“Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
If we were dealing with goat droppings earlier, now it feels like dog droppings. Lireania and I put on our best decaying expressions, but we tried our hardest to maintain polite gestures and tones.
“Yes, and this one is…”
“My name is Lireania Soler.”
“Ah, yes, we met at the last ball. You were the swan lady destined to become Marchioness Mellin, right?”
The crown prince had a habit of comparing women to birds, and his metaphors often reflected his judgment of them. If he called her a swan, did he mean an ugly duckling or something that only looked elegant on the outside?
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And this one must be the lady of the rumors.”
“Rumors…?”
The mention of rumors piqued my interest. What could there possibly be to gossip about me?
“They say the marquis dotes on you excessively. Is it true that you don’t even know what rumors you’re suffering from?”
It was clear that the rumors weren’t flattering. Especially when that man licked his lips with his dirty-looking tongue, I could tell.
I hurriedly tried to recall the descriptions of the crown prince from the novel… I’m doomed. He was a villain even less noticeable than the princess, known mainly for doing evil things at her behest. He even cowardly became the emperor.
“Whatever the rumors are, I have nothing to be ashamed of, so I don’t mind them.”
“That’s a good attitude. Is that what made the duke with the icy heart fall for you?”
Damn it, I just heard the confession yesterday, and now it seems the whole town knows about it.
Calming my mind, I realized there was only one person who could have passed this on to the Crown Prince—Princess Diana. She must have run straight to him, just as the novel described.
The novel was eerily accurate. Everything that happened after I changed Lireania’s fate was falling into place. This meant the harsh destiny that awaited me in place of Lireania was looming ever closer.
“We’ve just been together since childhood, so he sees me in a good light.”
“Really? I heard you also have feelings for the Duke.”
“The princess must have misunderstood. I told her I’m thinking positively about it, but nothing has been decided yet.”
Ugh, disgusting. The crown prince licked his lips again. The way he dragged out the word ‘you’ made it even more nauseating, and he slowly and suggestively licked his lips, making the whole scene feel even more grotesque.
“I see. So, does that mean I still have a chance?”
“Pardon?”
“Marquis Mellin could use someone to give his business a boost, couldn’t he?”
He didn’t say it outright, but the suggestion was clear enough. Was he trying to entice me into becoming the crown princess? The offer was too blatantly rotten to be appealing.
“Isn’t that right, future Marchioness Mellin?”
Suddenly, the crown prince’s gaze shifted to Lireania. His sly demeanor and snake-like tongue were enough to make anyone shudder. But Lireania, more composed than ever, slowly began to speak.
“Marquis Mellin…”
Her gentle, kind smile made the crown prince’s brow furrow as if he already knew what she was about to say.
“Would never make Lady Ariel a victim of a political marriage.”
In other words, it was out of the question.
Lireania subtly pulled me closer to her side, and her cautious posture made me tense up too.
“Marriage among the nobility is about the benefits to the families, and that’s no different for the imperial family,” the crown prince said, curling his lips into a crooked smile as he glared at Lireania and walked toward us.
Lireania gripped my hand tightly, and I could feel her trembling. Yet, her expression was one that said she would kick the rabid dog threatening us right in the teeth if it came any closer. Watching her, I felt a pang of sadness. She was about to get married; she should be dreaming of happy things, not having to endure something like this.
I nodded at Lireania, tapping her hand reassuringly, and then took a step toward the wild dog—or rather, the mad dog.
“Yes, you’re right, Your Highness. But there’s a little problem that needs to be resolved before I can even consider your proposal.”
“A problem?”
“Yes, a very, very terrifying and dangerous one,” I said, putting my finger to my lips and exaggerating my gestures.
This made Aenix frown, although he was obviously trying to puff himself up.
“As the crown prince, there’s nothing I can’t handle. Go ahead, tell me. I’ll take care of it.”
He must have used this line to seduce women before, relying on the superficial power that came with being the emperor’s firstborn and crown prince. But in the end, he was nothing more than a henchman who followed the villainess’s lead.
“Your Highness should know about it already.”
“Me?”
“Yes, because the person who confessed to me is the only duke in the empire.”
The crown prince’s confident eyes wavered for a moment. Clearly, he was aware that this was a problem. Because of that ‘pact’.
I’d overheard Serhen mention it the other day. Due to the pact, the men of the Pertelian family are bound to the imperial family, forcing them to go to war at any time. But after seeing how Kasion handled Diana today, it seemed there was more to the pact than just that. The imperial family also had obligations in exchange for the sacrifices of the duke’s family.
“He’s already been telling people that I’m his person.”
“…”
Aenix’s eyes twitched. Clearly, it had been an effective move. Although it bothered me a bit that I kept using Kasion’s name to solve my problems.
“How dare…”
There was one downside. It seemed I had bruised the crown prince’s ego. Should I run away now?
At that moment, a man came rushing from one side of the garden. It was Dertis, the second prince, with calm brown hair and green eyes.
“Crown Prince, what brings you to my palace?” He was out of breath as he grabbed the crown prince’s hand. Lireania and I were invisible to him as he brushed past us.
“Why shouldn’t I be here? More importantly, that one over there…”
“I just received a rare wine. Would you like to try it?” Dertis gently pushed the crown prince’s body to block our view. Then, he turned his head slightly and winked at us.
“A rare wine?”
“Yes, it’s a wine made from apples imported from the southern coast. It’s said to be mixed with various herbs that are beneficial to a man’s body.”
Aenix seemed to forget why he had come in the first place and moved toward the prince’s palace. We were no longer in his thoughts; he was busy instructing Dertis on what snacks to pair with the wine.
“Phew…”
“Thank goodness.”
“The second prince turned out to be the prince on a white horse.”
Was it because the tension was relieved? Lireania cracked a silly joke.
* * *
A little while later, Dertis returned to the garden. His cheeks and neck were slightly red, suggesting he had shared a drink with the crown prince.
“Greetings to the Second Prince,” Lireania and I began to bow when Dertis raised a hand to stop us.
“No need for that. More importantly, nothing happened, right?”
“Yes, fortunately, nothing happened.”
“In the future, it’s best not to come to the imperial palace without an escort.” Dertis shook his head.
It felt a bit patronizing as if we were being treated as children. I was soon to come of age, and Lireania was about to get married.
“Well, it’s probably best to be cautious even outside from now on.”
“May I ask what you mean by that?” I asked, feeling uneasy as Dertis clicked his tongue.
Dertis frowned again. “The crown prince… once he sets his eyes on a woman, he has to have a taste, even if that woman already has a partner.”
As soon as I heard that, I was reminded of the twisted world I’d been reborn into. No wonder such immoral behavior was rampant; I had been reincarnated into a dark, adult-themed novel.
“So be careful.”
His warning made my lips dry, and my hands trembled slightly. Ever since I realized I had been reincarnated, I had been enjoying this fairytale-like world… until now.
“I apologize on behalf of my sister and the crown prince.”
“N-No, thank you for saving us.”
“Then I’ll take my leave. Don’t forget my warning.” He turned to leave, but it seemed he had overindulged with the crown prince, or perhaps he just couldn’t handle his liquor. Dertis stumbled slightly.
“Your Highness!”
I reached out to stop my savior from collapsing. The second prince was more muscular than Serhen but smaller than Kasion. Since he was larger than me, I had to struggle a bit to support him.
Then he fixed his gaze on one side of the garden and muttered to himself as if wanting me to hear. “Well, there’s no need to be too careful, I suppose. The duke is by your side.”
Two men, with expressions different from those they had in the princess’s palace earlier, were walking toward us.
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