Chapter 8
“Icarus.”
She didn’t run for long, but she was out of breath.
She managed to utter the name out of her mouth and held onto the man’s hem.
Soon after, the man looked back.
At that moment, Seraphine was startled.
‘No.’
It doesn’t look like him at all.
It wasn’t Icarus.
The dejected Seraphine loosened her grip.
“What, is it?”
“I’m sorry. I mistook you for someone else.”
Seraphine, who politely apologized, sent the blonde man away and stood there.
She had to go back to Joshua, but she didn’t have any energy left to do so.
Icarus.
The name lingered in her mouth.
No ordinary person would ever think of that, but Seraphine thought maybe he was alive.
Even after seeing the damaged portrait.
“Sister!”
It was a crowded time.
After chasing Seraphine, Joshua, who was hit by people and lost his way for a moment, managed to find her.
Joshua, standing behind her, grabbed his sister’s shoulder harshly, and pushed her hard without looking at her face.
“Are you crazy? It’s another whim again. How could you run like that all of a sudden?”
“…I’m sorry. I just…”
Seraphine, who had a troubled expression on her face, could not endure the overwhelming emotions that she felt, and covered her face with her palms.
“Oh, no. If you make a face like that after a few words, it feels like I’m the bad guy.”
Joshua, who was about to say something harsh, was embarrassed.
Joshua’s golden hair stood out in Seraphine’s eyes.
If it’s blonde, do they all look like Icarus?
tl/n: referring to the hair color
Her vision became blurred.
“Can you stand like that for a moment?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah.”
Joshua, who was unexpectedly positive, soon hardened like a stone.
Joshua, who was affirmative, soon hardened like a stone.
This is because Seraphine leaned against Joshua’s arms.
Joshua stopped at his sister’s sudden action and rolled his eyes.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to separate from her because it was creepy.
However, as soon as he tried to push her away, the hand that desperately grabbed Joshua’s arm jarred him, so he couldn’t do it.
It was a touch that seemed to say that she had no one else in the world to turn to.
Seraphine, who felt the warmth of others, found solace rather than comfort.
There were many nicknames for the first emperor who ended the era of gods and announced the beginning of the era of humans.
Among them, there was one nickname that stood out to Seraphine.
The one who ate God.
It might have given Icarus a power similar to that of the divine bloodline.
However, five hundred years later, he disappeared into history.
‘I’m alive. Alone.’
Holding Joshua firmly, she realized that she was completely alone.
* * *
“You’re late.”
As soon as they returned to the mansion, Erez von Rubia, the eldest son of the Duke of Rubia, welcomed them.
The moment Joshua saw his brother’s face, he felt like ignoring him.
‘It’s the worst.’
He glanced at his sister and brother’s faces alternately.
Seraphine, who suddenly broke down in tears on the street, stood in silence for a long time.
Then later, with a dry face, she said, “I’ve shown you something I shouldn’t have.” She then said to go home.
During the ride, Joshua could only look at the exhausted Seraphine.
Joshua wondered what had happened in that brief moment, but kept his mouth shut.
He didn’t think it was the first emperor’s portrait that was at fault, but inferred that it was the fault of the man she followed.
And from experience, he knew he shouldn’t ever touch Seraphine, especially when she’s in a bad mood like now.
But his brother didn’t seem to know.
“I heard you were sick, but you looked better than I thought.”
There was not a single person in this house who was on good terms with Seraphine.
Still, it was not very good for Seraphine to meet Erez today.
“Of course. It’s been a few days.”
Seraphine replied with a nonchalant face.
With a slight smile on her face, she seemed sarcastic, asking whether he was really worried.
“Grandmother is coming back soon, so Father is busy. He told me to deliver this for him.”
“What is this?”
Seraphine, who was handed two pouches, asked.
“Father said it’s a good medicine for colds. I don’t think you need it anymore. He told me to bring it since he gave me a lot of pocket money.”
Seraphine, who confirmed what the drug was made of, opened another pouch on the spot.
It was a pair of diamond earrings.
“You said that you changed methods, and I think your scheme worked this time.”
Erez had no particular malice.
However, even if he had no malice, it didn’t feel that way to Seraphine.
Joshua, who was quiet, looked at his brother to tell him to take it easy.
It didn’t seem to have been delivered at all.
“But where have you been? The both of you I mean.”
“Oh, Sister asked me to show her the way, so I just… “
“Brother.”
After Joshua stopped talking, Seraphine called Erez.
“I told Father about going out earlier, so there shouldn’t be a problem. So please don’t question me like this.”
“……”
“It’s like interrogating a criminal.”
Seraphine calmly changed her attitude.
Upon being pointed out, he appeared bewildered for a moment.
Erez was shocked because it was his first encounter with the new Seraphine.
“I made a mistake.”
He quickly changed his expression and said, as if to excuse himself.
“When I came back, I was asking because you were out with Joshua for some reason. When you were young, you never went out alone. It didn’t mean anything else.”
“I see.”
A critical situation.
Joshua, caught in the middle, swallowed his dry saliva.
If he could, he would leave his seat and go into his room right away.
However, he stood vaguely so he wouldn’t stand out.
“If you’re done, I’ll be on my way.”
Seraphine turned her back.
Joshua exclaimed inwardly. Now, naturally, he had to follow his sister to the room.
But the world was not easy.
“Seraphine.”
“Yes.”
Erez recalled what he had forgotten and called Seraphine again.
“You must remember that you missed your regular meeting with Your Highness, the Crown Prince because you collapsed.”
“…Yes, of course, I remember.”
“I was going to postpone the schedule if you were still sick, but I don’t think it’s necessary because you’re walking around fine.”
“Sure. I’m fine. It’s always been like this.”
Seraphine, who forced a smile on her face, disappeared without looking back.
“Brother.”
“What’s going on?”
“….Nothing.”
Joshua was about to say something when he saw his brother’s face, who bluntly asked if he felt that Seraphine was different from usual.
I’m sure he’ll figure it out.
Do I even need to tell you that Sister cried?
Joshua, who was relieved, passed by Erez.
* * *
“Are you sure you don’t mind entering the palace like that?”
The maid asked anxiously.
Seraphine looked at herself in the mirror and nodded her head firmly.
“No problem.”
Their eyes filled with worry as they heard Seraphine’s reply..
Seraphine was dressed lightly as if she were going out. You wouldn’t imagine that she was going to meet the imperial family.
‘You’re entering the palace, so is it okay for a lady to be dressed in such a simple way…?’
Whether or not she knew their thoughts, Seraphine arrived at the Imperial Palace and stood in front of Crown Prince Leonhardt.
As for his first impression, he did not resemble Icarus at all.
It was natural.
It was said that Icarus did not marry, but adopted and passed on to the next generation.
So the man in front of her was a complete stranger who had nothing to do with Seraphine.
“Today is a little different.”
“Is that so?”
Usually, Seraphine tried to hide her sickly complexion by wearing heavy makeup.
However, today he was able to see her beautiful face properly without makeup.
She was also lightly dressed, so if she had been her usual self and met her at the banquet hall, he would not have recognized her.
Leonhardt looked at Seraphine’s face as if possessed.
Even the vicious atmosphere died, so he kept his eyes on her.
‘But even if your appearance changes, the inside will remain the same.’
Tea time with Seraphine once a week only aggravated his fatigue because he was her fiance.
Seraphine thought she would die soon, but life was more persistent than I thought, so she maintained these meetings for several years…
Leonhardt predicted that Seraphine would ask him to share his mana to sustain her life again or say something boring.
But Seraphine was quiet.
In the end, Leonhardt was the first one to bring up the subject.
“All the tutors sent by the imperial family returned, praising your intelligence.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t expect you to be so immersed in learning. The princess can be a good empress.”
It was unheard of.
Seraphine swallowed the ridicule because she had a rough idea of how she had deceived the body’s owner.
“Well, we had a good talk. Your Highness is a busy person.”
“That’s right.”
“Okay, then we don’t have to waste unnecessary time on each other.”
Seraphine declared with a smile.
“I’m breaking off our engagement.”
“…What?”
“Let’s put an end to our relationship. The seat of His Highness’ fiancée, I held it like it was the last gift of my life. I’m sick of it.”