CH 51.2

“I heard that you call Isabella your sister. Was Isabella nice to you?” He asked, and Ria nodded without hesitation.

“You like Isabella very much, don’t you?”

Prince Victor’s expression changed when he started talking about Isabella.

“Where did Isabella go?  All the Knights in Rubella Castle had been dispersed throughout the Northern Kingdom to search her whereabouts.”

Ria’s face turned sullen.

“Are you  worried about her?”

“Yes.”

Prince Victor’s eyes twinkled as he looked at Ria and realized that the girl only responded when the subject was Isabella.

“Why don’t we look for her together outside Rubella Castle? Perhaps, we’ll find her first before Allen does.”

“Really? Will you help me find Isabella?”

“Of course, I can help you with anything you want.”

Yes, this man made her uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem to be a bad person.

Ria jumped out of her chair.

“Ria, are you going to be with this man? It’s dangerous to follow a stranger, you know?”

Ignis anxiously told her as he flew beside Ria.

“I’ll come to my sister’s rescue as soon as possible. Wait here, Ignis.”

He watched Ria speak grimly, and it captured Prince Victor’s heart.

Ria was so cute it almost drove him insane.

**

Isabella caressed her cheek as she looked down at the reflection of her face on the lake.

She wanted to face Duke Kyar with a smile when she returned to Rubella Castle.

She brainwashed herself and practiced smiling so hard, but the outcome didn’t go as she wanted.

“Wow, I was the epitome of jealousy, wasn’t I?” Isabella murmured to herself and laughed.

She had never imagined that she could be this jealous.

She wasn’t interested in love, so she didn’t feel the need to be jealous of anyone even once.

She could only draw a blank when her mind tried to summon her own experiences regarding love.

Isabella buried her face between her knees.

It was only natural for the Archduke to be nice to Angela.

She was well aware that he cared a lot about his mother.

Even Marc, who knew his mother better than anyone else, was confused about their similarity.

She was aware of that.

Still, she hated herself for being jealous of Angela when the Archduke began to express his interest in her.

Perhaps, she had become too accustomed to receiving Duke Kyar’s attention.

She was used to being loved and realized too late that the Archduke’s love was precious.

Was she too selfish to regret it later on?

Archduke Kyar must be tired of her.

She thought it was natural for him to feel that way, but why did the knowledge hurt so much?

Will all these intense emotions vanish if she drank the antidote he had taken to remove the effects of her love potion?

Isabella glanced up at the tree where she had first encountered the Archduke.

She didn’t have the confidence to see his face, so she recklessly left the castle.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of a place to go.

She tirelessly walked and climbed the mountain where she used to live.

After visiting her small cottage in the past, her feet led her to the tree where she encountered Duke Kyar for the first time.

It was absurd how he suddenly confessed his love in this spot, but she seemed to have given her heart to him.

When Isabella saw him so upset with jealousy…

“Yes. I’m jealous. You’re so ugly, Isabella. You’re so ugly.”

“Who are you jealous of?”

What was this nonsense?

She didn’t drink the love potion, but she heard Duke Kyar’s voice suddenly.

“Isabella.”

Duke Kyar appeared behind her.

He leaned before her and sat down, face to face.

Isabella’s blue eyes widened as she searched his countenance.

He was too clear and detailed to be a hallucination.

“Your Highness? Your Highness!”

Isabella’s voice trembled as she called his name.

She couldn’t understand why he was in front of her right now.

“If you’re trying to make my birthday unforgettable, I had enough.”

Isabella’s teeth were clenched as she blinked slowly at him.

“Why? Why are you here, Your Highness?”

“Why do you think I’m here?”

He retorted curtly as if the answer was obvious.

“Well, why are you here, Your Highness? What about Viant?”

“Who?”

His dark brows slightly rose as if he couldn’t understand.

“I’m sure you’re having a good time with Lady Angela Viant in your bedroom—”

“Why do you keep talking about her?”

“I had enough, Your Highness.”

Isabella lowered her head to hide her expression.

She couldn’t possibly tell him why she was acting like this.

Because the truth was, she was jealous of Angela.

“What’s with that look?”

Duke Kyar brought his face close to her, and Isabella lowered her head even more to avoid his gaze.

The Archduke was busy observing her.

“I wanted to clarify this so that I wouldn’t get the wrong idea in the future, but… did  you feel jealous just now?”

His question was straight to the point, and her pupils shook from its intensity.

The look in her eyes betrayed its master’s will, making Isabella’s head spin.

She was falling.

Duke Kyar looked at her face and drawled lazily, “Go on.”

What on earth did he want her to continue speaking about?

“What? What do you mean?”

“Jealousy.”

Bewildered, Isabella’s cheeks became as red as a tomato.