GDNDILBF Chapter 18

Chapter 18. The Prince’s Tricks

Steam was practically rising from my head, but the Crown Prince remained calm.

Judging by his composed and peaceful expression, he didn’t seem like the type to be easily swayed by emotions.

“That’s the Duke’s business. So don’t raise your voice anymore.”

Leo advised with a smile. Sienna turned away with a scoff in response to his gentle warning.

There wasn’t a shred of courtesy in her behavior. Somehow, I started feeling guilty on behalf of the Crown Prince.

That was when an old man with graying hair came walking from the direction Sienna had gone.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Prince! His Majesty is calling for you.”

The attendant, who had approached us before we even noticed, addressed Leo and Ramel.

Ramel waved frivolously and walked off. Leo followed the attendant after leaving me a look full of regret and a promise to see me again.

As I watched his back grow distant, I felt a strange pang of sympathy.

He was so kind… of course he’d end up being killed by the Empress and Ramel. Even without me in the picture, the Empress would try to kill him. She clearly wanted to make Ramel the next emperor.

Would things change if I warned him?

Right now, the Crown Prince was protected by the Dowager Empress. Should I at least tell him to be cautious after coming of age?

But how would he detect a poison that not even tasters could sense?

It was a complicated problem.

More than anything, I didn’t want to get involved in the imperial power struggle. Now, just like before, I wasn’t someone who fought against evil, I simply fought the designated enemy.

And soon, that enemy would be the ones defined by the Grand Duke of the North.

The demonic beasts, the Gent tribe, and the enemies who invaded the Empire.

Yes. I could give Leo a heads-up. But fundamentally, I wasn’t the one who could save him. I had to let go of any ridiculous sympathy I was feeling.

Honestly, I didn’t want to meddle in the original story any more than I already had. I’d twisted it enough as it was. I didn’t want to complicate things further.

So I just needed to fight when the ‘Jindo dog alert’ was issued, that’s all.

As I was deep in thought, someone tugged on my hand.

Andy was staring up at me with his big, sparkly eyes.

“Sister-in-law, whatcha doing?”

“Nothing really.”

Looking into those bright, carefree eyes, I suddenly felt grateful.

“Andy, thanks. For sticking up for me again.”

“I like you, Sister-in-law.”

“You want candy?”

“Yeah! I like candy.”

Do you like the candy, or do you like me?

I gazed softly at the little boy smiling so brightly.

He could yell all he wanted, but he didn’t even know the basics of a real fight. As someone more experienced in life, I had a duty to teach him.

“Andy, people who gang up on others like that, they’re bad kids.”

“Bad kids.”

“If bad kids say stuff to you, and you just sit there like a statue, they’ll think you are one. So don’t just bear with it.”

“Don’t bear it.”

I clenched my fist as I spoke, and Andy mimicked me with his tiny hand.

Not bad, his posture looked pretty solid.

“If you wanna get stronger, Andy, you gotta learn by watching me.”

“Andy learn.”

“That’s right. So smart. Now follow me. You glare like this and go for their eyeballs…”

“Eyeballs…!”

I grabbed at my eyes with both hands, and Andy copied me exactly.

Somehow, he still looked adorable doing it. But this world was too harsh to get by on cuteness alone.

“Then you drop your voice real low and say it: ‘I’m not a pushover, so don’t mess with me!’”

“I’m not a pushover, don’t mess!”

“Wow, our Andy’s doing great.”

“Andy’s great.”

Sure, his voice still sounded like a baby’s, so it wasn’t exactly threatening—but for now, I was satisfied.

He’d get better as he grew up.

Just as I was thinking it was time to leave the greenhouse and turned around, Rikael was suddenly standing right in front of me.

Geez. That scared me.

What was he, a ghost? Humans should make noise when they move.

“When did you get here?”

“Just now. Leo asked me to bring a book, but no one was around when I came back.”

“Then you should’ve said something. You should have told us to wait or something.”

“I assumed you’d wait.”

He answered bluntly, his face arrogant as always. Sunlight poured into the greenhouse, and on this boy—more radiant than any flower—it looked like a divine blessing.

And so, while he was brilliant, he was also lonely.

Everyone thought he walked off because he didn’t want to be here. That he was too aloof to even bother with people talking to him.

Leo left because the Emperor called him, but I didn’t feel the need to explain that.

“Rikael, people won’t know how you feel unless you tell them.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you like someone, say it. If you don’t, say that too. If you want them to wait, tell them. You have to say something.”

“Fine. Then I’ll say it. I don’t like you. Let’s call off the engagement.”

…How did we get there?

Seriously, what could I even say to this guy?

Rikael was as unchanging as ever. I had a sinking feeling he hadn’t even entered his denial phase yet.

“Rikael. Can’t you just be my fiancé?”

“No. Can’t.”

“Just be my fiancé. Do you think I’d be doing this if I had a choice? Honestly, I’d love to just live a peaceful life. But circumstances are what they are. So let’s just live together.”

“No.”

He must be the type who likes to cut things off cold and clean.

At a loss for words, I shut my mouth like a mute who swallowed honey. No matter how many times I saw that handsome face, I felt like I could look at it for a lifetime and never get tired of it, but that tone of his was still hard to get used to.

“Looks like you’re feeling better now? You seem fine.”

“Why?”

“You passed out after getting caught by a snake. But seeing how you’re up and about now, maybe it was a blessing in disguise.”

“What?”

“A blessing in disguise. Oh! I guess you’re too young to understand that kind of phrase? You’ll get it when you’re older.”

After speaking, his red lips curved into a graceful arc. It was the closest thing to a smile I’d ever seen on him.

If he opened his mouth and let out a sound, it might’ve been his first real laugh. But why did he look like that now?

Like he’d just won something.

I didn’t get it.

Of course I knew what a blessing in disguise meant. But did it really apply here?

Not entirely wrong, but it felt like a bit of a stretch.

Why say it so dramatically? It was just one fainting spell—what’s the big deal?

Well, whatever. Putting that aside…

“Rikael, I have a favor.”

He seemed to be in a good mood, so this was the perfect time to get something out of him.

“A favor?”

“You know that wooden sword you don’t use anymore? I want it.”

His eyes filled with confusion, as if wondering why I’d suddenly bring up a wooden sword.

“The wooden sword? Why?”

“I just want it. Where is it?”

“It’s in the study. Go get it if you want.”

“Thanks.”

I was relieved he agreed so easily. I’d been worried he might say no. He didn’t need it anymore anyway, since he was training with a larger, newer wooden sword now.

I was going to give that sword to Jake. He’d always wanted the sword Rikael had trained with. He believed that if he trained with it too, he could become as strong as his brother.

But he’d never been able to say that to Rikael, and just suffered in silence. In the original story, Rikael had thrown that wooden sword away.

When Jake found out, he was devastated. He was even sick for a few days over the fact that it had already been used as kindling.

If it was going to be tossed anyway, it didn’t matter who got it.

To someone like Jake, who adored his brother like a role model, that wooden sword was priceless.

To Rikael, it was just a piece of wood. So it was better for someone who would treasure it to have it.

***

Before long, the sun began to set. As the red sunset started to spread beyond the mountains near the northern training grounds, the emperor, the empress, and their entourage came out to say farewell to the grand duke’s family.

Rikael also said his goodbyes to Leo. At that moment, Ramel took the opportunity to approach me from where I was standing in a corner.

“Let’s meet again.”

“Why would we?”

“Because I want to see you.”

What nonsense. I guess the rumors about him being obsessed with Roella’s looks since childhood were true.

Still, I had a fiancée now, how could he be pulling this crap?

“I don’t want to.”

“You will. I like you.”

“Bull****.”

I never thought I’d get to use the curses I learned from the landlady on the first floor so well.

I usually reserved swearing for snakes, but my rough heart revolted so hard against him that I had no choice.

“What are you even saying?”

Ramel’s face twisted in confusion, he must’ve never heard that kind of curse before.

“What kind of bull**** is it to say you like me? I belong to someone else.”

Maybe he thought he could do whatever he wanted to someone like Roella, who’d lost her parents and was lonely. But I wasn’t like that.

I wasn’t weak like Roella. And more importantly, I had the strong backing of a duke.

Earlier, he hadn’t even been able to stand up to Andy, so I definitely wasn’t someone to mess with either.

“You’re fun. And pretty.”

“You ***** lunatic.”

Since he wasn’t getting it, I upgraded my cursing.

Even so, Ramel just chuckled. His gray eyes sparkled like something had piqued his curiosity.