Episode 93

The crown prince’s smile left me momentarily dazed.

It felt different from his hearty laughter earlier.

‘That description about him smiling like a fully bloomed rose when wooing the female lead… it feels just like that.’

Shaking off the uneasy feeling that crept up on me, I convinced myself it was nothing. Why would a male lead candidate flash that kind of smile at me instead of the female lead?

“I want to repay your kindness somehow.”

“Huh? Th-that’s okay!” I replied belatedly, still caught up in my thoughts.

“I mean, you already bought a hundred bottles of the miracle cure.”

“That was only 100 gold. Isn’t that too little for saving my life?”

“Still…”

“That’s why I have a proposal for you.”

As I hesitated, the crown prince continued as if waiting for this moment.

“A proposal?”

“Yes. You’re planning to open a shop on Main Street and officially start your Fairy Herb business, right?”

His words made my eyes widen in shock.

“H-how do you know about that…?”

“You’ve been visiting Main Street every day since the festival ended.”

He was right.

Grandpa Gordon probably thought I was wasting gold like water and just playing around, but I was actually quite busy.

Still, how did the crown prince know something that even my business partner didn’t?

“S-stalker…?!”

“What nonsense.”

The crown prince looked at me as if I’d lost my mind.

“As part of tracking the entrepreneurship contest participants, any significant real estate activities get reported automatically.”

“Oh…”

Embarrassed, I quickly tried to change the subject.

“Hm-hm… Stalky, stalky bunny, where are you hopping to…?”

“Couldn’t find a shop to rent, could you?”

Thankfully, the crown prince ignored my nonsense and went straight to the point.

I nodded glumly.

“…No.”

“If you want, I can provide one for you. Not just a shop but an entire building.”

“What?! An entire building?!”

My jaw dropped as I stared at the crown prince.

Just moments ago, I had wished he would stop meddling with me. But hearing the words “property owner” made me see him in a whole new light.

‘This is a windfall! I’ve been struggling with funding, and here comes a miracle!’

Sure, accepting it as someone who saved his life made me feel a little guilty. But… so what?

‘I’m already shameless enough as it is!’

“If you insist on giving it, I won’t refuse…”

“But there’s something I’d like you to do in return.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“It’s not difficult…” he trailed off with a sly smile. “I want you to gather useful information from the nobles who visit your shop and help me set up a bit of a slush fund.”

“A s-slush fund…?”

“Yes. Of course, I’m not asking you to use your own money. I’ll provide the initial funds, and you just need to manage them through your shop. Simple, right?”

“Uh…”

My jaw fell open again.

‘Simple, my foot. Who asks a five-year-old to do something like that, you lunatic?!’

It finally dawned on me why the crown prince had personally hosted the “Children’s Entrepreneurship Contest.”

‘He’s trying to create allies.’

I recalled a brief mention of this in the original story.

The description from the original story resurfaced in my mind.

[To counter the second prince, the crown prince created trusted allies outside the imperial palace early on. They secretly raised private soldiers, laundered funds, and spread rumors to manipulate the political landscape from the shadows.]

‘Well, if you’re a male lead, shady schemes like this are a given.’

Even Duke Kallios’s household had a similar organization—the Shadow Corps.

But the idea of placing me, of all people, in such a critical and sensitive position was utterly shocking.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity.

How untrustworthy must the crown prince find those within the palace to even consider me as an ally?

Though I pitied him, my answer was clear: I would refuse. Not only was I not the ally mentioned in the original story, but I had no intention of getting entangled with male lead candidates any further!

“I… um… I think…”

I was about to reject him outright when an inexplicable unease held me back.

‘…Why does something about this feel so wrong?’

As I hesitated, emerald-green eyes moved alarmingly close to mine.

“Still unsure, Belze?” he asked with a low whisper.

“Ahhh!” I yelped, startled, and instinctively flung myself backward.

The soft cushions of the sofa caught me, jolting me back to my senses. The crown prince chuckled softly as he watched me.

“Or did I make it too complicated? Feel free to ask if there’s something you don’t understand.”

“T-that’s…”

“Yes, I’m right here.”

He gave me that sly smile again, his eyes curving in amusement.

‘This sly fox is at it again with that grin!’

His natural charm was maddening. I stared at him, flustered, before finally blurting out loudly, “I-I refuse!”

“Why?”

The crown prince’s immediate retort took me aback. Ever since the “What are you staring at?” incident, I’d noticed he had a persistent streak.

Feigning ignorance like a clueless child seemed like the best strategy.

“Uh… What is a slush fund? Belze doesn’t know. It’s too hard for me.”

“Ah.”

To my dismay, he kindly offered an explanation instead of doubting me.

“It’s when someone secretly sets aside money. That’s all a slush fund is.”

I was taken aback by how casually he described it. Entrusting money to someone like me wasn’t exactly a small matter. Surely he should’ve been more cautious.

‘This won’t do. Time for Plan B!’

“Um… but!” I began.

“Yes?”

“Isn’t this supposed to be a free gift because I saved your life?”

I was essentially asking why there needed to be strings attached.

“It is practically free,” he replied, tilting his head thoughtfully. “I’ll provide a building to start your business and funds to manage the slush fund.”

“…”

“All you have to do is gather a few pieces of information, Belze. It’s a steal, really.”

“…”

“And you know, if you’re too greedy for freebies, you might go bald someday.”

“Th-that’s a terrible thing to say!”

The crown prince’s sharp tongue caught me off guard. That line was something I’d only ever yelled at a mangy mutt!

As I glared at him, the crown prince laughed lightly, raising his head.

“See? Having even one small task is better than nothing. And you won’t go bald if you’re working for it. Right?”

“Uh…”

“Jordan, bring it over,” he ordered.

“Yes, Your Highness!”

The aide swiftly moved and placed a document on the table before excusing himself.

“I’ll step out for a moment. Please speak freely.”

It didn’t take long to understand why the aide had left.

“Here. This is a non-disclosure agreement. Just sign here,” the crown prince said, pointing to the bottom of the page.

The situation progressed so smoothly and naturally that I found myself dumbfounded, staring at both the prince and the document.

An NDA? And he expects me to just sign it?

‘What a shameless fox!’

Suppressing the words that threatened to burst out, I maintained my composure. If this was truly a simple matter, why go to the trouble of hosting a contest to find candidates?

‘He’s as slippery as they come. I have to stay sharp or I’ll end up stamping my seal without realizing it.’

Resolving not to be fooled, I took a firm stance.

“I-I’ll just find a building with my own money!”

“Why? You haven’t found one yet.”

“I don’t want to do something scary like secretly stashing money! Belze wants to make money honestly! Besides, the duke said he’d help me!”

Of course, the duke hadn’t said anything of the sort. But sometimes, Duke Kallios was the perfect shield.

“Ah… I forgot about him,” the crown prince muttered, his expression darkening slightly.

“The duke even offered to provide you a building… I suppose that makes sense, seeing how he’s followed you even here.”

Muttering to himself, the crown prince eventually pulled the document back, clearly dissatisfied.

“Fine, then. It can’t be helped.”

“My apologies!”

“In that case, I’ll give this to another winner.”

I froze mid-bow at his words.

“Another winner…?”

“Yes.”

The crown prince smiled smugly. “Someone who was originally in second place, but I’m thinking of promoting them to first.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Why not? I’m the host.”

“Ugh…”

“Relax. I’m not taking your first place away, just awarding it jointly.”

That was a relief, though it still left a sour taste in my mouth. Going from sole winner to sharing the title felt like being given something only to have it taken away again.

‘Tch!’

Pouting, I puffed out my cheeks in frustration.

Seeing this, the crown prince leaned in and said in a low voice, “If you want to be the sole winner, you just have to team up with me.”

“No thanks!” I snapped.

“Adorable,” he teased, grinning.

‘What’s with this guy? Is flirting his second nature? Do it with the female lead, not me!’

Just then, a knock interrupted us.

“Your Highness,” the aide called, re-entering with a serious expression.

“What is it?”

“We just received an urgent message from another winner.”

“A message?”

“Yes. The Galagos trading fleet encountered a kraken on their return voyage, so they won’t be able to attend today.”

“A kraken? That’s unusual. They’ve been quiet for a while.”

It seemed the crown prince was discussing the joint awardee. He asked indifferently, “Was there any significant damage or injuries?”

“No, fortunately not.”

“Good. Did they request any assistance?”

The conversation was open, so I listened curiously. While it appeared the incident was resolved without major issues, something about the name struck a chord.

‘Galagos… why does that sound familiar?’

As I racked my brain, a name flashed vividly in my mind.

“Adolf Galagos?!” I exclaimed.

Both the crown prince and his aide turned to me in surprise.

“How do you… know the other winner’s name?” the crown prince asked.

‘How could I have forgotten that cursed name?’

Adolf Galagos.

In my previous life, he was the one who had handed me the poison meant to kill Diana.

He was also one of the crown prince’s most trusted aides.