After finishing her audience with the prince, Damia walked along the corridor of the royal palace. Now, it was her turn to return to her residence and write a letter to her father.
‘A guide?’
When she recalled Heinrich’s orders, her heart swelled with worry.
How should she start? What should she tell her father, from where, and to what extent? Was it the right thing to do to send her only blood to such a dangerous place?
Damia’s head was cluttered with a cacophony of complicating thoughts. She rushed back to her accommodations, her hurried steps reflecting her impatience to organize her thoughts.
She was just about to start on her usual path when she saw the Chief of the Palace, Magda, standing in the distance.
She looked very satisfied, smiling proudly as she gazed at the well-maintained Crown Prince’s palace garden.
‘Ah.’
If she ran into Magda now, she might be pressured into walking in the garden for another couple of hours. Deciding to avoid that fate, Damia quietly turned back.
‘It’s a bit out of the way, but at least this will take less time.’
But when she tried to escape the fox, she ran into a tiger. Just as she was just turning the hallway’s corner, Damia halted when she glimpsed the back in front of her.
‘… … Sir Akkard?’
Strong, vast shoulders spread out like a large flag, and a back of wriggling hard muscles like those of a predator. Just a glimpse of that back convinced her of who it was; no other man in the world was so unique.
When she realized who he was, Damia quickly hid behind the corner.
‘It’s too awkward to run into you now.’
His crystal-like tears, still falling on the sunny table, were recalled vividly….. His face sobbing in silence as if he was in pain because of her.
But he was not alone. He was talking to an unfamiliar aristocratic woman, and soon after, a sharp slapping sound resounded across his cheek and rang in the corridor.
Smack-!!
It was a brutal blow. As soon as Damia flinched, the woman who slapped him across the cheek grated her teeth and spat out:
“Bastard.”
It was a harsh swear from a noblewoman. But there were tears in her voice that made it more pitiful than vulgar.
Upon overhearing her curse, Damia had an intuition. She is probably one of Akkard’s past women. And now… … .
‘Oye. This is horrible timing.’
Witnessing a stranger’s drama would be embarrassing enough, but it was even worse because it was Akkard’s.
Fidgeting and uncomfortable, Damia hid herself even more in her corner. She hoped if she was slow and careful enough, she could escape from here undetected.
But right after Akkard was slapped in the face, the sound of her own footsteps seemed to echo in the silence. Thanks to that, Damia had no choice but to witness the drama in front of her without moving.
“Yes, I’m a bastard.”
After being slapped, Akkard affirmed plainly. And far from being angry, he unexpectedly bowed his head to her and apologized.
“I’m sorry I hurt you, Veronica. Please, forget someone like me and be happy.”
Akkard’s eyes were direct as he spoke. Although his eyes were darkened by despair, at least he felt sincere.
The woman’s wet eyes trembled quietly as she met his gaze. This wasn’t the Akkard Valerian she knew.
If he had been as usual, it would have not been easy for her to strike him. Even if she had managed it, he would smile coldly and say, ‘Is this the price? You gave me such a high price.’ He would have scratched her heart with such scathing sarcasm.
“You… … You’ve really changed.”
The woman named Veronica muttered, wiping away the tears that ran down. Since they faced each other after a while, Akkard’s distrast change was conspicuous.
As always, Akkard’s return to the royal capital captivated the attention of social circles. But he was no longer the same person he was before.
He no longer slept with this woman and that woman, nor did he reign like a tyrant roaming lewd banquets. Veronica was familiar with gossip concerning Akkard but she did not know that the rumors were true.
‘He goes around apologizing to the women he’s hurt.’
The moment she heard the rumor, her heart pounded and pounded. She thought that Akkard, who was called the capital’s greatest prodigal casanova, could never do that.
But he did.
When Veronica received his apology, which she thought she would never receive during her lifetime, her feelings were indescribable. She had a rough idea of why he was suddenly acting like a naive dog.
‘Did you fall in love?’
She’d rather not know. Veronica despaired that she wasn’t the woman that had changed him, but nevertheless, a part of her felt relieved by his apology.
Damia Primula was more famous than she thought. She won the heart of Akkard Valerian, whom no other charming or noble beauty in the capital had ever held.
Some just snorted and said that this, too, would pass. Akkard, who had tasted all kinds of delicacies in the capital, was momentarily captivated by the novelty of the northern peasants, and that feeling would never last.
But they were wrong. She could tell by looking into his eyes.
After finishing her audience with the prince, Damia walked along the corridor of the royal palace. Now, it was her turn to return to her residence and write a letter to her father.
‘A guide?’
When she recalled Heinrich’s orders, her heart swelled with worry.
How should she start? What should she tell her father, from where, and to what extent? Was it the right thing to do to send her only blood to such a dangerous place?
Damia’s head was cluttered with a cacophony of complicating thoughts. She rushed back to her accommodations, her hurried steps reflecting her impatience to organize her thoughts.
She was just about to start on her usual path when she saw the Chief of the Palace, Magda, standing in the distance.
She looked very satisfied, smiling proudly as she gazed at the well-maintained Crown Prince’s palace garden.
‘Ah.’
If she ran into Magda now, she might be pressured into walking in the garden for another couple of hours. Deciding to avoid that fate, Damia quietly turned back.
‘It’s a bit out of the way, but at least this will take less time.’
But when she tried to escape the fox, she ran into a tiger. Just as she was just turning the hallway’s corner, Damia halted when she glimpsed the back in front of her.
‘… … Sir Akkard?’
Strong, vast shoulders spread out like a large flag, and a back of wriggling hard muscles like those of a predator. Just a glimpse of that back convinced her of who it was; no other man in the world was so unique.
When she realized who he was, Damia quickly hid behind the corner.
‘It’s too awkward to run into you now.’
His crystal-like tears, still falling on the sunny table, were recalled vividly….. His face sobbing in silence as if he was in pain because of her.
But he was not alone. He was talking to an unfamiliar aristocratic woman, and soon after, a sharp slapping sound resounded across his cheek and rang in the corridor.
Smack-!!
It was a brutal blow. As soon as Damia flinched, the woman who slapped him across the cheek grated her teeth and spat out:
“Bastard.”
It was a harsh swear from a noblewoman. But there were tears in her voice that made it more pitiful than vulgar.
Upon overhearing her curse, Damia had an intuition. She is probably one of Akkard’s past women. And now… … .
‘Oye. This is horrible timing.’
Witnessing a stranger’s drama would be embarrassing enough, but it was even worse because it was Akkard’s.
Fidgeting and uncomfortable, Damia hid herself even more in her corner. She hoped if she was slow and careful enough, she could escape from here undetected.
But right after Akkard was slapped in the face, the sound of her own footsteps seemed to echo in the silence. Thanks to that, Damia had no choice but to witness the drama in front of her without moving.
“Yes, I’m a bastard.”
After being slapped, Akkard affirmed plainly. And far from being angry, he unexpectedly bowed his head to her and apologized.
“I’m sorry I hurt you, Veronica. Please, forget someone like me and be happy.”
Akkard’s eyes were direct as he spoke. Although his eyes were darkened by despair, at least he felt sincere.
The woman’s wet eyes trembled quietly as she met his gaze. This wasn’t the Akkard Valerian she knew.
If he had been as usual, it would have not been easy for her to strike him. Even if she had managed it, he would smile coldly and say, ‘Is this the price? You gave me such a high price.’ He would have scratched her heart with such scathing sarcasm.
“You… … You’ve really changed.”
The woman named Veronica muttered, wiping away the tears that ran down. Since they faced each other after a while, Akkard’s distrast change was conspicuous.
As always, Akkard’s return to the royal capital captivated the attention of social circles. But he was no longer the same person he was before.
He no longer slept with this woman and that woman, nor did he reign like a tyrant roaming lewd banquets. Veronica was familiar with gossip concerning Akkard but she did not know that the rumors were true.
‘He goes around apologizing to the women he’s hurt.’
The moment she heard the rumor, her heart pounded and pounded. She thought that Akkard, who was called the capital’s greatest prodigal casanova, could never do that.
But he did.
When Veronica received his apology, which she thought she would never receive during her lifetime, her feelings were indescribable. She had a rough idea of why he was suddenly acting like a naive dog.
‘Did you fall in love?’
She’d rather not know. Veronica despaired that she wasn’t the woman that had changed him, but nevertheless, a part of her felt relieved by his apology.
Damia Primula was more famous than she thought. She won the heart of Akkard Valerian, whom no other charming or noble beauty in the capital had ever held.
Some just snorted and said that this, too, would pass. Akkard, who had tasted all kinds of delicacies in the capital, was momentarily captivated by the novelty of the northern peasants, and that feeling would never last.
But they were wrong. She could tell by looking into his eyes.
