Episode 72

Dichotomous Thinking

At first, he thought it was a trick to attract attention. However, only after hearing the news that she had been stabbed by an unidentified man did this kind of suspicion go away a little. He couldn’t see her in front of him, so he seemed to have forgotten for a while.

When he finally heard that Eris Misérian had entered the palace again, Alecto felt happy initially.

After the greetings with the emperor were over, she would probably come over here for tea time. It didn’t matter how much attention he paid to her, she didn’t forget to go to him every single time.

“....You’re later than usual.”

“....disrespectful. It’s a dazzling afternoon, Your Highness and Helena.”

She looked a little thin but it was said she was sick. No wonder the atmosphere was so calm. I thought she grew up after being sick, but when she ordered Helena as if she was dealing with an attendant, he clicked his tongue, saying that people didn’t change easily.

But technically, Helena was not a noble, so Alecto just stared at Eris silently. This was because whenever he

glared at her, Eris used to become a little selfconscious and pretended to be sweet to Helena,

However, Eris did not give in to his gaze and snapped.

“As Your Highness said, we’re close friends.... Is it against the law to ask your friend for a cup of tea?”

Helena stopped Alecto before he got angry at her cheeky response. Helena mediated between the two, imitating the mischievous words.

Alecto was dissatisfied with her being treated like that, but his anger melted away like snow because of Helena, who lightly patted her lips and laughed.

When Jason, who returned from a long journey, approached, the atmosphere became more friendly Although it was initially a mandatory meeting between the imperial family and aristocratic children, as time passed, Alecto realized that his time with Jason was quite enjoyable.

Because Jason was a good-natured person, he was kind to Alecto, who was on the tough side, and he did not show any reluctance because Helena was a commoner.

By comparison, Eris was always like a corner that stuck out.

Every time they met, she reluctantly ‘put up with Jason, the son of the duke, and pretended to be friendly with Helena, who didn’t have to endure it, yet she subtly treated her as the attendant of the group.

Naturally, when they gathered together, she had no choice but to be alienated. No, he intentionally alienated her.

Because he didn’t like her.

She was hurting his pride as usual, so he hoped for her to leave, but she rubbed it in today of all days. He couldn’t stand the amount of advice she gave to Helena, so when she got up, Helena hugged and stopped him.

When Eris left, Jason shook his head and laughed.

“Still, Lady Misérian.”

“She’s always arrogant.”

“You must have been tired. There has been a lot of work lately.”

As soon as he heard Helena’s voice, his mind became clearer. She was as kind as an angel.

He always blamed himself for not being able to tell others when he hated something. How could one hate a child like this so much? He believed that if the witch was alive, she would be like Eris.

Alecto always had a tendency to think in a dichotomous way, and for him, Eris was always classified as ‘bad’ or ‘hate’.

The same was true when Eris entered the Imperial Palace again shortly after. When the escort knight stopped the child, who had been close to Helena, from breathlessly running to him, the child fell flat on her face and begged the crown prince.

“Your Highness! Lady Misérian is bothering Helena again! Please help me!”

“....Where is she?”

When he went in a hurry as the child led him, he could see Eris scolding Helena. He held his throbbing head and turned Eris’ body around. Looking down silently, she didn’t back down and met his eyes. Unfortunately, there was no sign of remorse in her eyes.

“Lady Misérian, you didn’t change at all. No, you are getting more and more shameless.”

“It is a dazzling afternoon, Your Highness. For those of high standing, that is a virtue.”

Alecto’s head was heated up by her sarcastic voice. It was ridiculous for Eris to say that the higher the status, the more generous one should be to the lower, and that it was a virtue while she persecuted the lower. In front of himself, one of the highest ranked people in the country.

“How dare you discuss your status in front of me now?”

“Your Highness, because it is me, I can discuss my status in front of Your Highness. Your Highness is engaged to me.”

“It’s only an engagement! Do you think the imperial family will tolerate you being arrogant as if you were already the Crown Princess when the marriage is not yet certain?”

Eris Misérian always acted as if she was from the royal family. If it weren’t for the marquis, she wouldn’t be able to sit there.

It occurred to him that Helena had lost her place to Eris. Then he got even more angry. When he saw the wound on Helena’s palm, his anger reached its peak,

Eris’ head turned with a frictional sound. At the same time, Eris and Helena looked at him in disbelief. He said he disliked it, but it was the first time he touched someone.

He thought he made a mistake, but it was already spilled water. Alecto deliberately spoke more coldly.

“You scratched what was mine first, so I’ll have to make at least a scratch on you to be fair. Don’t you think so?

It was a lame excuse. Alecto himself knew it and tried to leave out of embarrassment. To Alecto, Eris quietly said that it was a marriage between families, so he’ll get married even if he didn’t want to. Eris, who brought it up, somehow looked tired.

“Didn’t you say you love me and got engaged not too long ago? Is this what you really think?”

I love you. You know. That was what Eris said sometime ago during the day. She didn’t cry, but her eyes were wet. Her cheeks were red as she spoke, but maybe it was makeup.

Since Eris was good at lying, Alecto doubted everything about her.

“I loved you. Not now.”

That’s why Alecto panicked now that the ‘truth came out of Eris’ mouth. That wasn’t the answer Alecto expected. She still loved him, he thought she would scream out that she did that because she still loved him.

He dared to think.... that, it was the wrong answer.

He wanted to break up his engagement to Eris. However, when the opportunity came, his mouth did not open. When he saw Eris’ eyes, who were pressuring him at the knight’s appointment ceremony, his mind became complicated.

Alecto concluded that the reason was ‘because he was not sure. He was not sure that he could break up the engagement, but if he brought it up, it would be a loss.

Kratos, his father, was a scary man with no mercy, even if he was his own blood.

Alecto thought of his unknown brother, who he heard died by his hands. Even the face of his father, who held no warmth since he saw him when he was young,

There was no need to rush. Even if he broke up with Eris, if his next fiancé was a woman like Eris, it would be in vain.

In order to marry Helena, and no one else, he had to make Helena stand out. That way, his father would not protest later.

Thinking of Helena, he remembered Jason confessing to her after the appointment ceremony. He never imagined he would like Helena either.

However, Alecto did easily understand. Because anyone would have fallen in love. Everyone liked a child without a single crease.

However, when he heard that Jason had decided to take Helena as a partner during Eris’ coming of age ceremony, Alecto also became impatient. Perhaps she read Alecto’s mind, as his mother, Melpomene, called him in.

“The first son of the Duke of Kazar and Helena are paired and will appear at the Coming-of-Age ceremony of the Misérian child, right?”

“.... Did you hear that from Helena?”

“How can I not know anything about your favorite child while sitting here? It will be a good match.”

Rather, when Alecto couldn’t answer Melpomene’s words, his eyes became cold. Melpomene whispered to Alecto in a low voice.

“Didn’t this mother teach you to tell me without hiding what you want and to have what you deserve? How can you look so sad?”

“However.”

“But there’s no such thing.”

When Melpomene stated it out directly, Alecto’s body became stiff. Since he grew up unloved, Alecto always struggled with his parents. As Alecto bowed his head, Melpomene spoke to Alecto in a rare friendly voice.

“Your mother will take care of it, so escort Helena on the Coming-of-Age Day. It takes time for women to dress up, so I won’t care if you send Duke Kazar to the venue first.”

“Actually, the fiancé has to be the escort at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.....”

Alecto was bothered by Eris. That’s because it was obvious how Eris would be treated if he didn’t show up. Melpomene laughed when Alecto hesitated.

“Oh, son. Are you worried about her? She had already done such a thing once. She should now know that she may suffer the same thing. Isn’t that a lesson?” (TL/N: she is referring to the incident with Lady Morgan.)

Hearing that, he was determined again.

Alecto quietly bowed his head to Melpomene and left the room. He tried to think of it as a causal retribution. She hurt someone else’s heart, so she had to go through the same thing.

Finally, on the day of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, the Helena in front of him bloomed more beautifully than any other woman he had met in his life.

She smiled shyly when she saw him because she was unfamiliar with the thick makeup and the dress that would be worn by an aristocrat. Beautiful. When Alecto said his honest appreciation, she stabbed him in his side, saying, “Don’t lie.”

Was she still waiting for him in the room? Walking side by side with Helena, Alecto suddenly recalled Eris and soon erased it.

It was rude to think of a woman other than Helena when he stole Jason’s partner.

And when the door opened with the introduction of the servant, he made eye contact with Eris, who was expressionless, as if she had come in advance.

There was no sadness or anger anywhere on that white face. It was just a sign that all of this was boring and exhausting.