I Stole the Prince's First

Chapter 20.

 Hidden secret

“Haah.”

For the first time in a while, Retina sat down on a bench in the garden and let out a deep sigh that seemed to start from her toes. The estate’s gardener had meticulously crafted the garden, where various flowers were in full bloom, creating a colorful landscape. However, in Retina’s eyes, all the colors appeared muted, almost muddy.

“Haahh.”

The lush mountains, the fields swaying in the wind, the clear sky without a single cloud, and the crisp cries of birds—none of it seemed to be seen or heard by Retina. Her face was filled with constant worry and anxiety.

“Miss, is there something troubling you?”

Lena, who had gathered all the world’s worries as if to carry them herself, asked Retina after her 34th sigh. After glancing briefly at Lena, Retina nodded her head slightly and let out another deep sigh.

‘Is that because there are only a few days left until the debutante?’

While Lena tilted her head in curiosity, Retina lay down on the bench with a sigh. Maybe the sudden pressure of the upcoming event made her not want to do anything at all. Ever since her conversation with the Grand Duchess, she has been in this state.

“Were their words about following the nobility’s code, greeting the Empress, and wishing for you to have a family just lies?” She propped her head up with her hand and kicked her feet slightly. Now that she thought about it, her brothers’ behavior had been strange too. They had repeatedly taken her to parties, even though they had advised her not to marry. It was as if they wanted her to seek attention.

Retina should have been suspicious since the moment the Crown prince silently proposed her as his partner when it was customary for him to do so. Now that she knew, even if she heard that she was clueless, there was nothing she could say.

“‘It’s difficult to maintain good relationships when power is involved.'” Retina closed her mouth and made a faint groaning sound, then tightly closed her eyes. Approaching people with a clear purpose was a challenging task for Retina, who had previously dealt with people solely based on her likes and dislikes.

She wondered how others did it so easily, smiling and engaging in conversations at parties. She pondered if they had multiple layers of steel plates on their faces to make it possible. Even though she wondered if she had inherited such blood, looking at her older brothers who were one step above them, it didn’t seem likely.

“‘If groaning could solve everything, I would have found the answer by now.'” Retina, who had been lying on the bench, sat up with determination and applied some force to her abdomen. She thought it would be better to find out something instead of sitting still and wrapping her head. Her knowledge about the social scene was almost nonexistent at this point.

“Lena, do you know who are the influential ladies or young ladies in the social circle?” “Miss… Have you finally set your sights on the Crystal Gate?! Just as I expected from our Miss! Lena believed in you!” As soon as Retina spoke, Lena enthusiastically jumped up and thrust her face closer. How much trust did she have in me? Retina gathered her hands and avoided Lena’s burdensome gaze by moving her neck backward.

“Not exactly. I have some concerns, that’s all. Anyway, I might need to stay in the capital for a while, and I can’t do it alone.” Retina decisively cut off Lena’s ambitious dreams and spoke bluntly.

“Well, it seems like you’ll need someone on your side if you’re going to stay in the social season for a while.” Lena, a devoted reader of society news, pinched her chin and thought deeply. Miss, even though the young lords are firmly supporting you, it would be good if you had friends to share your stories with.”

“There’s a possibility that we might become rivals, so debutantes who are going to debut together tend not to be close. Usually, when someone first steps into the social circle, they build friendships with the ladies who have already married. But since you, Miss, entered late, you might actually get along better with your peers.”

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

As expected from Lena, who subscribed to all the newspapers and read society news religiously, the response came effortlessly. Additionally, she was well-informed about the conversations among the maids, so Lena was particularly knowledgeable about the social scene.

“Of course, the reputation of the young ladies and wives is important, but in the end, those who wield influence in the social circle are…”

As Lena began to list the names of ladies who were influential in the social circle, she added another remark. She was concerned that if Miss continued to stand out in the eyes of the ladies, the young lords might be overlooked. However, Lena’s sentence remained unfinished.

“I apologize for interrupting your conversation, Miss Retina. A guest has arrived at the mansion, and he wishes to meet with you. Have you made any arrangements of which I am unaware?”

The butler, who had come to the garden in search of Retina, bowed deeply with his hand over his chest. The gazes of Retina and Lena were fixed on the butler.

“A guest?” “A guest? But who would come to visit me?” Retina gathered her thoughts, trying to recall someone who might have come to see her. She hadn’t made any specific arrangements, and any sporadic contact usually went through her older brother, Sat, who managed such matters.

“Well, if he came without any prior arrangements, it might be better to send him away…” “He said his name is Norden Raglaras.” “What? Norden?”

As soon as the butler mentioned Norden’s name, Retina abruptly stood up. There was indeed one person who could come to visit her without prior arrangements.

“First, please lead him to the reception room and tell him to wait for a moment!!”

Thinking of Norden, whom she had met at the Imperial Palace, Retina hurriedly rushed into the mansion.

Watching Retina disappear, Lena didn’t continue her words but instead smiled knowingly, tilting her head slightly. There was no need to say it explicitly; it seemed like Miss was handling things on her own.

“It’s because you receive more proposals from gentlemen,” she thought.

* * *

“I burned them all….”

In the short time that had passed, Retina had become noticeably haggard, despite not yet receiving her guest. She had changed into a cleaner dress, as her previous one had become dirty from being outside, but when she tried to head to the reception room, Lena insisted on taking her to the bedroom and ordered her to shower and redo her makeup.

“If you shower, fix your hair, and do all your makeup, it will take too long, won’t it?”

“Well, Prince came without an appointment first. If a gentleman visits a lady without an appointment, it’s only natural to wait for at least two hours.”

“That’s true, but he’s still a prince…”

“There are no exceptions for gentlemen when visiting a lady!”

Determined Lena painstakingly helped Retina with her makeup and even picked out a dress for their date before finally sending her out of the bedroom. Retina, who had accomplished so much in a short time, walked to the reception room with a tired face.

“Miss, fighting!!”

Standing at the door of the reception room, Retina hesitated, and at the end of the hallway, Lena peeked out and clenched her fists with determination. What’s the point of telling her to cheer up when there hasn’t been any progress in their relationship yet? Retina chuckled softly and entered the reception room. Still, thanks to Lena, she felt slightly less nervous.

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

“I’m meeting Prince Norden Raglaras.”

When she opened the door and entered the room, she saw Norden, who had been waiting.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting. I rushed to prepare, so there may be shortcomings in my appearance.”

“No, not at all. I appreciate your permission, even though I came without an appointment.”

With a polite greeting and an apology, Norden clapped his hands. When he agreed to accompany the Rudenheim envoy out of the imperial palace, he had been anxious throughout the journey.

Retina had urged him to meet with the Duke of Deneuve, and he had come blindly. Still, he had been worried all along if his actions were in line with the etiquette of Rudenheim.

“Nevertheless, you two came at a good time when my brothers were not at the mansion.”

“Is that so? That’s fortunate. Meeting the two of you is still… a bit challenging.”

Norden subtly shifted his gaze to the ground and pretended to check his watch. He didn’t want Retina to know that he had deliberately timed his visit to the mansion to coincide with the Deneuve brothers’ absence.

Having encountered the Deneuve brothers a few times during his stay at the imperial palace as a diplomat, Norden had already grown tired of them. If the Deneuve brothers had been at the mansion today, he might not have even set foot on the Duke’s lawn.

As Norden’s shoulders quivered and his back hunched with unease, Retina looked at him with a knowing glance.

“You’re a prince, after all. Straighten your shoulders.”

Retina had seen countless victims of her brothers’ antics over the years, so she silently sympathized with Norden. She knew better than anyone that just because he was a prince didn’t mean he wouldn’t bow to her brothers.

With an encouraging thought, she silently urged Norden to regain his confidence. His face had already turned slightly red with embarrassment, and Retina saw him as someone genuinely kind-hearted, especially with his innocent-looking face.

“Should we begin?”

Norden seemed like a timid white puppy with his ears folded back, as if he was scared of a fierce bulldog. If he weren’t a prince, he might have reached out his hand and patted his back even before delivering words of comfort.

“Is it inconvenient for me to have come?”

Misunderstanding Retina’s somewhat cryptic gaze, Norden asked.

“No? Not at all.”

“In that case, I’m relieved. I was worried that you might dislike my visit.”

“No, I don’t. In fact, I find conversations with the prince quite enjoyable.”

“Is that so?”

“At least, I don’t have to engage in forced conversations, trying to please others at parties.”

As Retina waved her hand with a sigh, Norden raised his eyebrows in surprise. Among people who were fluent in eloquent speech, Retina seemed to adapt well. He smiled gently, his eyes softened. Retina was also pleased that they shared similar concerns. Each small detail seemed to have a lot in common with Retina.

“I didn’t know you felt that way too, Your Highness. I’ve had similar thoughts. Conversations with you are the most enjoyable.”

“Didn’t you mention that sometimes I seem like a cultural and understanding professor from Rudenheim?”

“You still remember that?”

“Of course. Such things are not easily forgotten.”

“Well, I guess I should watch what I say to Your Highness from now on.”

“Just give it a try.”

The two of them talked softly, like old friends. As they conversed, they began to feel more comfortable with each other. Just when the room was filled with their continuous laughter, servants crowded around them.

“Retina!”

With a loud thud as if kicked open, the door swung wide open, and Haint entered. Following him, Sat, with his sharp eyes, stepped in, and behind them, there was one more ominous shadow.

Huh? Huh…??

Retina’s eyebrows raised in surprise as she saw the figure beyond Sat’s shoulder.

“The prince was out alone, and I wondered where he went.”

‘Why are you here?’