Chapter 10 – An Invitation

Irene leaped up and scanned her surroundings in a panic, as if fearing an assassin had infiltrated the room. The unfamiliar setting briefly disoriented her, but she swiftly regained her composure when her eyes landed on the tapestry that had caught her attention upon entering the room. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she let out a soft sigh, saying, “Oh.”

“Did you have a nightmare? I didn’t think that was possible, considering how soundly you were sleeping,” Jean remarked as she walked over and drew back the curtains.

Irene brushed away the hair that had fallen over her face and turned slightly, her shoulders flinching. Her senses had never been dulled like this before, and she felt a touch embarrassed for having been caught off guard.

“Not a nightmare,” Irene replied after a few throaty coughs, surprised by the croakiness in her voice.

It wasn’t the hoarseness that came from just waking up that bothered her; rather, it was the fact that she couldn’t recall falling asleep at all.

“When did I fall asleep?”

She tried to remember, but her memory failed her. This was the first time she had slept so soundly in an unfamiliar place.

“Did you sleep well last night?” Jean asked, handing Irene a glass of water and examining her complexion.

Irene took a sip of water and then raised the glass to her lips a second time, attempting to hide her embarrassment.

How can I possibly explain that it wasn’t just comfortable, but that I slept so soundly I can’t even remember when I fell asleep? she thought.

After setting down the glass, Irene fiddled with the blanket’s hem and nodded in response to Jean’s question. The soft texture of the blanket oddly comforted her.

“And did His Highness treat you well?” When Irene nodded again, Jean smiled gently and added, “His Majesty was raised in an imperial family that’s more harmonious than other royal families, so he’s a naturally kind and friendly person. I suppose my worries were unfounded.”

Jean subtly appealed on the crown prince’s behalf, knowing that as he had grown older, he had become less inclined to express his affections. However, Jean’s message went over Irene’s head.

“I see…” Irene nodded, her confusion preventing her from discerning whether Jean’s words were positive or negative. “What time is it now?”

“It will be noon soon. You must have been very tired.”

Irene’s eyes quivered in confusion, and she tugged at the robe that was slipping off her shoulder to secure it better. In a small, disconcerted voice, she muttered to herself, “I don’t… It’s not like I burned a sleeping candle.”

Had there been sleeping incense or candles, her training since childhood would have alerted her with their unique scents. Instead, she had experienced the deepest sleep of her life. Irene had never slept until noon before. As a knight, her senses were always attuned to even the faintest sounds.

How could I sleep so deeply in an unfamiliar environment after everything that happened last night?

It frightened her.

“Your meal has been prepared,” Jean said as she busied herself tidying up the room.

Hearing Jean’s voice, Irene snapped out of her thoughts.

“No, Marie, my servant, will be worried,” she said. “I wish to return to my quarters. Or did His Highness request that I stay here?”

“He didn’t mention that, but His Highness did express a desire to have a meal with you.”

“Oh…”

Lately, Irene found meals to be the most challenging part of her day. No matter what she ate, her throat felt constricted, and her appetite had waned.

Faced with a lunch invitation, Irene hesitated briefly before declining. “I’ll decline.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m declining the invitation. If it’s an order, then…I’m disobeying it.”

Though usually adept at maintaining a neutral expression, a puzzled look briefly crossed Jean’s face at Irene’s firm refusal.

“Alright, then… In that case, I’ll…”

“If you deliver this message, you’ll get into trouble, won’t you?” Irene asked as she got off the bed and stood up.

Jean hurriedly wrapped a thick robe around Irene to ward off the cold and cautiously replied, “I can’t deny that.”

“Yes, that’s just the way it is,” Irene agreed.

As she secured the robe in place, she nodded to thank Jean and offered a faint smile. Despite the lesson she had learned the night before, Irene considered refusing the invitation. However, looking at Jean’s face, she couldn’t help but wonder if what she was doing was wrong. Even if it was a trivial order, Jean would be reprimanded for failing to carry it out.

Irene thought, I don’t want to embarrass others over something unimportant.

“Then, would you like to accept?” Jean asked.

“If it’s already noon, we should hurry. There isn’t much time left to prepare.”

“Please, wait a moment. I’ll have you dressed up in no time.”

* * *

While Irene adjusted to the unfamiliar Perkan attire that Jean had prepared for her, Kael meditated on the report he had received that morning, waiting for her arrival.

“Those two fiancés certainly took advantage of her,” he muttered.

Seeing Irene had already raised his suspicions, but hearing Wellen’s report had still shaken him.

In the absence of proper care, respect, and emotional support from her partner, Irene’s eyes bore a telltale weariness. Had someone been there to understand and share in her suffering and emotions, she might not have resorted to severing her basic feelings and clinging desperately to her mission, seeking strength through it. The emptiness in her eyes haunted him, a reflection of how Irene had repressed her own mind and emotions. It deeply saddened him, and he impatiently tapped his fingers against the armrest. The situation left a bitter taste in his mouth, reigniting the anger he had struggled to contain since the previous night.

“If I had known how rotten it all was, I would have eliminated them all. A withered tree, an unfeeling beauty… How dare they label her as such?” Kael growled through clenched teeth. These derogatory nicknames were used to mock Irene within Theorin’s social circles.

“Your Highness, are you contemplating violence?” Wellen asked, bemusement in his tone, as he entered the dining room.

He thought that if a child saw Kael’s face at this moment, they would either burst into tears or wet themselves. Wellen shrugged lightly and regarded Kael, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. However, the wider Wellen’s smile grew, the more pained and grotesque Kael’s expression became.

“Now, now. Please, follow my lead. Come on, like this. She won’t enjoy her meal if you look like that. Who can eat with someone wearing such a grim expression?”

“So, should I force a smile like this?”

“Forget it. Please, Your Highness, don’t smile anymore.” Observing Kael’s facial muscles tremble as he attempted a forced smile, Wellen quickly abandoned his suggestion.

Unpleased with Wellen’s response, Kael crossed his arms, glared, and inquired, “Why are you here?”

“Is it not allowed? I need to eat as well.”

“And I’m asking why you’re dining here.”

“I came to apologize. And, if I’m honest, I wanted to see her in person. I traveled with the group that descended on the capital, so I never crossed paths with her. After the negotiations were concluded, I hurried to Voltern to collect Your Highness and got caught up in preparations to return home,” Wellen lamented, contorting his body and pleading.

“Why do you need to see her? Just deliver what you have and leave. As for the apology, send a formal request and handle it properly.”

“Oh, come on! Your Highness is so harsh. Anyway, this is the second reminder from Her Majesty, the Empress. I’ve responded that you’ve found someone suitable—”

“Have you gone mad?”

“Rumors are already circulating. She’s bound to find out sooner or later.”

“I distinctly stated that what happened last night was a misunderstanding. Forget it, just go. And never mention her to Her Majesty. Keeping it as a rumor is far more preferable.”

“Yes, yes. I’ll leave as you command. But before I do, allow me to offer one piece of advice—be yourself. You can act naturally.”

Kael fell silent after receiving Wellen’s advice. After a moment of contemplation, he finally asked, “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean…”

Though Kael projected a rough and cold exterior, that was merely his professional demeanor. Raised in a loving environment by affectionate parents, Kael possessed immense kindness and compassion for those he considered part of his inner circle. As a child, he openly expressed his emotions, never having learned to conceal them. However, as the heir to the empire, he quickly realized that displaying his true self was not viable. Through years of training, he had learned to suppress his emotions, eventually making it a habitual part of his daily life. This caused him difficulty in expressing his feelings except to those he was already close to.

“Just be yourself…”

“Yes, Your Highness. Just be yourself. Now, I’ll take my leave.”

Hmm… If I were to fully express my feelings for her, there wouldn’t be enough time even if I spent the rest of my life by her side.

To others, his concerns might seem baseless, but to Kael, they were an unavoidable reality. He had rejected all the women who had pursued him with unwavering devotion until now. But now, in the presence of Irene, a captivating and heart-rending woman, he yearned to give her his entire heart, which he had carefully guarded for so long.

“Your Highness, Lady Irene has arrived,” an attendant announced.

“Let her in,” Kael replied, rising from his seat.

As the door opened, Irene entered, clad in an ivory dress adorned with a blue ribbon waistband. Her appearance momentarily took Kael’s breath away, and his head spun for a moment.

Quietly regaining his composure, he greeted her, saying, “Welcome.”

“Thank you for the invitation,” Irene replied, lifting her dress with awkward grace as she curtsied.

“Please, follow me.”

After responding smoothly to Irene, Kael approached her with the intention of escorting her to the table, gesturing toward it. However, things did not go as expected.

Why isn’t she moving?

Both of them stood there, staring at each other blankly, simultaneously wondering why the other wasn’t moving. Silence hung between them as they waited for the other to make a move, until they both spoke at the same time.

“You go.”

“Please, go ahead.”