# Chapter 31
“How ridiculous that Judith thinks of me.”
Ikian sighed, holding his forehead. The scene of her coldly walking away never left his mind. This was the first time he had seen her so cold, so unlike her usual kindness.
“I have to meet her.”
At dawn, when the light was just starting to shine and the rain was starting to pour down, Ekian finally put on his mask and got up.
“I have to meet her...”
He didn't know what he would say when they met, but he felt like he had to see her.
He simply felt suffocated. Moreover, didn't Judith say that it was "not respectable to the master" for him to come to the ducal palace looking for her? Letting time pass after that awkward conversation will only make him feel worse.
He knew where she was going this morning.
‘The fact that she went to the Shrine of the Last Priestess must be because of the Suden couple. I don't know why, but...'
She was always doing things that couldn't be explained until now. Each of these actions had a reason. He didn't know what connection the Soden couple had to her, but Judith must have a clear goal.
‘…I should be able to meet her there.’
Finally, Ekian slowly stepped into the rain.
'It's not like I'm going to the Duke's Palace, so she won't be able to complain.'
Shrine of the Last Priestess.
“Let me tell you the truth.”
After learning that shocking truth from Bart, he thought of visiting there at least once.
“Because this will hurt you more, Your Highness the Cursed Prince.”
For some reason, he was reluctant to go, and his steps were not easy.
“In my case, the person who gave birth to me is different from the person who raised me.”
Now that he thought about it, he realized that he had said something like that to Judith impulsively. When he looked back, he realized that was a ridiculous thing to say. Judith didn't even ask him, yet he brought it up.
'Maybe it's fate.'
Ekian's face, hidden behind his mask, was severely disfigured.
He didn't know why Judith had decided to go to this shrine, but the place held meaning for him as well.
When Ekian finally rushed to the shrine –
There was already a long line in front of the shrine. Even though they knew that the Priestess Shrine wouldn't provide any answers.
In this class, Ekian easily discovered Judith. She was standing directly in front of the Suden couple.
Judith looked like she had Isabella's approval to come here, dressed simply and holding an umbrella in her hand. Her hood was up, and her slender figure was hidden under the large umbrella, making it difficult for those around her to recognize her.
Her face was not well known at first, and she never officially announced to society that she was “pregnant with the child of the young Duke of Maius.”
'They will probably announce this at the next imperial banquet.'
Isabella, who disliked gatherings, would not give an unnecessary banquet for the occasion, and, given the importance of the announcement, Judith would not make her debut at a smaller event.
There was an imperial banquet to celebrate the Crown Prince's birthday soon, so they would most likely reveal it to the community at that time.
Judith stood still, calmly waiting her turn. Standing right in front of the Suden couple was almost certainly a deliberate move.
The Sudin couple were known for their diligent search for their missing eldest son and their regular prayers at this shrine when they were in the capital. It was not clear how this was related to Judith.
‘There is no connection between Judith and Sudin. This must be their first meeting.'
He couldn't understand why Judith would fool everyone and meet the Suden couple.
Only then did Ekian realize that the complex feelings tangled within him were not simple.
Wanting to meet her and have a conversation, hoping to fix the embarrassment from the night before, and at the same time… intense curiosity.
He was very curious about it.
What Judith was planning, what she was thinking – he wanted to know everything.
If he could call that possessive, he certainly wanted to have her all to himf.
'Pathetic.'
He laughed to himf as he stood in front of the humble but commanding shrine.
The shrine, which could barely accommodate a few people, was surrounded by tulips blooming profuy. No matter the weather – be it snow, wind or rain – the tulips bloomed as if indifferent to the seasons, enhancing the mystical aura of the shrine.
But that wasn't all. Although the ceiling, walls, window frames, and cracks of its doors were untouched by human hands, they were completely clean. Even the candles surrounding the shrine were glowing radiantly, unaffected by the rain.
The candles have remained unchanged over time, without a single trace of wax dripping from them.
Although the last priestess disappeared long ago, the shrine maintained its timeless appearance, attracting people to make their wishes.
'Even here, my thoughts are limited to Judith only.'
Despite his reluctance to visit, even here...
“Let me tell you the truth.”
As he looked at Judith's back, Bart's voice echoed in his ears again.
The image of Judith standing in front of the shrine is intertwined with ancient memories.
Ekian Mayus was a happy boy. Everything was perfect.
Although the Maios family had a tense relationship with the imperial family and suffered a bad reputation because of it, Ekian was still the eldest son of the powerful and wealthy Duke Maius. His position as heir was secured from an early age.
Even after his younger brother Karl was born much later, nothing changed.
Their father, Duke Maios, officially appointed Ekian heir to the throne and shared with him all the family secrets, including hidden passages known only to the family's successors.
Ekyan had an exemplary father, a kind mother, and a lovable younger brother, and everything in his life was flawless. Ekian worked tirelessly to maintain this perfection.
Despite his natural talent and excellence in his studies, he made an effort. He loved his family and was proud of the Maios.
“Won’t a bad relationship with His Majesty the Emperor be a problem?”
"Well, we can't give up on this. We can't agree with His Majesty's policies. Maybe things will improve when His Highness the Crown Prince takes the throne."
“Crown Prince?”
“Yes, His Highness is a reasonable person, but it is worrying that His Majesty is controlling His Highness.”
The age difference between the Emperor and the Crown Prince was twenty years. The Emperor was unwilling to abdicate his throne, so he publicly restrained his son, viewing him as a threat.
“However, in your generation, things may improve – if His Highness ascends the throne safely.”
Such political concerns were mere trifles in Ekian's quiet life. Despite his separation from the Emperor, Ekian was a prominent figure in social circles, and was admired by many who sought to curry favor with him.
When Ekian turned seventeen, talk of marriage began to surface. However, Ekian himf remained indifferent, and only thought that he would eventually marry whomever his family chose.
He had no particular interest in women and was only focused on preserving the family legacy and protecting his loved ones.
Thus, he spent more time with his family than with outside social engagements, particularly enjoying time spent with his younger brother Karl and his favorite maid, Sarah.
Although Sarah was a servant, her beauty and intelligence rivaled that of any noble woman. It was clear why Karl was so attached to her. However, Ekian did not feel any special interest in her.
Then came the fateful night when Ekian was seventeen years old.
Bart, the long-time doctor of the Maios family, secretly visits his master's son.