Chapter 4.2

Chapter 4.2

Richard wished this beautiful Lady wouldn’t suffer because of him anymore or waste her time. There would surely be a better man out there to love her. Maybe it was a shared pain. It was impulsive and emotional.

He wrinkled his eyebrows in embarrassment. He couldn’t explain why he had taken such an illogical action.

“Jasmine, I…”

“I understand.”

Jasmine put her teacup down firmly. Then she raised her head and stared directly at Richard. He raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t the shy and uncertain Lady he had anticipated—no, she was angry. She had every reason to be….

“In the future, I won’t bother you anymore. I didn’t know you would detest me so much. Truly, I didn’t realize how much I’ve inconvenienced you. I didn’t understand your feelings, sent you a proposal, and made you uncomfortable. Oh, how awkward you must have felt. You rejected me so clearly, yet we are at tea. It’s shameless. Isn’t it?”

Jasmine laughed sarcastically. Richard couldn’t find any response for a moment.

He had rejected women many times before. Some had ranted about being wronged, begged relentlessly, or occasionally snapped, demanding to know why they weren’t good enough. But no one had ever poured out such a torrent of harsh words with such a dignified face.

If not for her sharp eyes and words, she might have appeared merely nonchalant, like having leisurely tea time. It was a moment when the elegance she had honed for seven years shone brightly.

Indeed, it wasn’t the image of a refined and elegant lady. But pretending to be dignified had grown tiresome. It wasn’t Jasmine. To be able to say such things to the person she had only admired from afar for years felt like a refreshing release.

“Jasmine.”

A low and calm voice broke the tense silence. Jasmine, with an outwardly cool expression, met his gaze. Richard’s forehead furrowed slightly. Jasmine stared as he bowed his head toward her.

“I apologize. I didn’t intend to hurt your feelings.”

“…”

“I wanted to help you by clearly expressing my thoughts, despite my limited perspective. I never meant to mock you or be impolite.”

Richard’s apology was polite and gentlemanly, even to the extent of being courtly. It was concise, sincere, and well-mannered.

Sometimes, a perfectly delivered apology could make the recipient even more miserable.

Especially if he was truly not at fault.

Jasmine chuckled in a disheartened manner.

It was a bitter feeling. It felt like getting another strike after she was already punched. There was a mixture of relief, frustration, and… she felt like a fool, shouting and getting angry at this perfect man. Maybe her unrequited love had driven her to a delusional state.

No, that was probably right. This person did nothing wrong.

It was she who was in the wrong from the start. Her unrequited love for him was the mistake.

Then, is it all my fault? Then what were the past seven years? Were those mistakes too?

Jasmine realized once again how much of a fool she was. It was a painful realization.

When Jasmine gave a short chuckle, Richard looked at her, puzzled. It was the first time she didn’t want to see his handsome face. Shaking her head, she rose from her seat.

“Enough. You and I both know you’re not at fault.”

She shook her head vigorously. A bitter smile crept onto her lips. It was a perfect defeat.

“You won’t have to be annoyed by me anymore. I apologize.”

She concluded with etiquette. Then Jasmine turned and left.

And immediately, tears welled up in her eyes. Biting her lip, she hurriedly left, wiping away the tears. She was ruining her makeup, and her vision blurred as she walked away.

It was the end of her first love.

… Or at least, she thought so.

***

Richard let out a small sigh.

This was the eleventh sigh he had let out today. He was so preoccupied that even the Emperor asked him what was wrong.

“What’s wrong? What happened today?”

“In the future, I won’t bother you anymore. I didn’t know you would detest me so much. Truly, I didn’t realize how much I’ve inconvenienced you. I didn’t understand your feelings, sent you a proposal, and made you uncomfortable. Oh, how awkward you must have felt. You rejected me so clearly, yet we are at tea. It’s shameless. Isn’t it?”

While it contained some self-reproach, its intention was condemnation.

Richard had nothing more to say. He swallowed back the retort he had been about to make, and when he witnessed her trembling hand, his gaze softened.

That small, trembling hand looked fragile and vulnerable.

For a moment, his heart ached. Whether it was sympathy, guilt, or the fact that he saw himself in her, Richard wasn’t sure, but in that instant, he momentarily loathed himself.

He only realized there was no need for that. It would have been better to feign ignorance.

She indeed liked him, but she had never gone beyond that, never caused him harm. She had only admired him from a distance for a long… for a long time? In truth, he couldn’t remember how long precisely, but she had maintained a respectful distance.

This proposal might have been the boldest expression yet… but wasn’t a proposal just a somewhat formal process that sometimes occurred between noble families?

“Um…”

His head throbbed. D*mn it. That conversation made his emotions run high in an unexpected way.