Chapter 16: If Someone Hits You, Stab Him With A Dagger
“Why is the patient here?”
Cesare approached, his question clearly implying why she had ventured out when she should have been staying quiet in the annex. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Adeline stopped in her tracks and looked directly at him. They stared at each other, their gazes sharp as if trying to pierce one another.
“Your Highness the Princess… It’s my first time seeing you. When on earth did you return?” Cesare’s fiancée, dressed in a white gown, stood next to him. She had large, doe-like eyes and shiny blonde hair. She took a step forward toward Adeline but was stopped by Cesare, who gently extended an arm in front of her, blocking her path.
“Your Highness?” Her voice was filled with confusion.
Cesare stood between his fiancée and Adeline and addressed her again, “I told you not to leave until you were fully healed.”
A lie. He had never said anything like that.
“Don’t worry too much, Adeline,” he added, his dark brown eyes curling into a false smile.
Worry? How ridiculous.
Adeline could at least understand the King of Nova, her enemy. Though Aizen had used and tormented her, she understood him—he had reasons, as did her father. But Cesare? The man who called himself her brother? She couldn’t comprehend his obsession with her. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Crown Prince Cesare Dixon was the most ruthless, manipulative, and violent man she had ever known. The righteous and virtuous image he projected to the world was nothing but an illusion crafted by his cunning mind.
Adeline had realized his true nature before she was twelve. So at seventeen, when she was taken hostage by an enemy nation, the only silver lining in her misfortune was escaping Cesare’s grip.
It wasn’t that Cesare had committed any specific immoral act, but he enjoyed toying with her, treating her like a living plaything, bullying her, and tearing her down.
Adeline remembered it vividly. On the day she was sent to Nova, Cesare had been more furious than anyone else in Marma. It was as if something he believed belonged to him had been taken away. That day, his madness had erupted.
Now, after all these years, he had grown—but his nature hadn’t changed.
Adeline hid the heat rising from her lips. She smiled, graceful and poised, like a figure in a painting.
“Cesare,” Adeline said, her smile as sweet as an angel’s to any stranger observing. “It’s such an important day. I couldn’t miss it. I just wanted to congratulate you.”
Cesare, who had been uncertain, surprised, then gripped his fiancée’s hand tightly.
Adeline, still smiling, continued in a light, carefree tone, saying she missed him, missed Marma, and most of all, missed her family. Of course, it was all a blatant lie, and Cesare knew it too. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“That’s wonderful, Princess Adeline!” Cesare’s fiancée shook off his arm and approached Adeline. She was a young woman, barely having shed her girlish innocence. Her large, innocent eyes blinked in admiration.
“I’ll say it again, welcome back, Princess. But it’s so strange—why was there no news of your return?” She raised the question loud enough for all the nobles gathered to hear.
“That’s exactly what I’ve been wondering as well.”
“Right? Is there going to be a surprise party?”
A surprise party—how naïve and childish. The real reason for keeping Adeline’s return a secret was deeply tied to the royal family’s corruption. But Adeline only smiled at Cesare’s fiancée, offering no further explanation.
“Your wound will hurt if you move too much. You should head back,” Cesare suggested, his voice laced with irritation.
Adeline brushed past him, gently pushing him with her shoulder as he groaned quietly. Her objective was accomplished, and now it was time to leave.
“You’ve changed a lot, Adeline,” Cesare muttered, walking beside her.
“You’re still the same,” she replied coolly.
Cesare murmured again, “I don’t know what you’re up to… but you’ll regret it.”
“We’ll see who ends up regretting,” Adeline shot back as she walked confidently. The nobles’ eyes were glued to her every step.
In that moment, Cesare and his fiancée seemed like nothing more than humble bridesmaids, standing by as the entire court’s attention remained on Adeline. Nobles strained to hear her every word, their eyes following her movements, eager to uncover more about her sudden reappearance. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Occasionally, a few bold women approached, complimenting her dress. Each time, Adeline gave the same response: “Marma is still the same.”
The North Temple bells were supposed to chime three times to announce Cesare’s engagement. But everyone had forgotten about that, distracted by Adeline’s unexpected arrival.
Soon enough, Cesare and the Duke Nordhill’s daughter held their engagement ceremony, but the nobles’ focus never left Adeline. Throughout the ceremony, Cesare’s face remained tight, his jaw clenched in frustration. His pride had clearly taken a hit.
‘Time to leave,‘ Adeline thought.
There was no need for her to linger in the hall. Her return, which her father had tried so hard to keep hidden, had been announced to everyone—by his own words. Cesare’s pride had been trampled, and now her mission was complete. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
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