I Stole the Prince's First

Cradled in Herald’s arms, Retina was practically carried by Haint as she dismounted the horse. She wanted to get down by herself, but her legs were too weak to support her, making it impossible for her to step down from the stirrup.

“Retina.”
“Brother Sat.”
“I’m glad you’re safe.”

As soon as Sat saw the group entering the clearing, he ran towards them. He hugged his sister tightly, relieved that she had returned safely. Noticing Retina covered in blankets and outer garments, he quickly grasped the gravity of the situation in the forest.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine. Just a bit of skin scraped off my palm from gripping the reins too hard.”

Retina forced a strained smile, trying to appear unaffected. Though she had nearly drowned in the lake, she hadn’t sustained any major injuries like in the previous fall.

However, Sat, seeing his sister’s feigned composure, immediately checked her palms upon hearing her words. Despite her nonchalant remarks, he saw the skin peel away, with signs of bleeding just barely stopping. His face contorted in concern as he searched for any other injuries.

Retina hid her hand from Sat, knowing that if he found out she had nearly drowned, he would be even angrier than the crown prince. She decided to keep it a secret for now.

Herald, wrapping his arm around Retina’s shoulders and pulling her close, asked, “Did you catch the culprit?” 

He no longer intended to hide his relationship with Retina. During the competition, he concealed their relationship to protect Retina from any potential backlash. However, after nearly losing her life when revealing their relationship to the emperor, he changed his mind.

If hiding it wasn’t enough, then perhaps it was better to make it public and ensure no one could touch her. Chasing after Retina, fearing the worst, and finding her not breathing, solidified his resolve.

“We caught him fleeing towards the mountains connected to the imperial city. As expected, it was the coachman who claimed he needed to inspect the horse again,” Sat said. 

“However, it seems he disposed of the tools used in the crime since we found nothing. We’re searching the area, but it seems there might be someone behind him…”

Sat trailed off, recalling the coachman who insisted on checking the horse again under the empress’s orders. Mentioning this would imply the empress was behind the incident. Even if the empress was the mastermind, without concrete evidence, they couldn’t confront the empress, the mother of the empire. With only circumstantial evidence, unless the coachman confessed, it would be difficult to proceed with the investigation.

Furthermore, she was the empress and Herald’s mother. Even harboring suspicions against her could be considered an act of disrespect.

“I have a rough idea of who might be behind this, but it’s troubling that the person isn’t someone who would act directly. She isn’t the kind of person who would recklessly gamble on something like this,” Herald said to Sat, who found it difficult to voice his thoughts. He had an inkling of who was behind it, but the method was too obvious.

The empress hadn’t climbed to the position of the empire’s mother by being careless. She wasn’t foolish enough to reveal herself so easily while orchestrating such schemes.

‘The fact that she’s revealing herself now suggests she has a scapegoat ready, a tail to cut off if things go wrong,’ Herald thought, scanning the people in the tent. Though they seemed to pay attention, none dared approach, creating a tense atmosphere.

He shielded Retina behind him, blocking the unsettling glances and whispers of the onlookers.

“Greetings, Your Highness. The more you protect her, the more curious people will become,” said a woman, boldly approaching Herald and pointing out his uncharacteristic defensiveness.

“What is your business?” Herald asked.

“There are those concerned about Lady Retina, wondering if she returned safely after such a harrowing experience. If it’s alright, how about having Lady Retina show herself to the ladies to assure them she’s unharmed?”

“Speaking such garbage in the imperial language, are you? You were all gossiping while ignoring someone who had fallen from their horse and could have had their head smashed. And now you’re worried about Lady Retina’s condition and want her to come over and show herself? Even a passing dog would laugh,” Herald spat, his temper sharp after the near-death experience with Retina. He was fully aware of the eyes watching them, but he didn’t hold back his biting words. His reputation wasn’t stellar to begin with, so there was little to lose.

“Since the riding club was founded, Lady Retina has never had an accident while riding. Everyone is genuinely concerned, so please don’t be too angry,” said Helen, the lady who had mustered the courage to speak on behalf of the others. She placed a hand over her heart, feigning an apology.

“There’s no risk of an accident when you’re just pretending to ride while the stable hand leads the pony,” Herald retorted.

Herald glanced at the people outside the tent, who acted as if stepping out would kill them, and sneered. Whether Helen had come with good intentions was something only time would reveal, but her unwavering confidence clearly stemmed from somewhere else. Perhaps from those noblewomen behind her, or maybe…

“Is it so unpleasant for you that the woman who once sought to be your wife stepped forward? I asked her to approach Herald for help because no one else dared to stand before you,” said the Empress.

Herald watched the Empress descend from the platform and walk calmly towards him. The timing of her entrance, just when Helen was in a difficult position, made it clear that the Empress was orchestrating everything. She revealed herself as the mastermind to ensure Herald couldn’t act rashly. Despite seeing through her intentions, Herald had no way to counter them. He didn’t hide his displeasure.

“The one who embraces the sun, Empress of Rudenheim,” Helen, as if she had rehearsed, stepped aside and lowered her head as the Empress appeared. Buoyed by her strong support, Helen’s confidence grew.

The Empress, taking Helen’s place, faced Herald and addressed Retina. “You don’t even greet the Empress standing before you?”

“Do you wish to receive greetings when you haven’t even inquired about the condition of a young lady who has just returned from the brink of death?” Herald retorted.

“It seems that in returning from the threshold of life and death, you’ve also forgotten your manners,” the Empress replied coldly.

Retina, wrapped in a blanket, bowed to the Empress and then shrank back behind Herald. Although she should have stepped forward in such a situation, she was in no condition to do so after nearly drowning in the lake.

Additionally, Retina couldn’t reveal her face because she couldn’t wear the wig that usually covered her head, now soaked and heavy from the water, and instead had to cover herself with a blanket. 

“Enough. What can I do with a girl who doesn’t even show her face?” The Empress, frowning in displeasure at Retina who timidly emerged from behind Herald to greet her, waved her hand dismissively.

“It seems like nothing serious, so we’ll be on our way. It seems more appropriate to see a doctor than to pay respects to the Empress,” Herald said, intentionally ignoring the Empress’s hurtful comments directed at Retina. He had anticipated this hostility when he decided to reveal his feelings for Retina, but the Empress’s jealousy was even more pronounced than he had expected.

“So, you’re no longer planning to hide that girl,” the Empress said, stepping in Herald’s way.

“Indeed. I hid her from others’ eyes until now because of this very situation. As soon as you two found out, an accident occurred. It’s better to openly protect her; the small fry will fall away on their own,” Herald replied.

“How could the wise prince end up like this…? Do you know about the unpleasant rumors circulating among the noblewomen?” The Empress subtly hinted at something that Herald and Retina could not ignore.

“What kind of unpleasant rumors could spread when someone almost died?” Herald pulled the struggling Retina closer to him, his eyes darkened.

“They say that the horse Retina rode went wild because it sensed a curse.” The Empress tilted her head, looking for Retina, who had her hair covered by a blanket.

“They’re saying she’s of cursed blood.” The Empress smiled broadly, her red lips widening as she spotted Retina’s exposed face. She then turned back to Herald, explaining why she had brought the situation to this point.

“Animals’ instincts are sensitive enough to predict natural disasters, aren’t they? They say the horse went wild because of the curse on Retina. I suppressed the rumors to prevent any unpleasantness, but everyone is anxious.”

In other words, the Empress meant that instead of focusing on Retina, who had barely survived, they should first address the baseless rumors causing anxiety among the noblewomen. Herald, of course, had no intention of accepting this. He scoffed at the Empress’s words and ignored her, gently stroking Retina’s trembling arm to calm her down.

“I don’t know what curse you’re talking about. It’s not immediately after the war, and yet you speak of curses. Are you, as the Empress, really going to talk about such nonsense? Please, speak sensibly.”

“Well, you might think that way. But do the others standing here think the same? I certainly don’t. Silver hair is ominous.”

The Empress’s blatant disgust made Retina flinch. Her fingers tightened their grip on the blanket, ensuring it didn’t slip. Though her scraped palms stung, the pain barely registered.

Retina bit her lip as hard as the pain in her palms, lowering her head. It was clear what the Empress wanted and why she had come forward herself.