I circled the words “become a monk” and “break the engagement.”
“Are my first goals to become a monk and break the engagement?”
The person I needed to meet to achieve this goal was already decided.
“I need to meet the crown prince… Regis, tomorrow. Since we both want to break the engagement, he might help me as an ally with the same goal.”
I then let out a small, bitter laugh.
Honestly, rather than considering me an ally and helping, he was more likely to help just to get rid of me.
But what did it matter?
I was of the mindset to use whatever I could, so I didn’t mind the small details.
Short-term goal: Meet Regis and declare my intention to break the engagement.
During this process, if I could persuade him and seek his help, I would.
Having set my tasks, I felt much more at ease.
I put the notebook deep into the drawer and fell asleep comfortably.
* * *
As planned yesterday, I went to the palace to meet Regis.
I wanted to go as soon as the sun rose, but I restrained myself.
There was no need to reinforce the stalker-like image to someone who already disliked me.
Arriving at the palace late in the afternoon, the crown prince’s attendant guided me to the audience room.
As befitting someone working in the palace, he notified me with an arrogant demeanor.
“You will have to wait. His Highness is busy.”
His eyes filled with disdain, his curt tone… Even if I tried to see it in a good light, his attitude was poor for an attendant.
“Alright. Go and inform His Highness that his fiancée has visited.”
“It’s not my place to say, but wouldn’t it be better to come another day? His Highness is very busy with work today.”
“Fifteen minutes will suffice. Moreover, my business is of great importance. It concerns our engagement.”
Despite saying this, he hesitated.
“If you plan to ask to advance the wedding date…”
“Enough! Your job is to inform His Highness of my visit immediately! Not to offer unsolicited advice!”
The attendant, who made me raise my voice, finally nodded slightly and left to deliver the message.
“Pathetic. He only understands when yelled at.”
I cooled my flushed cheeks with a feather fan as I waited for Regis.
At the same time, I recalled information about the imperial family.
“The current emperor has only two sons, right?”
The two sons were Nathan and Regis.
Regis, who had killed me, was the second prince.
Originally, he wasn’t supposed to be the crown prince.
But Nathan, the first prince, had a significant problem that prevented him from inheriting the throne.
That’s why Regis became the crown prince instead.
“Tsk.”
I didn’t mind this setting before, but now I did.
How could I not, when Regis might use that ill-gotten power to kill me?
I even considered helping solve Nathan’s problem to make him the crown prince instead.
However, that would turn all of Regis’s supporters into my enemies.
If possible, I wanted to avoid actions that would cause resentment.
In the end, the conclusion was to break the engagement with Regis and stay on friendly terms.
But then…
“Why is he so late?”
I muttered quietly as I checked the clock.
Lost in thought, I hadn’t realized that forty minutes had already passed.
“He must be really busy.”
I regretted not coming earlier.
Once I became aware of the time, it seemed to move even slower.
I kept waiting and waiting.
I even watched the clock pendulum swing back and forth in a daze.
After an hour, I felt indifferent. After all, he was said to be busy.
After two hours, I started to get annoyed.
No matter how busy he was, it was only polite to at least check on me by now.
I couldn’t believe he was treating his fiancée this way.
Two and a half hours.
I felt like giving up and going home.
But having waited this long, I decided to wait thirty more minutes.
Finally, three hours!
I stood up abruptly and left the audience room.
I hurried my steps.
If someone spoke to me now, I might explode.
“Ugh… I’m so mad…”
Swallowing my humiliation, I briskly left the palace.
On my way out, I saw a familiar-looking back in the distance.
I immediately stopped walking.
“Could it be…?”
I hoped I was mistaken.
There was no way the man leisurely drinking tea in the garden could be the crown prince.
How could he be enjoying tea time after making me wait for three hours, claiming to be busy?
It made no sense.
“No, it can’t be Regis.”
But as far as I remembered, Regis was the only one in the palace with such bright blonde hair.
The emperor was old and had white hair, and Nathan had black hair, resembling the empress.
I approached him slowly to confirm.
And I stopped right behind him.
“Your Highness?”
At my call, Regis turned his head towards me slowly.
When he finally saw me behind him,
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue softly.
His green eyes shone with contempt.
It was amazing how such beautiful eyes could send such a terrible look.
“He’s looking at me like I’m a cockroach.”
Even the arrogant attendant beside Regis gave me a look of contempt.
It seemed they were horrified that I had come all the way here.
They probably thought I would leave if they made me wait long enough.
“Indeed, he avoided me on purpose. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have that expression.”
Despite my displeasure, I had something to say, so I held back and endured.
“You were here?”
“Yes, it’s tea time.”
I barely held back from saying, “You made me wait three hours because you were busy, and you were here?”
And his response was, “Yes, it’s tea time.”
“I was in the audience room.”
“Yes, I was about to go.”
I briefly wondered if the attendant had forgotten to relay my message.
That faint hope shattered with Regis’s next words.
He knew everything and had intentionally stood me up.
“…”
As I stood there speechless, he frowned deeply and got up from his seat.
There wasn’t even the slightest effort to hide his annoyance.
“I’ve finished my tea, so I’ll listen. What do you want to say?”
“…No need to go to the audience room. I’ll tell you here.”
I slammed my fan onto the table to express my anger, albeit passively.
He looked surprised at my aggressive attitude.
Originally, Claudia clung to the crown prince desperately.
Not only did she grovel pathetically before him, but she also tried to get into his bed at every opportunity.
For such a woman to say there was no need to go to the audience room and not even sit down, he must have found it surprising.
“So, what do you want to say?”
He stood and talked, just like me.
A strange atmosphere began to flow between us.
Of course, it wasn’t a romantic one.
It was more fitting to call it a current of hostility and tension.
“I want to break the engagement.”
“…What? Did I just hear you say you want to break the engagement?”
I nodded at his surprise.
“You heard right. I want to break the engagement.”
I expected him to jump for joy, but he just stood there in a daze.
Finally, he barely managed to move his lips.
“…Why?”
“Because living as the empress doesn’t seem enjoyable.”
Hearing this, the corners of his mouth twisted up.
As if he had heard a boring joke.
“Doesn’t seem enjoyable?”
“Is my answer strange?”
“No, it’s not that. How are you going to break the engagement? Did you get permission from your father?”
“No, not yet. But I plan to get it soon. Please do your best to persuade His Majesty to annul our engagement. That’s what I came to ask.”
He shrugged and answered.
“I’ll give it a try. He’s very stubborn, so I don’t know if it’ll work.”
“Yes, please.”
“Is there anything else? I don’t think I can listen for much longer since I’m busy today.”
“…No, there’s nothing else. I’ll be going now.”
His expression twisted slightly, but I ignored it and turned away.
And I ground my teeth.
“Rude man.”
He was really rude. If it weren’t for the engagement, I wouldn’t even want to talk to him.
I wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible, so I walked away briskly.
“Oh, I left my fan.”
I guess I tried too hard to make a dramatic exit. I had left my fan on the table.
I was halfway to the carriage when I turned back.
Thanks to my haste, it didn’t take long to return to the spot.
I only needed to walk around one big tree. Just then,
“I just…”
I was about to say I came back for something I forgot when I overheard their voices.
“I’m really tired. What’s her next trick?”
The first voice was definitely Regis’s.
“Tired…? Trick…? Is this my behind-the-back talk?”
I immediately held my breath and hid behind the tree.
As Regis grumbled like he was venting, the attendant responded.
“It’s obvious. She’s trying a new tactic because her previous advances didn’t work. In the end, her goal is to win your favor.”
“You think so too?”
“Yes, I’m sure she’ll cry and cling if the engagement really gets called off. When you’re not smart, your tactics are obvious.”
Hearing the attendant’s absurd guess, Regis let out a nasty laugh.
“Tsk, I wish she would realize it’s hopeless. I really hate pushy women.”
“Indeed.”
“No matter how desperately she tries, it’s not going to happen. When will she get that?”
They laughed frivolously, seemingly enjoying themselves.
My blood pressure rose so high I thought my veins would burst.
I clenched my fists and strode forward.
