Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Ridrian’s mother was a maid in charge of the Emperor Seon.

Emperor Seon was always surrounded by women who were head over heels for him, and all his descendants lived a fortunate life. But that wasn’t the case for Ridrian and his mother; they didn’t live as comfortably as the others.

Yuria, Ridrian’s biological mother who was also a concubine, rarely appeared before the public because of her frail body. Ridrian was constantly tormented by the crown prince and the other descendants because of his pretty face and temper, prompting him to hide in the corner of the garden in tears. He sniffed and brushed the tears off his eyes upon hearing a slight rustling sound and when he raised his head to see what it was, there was a girl smiling broadly at him.

“You’re Ridrian, aren’t you?”

When Ridrian first saw her, he thought she was an angel sent by the goddess Theres herself.

“Huh? Who are you?”

“You shouldn’t stay in this dark corner all alone! People should be out under the sun!” With that said, the girl grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards a sunny spot in the middle of the garden.

That was the day Ridrian met Liliana.

Despite being wary of her at first, he decided to follow Liliana nonetheless. He let himself be strung along by her cheerful disposition. Just like a child, the boy followed the girl who was full of life.

“How dare you flirt with my fiancée, you dirty blooded scum!” The crown prince who was six years older than him screamed. Ridrian had thought he was going to die. Shocked as he was hearing the crown prince’s unhinged tongue, he was actually more surprised about the fact that Liliana was promised to the prince.

Liliana rarely talked about her own personal life. All she talked about were the books she read, the experiences she’s had, and the beautiful birds she saw flying in the gardens. She only talked about the things she was greatly invested in.

However, Ridrian felt she intentionally deceived him, so he decided to keep his distance for a while. Loneliness he never knew existed washed over him for days, one that he had never felt before meeting Liliana.

Eventually, Liliana came to him crying and she apologized for not telling him the truth. Not knowing how to express his sadness, Ridrian responded in the only way he knew how: by crying in front of her. He was only eleven years old then, and Liliana and Ridrian became closer as the days went by.

But Ridrian couldn’t say that it was love, and it was not simply because Ridrian was lonely. It’s just that Liliana was the only person who understood him and his feelings.

Under the order of Marquis Chris, the head of the household and Liliana’s own father, she ultimately became the crown prince’s fiancée. But she was so strong-willed and upright in nature that she was not a great fit for the crown prince, who was infamously known to have quite a twisted temper.

He wanted Liliana to present herself as beautifully as she could, always wanted her to be dolled up with lots of jewelry and pretty garments, asking her to do her part befitting as his fiancée. But Liliana didn’t want any of that. She was genuinely kind, whereas the crown prince only thought about the image and the authority of the imperial family. Because of their differences, they weren’t able to see each other eye to eye and they never had a proper conversation.

It was during a tea party when Liliana discreetly escaped and hid in the garden, where she had found and met Ridrian.

The two comforted one another and took care of each other’s wounds like a pair of siblings. They managed to forget the harsh reality of their lives and laugh like there’s no tomorrow whenever they’re together, both of them finding comfort in the other’s presence. Unfortunately, their friendship didn’t last long; the crown prince couldn’t stand his fiancée hanging out with Ridrian that he decided to ruin their relationship by commissioning a slave to kidnap her.

On the day Ridrian and Liliana were supposed to have a picnic together, she didn’t show up and Ridrian couldn’t find any traces of her ever since.

A thorough search for the Crown Princess-to-be had commenced, the Crown Prince bearing a worried expression on his face as he stood in front of the public and ordered the knights to bring his fiancée back as soon as possible.

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