The Prince Seduces Me with His Body

What is it…?

 

While Diana was lost in thought, Kayden stood frozen, barely breathing. The small hand he held felt like a noose, paralyzing him. A memory flashed through his mind.

 

“So, when I grabbed her hand! I felt—!”

 

“Did you feel a spark? A jolt?”

 

“Exactly! No matter how much I think about it, I’ve never felt this before. You know that saying, ‘It’s not just nonsense, it’s real.’ This must be fate.”

 

“You lucky b*stard. I’m so jealous that I need medical attention, so no gift money from me.”

 

“What did you just say?”

 

He had overheard this conversation outside the training ground as a child. Why was this memory filling his mind now?

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Kayden snapped out of it and looked up to see Diana’s blue-violet eyes filled with concern.

 

“…I’m fine. Let’s go.”

 

Seeing her eyes made him suddenly aware of how improper his thoughts might have been.

 

Kayden rubbed his face with his free hand and started walking. The path Diana had taken was not long. Soon, they reached the edge of the crowded square.

.

Kayden hesitated, still holding her hand. He should let go now that they had arrived, but it felt like losing a precious gift.

 

What nonsense… He mocked himself and slowly released his grip. Even then, the warmth slipping through his fingers made him almost grab her hand again. To avoid acting on this impulse, he quickly clenched his fist.

 

As Diana politely bowed and started to turn away, he blurted out, “The road is rough, be careful on your path.”

 

“Pardon?” Diana widened her eyes at those words and looked down, confused. The square was so well-paved that it practically shone, thanks to Rebecca’s policies to win public favor.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

Realizing his slip, Kayden rubbed his face again. “…I meant, take care on your way back.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“And next time you come to a place like this, bring an escort.” Embarrassed, Kayden turned and disappeared into the alley without looking back.

 

Diana watched him go, noticing that his neck had turned red under his hood, and then headed back to the Sudsfield mansion.

 

* * *

“Where do you think you’re sneaking back from without permission?”

 

“Madame.” Diana hurriedly bowed as she encountered the viscountess on her way back to her room after confirming Rebecca had left.

 

Of all times. She clicked her tongue, hoping to stay out of sight.

 

The viscountess seemed particularly irritated today. Diana braced herself for a slap. It’s been a while since I’ve been hit. It’s going to hurt.

 

Since joining Rebecca, no one dared lay a hand on her. It’s been a while since she had been in this situation.

 

Diana sighed, anticipating the pain. Just then, the viscountess snapped her fan shut and turned her head sharply.

 

“…The patriarch is looking for you. Go upstairs immediately.”

 

“Yes?” Diana instinctively looked up.

 

The viscountess glared at her. “Don’t make me repeat myself!”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Muttering like an idiot.” Satisfied after her tirade, the viscountess strode away.

 

Diana waited until the footsteps faded, then instructed a Hillasa to trip the viscountess by catching her skirt before heading upstairs.

 

Why would he want to see me? He never has a reason to.

 

Normally, the viscount should be celebrating Milard’s engagement to Rebecca. That’s what happened in the past. But now, he suddenly wanted to see her. It’s not likely to be good news…

 

Diana forced herself to relax and approached the viscount’s room. Knocking, she announced herself. “It’s Diana.”

 

“Come in.”

 

Diana opened the door quietly. The first thing she saw was the room filled with rainbow-colored diamonds. How much is all this worth?

 

It was a childish yet effective display of wealth. Shaking her head inwardly, Diana bowed calmly. “I was told you wanted to see me, Patriarch.”

 

Then, the unexpected words hit her ears.

 

“Not ‘Patriarch.’ Call me Father.”

 

“…Yes?”

 

Pardon me, but did you go mad? …She nearly said it out loud. Suppressing her true feelings, Diana closed her mouth.

 

“Cough, cough.” The viscount, who had ignored her living in a storage room and eating scraps, coughed awkwardly. With a straight face, he looked at her seriously.

 

“Diana Sudsfield.”

 

It was the first time he had attached the Sudsfield name to her. It doubled her sense of foreboding.

 

With a disturbingly friendly smile, he spoke. “You have a marriage proposal.”

 

* * *

Who am I, where am I? This perfectly describes Diana’s current state.

 

I have no energy left.

 

The day after hearing about the marriage proposal, Diana had been subjected to hours of grooming by a group of people sent by the viscount.

 

“Oh my gosh, this is dreadful. We need to fix your hair first. Melli! I need your help here!”

 

Introducing herself as Madame Deshu, the woman clapped her hands, ignoring Diana’s bewilderment. At that signal, Madame Deshu and her assistants’ eyes turned fierce. Then it was… chaos.

 

Diana trembled between the scissors, oils, lace, and measuring tape. When Madame Deshu finally declared it her life’s masterpiece, she already found herself in a carriage.

 

“Patriarch, wait. You haven’t even told me who the suitor—”

 

“Oho, call me Father. You’ll find out soon enough. Don’t worry if you can’t come back tonight.”

 

Feigning tears, the viscount locked the carriage door himself.

 

Diana almost forgot to play her part from five years ago and cursed him. The sudden talk of marriage was confusing enough. But telling her not to come back tonight? Even as a façade, no father should say that.

 

Should I break it… Diana glared at the carriage wall. She then sighed, giving up. She could easily destroy the carriage with the power of a high-level spirit, but…

 

“Witch!”

 

Recalling the contempt and hatred from her past life, she calmed down.

 

…Well, it’s true that it won’t look good. Since there is no record of it.

 

Even Rebecca, with all her power and wealth, couldn’t find accurate information about dark elementalist.

 

While Rebecca knew that dark spirits were not demons, people didn’t. Using her powers openly would lead to more suspicion and fear. For now, she had to pretend to be a powerless illegitimate child. She hadn’t even secured a fake identity yet.

 

Because something special with unclear roots is nothing more than strangeness.

 

Diana pushed these voices out of her mind. Staring blankly out the window, she calmed down.

 

This didn’t happen before.  She frowned slightly in confusion.

 

If someone had proposed to her, they must have sought something from the viscount. A large dowry, perhaps, or other financial gain. But the viscount would never pay a dowry for me. Why is he so welcoming this?  To understand this, she needed to meet the suitor.

 

Just as Diana sighed, the coachman’s voice came. “We have arrived.”

 

With a maid’s help, Diana stepped out of the carriage and looked around, puzzled.

 

“Let’s go, Milady.”

 

The carriage had stopped at the entrance to the central garden of the imperial palace.

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