Chapter 05
Jed’s interest was piqued purely by coincidence.
It all started when Bern, who was usually so rigid and uptight that it was almost boring, was unexpectedly criticized.
The fact that it shook him enough to dull his swordsmanship caught Jed’s attention.
It was easy for Jed to subtly let Bern’s family know about Raina’s whereabouts and how deeply he had fallen for her.
After all, this marriage was important not just for Bern personally but also for the alliance between noble families supporting the Crown Prince.
“Causing trouble in such matters is a loss for everyone.”
And, of course, Jed had a little bit of malicious curiosity about how Bern would react.
“Not that this stiff idiot would show much of a reaction.”
But when Jed heard that there had been an assassination attempt on Raina, Bern’s response was shocking.
His face went completely pale.
“Raina!”
He looked so panicked that he forgot to ask his lord for permission and was about to run off immediately.
Even Jed, who had clicked his tongue internally at the failed assassination, was taken aback by his extreme reaction.
“Calm down, Bern. I’ll lend you a royal carriage. That’ll get you there much faster.”
Only then did Bern seem to come to his senses, though his face was still drained of color.
“…But that is Your Highness’s carriage… I can’t possibly…”
Now regaining some rationality, he hesitated. But Max cut him off.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“That…”
Bern hesitated for a moment, but Jed encouraged him.
“It’s urgent, isn’t it? Don’t ignore His Highness’s kindness. And wouldn’t it be safer to introduce Raina to us?”
Bern didn’t hesitate long. He bowed his head and said,
“I’d be grateful, Your Highness.”
When they arrived, the scene was a disaster.
Jed had to admit that Bern had a good eye—he had managed to find a house that looked like something out of a fairytale. But now, it was completely ruined.
The silver gate had been torn off and lay miserably among the trampled roses.
The thick walnut front door had been broken in half, revealing the wrecked interior.
“Raina! Raina, where are you?!”
Bern shouted desperately, stepping over shattered glass and torn curtains.
At last, his calls were answered. A pale and shaken Raina limped out, supported by a sturdy-looking man.
“I’m sorry, Lord Bern. I failed to protect Lady Raina properly,” the man said.
Bern hurried to Raina’s side and checked on her. Fortunately, she had only twisted her ankle while trying to escape in fear.
At that moment, Carmilla, the servant Bern had assigned to protect Raina, spotted the Crown Prince and his eyes widened.
He started to bow in greeting, but Max shook his head and signaled toward Raina instead. Understanding the gesture, Carmilla gave a brief nod instead of a formal bow.
Finally, after confirming Raina was safe, Bern’s aide reported the situation.
A group of men had suddenly stormed the house, and hiding Raina had been the only option.
Though they had seemed like ordinary thugs, their actions had been strange—they focused solely on finding Raina rather than stealing anything.
“…Something felt off. So instead of trying to uncover who was behind this, I thought protecting Lady Raina was the top priority,” Carmilla added.
Then he bowed his head, silently awaiting punishment.
But Bern shook his head.
“No, that was the best decision. If you hadn’t taken her to the secret passage right away, I don’t even want to imagine what could have happened. You protected her for me. Thank you.”
Then he pulled Raina into an embrace.
It was the kind of hug that spoke of pure relief, like a man who had finally reached solid ground after being lost at sea.
Jed sighed internally at the sight.
“Of course. A servant personally trained by Bern… Even if I had interfered directly, this one wouldn’t have been easy to deal with.”
“And a secret passage? Since when did that guy turn into a rabbit digging escape tunnels? Or rather, has his intelligence increased only when it comes to protecting something precious?”
“No… It’s more like he’s so obsessed with her that he’s becoming overly cautious.”
“How annoying. If this had been handled in one go, we wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.”
Jed spoke with a playful smile.
“Bern, I get that she’s important to you, but are you going to keep hugging her without introducing us? Are we completely forgotten now? How romantic.”
At that moment, Raina lifted her head and noticed them. Despite her injured leg, she stood up and smiled brightly.
“Hello! Are you Bern’s friends? This might be an odd situation, but I’m glad to meet you!”
Her cheerful, casual tone was completely out of place given the circumstances.
For a moment, Bern, Jed, and Carmilla all turned to Max in confusion.
A brief silence followed before Max chuckled, breaking the tension instantly.
Then, speaking informally, he replied,
“Nice to meet you too, Lady Raina. Or should I just call you Raina?”
As she limped away to prepare tea, Max observed her and then spoke, amusement in his voice.
“You picked an interesting one, Bern. This is unexpected.”
“She’s… a bit unusual,” Bern said stiffly, though his ears turned red.
Max glanced at the ruined kitchen.
“She didn’t need to prepare tea in this situation. She’s quite stubborn.”
Bern gave a small smile.
“Yes. I think… since this is the first time I’ve introduced someone as my friend, she wants to make a good impression. Thank you for understanding her manners.”
Max responded lightly,
“An innocent person’s mistakes can be overlooked. But make sure she never learns about us. Unnecessary knowledge only complicates things.”
Then, looking around the wrecked house, he continued,
“We won’t have any reason to meet her again. At least, we shouldn’t.”
His tone was cold and detached. He had no intention of acknowledging or helping Raina—he was only tolerating her because Bern cared.
Whether Bern understood Max’s stance or not was unclear. He simply nodded.
But Jed understood.
“If that’s how it is, then I won’t hold back.”
Jed casually looked around and said,
“By the way, with the house in this state, your lover can’t stay here. Want to use my villa instead? I find her quite interesting.”
Max shot Jed a look of pure disbelief. Then, ignoring him, he turned to Bern.
“Do you have any idea who did this? Given how easily they found this place, the culprit is likely someone close to you. Be careful.”
Then, in a meaningful tone, he added,
“It might not be someone who hates you. It could be someone like… your parents, or perhaps a friend, acting out of concern.”
Jed shrugged with a smirk.
“If that’s the case, they must not trust Bern. If he were truly reliable, no one would need to interfere.”
Max shot Jed a look of exasperation before turning back to Bern.
But Bern didn’t notice.
He was clenching his teeth, head bowed.
Then, in a tightly controlled voice, he spoke.
“Your Highness.”
He lifted his head. Though his tone was calm, his deep blue eyes burned with fury.
“Your words remind me of something. May I leave for a moment?”
Max hesitated briefly before granting permission.
Bern left quickly, his steps full of restrained aggression.
Jed and Max were left alone.
After a moment of silence, Max muttered,
“He’s going to cause trouble.”
“Yes. A big one,” Jed replied casually.
Max’s forehead twitched in irritation.
Meanwhile, Raina, unaware of the tension, walked in carrying tea.
Max sighed and stood up.
“This has become a mess. I should leave.”
Jed, grinning, asked,
“Shall I go after him and drag him back?”
Max gave him a sharp look and scoffed.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You take Raina somewhere safe. I’ll deal with Bern.”
Then, turning coldly, he added,
“And you’re on probation. You know why. Don’t make this any more annoying for me.”
To be continued.
