Chapter 36

Let’s think about this situation.

This situation is shocking for both me and the Princess, who is making a shocked expression.

Even the Saint, who is making a clueless expression because she doesn’t understand the situation, is bewildered.

The Saint is just standing there, dumbfounded, unable to understand me and Rebecca, so let’s just move on.

The important thing right now isn’t the Saint.

“…”

“…”

What’s important is me and the Princess, frozen in place, staring at each other.

First, the reason I’m shocked.

Of course, it’s because I didn’t expect Rebecca to suddenly appear.

The reason I risked the distortion of the original story and came to the garden was to find the Princess, who had supposedly fled to the garden.

‘…Why now?’

Why did she arrive at the garden later than me?

If I had known this would happen, I would’ve just stood at the entrance of the garden instead of entering.

Then I could’ve met the Princess without any issues.

Regret toward my past self and resentment toward the Duchess, who gave me false information (?), grew rapidly.

But no matter how much I thought about it, Rebecca was in a more urgent situation.

Until just a moment ago, she only had a shocked expression.

“…”

But now, it seems she’s fully realized the situation, as she’s making a devastated expression.

Even the villagers who lost their lifelong homes to invaders couldn’t mimic Rebecca’s expression.

I also knew why the Princess was making that expression.

She probably came looking for me, her fiancé, since I wasn’t around.

But when she found her fiancé chatting closely with a beautiful woman she’d never seen before, what fiancée could stay calm?

Even if it was just a playful joke.

The fiancé who had whispered to her just hours ago that she was the most beautiful in the world.

Moreover, Estelle might not be a stranger to Rebecca.

While most people don’t know the name of the “Saint,” they’ve likely seen her face in the newspapers.

In fact, Rebecca had gotten upset with me during class just because I knew the Saint’s name from the newspapers and called her pretty.

Would the Princess really not remember the Saint’s face?

‘…No way.’

Literally, no way.

I’d sooner believe that my swordsmanship instructor, Aaron, wouldn’t neglect his duties.

It was that absurd.

From Rebecca’s perspective, it must’ve looked like her fiancé was having a secret meeting with the Saint, the woman he called pretty.

…Saying it like this, I realized just how much of a trash I must look like to Rebecca.

At this point, I wasn’t just trash—I was unrecyclable food waste.

Even I, thinking from the Princess’s perspective, gave myself the worst possible evaluation.

What must Rebecca, the actual victim of this situation, be thinking of me?

Probably betrayal for deceiving her, anger for toying with her.

All sorts of negative, vicious emotions must be dominating her mind.

Even if that thought was just a misconception and not reality.

Right now, I had no way to prove it was a misunderstanding or explain myself to Rebecca.

The evidence before her was too clear.

No matter the reason, the fact that I, an engaged man, was talking alone with another woman in the garden was undeniable.

Thus, the current situation was even more hopeless.

I knew what Rebecca must be thinking, how disappointed she must be in me.

But knowing the cause of the problem doesn’t mean I can solve it.

“Princess…”

But I couldn’t just do nothing.

The thought of brushing this situation off was impossible. I had to explain to the Princess why I acted the way I did.

Whether she would understand after my explanation was uncertain. That was for Rebecca, the one who had to forgive, to decide, not me.

“…Don’t come closer.”

As I called her name and took a step closer, Rebecca immediately stepped back, distancing herself from me.

She seemed so shocked that her eyes were still trembling.

After standing still for a while, Rebecca suddenly turned and ran deeper into the garden.

Each of her footsteps seemed to carry a mix of emotions.

And the glistening something that fell where she ran—it couldn’t have been an illusion.

I couldn’t just stand there and watch.

“Sorry, I need to step away for a moment.”

I apologized to Estelle in a way that wasn’t really an apology and chased after the Princess.

“Wait…!”

I thought I heard the Saint calling me from behind.

No, I definitely heard it.

The Saint probably didn’t fully understand what was going on.

From Estelle’s perspective, both the Princess of Valencia, who suddenly ran away after seeing us, and me, chasing after her, must’ve been incomprehensible.

But.

‘…Rebecca.’

The important thing right now wasn’t someone else’s heroine or the heroine of the novel I’d been transported into.

Estelle would soon be comforted by the protagonist, Mikhail, as per the original story.

The truly important person was my fiancée, who was disappointed and hurt by me, shedding tears.

What did anyone else matter in this situation?

I chased after Rebecca without looking back.

***

Rebecca ran.

She didn’t even understand why she was running.

She didn’t understand why tears were streaming down her face.

She just ran.

She couldn’t bear the overwhelming emotions filling her head if she didn’t run.

She couldn’t hide the tears streaming down her face if she didn’t run.

Everything was incomprehensible.

Why was she feeling sad? Why were tears flowing?

All she had witnessed was her fiancé talking to another woman.

That was all.

But why were so many tears falling?

The situation she witnessed wasn’t even that strange.

An engaged man talking to another woman?

Not a good thing, but it was possible.

Of course, the fact that they were alone and the woman was the one her fiancé had called pretty added to the complexity.

But still, it was something that could happen.

The reason she and Albert had come here was for her debut and his first entry into social circles.

Social circles were spaces to build connections and friendships.

In such a space, her fiancé had formed a connection with none other than the “Saint.”

Normally, she should’ve greeted the Saint and built connections alongside her fiancé, not rudely run away.

She didn’t even love her fiancé. Even if she did.

The Saint was someone she might only meet a few times in her life.

It wasn’t normal to let personal feelings show.

That was the proper decision for the future Duchess of Valencia, the fiancée of the future Count.

But.

Rebecca couldn’t act that way.

Seeing her fiancé talking to the Saint reminded her of Albert, who had whispered embarrassing words to her just hours ago.

Seeing the Saint smiling brightly at Albert’s words reminded her of her fiancé, who had called the Saint pretty just days ago.

Seeing Albert and the Saint talking closely together.

No thoughts came to her.

She couldn’t do anything.

She should’ve greeted the Saint for networking, or yelled at her fiancé for what he was doing.

Or scolded Albert for breaking his promise to only look at her.

She should’ve done any of those things.

But her mind went blank, and she couldn’t do anything.

She just ran away like a loser.

Deeper into the garden, further and further.

Until she reached the very center of the imperial garden, where there was nowhere left to run.

She ran without stopping.

Finally arriving at the center of the imperial garden.

“…It’s…beautiful.”

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

As expected of the imperial garden.

Even more beautiful than the garden of the Valencia Duchy, which she had seen countless times.

– Isn’t it? The most beautiful in the world, Princess Rebecca Valencia.

Even more beautiful than the garden of the Zernias Count’s estate, where her fiancé had called her the most beautiful in the world.

– …I lost.

– Huh?

– I…lost…so please stop…

– …Understood. My beloved fiancée.

Even more beautiful than the garden of the Zernias Count’s estate, where she had admitted defeat.

It was damn beautiful.

Perhaps that was why.

“…”

The speed of her tears increased.

Because the imperial garden was far more beautiful than she had imagined.

Because she was greedily enjoying this beautiful scenery alone.

Because she felt sorry for the person who couldn’t enjoy this scenery with her.

And.

“Princess…”

“…”

The voice of the person who should’ve enjoyed this scenery with her.

Came softly from the direction she had run from.

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