The Reason Why She Can’t Get Married - Chapter 77
Chapter 77
“Huh?”
“What…?”
Selena and Isabella simultaneously turned to Maximilian, their faces bewildered. Selena’s expression, to be precise, was a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment. ‘What is going on? Why is he interfering?!’
“Your Highness, this is unacceptable!” Selena protested vehemently with her eyes. But Maximilian blithely ignored her, instead grabbing her shoulder and pulling her along.
“You’ll regret it if you continue.”
“But…!”
“Now, let’s be on our way.”
“Wait…!”
“Keep quiet and follow me.”
Cutting her off at every word, he dragged Selena out of the house. Unable to argue in front of Isabella, Selena followed, then immediately swatted his hand off her shoulder, fuming. “What do you think you’re doing, Your Highness?!”
“Tell him you couldn’t find her.”
“What?”
“Tell Rio you couldn’t find her, that you haven’t found her.” Selena’s face hardened at his somewhat forceful tone.
“So this is why you wanted me to follow you? To interfere?”
“Selena Irving, you need to think carefully about this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Knowing the Crown Prince, he won’t simply stand by if he sees that woman living unhappily.”
Rio, with his kind and compassionate nature, would never ignore the suffering of his first love.
“He’ll undoubtedly try to take her back to the Kingdom of Tifae.”
“…Is that a problem?”
“It is. The Kingdom of Tifae practices monogamy, even for the royal family.” Maximilian looked down at Selena with cold eyes.
“The Crown Prince already has a prospective fiancée, a marriage implicitly promised.”
“…What?”
This was news to Selena, and her eyes widened. “The Crown Prince has many brothers vying for his position. To consolidate his power in the future, marriage to his fiancée is essential.”
“….”
“Even if Rio were to bring her back under these circumstances, she would be nothing more than his concubine. And you, my lady, would have found him a concubine, not his first love.”
Maximilian’s words pierced Selena’s heart like daggers. ‘A concubine, not his first love.’ Seeing Selena’s pale, speechless face, Maximilian spoke again, his expression smug.
“So tell him you couldn’t find her. Letting this connection fade is in everyone’s best interest.”
“….”
Selena couldn’t argue with his logic. Her mind was a whirl. ‘The Crown Prince has a fiancée, and yet he asked me to find his first love. ‘
As Selena pressed her lips together, betrayed, Maximilian reached out and stroked her brown hair. “And I’m warning you―”
“….”
“Don’t brush me off again. I’ve indulged you three times; that’s enough.” His ruby-red eyes gleamed intensely. A chill ran down Selena’s spine, and she nodded. Maximilian withdrew his hand and turned away.
***
Three days before his return, Rio visited Serenade. He presented Selena with a box of cookies from a famous bakery, explaining he’d bought them on his way. Selena, with her fondness for desserts, felt a momentary flicker of delight before catching herself. A man with a fiancée, searching for his first love—he was nothing but a scoundrel.
“How is the search for Belle progressing?”
“…We’re doing our best. Please bear with us a little longer.”
Hiding the fact that she had already found Isabella, Selena studied Rio’s face. He gave a small nod, then smiled pleasantly. “If you can’t find her, it can’t be helped. It’s not your fault.”
“….”
Something felt odd. ‘He’s a terrible man, trying to have an affair despite having a fiancée, so I should be sensing something amiss, like with Dominique Dixon. But why does he keep seeming like such a good person?’
Narrowing her eyes, Selena observed Rio, then cautiously probed. “Your Highness, what would you do if you found Belle?”
“Hmm.”
“Would you confess your feelings… or perhaps bring her back to your kingdom?”
Rio hesitated. Either choice made him a scoundrel, given his impending engagement. Selena waited nervously for his answer. After a long pause, Rio finally spoke, his eyes downcast.
“I wouldn’t do either.”
“―What?”
“Actually, I have a fiancée back in Tifae. We’re to be wed soon after I return from official duties.”
Selena was taken aback by this sudden confession. “But why are you telling me this now…?”
Why wait until now?
“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. But I didn’t think it was necessary, as my intentions for finding Belle were never what you might assume.”
To Selena, his words sounded like excuses. ‘If his intentions were pure, why send such a heartfelt letter to Serenade?’
She couldn’t believe a man on the verge of marriage would search for his first love without ulterior motives.
“Then why did you want to see Belle again, Your Highness?”
If he wasn’t planning a belated confession, why bother searching for Belle during his official duties? Meeting Selena’s suspicious gaze, Rio replied, “I want to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye…?”
“Yes. I never properly thanked her back then, never said a proper farewell.”
A wistful smile touched his lips. Perhaps it was a lingering sentiment, but―
“I regret how things ended so abruptly. I want to have a proper closure, one last time.”
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