“Wow, Your Highness the Crown Prince! You look so cool!”
“Ah…”
“You’re so cool, Prince!”
“Haha…”
At my excited shout, the crown prince only gave an awkward smile. However, though he seemed a little flustered, he didn’t appear to be offended by a child’s innocent enthusiasm.
Only Veronica, standing beside me, looked troubled as she spoke.
“Dia, he’s not a prince, but the Crown Prince.”
“Hmm, but in the fairy tale book I read, he was called a prince.”
“Oh dear, I’m sorry. Dia recently read a fairy tale about a prince and got really absorbed in it.”
At this, the crown prince’s expression softened even more, and he nodded understandingly.
“It’s fine. A child can do that.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Hmm… But may I call you Dia as well?” the crown prince asked in a gentle tone.
Without hesitation, I beamed brightly and answered, “Yes! Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
“Thank you.”
The atmosphere remained unexpectedly warm and friendly. Throughout our tea time, the crown prince treated both me and Veronica with kindness, and Veronica looked more at ease than I had seen in a long time.
It was only natural. Veronica had suffered through an unhappy marriage with Cedric, the male lead of the original story.
And the moment she decided to get a divorce, she was imprisoned. She barely managed to escape and return to her family home, only to be threatened by Cedric with a territorial war, forcing her to live in constant anxiety.
So, it was no surprise that she found comfort in an old childhood friend who had suddenly appeared.
No matter how much she had ruled over others as the villainess in the original story, Veronica was still human in the end.
Even a strong and determined person could be hurt. She just couldn’t show it because of her status and the gaze of others, but Veronica was no different from anyone else.
“So back then, you screamed when you saw Karl. Your voice was so loud.”
“Oh, brother, that was ages ago! You’re still bringing that up?”
“…”
Apparently, Karl was the name of a large dog the crown prince had raised in the imperial palace as a child.
When Veronica saw the dog back then, she had mistaken it for a monster and screamed in fear. Now, the crown prince was teasing her by bringing up that memory.
They sure are having fun.
I silently muttered to myself while eating the dessert in front of me. The air around them seemed filled with floating flowers.
I stared at the crown prince’s endlessly smiling face. He didn’t even seem to be trying to hide his emotions.
Well, there was only a clueless child around. Plus, to keep his presence here a secret, the servants were restricted from entering this annex.
Since he had no idea that I wasn’t just an ordinary child, he naturally let his guard down.
‘Hmm…’
But it still wasn’t enough.
The crown prince might just be this open only with childhood friends he met as a kid.
And besides…
‘I have zero experience in romance.’
Not that it was something to brag about, but it was true.
In my past life, I had no time to even think about romance. My family was a mess, and I was too busy studying and working part-time to escape that wretched household.
So even though I could guess at the crown prince’s feelings, I couldn’t be completely sure. I thought I’d know once I met him in person, but that wasn’t the case.
[Just ask him directly.]
‘What? Ask the crown prince?’
[Yeah.]
Desmond, seemingly frustrated from watching me, spoke in a dry tone.
But I furrowed my brows, lost in thought.
‘Wouldn’t that be weird…?’
Wouldn’t it seem odd for a five-year-old to ask something like that? From what I read in the original story, he was quite suspicious by nature.
As I agonized over the thought, Desmond’s same indifferent voice echoed again.
[You can ask because you’re a child.]
[That’s right! Children are very straightforward! They don’t know how to lie!]
‘Oh?’
Even Bibi agreed, making my thoughts tilt in favor of the idea.
Yes, since I was a child, I could be brazen about it. He wouldn’t expect it, making it harder for him to hide his true feelings.
These devils actually come in handy sometimes.
Satisfied, I nodded with a pleased smile.
“Um, Lady Veronica.”
“What is it?”
“The butler…”
During the tea party, a maid from the main house whispered something into Veronica’s ear. Upon hearing it, Veronica’s expression hardened.
Ever since arriving at the Winston estate, Veronica had immediately started overseeing the household affairs.
There was no mistress to manage the estate. While Veronica had taken charge before her marriage, after she left, the butler and head maid had handled the work.
But in such a vast estate, the two of them were already overwhelmed with responsibilities. When Veronica returned, those two were the ones who welcomed her back with the most joy and even tears of relief.
So now, with her absent, it seemed like something had gone wrong again.
Which was perfect for me.
“Your Highness, I…”
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
“Oh.”
The crown prince granted permission without hesitation, but Veronica’s concern didn’t end there. She turned to look at me.
“I’m okay too, Mom!”
“…Alright. But listen to His Highness, okay?”
“Yes!”
“…”
Still uneasy, Veronica left behind the maid before departing.
I didn’t mind the maid staying. With my abilities, I could easily block her sight and hearing if needed.
Now alone with the crown prince, I smiled sweetly.
“Your Highness, this is delicious!”
“Really? I’ll try some too.”
With Veronica gone, the crown prince focused entirely on me.
I quietly observed him, the future tyrant who had been unusually kind to me all this time, before finally asking,
“Your Highness, you like my mom, don’t you?”
“Cough! Cough, cough, cough…!”
“…”
Gotcha, you little rascal.
Caught off guard by my sudden question, the crown prince failed to respond properly. He coughed violently, as if he had choked.
“T-That… What are you talking about…”
“Dia knows everything. Your Highness likes my mom! Just like a prince loves a princess!”
“…”
Feigning an innocent expression, I spoke with confidence. The crown prince, still recovering, hurriedly added a weak excuse.
“Well, I mean, Berry— I mean, your mother and I have been friends for a long time…”
“Hm, but I have friends too.”
“…”
“Is my mom also a bear and a rabbit?”
I lifted the teddy bear and bunny plushies that housed Desmond and Bibi. The crown prince’s face showed clear distress.
Where do you think you’re going?
Today, you are fated to be completely dismantled by a seemingly innocent but unexpectedly sharp five-year-old.
Just accept your fate. Resistance is futile.
Beaming even more brightly, I declared,
“My mom likes Your Highness too!”
“T-That so?”
“Yes! My mom doesn’t like my dad anymore. She really dislikes him.”
“…”
“That’s why we came here to live without him.”
The crown prince fell silent at my words.
To avoid making the atmosphere too heavy, I deliberately kept my voice cheerful.
“I actually knew, you know. That my mom and dad didn’t like each other. So I wasn’t sad.”
“…I see.”
“As long as I have Mom, I’m fine. As long as she’s not sad, everything is okay.”
“You’re a good child, Dia.”
The crown prince nodded as he looked at me with affectionate eyes.
His large hand gently patted my head. His touch was careful, as if he was being considerate of my small and fragile self.
I widened my eyes as if surprised by his warmth. Then, I drooped my eyebrows, as if holding back sadness.
“Why the sad face?”
“Well, actually…”
At my sudden wavering voice, the crown prince looked flustered.
Hold it in, buddy. Kids are naturally fickle with their emotions.
Pretending to be downhearted, I spoke weakly.
“I love my mom, my uncles, and my grandpa… But still…”
“…But still?”
“I think it’d be nice to have a dad, too.”
I looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
And there it was—his completely bewildered expression.
“I wish someone like Your Highness was my dad!”
“…!”
“Hehehe!”
With a bright smile, I dropped the bombshell.
As he sat there dumbfounded, his face slowly turned red.
He was probably picturing a future where he married Veronica and the three of us lived happily together.
‘You’re my target now.’
Feeling victorious, I exuded joy.
Like the golden sunlight glistening in the crown prince’s hair, a bright future awaited me.
