Consciousness returned slowly this time.
Not with pain—
But with the suffocating weight of embarrassment.
"...I want to disappear."
Esmeralda did not open her eyes.
If she didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't acknowledge reality—
Perhaps the events of last night would simply... undo themselves.
A foolish hope.
"My dear, she's awake!"
Ah.
No escape.
With the grace of someone accepting their fate, Esmeralda cracked one eye open—only to be met with two very familiar, very worried faces.
Her mother and father.
The Duke and Duchess.
"...Good morning?" she tried weakly.
Her mother gasped softly, immediately reaching for her hand. "Esmeralda! How are you feeling? Does anything hurt? Do you remember what happened?"
Her father stood just behind, his expression stern—but his eyes betrayed unmistakable concern.
"You gave quite the scare," he said, voice low. "First the fall... and then..."
He paused.
Ah.
So they knew.
Esmeralda closed her eyes again.
"...Can we pretend the second part didn't happen?"
Silence.
Then—
"No," her father replied flatly.
"...I figured."
Her mother squeezed her hand gently. "What matters is that you're alright. The physician said the fall wasn't too serious, but the shock—"
The shock of humiliating the crown prince, Esmeralda mentally added.
"...I'm fine," she said, sitting up slowly. "Really."
Physically, at least.
Mentally?
She might never recover.
But as she looked at her parents—truly looked—something in her chest tightened.
They had been worried.
Genuinely.
In her past life, she had no one who looked at her like this.
No one who would panic over her falling down the stairs.
No one who would sit by her bedside.
Her fingers curled slightly around her mother's hand.
"...I'm sorry."
Both of them stilled.
Her father frowned. "For what?"
"For causing trouble," she said quietly. "For... everything."
The words carried more weight than they realized.
Because this wasn't just about last night.
This was about the future she remembered.
The downfall of the dukedom.
The disgrace.
The ruin that followed her execution.
All because she had stubbornly clung to a man who would never choose her.
Her gaze lowered.
If I cut ties now...
Then maybe—
Just maybe—
"I won't drag them down with me."
Her father sighed, misinterpreting her silence. "We can discuss the matter later. For now, you should rest—"
"No," Esmeralda interrupted, her voice steadier now. "I need to fix this."
Both of them blinked.
"Fix...?" her mother echoed.
"My engagement," Esmeralda said simply.
A heavy silence filled the room.
Her father's expression darkened. "Esmeralda... do you understand what you're saying?"
"I do."
Breaking an engagement with the crown prince was no small matter.
It wasn't just personal.
It was political.
Strategic.
Dangerous.
But so was not breaking it.
"I was going to do it properly," she admitted. "At the ball."
Her father pinched the bridge of his nose. "Instead, you—"
"Yes," she said quickly. "I know. I handled it... poorly."
That was an understatement of historic proportions.
"But my decision hasn't changed."
Her mother looked at her carefully. "You truly wish to end it?"
"...Yes."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then her father exhaled slowly. "...We will discuss this as a family. Carefully."
Esmeralda nodded.
That was all she could ask for.
—
Unfortunately—
She was not given the time she wanted.
"His Highness is here to see you."
The announcement came far too soon.
Esmeralda froze. "...Already?"
The maid nodded nervously. "He insisted."
Of course he did.
Why wouldn't he?
After everything that happened last night, there was no way the crown prince would simply let things go.
"...Send him in," her father said grimly.
Esmeralda resisted the urge to sink back under the blankets and fake unconsciousness.
No.
She had already made a mess.
Now she had to face it.
The door opened.
And there he was.
Rael.
Perfect as ever.
Immaculate.
Composed.
As if he hadn't been the victim of a disaster just hours ago.
But his eyes—
His eyes were sharp.
Focused.
Locked entirely onto her.
"Duke and Duchess. Apologies for the sudden intrusion. I would like to ask for time alone with the lady since I have matters to discuss with her," he said.
Her parents hesitated.
"But your highness—"
The duchess clutched the duke's arm.
"Personally, your highness, if I may speak so boldly, I would not want my daughter to be left alone with the man she chased so much to the point that she fell off the stairs because she was too excited to meet with him."
"...What? When did this—?"
He paused, unaware of this event happening.
"But seeing how she is also determined to meet with him..."
After a brief glance at Esmeralda, they bowed their heads and complied with his request.
The door closed.
Silence fell.
And suddenly—
The room felt very small.
"...You look well," Esmeralda said weakly.
A mistake.
Rael did not respond to the pleasantry.
Instead, he stepped closer.
"Explain."
Straight to the point.
Of course.
Esmeralda sighed internally. "I think I was fairly clear last night."
"You were drunk."
"Still clear."
His gaze hardened.
"You have followed me for years," he said. "You insisted on this engagement. You—"
"Yes," she cut in. "I know."
That was the problem. That was exactly the problem.
She had loved him.
Clung to him.
Centered her entire existence around him.
And look where that led.
"I've changed my mind."
"That is not an explanation."
"It's the truth."
Rael's jaw tightened. "...Why?"
The question lingered between them.
Simple.
Direct.
Dangerous.
Because she couldn't tell him the real reason—
Her family's future depended on careful planning.
Her dukedom's influence sustained more than pride—it kept her family secure.
If she forced the engagement to break recklessly, her parents would bear the consequences.
So instead, she gave him something else.
"You're exhausting," she said plainly.
A pause. "...Excuse me?"
"You expect everything to go your way," she continued. "You don't notice people unless they're useful to you. And you assume I'll always be there."
His expression darkened. "That is not—"
"It is," she said. "And I won't risk my family's future for my emotions."
Silence.
Tense.
Heavy.
For a moment, something unfamiliar flickered in his eyes.
Not anger.
Not arrogance.
Something closer to... confusion.
"...And you believe ending our engagement is the solution?"
"Yes."
"No."
Esmeralda blinked. "...No?"
"We will not end it," he said firmly.
She stared at him. "...That's not a mutual decision."
"It is when the stability of the kingdom is involved."
Ah.
There it was.
Not love.
Not attachment.
Politics.
"Our engagement strengthens both the imperial family and your dukedom," Rael continued. "Trade, alliances, influence—do you think breaking it would be without consequence?"
"...I know it won't," she said quietly.
"That alone is reason enough to reconsider."
Esmeralda hesitated.
Because he wasn't wrong.
If they broke the engagement now, abruptly, it could cause strain.
Economic loss.
Political instability.
Her family could suffer—
Just in a different way.
"...Then what do you propose?" she asked carefully.
Rael studied her.
Long.
Intently.
"As of now," he said, "we continue the engagement."
Her heart sank slightly.
Of course.
"For appearances," he added.
She nodded. "...Fine."
Not agreement.
Not acceptance.
But strategy.
This buys me time, she thought. Time to protect them. Time to leave properly.
"...Very well," Rael said at last.
But his eyes lingered on her.
Sharp.
Searching.
Unconvinced.
—
Moments later, the estate doors closed behind him.
The cool air outside did little to settle his thoughts.
Rael stepped into his carriage, expression unreadable.
"...She changed too suddenly," he murmured.
For years, Esmeralda had chased him relentlessly.
Now—
She was letting go without resistance.
Without emotion.
Without desperation.
It didn't make sense.
And Rael did not like things that didn't make sense.
"Your Highness?" his aide prompted quietly.
Rael's gaze turned cold.
"Keep watch on her."
A pause.
"...Discreetly."
The aide hesitated for only a second. "...Understood."
Rael leaned back against the seat, eyes narrowing slightly.
If this is an act... I'll uncover it.
If there's another reason... I'll find it.
Because one thing was certain—
Esmeralda was hiding something.
And he intended to discover exactly what it was.
The carriage rolled forward.
And somewhere behind him—
Unaware—
The villainess who was trying to escape her fate had just gained a shadow.