Chapter 66

The Crown Prince’s Fiancée – Chapter 66

Was it because Essen had appeared so suddenly? The three of them fled in shock, unable to say a word.

Essen didn’t seem inclined to chase them. He only scowled and came back to my side.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

Essen nodded as he said it, but he didn’t look fine at all. So this was what happened to handsome people. It must be hard.

I felt even sorrier for having glanced at him earlier. I resolved not to do it again.

“Shall we go back in?”

“You were reading. Did you finish?”

“Pardon? No, not exactly…”

Essen stared at me for a moment. Then he let out a short laugh and shook his head.

“If you’re doing this out of consideration for me, you don’t need to. This kind of thing happens all the time.”

“B-but…”

“Let’s go back once you’ve finished your book.”

Essen strolled over and sat down beside me again. I opened the book, but I hadn’t even read half of the thick volume yet.

To finish it, I’d have to stay until late at night or come back tomorrow…

I was wondering what to do when,

“Sister-in-law!”

At the welcome voice, I looked up. Princess Marie, apparently out for a stroll, was approaching me with a broad smile.

I stood up from the bench to wait for her, and Essen, visibly put out, slowly rose and stood beside me.

“Sister-in-law, fancy seeing you in a place like this.”

“It’s been a while, Marie.”

“It has, hasn’t it? About a week?”

Marie pouted sulkily.

“I want to see you all the time, but Brother keeps blocking me, and it’s just so unfair. What am I even doing?”

“Adrian blocks you?”

“Yes! A lot!”

Marie had been about to pour out her complaints at rapid-fire speed, but she stopped short. Her eyes sparkled, and when I tilted my head, she said with a laugh,

“Before, you called Brother ‘Your Highness,’ but now you call him Adrian?”

“It’s a private setting, after all.”

I smiled awkwardly at the change in address and made my excuse. Marie nodded with a sly grin.

Her look said, since you put it that way, I’ll let it pass.

“But…”

Marie’s gaze slowly slid from me over to Essen. Looking at Essen, she demanded,

“What’s Sir Essen doing here?”

“Work.”

Their eyes clashed in midair.

* * *

Essen disliked Marie for interrupting his quiet, peaceful time with Arti.

“Work?”

At the curt answer, Marie didn’t even think to point out his rudeness and looked back and forth between Arti and Essen.

“What does that mean, sister-in-law?”

Arti smiled gently and explained the situation.

“Sir Essen has agreed to serve as my bodyguard from now on.”

“Did Brother approve?”

“Yes.”

Marie looked between Essen and Arti once more.

“Could it be that Brother dislikes you, sister-in-law?”

“Pardon?”

“No, I know that’s obviously not it, but why Sir Essen of all people…”

When Marie sounded doubtful, Essen frowned.

Even when he frowned, Essen was still Essen, and his radiant, dazzling beauty remained undimmed today.

‘How did such peerless beauty end up in someone with such a wrecked personality?’

Marie lamented inwardly. The gods were unfair.

“If you have no business with my lady, then get lost, Princess.”

“I do have business!”

“Even if you do, get lost.”

“What, why?!”

Essen pointed it out sharply.

“Did Adrian give permission?”

“That’s… no, but…”

Marie’s voice grew smaller and smaller.

Arti watched the two of them and tilted her head. Then she carefully asked Essen,

“Sir Essen, aren’t you being too rude to Princess Marie?”

“That’s right, Sir Essen. Have you forgotten who I am?”

With Arti at her back, Marie put on a show of authority, and Essen let out a scoffing laugh.

“The days of me saying you’d have to show courtesy first if you wanted to see mine are long gone, aren’t they? Do you remember?”

“…”

Marie had nothing to say and backed down. Then she went over to Arti and whispered a small confession.

“Sister-in-law, the truth is, I’m partly responsible for Sir Essen turning out like that. So I just let that much rudeness slide.”

“Oh. I see.”

“It’s not only me. Brother Adrian is the Crown Prince, and he lets it slide too.”

Marie dragged Adrian into it. Arti couldn’t quite follow, but she simply nodded.

“I’ve known Brother Essen since we were little, so I turn a blind eye to this much. At official functions it’s a different story, of course.”

At Marie’s whisper, Arti nodded vaguely.

Arti thought Essen was being unusually prickly toward Marie, but she figured he must have his reasons.

A person like Essen wouldn’t get angry for no reason!

Of course, anyone other than Essen who heard this would have suspected Arti of being brainwashed by him, but no such thing happened.

“Sister-in-law!”

“Oh, Marie. You can just call me by my name, too.”

“Oh my, then may I call you Arti?”

Elders would call it impertinent, but Marie jumped at Arti’s offer, her eyes saying that a chance like this would never come again.

“Please do.”

When Arti readily agreed, Marie broke into a grin.

“I’ll still call you sister-in-law in front of the adults, though. Once you’re married, I’ll have to call you Your Highness the Crown Princess, of course.”

“Wouldn’t it be fine in private?”

“Right? That’s what I think, too!”

Marie, delighted that she and Arti agreed, smiled brightly. Arti was happy to see Marie’s bright smile as well.

“So, Arti, what were you doing here?”

“I was reading a book.”

What Arti held was a long book with a strange, bizarre title: .

Marie was momentarily speechless, but she managed to come up with a response.

“…So this is your taste, Arti.”

At Marie’s glaring reaction, Arti smiled and shook her head.

“The title was unusual, so I wanted to give it a try.”

“Do you actually understand this kind of thing?”

Arti tilted her head.

“Could a person fail to understand it?”

When Marie gasped in horror and couldn’t go on, Arti flustered and tried to smooth things over.

“No, it’s written really simply, so it’s easy to understand!”

“I see. So you’re a frightening person who finds this kind of thing easy, Arti.”

“Pardon? No, it really is easy. If you read it too, Marie…”

“No, this kind of book isn’t my taste.”

“It’s really fun, though…”

“You find this fun? I’m feeling a distance between us, Arti.”

Marie shook her head in disgust.

Arti felt wronged. It was a book that was written so simply and was so much fun, and because of the title she had ended up in this unfair situation.

Since continuing on this subject didn’t seem likely to improve matters, Arti changed the topic.

“What kind of books do you like, Marie?”

“The books I like…”

Marie, who had been answering listlessly, suddenly lit up.

“Arti, do you like novels, by any chance?”

“Novels?”

Arti recalled the novels she had read recently.

“Like or ?”

“No, not those stuffy, old-fashioned novels. I mean books like !”

Arti tilted her head. It was a novel title she had never heard before.

“What’s that?”

“What, you don’t know such a masterpiece?!”

Marie shook her head in indignation.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll show you a whole new world, Arti.”

“A new world?”

“Once you see it, you probably won’t be able to go back to your life before.”

“Pardon?”

Arti couldn’t understand what Marie was talking about.

She turned to Essen, hoping for some help, but Essen, who seemed to know exactly what she meant, only shook his head in silence.

“I can’t prepare it right now, so I’ll come to Lily Palace tomorrow. Understood? Wait for me! Okay?!”

With that urgent charge, Marie left with her maid in tow.

Even after Marie had gone, Arti tilted her head, unable to understand why Marie had gotten so excited.

This book is fun, though…

“She’s talking about romance novels.”

Essen said it offhandedly. He had been watching Arti stroke her thick book with obvious regret when he spoke.

“Romance novels?”

When Essen nodded, Arti tilted her head.

“What are those?”

“…”

It was a kind of novel Arti had never heard of.

Essen didn’t know where to begin explaining, so he stayed silent, then decided to leave it all to Marie.

“Marie will tell you tomorrow.”

“Oh, I see.”

Arti was nodding quietly when Diano suddenly appeared from the direction Marie had disappeared.

“Ah, Miss Arti. So you’re here.”

“Sir Diano. What brings you here?”

“Today is ‘that day.'”

When Diano lowered his voice, Arti understood at once.

‘Today was the day the Asa-mo met!’

“I’m sorry. I’d forgotten.”

“I thought as much. I kept looking for you, but you were nowhere to be found, which was troubling.”

“Welcome. Shall we move somewhere else?”

“Yes. But before that…”

Diano carefully pointed to Essen. Arti’s gaze turned toward Essen.

“Ahem.”

When Diano egged her on, Arti looked at Essen with an apologetic expression.

‘What is it?’

Essen had an ominous feeling.