The Crown Prince’s Fiancée, Episode 9
“Her reputation isn’t all that good, but she’s popular in society.”
“Ah, I see.”
“It’s all right, little sister! Our house is doing far better!”
Terni giggled and patted my shoulder a couple of times. It hurt more than it should have, and as I knit my brows slightly, Madam Lucy pulled me along.
“Then we must get you ready, ohohoho!”
“Ready for what?”
A sudden sense of foreboding came over me. And unfortunately, that foreboding was not wrong.
“Why, to go to His Highness the Crown Prince, of course!”
“…Why, why?”
I asked back in a frightened voice. Why should I do that? I couldn’t work out the reason at all.
I had been so glad I wouldn’t see the Crown Prince’s face today, so why did I have to go see him myself! I would rather have been a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse.
But Madam Lucy and Terni were persistent.
“Because you’re his fiancée, ohoho! Naturally you must win His Highness the Crown Prince away from Lady Gabriel!”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
No, why should I…? I don’t need him, so tell her to take him…
For someone to actually want the Crown Prince, Lady Gabriel’s tastes seemed rather unusual.
And I didn’t understand why I had to set off on a long expedition to win a man I didn’t even want.
“Come, come. Up you get! Think of it as a rehearsal for the ball! Hohoho!”
I was already wearing a ridiculously elaborate ball gown because of the dance practice, but Madam Lucy declared it still lacked something and added more ornaments.
Only when she was finally satisfied was I able to escape her clutches and head to where the Crown Prince was.
* * *
My body felt so heavy that my steps dragged on their own.
I had desperately wished this road would never end, but I arrived at the destination in no time.
Haah, life is so cruel.
“It’s all right, little sister! We’re in this together!”
Wow, that was a thoroughly demotivating thing to say.
I was keeping my distance with distrustful eyes when Diano, who had been staring at me, spoke up.
“Wait.”
He fumbled around in his coat, took something out, and handed it to me without a word. What was this? As I stood there blankly, Terni added an explanation.
“Put it on. Essen always wore a veil.”
I had been playing Essen’s part all this time, so there was no reason to refuse now. I obediently took the veil and put it on.
I thought this veil must have played no small part in the rumor that Artienne was beautiful.
This translucent face covering made one look remarkably pretty.
The place we arrived at was the garden right beside Grace Palace. Faintly, in the distance, someone’s voice could be heard.
I wanted to arrive even one second later, but Terni kept pushing me along, so I couldn’t. What a thoroughly unhelpful brother.
Before long, the Crown Prince’s back came into view. He didn’t seem to have noticed that we had drawn near. And then, soon enough, I heard it.
Clatter, clatter…
What was that? Why was he fiddling with his sword hilt?
“Hurry up. He’s about to draw at this rate.”
Terni grabbed me and hurried my steps. I froze with my smile still in place.
So that was him deciding whether or not to draw…
As we came a little closer, I felt an intense gaze and lifted my head. Eyes the color of violets were looking at me with hostility.
So that’s ‘that woman.’
A prim-looking beauty with blue hair and violet eyes.
She was glaring at me. Her gaze was so hot I felt it might bore a hole through me.
She seemed to be in a foul mood at having her cozy time alone with the Crown Prince interrupted, but did she even know?
That she had barely saved her own life thanks to the arrival of me and these two men…
The clatter of the sword hilt, rattling as he debated whether or not to draw, was still vivid in my ears.
“That lunatic is at it again.”
Diano’s voice came softly from behind. It was so quiet that only I, standing nearby, could barely hear it.
That’s a dangerous thing to say, you know…
A moment later, an attendant brought additional chairs, one for each of us. When we sat down, Gabriel greeted us as though she were the host of the tea.
“It’s been a while, everyone. And it feels like it has been an especially long time since I’ve seen you, Lady Artienne.”
That question was for me, right? I couldn’t decide whether or not I should answer, but I couldn’t open my mouth rashly.
If I answered wrong here, the forty-fifth threat to my life would arrive.
Or was it the forty-sixth? Whatever.
At that moment, a tender voice came from beside me.
“My fiancée has been busy, you see.”
It was the Crown Prince.
What was this, him helping me for once?
I was a little surprised by his uncharacteristically sweet performance as a devoted lover.
“My sister, unlike a certain someone, doesn’t care much for gadding about.”
At Terni’s retort, added as if in passing, Gabriel’s face twitched faintly into a frown. She seemed to be sulking.
She took a deep breath as if to calm her anger, elegantly sipped the tea in front of her, and set it back down.
“Are you speaking of me? Do you know who I am when you say that?”
“I never said it was you, my lady… But so you do gad about.”
Unable to find a comeback, Gabriel’s face flushed red and blue by turns. She looked ready to start tearing at Terni’s hair at any moment.
Uh-oh, isn’t this dangerous?
I glanced anxiously at the Crown Prince and Diano, but both responded with a bored lack of interest.
The only one worried about Terni’s safety here was me.
Gabriel, huffing as she glared at Terni, crossed her arms.
“What you just said was an insult to me. An insult to me is an insult to my father! I trust you’re prepared to face the wrath of our House of Nevel?”
Despite her resolute tone, Terni showed no particular reaction. Instead, he simply answered with a good-natured smile.
“Haha. It was a joke, and you’re taking it far too sensitively.”
“A joke? Hmm, in that case I’ll generously let it pass this time. Please be more careful in the future.”
“I’ll do my best.”
What is with these two…?
Making my worry pointless, their battle of wills ended anticlimactically.
Gabriel began asking the Crown Prince this and that again.
“Your Highness, why haven’t you been visiting Grace Palace lately? I go to pay my respects to Her Majesty every day, and I feel I haven’t seen you even once. Her Majesty longs to see you so much. Let’s go see her together sometime.”
“I’m busy.”
Clearly finding it quite a bother, the Crown Prince faintly frowned and averted his gaze.
The arrow of his indifference landed on the innocent Terni.
“Honestly, what kind of assistance leaves His Highness without even the time to greet Her Majesty the Empress? Do you really think you’re qualified to be an aide? You fall short of the standard! Do your job properly!”
In truth, it couldn’t be called Terni’s fault. It was probably just that the Crown Prince couldn’t be bothered to go pay his respects.
Terni, suddenly cursed out of nowhere, curled his lips up coldly. His face was certainly smiling, yet I could still sense murderous intent.
He seemed to grind his teeth, then whispered, just low enough for me alone to hear.
“Ah, seriously, should I kill her…”
No, please hold back…
I had only crossed paths with Gabriel for a moment, but I could tell very well what type of person she was.
To make even the great Terni angry, how impressive.
Gabriel shrugged as if she had no choice.
“Anyway, I’ll overlook it this time, so please be careful from now on.”
Instead of answering, Terni just flashed a bright smile. If that smile felt oddly menacing, was that just my imagination?
Terni, who had been smiling silently, suddenly stood up.
“I just remembered something urgent.”
How long had he been here, and he was already leaving? I looked up at Terni in bewilderment, and Diano, seated beside me, leapt to his feet as well, as if to keep him company.
“My sword is all alone at the training ground.”
“…?”
“It’s probably crying by itself.”
“…”
And just like that, the two of them disappeared.
I wanted to leave too, but the Crown Prince’s gaze on me was so intense that I could only sit still.
Honestly, I still couldn’t understand why I had to be here.
Gabriel didn’t spare me a glance and spoke only to the Crown Prince.
“Her Majesty the Empress has invited me to dine with her this evening. It will be a lovely, intimate dinner after so long. Naturally, you’ll join us, won’t you, Your Highness?”
“No.”
“If you’re busy with work, there’s nothing to be done! Next time, let’s be sure to enjoy a cozy dinner together, Your Highness.”
I didn’t think he had said anything about being busy with work…
Gabriel seemed to have a special ability to hear things that were never said.
If it was a blessing that she paid me no attention, then so be it. I just kept watching the situation without a word.
“The tea has gone cold. Bring a fresh pot.”
Gabriel, who had drunk the cold tea, frowned and gave the order. Before long, new tea was prepared in front of us.
“This tea is only circulated within the House of Nevel. I had it specially prepared for you, Your Highness, hoho.”
“I see.”
The Crown Prince, arms crossed as if unmoved, didn’t spare the tea a glance.
Gabriel wasn’t the least bit embarrassed by that indifference.
“Oh, you’re so shy~.”
She even brushed it off as shyness.
Grind. I heard the Crown Prince gnash his teeth. If it was a relief that he wasn’t fiddling with his sword hilt, then so be it?
Gabriel, wearing a proud expression, lifted her teacup and took a sip. Immediately afterward, her bright face stiffened.
Gabriel set the teacup down roughly.
“Who prepared this tea? Come out here this instant!”
What was this all of a sudden? I looked down at the tea in front of me as well. On the surface, there was nothing wrong with it. It even smelled good.
After a moment, Gabriel’s maid slowly walked out, her face frightened. Her face was twisted as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
“Did you prepare this?!”
“Yes, my lady. I prepared…”
“These aren’t the tea leaves I told you to use! Can’t you pay attention?!”
Splash―
Watching the hot tea scatter across the floor, I was quietly appalled. Hot steam rose from the ground.
Perhaps the maid hadn’t been able to dodge the tea, because both of her hands were burning red.
Good heavens.
How could she pour the tea out like that when the Crown Prince was sitting right there?
This is too much…
I turned to the Crown Prince in alarm, but he only showed signs of discomfort and took no action.
Meanwhile, Gabriel picked up a cup of water and threw it in the maid’s face.
“I-I’m sorry… I’m sorry… Please forgive me, my lady.”
The maid, unable even to wipe the water that drenched her face, knelt, rubbed her hands together, and begged Gabriel.
Even so, Gabriel’s anger didn’t seem to subside, and she frowned at the maid.
“Do better. Unless you want your father and your whole family thrown out!”
“Y-yes! Please forgive me, my lady… Hic.”
“Because of the likes of you, I’m now…!”
I couldn’t stand it any longer.
I knew this wasn’t my place, but I simply couldn’t stay quiet.
“Please stop.”
