Albert and Natalia were left speechless. Gebhardt—or rather, August—smiled gently at them.
“I apologize for startling you.”
At those words, the prince snapped back to reality.
His regained composure was swift; he immediately surveyed the surroundings to confirm that they were alone.
His gaze then fell upon the only outsider present, Kai, signaling that these proceedings were to remain confidential.
The perceptive servant nodded promptly, though his concern was clearly for his master.
Kai clutched his uniform tightly, as if ready to rush to the door at any moment.
Seeing this, August spoke concisely.
“Prince Albert, though it may be presumptuous of me, this is not the time to inquire about my true identity.”
“But—”
“Someone must go and find the girl who saw through my true identity and wept despite your accusations against her.”
Albert’s face hardened at the calm assertion. He realized the truth of it. He finally understood the anguish in the girl’s cry earlier and felt an urge to punch himself for his actions towards her.
“I am not even worthy of pursuing her. Please, you must go.”
With that, August bowed. The prince, looking regretful, nodded once and called out, “Leonora…!” before dashing out of the room with Kai in tow.
As their footsteps faded, silence descended once more. Eventually, Natalia spoke up, her expression tense.
“August, my brother…”
“I do not deserve to be called that. You have grown into a fine lady, Ria.”
August smiled sadly as he addressed her by the nickname he used when they were younger.
Though Albert and Natalia were cousins, so too were August and Natalia.
Natalia’s mother was both Albert’s father’s sister and August’s father’s sister, maintaining a close relationship with her elder brother, the former emperor.
The thirteen-year age gap between Natalia and August meant they hadn’t interacted much.
Nonetheless, Natalia remembered August showing her around the academy when she was little.
She had only seen him as a calm, intelligent elder brother, so when he fell into Flora’s calamity, she had been in disbelief.
As Natalia struggled with what to say, August bowed deeply.
“Earlier, I adopted a harsh tone while pretending to be someone else. I apologize.”
“Please, don’t. That was only natural for you, brother. You needn’t use such formal language with me.”
Natalia was flustered.
August shook his head gently.
“I am now merely an artist. It is only because you are a student here, in an academy that doesn’t discriminate by status, that we can speak without formality. I hope you can forgive my previous impertinence.”
“Brother August!”
“It is Gebhardt now.”
He insisted calmly but firmly. His gentle demeanor reminded Natalia of the cousin she once knew. Yes, he was once the empire’s first prince, expected to excel in both military and literary arts until calamity struck.
“I have heard that some still remember you fondly as the prince. Why did you become an artist…?”
“Natalia, your concern is appreciated, but you must not misunderstand.”
“What…?”
Natalia blinked as if scolded.
“Those who mourn my fall are not worried about me. They lament that the first prince they intended to exploit has met such a fate. And they are arrogant.”
“Arrogant…”
“Yes. How terrifying it must have been for an innocent woman to be unjustly accused, expelled from her warm home, and lose her purity. And she even lost her life. Though it was not I who attacked her, I set the events in motion. I am the one who killed her.”
August clenched his fists slightly.
“A man who wrongs an innocent woman must be punished, whether he is the emperor’s eldest son or the sixth son of a farmer. The law must be upheld equally.”
“Of course. But the punishment you gave to Claudia was not meant to be so severe, was it?”
“Perhaps not. But for a common noblewoman, it was a harsh punishment. Believing Flora’s lies, I ordered Claudia to walk home barefoot.”
He hadn’t expelled her empty-handed; August had only taken her shoes when he expelled her from the academy, believing it would allow her to understand the pain of the weak. Unfortunately, she was attacked on the way.
“I trusted the capital’s safety. I never thought she’d leave at night, or that there would be bandits. She must have been so scared…”
In truth, Claudia had somewhat enjoyed her adventurous escape on a stolen carriage. But no one knew this, fortunately or unfortunately.
“I, on the other hand, left the palace with just my wits, spent a few years wandering, and managed to become a humble painter. I am lucky.”
“Brother…”
Natalia furrowed her brow in sorrow. Seeing this, August changed the subject with a wave of his hand.
“I couldn’t see Flora’s true nature, so I honed my observational skills, creating satirical art. I don’t compare to the legendary eye of Hakenberg, but what do you think?”
There was no hint of pretense in his smile, only a serene dedication akin to a penitent monk. Natalia felt she shouldn’t show sorrow when he did not and nodded quietly.
“Speaking of Hakenberg… I was stunned when I first saw Leonora. She looks just like Claudia did at that age.”
“Does she?”
“Yes. But unlike Claudia, she lacks her allure. She seems more like a pure, colorless boy.”
“Really? Perhaps because she is a pure maiden, untouched by love.”
Natalia’s love for romance novels sometimes made her words sound dramatic. August tilted his head slightly.
“Maybe.”
“Huh?”
“She occasionally exudes a strong passion, though I don’t know what it is.”
It was an insatiable greed for gold, though Natalia had a different realization.
“I understand now, brother. She… Leonora, must be falling in love.”
“Love? Now that you mention it, it does seem like an intense emotion.”
August nodded in agreement before facing Natalia.
“If that’s true, the prince’s harsh words must have hurt her deeply. I wish I could apologize, even if just briefly…”
Thinking of the girl, Natalia hesitated. Leonora, who cared little for her own pain but would fiercely protect her “mother,” might not forgive August.
Yet—
“I cannot say she will forgive you. But I believe she will listen to your apology.”
August remained silent for a while before murmuring,
“If that happens, it would be a miracle.”
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