Chapter 48
The Day of the Prince’s Return
On the day of the grand event and banquet celebrating the prince’s return, Kaiden was preparing for the Eclipse Hunting Tournament when his aide approached him.
“My Lord, here is the list of gifts prepared to congratulate His Highness, Prince Andrew, on his return.”
Clearing his throat, the aide began listing the presents.
“A golden turtle, the highest-quality pink pearls from Altan Mountain…”
Recently, the capital’s nobles were eager to befriend the prince while still being mindful of the emperor’s opinion. Since he was the only heir to the throne, being close to him had more advantages than risks.
As a result, sending extravagant gifts under the pretense of celebrating his return had become a trend.
“A 100-carat blue diamond from Partak, and…”
The aide flipped to the next page, continued listing the gifts, and then turned to another page. Finally, after reading the last item, he took a deep breath.
The list was excessive.
Honestly, Kaiden didn’t need to go to such lengths. As the future head of House Baisen, he knew that no matter how incompetent the prince was, he wouldn’t dare go against his family.
“…That concludes the list.”
Silence.
“My Lord?”
Still no response.
The aide adjusted his small glasses and raised his voice.
“My Lord, is there something on the list you’re not satisfied with?”
At last, Kaiden’s eyes refocused. Pressing his fingers against his temple, he finally spoke.
“You made sure my gifts are more valuable than my brother’s, right?”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Then that’s enough.”
The aide bowed his head, holding back a sigh.
‘Lately, he seems even more fixated on Duke Harold.’
Kaiden had always disliked Harold, but until now, it had never led to such unnecessary spending.
It was an unplanned and massive expense—an amount that made the aide’s stomach turn just thinking about it. Despite his close aides, including the butler, advising against it, Kaiden didn’t flinch.
‘Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter.’
After all, his lord was the heir to the Baisen family.
Besides, a recent report from the household physician confirmed that Harold’s illness was worsening.
‘He may put on a strong look with painkillers, but his time is running out.’
Once Harold was gone, all his wealth, assets, and businesses would belong to Kaiden. Compared to that, today’s expenses would be insignificant.
“It’s time to leave.”
“Safe travels, my Lord.”
Kaiden boarded the carriage, which moved smoothly forward.
As the scenery outside changed rapidly, his gaze locked onto a pink blossom on a tree.
The delicate petals reminded him of a woman—a woman whose cheeks would flush red whenever their eyes met.
Even after the flower disappeared from view, he found himself unable to look away from the window.
A voice echoed in his mind, shaking him to his core.
“Now you understand, don’t you? Diana never truly loved you.”
Kaiden clenched his fist so tightly that it felt like his veins would burst, showing his teeth like a beast defending its territory.
“… To think I’ve been fooled by Diana, acting so smug.”
His displeasure reached its peak, and his red eyes seemed ready to burn the entire sea.
Even after realizing the reason for his uncontrollable rage, his daily life remained in disarray.
Kaiden was convinced that his anger toward Harold was what caused it.
But today, it would all come to an end.
‘Brother, playing love games is fine, but you shouldn’t have mocked me.’
Today, he would uncover Diana’s true feelings.
He was prepared to use a method he had avoided until now—one that would surely expose the truth.
‘No matter how much you pretend, Diana, I know you still love me.’
And when that happened, his brother—always standing arrogantly above him—would finally crumble.
Watching Harold’s smug face twist in despair would be a satisfying treat.
Kaiden smirked coldly.
By then, his carriage had arrived at Count Garcia’s estate.
As he stepped out, the count’s butler greeted him.
“Welcome, Lord Kaiden. Please wait a moment while I summon Lady Ella.”
“Very well.”
Kaiden glanced around as he waited.
Traces of Diana lingered throughout the mansion.
He could vividly recall how she used to follow him around, always eager to speak with him.
‘Back then, I found it annoying and tiresome.’
But looking back now, she had been rather cute.
‘No… nothing has changed.’
Diana was just acting.
By the end of today, she would drop the act and return to chasing after him like before.
She would have no choice.
“My Lady, we’ll style your hair as discussed last time.”
“I’ll begin your makeup now. Please close your eyes for a moment.”
I sat still, letting the maids work as my mind wandered.
‘If things go well today, the events that were supposed to happen three years from now might be set in motion early.’
According to Harold, Prince Andrew wanted to improve the lives of the empire’s citizens.
For someone like me—who had once been reborn into this world and lived in fear while struggling on the streets—it was the best news I could hear.
Just then, a knock sounded, and Harold entered my room.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes! You arrived right on time!”
The servants quietly exited, leaving us alone. I approached Harold, expecting him to offer his arm for an escort.
Instead, he simply stared at me.
“…Is something on my face?”
“Diana.”
“Yes?”
“How about wearing the perfume I gave you?”
I blinked in surprise.
“I wasn’t going to since we’ll be near the forest… Why?”
Harold walked past me to the vanity, his broad back facing me.
“Most of the nobles in the capital will be there today. Even many of the provincial lords are attending.”
He picked up the perfume bottle from the table and turned to face me.
“This will be the first time many of them see us as a married couple.”
“…”
“So, I need to make it clear just how obsessed I am with you.”
Harold’s sharp gaze locked onto me. The small bottle of perfume rested in his hand.
“…I see. You want to prevent people from suspecting that our marriage is fake.”
Harold was highly possessive of what he considered his. I remembered the first time I had worn the perfume—how the noblewomen’s reactions had been strikingly different.
Given that, this did seem like an effective strategy.
“….”
Harold stayed silent. I took that as his way of saying yes.
‘He could’ve just said that it’s to keep people from suspecting our marriage is fake.’
Why did he have to say it in a way that made my heart drop? It made me think of things I shouldn’t, even though I was already struggling to adjust. I shot him a slightly annoyed look.
Then, I held out my arm, signaling that I’d wear the perfume.
“I’ll put it on for you,” Harold said.
“I can do it myself.”
I reached for the perfume bottle, but he moved it out of my reach.
“Harold?”
“Yes, Diana?”
His eyes met mine, narrowing slightly like a cunning fox. His smile looked sweet, as if he’d do anything for me, but there was a deep stubbornness behind it.
‘Why is he so fixated on this?’
He was like this when he first gave me the perfume too. It was such a weird thing to insist on that I couldn’t even argue.
“…Fine, do as you like.”
With a sigh, I let him do as he pleased.
Harold moved in close, so close that I could see only his chest. I’d gotten used to this kind of closeness, but my eyelids still fluttered nervously.
The scent of the forest that clung to him grew stronger.
His breath brushed against my neck as he applied the perfume.
“As I thought, it suits you.”
“….”
“Maybe because it’s the perfect scent for my wife.”
Harold stepped back slightly, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
“I like it.”
Thump, thump, thump. My heart pounded loudly in my ears.
That sly, dangerous face!
He always managed to say things in a way that made them sound… strange.
I gasped inwardly and slowly backed away. But in my flustered state, my feet got tangled, and I lost my balance.
“Ack!”
I braced myself for the fall and shut my eyes tightly—
But before I could hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around my waist.
“You should be more careful, Diana.”
Harold’s hands lingered, his warm fingers grazing my burning ears.
Oh he’s good 😏
Thanks for the tl! ✨
Love harold so much