"Why don't you just be honest?"
Leopold shrugged his broad shoulders.
Unlike his angry, sarcastic tone, his attitude was quite relaxed.
I looked at Leopold quietly.
"I don't know if it counts as being honest—but I told you the truth."
"Not that truth."
Leopold slicked back his well-maintained blond hair.
His handsome mouth twisted upward.
"You're doing this because you're jealous—because you saw me with Maria."
The moment his uniquely confident voice rang in my ears, my whole body trembled.
I gripped my fingertips tightly, afraid my lips would shake and reveal something unseemly.
Leopold knows. The reason I left Tiase Palace that day.
"...Even so, is that all you have to say to me?"
At the very least, he should have been courteous.
No matter how much he enjoyed spending time with Maria Ethel. Even if he'd left me alone and taken her as his partner instead.
We were engaged.
Even as everything broke apart, I'd hoped we would at least maintain basic courtesy.
However, as always, Leopold disregarded any semblance of courtesy toward me in the most egregious way.
"If I ask you nicely, will you stop seeing the Grand Duke? Olivia?"
It was a voice as sweet as honey.
The high-pressure demand buried within was now painfully clear.
Leopold has never loved me.
The brilliant man I'd loved had never, for even a moment, looked at me as an equal—as his fiancée.
The moment I acknowledged this fact, my mind swirled.
Is this anger? Or sadness?
I was left speechless by the immeasurable devastation.
Meanwhile, Leopold laughed low, as if interpreting my silence as agreement.
"Good, Olivia. It's so nice to see you listen to me like that. And about breaking off the engagement—you didn't actually believe what Grand Duke Vikander said, did you? Olivia, what are you going to do, being so naive at nineteen?"
"...I'm twenty, Your Highness."
"Hm? Are you already twenty?"
Despite my correction, Leopold nodded as if he weren't particularly interested.
I, looking at him like that, suddenly burst into laughter.
The sound of my beautiful, ringing laughter startled even Baroness Sophron, who stood at a distance.
Without realizing it, she craned her neck to look toward the table.
She could only see my back and couldn't confirm what kind of expression I wore.
It's the first time the Princess has ever laughed out loud like that...
Anxiety gripped her—but Baroness Sophron couldn't look any closer.
She noticed the Crown Prince's brows furrowing.
I also saw that Leopold's expression had soured.
But I had no intention of stopping my laughter.
A man who doesn't even know how old I am.
Actually, Leopold knew nothing about me.
It was funny.
I'd given my whole heart to a man who didn't even know my age.
From the time I'd first entered the palace at nine years old, until I'd received the Grand Duke's marriage proposal.
No—maybe even until just a little while ago, when my heart had still been pounding for him.
But now, I'd clearly made up my mind.
When the swirling emotions burned away, there was nothing left.
I slowly stopped laughing.
A much cooler smile settled on my lips.
However, Leopold—unaware of the change—spoke in an unpleasant tone.
"It's not polite to laugh alone in front of someone, Princess."
"Isn't it amusing, Your Highness?"
"What do you mean?"
Leopold responded half-heartedly, as if he weren't interested.
I should have been satisfied if he'd soothed my heart this kindly...
But I continued speaking, as if untiring.
Leopold replied absently, thinking it was time to leave.
But that thought vanished the moment he heard my calm, laughing voice.
"It's the same as Your Highness—who brought Lady Ethel into my palace without my permission and showed me no courtesy."
"...What?"
Leopold answered a beat too late.
I smiled faintly and lifted my teacup to wet my lips.
I was impeccably graceful.
And when I made eye contact again, Leopold's arrogant pride cracked at the sight of my aloof green eyes.
A cold sneer escaped Leopold's mouth.
"Are you blaming me now, Princess?"
Leopold said it coolly.
In his entire life, he'd never once heard someone place blame on him.
It was something he couldn't even fathom.
Especially if the other person was Olivia Madeleine.
I said calmly:
"I said it because I thought you liked honesty."
"Stop this and go back today. I don't want to look at your childishness anymore. And avoid rash actions—unless you truly want to break off the engagement."
Leopold spoke as if chewing on his teeth.
This is enough for her to understand.
She was overcome with jealousy.
He didn't know what the Grand Duke was scheming—but he knew how obsessed Olivia was with their engagement.
Leopold pressed his temple, thinking that Olivia should even skip Wednesday's promise until she'd reflected properly—
"As you said, Your Highness—I will break off my engagement with you."
Is she really going to push this all the way to the end?
Leopold glanced at my calm face and snorted.
"Do whatever you want. According to your whims and my will."
"What nonsense is that?"
"Your Highness has someone else you'd like to make Empress."
His blue eyes looked at me with piercing sharpness, as if trying to discern whether I was bluffing.
To give myself confidence, I spoke slowly.
"I'm quite good at understanding my place, you know."
A clear voice echoed through my mind—Leopold's voice.
"The Princess understands her place well. She will never cause me any inconvenience. I guarantee it."
"You've gone beyond simple jealousy, Princess. Did you eavesdrop?"
I smiled thinly when I saw his displeased, frowning face.
He truly can't find any consideration for me—even if he washed his eyes and searched.
So I told the truth.
"Rather than eavesdropping... Your Highness forgot his promise to me and held a secret meeting in the garden of the Crown Princess's palace—where I was waiting."
"Princess!"
A flash of killing intent washed over my entire body.
They said he was a great warrior...
I'd never imagined it would feel like this.
The oppressive force made it difficult to breathe properly—but I did my best to keep my body upright.
That was the pride I wanted to protect.
That was the last dignity I wanted to show.
And at that moment—a single sound of footsteps intervened.