I Stole the Prince's First

Chapter 3:

Did you say that you ate this and threw it away?

“Ugh….”

Waking up on a cold bed, Herald groaned as he grasped his throbbing head that was the result of hangover. 

“I drank too much,” he muttered to himself while clutching his head, feeling like it was about to split open. 

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the aftermath of consuming too much alcohol the previous night. He couldn’t put his glass down until he had far exceeded his usual limit.

“Those damn twins…” he thought.

The reason the nobles hadn’t let him go was due to the presence of the twin brothers from the Deneuve family. He had clearly said he wasn’t feeling well and should leave, but what was that?

“The Countess Levitt’s wife would like a drink too, Your Highness,” they had said.

Herald, haunted by the memory of Sat Deneuve urging him on with a sly smirk from the side, felt a deep disconnection. As the alcohol took hold, fragmented memories of the night emerged, like broken shards of recollection. His heart raced, his vision reddened, and a feverish madness consumed him until he finally lost consciousness.

But as he reflected back on last night, he remembered what set it apart from other nights of revelry. He turned to look at the space beside him. There, he remembered sparkling hair illuminated by the moonlight, deep, enigmatic eyes reflecting his own image, a graceful body that moved in sync with his desires, and hands that had caressed his back. Although not entirely clear, it was undeniable that he had spent the night with someone. And when he had embraced that woman…

“Haah?” Herald raised one eyebrow and let out a bewildering laugh. 

Other side of the bed was empty, as if nothing had happened last night. Despite the vivid memories of their intimate encounter, there was no trace of the woman, not even a single piece of discarded clothing.

“Did I really let someone like her slip away after a night like that?” Herald wondered aloud.

There was no note on the table, deliberately left no traces. She vanished as if she wanted to erase the night they spent together as if it had never happened.

“Is this happening to me?” Herald Rudenheim, the current heir to the Rudenheim Empire, lost his first experience to a woman whose name and face he didn’t even know?

Brushing aside the hair that fell on his face, he got out of bed. Contrary to the rumors that his mere glance could capture any woman’s heart, his exquisite appearance radiated with morning sunlight, fresh and pure.

No matter how much he thought about it, Herald couldn’t understand the woman’s behavior. Her height, body, face, status, honor – everything was perfect. It was common for women to chase him with lies just to get close.

As Herald buttoned his shirt, his movements suddenly halted. He took off the shirt and examined his back in the mirror hanging on the wall.

The source of the stinging pain on Herald’s broad back was the reddened nail marks that had been vigorously traced. It wasn’t excruciating, but the subtle discomfort felt like a reminder, urging him to find the woman he had lost.

“She was definitely different,” he muttered to himself.

Enveloped by a frenzy of madness, Herald had hastily entered the room. However, the moment he encountered the woman, all the chaos within him subsided. When he held her in his arms, the cacophony that had disturbed his mind faded away.

“I should investigate,” he decided.

Herald’s ominous gaze intensified as he examined his back in the mirror. He was dressed exactly as he had been the previous day, and he adjusted his appearance once more. He hadn’t yet decided what he would do when he found the woman who had left him naked and fled, but he was determined to find her no matter what.

* * *

Arriving at Sylas Town, Retina was escorted by Haint from the carriage. Throughout the journey to Sylas, he had sat by her side, knowing the discomfort she had endured, and now Haint simply held Retina’s hand as she got out of the carriage.

“But do we really have to enter together with my brothers?”.

Retina asked, unfolding her wrinkled dress.

“Of course,” Haint replied.

“You’re the youngest darling of the Deneuve family.”

They answered Retina’s question without hesitation. Seeing her brothers acting in such unity and harmony only in such moments, Retina had to stifle the feeling of almost falling over in surprise. She couldn’t understand why, after always going in separately, they suddenly seemed intent on taking her along.

Unlike the Deneuve twins, who were always at the center of attention, Retina preferred to stay out of the spotlight, so when she attended parties, she often went her own way.

Even though it had been rare for Retina to attend such events in the countryside for over a decade, she had never resented it. When she heard the name “Deneuve,” she could feel the countless eyes in the party hall turning in their direction. With her arms restrained, Retina naturally drew everyone’s attention from the moment they entered.

“Lord Sat Deneuve, Lord Haint Deneuve, it’s a pleasure to have you here. But who is this…?”

“They are my brothers,” Retina replied.

“Oh, I see. My apologies for not recognizing. I am Roman Stearns, from the Viscount Stearns’s family, Lady.”  

“Ah, yes.”

Retina withdrew her hand from the viscount’s after he had kissed the back of it. Her voice couldn’t help but tremble.

‘Kissing the back of the hand, really? When did this become a tradition?’

With her wrist dramatically bared and a forced, somewhat wicked smile, Retina maintained her wide, toothy grin and bit down firmly on her incisors as she whispered to the twins.

“Now is it really necessary? Can’t I go separately?”

“Of course not. Today you’re attending as our little sister. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to the prospective suitors”.

Retina’s brother response indicated that she had to go along with their plans for the evening and make herself known to potential suitors.

Translator: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

“And whose idea was that?”

“It’s our father’s idea. He purposely called me a month ago, saying that I should show my face at the debutante ball and at least greet the nobles with you. If you want to argue, go argue with our father”.

Sat’s assertion brought a tinge of seriousness to Retina’s smiling face. Her lips continued to smile, but the truth was not showing through her façade. It meant her father’s command ‘no thoughts of running away’. 

“Ahaha, I haven’t been feeling well, so I’ve been staying in the countryside for treatment. It’s been only a short while since I came to the capital, and being around so many people is giving me a bit of a headache. May I go ahead?” 

“Well, um, then… Uh! I see that the Duke of Deneuve’s daughter isn’t feeling well… I’m worried that I might be bothering you unnecessarily.” 

“Oh, that’s not the case. Thank you for your consideration.” 

As if having a brief conversation with someone, Retina grasped her dress and slightly bent her knees before stepping back, her footsteps light as she retreated. But soon, she felt the weighty sandbag, tightly clutched in both her hands, return to her back as someone approached closely.

“Oh my, who’s this ordinary lady?”

“Sat and Haint are following her! Could it be…”

“That rumored Deneuve illegitimate child, huh?”

Noises from here and there reached their ears. While her family cherished her, she was never truly welcome among the aristocrats who valued bloodlines. Retina clenched her fist beneath her dress and quickly left the ballroom. She’s always followed by rumors.

‘That’s why I avoided coming with my brothers.’

Retina let out a deep sigh. Her head had been throbbing ever since she entered this place. Well, it was only natural since just her presence alone, in her efforts to avoid attention, drew the gazes of the ladies and gentlemen around, not to mention the two women of the noble family who always attracted attention.

‘This is why my resolution to pass quietly until the debutante ball seems futile.’

Fortunately, or perhaps one should say inevitably, the lively atmosphere at the party, filled with talk of the prince even before his arrival, quickly shifted to new topics of conversation. Some attendees had intentionally worn wigs, so there was no shortage of gossip material.

For Retina, it was a welcome development as the talk of the Duke’s family’s illegitimate child was less interesting to her than the other subjects being discussed. It was a good thing for her, except for the fact that she was the subject of the rumors.

As Retina was dragged around by her brothers, who were engaged in conversations with the young ladies, she observed the ballroom with curious eyes. She had exchanged greetings with enough people, and her brothers seemed to have stopped forcing her to stay by their side for the time being.

As soon as she noticed it, Retina quickly moved to the back of the ballroom and found a secluded spot with a few people. Her plan was to hide there until the party reached its peak and then secretly return to the carriage.

“Oh, well, if it isn’t Miss Retina? Three shadows approached Retina as she was searching for a place to rest.

“I didn’t expect to see you in a place like this. I thought it might be too dull for you,” said the disguised figure, half of their faces concealed by a fan, speaking in a falsetto voice.

Retina looked at the person, trying to identify them.

“Who…”

Already struggling to recognize faces, especially when half of them were concealed with fans, Retina squinted her eyes. She couldn’t remember who this person was, even with intense concentration. She glanced at the people behind her, but it didn’t help her identify anyone.

Unable to recall who she was, Retina’s inability to recognize the woman brought a hint of annoyance to the perfectly groomed face of the stranger. She slapped the fan onto her palm and unveiled her face, her twisted smile aimed at Retina.

“Could it be that you’ve forgotten me? Me?”

Forced to remember, Retina thought, ‘Ah, yes. Now I remember. You’re so plain that it’s easy to forget’.

Retina analyzed the young woman’s face for a moment, then pressed her lips. She felt somewhat embarrassed, as if she had committed a great offense by failing to recognize her. Even if she had recognized her, she wasn’t sure how to react.

‘Should I say I thought you were masked for the ball because you’ve painted your face so much, or should I claim that the drawn eyebrows threw me off, making me not recognize the Lady Misha I know’.

‘And come to think of it, She confessed to Haint when he came to my graduation, and he rejected her. They later realized they were my brothers and accused me of being the reason Haint wasn’t there’.

Interestingly, she hadn’t mentioned anything that happened at the academy. If she had shared even a bit of it, her brothers wouldn’t be walking around with their heads held high like they are now.

“I’ve been deliberately remembering to avoid people like Young Lady, who are not fit for high society.”

“What, what did you say after I went out of my way to accompany you, thinking you didn’t want to be alone?

“That’s really rude! How could you say that to Lady Misha…?

‘Isn’t it also rude to go around grabbing and causing trouble for people?’

“Isn’t it also rude to go around grabbing and causing trouble for people?”

At the sudden outburst, Retina pressed her lips together. She wondered if her inner thoughts had accidentally slipped out. However, the voice that spoke was slightly deeper and more robust than her delicate one.

Translator: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only