Chapter 4.3

She was uncertain of Lottie’s whereabouts. As soon as she was ready to settle down, she needed to bring Lottie along. In a rush, Freya jotted down a brief note for Hero and Archer, and once the arrangements were complete, she instructed the passing attendants to deliver it.

“It’s finished now.”

Upon returning to the bedroom, she inspected the bed she had made. But truth be told, she couldn’t sleep soundly in that bed.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now.”

This was, in fact, the original plan.

“After all, I only promised your Highness a year.”

Now, she had the freedom to depart whenever she wanted.

“It’s not that I’m running away; it’s just time for me to go.”

The aristocratic charade was over.

Freya, with a lingering gaze, proceeded to the balcony that connected to the outside of the bedroom. It was quicker to sneak away this way than face the snow. She clung to the vine and descended by stepping on the protruding brick. However, it wasn’t as simple as she imagined, and she couldn’t go down quickly due to her nerves, which caused small stone crumbs to fall little by little.

“You can do it. You’ve already practiced it dozens of times in your head.”

Despite being nervous, Freya managed to step on the grass. As she searched her memory for the path Prince Hart had shown her the other day, she attempted to find the mischievous child hidden in the bushes. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound behind her.

“….”

Caught off guard, Freya didn’t even turn back as someone approached her from behind.

“Someone’s there.”

It was a voice she recognized. As she peered over her cloak, she saw that Hart, who had packed like her, was waving to her.

“Are you going to see him now?”

Like Freya, he wore simple navy pants, shirts, and vests rather than extravagant clothes.

“Let’s leave now.”

He cleared the bushes and helped her pass through first, wary of their surroundings. Once they were through, Hart covered the bushes and let out a deep sigh. The two walked through the dark tunnel in silence. As they neared the end, Hart spoke up.

“Would you like me to accompany you?”

The prince game was over now, and he was no longer comfortable wearing clothes that didn’t fit him.

“It’s not just a feeling; it’s real.”

He couldn’t wait to break free from all the sins he had endured because of his mother. Hart had decided to live a life free of restrictions.

“I prefer to be alone,” she replied, rejecting Hart’s offer outright.

He only nodded lightly, not expecting her to accept his offer anyway.

“I’ll accompany you only until we’re out of here. There are a lot of rats here.”

As he spoke, Hart removed a mouse that was clinging to his body with his sword and foot. Finally, they emerged onto a road leading to the market, where they had enjoyed snacks together a few days ago. They exchanged greetings as they stepped out into the bright lights of the market.

“I wish you a safe and pleasant journey, Miss De Bua.”

“Thank you, you too.”

Then they went their separate ways, blending in with the crowd in their plain clothes.

********

While moving calmly down the hallway, Count Diverto’s slightly trembling eyes and mouth revealed his excitement.

“So, your fiancée, Miss De Bua, is my daughter.”

“Freya is a member of the Diverto family,” the Count said. Upon hearing this, Lucius noticed a resemblance between Freya and the Count.

He continued, “Your Highness has helped me find my child,” and he burst into laughter.

It had been a challenging task to prepare the paperwork to make Freya a part of the family, but all that effort was unnecessary.

“How happy she must be,” Lucius said, remembering how sad Freya always appeared when discussing her parents. The memory of Freya being abandoned in front of an orphanage on a rainy day made them feel a pang in their chest.

“Freya has a father,” the count revealed. He wondered how she would react upon discovering she had a reliable brother.

Suddenly, Lucius burst into the room, looking sinister. “Archer, why are you here?” he demanded.

Archer, who was holding his head in both hands, looked up at Lucius with resentful eyes.

“I have always believed in you and followed you. This time, I’m really disappointed.”

“What’s going on?” the count asked, snatching a paper from Archer.

“Archer. Something urgent came up and I’m leaving without saying hello. Wait a minute, Lottie, please. I’ll pick you up in a minute. Freya-”

“What does this mean?” Lucius asked, feeling confused.

“I don’t know,” Archer said, looking worried. “But I think you should go to your Highness’s bedroom.”

Lucius stormed out of the room at Archer’s words, and they realized that it had been days since they had been able to return to the bedroom due to military preparations and collecting evidence.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, hoping for an answer.

When he opened the bedroom door, he saw someone lying on the bed. Lucius hoped to see Freya, but instead, he found Selena, the red-haired woman.

“Freya?” he called out, hoping for a response.

“Lucius, where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you,” Selena said, wrapping her blanket around him and smiling seductively.

Confused, he asked, “What’s going on?”

Selena spoke in a low voice and opened her arms. “Give me a big hug again, Your Highness.”

“Again?” he repeated, taken aback.

Lucius, who was staring at Selena sharply, said to the servant, “Come here and get this crazy woman out.”

At his scolding, a maid rushed in and lifted Selena’s body with a blanket.

“Your Highness, what do you mean? You said you loved me,” Selena protested.

“Wake up, Selena. You must be crazy if you think I could have said that,” Lucius said coldly.

Selena looked shocked at his words. The maid asked, “Sir, what shall we do with Selena?”

“Put her in the carriage as it is, and send her to the Ethelion estate,” Lucius instructed.

Although he anticipated the Earl of Edelion’s wrath, he refrained from punishing Selena harshly. It was likely that she had been tricked.

While being dragged out, Selena managed to wriggle out of the blanket and let out a loud scream, “My love! Rookius!”

She couldn’t comprehend why Lucius, who had earlier hugged her, acted as if he didn’t know her.

It became evident why Selena was acting out. It seemed that Freya had seen someone who resembled Lucius hugging Selena.

“Someone pretended to be me and hugged Selena.”

Why did Freya have to see that? However, that isn’t the point now.

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