The Third Prince Of Darkness

Before returning to the capital, I secretly but safely placed Princess Lunaene and her son in a secure location. The mansion where I placed them had many hidden passages beneath it, and it was quite close to the capital. Yes, I had placed them in the most dangerous place—near the capital—but there was a reason for that.

The first reason was that if there was a threat, I could get there quickly because of the dark element. The second reason was a simple psychological deception. After all, you probably wouldn't search for something hiding so close, would you? Liam would think I hid his son in the Tamerid Empire and would most likely try to search for him there secretly.

But I had already corresponded with Evangeline and informed her of the situation.

If Liam's men entered the Tamerid Empire, he would never hear from them again, and Liam, who was already suspicious, would be certain that his son was hiding in the Tamerid Empire. Which was even more convenient for me.

Now, to ensure that Liam would be successfully manipulated, I ordered a carriage with my prince's emblem to head toward the border of the Tamerid Empire through my connections in the servant guild. However, at that time, I was neither in that carriage nor near the capital.

I was currently standing in front of a mansion belonging to a viscounty, far from the capital. This mansion, of course, belonged to Avanne, and now, under my secret identity as Arthur, I approached the mansion unofficially. The knights at the mansion stopped me, but they let me in shortly since they already knew me.

After all, the land just outside the mansion was where my company's tobacco was grown. Inside the mansion, a well-dressed woman greeted me. She was Avanne's butler and her personal assistant, responsible for the servants in the mansion.

"I respectfully greet Lord Arthur. Madam Avanne, is preparing right now and requests that you wait in the lounge," she said.

Even though I was a baron under my false identity, she was very respectful because she was the only one who knew, to some extent, about my relationship with Avanne. After waiting in the lounge for about an hour, the butler finally returned and said that Avanne invited me to her room. But I was quite angry at having waited for an hour.

After all, what reason could she have had to keep me waiting for so long? If it weren't Avanne making me wait, I probably would have been much harsher. Still, the frustration of sitting idle for an hour lingered as I entered Avanne's room and waited for the butler to close the door upon leaving.

For a viscount's mansion, it was quite luxurious, with a pleasant view, especially thanks to the flowers in almost every corner. Avanne was sitting behind her large desk, looking at me with an expression in her eyes I couldn't quite define. Fear, worry, or displeasure... I didn't know, but it didn't make sense to me, so I approached her.

"Did you need something, Your Excellency?" she asked in a formal tone, with a smile that was clearly fake.

"What? Do you really not know why I'm here, Avanne?" I asked, my tone angry.

"I don't understand you, Your Excellency, but I assume you're here for something important," she replied.

"What are you talking about, Avanne? Why did you leave the capital without an explanation? And why didn't you contact me after leaving?" I asked, my tone sharp.

"I didn't want to disturb you, Your Excellency..." she said again, in that insincere, formal tone.

"Avanne... What are you saying? I really don't understand. Is this all because I was imprisoned?" I asked. After all, if I lost the throne war, the women associated with me would also be in danger. It was logical that Avanne might be afraid.

"I don't know what you mean, Your Excellency," she replied, still in that formal tone.

If I hadn't seen Avanne's trembling eyes and anxious body language, I would have thought I was talking to a robot. But my patience was running out.

"Avanne, I don't know why you're acting like this right now, but you owe me a reasonable explanation. After all the nights we spent together and the heartfelt words you said to me, you can't just suddenly behave like this."

Avanne averted her eyes, fiddling with a vase on the desk. "Your Excellency, please don't misunderstand. I... things have simply changed," she said, her voice finally revealing a trace of fragility.

"Things have changed? What do you mean by that?" I pressed, my voice rising uncontrollably. "What's happened to you, Avanne? There must be a reason for this coldness."

A moment of silence fell over us, with only the sound of Avanne's deep breaths filling the room. Then she lifted her gaze and looked directly at me as she began to speak. "I left the capital because I can no longer walk the same path as you, Ethan. I can no longer endure this relationship."

"Endure? You mean you saw this relationship as something to endure until now?" I said in shock. "What about the nights we were together when you said you loved me without fail? Or when you begged me to never leave you? Were those the things you found hard to endure?!" I said angrily. Everything was now unfolding in a way completely different from what I had imagined.

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*Avanne's POV*

I flinched at Ethan's sudden outburst, but I quickly regained control and calmed myself. 'Stay calm, Ava. This will happen only once, and then everything will be over,' I thought, continuing to steady myself. 'I have to tell Ethan this. There's no other way to end this,' I reasoned. Swallowing hard, I looked at him with more determination than ever before.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but my feelings have changed. I no longer wish to be with you," I said.

The shock on Ethan's face froze for a moment. His eyes, scanning me uncertainly, seemed to be trying to make sense of what I had said. We both remained silent for a few seconds. In that moment, the weight of the words spoken filled the room with a suffocating heaviness.

"But why? Did I do something to hurt you?" Ethan asked.

"No... I"

"If you feel nothing for me, then look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me."

I looked into Ethan's eyes. My words were caught in my throat, and I could feel my heart racing. A few seconds passed, but it felt like hours to me. The anticipation in Ethan's gaze and the pain in his eyes gnawed at me from within. But I had made my decision. There was no turning back.

If I was to provide a safe life for my child, I had to do this. And Ethan... I hope that, when the time comes, you'll understand. I will never ask for your forgiveness or for you to take me back... But I do hope that when the time comes, you'll accept our child.

I took a deep breath, and tears began to well up in my eyes. As I met Ethan's gaze, my lips parted, forcing out the words. "I... don't love you anymore. I hope you won't use your position to try to take me by force..." I said, my voice barely louder than a whisper. But the weight of every word reached both me and Ethan.

Ethan suddenly approached my desk, startling me once again. I quickly stood up, instinctively placing my hands over my still-flat belly. As he got closer, I reflexively raised a hand to shield my face. But nothing happened, and a long silence fell over the room. Through my fingers, I saw a look of shock and disappointment on Ethan's face, a look I had never seen before.

"Avanne... Did you think I would hit you? When... When have I ever hurt you that you're afraid of me? Who did you think I was until now?" he said in a broken voice.

I don't know if it was the adrenaline or my intense emotions, but I couldn't believe the words that came out of my mouth next. And of course, I had no idea that these words would be ones I'd regret for the rest of my life, ones I'd constantly remember with endless remorse.

"I... I just want you to leave now. I told you I don't love you! And now, as a mature man, I want you to leave," I said, still hiding my face with my hands.

I opened my eyes again and, through my fingers, glanced at Ethan's face, which hadn't moved for a long time. 'This…!' The sight before me would be something I could never forget. I had never, in any way, seen Ethan look sad, nor had I ever seen tears in his eyes. But now, as a single tear fell from his left eye, the deep guilt I felt tore my heart apart.

The man I loved was not only sad but shedding a tear because of the words that had come from my mouth. The pain of that was unbearable.

Ethan quickly turned around, and the sound of his heavy footsteps echoed through the room as he walked towards the door. He paused before he reached the door, without turning to look at me. His face was cold once again, and it was as if that single tear had never existed. There was no trace of emotion in his eyes. The air in the room grew heavier.

Slowly, he reached for the door handle, but before leaving, he spoke one last time.

"Avanne… If everything you said is true, I promise you, I will never come before you again. But there is one thing I want you to know… or never mind."

His voice was deep and exhausted. Inside, I was torn apart, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't tell him to stay. At that moment, I was running away from even myself. I reminded myself that I had to do this for the brief life inside me. Ethan slowly opened the door and left the room without leaving a trace behind.

After the door closed, the silence in the room was deafening. My tears now flowed freely, with no reason left to hold them back. I collapsed onto the chair, placing my hands over my belly, and took a deep breath as I whispered to my baby, "I did this for you...

For you, for your precious life." Yet the emptiness and heartache inside me would never be fixed, and time would slowly and painfully show me just how right I was...