I Stole the Prince's First

The prince’s gaze fell on them for a while. Still, it was the prince who was talking about Norden. He might not have recognized Norden in the mask, but he did.

“Is your body okay? The one who accomplished all of that was none other than young lady Retina. I was planning to contact you soon, but I didn’t expect to meet young lady in a place like this.”

Norden was oblivious to the prince and focused solely on Retina. Retina soon averted her gaze and watched the prince leave without looking back.

“I didn’t expect Prince to dislike such a lively atmosphere.”

Retina couldn’t take her eyes off him until the prince disappeared from her sight. Only then did she turn her attention to Norden.

“It seems like that’s the case. Crown prince mentioned that he had heard something from those around him, and they pushed him, saying that he must attend the ball without fail.”

Despite knowing Retina, Norden, who overlooked it, laughed heartily and continued the conversation. His friend, aide, and currently serving as the prime minister, encouraged Norden, who even in the eastern region lived like a novice, to enjoy the pleasure.

“Thanks to coincidentally running into young lady, I feel somewhat relieved.”

Taking a deep breath, Norden sighed. After the prince left, Norden followed the dispersing crowd and went downstairs.

“Since we’ve met by chance, I’d like to spend more time together, but…”

He turned his body to face her as they walked shoulder-to-shoulder. Norden then leaned in and kissed the back of Retina’s hand in farewell. “I think those over there won’t leave us alone.”

Retina followed Norden’s gaze and turned her head. A group of ladies, running with tremendous energy and holding their dresses, came into view.

“Are you going back like this?”

“I haven’t been inside for long. Vincent is keeping watch outside, so I’ll wander a bit more before leaving.”

“I’ll contact you at the mansion.” Norden left before the approaching ladies reached them. He departed from Retina’s side, and not long after, she found herself surrounded by the approaching ladies.

“Who is that young man?”

“When did he disappear? Wasn’t he with that elegant person? Did you see his face behind the mask? How was it?”

“Finally, Young Lady has a man!! Is that why you disappeared? Kyaa-“

***

“Could you please ask one at a time?” Retina calmed down the group that bombarded her with questions simultaneously. In the midst of their excitement, with all four of them talking at once, not a single coherent sound could be heard. Resembling birds waiting for their mother, they gathered eagerly, and Retina responded to their questions one by one.

What was it like to meet a handsome man anonymously at the masked ball? Until just before returning to the mansion, Retina was held captive by the ladies, enduring their relentless barrage.

The night sky hung like a shroud over the dilapidated slums. A figure cloaked in black robes made its way into a dark alley. Though the luxurious fabric, a rare sight in such surroundings, caught the attention of the homeless individuals scattered throughout the alley, they all coldly ignored it.

“It’s so filthy!”

Helen voiced her irritation, her sharp heels clacking on the uneven pavement. All of this was because of Retina Cecilia! She blamed every bit of this misadventure on that woman.

‘Why does she have to act so annoyingly?’

Initially, Helen had merely intended to point out a small flaw in the social circle, preventing the presumptuous young lady from flaunting herself. Those who entered the social scene for the first time, unaware of their place and trying to overshadow the esteemed, usually retreated after being lightly trodden upon. Helen had intended to bother her just enough to make her reconsider her actions.

“All of this is your fault, Cecilia.”

Translators: Stardust. Read on moonlight novels only

However, she kept irritating her over and over again. She pleaded to be stepped on, yet she had to be dealt with as she wished. Despite numerous warnings, for animals that couldn’t understand, a whip was the cure. Helen was determined to firmly break Cecilia’s wings this time.

“Who asked her to become an enemy?”

The person wishing for Cecilia’s downfall was not the only one. From Misha Repair, who attended the same academy as her, to Empress herself, there were others who found Cecilia irritating. Even the one who introduced me to the Information Guild to obtain the desired information was the Empress.

The Empress also found Cecilia bothersome. It wasn’t just me looking at her unfavorably. It’s not because she’s a bad person. The whole situation was created by Cecilia’s mistakes.

Walking with her nails bitten, Helen reached the agreed-upon building for information. Confirming that no one had followed her, she took off her tightly worn hat.

“As requested, I came alone, so come out.”

As Helen revealed her masked face, someone appeared from the shadows, as if waiting.

“The rest of the payment?”

“First, half. The rest will be given after hearing the obtained information.”

Even with her face covered, Helen confidently demanded something from the man. Taking the purse thrown by Helen, the man behind her, hidden in the shadows, revealed a wretched slave kneeling in front of her. It was hard to trust the state of the poor slave, who seemed to have been through a lot, wandering from place to place.

“Is this guy really the one? Working in Deneuve, he seems rather unremarkable.”

“It’s from a long time ago, so his condition isn’t great. He lost his left hand and was expelled from there for stealing, so his value has dropped even more. What use is a slave with no hands?”

“That’s true. You managed to find something like this.”

Helen exchanged words with the man, leaving the slave at her feet. The slave, eavesdropping on their conversation by turning his head left and right alternately, looked up at the man. When he raised both arms, the left arm, hidden under the long sleeve, was revealed. Instead of a hand, there was a cleanly severed surface, with flesh smoothly rising and forming a round shape.

“Uhm, so, if I just answer what she wants, you’ll free me from this slave status, right?” The slave confirmed the terms of the deal with the man again.

“Yeah, I’ll give money to him, and you’ll become a freedman.”

Helen, bending at the knees and bowing her waist, flashed a bright smile. The uncomfortable feeling of approaching what she wanted had somewhat improved. Will this lowly useless slave really have the information to satisfy her?

According to the information Misha provided, Retina had a secret that she didn’t disclose to others. The rumored story was that Cecilia, presumed to be Retina’s mother, was a slave who had an affair with the Grand Duke and got pregnant out of wedlock.

Helen smiled broadly as if she had received a New Year’s gift just from that information. However, Misha’s gift didn’t end there.

“There was a brief rumor when we were at the academy that Retina had a cursed silver hair. I don’t know why, but there was a story that Retina’s mother was cursed and died. I don’t know if it’s because of that, but Retina has never participated in group activities during the three years at the academy.”

Misha whispered as if it were a top-secret, lowering her voice. Retina’s presence at the academy was minimal. Other students, except for Misha, showed no interest in Retina. Even she wouldn’t have remembered Retina if she hadn’t seen the Deneuve brothers who came to her graduation ceremony.

“If you’re interested, look into it. I haven’t delved into it much because it’s not my level of interest, but I’d like to see Retina in a difficult situation.”

Will she only end up in a difficult situation? I’ll make sure she can’t mingle in social circles as she used to. Based on the stories she heard from Misha, Helen commissioned the Information Guild. She inquired among the people who used to work in the Duke’s estate during the time Misha mentioned, searching for someone who knew the truth behind the rumors.

However, finding someone in the secretive and rarefied atmosphere of Deneuve who sells information, especially if they don’t quit unless they die, proved to be a challenging task. Finally, after searching through shady alleyways where people wouldn’t mind dirty deeds as long as they were paid, Helen managed to locate the person with the desired information.

“Worked in the lordship twenty years ago.”

“Yes, yes! That’s correct. Why would someone like me be of interest to your highness…”

“Do you know about the second wife of the Duke?”

As soon as the slave heard Helen’s question, he trembled with fear. In the deserted alley of Deneuve, he looked around cautiously, afraid that someone might be eavesdropping. It was truly a delicate matter to handle.

“Sure, satisfy me quickly. If you mention that I told you to anyone…” The slave, with a pleading tone, detached his luck.