Approach.

For a moment, she stared at him from afar. It was only when Dimitri’s face twisted then she realized she was holding her skirts up to her thighs. She lowered the hem of her dress and awkwardly smiled at him.

“……Hi.”

He whipped his head around as if he had seen something repulsive. The former prince drew his attention elsewhere appearing to be preoccupied.

She stared at his back while thinking. ‘He must be waiting for someone.’

He seemed more unapprovable as ever as he stood patiently, wearing his tight-fitting formal attire outside in one hand he held an open letter writing in a woman's handwriting.

As the princess glimpsed the letter she soon released who Dimitri was waiting for. ‘Oh Mina, you chose Vizima, didn’t you?’

Without a word, Dimitri jumped up and began walking down the opposite side of the hill.

“W-Wait!”

She could just pretend she didn’t see him. Theirs was a mutually uncomfortable relationship, nothing more.

“Where are you going?”

She chased after him. It was just as she had grabbed his wrist she was greeted by his strong expression.

“Wow, scary.” She described his reaction in a deadpan tone.

“…..You shouldn’t have grabbed me.” He yanked his wrist from her as if her touch was nothing but poison.

“You shouldn’t have left without saying hello.”

“Do we have the kind of relationship where we exchange greetings like that?” He asked in a half-assed manner to busy straightening the shirt cuff to care.

“No, we don’t.”

The only sound between the two was the rustling of the leaves as neither of them spoke. Then, she heard Dimitri’s voice.

“You couldn’t possibly be thinking of reversing your decision from yesterday?” The former prince had put on a strong act but it looked as if she would’ve chased him away at any second.

“Stay. However long you want. Until you yourself want to leave.”

“…….”

She clapped her hands.

“Since it’s like that, should we redefine our relationship from now on?”

“…….”

“You can’t be a ‘guest’ or a ‘captive’ or a ‘prisoner’ anymore.”

His mouth trembled. She saw him tense his jaw.

“What is the point when that is the reality?”

“Settle down in this country. I said that I would give you a position. You didn’t say to retract that offer.”

“Settle down? You cannot seriously think that’s possible-.”

“Isn’t that what you were trying to do by escaping?”

The princess calmly lent against the tree the prince had waited patiently for his lover and crossed her arms.“Pay up.”

“Haven’t I give you enough!” He spat out in anger.

“Yeah.”

“What?”

“I’m saying that we no longer have anything between us from this point, that we’re back at the starting line. Of course, you’re not obligated to step over that line.”

“……..”

“I won’t deny everything that I’ve done up until this point. But you can’t kill me.”

She saw him clench his fist until it almost turned white.

“So just, bury it. Forget everything.” She added, receding the smile from her face. “Because I won’t forget, not even when I die.”

He stared at her face like he was trying to bore a hole in it. Like someone trying to uncover something.

“If you want to live with the person you love from now on, this will be good for...”

“Is this all it was?!”

He yelled, cutting her off savagely.

“…….”

Dimitri’s face crumpled like it was collapsing in on itself. His voice was rough enough to scrape his throat as it burst forth. “It was only this much?”

Thick tears dripped onto the ground. She could see the bitterness and anger swelling up inside of him.

“Because of this!”

It was only then that she finally understood the meaning of his words. He was asking if she had pushed his homeland into ruin and mercilessly killed those who were precious to him for feelings that only ran this deep.

It was a heartbreaking question.

In this palace where he was otherwise completely isolated, what had he thought while the princess toyed with him every night. She did it because she loved me too much. Clutching onto an explanation like that might have made him feel less wretched.

“……”

He must feel hollow. And resentful.

There was nothing to restrain him any more, but there was also nowhere he could return to.

Right now, it probably wasn’t hatred for Alexandra or love of Mina, that was flooding him, but sorrow. For the loved ones and home, he had lost.

Dimitri wept wordlessly.

For a long time, they stood facing each other.

He had been holding back his tears for so long that now they flowed endlessly. Finally, Dimitri asked. “If I kill you, will I be at peace?”

‘You probably will.’ She mused but she didn’t say anything. Because she didn’t want to die and only watched him quietly.

Then, it happened. Dimitri furrowed his brows in confusion. His bloodshot red eyes focused on her and his fingertips brushed the corners of the princess’ eyes. “Why?”

“…..”

“Why are you crying?”

Dimitri lifted his wet fingertips.

After hearing his words, she realized that she had been crying.

“You are…..”

“…..”

“Strange.”

“……”

“Why is it? You’re nothing like that woman who held a sword to my throat as my home burnt around me...” He said softly, in an imperceptibly rougher voice.

“……”

“I…. must have gone crazy.”

“…..”

“Answer me. Have I gone crazy?” He coaxed her to tell the truth, his voice softening to a whisper.

“….I’m sorry.” As she said the words, she realized that she shouldn’t have said them. She couldn’t break the illusion of her being anyone else but Alexandra. But. She was a mess.

Some of it was her sadness over her own miserable situation. A strange world. Strange people. She was scared. Afraid. Alone. She felt that they were alike. Unfortunate people with no place to return.

‘If I’d only come to this place a little earlier, then at least you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t have been in such anguish.’

“Please, stop… acting differently!” Dimitri shouted in disbelief.