IWAPUF 35

Under the pretense of congratulating her on her pregnancy, I presented Irins with a tonic laced
with poison. I went to her myself, forcing the concoction past her lips as she protested and refused.
Driven to madness, I didn’t spare a thought for the consequences. All that mattered was
eliminating her and her child—nothing was beyond me if it meant achieving that end.
By the time he rushed to her side upon hearing the news, more than half the poison had already
slid down her throat. They managed to save her life, but the child was lost. And I was confined.
I don’t regret what I did to her. No one stands idly by while their world is taken from them. I don’t
claim my actions were just, but neither do I intend to condemn them.
Yet, in the face of her child, I could only be a sinner. That unborn life, not yet fully formed, never
saw the light of the world because of my foolish actions.
The heavy guilt lodged in my chest was not easily shaken. Perhaps that’s why, uncharacteristically,
I’ve always been soft toward children.
I closed the lid of the box and uncorked the glass bottle. The sharp, herbal scent of the headache
remedy filled my nose, seeping into my lungs. Evan Li had brought it himself.
He’d come at dawn, before I was even awake, leaving only the medicine behind. According to the
steward who received it, Evan had declined the offer to stay and wait, citing urgent business. The
steward added that, though Evan’s neck was bandaged, he was thankfully able to move without
issue. It seemed the Crown Prince hadn’t pursued punishment for Evan’s actions.
Just as I had changed, so had the Crown Prince. And it wasn’t just us. My grandfather, Marquess
Eliont, Anasha, Evan—everything was different from before.
*Knock, knock.*
“Come in,” I said, recorking the bottle.
The door opened, and Lant poked his head inside. The boy’s face lit up with a bright smile as he
approached, planting feather-light kisses on both my cheeks. A fresh lemony scent wafted from
him.
“You should dry your hair before coming here,” I chided.
At my gesture, a waiting maid quickly fetched a towel. I wrapped Lant’s still-damp hair in the soft
fabric, gently rubbing it dry. Lant grinned, leaning into my touch as if savoring it.
“You’re getting more spoiled by the day,” I teased.
“Don’t you like it?” he asked, his eyes flickering with worry.
“No, I don’t mind.”
Relieved by my answer, Lant’s smile returned, radiant. I put on a mock-stern expression.
“But next time, dry your hair properly. What if you catch a cold?”
“But I wanted to see you right away, Sister,” he said, dropping to his knees and nuzzling his face
into my skirt.
His puppy-like behavior melted my stern facade, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
Coming to me right after finishing his training and washing up was part of Lant’s morning routine.
Since arriving here, he hadn’t missed a single day of seeking me out.
The boy who once couldn’t speak properly or handle external stimuli had grown into someone
who could now charm with his affection. Pleased by his progress, I gently ran my fingers through
his hair. The cool, navy-blue strands felt as refreshing as they looked.
My relationship with Lant was worlds apart from what it had been. Reaching out to him hadn’t
been a calculated move—it was a spontaneous act, driven by my heart.
There was no need to dwell on comparisons to the past. Just as I’d reached out to Lant, I would act
according to my heart’s desires. Even if that led to another foolish choice, I wouldn’t cower in fear,
anticipating mistakes that hadn’t yet happened.
Above all, I had my sweet puppy by my side. Things wouldn’t end the way they had before.
“I have a gift for you,” I said.
“A gift?” Lant’s eyes widened as he lifted his head, looking for all the world like a puppy with
perked ears and a wagging tail.
I couldn’t suppress the laughter bubbling up at the image in my mind. “It’s in that box.”
Lant’s eyes sparkled as he glanced between me and the box, like a dog waiting for the command
to take its treat. I slid the box toward him.
“Open it.”
With delicate care, Lant lifted the lid.
“It’s your seal,” I said.
“A seal?”
“It’s meant for your coming-of-age ceremony, but I couldn’t wait that long.”
I took the pendant from the box and slipped it around his neck. Lant bowed his head obediently to
help.
“The three-leaf clover stands for happiness,” I said. “I want you to always be happy, my little
puppy.”
As long as my puppy was happy, I would be too.
“Do you like it?”
Lant’s cheeks flushed bright red as he nodded, clutching the pendant tightly in both hands. His
adorable reaction prompted me to reach out and touch his cheek, savoring the warm, soft feel of
his skin.
Startled by the sudden touch, Lant’s eyes widened, rolling nervously as if wondering if he’d done
something wrong.
“This won’t do,” I teased. “I gave you a gift, and not even a thank you? Your sister’s
disappointed.”
As I gently shook his flushed cheeks, Lant blinked, his expression turning pouty. He reached out,
grabbing the hem of my skirt with one hand while still clutching the pendant with the other.
I tugged lightly at his cheeks, feeling their chewy, mochi-like texture under my fingers. Unlike
when we first met, when his skin bruised easily, now it bounced back, plump and resilient, even
when stretched. The effort I’d put into feeding him nutritious foods had paid off.
“Come on, say thank you, you little rascal.”
“Thank you, Sister,” Lant said, his voice soft but earnest.
Lant spoke in a soft, almost whispering voice. While he expressed affection toward me without
hesitation, he still grew shy and awkward when it came to voicing his own feelings.
I released his cheeks and ruffled his fine, navy-blue hair. The strands, once damp, had dried in the
meantime, scattering softly under my touch.
“I put a lot of thought into preparing this, so you’d better wear it until you’re ready to use the
family head’s seal. Got it?”
“But…”
A shadow of worry flickered in Lant’s dark brown eyes. I could easily guess what troubled him.
It would have been simple to shield Lant from the world’s whispers. If I’d wanted, I could have
raised him like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, blissfully unaware of rumors, dreaming only of
happiness throughout his childhood.
But I didn’t want to coddle him. While I could protect him now, when he was young, such actions
would do him no favors as an adult. For Lant, who would one day inherit the Eliont family as its
Marquess, my overprotection would be nothing short of poison.
Instead, I chose to tell him everything about his circumstances, unfiltered. Despite being
acknowledged as a direct heir with a middle name, Lant’s origins were an unavoidable weakness
in noble society.
No one could overcome his vulnerabilities for him. That was a battle he had to fight himself. To do
so, he first needed to understand himself. Lant knew better than anyone where he stood within the
Eliont family.
“Don’t frown like that—you’ll get wrinkles,” I teased, pressing my fingers firmly against the
crease between his brows.
Even as his head tilted back under the pressure, the worry in his eyes lingered.
“Lant Beyren Eliont,” I said, calling his full name.
“Yes,” he replied softly.
“If you don’t want to be the family head, you don’t have to.”
Lant’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at me. I smiled at him warmly.
“I told you earlier, didn’t I? I want you to be happy.”
The decision of who would succeed as heir rested with Marquess Eliont, but if Lant didn’t want it,
I’d find a way to ensure he never had to take that role. To me, the Eliont family’s legacy was
nothing compared to Lant’s happiness.
“I’m not having you learn so much just so you can become the Marquess.”
I’d ensured Lant was educated in swordsmanship, academics, and the arts, sparing no expense to
hire the best tutors. He’d exceeded my expectations, absorbing it all with remarkable aptitude.
“I just want to give you options, so when you find something you want to do later, you’ll have the
freedom to choose. So do what makes you happy, Lant. I’ll support you, whatever it is.”
Lant threw his arms around me, and I hugged him back just as tightly.
“No matter what anyone says, you’re my brother. You know that, right?”
“Yes,” he mumbled, rubbing his face against my dress.
I patted his back gently. “Just hold on to that. You’re my one and only brother, Lant Beyren Eliont,
Beonne Rossa Eliont’s little brother.”
Even if Lant lost his way or faltered, it didn’t matter. I had more than enough wealth to support
him. If my precious puppy wanted something, I was ready to give it to him.
—
In the study, I was leisurely reading a book when the steward’s report made me frown.
“Who did you say is here?”
“His Highness, the Crown Prince, has arrived.”
“For what reason?”
“I don’t know, my lady. What should we do?”
I sighed, closing the book. It was noon, the sun high in the sky. Marquess Eliont would already be
at the palace by now, leaving me as the only one in the estate who could receive the Crown Prince.
“Show him to the parlor for now.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I stood, brushing off my dress, and slid the book back onto the shelf. He’d sent an attendant with
the box this morning—why had he come in person? I couldn’t fathom his reasons.
Regardless, as the lady of the house, I had to entertain a guest. I glanced at my dress. It was a
simple design, meant for comfort at home, far too plain for receiving royalty. Changing would be
a hassle, though.
My hesitation was brief. I had no desire to go through the trouble of changing just for the Crown
Prince. He likely wouldn’t care about my attire anyway, and even if he did, it didn’t matter to me.
I had a maid loosely tidy my unbound hair before heading to the parlor.
Inside, the Crown Prince lounged comfortably on a sofa. Spotting me, he rose with a radiant smile.
“You look stunning as always, Bii.”
“I greet Your Highness,” I said, grasping my skirt and dipping into a slight curtsy.
He looked at me with a hint of disapproval. “There’s no need for such formalities between us.”
“What brings you here?” I asked, ignoring his lighthearted remark and cutting to the point.
He shook his head with a wry chuckle. “Straight to business the moment you see me? That’s a bit
cold, don’t you think?”
Unlike yesterday’s fiery temper, he now approached me with a playful, almost teasing demeanor.
I’d challenged him to win me over, but I hadn’t expected him to act on it so soon—let alone show
up the very next day. His visit threw me into confusion.