Chapter 485

I just wanted to ignore him, but with the atmosphere around us, it was impossible.

The reality was so fucked up.

After grinding my teeth, I sighed—tapping Valer, who was like an iron wall in front of me.

“It’s fine.”

Valer frowned at my actions. He looked as if he was about to burst. Was he planning on provoking Pretzia after such a lengthy meeting with them? That idiot. As I glanced, Valer stepped back.

Calming myself down, I put up the same business smile. I tried to look as caring and kind as possible. Right, what else could I do? I should at least hear his reasons for approaching me.

“Is there something you want to say?”

I thought he would answer right away, but I was wrong. Havel said nothing and just looked at me.

Man, I was delighted that his eyes couldn’t kill me.

Gradually, I found it challenging to keep my smile and frowned; after a long silence, Havel spoke.

“You look well.”

… did that rotten bastard just say that?

It seemed like he was aware that someone kidnapped me. I thought he wouldn’t know since the war kept him occupied. However, I didn’t feel grateful that he kept himself updated.

Really, not at all!

Havel said nothing, but his attendants went out of the garden right away.

Was that some kind of magic trick? Or telepathy?

I contemplated if I should let Valer stay. However, Havel was a skilled fighter while I wasn’t. Havel wouldn’t try and kill me, right? Although I was in a brief conflict, I sent Valer off to the garden.

I couldn’t help it, ugh.

“How is Emperor Caitel?”

When we were the only ones left, Havel spoke.

At his question, I didn’t know if I should continue the conversation or not.

Should I just give him a short answer and leave? I conflicted.

Of course, things rarely go my way.

“He’s doing fine. If we held the meeting at a later time, then my father would have been the one standing here, not me.”

“I guess so.”

Convinced, Havel nodded.

It had been a while since I last saw Havel. No, perhaps it was the effect of the war, but I felt like I was watching the old version of Caitel. Of course, my dad was surely better than Havel.

“Maybe I have good luck.”

What was that?

I couldn’t help but frown since I didn’t understand what Havel was trying to say about luck; Havel reached out.

I wanted to retreat, but I decided to hold my pride as a princess and stand upright.

Fortunately, Havel possessed no weapon in his outstretched hand. He just touched my hair.

He was an enemy, but he fiddled with my hair with a smile on his lips.

“I thought you would write to me after your return.”

“…?”

Was it because I hadn’t seen him in a long time? He seemed to be in poor condition.

With nervousness filling my mind, I stared at him to guess what happened. Did he have any complaints about me?

“Were you injured?”

“No.”

“That’s good.”

As if there was nothing else to talk about, Havel let go of my hair and left.

Huh? Was he returning already?

I was somewhat embarrassed to see Havel leave without saying anything else. It felt like something would explode in the air between us.

What just happened?!

For some reason, I felt like I shouldn’t let him go.

What was that unpleasant feeling!

Eventually, I called Havel, who was about to leave the flower garden.

“Havel!”

Havel turned back right at my call. He didn’t walk back, so I took a few steps closer to him, close enough for him to hear my voice.

With a frown, I spoke.

“Don’t act foolish and talk to me.”

What was I saying!?

At my words, Havel smiled. It was the gentle smile he always showed.

“I don’t want to.”

‘Why can’t he just talk like a normal person!?’

“Then, can I ask you something?”

“You have something to ask me?”

Yes, there is.

I took another step and stood right in front of him. He looked surprised when I did that.

“Why did you suddenly start a war?”

Ferdel was convinced that something happened, but I had no idea what it was.

Why did it start?

“It was fine, I’m sure. I… I thought everything was going well.”

“Fine, huh?”

“But, why!?”

Havel interrupted my words before I could continue.

“For myself.”

I went silent and listened to what he had to say. All of a sudden, his gaze, which changed and made it difficult for me to hold contact with his eyes.

“I control 200 million people. My people groan in pain as they live. The population of Pretzia is supposed to be 300 million, but it got reduced drastically. Almost half of my people died due to famine. Do you know who made those people suffer?”

… Caitel. My dad. There was no way I wouldn’t know. I was that man’s daughter.

I couldn’t say anything but bite my lips. I couldn’t say that I knew anything about the situation in Pretzia. Of course, I didn’t know the exact details, but I could guess.

Agrigient’s policy had always been grim. Our reign thrived by sucking away the honey and throwing away the emptied hive. It was a policy that didn’t consider other lands. I knew that it was blatant exploitation in preparation for the future wars, but eventually, I realized that the trial ended, and everything our empire touched was kept to fatten Agrigient as a country.

Right, I knew that everything I ate and drank was made from someone’s sweat and blood.

“While you were growing up in the Imperial Palace, I walked around my land and saw the reality my people were living in with my own eyes. I lived through hell every day to restore the glory of old Pretzia, but do you really think that those things you said inside would work on me?”

What else could I say? I just exhaled heavily. It was a situation I had constantly faced since I was a child.

It was the dilemma that would never release my soul.

Caitel committed numerous sins before I was even born.

I couldn’t breathe.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on taking a stable breath.

As Caitel’s daughter, my dad’s daughter, the dilemma was bound to follow me till death. Even if I apologized for what happened, it would be useless.

Every time I faced such a situation, I would just go silent, not knowing what to say.

“… so you are avenging your empire against Agrigent?”

“I already got my revenge.”

Havel’s voice turned cold.

“It’s just not done yet.”

Agrigient approved Pretzia’s independence. Even if Agrigient said that Pretzia was violating the terms of the agreement, there wouldn’t be much strength to our protestation. A very tiresome and frustrating situation would occur if things went ahead.

After all that, I found the best thing I could say.

“It won’t be easy.”

“I know.”

Staring with his cold eyes, Havel replied.

“I started realizing that.”

I didn’t know what to say. Just—it was frustrating. I had no idea what to say or do. I just felt frustrated and irritated to the extent that tears would flow out any second.

What could I even call that feeling?

“That means we will come to an end?”

How could I recover such a relationship?

I knew that what I shared with Havel would end up like this from the very beginning. I didn’t want to accept or deny it. I thought that one day, our paths would come across horribly, just like now.

I didn’t even realize when it was happening.

Just the thought of it made my heartache.

Havel, who heard my words, chuckled. Maybe I said something out of line.

“‘We,’ is it?”

His eyes held such a significant burden that I found it challenging to look at him.

I just stood there like a sheep. The gap between us seemed to have grown larger for us to fill it. I finally saw that it wasn’t something I could handle by myself.

I just lowered my head. I hated the situation I was in; I didn’t want to think about it.

“Do you remember those words?”

What words?

I looked at him.

“That I was there to check on you.”

“I remember.”

It was when he came to return the hairband. How could I forget that? I was so concerned by his words that day; I couldn’t even sleep that night.

When I said I remembered, Havel went silent.

The same thing as the past, repeating. An eager gaze was wanting something anxiously. His eyes were so fixed on me that I couldn’t even react.

Why was he staring so much?

“I care for you, Ariadna.”

Havel continued.

“But it’s different with your father. There are too many problems between your father and me that we still need to solve.”

“If my dad is your enemy, then I am your enemy, too, right?”

“You don’t get it.”

I really couldn’t understand what Havel was trying to say.

What the hell didn’t I understand? I wanted to ask, but something told me not to.

Havel smiled.

“Well, although I like that about you.”

What?

I was shocked. I was sure that my eyes widened enough that even Havel showed a cheerful smile.

Suddenly, Havel reached out to me again. He touched my cheeks.

“I will take you.”

“What?”

“From Emperor Caitel’s hands, I will surely get you back.”

What did he say? Crazy!

As a daughter, I felt terrible, but this guy resembled my dad too much.

“I will never be yours!”

“No.”

Havel denied firmly.

“For sure, you will come into my hands.”