“What is it? Why do you look so scary?”
Leila forced a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
She had never seen this expression on her friend before, and it made her uneasy.
“Send the guards away first.”
There were too many ears around.
Even if guards were meant to be invisible, Chloe had no intention of exposing her misery in front of others.
“…Sir, have the guards step back ten paces from the tent.”
Leila ordered the Anata knight.
“…Yes.”
He hesitated briefly, but obeyed—he knew Leila was strong enough to defend herself.
“Sir Hume, please step back as well.”
Chloe said.
Aiden hesitated.
“My lady…”
“Please.”
Seeing the firm look in her eyes, he had no choice but to obey.
Her eyes were filled with intense, swirling emotions—
it almost felt like she could overpower Leila through sheer force alone.
“…Call us if you need anything.”
Once all the guards left,
only Chloe and Leila remained.
Chloe, who had asked to talk, now hesitated.
Where should she even begin?
Leila broke the silence.
“…Is this why you’ve been in a bad mood since this morning?”
“No.”
“Then…?”
“My mood has been bad since I arrived at Anata Castle.”
“…?”
“Because of this.”
Chloe handed over two wrinkled letters.
They looked just like her own torn-up heart.
“What are these…?”
Leila read them.
“…Sorry for reading your letters without permission.”
Chloe said while she read.
She didn’t truly feel sorry—
but she knew it wasn’t something she could justify.
Maybe it was also to prevent Leila from using it against her.
“…Then… did you come all the way north because of these letters?”
“…I’m sorry for lying too. But why did you do this?”
Leila lowered the letters and looked at Chloe.
It was a familiar face—
but the emotions behind it were completely unfamiliar.
Still, she believed this was just a misunderstanding.
“Chloe! I did it all for you.”
Chloe had imagined this moment many times—
but never this expression.
Leila didn’t look guilty.
She looked… justified.
Even indignant.
“What? For me?”
Chloe’s voice trembled with anger.
“I thought you really liked Gerard, so I wanted to help. I wanted you two to end up together…”
“When did I ever say that?!”
Chloe shouted—
for the first time.
Leila froze.
She had never seen Chloe like this before.
“…When did I ever ask for your help? When did I ever ask you to make me marry Gerard? You never asked me what I wanted—so how can you say you helped me?!”
Chloe tried to calm herself—
but failed.
“You don’t have to ask to know how someone feels! I—I care about you so much!”
Leila raised her voice too.
“My feelings?”
“Yes! Honestly, I wanted you to marry Sir Moore so you could come north and stay with me! But you didn’t seem to like him, so I connected you with Gerard instead!”
Chloe felt chills run down her spine.
She wanted me with Herais… but says she “respected my wishes”?
“SO THEN—!”
Chloe screamed.
“Where was my opinion in all of that?!”
“…What?”
“Am I your doll? Or your child? Even parents shouldn’t treat their children like that! Who do you think you are?!”
She cried out.
Leila… acted like the world revolved around her.
She longed for freedom—
but controlled others without question.
“…Aren’t you being too harsh? I’m your friend! I thought this would be good for you too—”
“You’re always like this.”
Chloe cut her off.
“What?”
“If something is good for you, you assume it’s good for everyone else. You’re completely self-centered.”
“…Do you have to say it like that?”
Leila’s eyes filled with tears.
She was shocked.
Have you always thought that about me…?
She was afraid to ask.
Afraid of losing Chloe.
Leila truly cared about her—
somewhere between friendship and something deeper.
Like a sister, like a mother, like a friend.
But to Chloe—
that hurt expression only made her feel a twisted sense of release.
Yes. You should hurt too.
Even though she knew this would only lead to ruin—
she couldn’t stop.
“You knew, didn’t you?”
“…Knew what?”
“That Gerard would do anything you asked.”
“……”
“He took a sword wound trying to protect you. He found rare medicine no one else could. You weren’t his lady by oath—but you were his only one.”
“…I thought it would be fine. It had already been six months since I got married…”
Leila admitted.
“That was your assumption. He still loved you. Enough to accept your request to marry your friend…”
Chloe’s words were sharp—
meant to hurt.
But they cut her too.
“…Okay. I’m sorry.”
Leila gave in.
She didn’t truly think she was that wrong—
but she couldn’t bear the pain of this fight.
“Don’t apologize.”
Chloe snapped.
“Just understand this. You didn’t help me—you toyed with me. You exposed feelings I buried, and watched me live in a fake marriage and feel happy about it.”
“No! I just thought… if we both married nearby, we could stay close—”
She stopped.
Too late.
“That was your real reason, wasn’t it? You wanted to keep me near you—without caring about what I felt!”
“…Ah…”
Leila had no words left.
“I hate you… I really hate you, Leila.”
Leila’s heart dropped.
She didn’t want to lose Chloe—
not over something from the past.
“I’m sorry, Chloe… I was wrong, okay? Even if I did it out of selfishness, you two are happy, aren’t you? Why are we fighting over something from eight years ago? I’m sorry… so let’s just—”
She didn’t realize—
she had hit the most painful point.
“…How would you know?”
Chloe’s voice broke.
Tears finally fell.
“Whether our marriage is truly happy… or just pretending. Even I don’t know.”
If this fight were about who hurt the other more—
the winner would be Leila.
Even though she never wanted to be.
