“…So, to you, your lord is nothing more than a tool you can easily replace, huh? All that talk about loyalty was just sweet nothings.”

Regret and remorse.

Shock and betrayal.

All those emotions mixed into a look on my brother’s face that I had never seen before. That heavy atmosphere left me completely at a loss for words.

“Get out of my sight right now! I don’t even want to look at your face anymore!”

His angry shout, laced with bitterness, made me want to ask him so many things about what Zion had just revealed. But in this situation, questioning him felt a bit inappropriate, and I figured I wouldn’t get any answers anyway, so I left with Zion instead.

From my secret being exposed to Zion’s sudden allegiance declaration… and how that had just led to Renya exploding in rage and kicking us out.

It was truly a bewildering situation.

“Why on earth?”

That was the first question to slip out of my mouth.

“Why did you do something like that?”

At first, I was suspicious, thinking he must be lying. I figured Renya had sent him as a spy, tasked with keeping tabs on me, his competitor.

I didn’t believe he’d keep my secret or stand by my side at all.

But…

‘That was no act, I tell you.’

Renya had been so emotional that he even shed tears during the confrontation.

And most importantly, that boy.

Zion’s reaction was completely genuine; it couldn’t have been faked.

He was spilling the tea on his employer, and when he got caught unexpectedly while expressing his intention to switch sides, the look on his face was one of utter shock.

His pupils widened.
Cold sweat rolled down his neck.

These were things even the best actors couldn’t fake; they were purely instinctual reactions.

So, it meant that boy was sincere, without a doubt.

The Second Prince.

An exceptional talent, establishing himself as he soared through the ranks, making everyone else skirmish in a frenzy to stay in line.

It was as if he was blessed by the goddess of victory, always instinctively leaning toward the winning side and leading success.

Given that such a person was supporting and favoring me… how could he willingly kick away such a golden opportunity and choose to grasp a decaying thread about to snap?

That was a decision that defies reason—nothing short of madness.

Naturally, I was deeply curious about what motivated him.

“It seems you’re mistaken. I’m not really the Second Prince’s illegitimate child; our relationship is purely contractual, so there’s really no obligation for loyalty on my part.”

No way, that doesn’t make any sense.
What kind of crazy person would give that much power to someone who isn’t even related by blood?

From your expression, it seems you genuinely believe you’re not his illegitimate child, but you definitely are.

I almost let those words slip, but I knew matters like this weren’t something an outsider should meddle with.

I changed the subject a bit.

“I’m saying I just don’t understand your choices, even considering that fact.”

Whether I was an illegitimate child or not, that detail wasn’t what mattered.

What was key is that there’s no reason for him to willingly kick away such a powerful backing and choose to hold hands with me.

I pointed that out.

And soon enough, the boy offered his reply…

“I just wanted to.”

It was an utterly incomprehensible statement.

Naturally, my face was painted with confusion.

Watching me like that, the boy with a troubled expression let out a deep sigh.

“I know it sounds like a foolish decision. I messed up a simple judgment call, and now my life is a complete mess because of it.”

Hearing that made it even harder to understand.

Why did he do that knowing full well?

Before I could express that thought, he continued.

“But what can I do?”

It was his turn to speak first.

“I can’t push someone who’s crying like that deeper into despair, can I?”

That statement shocked Yuli into silence for a moment.

‘So… he said that just to comfort me?’

Had he unintentionally found himself in the situation that just occurred?

Such foolishness.

It’s far from a rational choice; was it really just a matter of conscience leading him to make an unreasonable decision?

But then why did it feel like my eyes were stinging as if dust had gotten in them?

Contrary to that, I felt a smile creeping up on my lips. Was something wrong with my body?

‘Maybe… this is actually lucky.’

No, I was past speculating; I was convinced of it.

I was definitely losing my mind.

Thoughts were blooming like a flower garden in my head.

‘If it’s that boy, I might confide my secret to him.’

Even if I could confide, I shouldn’t. After all, I knew what had happened last time. Plus, this kid was, fundamentally, on my brother’s side.

Blood ties can’t be broken so easily, and I couldn’t carelessly spill my secrets and entrust everything to him.

I at least knew that much.

I hadn’t survived this fierce heir rivalry for nothing.

‘Considering that boy is, in a way, an heir to royal blood, finding out wouldn’t lead to the horrific outcomes like last time.’

Yet, I couldn’t help but keep thinking.

‘There’s no need to suffer alone anymore.’

This moment was precisely what I had been waiting for all my life.

*

A sudden meeting with Yuli.

I had no idea where the Second Prince and I had miscommunicated; all of this bizarre misunderstanding made everything dizzying.

Even with a headache throbbing, Yuli’s unexpected barrage of questions kept me on my toes, forcing me to respond on the fly.

“If you want, I’ll take responsibility.”

In the midst of our conversation, Yuli suddenly turned around after moments of stunned silence and spoke up.

“…Huh?”

Such an abruptly truncated statement.

My surprise made me ask. She turned back to face me.

Her face was flushed.

And judging by the tear stains, it was clear why she had abruptly turned during our talk. She shouted at me,

“I’m saying I’ll take responsibility if you want!”

With a face that screamed embarrassment, she yelled back at me.

Our gazes met again.

“Well, you have nowhere else to go, do you? You just got angry like that. There’s no way Renya would take you back.”

Initially, her tone had been so strong and assertive.

But by the end, it sounded almost timid, her gaze dropping to the floor.

“Why… don’t you want to?”

When she finally said that… her look was almost begging.

“Well, that’s just the way it is. You’ve probably heard the rumors. No need to take a difficult path. Just begging Renya is probably more efficient.”

From there, it continued downhill.

It felt like confessing on April Fool’s day just to get rejected, only to backtrack and claim it was all just a joke—couldn’t it be more embarrassing?

Perhaps saying it had been a careless remark would be a better excuse.

“Did you really take that seriously?”

If I asked if she was serious, she might throw in something ridiculous about a dust storm somehow getting into the room.

Despite being indoors, she’d make it sound like it was about the wind I had asked about before coming inside.

She’d had a tough time, so her personality had gotten a bit bizarre, but still, it was Yuli, and I couldn’t help but realize that again.

In this situation,

there was only one thing I could say.

“I beg you. I was just wondering what to do since I actually found myself in a tough spot…”

Upon hearing that, Yuli’s expression shifted dramatically.

It was as if she’d been staring at the last leaf on a dying tree, and suddenly found something forgotten, like Bitcoin she had bought ages ago.

“Y-You mean that? Really?!”

Once it was said, there was no taking it back.

I wouldn’t allow myself to regret it later because of my character.

Yuli, who seemed so excited, cleared her throat rather awkwardly, seemingly aware of her embarrassment, and turned her gaze back at me.

“Well then… let’s look out for each other from now on.”

Golden hair and blue eyes.

The beautiful girl, like an artist’s masterpiece, smiled at me.

At that sight, I couldn’t help but smile back.

It would be a lie to say there were no ups and downs, but in the end, seeing her grow up so well made me feel genuinely proud.

*

I had to admit it.

I was underestimating how serious this was.

The public perception of the Third Princess is undoubtedly that of a reckless fool.

Having just heard her story, I thought this was mere misunderstanding, but upon reflection, that seemed a bit off.

She was harsh towards her subordinates, sometimes throwing fits and yelling at them, driving them away.

While it was undoubtedly outlandish behavior,

that alone wouldn’t be enough to cultivate such a reputation. It signified a poor attitude or extreme distrust in people, not entirely a reflection of her character.

So why was the Third Princess labeled as such a reckless fool?

Why did that outlook solidify in broader society? I was witnessing the answer first-hand.

A drunken girl with a flushed face.

She haphazardly tossed an empty bottle in an impressive, albeit reckless, arc.

Seeing that scene, I let out a heavy sigh.

It seems that cute but innocent girl has indeed transformed into a full-blown reckless fool over the past ten years.