The Crown Prince’s procession was nothing short of magnificent. Though accompanied only by a handful of his personal guard, the opulence and grandeur of his personal carriage were unmistakable.
Ludwig and Rapunzel were in the carriage, followed closely by Elias and other attendants on horseback. Some confidants disapproved of Rapunzel being in the carriage, but Ludwig insisted that Rapunzel had to sit right beside him.
“What if I suddenly need to sneeze or my nose starts running? Who will take care of it? And if something gets in my eye, who will blow it out?”
“Your Highness, haven’t you ridden alone in the carriage before without any issues?”
“I’ve been quite uncomfortable all those times. Why should I have to do anything myself when I have attendants?”
Ignoring his advisors, Ludwig pulled Rapunzel to sit by his side. Ariel was suddenly pulled so close that she almost embraced him. Caught off guard, Ariel tried to move away, almost stumbling, but he quickly wrapped an arm around her waist to stabilize her.
Ariel’s heart raced, and she blushed beneath her mask.
“Is this your first time in a carriage, or something?” Ludwig leaned in close to ask, his enticing scent enveloping her.
“No, no, I’ve ridden in one when I came to the palace.”
“But it must feel different, right? Maybe that’s why it’s a bit hard to adjust.”
“What?”
Ariel looked puzzled.
“You really don’t get it, do you? You’re like a squirrel from the countryside who knows nothing,” Ludwig said bluntly.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, for being so clueless.”
“Tsk, what can I do? I have no choice but to teach you kindly. How could a common carriage be the same as one reserved for royalty?”
“Yes, you’re right. This is my first time in such a luxurious carriage.”
Excited, Ariel’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, and a smile played on Ludwig’s lips, though he quickly changed the subject.
“Isn’t the imperial capital wonderful? Where are you from?”
“…Cha, the Kingdom of Charden.”
“Hmm, I haven’t heard of Charden before. Well, there are so many kingdoms under imperial rule. How was it like living there?”
Ariel struggled with how she was meant to respond without revealing too much about the living conditions back home.
“I just stayed at home… I mean, in the house.”
“At home only… Well, that makes sense. Any places you’d like to visit or things you’d like to do?”
“No, not really.”
“Take your time to think about it. What’s Charden like?”
“Charden is surrounded by forests, where you can really feel the seasons. In the morning, the birds…”
As Rapunzel spoke excitedly, Ludwig was pleased with his question, smiling at her response.
Rapunzel went on about Charden non-stop. Ludwig, unable to see her face under the mask, gauged her mood from her voice.
Eventually, they arrived at the monastery, where monks lined up in a row, heads bowed.
Word of the Crown Prince’s visit must have spread as a silk red carpet was laid out from the spot where the carriage stopped to the main building of the monastery.
Ludwig stepped out of the carriage with a diplomatic smile, and as he casually flipped his golden hair back, it rippled like a wave.
“Wow.”
Cheers erupted all around. Admiration and awe filled the air, along with all manner of praises for the Crown Prince. Ludwig struck a model-like pose for them, showcasing his alluring appearance.
After he dismounted from the carriage, Ariel quietly followed after him, hoping to remain unnoticed as she hid behind him. However, her mask drew people’s attention.
“There, a monster!”
“A monster with a mask!”
The orphans from the monastery shouted as they approached.
Panic-stricken, Ariel looked for an escape and bolted for the nearby forest before anyone could stop her. A few mischievous children chased after her, and one of the larger kids managed to pull off her mask. Her disfigured face was now exposed, the children threw stones at her. No one knew how to react to the sudden onslaught.
Ludwig, sensing the commotion, rushed over and shielded Ariel with his body, causing the children to back off with frightened expressions.
“What are you all doing? Those who dare harm what belongs to me are disrespecting the name of the Crown Prince!”
Ludwig’s fury seemed to fill and overflow the monastery courtyard. Ariel, held in his arms, trembled like a trapped animal.
Ariel’s tears soaked Ludwig’s shirt. Though it was only the fabric that was wet, it felt as though her tears had seeped into his heart. Ludwig felt an inexplicable sorrow gripping him.
“Burn the papers we brought here in the monastery courtyard. And take the monks and orphans into custody.”
The knights piled the papers they had carried in the front yard of the monastery. Ludwig’s anger seemed hot enough to ignite the paper by itself.
Back from the monastery, Ludwig instructed Elias to draft a decree. Elias’s expression turned from curious to worried as he wrote down Ludwig’s orders.
“Send the finest doctors and mask makers to the Prince’s palace.
—Crown Prince Ludwig de Sergey.
“Send a courier with the decree.”
“Why do we need doctors and mask makers? It’s not for the reason I think, is it?”
“If you’re guessing, you’re probably right.”
“Is this really what you want, Your Highness?”
“Yes, it is what I want.”
“Really… are you serious? After all that has happened… As a servant to the Crown Prince, even one who has been punished, should you care this much?”
Elias, initially disapproving of Rapunzel’s circumstances that necessitated her becoming a servant, questioned Ludwig.
“It’s not about that.”
“Is it merely out of pity for Rapunzel?”
“Not that either.”
“What then, Your Highness?”
Faced with Elias’s desperate look, Ludwig shook his head in frustration.
“I don’t know. I just care. Rapunzel’s burn scars and the disdain he faces feel like my own. I just wish he could smile comfortably, even just a little.”
“That’s enough, Your Highness.”
Elias’s expression was graver than ever.
***
A bird perched on the window sill tapped at the window with its beak.
Ariel had returned to her quarters immediately after coming back from the monastery. Even though it was a form changed by magic, the faces of the children who had ripped off her mask and thrown stones at her, calling her a monster, haunted her.
A month had passed, and the magic still hadn’t worn off. Ariel worried about being exposed if the spell was broken, but remaining under its influence posed its own problems.
Every time she looked in the mirror, she was startled by the terrible burn scars. It wouldn’t have been an issue if it were merely unsightly, but wearing the mask itself was a challenge.
The mask, which allowed no air to pass, felt hot and suffocating. She wanted to take it off even while sleeping, but Ludwig had strictly forbidden it, and she couldn’t risk someone seeing her without it while she slept.
As Ariel opened the window, a bird fluttered in. It flew into the room and suddenly transformed into a man with brown, amber eyes and had a face as if it was sculpted from marble.
“Who are you?”
Startled, Ariel rose from her bed, and Ian approached with a gentle smile.
“Don’t be alarmed. I’m the apprentice mage you met at the inn last time.”
“But, but…”
“The face was a transformation. This is my real face.”
“I can’t believe it… But what brings you here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“What?”
“Let’s take off the mask.”
“I can’t.”
“It’s okay.”
Ian tried to remove Ariel’s mask, but she stopped his hand. She didn’t want to reveal her current state. Ian looked at her with what seemed to be eternal warmth in his eyes.
As the mask came off, her burned face was revealed, but Ian’s expression remained unchanged.
“It’s magic.”
“Yes.”
Ian closed his eyes and gently traced Ariel’s face with his fingertips, sensing the type of magic used.
“…So it’s royal magic.”
Ian muttered softly.
‘The magic of succession passed down to the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Charden. Only Gale can break it.’
It seemed that finding Gale would be necessary.
“Ariel, all I can do for you right now is healing magic. Let me heal the festering wounds on your face first.”
Ian placed his hands on her face, and like magic, the wounds healed, and her face brightened. The relief from the itchy and painful wounds felt like a new lease on life.
Ian tried to apply a magically created mask, but it kept being repelled.
‘Magic on top of magic doesn’t work, I guess. No choice then. I’ll have to go into the tower and make the mask myself.’
“Ariel, this will have to do for now. Next time I come, I’ll bring you a gift.”
“A gift? I haven’t even given you a birthday present yet.”
Ariel felt guilty. Was it okay to only receive gifts from the apprentice mage every time they met?
Reading her thoughts, Ian reassured her with a bright smile.
“Just being you is a gift enough.”
“Brother, am I the Crown Prince’s fiancée, or am I a babysitter?”
Marisa, sitting across from Elias drinking tea, wore a look of slight annoyance. Elias had sought her out to help quell the rumors surrounding the monastery incident, and fortunately, the rumors weren’t as bad as he had feared.
“The word is that the prince threw himself at a servant who got burned,” she relayed, a smirk forming on her face.
“Actually, I heard that the prince coveted the mask of a servant who suffered a burn on their face. When an orphan touched the mask, he flew into a rage and burned all the papers he had carried with him.”
“And what’s so special about this mask that the prince would desire it?”
“There had been rumors before that His Highness was tone-deaf, right? They say that when you wear this mask and sing, it’s as if the Phantom of the Opera himself is there, helping you sing well.”
“My, how fascinating.”
“Hoho, where can one obtain such a mask?”
Elias felt a quiet relief hearing these tales. It was better the gossip focused on this rather than scandalous rumors involving the servant.
Marisa’s cooperation could well resolve this affair, though she seemed more irritated than usual.
“It would be problematic if rumors spread that His Highness prefers men.”
Marisa’s cold comment startled Elias.
Her keen mind was an asset to Ludwig and she lacked nothing as a prospective empress of the Romanov Empire.
All he could hope for was that Ludwig would open his heart to her.
“Marisa, I’m always grateful to you.”
That was all Elias could offer her at the moment. Knowing his heartfelt appreciation, Marisa flashed a vibrant smile.
“Someday, I will repay this debt, with interest.”
🍉🍉🍉
T/N: apologies if the translations are a bit lacking. I just base it closely on the raws and don’t want to add too much that is not on the original text, and this novel is very heavy on dialogue. I’m open to any feedback, so please let me know if anything feels lacking. Happy reading!
