw.
But that was just a wish.
Aslan knew too well that it was impossible unless winter was driven out of Kalati.
However, unlike his rational thoughts, his restless heart did not easily settle.
He wanted to convey the hope he saw here to them.
‘Should I send a letter?’
If dried and enclosed…
Could these flowers, which had become a source of comfort, hope, and will for him, convey the same feelings to them?
They might be tired, but spring will surely come someday.
Or I will come, so hold on a little longer.
But then, the strength suddenly drained from Aslan’s hand that had been gripping the flower stem as if to pluck it.
“What’s the point of sending them?”
Flowers, spring… they were not things that could be obtained that way.
Besides, although there were flowers everywhere here, in the Kalati dukedom, nothing was more precious than flowers.
Therefore, it felt wrong to pluck them.
The more beautiful and precious something is, the more it should be treated with care.
Aslan gripped his fist tightly, as if trying to suppress his emerging desires, and took a deep breath.
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
