He whispered to Apollonia once more.
Caelion’s lips touched her ear slightly, but Apollonia couldn’t move between him and the wall.
“Isn’t it natural to have the first dance with one’s future bride?”
Apollonia’s eyes widened. She raised her arm to push him away, but before her hand could reach him, Caelion straightened up and stepped back from her with a bright smile on his face.
“Then, I will return to Marquis Edwin, sister. I’ll see you in the lounge in a little while.”
With his usual slick expression, Caelion stepped into the crowd, looking all polite.
“Damn it.”
As he moved away from Apollonia, a low curse spilled out of his mouth.
What he did to Apollonia a while ago wasn’t planned.
As he watched her dance with Uriel from the sidelines, Caelion’s heart was filled with rage because he wasn’t standing by her side under the spotlight, unlike Uriel. He had treated her that way out of jealousy because she hadn’t been giving him enough attention. He had the sudden urge to provoke her somehow, so he brought up the subject of marriage but that only hurt his pride. He was using their engagement as an excuse to put pressure on Apollonia so that she wouldn’t give her heart to his rival.
It was like——
“You’re ignoring the obvious fact that your love is an obsession.”
At that moment, Evangeline’s voice rang in Caelion’s head. He told her so arrogantly that he was different from her but Caelion came to understand the truth little by little. When he saw Apollonia smile in Uriel’s presence, he wanted to separate them forever so that they could never see each other again. What else would this desire to see her smile only in his presence be if not possessive?
“Let’s stop.”
Caelion shook his head once and tried to shake off the thought. Soon, he met other nobles and began to laugh and talk with them using all of his charms but Apollonia was still at the corner of his heart.For the past five years, she had never left his mind even for a moment.
* * *
Apollonia went outside to cool her head for a while in the garden. Apollonia suffered countless humiliations from the Emperor and Petra in the Royal Palace but she had never hated this beautiful place she had known since childhood. In Apollonia’s mind, this garden was hers. She was trying to forget Caelion’s words and his burning gaze earlier as she waited for the right time to head to the lounge. As she sat down for a moment and pondered, Apollonia saw a woman’s silhouette approaching the garden. Similar to Apollonia, she appeared like she was looking for a place to sit and rest.
She hadn’t seen this woman in the banquet hall, and from her costume alone, she looked like she was someone’s maid. She was reeling a bit as if she was too exhausted. No. Upon looking closely, she seemed to be limping.
*SIGH*
Apollonia held her breath when the woman approached the fountain with a languid sigh. Her features told that she was a Bella. Black hair. Exceptionally dark complexion. Incredible appearance. However, there was another reason why Apollonia was surprised.
“You are———”
She had definitely seen that face before.
She left a strong impression on Apollonia that she could never forget that face once she set her eyes it.
It was Amoretta.
The greatest genius Apollonia had ever met.
She had magically appeared in front of Apollonia’s eyes after inquiring about her for five years and not finding any traces.
Apollonia felt like she was dreaming.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Your Royal Highness. I didn’t know you were there.”
She spoke in a languid voice that Apollonia remembered.
Five years later, Amoretta looked more beautiful than before but she couldn’t sense any recognition from her dreamy yet captivating eyes.
Naturally, she didn’t know who she was.
“It’s all right. You can sit down.”
As Apollonia, who had been speechless for a while, acknowledged her presence, she hesitated before sitting next to her.
“Do you have someone attending the banquet right now? Why do I feel like I’ve never seen you before?”
Hiding her surprise, Apollonia asked her as if she knew nothing.
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