(Why, Idyllia, why…)
He felt shock and betrayal, knowing he had ignored the most suspicious person and been deceived. Recognising his own foolishness, he still couldn’t believe she had chosen her sister over him.
(Was it because the fate of the Leveaux family was at stake?)
If so, he had completely misread her true intentions.
(Idyllia—)
She had always been a sweet and seemingly innocent girl, yet with a hidden sharpness. As a noble daughter, she had behaved obediently while secretly meeting him. She possessed a cunning that allowed her to outmanoeuvre others for love.
(I should have known she would be a formidable woman as she grew…)
After their reunion, he had believed that with time and trust, their relationship would return to what it once was. Instead, his arrogance had been his downfall.
“…”
A pigeon was released. Silvio aimed his long hunting rifle, fired, and missed again. The pigeon flew away unscathed.
“Damn it.”
Lowering the rifle, his mood soured further. The more time he spent with Idyllia, the more his old feelings resurfaced, overwhelming him. Guilt towards his deceased family had faded, replaced by growing affection.
(Yes, that’s it.)
The most frustrating fact was that even now, knowing she had betrayed him, he still loved her. The thought that she had chosen her family over him left him reeling with selfish shock. Her desperate cry, “Please, let me go…!” echoed in his mind.
“You’re off your game.”
Turning to the teasing voice, he saw Robert approaching. Silvio scowled.
“How did it go?”
“Smoothly. We’ve been sending people daily to feed the king’s fears of your deep-seated grudge and desire for revenge. The king, now sleep-deprived and anxious, is practically a broken man.”
“He succumbed to his own fears.”
Silvio reloaded his rifle, his movements rough, which Robert watched with interest.
“You’re continuing even though you can’t hit anything?”
“Of course. I can’t end it on a bad note.”
Signalling his attendant to release another pigeon, Silvio prepared to shoot again. Robert, not leaving, looked around curiously. Silvio, aiming his rifle, asked,
“What’s it? Still something to say?”
“Just… news about your precious attendant…”
Silvio fired, this time hitting the mark. The pigeon fell to the ground, and Robert clapped his hands.
“Impressive.”
“From now on, never bring up that subject in front of me again.”
Silvio’s voice was laced with deep anger as he delivered the order. Robert bowed quietly and left.
“Idyllia…”
Silvio’s murmured her name as he woke up. It seemed he had dozed off on the sofa. He hadn’t slept at all last night. While he told himself it was due to work, he knew better. His dreams had been filled with memories from five years ago, when they had still loved each other. She had blushed with innocence, smiling at him. Silvio had taken her hand, pulling her close and gently embracing her slender, soft body, filled with the sweet expectation of making her his one day.
(Dreams are honest…)
Despite everything, he still longed for Idyllia. He had no desire to call for another woman. Covering his face with one hand, Silvio muttered to himself. She was the only one for him. No one else would do.
“Idyllia…”
His chest ached. Anger, disappointment, resentment, and hatred swirled within him, yet, mocking all these negative emotions, a stronger, louder voice inside him cried out.
“…I want to see you…”
So what if she had betrayed him? He had been born and raised in the world of politics, well aware that people could turn on a dime for their own interests. He could swallow that. Adult relationships were complex. Even if their desires differed, they could still share affection. They could even be a couple. As the voice of the jaded man inside him spoke, the voice of the innocent boy responded. Any other woman’s betrayal could be forgiven, but not Idyllia’s. She embodied his pure first love and should have reciprocated his trust. Her betrayal tainted that, making her no longer the woman he desired. What meaning was there in a purely physical relationship? Yet, it was he who had forced it on her from the start.
But—no, yet—but…
His thoughts churned endlessly. After hours of turmoil, Silvio reached a reluctant conclusion, as if raising a white flag.
“I want to see you. Idyllia…!”
Even if he had been deceived, she was still the only woman for him. He would have to accept her betrayal as part of the package.
(Her will doesn’t matter.)
If she insisted on siding with her sister, he would take her from this country and the Leveaux family by force. This realisation filled Silvio with a newfound clarity, as if a fog had lifted.
(Yes. That’s what I should have done from the start.)
He couldn’t imagine a life without her.
“…”
Once he made up his mind, he moved quickly. Donning his coat, he prepared to go out, picking up his ornate rapier. Just as he was about to leave the room, he heard voices arguing in the hallway.
“I told you, I’m not suspicious! Silvio Fontana is here, isn’t he? Let me see him. No, you must let me see him. You have no right to stop me!”
The assertive voice of a young woman sent a jolt through him.