Episode 71

I stood frozen in place as if nailed to the spot.

‘No way.’

Even as I doubted it, I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

I tried to press myself further into the corner, but the space was already occupied, making it difficult to retreat any further.

“Of course, there are many who are worthy of this year’s honor. Not just the young ladies, but the young lords as well.”

The Crown Prince continued speaking, still holding his glass in my direction. It was a rather deliberate gesture.

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead before I realized it.

‘Get lost, you piece of junk.’

But his hand showed no sign of withdrawing.

“How could one possibly determine superiority among those who always shine so brightly?”

Gentle laughter rippled through the crowd as the Crown Prince carried on effortlessly.

“But tradition is tradition, so I must offer my first toast to someone. What do you think?”

“If it’s something from the little sun himself, it would be an honor no matter what!”

“Long live His Highness, the Crown Prince!”

Amidst the cheers, the Crown Prince’s gaze locked onto me.

It wasn’t the usual shade of blue. Somehow, his eyes seemed to burn.

The moment those deep, navy-blue eyes—now slightly cooler in tone—landed on me, I had the urge to press my fingers against my forehead.

‘Has he lost his mind?’

Regret hit me belatedly—I should have read the note the Crown Prince had sent.

Maybe ignoring it and sending it back unread had offended him. Maybe that’s why he was suddenly making such a bold move.

In any case, it was all rather bewildering.

‘Why the hell is he acting like this?’

I could understand if he had flirted with me because of my injuries or his perversion when I wore the fairy-winged cape.

‘…But Chris isn’t even here.’

The only reason the Crown Prince ever approached me was because of Chris.

‘As ridiculous as it is, he considers Chris his rival.’

Even though there was no comparison to be made in the first place.

And considering his sadistic nature and competitive streak toward Chris…

‘His biggest goal must be to take me away right in front of Chris’s eyes, just to show off.’

Which meant there was no real reason for him to act like this when Chris wasn’t around.

‘Taking something when the rightful owner isn’t even there—that’s something only a man who lacks confidence in himself would do.’

The Crown Prince was a man I never wanted to deal with for many reasons, but at the very least, he had his pride as a male lead. He wouldn’t do something as disgraceful as stealing what belonged to another when that person wasn’t even present.

‘Honestly, that kind of move is more like something Seth would do while he’s currently grounded.’

So why was he acting like this now?

At a gathering where Chris wasn’t present.

At a place where I couldn’t even escape easily.

Even as I struggled to make sense of the situation, the Crown Prince continued speaking.

“So this time, I put a lot of thought into my decision.”

If the result of that careful thought was me, then all I could say was that his thinking was painfully shallow.

‘Everyone already knows that Chris and I have a romantic relationship.’

If the Crown Prince were to offer me his glass in this setting…

‘The entire Empire would be thrown into an uproar over the scandal, and Chris and I would be endlessly criticized.’

As for the Crown Prince, he wouldn’t suffer much backlash.

He was already notorious for his playboy reputation, and people would likely just assume he was acting on another whim.

But Chris… Chris would be mocked as a fool who couldn’t even protect his own woman.

And I would never escape my infamy—I would be labeled exactly as expected:

The wicked woman who abandoned the Grand Duke and clung to the Crown Prince.

‘Even if I were to refuse the glass, people would still think I had given him an opening.’

I was already used to rumors like that.

In my past lives, whenever I played along with the Duke’s plans and tried to catch the eyes of men, there would always be articles accusing me of flirting with men I hadn’t even sought out.

Some cases were so excessive that Servi had to step in and block them, as they tarnished the Reinhardt name.

‘Is that his real goal?’

If he’s trying to humiliate Chris by ruining my reputation and diminishing my worth, then he’s already succeeding brilliantly.

‘How does he always manage to pick exactly the things I hate the most?’

But looking at the Crown Prince’s heated gaze, it was hard to tell what he was truly thinking.

I forced a fake smile as I met his eyes.

At that moment, the Crown Prince stepped down from the platform.

“So after much deliberation, I’ve made my decision.”

Clink.

The liquid in his glass made a crisp, refreshing sound.

He took another step forward. Just a little more, and he would be positioned between Aria on the left and me on the right.

‘Go left.’

But, as if to spite me, his body shifted slightly to the right.

Aria, standing at the far left, glanced at me with an oddly proud expression.

‘What’s she thinking?’

She wasn’t particularly fond of the Crown Prince, but was she still hoping he wouldn’t hand me the glass?

“There was only one possible conclusion.”

With those words, the Crown Prince raised his glass.

I glanced around again, but there was no way to escape. The place was already packed with people, blocking any retreat.

And refusing the glass would undoubtedly cause trouble.

“The lady who will receive my glass is…”

I could see the young noblewomen perking up their ears, eyes wide with anticipation. Their expressions made it clear—they all remembered vividly that whoever received this toast was highly likely to become the Crown Prince’s partner.

The glass was slowly, deliberately extended toward me.

Right at that moment—

“I seem to have arrived late.”

The sudden words silenced the entire room.

It was as if the world had been placed at the eye of a storm—utterly still.

“…Who is that?”

“Was His Grace the Grand Duke supposed to attend this summer villa event?”

I turned my head slowly, my lips parting slightly as I took in the sight of Chris entering.

Unlike his usual black attire, today he wore a bright, pristine white uniform. That simple change made him appear years younger.

For a moment, I even forgot that there was an age difference between us.

Yet, despite the softer appearance, his aura as a Grand Duke remained untarnished, radiating a dignified presence that was impossible to ignore.

The warm, slightly humid summer night breeze brushed against his forehead, tousling his hair ever so slightly as he walked in.

“…Ah.”

Someone unconsciously let out a gasp of admiration, only to clamp their mouth shut when they noticed the Crown Prince’s gaze.

But I understood the sentiment.

Bathed in the glow of the summer night, Chris was just as breathtaking as the Crown Prince. His tightly closed lips and cool, sharp eyes—features that didn’t quite suit the warmth of summer—somehow only made him stand out even more, creating an oddly harmonious contrast.

With every step he took toward me, all eyes followed like waves drawn to the shore.

The fact that the Crown Prince had been moments away from announcing the recipient of his glass was already forgotten.

“……”

Chris silently extended his hand toward me.

As I slowly placed my hand in his, he gently pulled me to his side.

“…Your Grace.”

Thump. My heart, which had been beating quietly, now pounded in my ears.

I wanted to ask when he had arrived, how he had managed to get here so quickly, but the moment I opened my mouth, I felt like my heart would leap out of my chest.

As the distance between us closed, a crisp scent of ice and frost wafted from him.

Yet something about him felt different—like he had weathered another storm in my absence. The thought made my chest ache.

And yet, Chris was the one who apologized first.

“I’m sorry for being late.”

“You’re not… late.”

“I wanted to finish things earlier and join you sooner… but there was a lot to take care of.”

“I would have understood if you hadn’t come. Honestly, you got here quickly.”

“I was worried about you being here alone… and there was something on my mind, so I hurried over.”

“……”

“Seeing you safe and well… I suppose it was an unnecessary concern.”

Chris smiled softly as he said he had worried about me.

Before I knew it, my face was burning.

Then his gaze dropped slightly, landing on the fairy-winged cape I was wearing. His eyes curved faintly, a rare expression for him.

I found myself momentarily dazed.

“I told you before—any flower would suit you well.”

“……”

“…And I was right.”

With those calm words, something warm and soft brushed against my temple.

“……!”

It took me a second to realize—Chris had kissed my temple.

My fingers curled into a tight fist before I even realized it.

Then, he lowered himself slightly, bringing our eyes level. His gaze pierced through me, expectant.

He was waiting for me to return the greeting.

“…Thank you.”

I reached up with trembling hands and cupped his face.

‘Yes. This is just for show.’

I repeated that thought to myself over and over, trying to suppress my shaking.

Because if I didn’t, I was afraid my heart might actually burst out of my chest.

‘In front of all these people, we have to appear as if we’re lovers caught in a grand romance.’

A love that defied the enmity between our families, one that overcame all odds.

‘If anything, a cheek kiss is barely a proper greeting.’

Thinking that far, I had to suppress the sudden, reckless urge to kiss him properly.

With my burning hands, I leaned in and pressed my cheek against his.

“Welcome.”

I whispered the words, letting my lips lightly brush against his cheek in return.

Chris flinched.

“It’s good to see you again.”

His low, tender voice brushed against my ear as he straightened.

And just like that, his gentle warmth disappeared, replaced by an icy, unreadable gaze as he turned to face the Crown Prince.

“I greet the Empire’s little sun.”

“…Grand Duke Elzerian.”

The Crown Prince twisted his lips into a smile. His glass was still extended toward me.

Chris, as if shielding me from it, lightly wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

‘This is unmistakable.’

Chris had openly declared that I was his lover, using his presence to block the Crown Prince’s toast.

Even though this wasn’t the first time we had appeared as a couple, my ears still burned.

I could feel a gaze on me from a distance.

Aria was staring, her face deathly pale.

She looked almost like a wax doll, completely devoid of color.

“…Well, this actually works out.”

The Crown Prince’s low voice echoed through the air.

The moment I understood what he meant, my eyes widened in shock.

‘That bastard… he’s still planning to do it?’

He still intended to hand me the glass.

The cold light in Chris’s eyes grew sharper.

Then, as if to solidify his claim, his arm tightened around my waist.

“This year, Your Highness should give that glass to me.”