Chapter 94

‘That damn bastard!’f3ad07de08df31c0

I ground my teeth reflexively.3b87b9d7384bd611

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Of course, I 69684d2678 knew full well b0ebde27fd that blindly trusting 8a4588cce7 and following him e98976570d in my previous e6a7182f5d life was my 0177a86590 fault too. No matter how a72c0606ab much I despised c9d7349d86 Diana, plotting to bf1bb65d44 kill her was f89d80069d nothing short of 1e2f7f478f foolish and despicable.2aae6df80e670a3d

Looking back, I 49d321bef6 couldn’t help but 575f7aea59 curse my own 58a982895f idiocy.a815d49bf5bfbe11

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But Adolf Galagos ultimately f024e78a64 betrayed the crown prince d3f839f9d3 and sided with the 69921e1bce second prince. He was even 5a88e64aeb the one who 3ee6795fea put the crown 380a7d109a prince into a 046b84a705 coma.f3a05264b7baa2e3

‘…So, the crown prince was already close with ‘that bastard’ at this point?’7a3eed0015316384

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The tragic crown prince, c9329cbc13 who lost everything in e84164c991 an instant, betrayed by 5c45d237ca a friend and subordinate e4cf080255 he had known for e52b839c0e over ten years. The thought weighed 4294f0fb1a heavily on my 1abf1b9b43 heart.bd808d592e5aa821

Just then, I 6053707368 felt a warm ef1df9b45e touch against one 4b40d7459f cheek.769a90990cc3d92a

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“…Huh?”930f34b6bdf16c2c

Startled, I lifted my 13312634b1 gaze to find the a289cd1d95 crown prince gently brushing 3e9f622dd1 under my eyes with d438ba637c his hand.89604547b700af0c

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“Why the face?”b58a691d1a4479c0

“Huh?”f677dbff7f49fa9b

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“Do you not like Adolf Galagos? You look like 50d81378e3 you’re about to 690c2c7388 cry.”a96bb05b8752a4be

His curious teal b2aea6b973 eyes met mine 3077124217 directly. For the first time 914b5a717d since I met him, 6a6c924bce I found myself staring 1ac10cd041 straight into his gaze.993cd1bdde8a8c2f

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His playful expression belied the 13455523ce strikingly pure and vivid sea-green 3988e22387 of his eyes.9da3b7b17197f346

‘…It’s just.’14eae035b0dc6b64

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Not even because of myself.cb676c418c9927e5

But because I pitied him.fe40ac9d8a12d98e

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Even if the 50daece237 betrayal was yet f5b1f1d299 to come, Adolf ef342d746d Galagos had already 845b23f62d marked himself as a428cffcfa the prince’s future 1ff963d9e1 downfall. And the crown 601ac24113 prince’s coma wasn’t c7150226b3 even part of cb684a2229 the original story.80aa34c7a3b747f4

‘In a way, you’re also a victim of my interference.’34fa4a15cfefc5ef

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Another person caught d190356aaa in the ripple 32cba01ac6 effects of my 9a22f15435 actions, someone who bc4c9f6b2c wouldn’t have been c20e4e33e8 involved if not 48b20a5750 for me.0dd6e380a9756a3d

Facing another unintended casualty, a c9f222eb90 buried guilt clawed its way 2b0f785528 to the surface.4ba8aeea310ee2b2

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“Ugh…”fed05124c184444c

I hadn’t meant to 175b3b2fc7 cry, but a pained d8069216c7 groan escaped me anyway.c5934377ae578304

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“Alright, I’ll keep him at second place. I’ll let you 9d775e8c7b be the only 1c5f87f7ec first-place winner…”0db1ec312c9c6d6a

Caught off guard by 8e26810328 my sudden reaction, the fa65cc9753 crown prince looked visibly 161bc778db flustered.4f82aad7bbba841f

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“So, don’t cry, Belze.”9168f18e6f1416d8

“Hic…”818f7c4a72b6c54c

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His gentle tone, trying to 1bf459bf51 console me, only made the 462e82c1dc surge of sorrow harder to dda1ae5f1c contain. My nose stung, and 9767641478 I inhaled deeply to 44b2311a99 keep from sobbing outright 36246fa66b when—5809c057ad9740b7

“Y-young master! You can’t do this! W-wait, young master…!”016bc33bc03ad0c4

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A commotion erupted outside a67e92f649 the room, followed by a3ed0d5c3d the door bursting open.4f272a0b26b63054

“Belze.”e42ea36673b10bdb

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“E-Edwin?!”1beb998079d8473c

I froze at the 0cf77614f4 sight of Edwin barging 61282eb334 in unexpectedly.31ace5f57119f031

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“H-how did you…?”41efaefda1d1afc9

“Why are you crying?”c363d7347ddb4fdb

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His sharp gaze swept the 9e20c0f8e2 drawing room, almost as if b450428b93 searching for a hidden attacker. Finally, his golden eyes landed 5196008e44 on the crown prince’s hand 145d0f7026 resting against my cheek.de7410fce08050dc

And on my tear-streaked face.76cad432aa468a8d

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In that instant, his edca5e7a6b golden irises glinted dangerously.8f6b329b47f37dc3

“Take your hand off her.”ddc70853034cc83b

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“Ha. Are you giving 9d5dcdc683 me orders now?” 3ce318a316 the crown prince 280c9b82f4 asked, his tone 174310d6ae laced with disbelief b418e445eb as he let 330649634c out a dry 2d720df516 laugh.be0999d8afc01c65

But only for a moment.ae907fc605dc98e5

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“I don’t want to.”5fbbb9e1083f50d9

“Did you make her cry, Your Highness?”2ecc2eb4d12d56f2

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“And if I did?”d3c52666d604c426

The crown prince, smirking 97feda3c31 arrogantly, tilted his chin 01e1e00082 toward Edwin, his hand 9f3ff88e7c still resting against my 3351c3256f cheek.dd45e20ac5d02582

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“….”6d487ec94893cbe6

Edwin’s hand instinctively moved c6e4aa836a to his waist, as 27f3474879 if reaching for a 4778a13762 sword. Of course, no 9ee1078d1c weapons were allowed 512687280e in the palace, 438de0c890 and his waist d0c52f98dd was empty.782f304fd648e73b

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Yet, his frantic searching 5d1f52880a and the crazed glint 9a2c4e7924 in his eyes were 2f81498a4d enough to make my 9a4b90f12c heart race in panic.ad674fad1b12473d

‘Oh no! What are you doing? This could go terribly wrong!’f9bb849608485321

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I’d seen this 2cf33fb47a side of Edwin f4cdb80ced before, in my f77867eec2 previous life. When battling beasts, he sometimes 8340a54de4 struggled to calm himself once 2fe5a02db8 his adrenaline surged.5890ceb1367a0fc5

But this wasn’t a beast—it 377d5f087c was the crown prince.fa4191873eade3e4

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“What? Are you planning ad0dcf6b73 to strike me?”d05aac8fe91021be

The crown prince, 1eecb1bcc6 recognizing Edwin’s rising a592be9588 tension, sneered provocatively.6427709c20d5bb43

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Edwin’s wandering gaze snapped back 527f3b9e9b to the prince, and for f6fcad5749 a moment, his fist twitched.7047d285ff367559

It was a c277f445bf powder keg ready bb41e3c03a to explode.3d59dbb41c504962

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“S-stop—!”52ef384b8a431ace

Terrified of the escalating tension, f132fb7078 I sprang to my feet fd9e268038 and ran to Edwin.ebb98b8772366798

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“I-I’m fine! It’s not what you think!”4e1dbaf519d0a5f9

Clinging to his waist, I 6c843b3621 shouted, ‘Please, Edwin, come to 2bf40668e2 your senses! This is the crown prince!’218848a9e172f434

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Perhaps my desperate e49108b93b plea reached him, 32e3dea6fe as Edwin’s cold, cc684b51a5 rigid body slowly 1c7bddddd8 turned toward me.fdf320740165bc0f

“Why were you crying? Did His Highness… hit e8f2d9f0f3 you?” he demanded.d981f75138f02c41

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I shook my head furiously, aec221436e pale with fear.7b255d9490ab4b81

“No!”8cac7a137820c9a0

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“Then why was His Highness touching you…?”e4190b976ad6360a

“Dust got in my eye! His Highness was 0118385b11 just helping me 94d50187ed blow it out!”bce9c0c28745ed9b

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Panicked that Edwin might be 79ee718a96 accused of treason, I spewed 0cb580ab3e excuses as quickly as I 1e2c02a8a1 could. My eyes were f87eec8555 only slightly red b4c8b4071a from tearing up, 7f757349ef so the lie 260a07872d wasn’t entirely unconvincing.c08c872ebd260f56

As my words cf785c43e0 seemed to register, 9fcbc13f85 the focus in 2cb59a3b9a Edwin’s dazed golden ad91f2e3d0 eyes gradually returned.ff0acc0e9ab08b79

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“…Let me see.”cdb6fa923f1b07ed

He reached out 4ed0f242e9 for my face.df8ac873feb5013e

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“I’m fine now! His Highness helped, e7eb2d833c so it’s all a411f29e31 better!”1df4853a4a4cdae3

I stepped back from Edwin’s 7224c28136 outstretched hand and shot a 0ffa64118e desperate glance at the crown 6bc3795a3e prince.1fcc1383439c079e

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‘Apologize, now!’89829445a145f9f4

If the crown prince decided f2908c9d10 to punish Edwin for his a841576cdd behavior, I wouldn’t be able f529e41321 to stop it.127d3254d22fbc44

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Fortunately, Edwin seemed to bfa018dd1f pick up on my 409fa3f6ce silent plea. Turning away from d81f732bb2 me, he faced b6390f2f68 the crown prince 85763d9753 and bowed his b6f6dbe7a6 head.21415ecb4768ef52

“I apologize, Your Highness. I was rude.”1018072f043dfc5e

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“Hah.”3c73958f9800edda

The crown prince let out 9336720d1e a short laugh at Edwin’s 0f0471f87b sudden shift in demeanor.34a4a5038d900461

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“Well, barging into the crown prince’s reception uninvited is more than just rude, wouldn’t you say?”10d742a8983de1ef

“I’m not an outsider. I’m here as Belze’s guardian.”da7dad69ae6eeb16

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Unfazed, Edwin calmly pulled c85eebbffd out a piece of 5fe387cd12 paper and handed it db059cffac to the crown prince.31fc242c2fd92c8d

The crown prince’s eyebrows 04b7a08ac0 twitched as he unfolded 78e9669387 it.23ca38b610ee6f43

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“Guardian… delegation form?”1beb4a1e910a5c7d

‘As Belze (Female, 5 years old)’s guardian, Liam Kallios, is unable to fulfill his role today due to personal circumstances, all rights are hereby delegated to Edwin Kallios…’fba50df905aeee8b

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“Like father, like son,” the crown prince muttered with a smirk as he read over the guardian delegation form.f894cad69c3caadc

Even without looking, 993cd48d98 I could guess fd0ca39507 the contents of 1a82639bd4 that paper, and 9dd53ba98f my face burned 9e0f886f85 hot with embarrassment. While I was 59e05ab087 busy feeling mortified, b0598f4ca4 Edwin remained completely ef09de846d unbothered and calmly df64cb964f replied.dad19327ff85470f

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“I heard a child crying while waiting outside. How could I, as her guardian, simply stand by? I hope Your Highness will understand.”fdee2a6a48bdaa9e

“Did you think I was going to eat her just for coming to receive an award?”bc15fdd29999ce04

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“Considering how many tried to harm Belze at the charity event, it’s only natural to be cautious, Your Highness.”bb1e5107e1e39f58

“…”e1c064888a29a0e7

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The crown prince was 443876af79 momentarily at a loss 9a1d7518ce for words, though he 74c140333b seemed grudgingly to agree 1a38f1912c with Edwin’s point. After a pause, he sighed a165d4ac26 and spoke with an air 7fbea55133 of resignation.851cf526c31a5da5

“…Let’s wrap up the award remarks and pleasantries here.”1cc6d4e28fa631e2

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He was so 422d0dce80 calm that for 42e37c433b a moment, I ef8410289d almost believed we 65e2062652 had been exchanging cda610bf27 award speeches all ca581afa72 along.bfc92cc75a4edc74

“Jordan, make sure she gets her prize money and trophy on the way out.”d3658c1564e1c20c

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“Yes, Your Highness,” Jordan replied promptly.781c62868b6a8315

“And…”45f6f6d5d8587219

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The crown prince turned to 64d409533f me, his gaze softening.32ea6234cb67afb4

“As promised, you’re the sole first-place winner, Belze.”36d870cdb66225ef

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He winked at me playfully, 4233c9ed96 as if sharing a secret 28c59bafa3 about the real reason I’d ab9f898f2d been upset.196bf29bf01a4025

‘That’s not why I was crying, though…’d9f2d457c4956a7c

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Still, being the sole 9a6eea0591 first-place winner was undeniably 23eeeb6011 good news. If only Adolf, df67d9b2a5 that cursed scoundrel, 70201fcb1d didn’t win any a7fa7d9e77 prize at all, 1e44a2b59b it would be 021388a3c3 even better. I hid my disappointment and 3a1e5b5430 bowed politely.65b1d819fb3d3512

“Thank you. Goodbye, Your Highness!”4b69988658196053

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“Take care. Let’s meet again.”6e0910a804561b85

The crown prince waved at 03e921a4b8 me with a cheerful smile. Edwin gave a f25576213d polite bow, but 7c27b633ff the crown prince c4400a3fd4 didn’t acknowledge him 4610974638 in the slightest.568a0cff6732b696

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‘These two… they used to be close.’2dfe34692228ca45

The Kallios family had 6b779287fa always supported the crown 3e7ee83c8c prince, and Edwin had 2f81f6ce1e known him since childhood. But now, it felt 378fd0ef92 like their relationship had 0ae34cb7d3 soured because of me, df49b5bf2a leaving me uneasy.15cdf610093d32f9

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As I trailed Edwin toward 0b7131cb0d the door, my emotions churned a12f63f342 until I could no longer ef1c9fb9bd suppress them. I spun around abruptly.c3f95ad8ba3d7965

“Y-Your Highness! About your proposal…!”14ebfb3efdb576c5

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“…?”881c0ada9bbc87e5

“I’ll think it over positively!” I blurted out.0a5f480f2a4fd715

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The crown prince’s eyes widened ffe97c0d38 in surprise.b5144e742c26dcf6

I didn’t know why c88bcf6e12 I was doing this. Based on the original e6f14ded72 story, I should avoid f6deab5530 entangling myself with any f5edb41a02 male lead candidates.42a218d21530760f

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But…5fd0b605333a1a26

‘I can’t just let Adolf Galagos become the crown prince’s trusted aide.’4c89a23a16b8a9bc

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If Adolf eventually 397b085b8e betrayed the crown 14a1671f76 prince to side 2d5b77e191 with the second f746d22449 prince, as he f0dff545a7 did in the 0458d112a5 original story, it eba58d74d2 would be catastrophic. I’d had enough of regretting 0012adaba5 my inaction in my previous aa75cbc066 life.ff68c8f37fa96815

Better to uproot the efe2e9879c problem now, even if fe89a21c51 it meant altering the 6c17b5d50d original story.ae6ab0ea50dc6767

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“…Really?”04692f07e6c04c3c

“Yes!”22fecb29228fe97c

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“I thought you’d turned me down without a second thought.”23825223a984f9e6

The crown prince’s surprised expression a6ecc0eb54 soon melted into a radiant e41cc55d1d smile, as dazzling as a 08d692fa9b blooming flower.5d19955e262f0eeb

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“In that case, next time we meet, call me César instead of Your Highness. How about it?”781bae28aa4b53b8

“C-César…?”b2c326885f3629d9

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“Yes, César Estarode. You can even speak casually if you’d like—maybe call me Brother César.”d4bcb9a48700d6b4

Before I could 78dbf175fb fully process the a9f85f9543 sudden introduction, he 46c3cff1ac continued smoothly.c96cb33e829205c6

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“We’re friends now, remember?”f3e4dcdd0dd34b9d

The crown prince had 99d4b59bdd an uncanny ability to 3d222ab9b7 dress up even the cade9bd317 most calculated exchanges as 4af1125dbf something innocent and natural. For someone so f313a8cbe2 young, his social 12bacf88c3 finesse was remarkable.2fa6c4550a58d288

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“Well? Belze?” he prodded gently, as I hesitated, unsure how to respond.dd1d994f43ec331e

But his gaze wasn’t directed 3e8e567713 at me—it was fixed on 677bf1e800 something behind me, with a 596d0f435e subtle sense of superiority in 5b3eb748cb his eyes.b69922c8916bc3d6

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Alarmed, I turned 91b7c0f88f to look at 1d4ec9ed8d Edwin.0fda4139e7ed7c36

He stood there, ee1c086718 frozen stiff, much fd7b475f18 like when he’d a360e75a85 seen me with d59582427b Ismail a few 6d6de9188c days ago. I knew all b71514af2c too well what 4e1b0d609e that rigid posture fbfebee7d8 meant—Edwin wasn’t in 1309a72fe8 a good mood.7570557f4dc4dfa9

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But this time, I 0849dec17a had no choice.a98d9ca8a8de86dd

“…Alright. I’ll do it,” I said softly.b4ecb946ffe7ef5a

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I felt a 973f1094db pang of guilt 2a0f470d7d as I met ac6b9691ca the crown prince’s de17bcb710 expectant gaze.6a5860f618996a52

But the truth 2c287c5864 was, I wasn’t fa51d8bbda doing this for d24a842913 him.801646c0116f4de8

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Everything I did, 5291822617 everything I hoped f17cff45f2 to change, was df3c7ce892 for Edwin and f2a310c5c8 the Kallios family.69cc32afc86055df