“That is......” Sinclair’s face hardened as he muttered in a low voice. Inside the box was an object that seemed completely unrelated to Elaina’s past life. It was a ring, adorned in a way that was both ornate and intricate, luxurious yet finely crafted, with a large sapphire set in it like a cherry on top of a cake. Moreover, on the inside of the ring, made of platinum, was a small seal stamped...

“It doesn’t suit me at all, does it?” Sinclair did not respond.

“It’s something I received a long time ago, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away.”

“...Maybe there will come a time when I have to sell it?” Perhaps that was indeed a possibility. She was living a life that was almost a renunciation of everything, but still, the human heart is ever changeable. What Elaina needed most to escape the Aswald household was money. She would need hush money to ask the coachman, who might notice her escape, to turn a blind eye. Furthermore, to leave Edenbell, she would need fare for passage, and even after a successful escape, she would need at least a minimal amount of money to settle somewhere.

“No.” However, Elaina gave a completely unexpected answer. “It’s from long ago, but it was given to me by someone very dear to me.” No warmth could be found on Elaina’s face as she spoke. She displayed a cynical attitude, much like Sinclair had in front of others.

It’s a relic from my mother.

“How foolish.”

Even if we suddenly part ways, if you have this ring, I’ll be able to recognize you. I’ll be able to come back to you. I promise.

“And, naive too.”

No matter how much you change, or wherever you are, without any conditions...

“Now, it has become a completely useless item.”

“......”

“Anyway, I hope your curiosity has been satisfied.” If Sinclair were to ask further about who had given her the ring, she had nothing to say. Elaina knew only two things about that boy: his name was Ren, and he had desperately wanted to leave his family. But again, it was unknown. The overly simple name, Ren, might have been a pseudonym made up to deceive her, and Elaina did not even know which family he had wanted to escape from. Thus, even if Sinclair continued the conversation about the ring, she had no answer to give.

Yet contrary to her worries, Sinclair said nothing, not a word. And he looked down at the ring, his expression strangely unfamiliar.

“......Your Highness?”

“......”

“Ah, no. Sinclair...?” As the situation grew increasingly uncomfortable, Elaina felt a bit perplexed. She pondered the inexplicable silence for a moment but couldn’t find any answers. Eventually, Elaina decided to change the subject.

“When are we going to have the ceremony, Sinclair?” As if finally snapping out of it, Sinclair hesitated, then shifted his gaze from the ring to face her.

“Just curious. I wonder if there’s anything I need to prepare.”

“You don’t need to prepare anything.” Sinclair’s voice seemed a bit strained as he continued, “The ceremony will take place next week. It’s a bit sudden, but I plan to inform the Emperor today. He’ll probably be pleased, so don’t worry.” Sinclair had once said, when he proposed to marry a lame pauper like her, the Emperor had been as pleased as a dog.

“Schuler will bring dresses and accessories, so try them on and choose whatever you like.”

“Yes.”

“And after the ceremony, you will live not here, but at the Imperial Palace, precisely in the Prince’s Palace where I reside.”

So it was. Elaina quietly nodded.

“Life in the Imperial Palace won’t be easy or smooth, but you just need to stay still. It doesn’t matter if you continue to stay in the Prince’s Palace.” Sinclair was right. Elaina could easily foresee it. The interest in the woman for whom the scandal-ridden Sinclair had returned from war and begged the Emperor to arrange a marriage would be immense. All the more so for Elaina Aswald, who was not only lame but also a pauper, having lived with such labels and having nothing of note to show.

“No, I won’t do that.”

However, Elaina replied resolutely, "Even though ours is a relationship formed out of contract, I am still to be Sinclair’s wife, am I not?"

"…And?" Sinclair asked.

"Therefore, as long as I am his wife, I want to fulfill my duties. I might not be of much help, but at least in social circles I could hear rumors about the Emperor or Prince Hister. As you know, Sinclair, the social circles in Edenbell are where news travels fastest."

"What?"

"It’s ironic, but if all the attention in the social scene is already focused on me, I might as well use it to my advantage."

"…Why?" Sinclair's expression hardened. "Why would you even consider doing such a thing? You don’t need to, as I promised I would let you go after a year. I’ll help you leave Edenbell safely and give you more than enough money to last a lifetime. But why go to such lengths…"

"Because you helped me, and avenged me, Sinclair. That's why."

Sinclair visibly flinched. "You might also have had your own reasons for dealing with Duke Hank, but that doesn’t change the fact that it helped me. I’m not acting with any ulterior motives; I simply want to repay the kindness."

Elaina’s blue eyes, looking steadfastly at Sinclair, shimmered with intensity. Sinclair, faced with such earnestness, quietly met her gaze before replying in a fading voice, barely audible, "It would be better not to engage in unnecessary actions."

"…What?"

"You just need to maintain your role as the prince’s wife. That’s all I expect from you."

"…"

"I must go now. As I said earlier, I need to see the Emperor."

With that, Sinclair abruptly rose from his seat. Elaina, taken aback by his sudden movement, wore a puzzled expression but did not attempt to detain him. As Sinclair walked away, he suddenly stopped, turned back, and his gaze fell pointedly on Elaina’s damaged leg.

"Your leg."

"…"

"Is it truly beyond repair?"

Being a cripple, absurdly, was seen by Sinclair as the best condition to deceive the Emperor. Thus, Elaina couldn’t understand why he would ask such a thing. Was he perhaps showing concern? No, that couldn’t be it. It was probably just curiosity. Moreover, the look in Sinclair’s eyes was not one of concern but rather, strangely, one of guilt. Was she mistaken?

Elaina hesitated for a moment before slowly responding, "Yes."

"…Even by any means?"

"I’ve been told it’s hopeless. And now that I’m an adult, it’s even harder to reverse," she added.

Yes, that’s right. Sinclair murmured in a whisper so faint it was almost inaudible, then he left the villa, leaving Elaina behind, still clearly baffled by the exchange.

The sun had set by now, and the moon was high in the sky.

"…"

Sinclair untied his horse from the tree outside the villa. As he was about to mount, he paused and glanced back at the villa, faintly illuminated by the dim light. He chewed over what Elaina had said to him.

Repay a kindness? To me, of all people?

"…"

Sinclair stood there dumbly, biting his lip with all his might. There was a bitter taste, almost as if he was self-harming by continuously biting his lip, or perhaps he was straining to suppress the anger rising within him. It might have been a bit of both.

"What a foolish woman…" Sinclair murmured, and Elaina was right. The most precious person to her was no longer in this world. And it wasn’t simply that he had died. Literally, her Ren had vanished forever.

If you have this ring, I will be able to recognize you. I will be able to return to you. I promise. No matter how much you change, or wherever you are, without any conditions...

It had all been a lie. Even without the ring, Sinclair would have recognized Elaina. That small, unremarkable girl had never ceased to cause him heart-wrenching pain for even a moment, lingering like a ghost at his side, accusing him over and over again.

Why did you abandon me? Why did you leave me to break? You ruined my life. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be living this life! It’s all your fault!

Of course, Sinclair was well aware. He knew that the innocent Elaina he once knew had never actually said those things. And so, these miserable words were curses born of his own self-inflicted guilt.

"Yes, you were sufficiently foolish and naive," Sinclair spat out in a low voice. "So don’t become any more foolish, Elaina Aswald."

…This time, I didn’t come to find you just to say that.

Sinclair’s golden eyes, filled with the expanse of the villa, crumbled helplessly like a setting sun. After standing there for a long while, he quickly mounted his horse and began to ride back to the Imperial Palace, his teeth still clenched.