CH 2.19

After receiving a thorough treatment, they left the clinic.

“Do you feel better?”

“Ah… Yes, thank you.” Marie nodded, unsure of what to say.

“Does it hurt? Do you feel any discomfort?” Marie looked baffled at his questions. He had a very cold voice, but he sounded so worried.

‘Huh? Is he always this kind to others? Like Lord Kiel?’ However, he didn’t look like he had kindness in his bones. His stares and manner of speaking were too curt. No, it was more than curtness—it felt closer to cold-heartedness. But why was he so worried about her? They’ve only seen each other a few times before.

As Marie remained unaware that the man was actually Rael, she asked, “Um… why are you treating me so nicely?”

Her question rendered Rael speechless. ‘I don’t know either.’ If he knew, would he be in this state? He himself was clueless about his own complicated feelings. Whenever he saw her, his heart would become stuffy and his feelings would become a tangled mess—like turbulent waves—something beyond his control.

Rael simply responded, “It’s because of the sweets.”

“Huh? Sweets?”

“Yeah, because of the sweets you gave me back then.”

Marie nodded, remembering the time she’d gifted him sweets in the Swan Garden.

Suddenly, Rael had turned his back and headed somewhere. ‘Is he finally going to show me what I have to do?’ Curious about what it could be, Marie followed him. However, the place he led her to was completely unexpected.

“What’s this?” It was the bustling street festival. It was the exact place where she’d yearned to eat something but couldn’t due to the lack of money.

“Oh my, what a handsome customer we have. What can I get you?”

“A glass of strawberry juice.” he then looked at Marie and asked, “What about you? What will you have?”

Marie was caught off guard. What was he doing? “Hurry up and decide.”

“Um… I’ll have a tart.”

“I’m thirsty, so have a drink with me. Would you like some strawberry juice too?”

“Um… I’ll have orange juice,” Marie answered before she could fully comprehend the situation. Before she could say anything else, he’d already paid. Soon, fresh juices and a tart were served. They tasted delicious as they appeared.

Seeing his cold and beautiful face with strawberry juice was such an incongruous sight.

“Is it to your liking?”

“Yes, but… why are you doing this?”

Marie’s question rendered Rael speechless once more. ‘What should I say? I don’t even know.’ In truth, he had no specific reason. He honestly didn’t know why he had acted that way. He simply had the urge not to let her go back then, and he still didn’t want to let her go now. That was all.

‘There’s actually no reason for her to accompany me—rather, it would be more appropriate to send her back to the palace.’

However, being by her side made his frustration ease a little. Unsure of how to respond, Rael replied with whatever came to his lips. “I have to do something.”

“Huh?”

“I need to spend money today. You should come with and help me with the spending.”

Marie gaped at him. Was he serious?

Rael also realized that he had just spoken utter nonsense. His statement was truly unbecoming of the Crown Prince. “I mean… well…” As he tried to correct himself, Marie suddenly burst into laughter. Seeing her laugh in front of him for the first time, his eyes widened.

“Why are you laughing?”

“No, it’s nothing. I understand. I’ll do my best to help you.”

Rael furrowed his brow and nodded. Huh? “Then let’s go to the next place.” Saying so, he moved to another stall. That place was where she had also given up on buying something due to the lack of money.

Marie smiled as she looked at him. ‘He’s lying.’ Saying that he had to spend money, as if there could be such a thing as an errand involving spending money. It was clear that the man, just like her, had come to enjoy the festival. Perhaps he had said that because he felt lonely wandering alone.

‘It would have been fine to just say, “Let’s go together.” I was bored by myself too, you know.’ Seeing this unexpected side of him, her guard loosen a little. Contrary to his curt tone, she started to think that he might not be as cold as she initially believed.

“Enjoy your meal!”

The next course was pastries topped with lots of cream. He seemed to really like strawberries, as he added them as extra toppings.

They continued to stroll around the streets, exploring various attractions and indulging in delicious treats.

“How fascinating.”

“What is?”

“It seems like our tastes are similar, Mister Ran. Every place you suggested, they were all the places I wanted to visit.”

At Marie’s words, Rael momentarily fell silent. It wasn’t that their tastes were similar—no, it was because he remembered the places she’d missed and decided to visit them together.

Then something unexpected happened. Just as he was about to handle the bill at one of the stalls, Marie quickly stopped him and offered a handful of coins.

“Why are you paying?”

“I also need to spend money.” Marie said with a playful smile.

In response to her joke, he chuckled and said, “No, keep it.”

But Marie shook her head. “No, you’ve been treating me all this time. I want to treat you for once, Mister Ran.”

At that, Rael picked up a pastry and took a bite. It wasn’t something he particularly liked, but somehow he thought, ‘it’s good,’ perhaps because it’s from her.

Time passed by like a blur. The sun set, the moon rose, and darkness fell.

“I lost track of time,” Marie exclaimed in surprise. Much more time had elapsed than she’d thought.

‘I should go back now.’ The time spent with the cold man was more enjoyable than she had expected. It felt regretful to leave.

‘What happened today and yesterday feels like a dream.’

Both the masquerade ball and the street festival were a delight, as if she’d been dreaming. ‘From tomorrow onwards, I have to go to the Lion Palace.’

The thought of walking on thin ice around the Crown Prince weighed heavily on Marie’s heart. No, it wasn’t just thin ice—it was a slippery ice that could cost her life if she slipped.

‘I must stay strong. I must do well in the Crown Princess Selection so that I could escape from the Lion Palace.’

She gathered her determination. Suddenly, Rael, who was beside her, said, “Is it time to go back now?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Then I’ll escort you.” Marie tried to assure him that it was fine, but suddenly—

Drip. Drip

—rain started to fall. “Oh, it’s raining.”

The man observed the raindrops with his palm and said, “It’s getting heavy. Let’s take shelter for a while.”

“Alright.”

Going out when the rain’s pouring heavily wouldn’t be ideal. Looking around for a place to seek refuge, they spotted a rundown church nearby and entered it. “It looks like no one’s here, neither a priest nor a nun. Is it okay for us to come in like this?”

“Well, it shouldn’t matter. It’s still a church; they probably won’t chase us away.”

They both sat in the church for a while, catching their breath. Rael frowned as soon as he saw Marie’s wet face.

“You’re soaked.”

“Ah, yes. It’s fine.”

Marie shook her head, but it didn’t sit well with Rael. What if she caught a cold? He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped her wet face. As he wiped away the moisture gingerly, Marie’s cheeks flushed.

“I-It’s fine!”

“What? Just stay still.”

“R-Really, it’s fine!” Marie hastily got up from her seat. Although she’s aware that his actions didn’t hold any special meaning, for some reason, her heart was racing.

She vehemently shook her head. “I’ll wipe it myself.” After saying that, Marie sat back next to him.

Was it because the inside of the church was too quiet? An awkward silence passed between the two for a moment.

Suddenly, he looked out the window and said, “The rain is pouring down heavily.”

“Indeed.”

Drip. Drip.

The sound of raindrops endlessly tapped against the window. Listening to the sound of rain inside the quiet church, Marie couldn’t help but feel somewhat sentimental.

“Um… I used to be really scared of the rain.”

“Really?”

“Yes, my mother used to come home late from work, so I was often alone at home. When it rained heavily, I would worry about what would happen to her.”

Upon hearing Marie’s nostalgic words, Rael nodded his head. “What kind of person was your mother?”

“Just… an ordinary person. She’s a street vendor like the ones we saw earlier, struggling to raise me alone.”

“…I see.”

“Back then, I was too young to understand, but looking back now, I realize how much she suffered for my sake. She always did everything for me… I wish I’d realized it sooner.”

‘I miss her,’ Marie muttered to herself inwardly. Before entering the Cloyan Kingdom’s palace, her childhood were the happiest moment of her life. How wonderful would it be if she could go back to those days? Of course, it was impossible.

When she stopped talking, silence filled the air once again. Thinking that the atmosphere had become unnecessarily somber because of her, Marie shook her head and smiled. “I’m sorry for dumping that kind of topic. I’m really grateful for today. Thanks to you, I had a wonderful time, Mister Ran.”

Rael looked at her face for a moment, sensing a faint longing behind her smile. As soon as he felt that hint of yearning, he suddenly had an idea and got up from his seat.

“Mister Ran?”

“Hold on, there’s something I want to share with you.”

Leaving her baffled, he walked towards somewhere. ‘To the piano?’ Rael was heading to a piano located in the corner of the church, just beneath the cross.

‘Why the piano?’ She could soon understand his intention. He sat in front of the piano, placing his hands on the keys. “I may not be as skilled as you, but… feel free to listen.”

With that, his fingers pressed down on the keys. Soon, a soothing melody began to flow in the quiet church. ‘Ah, it’s Nocturne.’

Nocturne. A musical composition that captures the poetic scenery of the night.

His hands moved slowly and softly, producing a dreamlike melody.

As Marie listened to the melody, she was amazed. ‘What an impressive skill.’ His performance was on par with that of a professional pianist. ‘The melody is so beautiful. Did he compose it himself?’

It was an exceptional piece for an improvised performance. The emotions of the musician permeated throughout the composition.

‘Longing. Fear.’ Marie closed her eyes while listening to the piece. In her mind, the moon appeared in a dark night sky. The moon, obscured by clouds, emitted only a faint light.

It was a gentle moonlight. Marie remembered her childhood when she thought of the moon. The fear of being left alone and the longing for someone resonated with the sound of the piano. However, at some point, the mood of the melody changed. As the minor key transitioned to major key, a gentle energy began to flow in the darkness. The clouds that enveloped the moon slowly dispersed, revealing a warm moonlight. Suddenly, the warm and gentle moonlight filled the church. ‘This is…’

Marie’s eyes shook. She felt what his piano performance was trying to express. The warm moonlight represented unconditional love. The kind of love her mother had given her. Like the moon in the sky, it seemed to say that no matter when or where she was, she loved her.

Suddenly, Marie bit her lip as her heart welled up. ‘What on earth…’ Marie looked at his face. When could he have compose such a piece? It wasn’t something he could spontaneously come up with. This composition clearly reflected his own experiences and pain. Did he also experience a similar pain?

Then, he stopped playing the piano. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “…I hope you listened to it.”

“…” Marie didn’t respond. No, her heart was still shaken by the afterglow of the melody, preventing her from opening her mouth. At that moment, he unexpectedly said, “If you’re okay with it, why don’t we play together? Personally, playing music makes me feel better.”

Suddenly, their eyes met. She nodded as if entranced and sat to the man’s left. Soon, the serene melody of the piano began to flow again in the quiet church. This time, it was a duet between him and her. Rael played the main melody, while Marie followed along.

Pressing the keys, Marie closed her eyes. The melody they produced together tickled her ears. Why was that? It felt as if some of her pain had been washed away by the sound. ‘Life will continue to be difficult in the future, but…’ she murmured to herself. ‘at least for this moment.’

Still, she felt warm. Marie lifted her head while playing the piano. She caught sight of the cross and the night sky through the window above.

Drip. Drip.

Raindrops continued to fall outside. Listening to the sound of rain, she closed her eyes once more. And so, as the gentle piano music played, the festival had come to an end.