The Reason for Marriage - Chapter 21.2

“He said it was okay to be bold. He said that he would become my family, even though I couldn’t prove my worth. And he told me not to do it if I didn’t want to, and he said that he would trust me until the end. You don’t know how much His Highness has comforted me.”

“With those words, in the end, you were just following him like a trained dog. He knew from the beginning what kind of position you were in before, in the Count estate. He knew all the words that he could manipulate you with as he could see you were vulnerable.”

“A word that could make me vulnerable? Everyone knows that unless you are an idiot.” Her voice trembled. Seeing his frustrated expression, she continued to speak slowly, “Still, no one ever said it to me like that, not even you.”

“Ive. I…”

“I… I liked you,” Iveca said while catching her breath. Anrig’s expression hardened as she continued, “But the moment you let go of my hand, I think I must have forgotten you. I guess I knew that you were not a good man for me. So that’s why I didn’t even look for you during those four years.”

“Ive.”

“Now I think I understand why I did it that way, Anrig. You were my only friend, I couldn’t help but like you…. but in the end, it was me who left you.” At that moment, Iveca stopped talking. Looking back, Anrig let go of her wrist, which he was still holding on to, unconsciously.

Suddenly, the picture hanging on the wall next to the bedside was pushed aside, and in a flash, the King looked down at them coldly.

“Your, Your Highness…, W, Why?”

Daniel sat on her bed, staring at them intently and an awkward silence filled the room. As Iveca stuttered, unable to finish her words, he said with a grin, “For some reason, I was curious as to whether or not you slept well. I was wondering whether you are in pain, or feeling scared, or in case you couldn’t sleep, I thought I should be chatting with you…. Well, this is what I felt anyway.” His words sounded casual, yet calculated, as they broke the silence in the room. Iveca felt as if she were being pushed to her limit by all of this and a feeling of panic began to rise within her.

“You may not have been aware of it, but it’s the first night we haven’t been together. I miss the Queen.” Iveca trembled more because he was smiling, and her mind went blank. She couldn’t think of a reasonable explanation as to why this man was here.

At two o’clock in the morning, after telling the King that she wanted to be alone, she’d secretly invited Anrig, who happened to be her first love, to the Palace. Even if she was going to be killed like this, she had nothing to say.

Anrig knelt immediately and his voice trembled as he too was embarrassed, “Your Majesty, Ive, I mean, Iveca is not at fault. I apologize for my life.”

“Ive? Iveca?” He laughed as he looked down at Anrig, and Iveca was afraid of his carefree smile as her body involuntarily shook. She didn’t know what she was afraid of. The kind words that he’d said at the scene of the accident, about how he’d always be by her side, lingered in her mind.

“I am the only one in this world who can call the Queen by her name,” Daniel said firmly, and there was anger wrapped around each syllable, not matching the artificial smile which was similar to that of a doll. “Please explain how you can call her a name that even her father couldn’t call her, that recklessly?”

Iveca saw him speak informally to his subordinates for the first time and it shocked her that he was able to speak so terribly. Would the gentle gestures that he showed when he used to brush her hair, his friendly smiles and warm words, disappear forever? Even if it was an illusion that would disappear one day, she didn’t want to let go of that warmth and kindness now.

She was sincere when she’d told Anrig that she couldn’t leave Daniel. After all, he’d become her only comfort, even if that was his plan all along, even if the goal was actually to keep her from leaving him and so he could use her as his chess piece.

As the situation unfolded, Iveca suddenly felt the urge to grab him and hold him, even plead to him that she would do better, she would do much better. She didn’t know to what extent she would be useful, but she would do the best that she could. Doubt was not something that could be cherished by someone emotionally below you in the first place. It was not until the end that Iveca had realized the fact that she had a sense of incongruity, which in itself was a luxury.

Daniel forced a smile and spoke quietly again, “Leave in secret and out of people’s sight. I don’t want to make an issue of this. It is because I do not want to inform the Bureau of Investigation of a matter that would be a weakness for the Queen. If I give you a little discipline, the Bureau of Investigation will step on my tail.”

“Your Majesty, what I am trying to say is…”

“Get out!” Daniel cut him off, his voice sounding venomous now.

His voice was so cold that Iveca couldn’t even kneel and beg. Her heart was beating like it was going to explode, and she felt as if she couldn’t breathe properly because of the heavy atmosphere.

“Don’t tell anyone. That’s an order! If anyone asks about tonight, tell them I am in the Queen’s Palace.”