Chapter 27
Raising her voice slightly to lighten the mood, Iris smiled as kindly as she could at Dorothy, who was looking at her with still-teary eyes.
Princess Dorothy asked,
“Are you not angry?”
“Angry?”
“I confessed to your fiancé.”
The princess was still sniffling. Iris gave a faint smile and answered immediately.
“It’s fine.”
Dorothy gave an awkward smile and lowered her head.
“Lady Iris, you must trust His Highness.”
Iris tilted her head to the side.
‘Not exactly.’
But let’s leave it at that for now. She could hardly say, “Ta-da! Actually, our engagement is just a contract.” Iris stood up from her seat without adding anything further.
“Someone even more wonderful will come along.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes. You’re plenty lovable.”
Unlike me.
Iris swallowed the latter part of her thought.
She wasn’t sure how her final words affected Princess Dorothy, but the princess looked at Iris with wide eyes.
Iris quietly bowed and left the room. Aster, who had been following her, asked softly,
“Are you really going to scold His Highness?”
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*Click!*
As she opened the door, the Crown Prince was leisurely sitting, flipping through documents.
“Oh, my fiancée has returned.”
“Your Highness, we need to talk.”
“Hmm?”
The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow at Iris’s somewhat confrontational attitude.
ris sat on the sofa opposite him, crossing her legs.
‘How should I start this conversation?’
She sighed, looking at the ceiling, while the Crown Prince’s eyes sparkled as if he were a child anticipating something fun.
“What could possibly have my fiancée acting like this?”
“It’s about Princess Dorothy.”
“Oh, not the story I was expecting.”
“Listen anyway.”
The Crown Prince set the documents he was reading on the side table and adopted a reasonably attentive posture.
“Did the Princess of Beberia run to my fiancée to tattle or something?”
“Unfortunately, it would’ve been better if she had. What I saw was a princess crying alone, looking pitiful.”
“You’re the type to care about such things?”
“Have you forgotten when we first met?”
“Aha.”
The Crown Prince recalled Iris sharing food with street children. Right, that’s the kind of woman she was. He’d momentarily forgotten that’s what caught his interest.
“You’re too soft-hearted.”
“And Your Highness was too rude.”
“…Well, I’ll admit that, but is it such a big deal to you?”
“Think of it as advice from a temporary friend you’re stuck with for a while.”
“Alright, I’m listening.”
Iris let out a heavy sigh and spoke.
“Being born the Crown Prince of the Empire, receiving people’s incomprehensible attention and affection might get tiring, but don’t outright dismiss someone who confessed to you with all their heart.”
Looking into the Crown Prince’s eyes, Iris spoke slowly.
“Whether it’s an illusion or the naive feelings of a young child, love isn’t something so trivial that it deserves such treatment.”
“I don’t see why I should be kind to those who harbor delusions about an illusion of me.”
“You don’t have to be kind. Just be courteous.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Iris looked at the floor for a moment and gave a bitter smile.
“To love something with all your heart is…”
Iris’s lips moved slightly. She didn’t want to delve into this topic here, but—
“I barely knew anything about my first husband. But I thought I knew everything. That didn’t make my love for him any less real.”
“….”
“Even though that man treated me like a toy and abandoned me, my love for him was real. I was happy. Until the illusion shattered.”
Talking about that time didn’t bring tears to her eyes anymore.
Her eyes felt dry, and when she looked up again, she met the Crown Prince’s unexpectedly serious gaze.
“I’m not asking you to protect their illusions. Just reject them politely so the time they spent loving doesn’t feel wasted.”
The Crown Prince was silent for a moment, his face contemplative.
“…I’ll do that.”
And soon came his affirmative response. That was enough for her.
“Thank you.”
“…Don’t mention it.”
Iris stood to return to her room. But then the Crown Prince called out to her.
“Iris.”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to go explore the capital of Beberia with me?”
“Now?”
Iris glanced out at the terrace. It was already afternoon, but there was still some time before sunset. Was this his way of apologizing, in his own way?
‘An apology to me is pointless.’
Still, when someone in power went to such lengths, it was hard to ignore. She eventually nodded.
“I’ll get ready and come out.”
“Thanks for making time.”
“No need to thank me.”
Iris went to her room to change into outing clothes. Thinking there was no need to wear anything flashy to stand out, she dressed simply, and the Crown Prince seemed to have the same idea, appearing in a casual shirt.
“Shall we go?”
“Oh, wait a moment. Jack…”
“He’s fine.”
“What?”
“He’s got to head north to see the wizard soon, and they’re short on hands to pack, so I asked him to help.”
“Oh…”
Short on hands? What a smooth lie. Was Jack really *that* bothersome to him?
Unable to comprehend, Iris tilted her head but decided to ignore Jack’s struggles, considering he was the type to meticulously collect interest from her.
The two headed to a carriage prepared by the attendants.
“Is there anywhere special you want to see?”
“There’s something I promised to buy, and it’d be a shame not to see the Lake of the Moon here in the capital.”
“Oh, that.”
A must-visit destination at least once before you die. Iris was quite interested in it too.
“Sounds good.”
And so, the two rode the carriage into town. Accompanied only by two lightly dressed knights to avoid attention, they looked like wealthy siblings from a foreign land.
“How about that?”
“It’s fascinating. They say if you turn it on, the whole room stays warm or cool without a heater.”
“Do you need it?”
“It’d be nice to have, I suppose. Wait, what? The price…”
“Give me one of those.”
While Iris was shocked by the price, the Crown Prince spoke, and the merchant quickly bowed.
“The price is practically a mansion!”
“Do I look like I can’t afford a few mansions?”
“Wow, I’m starting to feel the wealth gap.”
At her words, the Crown Prince let out a low chuckle. Is it funny? I’m not laughing at this wealth disparity.
“Anything else?”
“This is the place in Beberia’s capital that handles the most magical tools. We have everything except what you’re not looking for.”
The merchant spoke with considerable pride. He didn’t seem to be a wizard but likely had a special contract with one to distribute rare items.
Indeed, despite the shop’s size, there were fewer than ten customers inside. That must mean they only dealt in expensive items.
“This item keeps food at a consistent temperature…”
“Oh?”
While the Crown Prince listened to the merchant’s explanation, Iris explored the shop, examining the items stacked up to the shelves’ tops. It felt like stepping into a library packed with books.
‘What’s this?’
<Love Potion: Makes you fall in love with the first person you see after drinking it. Effect lasts only one day.>
‘Is this for real?’
Her eyes lingered on a strange pink liquid on a middle shelf. Isn’t this kind of thing usually a scam?
As she thought this, a familiar voice called out beside her.
“Iris?”
“….”
Turning her head at the voice that shouldn’t be here, Iris’s eyes widened.
“Jace?”
Standing before her out of nowhere was Jace Verdandi, her fourth husband.
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By Anna 💓
