Chapter 23│Read translated stories and daily updates at: Awebstories.com
Stephan was quietly alone, staring out.
Time just flew by.
Stephan was oblivious to Sharon’s feelings.
Then, despite his own feelings, Sharon’s words to go after her as his fiancé made his heart ache.
——I couldn’t go after her.
—— What would I tell her then?
—— How could I tell her to trust me?
—— Could I tell her that I would keep my vow?
Lumina will see right through him.
Lumina knows his heart more than he does.
He is drawn to a young woman named Sophie.
He can’t stop himself even if he tries.
Sharon nailed him to the wall and put a lid on it, but the lid came off before he knew it.
“I’m an as*hole…”
——Lumina was right.
He whispered a word of love that he didn’t even mean in his heart and tried to tie Lumina down.
For himself.
and lost.
Lumina, her fiancée, and Sharon, his best friend.
——They gave up on me because of my indecision.
He remembered Lumina’s words to me when he was ten years old.
[Can you swear you’ll never love anyone other than me?]
—— I swore.
And yet, his heart was so easily turned to another young woman, Sophie.
——I don’t know why.
He is drawn to her. drawn to that free and lovely smile.
Stephan squatted down and put his hands on his chest.
“It’s the worst… I’m the worst…”
He swore to her.
He whispered love to her.
He swore he’d never love anyone but her, and then he betrayed her so easily.
He can’t get the look in Lumina’s eyes out of his mind.
——Why does my heart waver? Why can’t my heart be the way I want it to be? I don’t understand.
——I’m drawn to them as if something compels me.
——It’s painful.
“Damn…Damn It!”
He slammed the desk down hard, clenched his fist so hard that it bled, and then the door to the room opened.
“Stephan… Your Highness…”
Sophie was standing there.
Her face was not her usual bright and cheerful self, but was tense and looked as if she was about to cry.
Sophie rushed to him and said quietly:
“Your Highness… I have a request…”
Stephan’s brow wrinkles at these words.
“Miss Sophie?”
Sophie’s emerald eyes flicker. Wet with tears, Stephan’s heart skips a beat.
“Please… I… (sobs) I don’t know what to do anymore (sobs)”
Something shuddering crawls down Stephan’s spine.
Sophie hugged Stephan and rubbed his back as she said,
“Please break the engagement. Otherwise, the story will never end or begin (sobs). That’s what I’m supposed to lead you to (sobs). But my Oneesama… (sobs)”
“What… what are you trying to say?”
“You have to do it for everyone (sobs) but… (sobs)”
“What…are…you…”
“Time and time again, His Highness has broken his engagement (sobs) because (sobs) that’s the way of the world! You got to it. (sobs)”
Stephan’s body stiffens at the sight of Sophie’s maddened eyes.
——Time… and time again?
——Broke off the engagement?
He can feel his body shaking.
He has no memory. But his mind is calling out to him, triggered by Sophie’s words.
Remember your sins.
Your role in this world is fixed.
Sophie’s face is distorted.
The story has to go according to the scenario, or else this world will end. But (sobs) Do we have no choice but to do it? Your Highness, I…(hick)”
“Miss Sophie, just calm down.”
Despite his words, Stephan himself could not stay calm.
The nausea came on in spurts.
His head ached and he couldn’t stop shaking, as if he were being overwhelmed by what he had done.
“Do I love you because I am a heroine? Is this feeling real? I’ll betray Oneesama (sobs)…yet… (sobs) I’ll love you… (sobs) I don’t deserve to live (Wuuu~)”
Sophie sobs as she clings to him, her body shaking in the same way.
“I’m going to love you. (sobs) this feeling is real.”
Tears pour into Sophie’s eyes like a waterfall.
At the same time, Sophie says, as if enchanted by something.
“Bugs… Oneesama, she’s…(sobs) What am I going to do?”
Stephan shakes his head as he is asked for help.
“I-I can’t.”
His trembling mouth, his head shaking again and again at Sophie’s words.
The Crown Prince was shaking and weeping just like Sophie.
“I can’t. Miss Sophie”
Not that he remembered.
However, something incriminates one’s guilt.
Stephan pulled Sophie away from him, bit his lip so hard it bled, and spoke clearly.
“Go home. We’ll set up a meeting tomorrow.”
Sophie fluttered her arms at these words and stormed off.
“If you do that, this world will end! It will end because of us. Because of us!!!””
“There must be a way!! What you are saying…may indeed be true. Something inside me tells me so! But still, I don’t want to betray Lumina anymore!”
“Me neither! Enough! I’ll do it!”
“Miss Sophie!”
Sophie runs out of the room, and Stephan immediately calls for an escort.
He gave instructions to locate Lumina and then mounted his horse himself.
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