Episode 94

‘That damn bastard!’

I ground my teeth reflexively.

Of course, I knew full well that blindly trusting and following him in my previous life was my fault too. No matter how much I despised Diana, plotting to kill her was nothing short of foolish and despicable.

Looking back, I couldn’t help but curse my own idiocy.

But Adolf Galagos ultimately betrayed the crown prince and sided with the second prince. He was even the one who put the crown prince into a coma.

‘…So, the crown prince was already close with ‘that bastard’ at this point?’

The tragic crown prince, who lost everything in an instant, betrayed by a friend and subordinate he had known for over ten years. The thought weighed heavily on my heart.

Just then, I felt a warm touch against one cheek.

“…Huh?”

Startled, I lifted my gaze to find the crown prince gently brushing under my eyes with his hand.

“Why the face?”

“Huh?”

“Do you not like Adolf Galagos? You look like you’re about to cry.”

His curious teal eyes met mine directly. For the first time since I met him, I found myself staring straight into his gaze.

His playful expression belied the strikingly pure and vivid sea-green of his eyes.

‘…It’s just.’

Not even because of myself.

But because I pitied him.

Even if the betrayal was yet to come, Adolf Galagos had already marked himself as the prince’s future downfall. And the crown prince’s coma wasn’t even part of the original story.

‘In a way, you’re also a victim of my interference.’

Another person caught in the ripple effects of my actions, someone who wouldn’t have been involved if not for me.

Facing another unintended casualty, a buried guilt clawed its way to the surface.

“Ugh…”

I hadn’t meant to cry, but a pained groan escaped me anyway.

“Alright, I’ll keep him at second place. I’ll let you be the only first-place winner…”

Caught off guard by my sudden reaction, the crown prince looked visibly flustered.

“So, don’t cry, Belze.”

“Hic…”

His gentle tone, trying to console me, only made the surge of sorrow harder to contain. My nose stung, and I inhaled deeply to keep from sobbing outright when—

“Y-young master! You can’t do this! W-wait, young master…!”

A commotion erupted outside the room, followed by the door bursting open.

“Belze.”

“E-Edwin?!”

I froze at the sight of Edwin barging in unexpectedly.

“H-how did you…?”

“Why are you crying?”

His sharp gaze swept the drawing room, almost as if searching for a hidden attacker. Finally, his golden eyes landed on the crown prince’s hand resting against my cheek.

And on my tear-streaked face.

In that instant, his golden irises glinted dangerously.

“Take your hand off her.”

“Ha. Are you giving me orders now?” the crown prince asked, his tone laced with disbelief as he let out a dry laugh.

But only for a moment.

“I don’t want to.”

“Did you make her cry, Your Highness?”

“And if I did?”

The crown prince, smirking arrogantly, tilted his chin toward Edwin, his hand still resting against my cheek.

“….”

Edwin’s hand instinctively moved to his waist, as if reaching for a sword. Of course, no weapons were allowed in the palace, and his waist was empty.

Yet, his frantic searching and the crazed glint in his eyes were enough to make my heart race in panic.

‘Oh no! What are you doing? This could go terribly wrong!’

I’d seen this side of Edwin before, in my previous life. When battling beasts, he sometimes struggled to calm himself once his adrenaline surged.

But this wasn’t a beast—it was the crown prince.

“What? Are you planning to strike me?”

The crown prince, recognizing Edwin’s rising tension, sneered provocatively.

Edwin’s wandering gaze snapped back to the prince, and for a moment, his fist twitched.

It was a powder keg ready to explode.

“S-stop—!”

Terrified of the escalating tension, I sprang to my feet and ran to Edwin.

“I-I’m fine! It’s not what you think!”

Clinging to his waist, I shouted, ‘Please, Edwin, come to your senses! This is the crown prince!’

Perhaps my desperate plea reached him, as Edwin’s cold, rigid body slowly turned toward me.

“Why were you crying? Did His Highness… hit you?” he demanded.

I shook my head furiously, pale with fear.

“No!”

“Then why was His Highness touching you…?”

“Dust got in my eye! His Highness was just helping me blow it out!”

Panicked that Edwin might be accused of treason, I spewed excuses as quickly as I could. My eyes were only slightly red from tearing up, so the lie wasn’t entirely unconvincing.

As my words seemed to register, the focus in Edwin’s dazed golden eyes gradually returned.

“…Let me see.”

He reached out for my face.

“I’m fine now! His Highness helped, so it’s all better!”

I stepped back from Edwin’s outstretched hand and shot a desperate glance at the crown prince.

‘Apologize, now!’

If the crown prince decided to punish Edwin for his behavior, I wouldn’t be able to stop it.

Fortunately, Edwin seemed to pick up on my silent plea. Turning away from me, he faced the crown prince and bowed his head.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I was rude.”

“Hah.”

The crown prince let out a short laugh at Edwin’s sudden shift in demeanor.

“Well, barging into the crown prince’s reception uninvited is more than just rude, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’m not an outsider. I’m here as Belze’s guardian.”

Unfazed, Edwin calmly pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the crown prince.

The crown prince’s eyebrows twitched as he unfolded it.

“Guardian… delegation form?”

<Guardian Delegation Form>

‘As Belze (Female, 5 years old)’s guardian, Liam Kallios, is unable to fulfill his role today due to personal circumstances, all rights are hereby delegated to Edwin Kallios…’

“Like father, like son,” the crown prince muttered with a smirk as he read over the guardian delegation form.

Even without looking, I could guess the contents of that paper, and my face burned hot with embarrassment. While I was busy feeling mortified, Edwin remained completely unbothered and calmly replied.

“I heard a child crying while waiting outside. How could I, as her guardian, simply stand by? I hope Your Highness will understand.”

“Did you think I was going to eat her just for coming to receive an award?”

“Considering how many tried to harm Belze at the charity event, it’s only natural to be cautious, Your Highness.”

“…”

The crown prince was momentarily at a loss for words, though he seemed grudgingly to agree with Edwin’s point. After a pause, he sighed and spoke with an air of resignation.

“…Let’s wrap up the award remarks and pleasantries here.”

He was so calm that for a moment, I almost believed we had been exchanging award speeches all along.

“Jordan, make sure she gets her prize money and trophy on the way out.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Jordan replied promptly.

“And…”

The crown prince turned to me, his gaze softening.

“As promised, you’re the sole first-place winner, Belze.”

He winked at me playfully, as if sharing a secret about the real reason I’d been upset.

‘That’s not why I was crying, though…’

Still, being the sole first-place winner was undeniably good news. If only Adolf, that cursed scoundrel, didn’t win any prize at all, it would be even better. I hid my disappointment and bowed politely.

“Thank you. Goodbye, Your Highness!”

“Take care. Let’s meet again.”

The crown prince waved at me with a cheerful smile. Edwin gave a polite bow, but the crown prince didn’t acknowledge him in the slightest.

‘These two… they used to be close.’

The Kallios family had always supported the crown prince, and Edwin had known him since childhood. But now, it felt like their relationship had soured because of me, leaving me uneasy.

As I trailed Edwin toward the door, my emotions churned until I could no longer suppress them. I spun around abruptly.

“Y-Your Highness! About your proposal…!”

“…?”

“I’ll think it over positively!” I blurted out.

The crown prince’s eyes widened in surprise.

I didn’t know why I was doing this. Based on the original story, I should avoid entangling myself with any male lead candidates.

But…

‘I can’t just let Adolf Galagos become the crown prince’s trusted aide.’

If Adolf eventually betrayed the crown prince to side with the second prince, as he did in the original story, it would be catastrophic. I’d had enough of regretting my inaction in my previous life.

Better to uproot the problem now, even if it meant altering the original story.

“…Really?”

“Yes!”

“I thought you’d turned me down without a second thought.”

The crown prince’s surprised expression soon melted into a radiant smile, as dazzling as a blooming flower.

“In that case, next time we meet, call me César instead of Your Highness. How about it?”

“C-César…?”

“Yes, César Estarode. You can even speak casually if you’d like—maybe call me Brother César.”

Before I could fully process the sudden introduction, he continued smoothly.

“We’re friends now, remember?”

The crown prince had an uncanny ability to dress up even the most calculated exchanges as something innocent and natural. For someone so young, his social finesse was remarkable.

“Well? Belze?” he prodded gently, as I hesitated, unsure how to respond.

But his gaze wasn’t directed at me—it was fixed on something behind me, with a subtle sense of superiority in his eyes.

Alarmed, I turned to look at Edwin.

He stood there, frozen stiff, much like when he’d seen me with Ismail a few days ago. I knew all too well what that rigid posture meant—Edwin wasn’t in a good mood.

But this time, I had no choice.

“…Alright. I’ll do it,” I said softly.

I felt a pang of guilt as I met the crown prince’s expectant gaze.

But the truth was, I wasn’t doing this for him.

Everything I did, everything I hoped to change, was for Edwin and the Kallios family.