Edited…

11. Two Men Threatening Each Other

Claucet, who noticed the change, spoke up sharply.

“Come to think of it, didn’t Her Highness show a lot of interest in paintings?”

“I heard that recently, famous artists have been frequently summoned to the palace. It seemed like there wasn’t a painting that particularly caught his interest, though….”

“Antonio recently saw a good piece. If it’s alright with you, should I show it to Her Highness?”

Ikelia, who seemed lost in thought for a moment, smiled faintly.

“Since it’s said that even Lady and Lord Valtezar acknowledge his discerning eye, there shouldn’t be any harm in introducing it. I’ll inform Her Highness.”

With a positive response, Claucet raised the corners of her mouth and cautiously raised her hand behind her back.

Roselia, who was grooming Jucide’s hair, quickly caught onto Claucet’s subtle signal of raising her thumb behind her back and gave her a meaningful smile.

* * *

Roselia walked down the royal corridor with a painting wrapped in brown paper, her face filled with excitement.

There was a great elation shining on her flushed face.

Of course, part of it was the anticipation of being able to sell the painting at a good price, but not only that.

The excitement and eagerness of being able to meet the heroine of her favorite original novel, which she had read ten times over!

It had been nearly three years since she transmigrated into the novel.

The original novel’s heroine, Her Royal Highness Eveline de Bridgelet, was a very cool, calm, and charismatic woman.

The male lead, the Prince, misunderstood her cold demeanor, but in the end, it was a typical romance where he regretted misunderstandings and resentment, only to realize his love for her too late.

In the process, Roselia was nothing more than an extra, providing tension to the story and then disappearing.

Anyway, it was now flowing in a completely different direction from the original storyline, so there was no need to worry.

Or was there…?

Come to think of it, there seemed to be about six months left until Roselia’s death in the original novel.

Was it really alright that she challenged and changed the death route?

Just as doubt crept in, she found herself standing in front of the anteroom of Her Royal Highness Eveline de Bridgelet, guided by the butler’s directions.

“Your Highness, a servant from the Valtezar Duchy has arrived.”

A dry report came from the butler, and a calm voice was heard from inside the room.

“Let him in.”

With the Princess’ response, the butler opened the door without a word and made way for Roselia to enter.

Roselia swallowed nervously and stepped into the brightly lit room.

“Welcome. You must be Antonio? I’ve heard about you from Ikelia,” said the woman with blonde hair and violet eyes, smiling calmly.

It was a beautiful and dignified smile, not too excessive yet not too dry.

Eveline de Bridgelet, the Empire’s Princess and the heroine of the original work.

Roselia, who was captivated by Eveline’s breathtaking beauty, suddenly realized she hadn’t properly greeted her and startled, she bowed quickly.

“Y-Your Highness!”

“No need for such formalities. Please, raise your head. You’re the artist domestico, whom Claucet cherishes, right? Claucet and Ikelia are like siblings to me. I was curious because that child praised you so much that it piqued my interest.”

“I-I’m honored!”

Seeing Roselia’s stiff demeanor, Eveline let out a gentle smile.

“You seem quite flustered.”

“I-I apologize!”

Roselia, who was about to repeat the same words again, blushed and tightly shut her mouth, but Eveline smiled with rare sincerity.

“I heard you have something to show me.”

Roselia decided it wouldn’t be beneficial to say anything more and promptly unwrapped the paper around the painting, placing it on the table.

Eveline’s expression showed surprise as she looked at the painting lying on the table.

She murmured in admiration, as if entranced by something.

“Who is the artist of this painting…?”

“He’s an obscure artist named Abeloh Hunt, Your Highness.”

Impressed by Roselia’s response, Eveline murmured sincerely in a calm voice, recalling the name “Abeloh Hunt.”

“The painting… It’s so warm. Just by looking at it, I feel like I can understand the feelings of the women and the girl in the painting.”

Roselia smiled back at Eveline’s warm appreciation.

She felt proud that Abeloh’s efforts were being rewarded;Eveline declared, “I’ll pay a fair price for the painting.”

With those words, Eveline opened the box on the table and took out a piece of paper that looked like a check. After writing the amount and signing it, she looked at Roselia who had her mouth agape.

“O-One thousand grangs??”

Surely, in the original work, the painting Abeloh painted was sold for 500 grangs…!

Surprised by the unexpected amount, Roselia’s face froze in shock. Seeing her reaction, the Princess smiled mischievously.

“This is not only the payment for the painting but also a token of appreciation for Antonio.”

“A-a token of appreciation?”

As Roselia swallowed nervously at the meaningful words, Eveline, who was looking at her meaningfully, put on her gloves lying on the table and calmly continued.

“It means I trust you. I want to continuously support the artist Abeloh Hunt. I want Antonio to handle the funding for his artistic activities so that he lacks nothing. I hope Antonio can managae to provide the necessary funds for his sponsorship.”

“Are you saying…?”

The Princess’s words meant that this was compensation for her efforts and that she wanted to continue supporting Abeloh through her.

Perplexed by this unexpected turn of events, Roselia hesitated before asking her questions.

Then Eveline, with her purple eyes gracefully shining, cut in smiling mischievously.

“As you know, I am not so free to act as I wish. It’s also because I trust Antonio, who knows the artist, more than the courtiers. It’s a request from me, as much as it is a token of appreciation.”

Indeed, even in the original novel, she had struggled to find time to engage in charity work but had luckily met Abeloh.

Although taken aback, Roselia slowly nodded her head in resignation.

“Of course, starting with this, whenever you bring paintings from other excellent unknown artists, I’ll make sure to pay a fair price each time. I trust Antonio’s judgment. How does that sound?”

Somehow, it seemed that she could repay the debt sooner than expected.

Overcoming her momentary confusion and swiftly completing the calculations once money was involved, Roselia couldn’t help but smile with a capitalistic gleam in her eye.

“Of course! Understood!”

“What? What do you mean by ‘understood’?”

“It means ‘leave it to me.'”

“Aha! Got it! Understood!”

Moved by Eveline’s cheerful smile as she followed Roselia’s words, Roselia’s expression turned emotional, as if deeply touched.

That was the moment.

The sudden, unexpected opening of the door was accompanied by a loud bang.

“His Highness, Prince Esteban Vandelroth de Lugbelzet has arrived.”

The person who barged in upon opening the door was a man with dazzling blonde hair and sun-like golden eyes.

A person who would barge into a room where the Princess was without any reservations.

The psychopathic male lead who poisoned the mind of the heroine, the Princess, until the very end of the story and then regretted it; who then rolled and rolled over, and the man who sent the original Roselia to the gallows.

He was Prince Esteban Vandelroth de Lugbelzet.

Though Klaus had contributed to Roselia’s death, Esteban was the direct perpetrator who killed Roselia.

Although it wasn’t something she had actually experienced, when she faced the man closest to Roselia’s death as she knew it from the original work, her whole body stiffened.

Such a Prince, Esteban, snorted at Evelyn, looking disdainful.

 

“Why is the Princess calling a servant from the Valtezar Duchy without even telling me anything?”

As Roselia, who was diligently recalling the original work, knew his stubborn personality very well, she unconsciously hid the check for one thousand grangs in her bosom.

The Princess, worried that the Prince’s malicious and unreasonable temper might ruin the painting, naturally lowered the painting under the table and calmly turned her head.

“A servant? Your Highness, I merely exchanged greetings with Lady Claucet’s domestico who was relaying her message.”

“Just to hear the Lady’s greetings, you called a servant from the Duchy? Are you asking me to believe that?”

At the Prince’s blunt words, Eveline, her expression cooling, retorted.

“You don’t believe it, Your Highness? What exactly are you suspecting?”

At Eveline’s cold yet calm question, Esteban let out a self-deprecating smile.

“You truly never know. Perhaps the highest-ranking noble, Marquis Bridgelet, and the Valtezar Duchy are plotting to join forces and stab me in the back.”

“Your Highness!”

Unable to contain her frustration, Eveline called out to the prince.

As anger flashed in Eveline’s expression, the Prince finally approached her with a smug attitude and grabbed her wrist.

“Or, tell me, are you planning to push me to the brink, just like my mother, who was pushed by the nobles’ schemes, and ended up taking her own life? But unfortunately for you, I’m not that weak.”

“Your Highness, please!”

With Esteban’s grip on her wrist causing pain, Eveline grimaced in anguish.

As Roselia felt the Prince’s misunderstanding deepening, she reluctantly approached them.

No, she tried to approach.

Until Klaus suddenly appeared from the open doors and pushed her out.

Abruptly pushed aside like an obstacle by the unexpected appearance of the Duke, Roselia looked at Klaus with a bewildered expression.

Klaus, who appeared out of nowhere, had a very angry expression.

“Please stop, Your Highness.”

“Oh, Duke Valtezar. They say if you mention a ghost, it appears. Isn’t this exactly that situation?”

“Let go of her.”

The Duke, usually impassive, had a visible anger in his eyes.

By clumsily revealing his enmity, Klaus seemed to further provoke the Prince, as madness flickered in Esteban’s golden eyes.

“Are you giving me orders now? Duke Klaus de Valtezar?”

It felt like standing in the midst of a raging storm of lightning.

How did she end up standing among the main characters of the original novel?

Feeling awkwardly placed like a forgotten cod in a corner, Roselia could only feel embarrassed.

“Stop it! Your Highness! If you keep this up, I won’t attend the next meeting related to the Raphelios Agreement!”

Most of the agreements with the Raphelios Empire had been conducted under the leadership of the Princess.

This was also a part in him where, no matter how much the Prince hated the Princess, he acknowledged her diplomatic skills.

As the third Raphelios Agreement was nearing its end, Esteban had no choice but to withdraw, albeit with a displeased expression.

“It’s quite remarkable for a country’s Princess to blackmail a Prince over a diplomatic agreement.”

“…”

While visibly displeased, the Princess sighed deeply as she watched the Prince leave without a word. Roselia exhaled after that whole ordeal; the gaze of both the Duke and the Princess happened to fall on her.

“Why are you here?”

Caught in Klaus’s skeptical gaze, Roselia found herself momentarily speechless yet again.