A Handsome K*nky Gangster Reporter - Chapter 77

#77

The Empress actively provides a place for young people.

“Joanna is visiting the Imperial Palace for the first time today, therefore Edmund should guide her to look at the palace gardens. I would like to speak with the Marquis personally.”

The empress welcomed him to sit down to enjoy a cup of tea, but didn’t even give him time to take a sip, and it was an order to welcome the guests. The crown prince who understood the empress’ intentions only smiled bitterly inside, yet he didn’t forget the purpose of coming here today.

“Very well. I’ll show the young Lady Erke the palace gardens. Ah, Countess Marice. If you don’t mind, could you sell me that necklace? I’ll give you a generous price for that.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to Countess Marice as the Crown Prince pointed out the necklace she was wearing. The Countess looked puzzled and lifted her hand to caress the necklace around her neck while biting her lip slightly. What else could be done if the Crown Prince wanted it? Who was going to fill the throne in the future? As a subordinate, the Countess could only resign herself to his request.

“Yes, Your Highness. I will order the servant to bring the necklace to your room.”

There are still many party places left to wear this necklace.

The reason she announced in an interview with a newspaper was because she wanted to brag that her family still had enough room to indulge in this luxury. If she knew that the Crown Prince would act this way, she wouldn’t have done that interview in the first place. There was no point in regretting it now.

Sensing something odd upon her son’s remark, Empress Fionia asked while raising one of his eyebrows.

“Edmund, who did you target that woman’s necklace with?”

The Queen was already aware of the Crown Prince’s nonchalance towards the young Lady of the Marquis family. She became curious about the woman her son favored. ‘What kind of woman is a j*rk attracted to?’ Well, that curiosity would dissolve quickly. Just like the old days.

His son smiled awkwardly at the empress’ remark.

“Hahaha. What do you mean? Just because the newspaper mentioned it as a very beautiful necklace, it would be understandable if I wanted to collect it. I want to give it to someone later, when I have the woman who I love.”

The Empress has been fooled several times. Fionia did not believe Edmund’s ridiculous reasoning. His soul, which had once turned cold-hearted more than anyone while going about the battlefield, must have been completely destroyed when he was reborn as Fionia’s son.

“Go away.”

‘I hate you.’

After her son disappeared, Fionia sent her servant, Marie, to find out who the woman his son met.

Afterwards, Edmund half-heartedly showed the garden to the young Lady of the Marquis Family and they enjoyed tea for a while. In the middle of their activities, the lady tried to seduce Edmund, but Joanna’s gestures appeared bad to such a skillful man like him.

“Oh, there’s something over there.”

Above his hand the woman’s small hand was piled up. Joanna scanned the blue veins that appeared on Edmund’s hand with her fingertips. The woman’s demeanor irritated him. After removing Joanna’s hand from his, Edmund started displaying hints of discomfort. ‘How dare you touch the Crown Prince’s body, you did not only tarnish yourself or the Crown Prince, but the imperial family, too.’

“I think this should suffice as a guide. A servant will guide you when you return.”

Edmund took out a handkerchief, wiped his hands, and threw it on the ground. The silk handkerchief embroidered with gold immediately became dirty after being stepped on by his shoes. He harbored a strong resentment to the handkerchief. From the look in his cold gaze, Joanna could read some sort of warning in them.

The closer she got to him, the more dangerous he turned out to be.

Just as that torn and dirty handkerchief. She backed away with a wavering expression.

Meanwhile, Edmund felt odd.

Since meeting Hailey, the contact he felt with other women felt uncomfortable. It felt like there were grains of sand under the tongue. Just as a clueless person who got lost.

He returned to his chamber anxiously. When Edmund reached his chamber, he saw a gold box on the table.

“Very quick to get things done.”

Since the Marice Family tried to impress the imperial family whenever they had the chance, they must be very happy with any offer from the royal family. Perhaps, they could ask for a business license or various preferential treatment under this reasoning later. Of course, that would only happen after Edmund ascended the throne.

Edmund opened the box. The necklace called Bruen’s Tears sparkled in the light coming through the window. The reflected light shone near Edmund’s face.

“Women always like fancy things.”

Obviously, Hailey must have been indirectly expressing her desire to own this in the article. ‘I would love it if you gave it as a gift.’

He held the necklace in his hand and observed them for a while. The surfaces of the gems carved with various facets were reflected by the light and emitted a surge of colors. The necklace once seen directly turned out to be more colorful and beautiful than the picture in the newspaper. Even Edmund, who lived with luxury all his life, admired the beauty of the necklace, and the brilliant light managed to hit his pupils.

* * *

Edmund stood inside the palace with a puzzled expression. There was Hailey in front of him with her curly hair. The necklace he had picked up a moment ago hung on her slender neck.

“Hailey? Why are you suddenly here?”

Wait. The face was clearly Hailey, but what he felt was oddly different.

Her hair was also dyed silver. Her pupils were purple. However, the woman’s appearance clearly looked like Hailey.

Her elegant body shape stretched her back similar to that of a noblewoman. There was none of the ugly, childish aura she usually exuded.

‘Is this Hailey… or not?’

Edmund approached her while calling her name, even going as far as waving his hand in front of her face. However, the woman he thought was Hailey pretended to be oblivious of him. No, he didn’t see his reflection in her eyes at all instead.

“What happened?

Come to think of it, he realized now this was the imperial palace, not his room. Something else was strange, too. Edmund had no shadow.

“Was I… dreaming?”

Hailey’s head slowly turned towards the housekeeper while ignoring Edmund, who was seemingly confused.

“What about His Highness? Is he busy again today?”

The maid slightly bowed her head, thinking about saying nice things to add for her polite manner.

“She said that today Joanna Erke entered into the State Palace. He said you should enjoy dinner by yourself.”

“Joanna? Again?”

Hailey continued with a deep sigh.

“Is he really going to give her the position of the empress?”

The faint smile remained on Hailey’s face was immediately nowhere to be seen. Her face became rigid that her mental strength could have been easily shaken by the housemaid’s speculative statements. Edmund knew she was not an insecure person.

“I don’t have to eat dinner. I have no appetite.”

She wiped the tears from her eyes with her fingers and looked at the direction of one of the walls in the room. There was an ugly bunch of roses that had withered and dried. At the corner of her gaze.

“I would put my favorite roses directly into that vase every day. In the end, they are merely words.”

“We’ve been informed that His Majesty has prohibited the Crown Prince from entering the greenhouse. Perhaps, that’s why.”

“”It’s been more than three months since I last saw his face. He’s no longer interested in me. I guess.”

“Your Highness….”

She approached the window with her hands on her necklace. It was Bruen’s tears that were in Edmund’s hand before he was pulled into the reverie.

Hailey’s eyes stayed in one place for a while. Edmund walked up to Haley because he wanted to know what she was looking at. There was Joanna Erke and him spending time together in the garden from the distance.

“Hey, what is happening?”

Someone who looked like himself. No, it was indeed him.

Staring at his attire, it seemed to be around summer. They stayed together in this hot season. Given that their faces faced each other for a while and then averted away a long time later, perhaps….

Edmund felt anxious and immediately observed Hailey’s facial expression. Her skin had turned pale, and a little blood seeped between her pursed lips.

“How long will the flower last? You met many red-haired women before you married me, didn’t you? I also feel sorry for her. After being treated like an Empress, His Highness’s interest will most likely decrease over time. In that case, can we, at least, be good friends?”

‘No, no. I’m not such a j*rk…’

Edmund could not say anything and only dropped his head at the sight of Hailey’s blank eyes after he tried to make an excuse. Yes, if it was her usual personality, she would become that way. Because he had never liked anything before.

Her clenched hands trembled slightly. Even though it was just a fantasy that hadn’t happened yet.

“I apologize.”

This was quite possible in the future. If he manages to marry Hailey and lock her up in the imperial palace, this would happen sooner or later.

‘I’m not sure that I wouldn’t do this.’

“It’s not that I don’t like you.”

She still loves him…Even if he was not anymore at that moment.

Hailey looked back at the housemaid. Meanwhile, Edmund also turned his gaze towards the housemaid. This silver-haired maid was also familiar.

‘Who is that? I think I’ve seen her before.’

“However, I also hate my country. If you don’t marry me, the citizens of the empire will still support and love you. Due to that, the level of support for His Majesty dropped significantly because you decided to marry a widow. It would have been better to have an heir from another noble.”

‘Hailey. What’s going on and what do you mean?’

Edmund was shocked, his mouth wide open. In this fantasy, she became the Crown Princess and extended her hand calmly to the servant.

“There. Did you get it?”

The maid carefully removed the medicine bottle from his arms. Then, the maid looked anxious as she looked back and forth a couple of times. After receiving the medicine bottle, Hailey swept the baby hair fluttering away at the side of her head.

“You should go somewhere else. How can you handle the misunderstanding that will happen later?”

Hailey was soon left alone in the luxurious room. She touched the necklace around her neck and muttered to herself as if Edmund was in the same room.

“Edmund. I always show poise and confidence in front of you. However, you know what? The appearance I showed you was just my mask. I was scared and lonely because you were going to leave me at any moment. At the same time, I really hate to see my weakness when thinking about this.”

Hailey walked toward the dried roses. Then, she hugged the dried branches as if she loved them with all of her heart. From within her embrace, the brownish petals rustled and fell to the floor.

“They were the only way to convince me that I was worthy, even until now. I’m afraid you’ll see my true personality and leave me, so I’m afraid you won’t love that side of me. I’m a coward, Edmund. So this time I’ll throw you away before I’m being thrown away.”

Hailey did not hesitate to drink the liquid in the bottle in her hold. Shortly after, she started to ran out of breath.

“Edmund. I’m glad to be by your side even just for a while. Please wish us not to meet again next time. You should meet your destined pair someday. Please don’t involve me in your love game.”

Shortly after, her body fell to the floor. Edmund tried to lift Hailey’s unconscious body. However, his hands couldn’t touch her.  As if this whole scene was a mere imagination, his own hand went through Hailey’s body helplessly.