Acidity of Regret Ch 59
- Jan 16
- 7 min read
If this were real, the scandal was of such a magnitude that it required the full weight of the Imperial family to bury it. No wonder the current Emperor had been so strict about his orders for silence.
Vanessa was so stunned by the revelation that she barely remembered how she had even ended the conversation. She turned away, her mind a tangled web of heavy thoughts.
The tea party had lasted for several hours. By the time she stepped outside, the sky was already bathed in the deep orange of the setting sun.
[Dina] "My lady, shall we return to your bedroom?"
Dina, who had been waiting at the carriage, asked with her usual cheer. She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
[Vanessa] "I’d like to take a walk."
[Dina] "But you haven’t had dinner yet."
[Vanessa] "The refreshments were enough. I'm fine."
[Dina] "Very well. Then the nearest garden is... the Fourth Garden. Shall I tell the driver to go there?"
[Vanessa] "Yes, please."
The carriage arrived at the entrance of the vast Fourth Garden a few minutes later.
She had Dina follow from a distance as she wandered through the greenery for a long time.
The voices that had filled her ears at the party were gone, but her mind remained restless. It was all because of this new story.
The late Grand Duke and the Empress.
When she heard they had met in secret, the first thing she thought of was the ruined room at the Grand Duke’s castle. She had a powerful feeling that the chaos left in that room was connected to the story she had just heard.
She tried to tell herself it had nothing to do with her, but an uncomfortable feeling scratched at her heart.
Since their parents’ generation was so deeply entangled, it felt as though some dark conflict still lingered between Declan and Hayden.
She suddenly remembered a small, sharp piece of the past. It was from that cruel, bloody night before her rebirth, when Declan had killed Elliot.
[Vanessa] "Let me see the Crown Prince."
Back then, she had been dragged to the bedroom. She had spoken Hayden’s name as if he were her only lifeline.
[Declan] "Why is that bastard’s name coming out of your mouth?"
In that moment, he had lost his composure. For a split second, he had shown a violent, raw side of himself, looking as if he wanted to tear the memory of Hayden out of her heart right then and there.
It was strange. A sense of dread she couldn't quite grasp wouldn't leave her.
[Lady] "Wow, it really is beautiful."
[Lady] "Isn’t it? I was so surprised when I first saw it."
Two cheerful female voices broke into her thoughts.
Someone had sat down on the other side of a tall hedge made of woven green vines. Although the hedge was meant to act as a wall, the thin stems did little to block their voices. Vanessa could hear everything perfectly.
[Lady] "So, how is it going? Are things moving along well?"
[Helia] "Moving along? Hardly..."
[Lady] "Why not? The Grand Duke even gave you the winner’s rose!"
She recognized the voice immediately. One of the women was Helia Quasar. It seemed she was taking a walk with a friend and had stopped to rest nearby.
[Helia] "I was happy to receive the flower, of course. But something felt wrong."
[Stranger] "Wrong? In what way?"
[Helia] "It felt as if he only gave me the rose because he wanted to show it to someone else."
[Stranger] "Why would you think that?"
[Helia] "He never actually looks at me when he hands over the flower."
Listening to her complaints, Vanessa clenched her fists.
It was no wonder the girl had noticed something strange. Every time Declan handed her a rose, his eyes were fixed on Vanessa. His gaze was always fierce and challenging. It was clear he was desperate to see how she would react.
Because of that, Vanessa had gone out of her way to ignore him more thoroughly during every match. She looked away. She treated him as if he didn't exist. She refused to show even a crumb of emotion, acting as if she had no interest in him at all. She had maintained this coldness for the entire week of the preliminaries.
[Lady] "Still, at least he’s giving you the roses. Weren't you worried about that other girl? Lady Rohawk?"
She was startled to hear her own name. Beside her, Dina mouthed, “Shall we go?” but she shook her head.
[Lady] "Didn't she say they were nothing to each other?"
[Helia] "Yes. She said she was the Crown Prince’s fiancée. But I don’t know. Is it really true that nothing is going on between her and the Grand Duke?"
[Stranger] "She already denied it. Why are you still suspicious?"
[Helia] "Because the Grand Duke is obsessed with her!"
This was unexpected. Since Helia usually reacted so simply, Vanessa thought the girl had moved past the issue. Instead, Helia was still clinging to her doubts.
[Helia] "When I look at the Grand Duke, I can see it. I can see where his attention is always focused."
Hearing Helia speak, Vanessa was reminded of her own foolish self before her return. She had once made every decision based entirely on love. Looking back, she realized how reckless that had been.
[Stranger] "But Lady Rohawk is already preparing for a royal wedding. Even if the Grand Duke has feelings for her, there’s nothing he can do once she marries the Crown Prince."
[Helia] "I'm not so sure. When I think about the late Grand Duke, I can't just relax."
[Stranger] "What do you mean by that?"
[Helia] "The late Grand Duke never forgot the Empress, even after he married the Grand Duchess."
The conversation suddenly took a deep and dark turn. The women clearly thought they were alone. Vanessa had been feeling awkward about eavesdropping and was about to leave, but the sudden mention of the past made her stop in her tracks.
[Helia] "The Grand Duke has suffered since he was a child because of his parents’ relationship. Honestly, his father was so cruel. If he was married, he should have been faithful to his family. But instead, he only ever showed affection to the Crown Prince..."
Helia sighed heavily, as if the story were her own. Vanessa’s fingertips twitched, and she accidentally bunched up the fabric of her dress.
[Stranger] "The Crown Prince? But he’s the Emperor’s son."
[Helia] "But he is also the Empress’ son. And I heard the Crown Prince takes after his mother’s side of the family. Perhaps the late Grand Duke saw the Empress every time he looked at him."
She had felt the same thing during the recent banquet. From his looks to his kind and gentle aura, Hayden was the spitting image of the Empress.
As she stood lost in thought, the voices of the women faded away.
Helia, who had sounded as upset as if the unfairness had happened to her, likely saw the sky darkening and decided to leave.
[Dina] "My lady."
[Vanessa] "..."
[Dina] "My lady?"
[Vanessa] "Dina, give me a moment."
Her mind felt like a tangled ball of yarn. She felt as though she had finally found the thread to the uncomfortable dread that had been scratching at her all day.
Holding her head in her hands, she tried to organize her thoughts.
In noble society, loveless marriages were everywhere. Many couples lived perfectly fine lives, even if the heart of the relationship was empty. In fact, many political marriages functioned exactly that way.
But when love moved in the wrong direction, a true disaster began.
That was what had happened between Hayden and Declan’s parents.
He only ever showed affection to the Crown Prince...
Declan Vinkart had been discriminated against his entire life, not because of anything he had done, but because of his blood and a misplaced love. The feelings he must have for Hayden…
When Vanessa looked into the dark corners of his past, a strange chill ran down her spine.
Her intuition was screaming at her. She nervously scratched the tip of her index finger with her thumb.
[Dina] "My lady! You’re bleeding!"
Dina, who had been staying quiet at her request, suddenly panicked.
She looked down at her hand. Just as Dina said, a bright red drop of blood was forming on her fingertip. She had been scratching so hard in her deep thought that she had torn the skin. Even seeing the blood, she felt no pain.
The feeling of her heart turning cold was much more vivid.
[Dina] "Let’s get back to your room. I need to treat that."
Her steps were heavy as she allowed Dina to lead her away.
The next day.
Vanessa sat in the arena during the main tournament matches, feeling half-conscious. She hadn't slept well the night before, and her mind felt foggy. The facts she had learned were so shocking that the storm of emotions had kept her awake all night.
It wasn't that she felt pity or sympathy for his tragic past. Instead, her anger toward Declan had become more intense than ever.
After hearing the story, she knew for sure, the reason he had approached her was likely...
"Gasp!"
"Oh my goodness!"
She was snapped back to reality by the collective sound of shock from the crowd. She looked up and saw Hayden standing in the arena, clutching his shoulder. He looked injured.
[Vanessa] "Hayden!"
She stood up instinctively. She was stunned for two reasons. First, she hadn't even realized he had entered the arena to start his match. Second, he was actually injured.
Despite holding his shoulder, Hayden stayed focused on the fight. He won a fair and decisive victory that no one could question.
The tradition of presenting the winner's rose was skipped this time. As soon as the match ended, the servants—who had been anxious since he was first struck—rushed in and took him to the waiting priest.
She sat back down at Dina’s urging. However, even as the next match began, her attention was entirely focused on the side of the arena. Imperial knights stood in a line, blocking the view of the tent where Hayden was being treated.
He isn't badly hurt, is he?
Unlike Hayden’s match, which had taken some time due to his injury, the current match ended incredibly fast.
Vanessa, who had been staring only at Hayden's tent, flinched at the piercing sound of cheers and turned her head.
Only then did she see Declan standing in the center of the arena.
With his defeated opponent lying at his feet, he was staring straight at her. He looked as if he knew her attention had been entirely on Hayden.
He looked as if he could not stand it.
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