I briefly bit my lip at the princess’s undignified behavior.
Of all days, Kasion had to say something strange today, making me more sensitive. Could it be because of that?
“Greetings to Your Highness.”
Despite the princess’s rude behavior, I maintained a graceful attitude, slightly bending my knees and greeting her without showing any displeasure. As if nothing had happened, normally fulfilling my duties as I should.
“Oh my, Lady Mellin. It’s been a while.” Princess Diana greeted me warmly as if she had forgotten the words she had just spat out at me, with a broad smile as a bonus.
What is she doing? Forgetting to wear the mask, which is a basic social skill, I looked at the princess with a stern expression. But soon, I relaxed my face as I remembered who she was.
Princess Diana has always been like that. She is endlessly kind and generous to those she likes, but once marked, she wouldn’t even let a crumb fall for you. She had already been cold to me ever since Serhen’s partner was decided, so I shouldn’t take it personally.
“What brings you here without any prior notice, Your Highness?” Lireania followed my lead and greeted the princess politely, then calmly asked her. It seemed she was also uncomfortable with the current situation, which is why she indirectly pointed out Diana’s rudeness.
“I came to check on a dress.”
Diana, who had been friendly with me just moments ago, now spoke to Lireania in a tone that treated her like a mere servant, as if forgetting that she would become the marchioness.
“At this late… hour?”
It was already late at night, pitch dark. Coming here at such an hour without an appointment? The boutique had closed long ago.
“Why? Is it not allowed? That airhead can, but I can’t?” She muttered incoherently again, calling someone ‘airhead.’
At that moment, Diana took a step toward us, and her unsteady, wobbling steps brought her closer to us. The sharp scent mixed with the blowing wind explained her state to us.
“Lady Ariel…”
“Yes…?”
Lireania and I exchanged glances. She was drunk. I couldn’t fathom where someone of her rank would go to get this drunk. She had discarded her imperial dignity and the pride of being a leading lady of society along with her sobriety.
“What? Are you ignoring me?”
“It’s not that… Perhaps it would be best if Your Highness returned to the imperial palace since it seems you’ve had too much to drink.”
“Your Highness, where are your knights?”
Lireania and I took turns soothing the princess while looking for her servants. But strangely, at this late hour, the princess was alone. There should at least be a carriage nearby.
“Knights? They were bothersome, so I sent them all away.” Diana waved her hand and laughed.
She was really drunk. When she waved her hand just now and stumbled, I noticed she was barefoot under her skirt.
“What should we do, Lady Ariel?”
“Shall we lay her down inside for a while and send someone to the imperial palace?”
It seemed she heard us whispering despite not being in her right mind.
“You… You dare whisper behind my back and even try to send me away?”
She was furious, but it seemed she had already lost her grip on reality. If she wouldn’t remember what was happening now, perhaps it would be better to knock her out. I subtly turned to signal the marquis’s knight.
“I may have been born with imperial blood, but I’ll only become a countess in the end, while you’ll soon be a duchess, right? Even if I became a mere countess…”
I froze at Diana’s words but slowly turned back toward her. I already knew what she would say.
[“Your Highness, why are you treating me like this? If I have done something wrong, please tell me.”
Lireania trembled as she looked at the princess who had made her kneel. Once, the princess had tailored her clothes at Lireania’s shop and had been the first to reach out to her, a stranger in the social world. Now, she needed to know why the princess suddenly hated her so much. But what she got in return was a harsh slap.
Slap! The sound of skin against skin echoed in the room, followed by the princess’s cruel voice filling the air.
“How dare you ask a question? Do you think you’re already a duchess? Even if I become a mere countess after leaving the imperial palace, I’m still the emperor’s sister, the princess!”]
Why do these passages from the novel keep replaying in my mind like this?
Calm down, Ariel. This was not unexpected. Considering what Kasion did to me today, it’s not surprising that the villainess’s target has shifted to me. Still, now that it’s happening, I couldn’t help but feel my heart beating uncomfortably.
If I have to pay the price for changing the future, what should I do?
“Um… Your Highness, do you want to become the duchess?”
The words slipped out before I knew it. Offering the position next to Kasion, even if the fate of Duchess Pertelian was like a poisoned apple, wasn’t wrong if someone desired it.
“Uuurgh—!”
The princess couldn’t even take the opportunity I gave her and instead threw up. The disgusting liquid soaked her expensive, elegant dress.
“Ah… This won’t do. I’ll have to discard it.”
“How dare you… Do you know how much this dress cost?”
I meant you, not your dress.
No matter what, the duchess’s seat is the only one in the empire. It couldn’t be occupied by someone who likes to get drunk and cause a scene. Even if I pushed her, Kasion wouldn’t allow it. And…
“My feelings for you were the same back then as they are now.”
That phrase kept lingering in my mind. Unlike in the novel, these feelings have been there for a long time. It pricked my heart in a strange way. It was probably a matter of conscience.
Regardless of the reasons, pushing another woman onto someone who made such a confession to me would be too shameless. Especially if she wasn’t a decent woman…
“Huff, this won’t do.”
I shook my head sincerely and looked at Lireania. We were seriously contemplating what to do with the princess. I wanted to avoid trouble, but if something happened to the princess, we’d be blamed as the last people she met. We could end up taking the fall for everything.
“What should we do?”
“Diana!”
“Older Sister!”
Our savior appeared as we were deep in thought.
“Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince.”
Two members of the imperial family approached us. Crown Prince Aenix clicked his tongue in disapproval as he looked at his sister, who was completely out of it. Even though he reeked of alcohol as well.
“My apologies to the two ladies. I apologize on her behalf.”
“Imperials do not apologize to just anyone.” Aenix seemed displeased with all his siblings. He kept clicking his tongue and even sighed.
“Brother, but hasn’t our sister gravely insulted these two ladies? An apology is only right for such mistakes, even if we are imperials.”
Second Prince Dertis. He was a man shrouded in mystery because he rarely appeared in society. He hadn’t even been seen at the last ball. There were all kinds of rumors about him. Some said he was locked in a room, stuttering, or had a fear of people, or even had burn scars on his face. He wasn’t even considered a candidate for the throne, and he wasn’t on the list of potential husbands for noble ladies. But he’s nothing like the rumors.
At that moment, his calm green eyes met mine. They were so intense that it was almost uncomfortable.
“I-It’s nothing. Nothing happened today.”
The princess only dirtied her own clothes.
“…Thank you.”
“Please return safely.”
I wished they would leave quickly.
“Lady Mellin, just as the rumors say, you have a heart of gold. Thank you for your understanding.”
Such politeness is unlike imperials. Among the emperor’s children, he seems to have the most normal thought process. Why do strange rumors surround such a person?
Dertis politely bowed to Lireania and me like a gentleman, then dragged Diana and Aenix away. I watched him leave, a bit dazed.
“Lady Ariel?”
“Ah, yes?”
“Unlike the other imperials, the second prince is kind. He’s also completely different from the rumors.”
“Yes, indeed.”
“And I think he might have a liking for you, Lady Ariel.”
I was startled by Lireania’s words and waved my hand in denial. Where did she get that idea?
“What? No way! We just met today… didn’t we?”
“Well, people can fall in love at first sight. He kept smiling at you and couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
“Really? That’s impossible!”
I had no choice but to protest Lireania’s words. It was because I hadn’t even solved the problem with Kasion, a dangerous man who would ruthlessly take the life of his rival.
“The matter with the second prince… Please keep it a secret. What if someone misunderstands?”
“Well… someone might indeed be troubled.” Lireania smiled brightly and then spoke in a meaningful tone. “They’ll have to be on their toes.”
“Who?”
“Well… The men who care about you, Lady Ariel.”
It seemed like stars had fallen into Lireania’s beautiful eyes. Why are they shining like that?
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