《Flower of Steel》


 CH 1

    Nations of the Lasdia Continent


    Genorium Empire


    In this continent, it is the only empire among all the other nations. According to the will of the first Emperor Urd, only those who were born with violet-colored eyes could become the emperor. It dominates over 20% of the entire continent, maintains a powerful military, and diplomatic power to manage its giant landma*s. In addition, its agricultural industry and other specialized goods are enough to sustain the empire on its own without any diplomatic relationships if needed.


    The neighboring nations are constantly afraid that the Genorium Empire will change its mind and invade their land. The empire, however, maintains great relationships with its neighboring nations. Rather than increasing their land that might result in hardships over control, the Empire prefers to keep friendships with its neighbors and receive tributes.


    Halen


    For all seasons, this nation is frigid. It is a powerful kingdom because it values skills over identity or gender, which appeals to many immigrants. Its unique nature applies even to the throne, making it one of the best to become the king.


    The kingdom is filled with bright-minded individuals, making the average intelligence of its citizens above average. Art is highly respected there, which makes Halen a haven for artists and artisans. Although the kingdom is friendly with the Empire, it is hostile to its neighbor Azar.


    Azar


    Azar is a nation that is a federation of tribes located in a desert. Due to the nation¡¯s geographical conditions, each tribe is located near an oasis. With its ongoing water supply issues, the God of Water is the nation¡¯s sole religion. As a result, the king is called the Son of Water.


    Because warriors are trained from a young age, each tribe has a powerful military. Due to the lack of unity among the various tribes, it is difficult to mobilize an army. In addition, each tribal chief has strong control over a region of this nation.


    Herbe


    Half of this nation consists of a river, while the other half is a desert, making it abundant with water and oil. Thanks to its geographical advantage, Azar needing water, and Halen needing oil to overcome its frigid temperatures, the nation flourished in trade. Not only that, it has accrued a ma*sive amount of wealth because of its oil, making the nation worship fire.


    The Holy Nation


    It is a nation that belongs to the Sky God Ushiad and the Holy Emperor, a delegate of the god rules it. Although the land is small, like the size of a duchy, no one dared to invade this nation. Any country that did so faced its downfall. It also has the Genorium Empire, the most powerful nation on the continent, as its ally.

 CH 2

    ¡®What could I have done differently when your heart left me a long time ago.¡­?¡¯


    I saw you, my fianc¨¦, very close to another woman. I had to bite my teeth to stop tears from flowing out of my eyes. Out of all those clothes you have, you were wearing the one I handmade just for you. I made it to congratulate you on your employment with the government, but you wore it and made out with another girl!


    You were frantic when you came over to me to explain, ¡°Marina, it¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    ¡°Of course. It must be more than what I think it is.¡±


    Oh, yes. When was it? It was when you kissed me before. You were kissing me, but your eyes were hollow. As if they were chasing after something else.


    Let¡¯s face it. You¡¯re not in love with me, but you didn¡¯t need to hide it from me like this. If you had just told me that you were sick and tired of me, I would have left you first. Why did you have to be such a loser?


    ¡°We¡¯re just friends, Lady Harrant,¡± said the girl, who moments ago was with my man. She was smiling as if I was making some big mistake.


    ¡®Lying b**ch.¡¯ I withheld my anger and smiled sarcastically, ¡°Of course, you¡¯re a friend, a very close and affectionate friend. I hope you two keep your friendship forever, okay? Just don¡¯t hurt others while doing it.¡±


    ¡°Marina! How can you say that? I was just helping Miss Schuteiner from falling down! She was dizzy!¡± shouted my fianc¨¦.


    Yes. The girl who made out with my man was none other than Elise von Schuteiner, who for no reason bullied me for a long time. I didn¡¯t want to accept it, but now that I witnessed it with my own eyes, there was no other way. I remembered the first sign of when he began to change. It was before I went to that party.


    ***


    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that the daughter of Count Harrant?¡±


    All the girls who scoffed at me were wearing heavy makeup, lavish accessories, and dresses. They were standing proudly under the light with their heads up. Compared to them, I was dull. I was wearing a dress that was out of trend and had no makeup on. Not only that, I wasn¡¯t wearing any accessories. Yeah, that was me. Marina von Harrant.


    ¡°Ugh, she should know that everyone is watching her by now.¡±


    Those words that someone had just said made my face flush. I knew that everyone, all the men and women were eyeing me. Compared to those beautiful bird-like women, I was like a featherless chicken. Even a few men were laughing among themselves as they watched me.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you go talk to her?¡± asked one man to another man.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ out of my league,¡± replied the man.


    Yeah, I know. I agree that I was out of their league. My family was poor. But it did not bother me much. I was still a noble even if I didn¡¯t dress up. It did feel a bit bitter in my mouth, but I swallowed it all in along with my weakness.


    ¡®I will not bow to the likes of those people.¡¯ Although my family¡¯s power had withered when my father was fired from his position, my family is higher in the noble hierarchy than those girls laughing at me. They were the ones who had to bow to me, but the only reason that wasn¡¯t happening was because of the person behind them.


    ¡®Elise von Schuteiner was the one who bullied me in the northern region.¡¯ She was the only daughter of a Viscount in the central region. Compared to my family, the Schuteiner was a lower-ranked noble family. Viscount Schuteiner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, loved his only daughter Elise and became overprotective after losing his wife. He was known for doing everything that his daughter wanted.


    As such, Elise lived a life of praise under her father¡¯s protection. There were few reasons why she became the star of society, one of them being that two of the duke families had no daughters and the Grand Duke of the North¡¯s daughter didn¡¯t enjoy parties. In fact, the Grand Duke¡¯s family was veiled in secrecy as no one in that family ever attended a party.


    Thus, Elise was able to become Genorium Empire society¡¯s star. Her family¡¯s power, however, wasn¡¯t the only reason why she was able to become the center of attention. Even without her family, she was one of a kind and was just too beautiful.


    When I saw her for the first time, I was astonished by her beauty as she made her grand appearance. Her mystical silvery hair, her clear blue eyes, and her beautiful face made her look like an angel that had descended from heaven. ¡®Wow¡­ was that why she became the best?¡¯ She was so out of my league from the beginning that I wasn¡¯t even jealous of her. The only thing that was on my mind back then was envy. In the end, it was that girl, Elise von Schuteiner, who picked on me first.


    ¡°Oh? Are you the Lady Harrant? Your dress is quite¡­ interesting,¡± commented Elise. Then she scanned over me with her beautiful blue eyes and smirked, ¡°Well, it seems the dress isn¡¯t the only thing that is boring.¡±


    It was disrespectful beyond imagination that she didn¡¯t greet her and it felt miserable. The one who I was admiring was looking down on me like that. Any ordinary noble girl would have been furious or ashamed by this, but I was different. I was the one who was supporting our entire estate. To a girl like this, I wasn¡¯t going to stay still and become prey for her, so I replied, ¡°Well, his majesty is worried about the drought these days, so I thought it is my duty to be modest.¡±


    In response to Elise, who was picking on me, I presented myself as a noblewoman who was concerned about the empire but also downplayed her for wearing lavish accessories. But I was a fool. There were others who had worn such jewelry to the party. Regardless of their wealth, all the noblewomen had put a lot of effort into their appearances. The level of lavishness showed their statuses.


    ¡°What is she saying? Are you telling us that we forgot about our duties, Lady Harrant?¡±


    Such words were thrown like arrows from all the noble ladies around me. By this time, many ladies were around as they were on their way to enjoy some tea. I was a fool to not think about the people around me. Honestly, I never put much thought into people dressing up with luxurious items. I thought it was one¡¯s freedom to do so if one wished to. But I couldn¡¯t say anything at the time due to shock.


    My friends would have fought back for me, but I actually think it was better they weren¡¯t there. If my beloved people were to become ridiculed along with me¡­ that would have been much worse. I erased the thoughts of my friends as it felt like I would remember the bad memories.


    ***


    And just like that, I had become a recluse in the northern region. Even before that, people secretly laughed at me. When my family was a noble, we didn¡¯t have the power and wealth to back it up, so it was inevitable that we were going to be laughed at.

 CH 3

    It was already enough to be laughed at for being despised by the emperor and dismissed from the position, and losing all a*sets due to financial hardship on the estate added onto the shame. All nobles alike despised our family.


    ¡°I present to you, Lord Hillain von Harsen, the son of the Duke Harsen, and Lady Elise von Schuteiner, the daughter of Marquis Schuteiner.¡±


    I woke up from my daydreams when the sudden voice came about, and I turned to look. A woman, who always looked beautiful, came into my line of sight. Holding onto the fine gentleman¡¯s hand under the bright light, the woman looked like she was a princess from another country. My eyes, which saw through her innocent smile and gorgeous movements, saw it all to be articulated and disingenuous.


    As I looked at her with hostility, Elise¡¯s eyes turned in my direction. After a long look at me, she wore a certain smirk on her face. She definitely loved looking down on me. I comforted myself by saying that what she does didn¡¯t matter to me. Although it was annoying, I could still ignore it.


    ¡®I¡¯ll just enjoy myself with all these great foods and go home.¡¯ I picked up some cookies with an optimistic and calm mind, and it felt a lot better. Sweets sure must be a gift from God to endure this harsh world. But people seemed to find myself eating cookies to be laughable as well and glanced over.


    This was why being a loner was sad. Why am I a loner when I have friends? My friends from the Academy had a complicated story behind them. Two of them were brother and sister, with a one-year age gap between them. They were the servants of the Grand Duke family¡¯s son and daughter. Therefore, unless their masters were attending, they weren¡¯t likely coming to the party.


    Another friend was a foreign exchange student and a daughter of a family serving Princess Juvelis from the allied country Halen. It was well-known that Juvelis and her brothers were going through an internal war for the throne, so there was no way the daughter of such a family would come to another country¡¯s party as if nothing was going on.


    Of course, I also had my mother¡¯s family that was very powerful over in the central part of the country, but countryside nobles who hated central nobles had no reason to fear. Unlike me, Elise¡¯s mother¡¯s side had deep roots in the north, so none of the nobles in this region didn¡¯t hate her despite everything she did.


    Thinking about that made me feel gloomy. But I quickly shook my head and clenched my fist. Right, I can¡¯t have my precious people take on my burden together and whine about my problems to others. That¡¯s shameful. Just when I came to that thought, I heard a voice announce that someone had arrived.


    ¡°I present you, the Lord Kyles von Pail, son of the Viscount Pail!¡±


    Kyles? Without realizing it, my face brightened as I turned my head. Finally, someone who could be by my side had appeared. I wouldn¡¯t have to be alone anymore. The man who entered wasn¡¯t broadly built but looked intelligent. Honestly speaking, my ideal type was always a man who needed protection, and as such, Kyles, who was thin like a bookworm, was my type of guy.


    I immediately became excited as I saw Kyles walking straight in my direction from the entrance. It bothered me that people were talking down on me the entire time, so my fianc¨¦ looked like my savior. I wanted to quickly grab him and say whatever I could to him, especially since I haven¡¯t talked to anyone in this boring party hall.


    ¡°Kyle¡­!¡± I called to him.


    Instead of stopping in front of me, he walked past me. ¡®Kyles? I¡¯m here! Where are you going?¡¯ My disappointed eyes followed his back. His footsteps stopped in front of Elise von Schuteiner, who hated me for no reason.


    ¡°Oh, Lord Kyles. Welcome,¡± said Elise. She smiled beautifully, welcoming him. And my man was¡­


    ¡°Lady Elise. I want to thank you for the other day,¡± replied Kyles.


    He gave her this mesmerizing look as he thanked her. What other day? I knew nothing of this. He never told me that there was an incident where he had to thank her.


    ¡°Oh, no need. We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± said Elise.


    She smiled with her eyes as she glanced at me as if she was laughing at me. She was telling my man to be her friend. I felt my mind going numb. It was so shocking that I drank an entire cup of pumpkin-colored liquor that was in front of me. The harsh liquor made my throat feel bitter as it seeped through. Moments later, my stomach felt sick. Even then, my mind was clear as ever. That¡¯s when some men approached me. Oh! It was those men I saw earlier. Why? Are they trying to pick a fight?


    ¡°Lady, if it¡¯s not too much to ask, do you have time¡­¡±


    ¡®Oh, they aren¡¯t trying to pick a fight with me. They want to know the time. But why me? Screw the time¡­ I feel so dizzy right now¡­¡¯


    Just as I was about to refuse with that in my mind, I saw a middle-aged gentleman who just pulled out a watch. Quickly, I pointed at him and announced, ¡°That gentleman over there can tell you the time.¡± To an unknown gentleman, I had pushed my business onto him. Then, I turned my back on these men who looked a bit dumbfounded for some reason, and headed for the terrace to ease my stomach.


    I let out a long deep sigh from deep within my chest that felt like something was stuck inside as I stood there hollowly. It felt like my insides were burning down. Why did he ignore me and walked past me like that? I wanted an answer, but I wasn¡¯t him. How long has it been?


    Then, I heard a calm voice calling my name. ¡°Marina. Why are you out here on the terrace? I was about to come to you,¡± said Kyles.

 CH 4

    On a whim, I walked out here. I rea*sured myself that Kyles would quickly come after me. However, I was actually a bit worried that he might not chase after me out here, so I felt a bit bitter. Still, the situation angered me, so I corrected my facial expression and acted coldly, ¡°Explain what happened. How did you become her friend?¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ She¡¯s just a friend. She introduced me to people at the center when she knew I had no connections there. I couldn¡¯t tell you, because you would care,¡± explained Kyles as he sighed.


    I felt a bit saddened and angry that he never gave me a hint. Then, I bit on my lip and spoke out in bitterness, ¡°Friends with a woman who you have never talked to before¡­ Alright, that¡¯s that. But why did you hide it from me? Why? Did you think I would object?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that.¡±


    ¡°Why did you walk past me and up to her instead?¡± This was what has been haunting me from within, so I spat out against him.


    Kyle sighed, ¡°That¡¯s what I said. I met her at a party in the capital. I was going to ignore her, but she greeted me first. We talked for a while, then I figured she wasn¡¯t all that bad. And then, I was introduced to some people at the government, just as I told you, and we bid farewell. I just thanked her for what happened then.¡±


    To claim the woman who bullied me that she wasn¡¯t all that bad¡­ My heart sank. But I didn¡¯t want to let him know because it would make me a pitiful woman. ¡°You could¡¯ve told me! Do you realize how miserable I feel to know about something like this? You know! You know about me and her¡± I tried my best to push down my feelings that were about to explode. If I didn¡¯t do that, I felt I would shed some tears instead.


    ¡°I swear I never talked about you while talking to her, Marina!¡±


    He tried to hug me, but I fought back and pushed him away. ¡°Don¡¯t hug your way out of this! I want an answer!


    My stern voice made Kyles let out a deep sigh again. He frowned and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Alright. If something like that ever happens again, I will tell you first. I am sorry, Marina.¡±


    The shame that could be heard from Kyles¡¯s voice made me feel sorry for him, so this time, I hugged him. Right. Maybe you only thought it was your chance. Maybe you hid it because I would feel bad about it. I¡¯m sorry. I think I let it out on you over my depression with Elise.


    ¡°I was so depressed today, you know. You weren¡¯t here, and everyone was looking down on me for being alone. I felt like crap,¡± I whispered to him.


    Kyles then hugged me back and kissed me on the cheek. ¡°You know that I am always on your side. I only see you.¡±


    That made me almost laugh. Look at that lie. Moments ago, he eagerly saw Elise, the most beautiful girl. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to lie about it.¡±


    Then he smiled, ¡°I¡¯m not lying right now.¡±


    Kyles then hugged me and smooched my lips. His kiss was disgusting as always. It was hard to breathe, and I hated that slimy feel. But he was kissing me because he loves me. I pushed back my anxiety as I embraced his lips.


    ¡®That¡¯s right. I only have Kyles, and he only has me. This is proof that he loves me.¡¯


    ***


    Since some time ago, Kyles didn¡¯t even try to hide his feelings and expressed his exhaustion whenever he talked to me¡­ That¡¯s right, Marina. You knew very well his eyes turned cold when he looked at you from some time ago. Even if you do everything for him, all he gives back is a sense of responsibility and duty. The one who had been clinging on to this tiring relationship was my stupidity.


    ***


    I came back from the past to the present, faced my reality, and replied, ¡°Kyles, I¡¯m sorry. You must have been tired of me clinging onto you when you no longer had feelings for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Kyles did not deny nor accept. I felt tears coming to my eyes. I tried to look up, trying to push back my tears. ¡®Let¡¯s accept it, Marina. He is not in love with you. You had been clinging on to him. Let him go now.¡¯ These thoughts rushed through my mind.


    Remnants of memories rushed through. It was five years of tears and smiles. Tears seemed to drop, but I couldn¡¯t cry. I didn¡¯t want to look weak to them. Although I couldn¡¯t say we were hotly in love, I trusted him to be my partner forever, so I did my best to keep it that way. But now, I felt like I wanted to tell Elise that she can keep that dirty bag of trash.


    Elise smiled annoyingly, denying the situation, ¡°Please, trust us. Kyles and I are just friends.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Marina, trust me when I say it,¡± added Kyles.


    I was going to back off here, but they kept at it, trying to pretend to be only friends and make me a fool. I couldn¡¯t see through their facade for the past five years when I was in love with you. But now I¡¯m not stupid, you nerdy fraud. You should¡¯ve just accepted it! Why are you making me angry?


    ¡°Oh, beautiful Elise. Your red lips are so striking that I want to kiss my lips against them. You and I have fianc¨¦s. Their bond isn¡¯t as strong as ours. I realized that a soulmate exists as I met you. There is me who looks at you, so don¡¯t be sad for that man, who makes you miserable¡­ Was that how it was written? It was so touching that I almost cried reading it.¡±

 CH 5

    This was a letter written by my fianc¨¦ when he had a romance disguised as friendship with the daughter of the Marquis Schuteiner, who was the lord of a much greater estate than my family and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Kyles¡¯s face turned pale as I read a part of it.


    I was at the Pail¡¯s mansion for my father¡¯s errand a while ago. That¡¯s when I found something at his desk. It seemed Kyles did not expect me to visit without any prior notice, so he left an unfinished letter stuck in a book. It made my heart sink. But I couldn¡¯t blame him right away. After all, Kyles was at the capital at the time. I had to hold back my tears and refused his mother¡¯s offer to stay for some tea. Then, I ran out of the mansion as if I was being chased by someone.


    As soon as I got home, I tried to relieve myself by having some sweets. But I had such a good memory that the love letter kept coming back to my mind. The more I thought about it, the more I felt betrayed.


    He even described me as a ¡®dull and boring woman, who needed to be treated well out of necessity.¡¯ That a*sh*le. Friendship? To hell with it. How dare he use the word ¡®friendship¡¯ to describe it? You two deceived your fianc¨¦s even if you two didn¡¯t have any bodily contact.


    ¡°No, please. Kyles and I are only friends. I don¡¯t want to see you two fighting because of me. Please, reconsider,¡± sobbed Elise. This beautiful silver-haired woman cried as she shivered like a beautiful small white bird. Her aquamarine-colored eyes shed marble-like tears.


    Dammit. Her looks even make me go soft. I can see why she is considered the most beautiful woman in this entire empire. Her beauty makes me eager to pull her hair out to tone it down! But the lies coming out of her mouth make her gorgeous face even more fake. Thankfully, it helped me to cool down and think this over.


    ¡®Alright, Elise. You sure are hostile towards me.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t satisfied with bullying me, so she had gone far to do such a thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. I¡¯m done with him, and I won¡¯t reconsider it. Lady Schuteiner, you sure are something. How many so-called friends do you have? How many did you seduce with a facade of friendship-¡±


    Then I felt a burn on my cheek as my face turned sideways from the harsh hand. Kyles had slapped me.


    ¡®Damn pr*ck, why is he hitting me? Ugh, my face is going to swell up. I¡¯ll need some ice packs when I get home,¡¯ I thought as I looked up again.


    Lady Schut¡­ No. That b**ch¡¯s eyes were wide open from what had just happened. She looked at us as if she was hurt then ran away to escape the scene. Crap. I wasn¡¯t done yet, and she left! She must have done it to piss me off. As I kept my eyes on her, I heard Kyle¡¯s angry voice directed towards me.


    ¡°You should watch your mouth! She¡¯s not like you! She¡¯s not rough or peeks into other people¡¯s letters like you! She¡¯s a noblewoman!¡±


    Oh, is she so noble that she flirts with other people¡¯s men? I almost had it spit out of my mouth, but I felt so miserable and had to push it back down. I glared at him. It felt as if I would cry at Kyles speaking down on me so coldly while praising her. But I¡¯m reminded of my anger again and again, so I can push back the misery and act cold.


    I then smirked and began to accuse him sarcastically, ¡°Too bad, Kyles. How do you feel to be abandoned from the woman you loved so much? Is she so precious, unlike me, that you can¡¯t even lay a hand on her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Lady Schuteiner isn¡¯t manly and uncontrollable or brags as you do!¡±


    I tried to act calm at his words, but it still hurt. Stay calm. Let¡¯s not get hurt. I repeated to myself when I heard him continue.


    ¡°What did you say when I was having a hard time at work? Oh, ¡®You should stop complaining and try hard because it¡¯s difficult but honorable work, and the Chancellor is a fair man, so he¡¯ll see your hard work?¡¯ All you did was lecture and talk down on me!¡±


    ¡®Was that it? He thought my advice was a lecture and was talking down to him?¡¯  I did say that, but I did it because I loved you, and I wished the best for you.


    ¡°But she cried for me when I was in trouble. She told me that it was because I¡¯m talented but have no connections that I¡¯m working as a lowly clerk. That¡¯s why she introduced me to other officials!¡±


    I was aware of that too. I knew how hard he was trying to survive at the center where he had no connections or background. That¡¯s why I tried my best to get him introduced to the Chancellor. I heard from my father that the Chancellor likes placing bets. So, that¡¯s why I went to him, challenged him in chess, a game that he never lost in, and made a bet. I asked him to watch over Kyles because he¡¯s an intelligent and talented young man. The Chancellor found me interesting and offered to do as I asked if I would win in chess. After pretending to barely beat him 3 to 2, I earned his promise.

 CH 6

    After that, Kyles transferred to another department, and I was able to see him smile, saying that his treatment had improved. I felt good that it worked out. Right, I tried so hard so that he could grow, as if he was my plant. But the result¡­


    ¡°Unlike you, she understands my feelings. I don¡¯t care if you talk badly of me, but just shut your cheap mouth about her!¡± said Kyles.


    I hid what I had done for you because you might feel I had done too much. But it all came to be a useless effort. ¡°Alright, I understand your dear love for her. I will disappear from your sight now, so try what you can with a woman who has a fianc¨¦. Oh, actually you can¡¯t. You¡¯re not in that league. I¡¯m pretty sure her fianc¨¦ was the Crown Prince.¡±


    Kyles became cold as he looked at me. But my heart had become so dull that I couldn¡¯t feel any pain from his glare. ¡°Were you this cold? I¡¯m scared of you. I find it so scary that you were once my fianc¨¦e.¡±


    At last, he denied me as his fianc¨¦e. I made a bitter smile. Kyles, do you remember? You said you liked my bold character, like when I saved you from being bullied by the other kids. Your innocent look warmed my heart.


    You also envied how proudly I express myself. I thanked you for that, and I loved you like a flower that I raised, so I did my best to help you. Although it wasn¡¯t burning love, I thought spending my life with a good man like you was going to be great. So, I tried my best. It¡¯s not me who changed but you. I was always like this, and the traits of mine that you once liked are now scary and vile to you.


    ¡°Yeah. I am what you see. I always have been, so let¡¯s stop it here. I am sick and tired of this and just¡­¡± I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t see me as a knight who proudly saves you or a saint who sacrificed for you anymore. You only see me as an evil witch who curses and hurts your precious woman. ¡°End it here. Let¡¯s not see each other again. Even if we come across each other, let¡¯s pretend we don¡¯t know each other. You and I aren¡¯t even friends. We¡¯re strangers. I dumped you.¡±


    I glared back at Kyles, who was glaring at me, smirked, and began to walk away. My legs felt like they would fail me, but I did my best to walk proudly. I didn¡¯t want to falter in front of him.


    It may be wrong to say that I dumped you because you actually never had me in the first place. But I still wanted to walk away from you in that proud state that you used to say you like me this way. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying my best to hold back my tears.


    Even if in his current state, he sees me as an evil witch¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure he does. But I walked proudly towards the party hall for Kyles that I used to love. ¡®Yeah. I should tie the knots perfectly on my way out.¡¯


    ***


    I was standing proudly dressed beautifully with everyone¡¯s attention on me in the party room. Elise von Schuteiner, the culprit behind the destruction of the long-term relationship between me and my fianc¨¦ Kyles, and the one who bullied me with hatred for no reason was there glaring at me with the other ladies and men.


    I ignored their glares as I began walking toward her. Then a tall young man stood in front of me, blocking my way with a look of warning in his eyes, ¡°You should return to your home while you can, Lady Harrant.¡±


    Should I consider it an honor? The second son of the Duke¡¯s family, Hillain von Harsen, who I would not even dare to think to talk to, was glaring at me like this. I found this situation so laughable that I smiled and spoke back to him.


    ¡°Move aside, Sir Hillain. It is rude for a knight to stand in the way of a lady.¡±


    My words did not make him a budget. ¡®He sure is a loyal dog.¡¯ I glanced over the beautiful woman behind this sturdy wall.


    ¡®Look at her! She has all these loyal dogs doing her biddings!¡¯ It was astonishing. I am sure Kyles and other dumb and loyal dog like men are all playing in her hands. But I am not going to buzz off easily like that.


    I walked up to Hillain and glared, ¡°Let me speak again, Sir Hillain. Know your place and move aside. I have no intention of harming your lady. I am just here to have a word with her.¡±


    I glared at him, and his pretty face began to blush up as if he felt disrespected by a fallen noble like me. ¡°Y-you! How dare-¡± said Hillain before he was interrupted.


    ¡°Sir Hillain. Can you let me speak to her, please?¡±


    ¡®And the boss appears.¡¯ As their princess came close, they formed a circle around me and her and turned their backs toward us. Thanks to them, there was a barrier of humans around me. Well, at least I can talk with her without worrying about others watching us. What convenient dogs.


    ¡°I am so sorry I hurt your feelings. It¡¯s all my fault,¡± said Elise.


    I almost scoffed. Elise was faking a tearful voice with a smirk on her face. How amusing. Are you showing your true intent right when your dogs aren¡¯t watching you? I¡¯m not a fool like Kyles to play along with your scheme. I avoided them because I found them despicable, not because I was scared.

 CH 7

    I hid my mind that was in turmoil and wore a fake smiling mask over my face and looked at her. ¡°You had nothing to do with what happened with Kyles. As you said, you are a friend.¡±


    ¡°So, you understand then?¡±


    She seemed to be trying to find what my intention was. I smiled as I nodded. ¡°Our relationship was that shallow and was meant to end that way. Our trust was only that much. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    She sure was a remarkable actress. Although she was faking a voice that sounded hurt, her jewel-like eyes were questioning my intentions. They were asking me, ¡®Now, tell me what you truly want for coming up to me like this.¡¯ In return, I did my best to act as innocently as possible to cover them.


    ¡°I truly wish for you to be loved and that you live happily with your fianc¨¦, Lady Schuteiner. I truly, truly mean that.¡±


    It might sound like I wished for her happiness, but she bit on her pink lips in frustration. Yeah, sure. You and the Crown Prince¡¯s engagement was known to be a soulless one. A fianc¨¦ who you never even got to dance with. How wonderful was that?


    Then she replied, ¡°Thank you, Lady Harrant. Are we on good terms, then?¡±


    How amusing. Her eyes glared at me as if she wanted to kill me, but she couldn¡¯t curse me like she wanted to. I looked around. There were a lot of eyes upon us. They were nobles who couldn¡¯t go near the capital, but she had to care about those people.


    This is too small of a stage to bring down your mask. You just watch. I¡¯m the type to return in multiples. Of course, I¡¯m not wasting my time to get revenge like you. You are just an appetizer to an entr¨¦e. So, Elise von Schuteiner, you should enjoy it while you still can. Enjoy your friendship with all those men you seduced and enjoy your pitiful state when your fianc¨¦ doesn¡¯t even lay an eye on you.


    ¡®Until I pay you back for what you had given me.¡¯


    ¡°Of course, Lady Schuteiner. I hope we see each other again at the next party with smiles on our faces.¡± I smiled brightly, walked up to her, and lightly hugged her. Then I whispered, ¡°Until then, enjoy your time with the trash that I dumped and the other trash.¡±


    As I pulled myself- My! How amazing. I was truly astonished by the face that didn¡¯t even budge at my curse. I shouldn¡¯t fall behind then! I pretended nothing happened, smiled, and pulled myself from her.


    ¡°If you will excuse me.¡± A gorgeous smile appeared on my face as I stood proudly. Then I left the party without a mishap.


    Unlike in the party room, I felt the cold air. I also realized that my legs were shaking. ¡®I probably didn¡¯t realize then, but I wasn¡¯t myself until now.¡¯  I bit my mouth, trying to fight myself from faltering from the dizziness. But my frail body betrayed my will so easily, and my shaking leg failed me.


    ¡®I feel so miserable. I was dumped at the party, and now I¡¯m falling onto the ground like this.¡¯ I closed my eyes, expecting the pain. But it was strange. It had been some time, but I felt no pain. I opened my eyes to see what was going on and found a man holding me from falling down.


    ¡°Are you alright, lady? That would¡¯ve been a disaster on that pretty face,¡± said the man.


    He was quite handsome. Tall, well-dressed, and had a good voice. But the way he talked was too flirtatious and didn¡¯t match the voice. It was as if he was trying to joke with me. I would have thought it was terrible even if I was in a good mood.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied coldly.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    I was already in a miserable mood, so the way he replied made it even more annoying. I didn¡¯t hold back from frowning, and a sly voice came from him, ¡°What¡¯s with that face? You look like you¡¯re going to cry at any moment.¡±


    He was the worst. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was trying to see how I was feeling, but it sure made me hurt. I got so annoyed that I didn¡¯t respond and turned my back on him.


    ¡°Oh, wait-¡±


    I heard footsteps following me, but I saw my knight Reyan nearby. His nickname is Rey, and we often used to get into fights when we were young, making us not-so-close cousins. But I called him out to push off this clingy pr*ck.


    ¡°Rey, an escort please,¡± I said.


    Rey sighed at my request and glanced over my back. It seems the man was still following me. But the sound of footsteps faltered, as the man seemed to have given up when he found me with Rey. Rey then turned back to me when the man became far and began escorting me.


    We got to the carriage, and my servant Daisy tried to hop into the carriage with me. Rey, however, silently shook his head, and she sighed as she hopped on next to the driver. Then, the carriage door closed, and the wheels began to roll. The sights outside the window started to change quickly, and the carriage began to move further away from the mansion. Soon, all I could hear was the sound of the wheels rolling and the wind gushing through the carriage. I finally came to realize that I had escaped that nightmare.


    ¡®And like that, I am finally alone.¡¯ Only after I was truly alone was I able to shed the tears that I held back. Since a long time ago, I have tried not to cry in front of people other than Rey or my father. I deemed it shameful to show my weakness to strangers. People would figure out I had been crying when I got out of this carriage, but for now, I just wanted to comfort myself from the damage.


    Marina, you did great. There¡¯s no regret. You told Elise, who bullied you, looked down on you, and took your man everything you wanted to say to her. You also bid farewell to that b*stard Kyles. He shouldn¡¯t think of paying back if he knows any shame. It was a great ending to it. You also gave a good blow to Elise von Schuteiner there. Hahaha! That face of hers¡­ I would pay to see it again.

 CH 8

    After a long sob it was difficult to open my eyes. ¡®Dammit. I regret this.¡¯ I regret crying here. I should¡¯ve cried after I got home. Not only that, I regret not eating all that delicious food and not slapping that pr*ck. I also regret not pulling that b**ch Elise¡¯s hair out.


    I also dreamed of becoming a government official but gave up so that I wouldn¡¯t have to compete with Kyles and pull him down. For him, I was that much ready to give up on my dream. But now¡­ I regret the time I had wasted away. I also regret wasting my life for that douchebag. I was truly a fool. Come to think of it. I realized I had done nothing for myself as I worked only for him and his family. During all those times of hard work, I had forgotten about my dream.


    But because of the separation that pushed me into the abyss, came back to me. The dream to become a government official is now dull and faded. With that dream coming back to me, I found a wish to live for me from now on.


    ¡®Will I be really okay?¡¯ I asked myself. And it was my will that answered, ¡®You¡¯ll be alright, Marina. I¡¯m 18 years old and maybe a bit too grown, but if I start studying now, maybe I can go higher in rank than that b*stard Kyles. I was at the top of the cla*s at the Academy. Why can¡¯t I?¡¯


    I studied with Kyles in case he ran into problems that he didn¡¯t know about, so I already knew very well about the exam. Yeah, why not? Marina von Harrant, the daughter of a noble with a small estate. Despite that, our family was still a higher-ranked count family with a long history behind us. These days, it means very little¡­ but no. I shouldn¡¯t think about that.


    I have my family¡¯s support. We don¡¯t have money, but what have I got to lose? I should be proud of it. So, it¡¯s about time I forget about that prick and think about the good things in front of me. If he reappears in my mind, I¡¯ll think about all the worst aspects of him, so I won¡¯t be sad about it. Think just for the good of myself.


    ¡°Marina! Look at this flower. Isn¡¯t it pretty? It¡¯s for you.¡±


    ¡°Marina, I think I like you too. My heart races whenever I think about you.¡±


    ¡°Marina, I love you.¡±


    Tears kept running down my cheeks. Yeah. I¡¯m only a girl, and I can¡¯t just forget about the 5 years that I loved him in a day. Let¡¯s just cry it all out and be done with it, Marina. When did you start falling for him again?


    When I saw him for the first time, he was planting wildflowers in a garden on the street. Everyone watching him thought it was nonsense, but he still smiled with dirt all over him. I fell in love with that smile you made when you said even when others think it¡¯s useless, it becomes valuable when you treat it with value.


    Because you were a person with a good heart who cared for those treated worthless by others, I liked you. I felt loved because it felt like you called me a valuable person when I was bullied and looked down upon by others. You who knew how to care for the weak and small things were special among the arrogant noble kids in the Academy¡­ and you came into my heart.


    Kyles, there were no fierce, heart-pounding feelings like from a novel, but I felt our time together was very warm, and I truly liked you. I wanted to become a strong woman who helped you with your dream to become a government official. That¡¯s why I went to every party even when I hated them. The words that you said while you planted those wildflowers were like energy to my life while I was between the people who stomped me. You were my spiritual cornerstone.


    But what you decided to see wasn¡¯t the strong and tenacious wild gra*s that fought against rainstorms, but a weak and pretty flower that was raised in a greenhouse and was loved and admired by everyone. I was sorely mistaken. Now, I will let go of you who I loved. Goodbye, Kyles.


    I thought about him when he was the one, who I used to love, just to save me from diving into sadness. If not, I felt I was going to die from my heart sinking. ¡®Can I really erase him from my heart?¡¯


    I was deep in thought for a long time, dwelling on him. More and more, I remembered the good memories in an effort to push the bad thoughts away, which made my heart sink further. My heart kept racing. Why? The heart that kept racing began to race even harder, making my chaotic mind clear up. ¡®What do you mean why? Think about what he said of you.¡¯ Then I remembered about the Kyles who deceived me.


    ¡°She¡¯s not rough or peeks into other people¡¯s letters like you! She¡¯s a noblewoman!¡±


    ¡°Were you this cold? I¡¯m scared of you. I find it so scary that you were once my fianc¨¦e.¡±

 CH 9

    After thinking about those words over and over again, I finally realized what had caused my heart to race and laughed. Even if I tried to cover it up, what was pushing my heart was rage.


    ***


    The rage swallowed me bit by bit. It was like a rock that dropped where my love was, which rippled like water and spread. Soon, those countless shallow ripples transformed into a huge storm.


    ¡®Am I a fool or what? Why should I only think good things about that a*sh*le?¡¯


    After that realization, everything cleared up quickly. I decided on my direction from now on and smiled. Marina, quit being a saint. That¡¯s what Elise does. No, she wasn¡¯t a fool like me as she acted like a saint strictly for her profit.


    Honestly speaking, Kyles was just as bad as Elise. Why should I paint him in a good light? Why? I¡¯m done with him, so why should I be doing that and cry over it? Marina, oh Marina. Stop trying to be a good girl and unleash your rage.


    Who gave that b*stard the clothes that he was wearing? Who made the duvet and pillow that b*stard was sleeping on? Who bought the tea, the teacup, and the book he was reading? More importantly, who organized the important information to remember before his exam? It was you, Marina von Harrant, you idiot!


    ¡®You hope for the best? Like hell you would! Be honest!¡¯


    I had to accept my true feelings because of the accusations that rang through my mind. Yes, I want him to fall into the depths of an abyss and feel the agony that I felt. I want him to lose everything that I had helped him to achieve and be miserable. Not only that, but I also want him to regret dumping me even if there¡¯s no chance I¡¯ll take him back.


    Marina, don¡¯t you ever grow soft. Don¡¯t ever forget the shame and anger of today. That b*stard was a traitor for standing by the very enemy who laughed at me and looked down on me.


    Memories of love? No, no. Those memories are all from the past and have no meaning left to them. Unless the relationship is ongoing, there¡¯s no meaning to them anymore. They¡¯re just like an image you get when you look at a bright light and close your eyes that will fade in a second. They¡¯re that meaningless.


    I hate him! He betrayed me, so he is my enemy too. It¡¯s not a bad thing to hate a traitor. To hell with a ¡®Goodbye!¡¯ F*** off, Kyles!


    There¡¯s another person I need to get revenge on, the culprit behind all of this, Elise von Schuteiner. She¡¯s a target that I repeatedly promised to get revenge on. Elise, I couldn¡¯t understand you. You came to attack me first when I never harmed you and started a fight. All I did was ignore the fight that you were trying to start. I did it because I didn¡¯t want to lose the few things that I had. Your cheesy bullying was endurable when I had people by my side. That¡¯s why I ignored it.


    But no, it will be different now. You¡¯ve already taken one of my most precious things, so I will stop ignoring you for that. From now on, I will take on every one of those petty tricks that you try to do. Elise von Schuteiner, I accept that you are my enemy. I¡¯ll make you desperately regret attacking me.


    I won¡¯t forgive either of you. You two had a good time making fun of me? Just watch. I¡¯ll hurt and make you suffer more than the times you¡¯ve deceived me, and I will show you how well I¡¯ve lived. Like my dream, I¡¯ll become a government official at the center. I¡¯ll become so powerful that you two won¡¯t even try to touch me.


    Then, I¡¯ll scoff and belittle Kyles, who will regret his actions as he watches me. Not only that, I¡¯ll get back at Elise, who bullied, looked down, and stomped me to the ground. The reason why I didn¡¯t retaliate all those times was because of that a*sh*le. Now that I¡¯m no longer with Kyles, nothing is holding me back.


    After promising to get revenge for myself, my mind seemed to have cleared up and organized. The world that felt like it was spinning had stopped. Although time had felt long and infinite, the carriage continued to run, and now we had arrived at our estate.


    Through the window, there was a familiar mansion that looked so small from afar. It was the mansion of count Harrant, my home, looking larger as we got closer. Soon, the carriage began to slow down. I realized it was going to stop, so I wiped away my tears. Ugh, my makeup must have been ruined. Fortunately, I could still smile, so it was alright. Even if¡­ it was a bitter one.


    ¡°Marina, let¡¯s get off. I fixed myself back into my gorgeous self at Rey¡¯s words as he opened the door of the carriage. Then he added, ¡°Hey, wipe your nose. It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    Couldn¡¯t he have said that nicer? Although he¡¯s my knight, he talks like a douche! ¡°Give me a handkerchief.¡±


    I showed my hand, to which Rey sighed and handed over a handkerchief. I took it and blew my nose with it. Once or twice of it made my nose feel fresh. My nose was all clogged, so it was difficult to breathe. I didn¡¯t think I would feel the necessity of Rey¡¯s presence during a situation like this.


    Disgusted, Rey responded, ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t give it back. You keep it. It¡¯s nasty.¡±


    ¡®Hah, do you really think I¡¯ll dump it? This is a good quality cloth, so I¡¯ll wash it and use it again.¡¯ I then asked, ¡°Daisy? Can you wash this?¡±


    Daisy frowned and hesitantly took the handkerchief I gave her. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t think too much about her actions as she was always true to herself, but today I was angry. It seemed that even she was looking down on me, so I added, ¡°Give me back if you don¡¯t want it. I¡¯ll tell the head maid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lady.¡±

 CH 10

    In hindsight, I felt terrible, but I couldn¡¯t go back on my words. I left Daisy, who looked troubled, behind and began proudly walking. The gate opened. As I headed towards my room on the second floor, maids, servants, and other workers greeted me.


    After taking off the uncomfortable corset that stricken my waist and the crinoline that helped to lift the skirt, I changed into something more comfortable. It felt like I was finally free from those that bound me down. Finally, I felt refreshed. I should¡¯ve taken these off sooner. Tightening my waist to compete with others changed nothing in the end. However hard I tried, I still looked like myself to others.


    ¡®How others see me was truly worthless after all.¡¯


    That¡¯s right. Before, I used to compare myself to other people¡¯s standards, which felt like tightening my waistline with a hard corset. While watching out for what Kyles might think, even when he didn¡¯t love me, I felt insecure. I tried my best to avoid Elise, who always bullied me. Moreover, I was afraid of the gazes from people who scoffed and criticized me. While trying to fit within their standards, I felt like I was going to suffocate.


    But now, after promising to take revenge on them, I feel light. It was like this current state where I removed everything. Now, after accepting the hate inside me and deciding to move towards my dream, I felt much lighter. It was so good to be free. How did I manage to endure such a thing until now?


    ¡®I was¡­ a fool.¡¯


    While I was looking after Kyles, I gave a lot to my family. I used my limited time to help manage the estate, so my mother wouldn¡¯t be disappointed. Additionally, I used the money that I could barely save by working more to help out the estate¡¯s finances as my father had requested. I also didn¡¯t spare any leftover money when using it for Kyles. Overwhelmed by self-pity, I was in a pathetic state.


    Why did I try so hard to be good to my family and Kyles? I did whatever they wanted, even if I had to use less and sacrifice. But the return of such sacrifice was a hollow end to the relationship. Ironically, there was no Marina in my life. There was only a good fianc¨¦e and a good daughter. Did I not live for myself?


    It was an easy question from the beginning. I never had any duty to sacrifice myself for Kyles or my family. From now on, I want to be a selfish person who only lives for herself, not as a good daughter or a good fianc¨¦e. What¡¯s wrong with that? I have been living for others, so now I want to live for myself!


    Maybe that loser Kyles might be regretting this by now. He lost the best doormat in his life. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll miss that, but I am a bit concerned about my family. Can they manage the estate without me? Especially when it comes to my plants, they¡¯re delicate and need extra attention. Maybe my family might not like the idea of me becoming a government official.


    If I am to become a government official, I have to move to the capital alone. My parents will be worried. What should I do? Should I keep it a secret that I am preparing for the exam?


    It was while I was deep in thought on my bed when someone burst the door open and walked in. I frowned at the sudden appearance of this mannerless guest.


    ¡°Marina! Is it true? Did you really break up with that snob Kyles? I heard he tried to make out with that angel-like Lady Schuteiner and got dumped!¡± exclaimed the guest.


    The guest mentioned was my brother Harris. He was five years younger than me and had been stuck inside the estate due to his health issues. I took good care of him when he was younger, but now that he grew up, he became arrogant and nosy, making all the trouble he could without repaying me for my efforts. His nickname was Harry, but it felt cheesy to call him that out loud, so I only use it in my thoughts.


    ¡®Words do fly, eh? The message already got here. Was a pigeon used for it?¡¯


    I was astounded that he was talking about an incident that happened just today. It did happen at the Harnen Estate, which is close to our estate, but shouldn¡¯t it at least be tomorrow for the word to get out? So, I asked, ¡°Did the pigeon give you that news?¡±


    ¡°Gosh, silly. That¡¯s not only it! The entire northern regions¡¯ network has spread the message that Lady Schuteiner felt bad for turning down that pr*ck Kyles¡¯s proposal. If the news came all the way down here to this countryside, I¡¯m sure it would have spread to all of high society! Thanks to him, your name is gaining fame too,¡± replied Harry excitedly.


    I frowned. That damn b**ch. I should¡¯ve known. A beautiful woman had unintentionally made an engaged man fall in love with her. Then that woman tragically had to reject him while in a troubled situation.


    While showing off her charms, she had successfully turned me into a fool who had lost her fianc¨¦. A scandal involving a famous figure was the best way to quickly spread rumors over the entire country. Gosh, I can see how badly I irritated her.


    ¡°You¡¯re done, sis. Why did you have to meddle with the precious daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs? Now, most nobles will try to stay as far as they can from you. And with your temper¡­ Gosh, what should I do with you?¡±

 CH 11

    I was pissed off enough, but Harris, no the little punk Harry, was adding fuel to the fire. Damn punk. Take this spanking first!


    ¡°Ouch! Stop hitting me, you stupid fatty!¡± shouted Harry.


    Oh, so he wants some more spanking. His words reminded me of him setting up a trap in my room that made me fall to the ground. I also remembered I almost got hurt because of the various traps he set in the house to prank the family. Right, you¡¯re a little punk who isn¡¯t nice to your only sister. You¡¯re a dead man!


    I hung my arm around his neck and began twisting his head. Harry, who was always a weak boy, then began to cry, ¡°Ugh, this is why Kyles dumped you! You witch!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Alright, then. I¡¯ll show you what the real witch can do today!¡±


    ¡°No-no! Mother, that ugly witch is hitting me!¡±


    Startled, I looked up at the door of my room. My mother was already inside the room. Harry then freed himself from me and ran towards mother with his arms open. I looked away. Although I pretended to be strong, I am still a good daughter who couldn¡¯t resist her mother.


    My mother, who looks almost 10 years younger than she is, is a fierce woman that surpasses me. She is also¡­ very talented. Right before Harry met my mother¡¯s embrace, she slapped his hands away with the fan she was holding and yelled, ¡°Harris, you foolish boy! Move aside. Or do you want to get spanked with a scabbard?¡±


    Harry¡¯s face became pale as he was shocked by Mother¡¯s angry warning, as she usually babied him most of the time. He cried, ¡°M-Mother¡­!¡±


    Mother glanced at Harry, then pushed him away and graciously walked over to me. ¡°I heard what happened, Marina. What did I tell you, hmm? You got yourself mixed up with that loser of a boy and brought disgrace upon yourself. I didn¡¯t educate you for that.¡±


    I usually never fought back, but her words angered me, and I screamed, ¡°You didn¡¯t even stop me from seeing him!¡±


    My outburst blaming her made my mother argue back, ¡°I told you before that your life is only yours to live. Why should I have to check on every little thing?¡±


    Closing my mouth, I couldn¡¯t argue back. Pitying me, she then pointed her arrow of anger towards someone else. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s your father who is to blame, after all! As if it wasn¡¯t enough to waste the half of the funds we received from the capital to develop that stupid mine!¡±


    I looked behind my mother, and Father was there. My father had soft features that made him look young, but my mother¡¯s nagging seemed to have caused him to have dark circles under his eyes. He seemed hurt by my mother¡¯s accusation and argued, ¡°No, that business is going well! We just need a little more digging-¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! That thing¡¯s been fruitless for years! You promised a gold mine, but we¡¯re wasting time on a mine that doesn¡¯t even have any iron!¡± she shouted as she interrupted him.


    ¡°Oh, come on, dear. Just trust me on this.¡±


    ¡°Trust? Look what happened today! Wasn¡¯t it you who said that pr*ck is your friend¡¯s son and can be trusted? And that they should get engaged? Tell me. Why should I trust you? Give me a reason.¡±


    Exhausted, my father then sighed at my mother¡¯s accusations. Turning to me, he said, ¡°I never imagined he would do that. That scoundrel! Oh, my dear baby. Look at her face! Her skin¡¯s all dry and puffy!¡±


    Wow, Father. To think you would talk about me in this situation. He chose me as the offering for my mother¡¯s arrow of anger. Thanks to him, my mother redirected her fury towards me.


    ¡°Her skin was already dry. I told you to use a face pack or something, didn¡¯t I? Why did you not care for yourself and get yourself shamed? Why aren¡¯t you like me? Huh? Why is everyone looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?¡±


    Well, did you think I forgot my grandfather told me that you and I are very much alike? When he was alive, he always used to hold my hands as a young girl and begged me not to be like you. Oh, and other relatives on your side told me, ¡°Phiria and Marina are very alike.¡±


    I wanted to say that out loud, but I didn¡¯t. It never ended well to go against my mother.


    ¡°Well, Marina does look like you. But I think her looks are better-¡± said my father until he was interrupted by my mother.


    ¡°She¡¯s got a lot more to go to catch up to me, but she does look a bit like me, so that¡¯s good. But look at her, not caring for herself and running around in such a poor state! Why are all my kids like this? An only son who only knows about pranks and is bad with swords. It¡¯s so easy to use swords, but he still can¡¯t! And my only daughter, although she¡¯s good at studying, is clueless on how people see her¡­!¡± my mother began to mumble.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m only good at studying. But Mother, I do know how people see me.¡¯


    Honestly, I do consider myself less than my mother. She is always praised as beautiful wherever she goes, while people stop and frown at the sight of me. That made my self-esteem go down. As such, I knew very well when people weren¡¯t friendly with me. But her pointing that out hurt my feelings.


    ¡°Anyway, I hope you¡¯re not doomed to marry someone because you meddled with the Schuteiner family. Well, we do have Rey in case we have to find a marriage candidate among our relatives¡­¡± said Father.


    ¡°Sorry, uncle. I have the right to refuse,¡± interrupted Rey to decline the idea.


    Rey¡¯s words made me smile. ¡®I also don¡¯t want you! A*sh*le. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t even have kept you as my knight if you weren¡¯t my cousin!¡¯


    To both of them, Mother said, ¡°Gosh, you people should watch your words! She¡¯s shocked enough from getting dumped today!¡±


    ¡®Weren¡¯t you the first to shock me with your harsh words, Mother? Your caring words seemed a bit late.¡¯


    ¡°If things go wrong, she doesn¡¯t need to get married. Harris is a fool and not good with his swords. If he becomes the successor, he¡¯ll put an end to the already befallen family. Let¡¯s have Marina take over the lead instead,¡± declared Mother.


    Shocked, Harry responded, ¡°I-I¡¯m not a fool! Besides, there¡¯s no woman with the title of count anywhere!¡±

 CH 12

    My mother, however, opened the fan in her hands and replied, ¡°Then we¡¯ll be the first to have it. Hahaha!¡±


    I thanked my mother for putting me above her son, but I didn¡¯t want to waste my life at this estate anymore. I want to become a government official and pursue my dream.


    ¡°Mother, you can¡¯t do that! If that witch becomes a count, I¡¯ll have an enemy inside the house on top of an already fallen family!¡± argued Harry.


    Mother glared back at him, graciously closed the fan, and smacked Harry¡¯s head. There were tears in his round eyes to which she glared again and scolded him, ¡°You fool! How dare you call your sister a witch? Even though she¡¯s uglier, terrible with swords, and has a temper worse than me, and the only good thing about her is that she¡¯s almost as smart as me, she¡¯s still my precious daughter! You should never call her a witch! You¡¯re grounded for weeks, Harris!¡±


    The words that she said to scold Harry hurt my feelings too. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not a good enough daughter for you, Mother! That¡¯s right. She always helped to lower my self-esteem. Hahaha.


    ¡°Waaaaah! I hate you, Mother! I hate all of you!¡±


    Harris ran out of the room as he cried. It was silent, but my mother soon turned cold and held my hand as she spoke, ¡°Listen, Marina.¡±


    I became nervous and began to think about how to fight back on her words. ¡®Mother, I think a central government official have lot more pros than Lord of the countryside estate-¡¯


    ¡°The Empire is still outdated to meet your mother¡¯s sophisticated standards, but a woman needs to know how to stand on her own. We¡¯re now entering an age where women enter politics. It¡¯s foolish to rely on a man for everything in such a day and age. Look at your mommy! I trusted your worthlessness, useless father, and became what I am!¡± said Mother.


    What she just said was the complete opposite of what I expected. Was she saying I should set out on my own? Is it really okay to tell her my dream to become a government official on my own?


    ¡°Dear, you¡¯re going too far,¡± commented Father.


    It seems her words hurt my father¡¯s feelings too. Despite my father¡¯s complaint, my mother continued to dig into my father¡¯s weakness, ¡°What? Am I wrong? If only you didn¡¯t reject his majesty¡¯s plan to increase taxes, we wouldn¡¯t have been kicked out to this countryside!¡±


    I sighed as my father sadly looked at my mother. He might say he¡¯ll leave the house again. But then I felt my heart getting warm. They were different from Kyles. The reason why they say harsh things to me isn¡¯t that they hate me. Rather, they¡¯re worried about me. Yeah, I should trust my parents.


    ¡°Oh, stop you two. I understand what you mean, Mother. I was thinking of taking the exam anyway,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Marina, what exam are you talking about?¡±


    It was as expected. Mother¡¯s mouth was turning into a smile as she asked. It meant that she liked my idea of becoming a government official. That was fortunate, but it was only the beginning. I had to persuade them, so they could trust and support me. I let out a small sigh of nervousness and answered my mother, who was looking at me in anticipation.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take the exam for middle-ranking officials in internal affairs. Of course, I¡¯m aiming for first place. That will put me right into the highest rank of the middle-ranking officials, a secretary.¡±


    The exam for middle-ranked officials is held twice a year. When passed, the title is given by rank for people who took the exam. First place was appointed to a secretary, then from second to the other top ranks were appointed to a deputy. These positions were senior positions that had control over other employees, so they were called officers.


    Then middle to lower-ranked individuals are appointed to chief positions, where they are ordered to do their superior¡¯s work. The deputy position was a position with the possibility of being promoted to a higher rank, so many nobles without the help of their parents started there.


    I also didn¡¯t have parents that could back me up. Parents with the Chief Commissioner or higher position could have their child appointed to a higher ranking position, so those people didn¡¯t need to take the exam as they got the job. I would have had an easy time being appointed to a ranking official if my father was still a secretary to the Emperor. But with him being dismissed that opportunity had disappeared into thin air.

 CH 13

    Of course, I never wished for my dad to push me up the ladder as I intend to pull myself to the top on my own. As such, I don¡¯t like the people who are sitting up on that ladder just because of their parents. Weren¡¯t government officials supposed to be those who help support the country? They should be ashamed of themselves for taking over that position, not through their own efforts. Oh, just as a reference, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister are selected by his majesty himself, so that¡¯s out of the question. Generally, it¡¯s those who are from powerful families that are picked.


    ¡°Well, well. If that works out, you¡¯ll be the supervisor to that punk Kyles. Wasn¡¯t his rank the lowest among the accepted, and he was appointed as a chief?¡± asked Mother.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And he barely got in, because I helped him study. Thanks to him, I know a lot about the middle-rank exam.¡±


    ¡°H-hold on, Marina! You might be rushing into a decision here. You don¡¯t have to be-¡±


    My father hastily spoke out, to which I became curious over his objection and was going to ask why if it wasn¡¯t for mother covering his mouth with her hand. Then she asked, ¡°Oh, Marina. Then you must go ahead and begin studying! When is the exam?¡±


    The last exam was earlier this year¡­ Oh. There are only two months left until the next one. That¡¯s too short of a time to prepare, even if I consider myself smart.


    ¡°The one in two months will be the last one this year. I guess I should aim for the one next year then.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s right! Why don¡¯t we try next year, hmm?¡± said Father hastily.


    But my mother shook her head, and with a determined look on her face, said, ¡°What are you talking about, Marina? You didn¡¯t get my looks, but you did get that brilliant brain from me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re perfectly capable of preparing for the upcoming exam. And you! Quit it, will you?¡±


    ¡®Mother, that¡¯s absurd. That¡¯s impossible no matter how smart I am.¡¯


    The middle-rank exam was an entry point to become government officials for rich commoners and fallen nobles. As such, it is very crowded with people. You knew that really well, so why are you doing this to me? But also, what was going on with my father? It felt like he didn¡¯t want me to become a government official. These questions appeared in my mind but eventually went away.


    ¡°Here, here. Let¡¯s not waste any more time, shall we? Go ahead. Start now!¡± declared Mother.


    Because my mother was pushing me to start, I had no time to ask my father why he was acting this way. Dammit. I guess I underestimated my mother.


    ¡°Oh, I should tell my brother that my daughter will become a government official in exactly two months and one week later. Hahaha!¡±


    My mother was beyond imagination. If I don¡¯t get accepted, then she¡¯ll be behind my back, nagging for an entire year. So, I have to pass the exam this year.


    ¡°Marina, tell me if you need anything. Your mother will get whatever you need.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mother. You can leave now. I should be preparing to move to the capital as a government official in two months.¡±


    Mother laughed and dragged my father out of the room. I let out a sigh. My dear family didn¡¯t even give me the time to sulk about my broken relationship. At least I felt my heart warming up to know that my family was on my side.


    ¡®I thought I lost everything and alone, but I still have something left.¡¯


    What I had was a barrier called family. I once thought of them as a burden, but now they were my trusty supporters. I was a fool. Even if I felt betrayed by the relationship, I never should have thought my family was like Kyles. I should show them the best results to pay back their trust.


    ¡®That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s try my best to study. I have people who believe in me, and I need to get revenge on that son of a b**ch, Kyles.¡¯


    Every time I felt like I was slacking off, I reminded myself of my anger toward Kyles to help motivate me to study harder. But that didn¡¯t take too long. Since the beginning, I studied with revenge on my mind, but soon I forgot about that as I was too focused on studying. There wasn¡¯t any room left in my brain to keep my hatred as I tried to cram a vast amount of information into it.


    ***


    After two months of studying like crazy had passed, it was now the day of the exam. Currently, I was in the capital city of Constantia. I wasn¡¯t nervous because I was ready for this. Still, I had to take a lukewarm herbal tea that was known to help me relax because my family insisted I take it. I was about to walk towards the main gate of the royal palace for the exam when someone stopped me. It was my mother who came with me to the capital.


    ¡°Marina, relax and do your best. Do it like there¡¯s no tomorrow,¡± said Mother.


    ¡°¡­Yes, Mother.¡±


    Just as I was about to take a step, my father stopped me this time around and added, ¡°Just write down what you know carefully.¡±


    My father tried to interrupt my studies discreetly, but in the end, he gave up at the sight of me studying so hard. After that, he acted as if he wasn¡¯t a part of it until he became worried about me sleeping less and began cheering for me. A few days before the exam, my father an*lyzed the exam with me and gave me a lot of advice. Thanks to that, I wasn¡¯t nervous at all and didn¡¯t regret taking the exam today.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    Then, I began to walk awkwardly towards the gate and saw the guidance post to the examination site. ¡®Oh, that¡¯s the way. There¡¯s still time left, so I should just follow that.¡¯

 CH 14

    As I followed the sign, I arrived at a giant flower garden. The royal palace¡¯s garden had so many expensive species that it astonished me. As I watched in awe, I noticed something among the beautiful and valuable flowers. It was something so ordinary and weak that it was easy to miss. There was a small flower that hadn¡¯t bloomed yet. Such pettiness resembled me a lot, so I mumbled to it, just like I used to do it on my flowers. ¡°You don¡¯t feel like you belong there, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Then, I laughed at my own words. Yeah, me supporting my husband for my entire life? That was impossible. Kyles¡¯s side was never my place from the start. Why did I try so hard not to lose that kind of spot? My life was different from him from the beginning.


    ¡®Look. My heart races even when I¡¯m here to take the exam.¡¯


    Honestly, I always felt something wasn¡¯t right, even when I tried so hard to support Kyles. I was smiling by his side, but I always questioned myself if I was truly happy. The end of my relationship with Kyles caused me to look after my own life.


    ¡°Me too. That¡¯s why I am going to find where I belong now.¡±


    Yeah, I¡¯ll do whatever I want from now on. There¡¯s no need to awkwardly try to fit in among all those expensive and extravagant flowers. It does me no good. From now on, I¡¯ll live my own life. Even if that place is out on the street instead of a safe flowerbed. I¡¯m free to do whatever I want.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already made a move, so there¡¯s no going back. Just like a pawn, I will just keep moving forward.¡±


    Saying that aloud made me feel better. That¡¯s when I felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡®Wasn¡¯t there a similar situation before?¡¯ I thought for a second and remembered, ¡®Right. I said something similar to that boy at the royal palace.¡¯


    Why did I forget about him? Before, I missed him so much. He was a mysterious boy that I met at the royal palace when I visited with my father in the past. He was my first love and seemed to be a servant or high-ranking official¡¯s child as he was in the palace. But I do think the former is most probable.


    ¡®Will I meet him if I become an official?¡¯


    The thought of meeting him again made my heart race, then I became sad. The exam was first, so I had enough time to reminisce about the boy later. I then got up and began walking towards my destination. After following the signs, I safely arrived at the examination site. Only after I arrived, my heart began to pound, and I got nervous.


    ¡°I¡¯m Marina von Harrant.¡±


    ¡°Right side, third row, second seat,¡± replied the examiner.


    Not long after I sat on my designated seat, the exam began.


    Ugh, this is a mess.¡¯ Even if I was ready, the human mind wasn¡¯t something that can be controlled. As such, I wasn¡¯t in my best state to take the exam. Even in my own chaos, my insane dedication to memorization caused my brain to be filled with content that I had studied.


    ¡®Let¡¯s be calm. At least I think I know these questions.¡¯ Then, I slowly breathed in and out and found my calmness. I had helped Kyles on his test before, and that also proved useful to help me finish the exam. Maybe that was Kyles¡¯s only usefulness after all.


    ***


    After I got out of the examination area, I felt saddened by complicated feelings. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wrote the right answer. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t even confident that I would be accepted, let alone be in the first place. My father¡¯s advice was very useful, however. I should thank him for that.


    ¡®Did I do well?¡¯


    It was complicated. I wanted to be successful in the capital, to be my parent¡¯s pride, and to be proud in front of my friends and relatives. I also wanted to show Kyles, Elise, and all the others who looked down on me that I¡¯m now a government official. Oh, and that boy, my first love who had been sleeping deep inside my memory only to return after all this time.


    I forgot about him only because of Kyles. Before then, I also thought I would never be able to forget about him. Even then, I used my busy schedule as an excuse to forget about him. If I met him again, I wanted to show him that I had become a government official. But now, I wasn¡¯t sure. I sighed as my mind raced with various worries. Then I began to walk again to find my family who was supposed to be waiting by the gate.


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I apologized.


    I was walking with my head down. Because I hadn¡¯t realized that someone was walking out from the corner, I blamed myself for my stupidity and looked up, only to be shocked by what I saw.


    A handsome man with dark hair, amethyst-colored eyes, and a cold but beautiful white face, who looked like he came out from a painting, glared at me. I was first mesmerized by his beautiful face but quickly realized, ¡®Wait, his eyes are violet!¡¯


    Since the old days, the color violet was known to be the most dangerous color. That was because it was the symbol of the Demon King from the legend. As such, most countries of the vast Lasdia Continent considered that color as a symbol of fear.


    But here in Genorium, the color meant nobility and exclusivity. It was because there were noble beings that were exclusively born with purple eyes. The emperor and the one who succeeded him were such beings. Yes, that color was the symbol of the noblest being in the empire.


    Yes, that man¡­ is the Crown Prince.

 CH 15

    ¡°You¡­¡± the Crown Prince tried to say something, but I quickly bowed, trying to mend the situation in a hurry.


    ¡°I apologize, your highness. I hadn¡¯t seen that you were¡­¡±


    But I couldn¡¯t speak further as the Crown Prince began watching me closely. That look made me feel desperate and made my throat dry up. I swallowed my saliva and continued, ¡°I apologize for bumping into you unknowingly, your highness. Please forgive me.¡±


    Hearing my apology, he then wore a smug expression, then coldly asked me, ¡°Your name?¡±


    I almost frowned at his rudeness, but he was still the crown prince. Besides, I was the one who made a mistake, so I calmly answered his question, ¡°It¡¯s Marina von Harrant, your highness.¡±


    The moment he heard my name, it felt like a light shined upon his purple eyes. They felt almost chilly and appeared to glimmer. But he was standing under the sun, so that was understandable. He then wore a distorted smile on his beautiful face as he responded, ¡°I accept your apology, Marina von Harrant. Are you here for the exam?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me now¡­¡±


    I tried to escape the scene to put an end to this ordeal when I heard him mumbling over my back,¡°¡­will pass.¡±


    That could¡¯ve been a disaster. Who would¡¯ve thought I would bump into the Crown Prince? My bad luck there. At least he forgave me easily. The whole incident made me even more exhausted after the exam. Well, at least I wouldn¡¯t bump into him unless I work at internal affairs, so I had nothing to worry about.


    ***


    When I got out of the gate, my mother greeted me. She suggested that we stay at the uncle¡¯s place until we see the results. But I didn¡¯t want to stay as a guest in that mansion when I wasn¡¯t so sure of myself.


    It took three days for us to return home. Harris immediately scurried over, asking the results of my exam while my maids massaged my body, trying to let me relax. But what I needed was the rest that I didn¡¯t get for the past two months.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can you leave me alone?¡±


    Disappointed, Harris then got off of me, and the maids also left. After I was left alone, I dove into a deep sleep. I think I unknowingly slept for days.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    My body felt heavy, and I couldn¡¯t open my eyes. Oh, I felt so tired. What day is it today? I did wake up a few times in between, but I couldn¡¯t remember when. I ate when I woke up, then slept again, and repeated this. Because of that, my sense of time became dull.


    As I barely opened my eyes, I saw a familiar face.


    ¡°My lady! Are you awake?! Do you recognize me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Daisy.¡±


    I could barely answer, to which Daisy brightened and began to scream, ¡°My lord! My lady! She¡¯s awake!¡±


    Daisy¡¯s shouting made my head ring and hurt. My throat felt extremely dry, and I felt a heavy thirst. With a hoarse voice, I said, ¡°Water¡­ Give me some water.¡±


    She then quickly poured water into a glass and handed it over to me. Because the water had suddenly entered my dried throat, I coughed. Daisy, who saw me coughing, gave me a worried look and asked, ¡°Are you alright, my lady?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied.


    Daisy then seemed relieved and began chattering, ¡°Whew! I was so scared watching you the past few days! My gosh, how can a human not speak and only do what is absolutely necessary to survive?¡±


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t doing it consciously, so I¡¯m not sure either.¡¯


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re awake right on time! Today¡¯s the day the results are coming out!¡±


    Surprised, I asked, ¡°What? The results?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Lord Harrant is reading the results as we speak!¡±


    I felt my senses return as I was shocked by what she said. As I began to guess the outcome of the exam, the door burst opened, and my father asked, ¡°Marina, oh dear baby. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°My beautiful daughter who¡¯s just like me! Are you okay?¡± questioned Mother.


    It was my parents. The way they quickly came over and caressed me made me guess the results. I was so happy that I began to laugh until I choked, ¡°Ugh, ugh. So¡­ did I get in?¡±


    ¡°Get in? You did more than that! You got first place! First place! Oh, and the Chancellor thinks highly of you. He announced that he¡¯s going to appoint you as the Director-General for Policy Planning, the Chancellor¡¯s cabinet!¡± said Mother


    It felt like I was dreaming, but my aching body was telling me otherwise. Then my mother continued, ¡°You are to report to the palace in three days, so we should get going now. Come on, get ready! At least your skin looks refreshed from your sleep.¡±


    I was then readied by my mother and quickly packed a formal dress and a few other things. Then my parents, my knight Rey, my servant Daisy, and I headed for the city of Constantia again. After three days of passing through various estates and continuous travel, we finally arrived at the capital.


    ¡°We can finally enter the capital again! We¡¯ll be back to our glory once you get promoted to the Secretary-General of the Chancellor!¡± declared Mother.


    That was very true. But where will I reside once I get there? As if expecting my questions, my mother began to explain one thing after another, ¡°You¡¯ll live at my brother¡¯s place until you buy your own house. I¡¯m sure you were good with my brother¡¯s kids, remember?¡±


    I almost replied, ¡®Oh, you mean servants number one, two, and three?¡¯ out loud, but I managed not to. As expected, I was going to stay at my uncle¡¯s place. I smiled and answered, ¡°They always respect what I have to say. They¡¯re good kids.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good to hear. You should be proud just like the central government officials from now on.¡±

 CH 16

    ¡°Of course, mother. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. Oh, we¡¯ll need to order a new dress then!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ will it be okay?¡± Our family was kicked out and sent to the countryside with not much money, so we were always short on our budget. Using such money was going to make it hard to last through winter.


    ¡°I was keeping this secret, but we actually hit a gold mine a while back!¡± Mother said as she laughed.


    ¡®W-what? What are you saying? I thought our mine business was a bust?¡¯ I thought as I watched my father, who was grinning brightly with his head high. So, is it true then?


    Mother didn¡¯t care about my shocked expression and continued, ¡°I kept it a secret, so I don¡¯t interfere with your studies, you see. You wouldn¡¯t have to study if we knew about this earlier, but I suppose money and ranks don¡¯t mean much unless it¡¯s backed by power, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Uh¡­ I think that money would let us live happily ever after, just fine. Do you really need something more than money and ranks?


    ¡°Besides, I believe you shouldn¡¯t waste your life away because of your wealth! You should work to bring our family back to our former glory and bring us back to the capital. That¡¯s when this wealth will show its use.¡±


    ¡®No, Mother. I think the money shows its use by itself.¡¯ Blaming my parents, I watched them. I felt stupid for putting everything on the line for that exam. My mother, however, ignored me and clapped as if she remembered something.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I think it¡¯s better to go with Illumina to get yourself a party dress than to go with me! She must be well aware of the current trend in the capital. Let¡¯s buy some simple clothes first.¡±


    Hahaha. She seemed to have spent some money already. It made me realize that we did earn some wealth. Honestly, it had been so long since I worried about buying clothes that it made me nervous. After making me try on a few dresses and clothes, my mother told me, ¡°Look at my daughter! She¡¯s so beautiful. She got that from me.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t have complimented me usually, but today she repeatedly gave me her best compliment, ¡®She got that from me¡¯ over and over again. My family¡¯s attitude change made me realize that a person needs to prove themself for sure.


    ¡°Of course, our daughter is the best. She¡¯s not just any girl. She¡¯s the Harrant¡¯s eldest child!¡± said Father.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, but she has the blood of Reclan in her too,¡± added Mother.


    The Reclan family was my mother¡¯s. Unlike the Harrant family, who fell to its downfall, the Reclan family was a powerful noble family with my uncle, the Captain of the Royal Knights of the Emperor, as head of the house.


    Before my family fell to its downfall, I didn¡¯t feel inferior to my cousins. My father was powerful enough in his position as the direct advisor to the emperor. But now, everything has changed. Even though we now had some wealth, so did the Reclan. Our family lacked a lot since the only connection to the central area was me, who just got into the palace. But that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t be on top of my servants.


    Thinking of a new life in the capital made my heart race. I was looking forward to it so much that I almost forgot about Kyles or Elise.


    ***


    After buying some clothes and other necessities, we arrived at the giant mansion from my mother¡¯s side. The giant gate opened as our carriage stopped, and I saw my uncle waiting for us by the front of the mansion through the carriage window.


    ¡°Welcome, my sister Phiria. My lovely niece Marin!¡± Marquis Reclan, who had red hair just like my mother and green eyes, welcomed us wholeheartedly.


    ¡°Bell, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Mother got off the carriage and lightly hugged him. I graciously bowed to him and said, ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Uncle. Have you been well?¡±


    ¡°I anticipated the day I would see my lovely niece again! You did very well, Marina! Good work! You took that difficult exam and even came out on top! Hahaha! And the youngest secretary! I also heard you got the job of Director-General for Policy Planning. You sure make your Reclan blood in you proud!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a long-¡± Father tried to greet him too, but he was quickly interrupted.


    ¡°Here, let¡¯s get inside.¡±


    I sighed at the sight of my uncle ignoring him. My father wasn¡¯t much to be honest, but he still loved me and Harris and I loved him too. ¡°Uncle, I got in on my first try because of my father¡¯s advice.¡±


    After hearing that, Marquis Reclan glanced over at my father and snapped, ¡°Yeah, well. He used to be the direct advisor to his majesty after all. I guess you got some advice up your sleeve. Anyway, it¡¯s been a while since Count Harrant. I was so furious that I couldn¡¯t see my lovely niece much because of you.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, where¡¯s Chelle, Jianne, and Lumi? It¡¯s been so long since I last saw them.¡± I quickly asked. As I smiled while wrapping my arm around his arms, my uncle¡¯s furious look eased a bit.

 CH 17

    ¡°Of course, let us go in. My dear Marin. Lumi, Jianne, and Chelle are all waiting for you already,¡± said Marquis Reclan, my uncle.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    As soon as the drawing room door opened, a very pretty, doll-like girl with red hair ran towards me. She was Illumina von Reclan, my cousin who was three years younger than me.


    Lumi beamed, ¡°Marin! I missed you so much. I was so lonely after you left the capital.¡± I hugged her and caressed her head. Then, her face melted softly in my hand.


    ¡°Hey, Lumi! Don¡¯t play coy because she¡¯s here! Hey Marin, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±


    A boy, who looked just like Lumi, was Jianneen, her twin brother. He smiled as he greeted me. I also smiled back at him, who, as always, was a good boy. Then I asked, ¡°How have you been, Jianne? Are you still aiming to be a knight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be your knight. Just watch.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for that, but I¡¯m sure you can find a much better lady to protect.¡±


    Jianne then shook his head firmly, and as he watched me, answered, ¡°There can never be a better lady than you.¡±


    ¡°My, thank you.¡±


    Gosh, that Harry should learn from Jianne. Look at him. He knows what to say. While I was comparing my mother¡¯s son to my servant number two, I heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°Marin! Is my angel truly here?¡±


    A tall red-haired man charged into the drawing room. Before I could even greet him, he came over and hugged me. Although I was surprised, I hugged my other cousin back as well.


    ¡°Chelleno,¡± I said.


    ¡°Just Chelle. Marin, my lovely cousin!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same thing. By the way, can we stop this huge reunion now?¡±


    Chelleno quickly released me in response to my threat and, with a frightened look, responded, ¡°Alright, alright! You¡¯re so cold, Marin!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll look weird to see two grownup cousins hugging each other for too long.¡±


    Chelleno then pushed his mouth as if he disagreed, ¡°Who cares? You¡¯re not even engaged anymore.¡±


    The air turned cold, and everyone began looking at me warily. Uncle froze on the spot, Lumi and Jianne watched me with their round eyes, and my father looked at me worryingly. With everyone frozen, it was my mother who was gracefully drinking tea who replied to Chelleno¡¯s words.


    ¡°Oh, dear Chelleno. You and my daughter are cousins, and there shouldn¡¯t be any scandals between you two. I will be furious if your reckless behavior interferes with my daughter¡¯s bright future. That kid is talented enough to even become a future minister.¡±


    It is an honor that you think so highly of this poor daughter, Mother. I actually thought the same. Hahaha. Chelleno, however, found a way to argue back as if he was the intellectual type.


    ¡°It¡¯s wrong for people to think of our friendship like that. Auntie, I do this because I care for my cousin. I never thought of her in such a way.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right, but you still shouldn¡¯t do that. Keep a distance from her from now on. If you still insist on proving your friendship, then you should fight me and win,¡± said Mother.


    That¡¯s my mother! Chelleno had been trained to be my servant since he was very young. But sometimes, he went beyond what I wanted due to him being too loyal, which made me uncomfortable. Mother putting a stop to him was good news.


    ¡°Auntie! You can¡¯t say-¡±


    ¡°A man who is allowed to be close to my daughter should defeat me in a duel. So, if that¡¯s not what you wish to do, keep your distance from my daughter. We don¡¯t want a good man to stay away from her because of you. Don¡¯t we?¡±


    Rey or Harry would be terrified of Mother and would have agreed right away, but Chelleno seemed to be disagreeing with what she said. Then he met my eyes and began to get teary-eyed. Wow. He looks like a giant puppy. Then he asked, ¡°Marin, are you really doing this to me?¡±


    As he looked at me, he looked crestfallen. Well¡­ Chelleno was quite handsome actually. I could see some girls admiring him. But still, to me, he was only my annoying cousin, so I replied, ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re too annoying.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hurt!¡±


    Chelleno became tearful and ran out of the room once he heard my answer. At last, the room returned to normalcy. When will he be helpful? I wanted a hound who would answer my call when I trained him. But now, he¡¯s an annoying attention-seeking puppy.


    ¡°Gosh, men. They¡¯re all so childish. Look at our Marina and Illumina. They¡¯re so composed and calm.¡±


    I almost nodded to my mother¡¯s rant. Lumi brightened up at my mother¡¯s words, ¡°Wow, auntie. I¡¯m so honored that you considered me in the same rank as Marina!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Oh, yes. Illumina, you should take Marina to a dress shop. I am not too keen on female trends,¡± said my mother.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you follow trends well. But shopping with Marina! I¡¯m excited!¡±


    Mother smiled gracefully at Lumi¡¯s excitement and turned to me, ¡°Marina, go on with Illumina to shop. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

 CH 18

    I was going to take the carriage to go shopping, but Lumi stopped me. She told me that I wasn¡¯t wearing makeup. ¡°Sister! You should never go out on the streets without makeup on at the capital! Here, stay still. Come on now, get her some makeup!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know that. I never wore makeup when I was in my estate, so I didn¡¯t put much thought into it. I realized that the capital was surely different from the countryside.


    At Lumi¡¯s orders, maids from the Marquis mansion began working on my face, putting makeup on me. Daisy looked disappointed at the sight. I guess she was disappointed that it wasn¡¯t her who was putting on makeup for me right now. It was her favorite thing to do, after all. Maybe I should let her do it next time. It was when I was thinking of that when I heard a bustling sound.


    ¡°Marin! You sure are the most beautiful woman in the world!¡± declared Chelleno.


    ¡°Marin, I wish that I can marry a lady like you in the future,¡± said Jianneen.


    Chelleno and Jianneen were praising my face with makeup on. But it would be foolish to consider their praise to be genuine. They always repeatedly said that I was pretty. Not only that, they insisted on following us on this shopping trip. Lumi¡¯s threat, however, caused them to freeze. Lumi and I then left quickly while they stopped.


    Even if we did leave those two behind, we still needed assistance. As such, Rey and a few other knights followed us as guards. Because Lumi was a shy girl, her knights were as expected. They all were very quiet. My cousin Rey was also silent and a skilled knight, so he was acceptable by Lumi¡¯s standard.


    ¡°Sir Reyan, what do you say? Isn¡¯t my sister pretty?¡± asked Lumi.


    Lumi smiled while calling his full name. Even at Lumi¡¯s friendly gesture, Rey just glanced and looked away while he answered, ¡°Makeup sure is an evil thing. It turned a pumpkin into a watermelon.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that because you¡¯re shy?¡±


    Lumi¡¯s innocent smile, not certain if it was intentional or truly innocent, made Rey sigh. That punk. You can at least pretend to agree.


    ¡°Marin! Why don¡¯t we try there this time?¡± Lumi didn¡¯t put much thought into Rey¡¯s attitude and pulled me into a boutique. She then began chattering about the stuff on display, ¡°Look at that! Those must be newly released! Isn¡¯t that hat very cute?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I had no money before and therefore didn¡¯t care about fashion. Due to that, I wasn¡¯t aware of trends, so it all looked similar. But I couldn¡¯t say that I wasn¡¯t interested in this to Lumi, who came out just for me. I nodded at her just to react to her words.


    ¡°Hehe, you and I are on point!¡±


    I was laughing halfheartedly at Lumi¡¯s words when I saw a familiar face. Is that¡­ Elise?


    She was as beautiful as always with lavish jewelry and dresses. Not only that, she would still be beautiful even without her jewelry. After all, she was someone that came out on top even with all those other girls wearing similar lavish-looking clothes.


    Elise was like a queen walking down the street full of boutiques with lavishly dressed noble girls by her side. She was so proud and bold that even I had to turn to look. That¡¯s when her eyes turned to me. Every time she saw me, she glared at me just like this. Soon, her footsteps drew near, and I was readying myself not to look weak. I was ready for whatever she was going to throw at me. But Lumi was a concern.


    ¡®What if Lumi gets harmed?¡¯ I tried to hide Lumi behind me with that thought in mind, but she instead held my hand and stood forward.


    ¡°Why are you stopping, sister? There is no one here.¡±


    Even when Elise and her followers stopped on the way here, Lumi was clearly ignoring her. Lumi was declaring that she pretended not to see Elise by not greeting her. Surely, it was a bold move befitting a Marquis family, the same rank as Elise¡¯s family.


    ¡°How rude!¡±


    Elise¡¯s followers bellowed angrily, but Elise smiled as she greeted Lumi, ¡°Long time no see, Lady Reclan.¡±


    Elise ignored me, who was standing by Lumi. I didn¡¯t put much thought into it as she and I weren¡¯t in a spot where we would exchange greetings.


    ¡°My, yes. Long time no see, Lady Schuteiner. But I didn¡¯t realize you developed bad eyesight,¡± Lumi snapped sarcastically.


    Lumi was clearly pointing out Elise¡¯s attitude. Elise glared at me in response to Lumi questioning why she was ignoring my presence. Then she smiled beautifully again and said, ¡°Lady Reclan, do you know what happens to a cheap black dress if put together with a brightly colored dress made with high-quality materials?¡±


    Lumi didn¡¯t respond but only glared at her. Elise smiled innocently and continued, ¡°The clean, high-quality dress then gets tainted by the cheap black dress.¡±


    She was hinting that Lumi shouldn¡¯t hang around with me, who was like a cheap black dress. I laughed dumbfoundedly. But there was no point in saying anything to a girl who was ignoring me as if she hadn¡¯t seen me at all.

 CH 19

    That¡¯s when I heard a terrifying sound coming from Lumi. She was gritting her teeth.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think Lady Schuteiner not only had terrible eyesight, but she¡¯s also very rude. My wardrobe is filled with only the highest quality dresses, so there¡¯s no concern about any taint. I suppose your wardrobe is full of cheap dresses? That you had to worry about other people¡¯s clothes?¡±


    Elise¡¯s face turned rigid at Lumi¡¯s words, but she was still glaring at me, not her. I didn¡¯t back down at her unexplainable conduct and glared back now. I always thought highly of her, but now I realized she was just an ordinary girl who couldn¡¯t resist her anger. Maybe it was thanks to Lumi for today¡¯s blow, or me returning a blow on that day, I was able to see her true self.


    ¡°Alright, I suppose I cared too much. You and I aren¡¯t close enough for such friendly talk anyway,¡± said Elise.


    ¡°Good that you know that. I was worried that you didn¡¯t understand,¡± replied Lumi.


    Lumi was still fighting head-on with Elise, befitting the only daughter of the Central Knight Captain. Looking at her not backing down reminded me of the Reclain family¡¯s motto, ¡°an eye for an eye.¡±


    ¡°By the way, Lady Schuteiner,¡± said Lumi.


    Even when Lumi called her, Elise still glared at me. It was even humiliating how she was eyeing me while pretending to ignore me. It almost felt like she regarded me as someone significant.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Elise.


    Lumi then made a lovely smile in response to Elise¡¯s irritable question and answered, ¡°You have been looking somewhere else while you¡¯re talking to me. Why don¡¯t you get eyeglasses and not worry about someone else¡¯s wardrobe? Do you want me to refer you to a good glasses maker?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary. You are the nosy type as well, Lady Reclan.¡±


    Lumi laughed, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m nowhere close to you. If we¡¯re done here, shall we be on our way now?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Farewell.¡±


    The two of them then turned their backs against each other and walked away. As far as I¡¯m concerned, it was clearly Lumi¡¯s victory today.


    ¡°Marina!¡±


    After such a fight against Elise, my lovely cousin came to me and put her arm around mine. Irritated, Lumi said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I was annoyed by some dog barking on the way.¡±


    I had to laugh. Lumi was speaking intentionally so that Elise, who was not yet far away, would hear. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Lumi. My young cousin was grown enough to become a predator in the food hierarchy of the beau monde. Come to think of it. She was always a predator when she was young, even if she was cute. She was a predator who grew to be one.


    ***


    ¡°Welcome, ladies.¡±


    Lumi arrogantly walked past the employee¡¯s kind greeting, pointed to a dress and heels, and ordered, ¡°Show me that and that.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡±


    When Lumi¡¯s eyes met with mine, her arrogant and proud expression changed into an innocent smile. I trained my cousin well. I could see that the vicious state from a while ago and the arrogant look on her face right now was her usual state. But to me, she was an innocent sheep. She sure had lots of faces. Whatever the case was, I considered the personality she showed me to be her true self. Lumi was always kind and innocent on the inside while on the outside was covered in thorns.


    Lumi then began praising the dress full of laces that the employee brought over and then entered the fitting room to try it on. While I was waiting for her, a familiar voice called me.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you, Lady Harrant?¡±


    I turned around and saw a woman around my age. It was one of Elise¡¯s followers from a while ago. It seemed some of them had separated from her, as their numbers were smaller. But that woman who called me¡­ She looks familiar. Who is she?


    ¡°It¡¯s been three years since we last met in private like this,¡± she said.


    Oh! It was Lady Reveline von Eisolet, daughter of Count Eisolet. She was the woman who arrogantly looked down on me and tried to bully me at the Northern Academy before a professor, who liked me, suspended her. After that, she decided to side with Elise.


    Her family owned the third largest estate in the northern region while she was at the academy. Because of that, she acted proudly. But in truth, she only tried to earn Elise¡¯s favor and was weak against my friends. I hope they¡¯re doing okay. It¡¯s been some time since I got any letters from them.


    It was while I was thinking about my friends when I heard an unpleasant voice again, ¡°You¡¯re as pitiful as always. That¡¯s why you got¡­ dumped¡­ Heh.¡±


    She was cackling with the other women who tagged along with her to look at me. What is wrong with them? Do they want to talk to me? Why are they whispering to each other if they called my name?


    ¡°What do you want? You called me first, and I¡¯m waiting.¡±


    At that, her lips covered in red makeup formed a big smirk. ¡°I heard you took the government exam. Oh, I already can see what the results were, so don¡¯t tell me. Hah!¡±


    ¡°Heh, she knew that she wouldn¡¯t even pass the maids test, so she went for the official exam knowing she wouldn¡¯t make it through! Well, we¡¯re talking about a woman who got dumped by her fianc¨¦ anyway.¡±

 CH 20

    Listening to those women that Reveline brought with her made me realize something. So, that was it. They couldn¡¯t dare to argue against Lumi, the daughter of the powerful Marquis family, so they chose to pick on me, who had no power. I almost laughed at these girls trying to make fun of me. Sorry but I¡¯m not the one you previously knew anymore. It¡¯s a shame that Elise isn¡¯t here, but I¡¯ll do my best to play your game.


    I replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to lose myself so that I can live relying on a man. Isn¡¯t it like being a parasite to rely on someone because I can¡¯t make it on my own? I mean, everyone¡¯s different, and I can¡¯t blame them for that. But¡­ there are those out there who don¡¯t even know they are parasites and only try to feed off of a dragon.¡±


    ¡°W-what?! Are you talking about me right now?¡±


    It was a well-known fact that Reveline had a crush on Prince Siccain, son of the Chancellor. It was famous enough that I, disinterested in such gossip, even knew. Her powers were limited to the northern region, and in the capital where powerful families lived, she was just one of the other nobles. There was a difference between nobles from the countryside to those in the capital. Reveline, who bragged about how significant her relationship with Prince Siccain was, was laughable to the nobles in the central region.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about anyone specifically, but I¡¯m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I wasn¡¯t talking about you¡­¡±


    Reveline then raised her hand to hit me in anger and yelled, ¡°You!¡±


    I then reached out to grab her hand that was coming for me. Hey, I have done a lot of hard labor and farm work, you know. Her puny hand is too weak.


    ¡°Gyaaaaa! What are you-¡± screamed Reveline.


    I tightened my grip on her arm, and she screamed harder. Then, I said, ¡°Oh, I was trying to make it right because you seemed to have swung it wrongly. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Afterward, I let go of her hand, almost throwing it. She became even more furious, charged at me, and bellowed, ¡°You crazy b**ch. You¡¯re getting on my nerves!¡±


    I slightly moved aside and tripped her without being noticed. She then made a mess while crashing down to the floor. I commented, ¡°Oh, that must hurt. Are you okay?¡±


    Then, I moved close to her, pretending to help her stand, but I pressed down on her shoulder hard. Her strength, which was only used to hold a teacup, was no match for mine. My muscles had grown due to the various jobs I had to keep my estate¡¯s finances afloat. I had worked on farmlands adding soil to the ground to grow expensive fruits and harvest them, sew, make plush toys, and other works. The most lucrative among those jobs that I tried were plush toy making.


    Anyway, I pressed down on her shoulder while she was in pain and whispered to her so that nobody else could hear. ¡°Get lost. If you didn¡¯t know this yet, I was appointed to be a government official.¡±


    Reveline¡¯s eyes grew large from my words. Her expression proved that the beau monde didn¡¯t know that I passed the exam. Of course, the results of the exam were notified only to its applicants, so it was normal that others besides my family didn¡¯t know about it. Mother¡¯s family knew because we told them beforehand.


    ¡°Government official? That¡¯s crap! You¡¯re so poor that you can¡¯t even buy a dress, and you passed the exam?¡±


    ¡°Yes, apparently. First place.¡±


    She was shocked. Getting first place meant that a high-ranking position was predestined. Reveline screamed, ¡°L-LIES!¡±


    I then drew closer to her ears while she was shocked and whispered, ¡°If I¡¯m promoted to a higher position, your father, a countryside lord, can go down just like that. You should know where you¡¯re stepping. Actually, I don¡¯t even have to wait to get promoted. A secretary position is enough to make proposals for the higher-ups. Should I suggest that we investigate the corruption of the northern region on over taxation and tax evasion on my first day at work?¡±


    Reveline became pale, seemingly guilty on many points. Right, the reason why your family was wealthy, unlike ours, was because of taxing people too much. Thanks to them, our estate was full of refugees from her family¡¯s estate, and our finances took a huge hit to support them. My father was happy that we had more people, though¡­ but that eventually led to the fast development of our gold mine now. To think that my father¡¯s optimism truly paid off!


    ¡°And how do you know that I can or cannot buy a dress?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What are you talking about-¡±


    I then pointed at the red dress that her lot had been watching. It was the most expensive dress available in this shop.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± I called out to an employee, who had been watching us from a distance warily during our fight, and she quickly scurried over.


    ¡°Yes, my lady, how can I help-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m buying that.¡±


    The employee became startled, then quickly made a smile that resembled that of a beggar. Her will to not lose this opportunity was certain, and she replied, ¡°Of course. If you allow it, I will get some measurements¡­¡±


    ¡°Here are my measurements. You can fix it according to that.¡±


    The employee then brightened up as she looked at the paper that had my measurements written on it. She responded, ¡°Oh! We have a dress made with these measurements at the moment. It¡¯ll just need a few alterations.¡±


    Reveline and her lot were looking at me with a smirk, whispering to themselves, thinking that I was bluffing. Unless the shop requires a deposit, there¡¯s always a way to cancel the order afterward. They were assuming that I would do that.

 CH 21

    ¡°How much is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is 200 gold, my lady. We need a deposit of 50 gold upfront. You can pay the rest when you take the dress,¡± stated the employee.


    Reveline and her lot wore a big smirk hearing the employee mentioning the deposit. I figured that they thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to pay the money, so I replied, ¡°Here¡¯s the full 200 gold payment. I will pay it all upfront.¡±


    They watched me in disbelief. Even for them, it seems that this dress was too expensive to purchase. But as for me, I currently had 5000 gold right now, so it was manageable. I would have found it almost nerve-wrecking before, but now I realize what it feels like to be wealthy. Not only that, I realized that this pointless spending was kind of a show of strength.


    Even if it is costly, this show of power was necessary to not be looked down upon in the capital. I also needed this, so this kind of expense was to be permitted. It was also a good time to show my power of wealth in this capital where hollow greed and vanity are rampant.


    ¡°How long will it take for the alteration?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be long, my lady. Please wait for a moment, and it will be done.¡±


    The employee was doing the best she could to work in my favor. It was understandable, as that dress alone was more than half of this shop¡¯s day sales. Then, the employee scurried out. I believe many will be put to work so that I don¡¯t have to wait too long.


    ¡°What bluff is this¡­¡±


    The women were in disbelief that they were in denial and mumbling. I smiled, ¡°I¡¯m not bluffing. I¡¯m only spending what I have. Do you think I can¡¯t even spend this much like some people?¡±


    My sarcasm made them shut up and grit their teeth. I then calmly smiled as I added, ¡°At least my family isn¡¯t poor anymore. We have enough that I can have a wardrobe full of these dresses and still have enough to spend.¡±


    My show of strength had seemingly damaged their pride. They didn¡¯t even try to argue back and left the boutique. It was like a dog running away with its tail between its legs. Green showed itself out of my lips. After waiting for a bit, the employee came back to me.


    ¡°My lady, the dress is prepared. We just needed to work on the waistline since you have perfect body lines already.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t bad to hear the employee praising me. She was grinning as best as possible. It was a grin that had been bought with money. Was this why money is power itself? The workers loaded the dress into the carriage. It felt like it was a spoil of war.


    ¡®Of course, it is. I protected my pride in exchange for money, and this is the prize that I got from it.¡¯ And I didn¡¯t feel bad about it. It was a pretty good feeling seeing them look at me with such envious eyes. I learned about the pleasure of spending money for my own sake.


    ¡°Marina, I heard a ruckus out there. Did something happen?¡± asked Lumi, who just came running after me in a not-so-perfectly dressed state. It seemed she had quickly changed when she heard the noise.


    I smiled as I replied, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. There were just some flies. I guess it became noisy chasing them out.¡±


    With a curious look, Lumi frowned, then innocently smiled as if she did not know anything else. Then she said, ¡°I see. This shop needs some upkeep to do. Shall we go, then?¡±


    We both left the boutique. After that, Lumi had me visit a jewelry boutique to order some accessories, then to other places for more dresses, cosmetics, and other accessories. Soon, the carriage was full of stuff that we purchased.


    ¡°This should last for a while,¡± said Lumi.


    I smiled bitterly at Lumi¡¯s casual comment. I lived my whole life in financial hardship and this much expense was enough to make me uneasy. But to Lumi, it was just normal spending. Maybe this was how you feel relative deprivation.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s return home then.¡±


    ¡°Good idea,¡± answered Lumi as she wrapped her arm around mine. My slight inferiority complex died down.


    I wasn¡¯t a pitiful noble daughter who had been sighing about the financial hardships of my poor estate anymore. From my rank, position to my finances, everything had changed. I had to adjust to my new life. There was no need to dwell upon my pitiful past anymore, like my ex-fianc¨¦, who is worse than me.


    ¡°From now on, you should teach me. I¡¯m too used to being modest, so I don¡¯t know much about shopping and spending.¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Lumi replied with a bright smile then she leaned on my shoulder. My cousin didn¡¯t let me feel any deprivation, and I couldn¡¯t even think about hating her.


    The carriage filled with my spoils of war entered the gate of the Reclan mansion proudly like a war general returning from a victory, and I saw a wonderful rose garden. I missed that garden when I first arrived because I was greeting my uncle back then. Roses were flowers that were hard to raise in the cold northern region unless there was a greenhouse. My heart pounded at the realization that I was truly at the capital now.

 CH 22

    ¡°Marina, why didn¡¯t you buy more? Surely I had given you enough money,¡± said Mother as she browsed through what I had bought.


    I shook my head and replied, ¡°Trends change quickly. I figured it is best to buy new clothes when trends change than to buy a lot of them all at once.¡±


    It seemed she liked my answer and was smiling satisfyingly at me. ¡°I finally feel like we are back to being a central noble. I can see you can look out for yourself, but I¡¯m still worried about you.¡±


    I smiled at her concerns. ¡°I¡¯ll visit on my vacation. Please be well.¡±


    Mother¡¯s eyes became teary, but she soon returned to her normal, graceful state. Then she said, ¡°We shall be leaving now. It¡¯s already late, and I¡¯m worried about Harris.¡±


    She spoke as she turned sideways to hide her tears, and father smiled. Then he added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you always have us. Don¡¯t hesitate to tell us anything if you need our help. Oh, and I deposited a hundred times the money I owed you at the bank, so use it when you need it.¡±


    I realized we truly didn¡¯t have to worry about money anymore. A hundred times? How much was that? Father had borrowed about 300 gold, so that would be around 30,000 gold. That¡¯s crazy, Marina. That¡¯s almost all the cash most middle-ranking noble families have. It was an amount of money that I could barely save up even if I worked as a government official for 10 years. And now I had it in my bank¡­ I really am rich now.


    ¡°Thank you, father.¡±


    ¡°Also, I have one last piece of advice. When you enter the palace, try not to come across his majesty or his highness. I wish you to stay as quiet as possible, mostly unseen and unnoticeable.¡±


    I felt like I knew what he meant. He was saying that I should be careful of what I do in front of high-ranked people. That I should not make mistakes, so I should try to be unnoticeable if I can. Then I replied, ¡°Of course, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°I trust you, Rina,¡± said Father as he nodded.


    I also nodded at my father, calling me by a nickname that only he uses. Then I remembered another person in my faint memory who also used that nickname. But that went away quickly, and I returned to reality. As my father and I were saying goodbye, Mother was making my uncle make a promise.


    ¡°Berdian, please look after Marina,¡± said Mother.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Phiria. You know very well that your brother loves Marin.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I trust you.¡±


    She then got up and my father also got up from his seat. Uncle looked at Mother disappointingly and said, ¡°You can stay for a few more days.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could, but Harris is alone back at home. I have to go back and check to see if he had ran into any trouble,¡± replied Mother.


    Yeah, Harris was a troublemaker. He wasn¡¯t healthy by normal standards, but he still caused trouble whenever he could. Uncle nodded at the mention of Harris with a frown and added, ¡°I hope he grows up soon. He should learn from his sister.¡±


    Mother laughed awkwardly, and I, too, laughed. It was actually my uncle who played a role in Harry becoming what he was today. Poor Harry. My mother then waved her hand and bid farewell to Uncle.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be off then. Rey, look out for Marina, will you?¡± asked my mother.


    ¡°Of course, auntie,¡± answered Rey.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to train yourself. And Daisy, I know I can count on you. Keep it up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    My father then held my hand and cheered me again to ease his worries. I felt my heart warm and nodded. Soon, the carriage with my parents began moving, and I waved at the carriage as it went further and further away. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of it until it was out of my sight. Lumi then dragged me in by pulling on my arm.


    ¡°Marina, we had prepared your room right after we heard you¡¯re coming. Let¡¯s go up and check.¡±


    Lumi dragged me upstairs and guided me to the guest room. I was greeted by a room much more lavish than the one I had at the estate, and I felt touched. The room I was going to stay in was in the exact state that it was from when I stayed briefly at his house a long time ago.


    ¡°Welcome back to the capital, Marin. We tried our best to make it look like your old room,¡± said Chelleno, who appeared from behind. As I turned around and met his eyes, I became reminiscent of the days when I lived in the capital again.


    ¡°¡­Thank you,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t hear you. Say it louder!¡±


    I frowned as Chelleno pushed his ear against me. Then, he walked into the room and sat me down on a couch. Lumi and Jianne also took a seat on the couch across from me and looked at me.


    ¡°So, what happened? Why did you break up with that shameless pr*ck?¡± asked Chelleno.


    I smiled bitterly. It was all in the past now, and I thought I had forgotten about it while I studied but thinking of it made my heart ache again. Those five years weren¡¯t meaningless after all. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was the only one who liked him and realized later that he didn¡¯t feel the same, so I broke up with him.¡±


    Chelleno grimaced, then made a fist and almost stomped on the table but stopped. That was because I was watching him. ¡®I won¡¯t forgive you for damaging this expensive marble table!¡¯ And as if he knew what I was thinking, Chelleno slowly put his fist back down on his knee as he muttered some swear words. ¡°That damn pr*ck. I never liked him since the beginning!¡±


    ¡°That damn prick. I haven¡¯t liked him since the beginning!¡±


    But it wasn¡¯t only Chelleno who hated Kyles. Everyone around me did. I guess I was the only fool.


    ¡°To dump our Marina over that ug- not so ugly sly b**ch.¡±


    I guess Chelleno was a man after all, not able to say Elise is ugly. But there was a word that I was uncomfortable with, and I made a guess.

 CH 23

    ¡°Hey! I dumped him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing. Anyway, I won¡¯t let him get away with this. Do you want me to beat him up? Although there¡¯s some distance from the Knight¡¯s Camp to the Internal Affairs Department, I can still go and pulverize him,¡± said Chelleno.


    I bit my lip. Beating him up would definitely make me feel better, but I didn¡¯t want to be involved with Kyles anymore. Kyles was an imperfection in my life. ¡°No, don¡¯t do it. I don¡¯t want to deal with him anymore. It¡¯s unpleasant to get involved with a man who¡¯s not in my league.¡±


    Chelleno then looked happily at me. Lumi and Jianne also looked at me eagerly. What¡¯s wrong with them?


    ¡°A quick recovery! Just like our Marina! We three all admire you, and that¡¯s why we have a good relationship with each other like this,¡± said Chelleno.


    ¡®That¡¯s right,¡¯ I thought. The three of them lost their mother when they were young. Because their father was busy with his work as a knight, they had to grow up under the care of a housemaid. As such, they grew to be arrogant and did whatever they wanted. When they were young, they used to bully Harris and tried to do the same to me. I had to teach them one by one, and soon they became like puppies to me.


    ¡°Oh, oh. Brother, I met Elise while I was out today,¡± said Lumi.


    Chelleno and Jianne frowned. It was a very different sight compared to Kyles, who used to look mesmerized whenever he spoke of Elise.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t tell me you let her go. You monster should¡¯ve- ARGH!¡±


    It seemed Lumi had stepped on her twin brother¡¯s foot by mistake when she heard his voice. Chelleno looked at it, became pale, and drank a cup of tea. Lumi laughed and began to chatter to me.


    ¡°Marina, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to let her get away with this. I¡¯m so looking forward to showing her what¡¯s up. I never liked her anyway. It¡¯ll be so fun to watch you beat that sly b**ch up. Hehehe,¡± commented Lumi.


    Jianne, who was in pain from being stepped on by Lumi, also spoke eagerly, ¡°Honestly, I never thought she was pretty. Marina is much prettier than her in my eyes.¡±


    Don¡¯t say that. I once spoke ill of her appearance out of hatred and anger. I was at a complete loss even back then. Thinking of it made me compare myself to her in terms of beauty. How can I compete with silver hair that looked like it had been blessed by god or aquamarine-colored watery eyes? Compared to the angel-like Elise, my dark brown hair with a faint hint of red was too common. All I had that could even barely compete against her was ruby-like eyes that everyone complimented that they were beautiful.


    What about the other facial features? Elise looks innocent and pure. It¡¯s what makes others feel the need to protect her, which has gotten her a lot of followers. What about me? Raised eyes with a face that looks full of complaints and annoyance. That¡¯s me.


    When I was in the Academy, I always heard that I looked frightening and angry. Even my red eyes, the only thing I had that was beautiful, only worked to make me look even scarier. My friends- well, they were the type to befriend a loner like me, a kind¡­ No. They weren¡¯t kind. Anyway, they were unique and praised me for my beauty. In reality, the two of them were just as beautiful as Elise.


    Yeah. In terms of beauty, I can¡¯t even compare myself to Elise. Compared to her, I¡¯m¡­ not as gorgeous. That¡¯s why that damn Kyles cheated on me! Brute! I never want to see him ever again.


    While I was in the middle of thinking about my self-hatred, I heard Chelleno¡¯s foolish voice. ¡°Marin¡¯s much prettier and classier. That Schuteiner lady looks dumb, you know.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ Are your eyes only accessories?¡±


    Lumi replied to my astonished response to Chelleno¡¯s words, ¡°Oh, actually, he¡¯s the only man who didn¡¯t fall for that woman¡¯s flirting!¡±


    ¡°Flirting?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah! That b**ch Schuteiner suddenly came to him and invited him over to her tea party. But wow, my brother turned her down coldly! Because he¡¯s- Ngh.¡±


    Lumi¡¯s speech was interrupted by Chelleno, who covered her mouth. She glared at him, and Chelleno flinched but still had his hands over her mouth. Then he added, ¡°Don¡¯t mind what she was going to say. I just did it because that Schuteiner lady wasn¡¯t my type. To me, you are the most beautiful woman in the world.¡±

 CH 24

    I had to reevaluate Chelleno. Did he like much more beautiful girls? To think there would be a man who would turn that face down. But why is he comparing her to me? That makes it seem like he¡¯s lying.


    At that moment, Lumi took Chelleno¡¯s hands off her and mumbled, ¡°Yeah, yeah. You got influenced by Marin and like red-colored eyes-¡±


    ¡°That damn pr*ck Kyles!¡± shouted Chelleno, interrupting what his sister was trying to say and changing the subject. ¡°Falling for that worthless woman and dumping my Marin! It makes me furious!¡±


    I had to rethink the definition of the word ¡®worthless¡¯ in response to Chelleno¡¯s angry remark. What would be worthy in his standards then? Anyway, the way he said that Kyles dumped me was getting on my nerves, so I said, ¡°Stop saying he dumped me. I was the one who dumped him. Alright?¡±


    I bellowed in a low voice, putting my feeling of not wanting to be involved with him again, and everyone looked at me sympathetically. Dammit. I should get settled as an official fast so that I can escape this sympathy. Who cares about that man when I can succeed on my own?


    ¡°All of you are making my head hurt. I want to rest now. You guys can leave now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you should get some rest. Illumina, Jianneen, let¡¯s go,¡± said Chelleno.


    ¡°Goodbye, sister,¡± said Lumi.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± added Jianne.


    With all three red puppies gone, the room became quiet. I laid down on a bed and sighed, ¡®It¡¯s tomorrow, Marina.¡¯


    Tomorrow was the new beginning of my life. It was me who was going to choose where I wanted to be on the beau monde and the political scene. Starting tomorrow, I will be a secretary and jump into a policy planning system right away. I became a bit worried, but I knew I was going to do fine.


    If I come across Kyles¡­ I¡¯m going to ignore him. Hah! See with your own eyes how successful your ex-fianc¨¦e has become! For a while, I used to hate and blame him. But was it because it was dull? I had no resentments. The only thing I had was anticipation for new work that was waiting for me.


    On the other hand, Elise¡­ I will have to see, but she still seemed pretty much the same as before from the way she acted today. If she continues to act hostile and treat me like her enemy, I won¡¯t let things slide anymore. Unlike Kyles, whose self-esteem hurt whenever ignored, I remained resilient. From the day I ended my engagement, I decided to get payback on Elise. Thinking of these various things tired me out, so I fell asleep.


    ***


    The next day, Daisy woke me up and got me prepared. I wasn¡¯t going to a party, so she helped me dress as cleanly as possible, and as a result, I looked sort of like a female government official. Looking at myself in the mirror, however, made me depressed. I was worried about crossing paths with Kyles, and I was also worried if I could really do this.


    ¡°Marin, it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    I had to put those thoughts aside when I heard my uncle¡¯s voice. My uncle and Chelleno were watching me. This wasn¡¯t the northern region where I was fighting alone. I had such trusty people watching my back. Kyles was nothing to be worried about. I felt safe by their presence and headed to the palace with them.


    ***


    As soon as I entered the hall, I saw people who passed the exam this year and their families. As for me, I was excused from a month-long aptitude education for getting first place and was to report directly to the Chancellor¡¯s office and to the superior secretary for the job description.


    Soon, each head of each department and various high-ranking officials came and sat on the chairs above the stage. The Chancellor, the head of the entire central government, got up to the podium to proceed with the middle-rank government official appointment ceremony.


    ¡°Welcome, everyone. I am Duke Vernon Hadecion von Siccain, Chancellor of the Genorium Empire.¡±


    The Chancellor was a middle-aged man with faint white and gold hair and blue eyes that resembled a deep lake. With his proud and strong voice, he looked noble yet powerful. I already knew how he looked, but some who had seen him for the first time couldn¡¯t seem to take their eyes off of him.


    ¡°I know that you all are the victors who passed this year¡¯s exam, which has been the most difficult exam as of yet. But if you are here with the intention of riding on someone else¡¯s back while they do the hard work, you should get the heck out of this place at once.¡±


    This startling welcome speech shocked many nobles within the hall. I, for one, wasn¡¯t astonished at all because I already faced his character before. But it certainly was understandable that nobles that came from the countryside were shocked by him.


    ¡°Oh, and we have a talented individual who passed the exam with a perfect score, which is the highest score ever for first place. Marina von Harrant, you may come up to the stage.¡±


    As my name was announced, I stood up and walked gracefully toward the stage. The Chancellor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when he saw me, then his face turned intrigued.


    ¡®He remembers me.¡¯ Thinking of that made me laugh, but I held back. From chess to anything else, keeping cool was the most important thing. I was acting as if I wasn¡¯t feeling anything in order to take the winning piece in this game.


    Soon, as I read out loud the Oath of a Government Official, the audience followed along. Their voices filled the hall. The Chancellor looked around them, then turned to me and mouthed a few words.


    ¡®Huh? He wants me to follow him?¡¯


    ¡°And that concludes the ceremony. Listen to your seniors¡¯ guidance for your education. You will be sent home if you give up, so be ready,¡± said the Chancellor.


    As the Chancellor, Duke Mccain turned around to leave, I followed him. I looked around and saw a door of the building at the center of the Internal Affairs. I kept my eyes busy while walking inside and saw my seniors busily working. I walked past them, following the Chancellor to his own office at the end of the building.


    ¡°Sit,¡± said the Chancellor.


    Gracefully, I sat down at his offer. He was watching me and was very interested. Of course, he was. He had finally found the chess opponent that he had been searching for after a long time.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I was disappointed that you didn¡¯t leave your name back then, so I couldn¡¯t find you for a rematch. I tried searching but to no avail.¡±


    I kept my name unknown for Kyles, as I would be in his way if I gained any attention. But that seemed to have made the Chancellor more interested. It was just three games of chess, and he still remembered.

 CH 25

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find you within the capital, so I thought you were a regional noble and gave up. I didn¡¯t expect you to be Count Harrant¡¯s daughter. Chess with him was interesting, as he was my only match. I never thought I¡¯d feel that way again from his daughter,¡± commented the Chancellor.


    I was flattered by his words. It was pleasant to hear him placing me on the same level as my father, who I look up to.


    ¡°I heard the rumor that you broke your engagement a while ago? And it was with the man that you even tried to bet against me. It¡¯s surprising you managed to pass the exam without being frustrated,¡± added the Chancellor.


    My little break-up wouldn¡¯t have been so well-known if it wasn¡¯t for Elise. I took a sip of the tea in front of me, smiling quietly at the chancellor¡¯s words. This smells wonderful. Then, I replied, ¡°I realized I didn¡¯t want to give up on my dream. He was a narrow-minded man who wasn¡¯t enough of a guy for me, so I dumped him.¡±


    The Chancellor suddenly began to laugh at my answer. I continued to sip the tea despite his long-lasting laughter. Soon, his laughter eased, and he said, ¡°That is remarkable. A dream is better when it¡¯s a big one. I also read your answer on the exam. It was intriguing.¡±


    I swallowed an empty throat with tension. The answer I wrote was quite radical in perspective.


    The Chancellor continued, ¡°You wrote that if we don¡¯t develop the agriculture industry, we¡¯ll have fewer farmers and more merchants, which will result in food shortages. You also said in the future, only big merchants will survive, and smaller merchants will be oppressed. Those big merchants will dominate the entire economy.¡±


    I silently stared at the Chancellor. Then, he looked into my eyes with his blue eyes and said, ¡°You went too far. Even if it is true, the hierarchical system of our world will remain, and your thoughts are too radical. I think you should be careful about getting ahead of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the advice, Chancellor.¡±


    Even though he rejected my answer, his eyes seemed to have revealed that he had thought deeply about my theory. But soon, he turned normal as nothing had happened.


    ¡°Anyway, I am glad to have a competent worker. Let¡¯s play chess sometimes when we¡¯re bored,¡± said the Chancellor.


    It was a suggestion made out of self-interest, to which I answered with a smile, ¡°My apologies, but I refuse.¡±


    Of course, it¡¯s a no. The Chancellor was now treating me as an interesting game for him. If so, there was no way I would get caught so easily, making things boring. His eyes became large and he wore a frown, apparently surprised and unhappy by my rejection. I just smiled at his reaction.


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°I wish not to be interrupted with my work for something that has no profit for me.¡±


    The Chancellor then tapped his finger on the desk as he watched with interest, then smiled. ¡°Hmm¡­ This is troubling. You¡¯re too smart to handle. But I strangely like you. What about this? I¡¯ll give you my son. Why don¡¯t you become my daughter-in-law?¡±


    I almost sighed when the Chancellor claimed that he would give his son, one of the most sought-after groom candidates of the country, away so easily. He seemed to have a strong desire to win. To the point, he would even give away his son for it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chancellor. I don¡¯t want my freedom restricted by marriage and be unable to pursue my dream.¡±


    ¡°I like you the more you talk. Tell me anytime if you change your mind. I¡¯m sure my son will like you too.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure about that. I¡¯m known to have been abandoned by my fianc¨¦, who has fallen for another woman. I doubt Prince Siccain, one of the most sought-after grooms, will even be interested in me. Besides, why would he even care about a daughter of a fallen count family but not a duke or marquis¡¯s family?


    Anyway, I hid my wounded pride and pretended to be happy that he thought so highly of me. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Chancellor.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re also very modest. I sure have good eyes for people! I gave a perfect score on the answer that saw through the policy and also foresaw a result, only to find out that she was the lady who won me on chess! I am looking forward to working with you.¡±


    And I think it¡¯s going to be tiresome, Chancellor. Also, I¡¯m not humble. I just know my place. I know that it¡¯s pointless to be greedy for something that¡¯s out of my league. Honestly, it¡¯s self-defense against something that might hurt me. I no longer want to suffer for feelings like love that are pointless once it ends or one-sidedly sacrifice myself. The love that I unilaterally gave for five years had eaten me away in that way.


    I didn¡¯t want to forget about myself and be swayed by emotions again by sacrificing myself for someone. But unlike my cowered mind, I acted as calmly as I could to act as if I wasn¡¯t swayed by emotion. This was the way I chose to survive in the competitive world of nobles.


    The Chancellor looked at me with interest, then turned to Count Clove and asked, ¡°Count Clove, who is our new Associate Secretary Harrant¡¯s senior?¡±


    ¡°It is Senior Secretary Harsen, sir.¡±


    ¡°I see. Tell him that I¡¯m expecting great things from our new recruit and that he should promptly train her.¡±


    It was as if the Chancellor was threatening me that ¡®there will not be any slacking,¡¯ and I swallowed an empty throat in nervousness. Ugh, it¡¯s the beginning of my suffering.


    ¡°Here now, go and meet with your seniors and hear more about your work, Secretary Harrant,¡± said the chancellor.


    ¡°Yes, Chancellor,¡± I answered.

 CH 26

    As I left the Chancellor¡¯s room, I saw the Chancellor¡¯s Operations Department, where I¡¯ll be working from now on. About a dozen officials were busily moving and busy with their work. I gulped down nervously, which Count Clove noticed and cheered me with laughter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, Secretary Harrant. You¡¯ll be one of them soon enough.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was encouragement or a warning. I just awkwardly smiled and was led to a man.


    ¡°Good morning, director. Oh?¡±


    A handsome man greeted Count Clove, then stared at me. Hmm¡­ I think I¡¯ve seen that sly face before.


    ¡°Do you guys know each other already?¡± asked Count Clove.


    The man then slyly shook his head and responded, ¡°No, sir. I was just mesmerized by your beautiful company here.¡±


    Count Clove then scolded the man for his flirtatious comment, ¡°Don¡¯t make any scandals, or you will pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. So, will you introduce me to my associate here?¡±


    Count Clove frowned slightly at the man¡¯s slightly disrespectful behavior and pressed his finger on his forehead to suppress his anger. ¡°Senior Secretary, this is Associate Secretary Harrant.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, sir. I am Secretary Marina von Harrant.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, associate Harrant. I¡¯m Rave von Harsen, Senior Secretary and Policy Officer of the Operations Department here.¡±


    I bowed politely at his quite respectful manner but soon heard a rather excited voice that followed.


    ¡°I was wondering about who was the famous perfect scorer, and I sure didn¡¯t expect a beautiful lady such as yourself to be the one! We¡¯ll have a flower among our stuffy department!¡± said Rave.


    He was a smooth talker, just like his suave looks. I laughed at his exaggerated compliment, then gave my hand to him when he reached out towards me, thinking it was a handshake. But he immediately bowed and kissed my hand, which surprised me. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t show my surprise and had a blank expression. I¡¯m sure a man like him will surprise me as a joke.


    ¡°Hahaha. Secretary Harrant is quite a lady. We had many female officials from other departments who were surprised by his actions, but she didn¡¯t even blink! Our department is going to be fun,¡± commented Count Clove.


    I laughed, pretending to be embarrassed by their compliments, but I swore in my mind. I rubbed the back of my hand on my clothes. ¡®Flirting brute, trying to win me over or something?¡¯ I realized why the chancellor told me to train promptly. To think a flirtatious man like him to be my superior¡­


    ¡°Hahaha, that seems right. Hope we make a good team, Associate Harrant,¡± said Rave.


    I brightly smiled as Rave talked smoothly and replied, ¡°Of course. However, I do wish for you to keep in line as a senior officer.¡±


    I smiled while directly warning him. I was about to grin at Rave, who seemed to be astonished by my words but had to freeze my expression when he looked at me meaningfully and winked. Dammit. Why do I have to be stuck with a man like that?


    Rave then whispered softly, ¡°You¡¯re pretty cute, Marina. Just call me ¡®Rave¡¯ if you want.¡±


    No, thank you. I¡¯m pretty sure he considers many women cute. He¡¯ll probably say anyone¡¯s cute as soon as he talks to them. ¡®You are now Punk Rave in my mind.¡¯


    Count Clove shook his head as he saw us and said, ¡°Follow me.¡± Then, he took me to the center of the department office and shouted, ¡°May I get everyone¡¯s attention please!¡±


    Every official who was working turned to focus on me. I was embarrassed by it but tried to smile calmly, pretending as relaxed as possible.


    ¡°This is Marina von Harrant, our new Associate Secretary and Policy Officer. Officers above the Secretary ranks should take good care of her as seniors, and lower-ranking members should treat her as your superiors,¡± said Count Clove.


    ¡°Yes, director!¡±


    They went right back to their work as soon as they answered. While I was astonished by how busy they were, Rave came over to me with a grin. ¡°Alright, our cute associate. Shall we go teach you about our work? Follow me.¡±


    ***


    He took me to the National Affairs Arrangement Office, where they select pending issues from each province. Rave, who acted playful as a joker, became a serious officer when he began to teach me about work.


    ¡°My associate, you will need to review issues that have been raised through here and report to me. I will review it again and report it, which then will go through the director, then to the chief advisor, then finally to the chancellor,¡± said Rave.


    That¡¯s easy to say, but it seems difficult with all these documents piled up. Then I asked, ¡°What are the criteria for review?¡±


    I felt a bit dazed at the load of work. Rave stroked his chin and smiled triumphantly, then he answered my question. ¡°That is up to you, my associate. Mark the important issue with red, yellow for postponement, and green on a general issue. The management office should have sorted out the useless ones and discarded them, but you have to check to make sure it¡¯s not here. For general issues, we can approve it on our own, but report to me just in case.¡±


    I reflected on his explanation and tried to remember about classification as he continued, ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s a meeting every morning. You, me and another secretary will join to record the meeting. We can¡¯t let general clerks record as there¡¯s a risk of information leak. It is our role to formulate, plan and review policies, manage the officials and officers under us and operate the Internal Affairs.¡±

 CH 27

    Yeah, well. In the case of the secretaries, who are directly below the high-ranking officials, it was common to review and manage plans or reports when working in other departments. It was more suitable for those in management positions than to work in practice. But the department under the supervision of the Chancellor was the central department of the entire Internal Affairs.


    My job is in general practical business. Even though it was necessary to work, I had access to key issues and had more advantages by becoming a high-ranking official. Like this, the same secretaries had different roles per department.


    ¡°Oh, and I¡¯m just saying this but listen well. You might have to run errands for his majesty or his highness. You have to be especially careful when going into his highness¡¯s office. The Crown Prince is prejudiced towards officials,¡± said Rave.


    Come to think of it. I have never attended a party in the Royal Palace since the collapse of our family. Thanks to that, I had never seen the Crown Prince myself. And that was natural as I wasn¡¯t in the league to run into the Crown Prince if it wasn¡¯t for a party. Although I did run into him on the examination day, I doubt he would remember me for such a short moment. Now that I can run into him by chance, I should study royal etiquette. The etiquette of the palace was stricter than the etiquette of nobles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± After hearing all this, it certainly felt more real now that I was at Internal Affairs, the center of all administration.


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never actually gone by myself. Hahaha!¡± said Rave.


    And that made my nervousness feel foolish. What¡¯s up with this man anyway?


    ¡°Oh, by the way, Marina.¡±


    I refocused when he called me so suddenly. I wanted to listen carefully in case he gave me another piece of advice. Instead, he asked me teasingly with a big smile, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡±


    ¡®Ugh, is he starting this again?¡¯


    ¡°We just met,¡± I replied coldly because of my annoyance and added, ¡°And I prefer we don¡¯t meet privately outside of work.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re slow, I see. But you¡¯re still cute when being so stuck up! Is it because you¡¯re the only female associate?¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to care even a bit about my cold attitude. Do you think I¡¯m going to fall for it?


    ¡°Are there no female officials in the departments under the chancellor?¡± I casually changed the subject after Rave¡¯s obvious flirtation, and I was actually curious about that a while ago.


    ¡°Nope, not a single woman. It¡¯s to the point that this place was called ¡°the No Girl Zone.¡± We were so happy when we heard that you were coming. Even the Department of the Treasury people, who have the most women officials, were envious of us.¡±


    So, it was that serious. Women officials were indeed rare, with the ratio of men to women being 50 to 1. That¡¯s because most noblewomen preferred being a palace maid to an official.


    The fact that there aren¡¯t many women officials felt a bit uncomfortable. If I were the only woman, then most events or schedules were going to revolve around men, even if they try to be considerate of my presence. With that aside, why did the treasury people envy us? Was it because I¡¯m the record top scorer of the exam?


    ¡°Envied us? What for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You know, a rumor spread throughout the entire palace on the day of the exam that an incredibly beautiful woman came to take the exam. Everyone wished you would come to their department. It is because you are the prettiest woman working in the entire palace.¡±


    He flicked his finger as if he was dumbfounded by what I said. In my mind, I frowned and thought, ¡®He¡¯s over-exaggerating.¡¯


    Besides, it felt terrible to be evaluated by appearance rather than my ability. And I¡¯m not that pretty either. I just thought it was Rave¡¯s attempt to flirt once more that made me feel down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel good about this.¡±


    Rave sighed at my stiff words, then smiled again. He sure has some nerves. Then, he replied, ¡°You¡¯re more stuck up than you look, Marina. By the way, did you find a place to stay in the capital?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am staying at my uncle¡¯s place.¡±


    ¡°Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marquis Reclaim.¡±


    Rave turned pale when I told him about my uncle. Hmm? I became curious about his reaction. What was wrong with him? He seemed concerned even as I looked at him that he took back his hands that he was about to place above my shoulder. Then he became polite.


    ¡°You know, I would be grateful if you don¡¯t tell the Marquis about what I did to you today¡­¡±


    His actions confirmed my suspicions. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but Rave seemed scared of Uncle. The Minister of Defense and my uncle don¡¯t have a good relationship, but was that why he was afraid of him? I should find out why later. At least I can be freed from this punk¡¯s flirtation, thanks to my uncle. Heh.


    ¡°Well, like what exactly?¡± I asked with a smile as if I did not know anything. Rave became even paler.


    ¡°Uh¡­ like that I asked you out for some tea.¡±


    ¡°And that you called me by name like we¡¯re friends?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Associate Harrant.¡±


    I spoke to him as if I didn¡¯t know anything to tease him, and he quickly corrected how he addressed me. But I¡¯m not going to let this slide so easily. Yet. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll think about it from now on.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Marina¡­ Associate Harrant can be quite scary, I see.¡±


    His words made me laugh. It was better to be scary and uncomfortable than easygoing and being a pushover. But Rave seemed a bit numb.


    ¡®What¡¯s up with him?¡¯ I felt uncomfortable by the blank stare he was giving me and calmly responded to what he just said, ¡°I didn¡¯t even start yet. Anyway, thank you for teaching me about work.¡±


    My words made him come back to his senses, and he responded, ¡°Yeah, feel free to ask any questions from now on, so you don¡¯t have to cry when things don¡¯t work out.¡±

 CH 28

    I became annoyed from the bottom of my heart hearing about me crying. Damn a*sh*le! Is he still trying to play with me?


    ¡°I don¡¯t cry!¡± I shouted angrily at him, but Rave¡¯s eyes sank.


    ¡®What¡¯s this now?¡¯ It was while I was thinking of that when he spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s okay then.¡±


    He seemed somewhat serious when he said that. Rave, you don¡¯t seem like a bad guy except for your flirting. Anyway, I have my superior¡¯s weakness in my hand, and it¡¯ll help me adapt to this place.


    Rave seemed to have finished teaching me about work here and suggested we return. ¡°Shall we go back to the main office? I will teach you about assigning tasks to your associates there.¡±


    We¡¯re going into action now. Yeah, let¡¯s do it. I¡¯m a bit worried, but so what? I can stop if I need to, even if I start moving forward, can¡¯t I?


    ***


    And now we¡¯re back. But something was off. Everyone was in panic mode and frantically moving about.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Rave.


    ¡°Head Secretary! You need to see this!¡± A man with a clerk nametag came over and handed a document to Rave.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    Rave became serious. Out of curiosity, I peeked at the document and realized the reason for the ruckus. The documents were from the Crown Prince¡¯s office. It seemed his highness pointed out a problem with the taxes on farmers from the general plans that we filed this time.


    I deliver this message to the officials of Internal Affairs. I have found an error in the tax adjustment you have reported.


    First, the idea of lowering taxes this year when we had a good year of harvest instead of a bad one seems to be decided out of convenience for the local lords that own these large lands.


    Secondly, others will demand lower taxes if only the farmers¡¯ taxes are decreased.


    If you don¡¯t prepare an alternative to the errors I have found by today, I will hold you accountable for your negligence in reviewing the policy.


    So¡­ the famed Crown Prince, I see. The way that he pinpointed each point made me wonder about the original proposal. What was it that made him make such a big deal about it?


    ¡°Can you bring me the original proposal for the tax adjustment?¡±


    The man, who was frantically talking to us, quickly brought over the proposal for me to see, ¡°Here you go, ma¡¯am.¡±


    It was an ordinary proposal, but it certainly had issues like the Crown Prince pointed out. I picked up the paper and pen on the desk and began to write.


    ¡°Associate Harrant, what are you¡­¡± Rave stuttered as he saw what I was writing, but I ignored him and began utilizing my knowledge to respond to the Crown Prince¡¯s letter.


    I address this to his highness, the Crown Prince.


    It is a blessing to Genorium that your highness cares and examines the tax policy imposed on the common people. As you pointed out, the original proposal has errors. But I wish to explain the reasoning for the tax reduction as follows:


    Due to the increase in supply from years of great harvest, the general price of crops has dropped, and it has become difficult for farmers to acquire essentials other than food. Food is important for living, but they are now having a hard time trading it for other necessities such as clothes or crafted goods. This is the reason for the tax reduction.


    As an alternative to your question, we can have the Department of the Treasury buy a certain amount of harvested crops from the farmers, increasing the general price of crops and successfully removing the need for tax reduction. This will ease complaints from other industries as well.


    This will also help the finances of the palace by stocking up on food with lower costs, which benefit both.


    I truly hope that you are satisfied with the alternative plan.


    Yours sincerely, Marina von Harrant.


    ¡°Ma-Mari-, I mean associate Harrant! Did you just write this just by looking at the proposal?¡± Rave asked while stuttering.


    I nodded as I believed this was the best option. I replied, ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°And, uh- the name you wrote there¡­¡±


    His disappointed expression made me frown. Sure, you don¡¯t want a brand-new recruit taking all the credit by herself, don¡¯t you?


    ¡°I wrote my name so that I take full responsibility if his highness doesn¡¯t like the alternative option,¡± I answered. That¡¯s right. This new proposal was a double-edged sword. I was to be rewarded if he liked it, but if he found another problem, then I was solely responsible for it.


    ¡°I-I see. So, are you thinking of reporting to his highness¡¯s office by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t you get approval by the Chancellor at least?¡±


    Then the clerk became troubled and answered instead, ¡°The Chancellor and his aides are at the state conference. It will take a long time for him to return, sir.¡±


    So it was on purpose then. It confirmed that the rumor that the Crown Prince hates officials was true. At that, I asked Rave, my superior and the head secretary.

 CH 29

    ¡°Head Secretary. With the Chancellor and other senior officials above the Deputy Director missing, who is the top decision-maker in this situation?¡±


    Rave looked at me with solemn eyes in response to my question and replied, ¡°That would be me.¡±


    I almost laughed at his serious response but was able to maintain a stern expression. Then I urged him, the person in charge, to make a decision. ¡°Then you have to decide. Will you take the responsibility yourself, or will you leave it to me instead?¡±


    Rave sighed at my question, then answered, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. However, I will take the responsibility if things go wrong.¡±


    He then signed the document that I drafted. This was surprising. I took him as a not-so-serious kind of person, but he seemed to be responsible.


    ¡°As you say. I will take this to his highness now.¡±


    Everyone sighed in relief and looked at me with a sympathetic look. Then, they exchanged glances and took something out. An officer brought it up to me with a determined look on his face, ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­ you should take this just in case.¡±


    ¡°What is¡­ this?¡±


    It almost looked like a shield. It wasn¡¯t big, but it was quite thick. Not only that, it was light, but the material seemed to be like mithril, which was the most expensive metal out there. Why a shield?


    ¡°It¡¯s a tray. His highness sometimes throws a vase or something like that at you, so you should put the proposal on this tray. Then, you should use it to block whenever he throws something at you. It¡¯s difficult at first, but you¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Dear associate, learning to block will be the first thing you need to learn at Internal Affairs! Every official is a pro at shield defense now. You never know when you will come across his highness, you see. Although, you are encountering him much earlier than others,¡± said Rave.


    I was almost stunned. We¡¯re office workers, and we have to practice that?


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll teach you,¡± added Rave.


    ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I am the best when it comes to shields¡­ I mean trays. Hahaha! I never saw his highness, but I¡¯m sure I can block anything he throws at me.¡±


    So, it is a shield then! Besides, how can I trust him when he had never seen his highness?


    ¡°¡­Do we have to do this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be heartbroken if I see my dear associate pass out from being struck on the head by a stone thrown by his highness. We¡¯re running out of time, so learn quickly.¡±


    Rave and other members seemed determined, so I had to practice that shield- tray- or whatever thing until they found me sufficient enough to block with it.


    ¡°Have a safe trip, my associate! Don¡¯t forget what I taught you!¡± shouted Rave.


    ¡°Be well, Secretary Harrant!¡±


    My arm was numb from practicing. Everyone cheered me on with a determined look from behind me, and I had to put the proposal on top of that shield tray. Everyone became relieved at that and returned to their work.


    After a long walk with the tray, I saw the palace of the Crown Prince. The guard was looking at me with a bored look at the entrance.


    ¡®Wow, they¡¯re so negligent.¡¯


    The guard came back to his senses only when I got right in front of him. He asked, ¡°W-what brings you here, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Marina von Harrant, the Policy Officer at Internal Affairs. I bring an alternative proposal to his highness¡¯s letter,¡± I answered as I revealed my title and reason for visiting.


    The guard looked at me with a bit of a dazed look as if he wasn¡¯t fully awake from a nap, which soon turned sympathetic towards me. He then opened the door for me and whispered, ¡°He usually throws from the right side. Good luck, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Is he really that much of a a*sh*le? He didn¡¯t seem like that before.


    ***


    I arrived at the front of the Crown Prince¡¯s office. Then, I revealed the purpose of my visit, and the servant opened the door and went in to report. Soon, the door opened with the Crown Prince¡¯s permission.


    ¡°Marina von Harrant, the Policy Officer of Internal Affairs, at your service, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Are you here with an alternative proposal?¡±


    The arrogant, low-pitched voice that went straight to the point while ignoring my greetings was quite wonderful. But that had nothing to do with me. I just needed approval for my proposal.


    I bowed and handed the proposal on top of the tray to the servant. The servant then took it up to the Crown Prince. I kept my head lowered, waiting for an answer.


    After a short wait, a nice low-pitched voice could be heard as he asked, ¡°Are you the one who drafted this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness. The Head Secretary approved, and I brought it here to report.¡±


    ¡°A woman. Interesting. Don¡¯t noblewomen usually aim to become maids?¡±


    His words had many meanings behind them. It included his intrigue on a woman entering Internal Affairs, speculation that I may have been blamed to cover up my superior¡¯s mistakes, and that I¡¯m ugly, so I had become a woman official rather than a maid.


    Noblewomen who were ugly and couldn¡¯t find suitable marriage candidates were usually the only ones who sought to become government officials. Ones with beauty preferred to be palace maids, then officials.


    To be frank, I didn¡¯t consider myself ugly. My mother was one of the most beautiful women in the capital, and my father was handsome too. It was just that Elise, the fianc¨¦e of the Crown Prince, was gorgeous compared to me. In a general sense, I was good-looking too¡­ Or I wished I was.


    ¡°Raise your head,¡± said his highness.


    I was thinking of various things when he said that, so I sighed softly and looked up. Without realizing it, I took a deep breath. He still was amazingly handsome. I almost thought, ¡®how can a person look like that?¡¯

 CH 30

    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    I froze. He was glaring at me. ¡®Did he recognize me?¡¯ I was worried that I would be held responsible for that day. Now wasn¡¯t the time to panic. I tried to calm myself and maintain my composure.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re not ugly. But not beautiful either.¡±


    Fortunately, he seemed to have forgotten about me. But I felt uncomfortable by his evaluation of my face. Then I pitied myself. Wasn¡¯t I mesmerized by his look twice already? That¡¯s right. It¡¯s an instinct to be attracted to beautiful things. To show it was attracted was what makes one respectful or not.


    ¡°Are you sure you drafted this proposal? Marina von Harrant?¡± said his highness.


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. I do see a signature of the person in charge, but the responsibility will also fall to you if you drafted it. Are you prepared for such responsibility?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± I gulped without realizing it. My career would end here if his highness finds fault in my proposal.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not too bad. I have seen so many idiots that it should suffice. But I still need to test you. I¡¯m not so certain that it is you who drafted this yet.¡±


    ¡°As you please, your highness.¡±


    I was ready for any question he threw at me and answered him with a relaxed attitude. The Crown Prince then eyed me with his violet-colored eyes. Then he said in a cold voice that was enough to make one shiver, ¡°You, as an official of Internal Affairs, administrating the entire state affairs, should be aware of problems regarding the current commerce issue, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, your highness. Small and medium-sized merchants who aren¡¯t affiliated with large merchant groups are losing their ground.¡±


    ¡°That is correct. Good quality goods are exclusively obtained and distributed by large merchants. Smaller merchants, on the other hand, lack the information and the finances to keep up with technology, so their goods become mediocre, and they end up losing their customers.¡±


    I realized where he was going with this. I agreed with his words and pointed out what he seemed to be saying, ¡°What you¡¯re saying is right, your highness. I assume what you want is a way to solve that issue.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    An answer came so easily. So, I was now taking a test that had my career as a government official on the line. The question was given, and I started with an*lyzing the situation of the small to medium-sized merchants.


    ¡°If you allow it, here is my humble opinion, your highness. What these smaller merchants need now is a barrier to prevent monopolies from happening, and the financial support to increase their technology. Commoners, however, will find it hard to get their hands on them. Large merchants are interconnected with nobles, which makes it even harder.¡±


    He seemed to be bored listening to my an*lysis of the current state. I guess that was because everyone knew what I was saying right now. Of course, this is just the beginning.


    ¡°Then all that remains is the Imperial Palace. If the palace gathers skilled smaller merchants, support their technical skills and order and purchase exceptionally crafted goods from them, their reputation will increase, which will increase their sales. Also, if we put the products purchased from those merchants out on a sale for an appropriate price against large merchants who try to maintain their control of the price, it will be difficult for those large merchants to keep the control.¡±


    I felt like I would laugh at the Crown Prince who was looking at me intrigued, seemingly surprised by my idea of the palace¡¯s intervention. It seemed to work, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Don¡¯t worry, your highness. I will not let you down.


    ¡°Also, regulation will be needed to prevent a monopoly, and we have two ways for this. One is to take over the merchant groups that have the monopoly and have the government control the group. The other is to regulate the monopoly with a certain standard, then impose disadvantageous sanctions if they don¡¯t follow.¡±


    His eyes became a bit more intrigued. I added more to my answer, ¡°Also if the government continues to regulate, there will be no free competition. This will result in the stagnation of the economy, so it is vital to intervene at the right time, then release it. I think it is better to have the Department of the Treasury create a separate subgroup to oversee fair trade.¡±


    I finished my answer, and I looked up at the Crown Prince proudly. He was looking at me with a weird twist in his mouth. So, what is your answer?


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that surely was quite good. I can see that you¡¯re the officer who drafted the proposal. But¡­¡±


    I was elated that he did not say anything further about my answer, proof that he liked it. I knew it, but the way he didn¡¯t finish made me curious. I looked at him again and saw a cruel smile appear on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you for no reason,¡± said his highness.


    ¡®UGH!¡¯ I almost flinched, thinking that he might have remembered me from that day. I hid my frustration, as this might be the day I get decapitated for touching the body of a member of the Royal Family. I lowered my eyes as I pretended to be calm.


    Then, he said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Yeah, those eyes. I don¡¯t like them. Do you have a problem with my question?¡±


    ¡°My apologies, your highness. I do not have such disloyal thoughts in my mind. May I ask what it is that made you think so?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you answered right away as if you were waiting for me to question you.¡±


    Well, I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s what I did, but I was confident that I could answer any question that he threw at me about the policies. I looked up all the current policies and thought of resolutions before I came here, just in case.

 CH 31

    Anyway, he said he didn¡¯t like my eyes, so I lowered them down. Then I rolled them slowly as I thought about why the Crown Prince was doing this. Hmph¡­ I don¡¯t know much, but I can know one thing. He was a nutjob and a pushover. As to why he was one was because he suddenly walked over to me, held my face up with his hand, then said the following:


    ¡°Let me give you a warning. If you turn your eyes like that ever again in front of me, I will pull them out myself.¡±


    It was a terrifying statement, but I never heard of a person who died within the palace of the Crown Prince yet. I found calmness within myself when I thought this was just one of his threats. Yeah, so the Crown Prince is a psycho. I should just ignore him, trying not to ever come across him if I can help it.


    ¡°Then get lost,¡± said his highness.


    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡±


    ***


    I sighed as soon as I got out of the office. The servant outside looked at me sympathetically and asked, ¡°Are you alright, ma¡¯am?¡±


    I was curious about that question. What was the fuss about? It wasn¡¯t as serious as I thought. He¡¯s just an average nutjob. I was actually surprised that he was more normal than I expected. I was worried he might suddenly swing a sword at me because of all those talks from other officials¡­ Anyway, I smiled brightly at the servant.


    ¡°I¡¯m totally fine. He¡¯s more normal than I expected.¡±


    The servant then gasped at my words. I became curious about his reaction when I saw the servant quickly bowing behind me. Ugh, no way.


    ¡°Normal¡­ That¡¯s very interesting, Secretary Harrant.¡±


    God dammit, when did he come out? Why did he follow me out right away?


    Then, he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best not to look normal from now on.¡±


    It was a sign that my life here will not be easy from now on. But it is a mistake to say that it would make me panic. Honestly, I have seen some crazy people in my life, and the Crown Prince was only one of them.


    By the way, something is off¡­


    ¡®Oh! I almost forgot the tray!¡¯


    I was reminded of the expensive mithril shield- I mean tray thanks to the Crown Prince. I guess everything has its use after all. He¡¯s a nutjob, but he still made me remember about the tray. How useful.


    ¡°Your highness, wait a second!¡±


    The Crown Prince was about to go back into his office when he stopped at my call and stared. He seemed to be urging me to speak quickly, so I didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°I apologize, but I left my shield- ¡­I mean, the tray at the office.¡±


    His highness¡¯s face distorted weirdly. I, however, wasn¡¯t going to back down from something like that. It¡¯s an expensive mithril! The servant became pale, quickly picked up the tray, and handed it over to me. Then, he was signaling me to get out. I took the tray and calmly bowed at the Crown Prince.


    So, my job was complete, and I just needed to return to the office.


    ***


    ¡°Mari- Associate Harrant! Are you alright?¡±


    Rave ran over to me as soon as I got into the office. He then wore a strange look on his face when he couldn¡¯t find anything wrong. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re okay?¡±


    Rave¡¯s expression changed strangely. I was curious as to why and told him what I experienced, ¡°He¡¯s more normal than I thought. He didn¡¯t throw anything either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Every proposal we brought to him from our ranks was always rejected¡­ I also think your proposal was great but did he pick on other issues instead?¡±


    It was as I expected. He bullied all the other officials aside from me. Then I replied, ¡°Yes, he did mention issues on commerce, but I gave him my best answer. He dismissed me.¡±


    Then, Rave¡¯s mouth twitched before he burst into laughter. Punk, why the hell are you laughing?


    ¡°You sure are something, Mari- I mean Associate Harrant. Only Associate Directors and higher ranks were able to give an answer that his highness approved of and got out safely. It means that you¡¯re the first person among us. Not only that, nobody answered all at once like this! I mean, I would have done similarly if I went, but you still did great!¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand the fuss Rave was making, and I didn¡¯t put much thought into it. I was just lucky that he and I had similar thoughts. In my opinion, there are no correct answers to policies, so we can only try to achieve the best. As such, I gave the best answer I could, from what I know already.


    ¡°Anyway, we sure have a great recruit this time,¡± said Rave.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Head Secretary. We would have been in trouble from his highness¡¯s rage if it wasn¡¯t for her,¡± added one clerk.


    ¡°I will trust and follow you, Secretary Harrant!!¡± said another clerk.


    Starting from Rave, the other clerks and officers began complimenting me. I was flattered. So, this was what it felt like to be recognized. If I hadn¡¯t broken up with Kyles, I never would have felt this way.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this fuss?¡±


    The Chancellor and other high-ranking officers returned from their meeting and entered the room. Rave went over to them and reported what had just happened. The Chancellor looked at me with interest in his eyes and spoke to me in a kind voice that didn¡¯t suit him much.


    ¡°Control the prices and fill the food storage at the palace at a lower price¡­ That is a sound idea. Though, I wouldn¡¯t have approved that tax proposal. Who approved that?¡±


    ¡°It-it was me, sir.¡±


    A small man with a boy-like face raised his hand. He was Second Secretary Lynel, a clerk, who returned from the meeting with the other higher-ranking officers. The Chancellor looked at him sternly.


    ¡°You should be more careful next time, Second Secretary Lynel. You should be thankful to your associate,¡± said the Chancellor.


    ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡±

 CH 32

    I was reminded of my father by my senior, who looked discouraged. I then looked at the Chancellor and spoke about what I had decided to do.


    ¡°Sir, I apologize for interrupting, but the reason why I was able to come up with a proposal was that I felt the heart Second Secretary Lynel put into the policy. He was the only one who was interested in the fallen prices of the crops due to the great harvest. That was why I was able to perfect it. This policy was only possible because my senior Lynel found this first. I¡¯m not solely worthy of the credit.¡±


    Lynel seemed surprised by my words. Honestly, I did think his proposal was terrible, but his intentions with the proposal weren¡¯t terrible at all. His policy contained a heart for the people. It was what my father, who dreamed of becoming a government official told me all along when I was young.


    My father, who used to be the emperor¡¯s advisor, was my admiration and my goal. It was thanks to Lynel that I was reminded of that teaching. I bowed at him with a smile to thank him.


    ¡°Thank you, Second Secretary Lynel. I was able to learn how to think about our people as an official from you.¡±


    ¡°No, no. You¡¯re the one who fixed my faults, you shouldn¡¯t thank me.¡±


    The Chancellor laughed at the sight of me bowing to Lynel and Lynel thanking me instead. Everyone became nervous at that, but I just smiled.


    ¡°Hahaha! We sure have gotten a flower into Internal Affairs. It is our blessing to have Secretary Harrant at the heart of the cold-bloated officials. Secretary Harrant is correct. We shouldn¡¯t forget about the heart of Second Secretary Lynel, looking after our people. I feel blessed to have one such as you, who doesn¡¯t forget that our people are our foundation, working under me. Keep that mindset always, and you will succeed,¡± said the Chancellor.


    ¡°I-I am grateful, sir. I¡¯ll do my best to review it thoroughly in the future,¡± replied Lynel.


    His face was red from blushing, but he wasn¡¯t discouraged anymore. I felt relieved. The Chancellor nodded at him, then looked at me and spoke to everyone else.


    ¡°Well done. You all should get back to work,¡± said the Chancellor.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ***


    I looked at the clock and realized it was about to get off work. I already finished my work today, so I was waiting for the second hand to hit 12. Other people seemed to be doing the same.


    ¡°Goodbye, Associate Harrant!¡±


    Rave spoke pleasantly, and I also smiled back, ¡°Goodbye, Head Secretary. Bye, everyone.¡±


    The day was finally over. It was finally time to go home. Just as I was about to leave, the boy-like face and blonde-haired Second Secretary Lynel stopped me with a sheepish look.


    ¡°Excuse me, Associate Harrant. Can I have a word, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± he asked sheepishly. He, however, also had a look of determination. His figure looked like that of my ex-fianc¨¦ Kyles.


    ¡®He looks like him in a way.¡¯


    Comparing the two, Lynel was much more handsome. However, I wasn¡¯t talking about their looks. It was that the atmosphere they had was similar. Lynel had an atmosphere like Kyles when he was younger. It was the atmosphere that made me fall in love with him. This man, however, wasn¡¯t that a*sh*le but my superior.


    Lynel still kept his innocence, whereas Kyles had lost all of it when he became an adult. Anyway, realizing such a resemblance made me feel down. ¡®Yeah, I guess it¡¯s better to be friends with my superior rather than not be. Who cares about Kyles,¡¯ I thought, as I made a formal smile and nodded.


    ¡°Sure. Shall we have some tea then?¡±


    ¡°Oh- yes, of course!¡±


    He seemed delighted, which also resembled Kyles somewhat. He also was like that when he was young. The constant resemblance made me feel down, which I hid.


    We went to the lobby, located within the department building. A maid came over to us, and we told her our choice of tea and waited. Soon, some maids came out with tea. We finally began to speak.


    ¡°So, you wished to speak to me?¡±


    My urge to speak out with a smile made Lynel close his eyes tightly and say, ¡°Thank you so much earlier! I really wanted to say this, so I couldn¡¯t help but ask for your time.¡±


    So¡­ he was honest, unlike Kyles. That a*sh*le always became upset when I did something in his place, so I always had to make sure he didn¡¯t know what I did for him. It was only after I had broken up with him that I realized how pointless it was. Surely, this man was different from Kyles. What a good boy. But unlike how I felt, my expression was grumpy. My answer was also very simple.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    But this innocent and kind man did not mind my grumpiness and continued sheepishly, ¡°I thought you look cool, that you¡¯re proud and strong, unlike me. I came to admire you from what I witnessed today.¡±


    I felt pathetic. What are you thinking, Marina? Why are you comparing this man to Kyles when he¡¯s not him? This man is much better than Kyles and closer to your ideal type is showing interest in you.

 CH 33

    My heart, however, had died and stopped beating a long time ago. Even when a man, who is more similar to my first love than Kyles, and the Minister of Treasury Marquis¡¯s precious son, Lynel, was saying that he became fond of me, my heart was dull. Maybe it¡¯s because I was greatly hurt by love.


    I faked a smile and replied, ¡°Thank you, Secretary Lynel. But I¡¯m not as strong nor wise as you would think.¡±


    ¡°It-it doesn¡¯t matter. I just thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to say it if I missed this opportunity¡­ so I took the courage to ask. Thank you for your time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯ve gained confidence thanks to you. Thank you for that.¡±


    Then Lynel, whose face blushed by my smile, softly spoke, ¡°My name is Cedric von Lynel. I hope you call me by my first name someday.¡±


    Such a direct show of interest made my heart ache. Will there ever be a day when I call someone by his first name with love?


    I loved him for five years after knowing him. But the first time he looked at someone with loving eyes was when he was looking at a beautiful woman he called a friend. I didn¡¯t want to feel betrayed at that time and feel my small world collapsing around me.


    Love¡­ It was a worthless feeling. I honestly didn¡¯t want to make any more mistakes due to such short-lived feelings.


    On the way back home, inside my carriage, I let go of those bitter thoughts down and away below the carriage wheels.


    ***


    By the next morning, I was able to blow the bitterness away by playing chess last night and was able to find my calmness before going to work. I got to work early and opened the door to the main office of the Operations Department.


    ¡°Good morning, Associate Harrant.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Secretary Lynel. Good morning everyone!¡±


    Seeing his face blush in response to my greeting made me happy from witnessing such cuteness. A man close to the man of my dreams¡­ Well, the man of my dreams has always been the same as my first love, so I would say it¡¯s the man that I want to protect. But as for Lynel, it feels like he needs someone stronger than me.


    Anyhow, I didn¡¯t want anything to do with love, which was pointless. But I did have good feelings toward Lynel. It wasn¡¯t a man and woman thing, but more of an interest as a fellow human being. Thinking more about the reason made me realize that this was because he was similar to someone else other than Kyles or my first love.


    ¡°Secretary Lynel, could you go through this policy?¡± asked one clerk.


    No one was goofing off even if they came early. Everyone was busy preparing their documents or reviewing their work. I also was busy preparing for the meeting by reading the materials. It was then, the clerk asked, and Lynel went over to him with a serious look and looked it over.


    ¡°Return this to the Administration Department. This kind of unreasonable tax increase will put a strain on the people. I will not allow such measures,¡± said Lynel.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The clerk who answered to him seemed to have some kind of respect for him in his eyes. That¡¯s right, a heart for the people and kind leadership. He made me think of one person. My father, who I respect the most.


    ¡°Secretary Lynel,¡± I called.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Lynel became puzzled by my sudden call. I smiled and added, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s strong, not me.¡±


    His face turned completely red, and he stuck his face into his desk. Then he began focusing on his work. I guess he likes that compliment. But who doesn¡¯t like compliments? We all want compliments, right?


    ¡°Hey, Mari- Associate Harrant,¡± called a voice.


    ¡°Oh, Hello. Secretary Harsen,¡± I answered, realizing it was Rave.


    He came directly to my desk, crouched, and placed his chin on his hand to look at me. Then he said, ¡°You¡¯re beautiful today like always. What do you eat to make yourself so pretty?¡±


    I guess meaningless compliments coming from this guy is an exception.


    ¡°Can you stop this nonsense and get back to work?¡±


    Rave began returning to his seat at my words, then noticed Lynel and began making a fuss. ¡°What- Cedric! Why is your face so red? What did you eat?!¡±


    It was the same question asking what one ate, that sounded so different. Rave sure was a magician of language.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re just embarrassed to see your senior¡¯s handsome face? Is that it?¡± asked Rave teasingly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡±


    How can he think of something like that from just a face going red? He had some nerve. I mean, Rave was quite handsome, as long as he kept his damn mouth shut.


    ¡°Yeah, Cedric. You are actually quite cute too.¡±


    ¡°W-what are you talking about? Secretary Harsen, can you please ignore me?¡± asked Lynel.


    ¡°I know how you feel about me. But I already have someone in mind. A beautiful lady by the name of ¡®Marina.¡¯¡±


    Just as Lynel became embarrassed and was trying to say something, someone jumped into their conversation and asked, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Rave¡¯s face became pale when he noticed who it was. He turned away, acting as if he had no business, then turned back. The person he was looking at was me.


    ¡°Is it true that you like me? If my uncle finds out about this, he would be very-¡±


    ¡°N-No! I was just joking! I have no intention of dating someone from work, alright? I was just trying to make a joke. Let¡¯s not be so stuck-up, yeah?¡±

 CH 34

    The word stuck-up reminded me of Kyles again. A boring and stuck-up woman were the words that he used in the letter to Elise. I felt bitter about the word, so I replied, ¡°Well, I am a stuck-up and boring woman.¡±


    My low and depressed voice made the people around the office silent. The change in the atmosphere shook me awake. Oh, so did I just throw a wet blanket here? I guess that confirms that I really am a stuck-up and a boring woman.


    While I was critical of myself, Lynel spoke with seriousness in his voice, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a perfect trait for a government official, though?¡±


    Huh? How¡¯s that perfect? I was shocked and absent-minded, then heard another voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying Secretary Harrant is like that, but always being serious and careful is a big plus.¡±


    It was Clerk Bonde, one of my associates. I blanked out again, and another voice jumped in. This person added, ¡°You know, I like a more serious person than a person who always jokes around working under me.¡±


    This time, it was Associate Deputy and the Chief Administrator Ramont. Rave, who was wary of me, began to talk once more in response, ¡°Sir, didn¡¯t you say I¡¯m like a flower that makes the office bright? Are you dumping me in the trash because we now have a real flower? Huh? I mean, we got a flower of steel, fitting for the cold steel Internal Affairs.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Rave¡¯s words. It was easy to see his intention. He was trying hard to cover it up. I see what you did, you know. My laughter caused others to burst into laughter too. The office soon broke away from the awkwardness and into laughter.


    I realized after laughing, that I was the only one who thought it was severe. Come to think of it, I was boring and serious, but it was an advantage. And it was this place where it was seen as an advantage.


    I felt slightly better about my bad qualities that someone had rejected, and they suddenly turned into good ones. Then, I let go of my bitterness and began preparing for work in a good mood.


    After a while, the clock indicated it was time to start work, and the office changed itself to be a battleground of policies. I finished organizing materials for the morning meeting, then began working on my assignments one by one. While I was reviewing data from the Administration office and sorting general issues out, Rave called out to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the meeting, associate.¡±


    I looked at the time, and two hours had already passed. Starting with the chancellor, chief of staff, their aides, our director, and chief deputies, they were all leaving the office.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Rave.


    Rave, another secretary, and Lynel were waiting for us, and I quickly joined their ranks. Officers from the Administration office were waiting for us by the entrance of the meeting room. The Chancellor went in first, and then the other officers joined from behind.


    ***


    The atmosphere at the meeting hall was cold. It was good until we talked about Azar, a country currently in a truce. The problem started when two directors went head-on onto each other. Count Clove, the Director of Operations, and Count Raisen were going against each other, not backing down with their opinions.


    I sighed, contemplating if I should record their petty arguments too when my eyes met with the Chancellor¡¯s eyes. I took a breath, knowing it was a bad sign, and looked back at the Chancellor. Then it happened.


    ¡°Secretary Harrant. May I ask for your opinion?¡±


    Ugh, why me out of all these people? My eyes shivered slightly at the frustrating situation, but I hid it and acted like a newbie who was shocked by such a situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a secretary, sir¡­ I can¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°You will need to do it once promoted to Associate Deputy. I, as the chancellor, allow you to speak. Go ahead,¡± said the Chancellor.


    Hah. So he¡¯s determined to hear what I have to say, old snake. I let out a small breath and took in a deep breath. Then I began to explain the strategy I thought up while I was recording the meeting.


    ¡°In the case of Azar¡­¡±


    As soon as I explained, officers from both sides of the office, Operations, and Administrations all began to throw questions at me.


    ¡®Ugh, government people,¡¯ I thought. I answered each and every one of them, and they fell silent and listened to what I had to say. The result¡­ was a great success. The Chancellor liked the strategy I came up with, praised it, and said that he would announce it in my name. And¡­


    ¡°What do you think about our new secretary?¡± asked the Chancellor. Count Raisen looked at me intrigued.


    ¡°Claiming victory with less than one-tenth of the troops we expected, learn the hostility within themselves to shift their powers, and only take what is needed¡­ I am impressed. To think she can think of a strategy like that in such a short time¡­¡±


    Then Marquis Serde, who was second in rank at Internal Affairs, looked at me as he caressed his chin.

 CH 35

    ¡°That¡¯s not all. We can get more than what we expected. Opening up trade with them while also making them our allies in exchange for a tribute? Trading with them is good, but their military power is also worth it,¡± commented Marquis Serde.


    ¡°That¡¯s the flower of our Operations office! Thinking of the strengths and weaknesses of what we have discussed, then creating a strategy that benefits both our military and diplomacy. Isn¡¯t she wonderful?¡± said Count Clove.


    Count Clove laughed out loud as he made a remark on Marquis Serde¡¯s comment. Then the director of Administration, Count Raisen, spoke to the Chancellor.


    ¡°Sir, that ability to an*lyze the strengths and weaknesses, select what is useful at once is better suited at our Administrations, where we an*lyze different issues from different departments and find what¡¯s useful. I request Secretary Harrant¡¯s transfer to our department.¡±


    Then Count Clove shouted in opposition, ¡°What are you talking about? Our Secretary Harrant is an indispensable person at our office! Chancellor, we¡¯re getting overloaded with too much work at the office that it will not function without Secretary Harrant.¡±


    Count Raisen glared at Count Clove, then coldly snapped, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s talking nonsense when it¡¯s only her second day. Our office has been lacking in manpower ever since the Senior Policy Officer resigned. I¡¯m sure you have a Senior Secretary at your Policy Officer, no?¡±


    ¡°Well, our office has a lot more work than you! We don¡¯t just an*lyze and pick out data, but we also make the Chancellor¡¯s schedule, fix all the issues and stuff! We¡¯re busy, and don¡¯t be greedy over other employees like a pig, director.¡±


    ¡°What? What did you just say?¡±


    The Chancellor jumped in between their arguments to stop their seemingly unending war. ¡°We still have to talk about the budget drafting amendment from the Treasury. Shall we go over that first?¡±


    Thanks to the Chancellor, the meeting ended safely.


    ***


    I sighed as soon as I got back to my office. The two directors quickly went through the amendment and finished it, only to return to my transfer issue. Amused, the Chancellor watched them until he then made the condition that he¡¯ll transfer me to the better department.


    ¡°Hey, how do you feel about being a flower sought after by both the right and left arm of Internal Affairs?¡± asked Rave.


    His teasing made me feel uncomfortable, and I glared at him. He cowered a bit and added, ¡°Well, I just thought you are really something.¡±


    Rave was already next to Lynel, putting his arm around and smiling. Then he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll protect our flower. Right, Cedric? Shouldn¡¯t we use magic if we need to?¡±


    Magic? That thing¡¯s been gone for a long time. What the heck is he talking about? That man¡¯s attitude is what gets me annoyed the most.


    I was about to snap back at Rave when Lynel suddenly spoke out, making me forget about my annoyance towards him. ¡°Secretary Harrant! I¡¯ll never have you transferred out! I won¡¯t use magic¡­ but I¡¯ll do my best!¡±


    His determination and energy astonished me. I usually don¡¯t get shocked much.


    ¡®He¡¯s a strange man too¡­ he won¡¯t use magic? That sounds like he can use it if he wants,¡¯ I thought, without answering. Then I saw Rave cackling at me and returned to my senses. Ugh.


    ¡°Can you check this issue? I can¡¯t seem to understand it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yeah, I¡¯ll take a look,¡± replied Rave.


    I got some revenge by pushing a difficult issue over to him. For now, he seemed to be busy dealing with the issues given to him. I then refocused on my work when I heard Director Clove¡¯s voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime! You all should eat first if you want to work harder for our flower!¡±


    He¡¯s mentioned that embarrassing title for no reason. Teasing me like that, old snake!


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go have lunch. Our clerks looked forward to having lunch with you so badly, you know. I¡¯m sure the Administration guys will be jealous,¡± said Rave.


    Rave was already onto me and talking to me. I sighed and got up to head to the restaurant along with my coworkers, who were looking at me with curiosity.


    ¡°Secretary Harrant! Have a seat here. We¡¯ll take care of everything.¡±


    Clerk Bonde, my associate, sat me down at the chair. After a while, all my coworkers went to fetch some food for me. I felt comfortable but also uncomfortable. I wanted to get what I wanted on my own¡­


    ¡°Marina?¡±


    While I was looking around and sighing, I heard a familiar voice. This voice belonged to a face that I had forgotten about for two months. It was Kyles.


    He seemed a bit haggard. My heart was strangely cold at the sight of him. I actually worried that my heart would betray my mind and start hurting when I saw him, but I didn¡¯t have to worry about it. Was it because I felt too badly betrayed? I truly had no feelings when I saw him.

 CH 36

    It was so strange. I couldn¡¯t feel the same emotions when I usually see him anymore¡­ even when he looked so devastated. To be honest¡­ I actually felt victorious because of that. It was while I was looking at my former lover emotionlessly, voices came from behind.


    ¡°Alright, my associate. I got a lot of delicious stuff here just for you!¡±


    ¡°Secretary Harrant, how about some sweets? I brought it because I thought you might have something similar to my sister¡¯s taste, but I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯d like it.¡±


    It was an excited Rave and blushing Lynel talking to me. There was a group of other coworkers behind them. Kyles became stiff, turned and walked away. Before, I would have been heartbroken by this. He looked so weak. But I didn¡¯t feel anything. I didn¡¯t feel much other than feeling victorious.


    The only thing that made part of my heart a bit numb was that my five years spent with him was nothing. It was something that I easily forgot about. My love for him for so long was just a daydream. A bitter smile formed on my mouth. Coworkers who didn¡¯t know the reason for my smile laughed too. I finished lunch by hanging out with them.


    ***


    After lunch was over, I decided to take a walk under the bright sun and separated from my coworkers going back to the office. How long did I walk? My skin was getting hot from being exposed to the afternoon sun for a long time. I thought I should get back and was about to turn around, when I was grabbed harshly by my wrist.


    ¡°Marina, I need to talk to you,¡± said Kyles.


    He grabbed my wrist. I glared at him and tried to pull my wrist away from him, but I couldn¡¯t. Then, I coldly asked, ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    Kyles¡¯s expression darkened. He looked at me as if he couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. ¡°Meaning, you say?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Chief Officer Kyles von Pail, do you understand whose wrist you are grabbing? I may work in a different department, but I am your superior. If you wish to speak to me, politely request an audience.¡±


    Kyles¡¯s bit his lip and glared at me for my cold words. I wasn¡¯t hurt by that anymore. I was just annoyed, so I ordered, ¡°Let go.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    But what came back was a rejection. I tried to shake his hand away and shout when I heard a cold voice.


    ¡°What are you doing on my walking trail?¡±


    I turned and saw a frighteningly beautiful face. The purple eyes of the Crown Prince viciously glared at us, and Kyles quickly let go of my hand and bowed.


    ¡°Y-Your highness.¡±


    The Crown Prince ignored Kyles¡¯s greeting then came straight up to me. His purple eyes were eyeing me as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any work to do, Marina von Harrant? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s time for you to take a leisurely walk. Are you neglecting your duties, or are you just bored?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished all assigned tasks for the day, your highness,¡± I answered coldly.


    The Crown Prince then scoffed and replied, ¡°So, you don¡¯t have any work to do. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, your highness.¡±


    He then stared at me for some time, then ordered, ¡°Go back to your desk. You¡¯ll get something to work on.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± I replied stupidly, which wasn¡¯t like me at all.


    ¡°Go back to your position. Don¡¯t take a detour on the way,¡± said the Crown Prince. He glanced at Kyles, then back to me and snarled, ¡°You irritate me.¡±


    ***


    As he had ordered, I returned to the palace. I forgot about Kyles because of that nutjob¡¯s words with unknown meaning. While I was feeling awkward because of that, my superior, Viscount Raymont, called me.


    ¡°Secretary Harrant, go report the revised budget draft plan to his highness¡¯s palace and get his approval and seal.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes. His highness has appointed you for it. I assume he liked your previous work.¡±


    I sighed. I was reminded of the Crown Prince calling me ¡®negligent¡¯ on my walk a while ago. ¡®A*sh*le. So, this was what he was talking about. I sighed once more, then took the report that the Viscount was urging me to take.


    I was currently walking toward the Crown Prince¡¯s palace where the average nutjob, I mean his highness, was residing at. The garden on the way there was famous for being so beautiful. This was my second time seeing it, but it still astonished me. Colorful flowers bloomed splendidly, which was pleasant for my eyes. Watching these flowers reminded me of him again. My precious and lovely first love.


    ¡°You¡¯re prettier than that.¡±


    A kind boy told me, an ordinary girl, that I was prettier than any flowers. I wondered if I could see him again. I walked, watching the flowers and thinking about my first love, then found an awkwardly common and simple wildflower again. This was the second time. The difference from before was that the stem broke before it even bloomed.


    I didn¡¯t feel good about that. The way its stem broke looked like me, who couldn¡¯t do anything and was always discouraged. As such, I tied it with my hair ribbon like a splint. My experience in gardening taught me that flowers often survived by doing this. Then I spoke softly to the flower as usual.

 CH 37

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s up to you to survive and bloom. Even if it is a hard path, if you can¡¯t bloom and wither, then that¡¯s it. I hope you get through this,¡± I said to the flower.


    Honestly, I sympathized with the flower. It was like me, who struggled from a past relationship and decided not to love anymore, so I kept on mumbling, ¡°Fight on. Bloom.¡±


    I think I made a bitter smile. Yeah, maybe you still have a chance to bloom. But the flower within me, the feeling of love, may never be able to blossom. I shook that thought away, stood still and straightened myself. Then I headed toward the Royal Palace as if nothing had happened.


    ***


    I couldn¡¯t help but be amazed every time I saw him. The way he sat on the chair holding the documents was like an art piece carefully perfected by a master artist.


    ¡°The budget draft adjustment¡­ Not too bad,¡± said the Crown Prince.


    Of course, I know that man is only good on the outside. As such, I only saw him as a handsome nutjob.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the tray today. Are you brave or reckless?¡± asked the Crown Prince as he mentioned the tray and wore a smug look.


    I almost laughed and decided to explain to him why I did not bring the tray by answering, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to lose something so expensive.¡±


    Maybe others would consider me cheap, but mithril is worth the same as gold if they were the same weight. If I lost it while carrying it around, I wouldn¡¯t feel good at all.


    The Crown Prince was the type of a guy who finds an excuse to make a fuss. If that¡¯s the case, then all I have to do is not give him an excuse at all. While I was an*lyzing the Crown Prince fiercely, swearing in my mind, he then spoke in such a mesmerizing low-pitched voice.


    ¡°¡­Reckless, I see. I¡¯ll let this one slide since the adjustment is alright.¡±


    Is he going easy this time? This was a surprise. But why would he, when he can¡¯t find anything to pick on? I couldn¡¯t find anything to pick on myself either. As I began to back off, I said, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me then, your highness¡­¡±


    ¡°Who said you can go?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon, your highness? I believe you have no more business with me,¡± said I, confused.


    Then one part of his lip rose on his beautiful face as he said, ¡°I said I¡¯d let it slide, but I didn¡¯t say I will accept the adjustment itself.¡±


    As expected, I don¡¯t think I can get along with this stupidly handsome crazy a*sh*le. Come to think of it, I¡¯m not on good terms with his fianc¨¦e, Elise von Shuteiner. I couldn¡¯t get along with her either. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but she persistently bullied me. The way he picks on me even when he can¡¯t find any excuses makes him the same as his fianc¨¦e. I bit my teeth in annoyance but smiled.


    ¡°If so, what must I do to get your approval stamp, your highness?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ What do we have? Oh, yes. That will work.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, your highness.¡±


    The Crown Prince smiled but seemed to be plotting something. He¡¯s handsome even with such an expression. What a waste of handsomeness. The handsome nutjob- I mean the Crown Prince then scanned my face and viciously eyed me.


    ¡°If you win against me in chess, then I will stamp it,¡± said the Crown Prince triumphantly.


    Thank you for that, your highness. To think he¡¯ll pick something that I¡¯m most confident in¡­ What a lucky day.


    The Crown Prince and I sat across from each other and began playing chess. After playing for a while, the Crown Prince, then struck down on the chessboard with his arm as if he made a mistake, messing up the game, then laughed.


    ¡°Oh, I made a mistake. We¡¯ll play again.¡±


    Gosh, I almost won that game, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll win anyway.


    We played some more rounds, and the score came to be five wins out of five games. I think I smiled without realizing it. It¡¯s been quite a while since I played chess with someone else, so I lost track of time and had fun.


    Of course, the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t too bad at chess, albeit he lost every game. He just seemed to be obsessed with the queen, which was why he lost. He had no way to win against me, who discovered his weakness and utilized it.


    The Crown Prince walked over to his desk without a word, took out the royal seal, threw it at me, and said, ¡°Just stamp it quickly and get out of my face. I don¡¯t want you here anymore.¡±


    I quickly crouched down to pick up the seal and stamp the document. It¡¯s a success! He was nothing! I was satisfied that I at least beat him in a game. I stamped the document, then walked over to the Crown Prince again. He was showing his back to me, probably not even wanting to see me.


    I fought hard to hold back my laughter and bowed at his back. Was it because of the pleasure that I came on top of the Crown Prince? My footsteps on the way out felt much lighter. Anyway, I had to return safely to my office, so I suppressed my rejoicing as much as I could.

 CH 38

    Finally, I was far enough.


    ¡®YES!¡¯ I became so excited that I almost ran back to the office. I was so excited that I became reckless and was close to bumping into someone around the corner. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t bump into the person, but I dropped the document out of shock. Ugh, almost bumping into someone because of my recklessness again. This is shameful.


    I crouched and began picking up the document, then saw the person that I almost bumped into also helped me collect my documents. I became embarrassed from this, quickly picked them up, and got up to apologize.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I hope you¡¯re not too surprised. I got a bit ahead of myself¡­¡±


    I then looked up as I apologized but was at a loss for words out of shock. It was a man with silvery gold hair that looked almost like silver, cold blue eyes, and frighteningly beautiful features, who was no less handsome than the Crown Prince. He seemed to be more popular because he looked soft and warm compared to the Crown Prince, who had a sharp impression.


    He was the second man who didn¡¯t seem to falter against my first love, who was like the legendary unicorn in my memory. The first¡­ Although I hate to admit it was the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Here, this is yours,¡± said the man.


    ¡°Oh! Thank you.¡±


    I snapped out of my shock at the documents he gave me with a smile. I received the documents and looked at him again. He was smiling warmly at me again. Then I realized he was wearing the uniform of the Central Knights just like Chelleno and learned he was a knight. I then bowed again to apologize.


    ¡°I apologize for my mistake, sir knight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, my lady. I was reckless as well. You must be an officer at Internal Affairs. I saw the department mark on that document,¡± said the man.


    It seemed he had seen the document in that short amount of time. The budget adjustment wasn¡¯t important, so it was okay, but it could have been problematic if it was a confidential document. I sighed at my luck and nodded.


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯m from the Operations department.¡±


    ¡°I see. Nice to meet you, my lady. I am Adrian, member of the Central Knights and the Knight Order of his highness, the Crown Prince.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t just look at him introducing himself and stand there, so I also bowed and introduced myself, ¡°I¡¯m Policy Officer, Secretary Harrant.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Secretary Harrant? You¡¯re the one who his highness spoke about.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Did his highness speak of me?¡±


    He immediately made an impression that he had made a mistake with my question. Then I smiled to reassure him. ¡°It¡¯s alright, sir. I know that he didn¡¯t have many good things to say about me anyway. You don¡¯t need to mention it.¡±


    ¡°My apologies,¡± said Adrian. He seemed a bit depressed as he looked at me, then made a serious expression on his handsome face. ¡°I made a mistake against a lady, and I also want to apologize for what I just did that seemed to have offended you¡­ I want to help with anything I can in the future, my lady.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, sir. It was nothing.¡±


    Adrian, however, seemed determined with his decision and replied, ¡°I cannot do that, my lady. It¡¯ll make me feel better. Please allow me.¡±


    I sighed and reluctantly nodded, ¡°If you insist.¡±


    After receiving my permission, he had a bright smile on his beautiful face. It was still a mesmerizing smile easy enough to take one¡¯s focus away. Such a handsome knight who is also a member of Central Knights and the Knight Order of the Crown Prince! There must be many maids and noblewomen wanting him as their partner.


    Of course, it had nothing to do with me. I can¡¯t think of such a handsome man as mine. I think talking to him like this today is already a miracle.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll be on my way, sir. I have a lot of work to do.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Will we meet again?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, maybe.¡±


    Honestly, I don¡¯t think there will ever be that chance. I still had to say it this way to be courteous. He smiled brightly even at my polite words. But he¡¯s so handsome! Sigh, he¡¯s only a fruit inside a drawing. Let¡¯s not think further about it, Marina! But why do I keep looking at him?


    ¡°There will be one for sure,¡± replied Adrian.


    Why does he keep making me want him? I sighed without realizing it. The handsome man then left, leaving a bright smile that lingered in my mind. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off his back.


    I stood there absentmindedly for a while, then shook my head. I don¡¯t belong with that man anyway. There¡¯s no need to think much about it. I should get back to my work now.


    I returned to my office and reported to Director Raymont. I received an unexpected compliment from a rather blunt superior because of my report.


    ¡°Well done! You sure are our flower. I didn¡¯t expect his highness to stamp it so easily¡­¡±


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t that easy actually. I also don¡¯t like being called a flower because I¡¯m a girl.¡¯ I suppressed my urge to sigh. I couldn¡¯t do that to him when he seemed so pleased.


    ¡°Oh, yes. The Chancellor wanted to see you. Report to his office,¡± added Raymont.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    I thought about the reason for the summon. Does he want to play chess? I walked toward the office with such thoughts when I saw Director Clove smiling weirdly at me. What¡¯s going on here?


    ¡°Come in,¡± greeted the Chancellor as I walked into his office. I welcomed his offer by gracefully sitting down. The Chancellor was smiling at me while I was doing that. I wonder what¡¯s on his mind?


    ¡°If you are the daughter of Count Harrant, then I suppose your mother is from the House of Marquis Reclan. I heard from Count Clove that you are residing at the Marquis¡¯s estate at the moment,¡± said the Chancellor.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Director¡­ He was as talkative as I had thought. Spilling my personal information everywhere like this¡­ was this what his smiling meant earlier? Well, the Chancellor could have found out in an instant if he wanted to. Anyway, he continued to speak by answering my question.


    ¡°There is a party being held at my home, hosted by my wife. I already have sent invitations to the House of Reclan, but I wasn¡¯t able to prepare yours.¡±

 CH 39

    Although I¡¯m a government official now, I¡¯m a newbie who has been an officer for only a few days. There¡¯s no way an invitation would come to me. Did he call me to make sure I won¡¯t get upset? As I was thinking about that, the Chancellor continued.


    ¡°I sent an invitation before I met you. I¡¯d like you to join the party.¡±


    I was at a loss for words by the sudden invitation. God, to think I, a fallen noble, would be invited to the home of the most powerful man in the country¡­ But frankly, I¡¯m too lazy to go. I¡¯ll just have to get around to say no. That¡¯s how I felt.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m inviting you in my name. You won¡¯t need an invitation. There¡¯s no need to refuse,¡± said the Chancellor.


    No, no. I¡¯m just too lazy to go. But the Chancellor seemed very determined to invite me to the party, so I had to nod, ¡°It¡¯s an honor, sir.¡±


    The Chancellor, who looked pleased with my reluctant answer, then said as if he had just remembered something, ¡°Oh, and you should at least dance five times on that day. It¡¯s an order as your superior.¡±


    Ugh. I didn¡¯t expect him to know I was planning to spend my time at a terrace there. I sighed at the slick words of the Chancellor.


    As I left the office exhausted, Count Clove, the Director of the Operations, approached me and asked, ¡°So, are you going?¡±


    As if nobody would know we¡¯re superior and subordinate. I glared at him, who knew everything and sighed. Yeah, well. It¡¯s my fault for being swayed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    ¡°You must be looking forward to it then, a party at the Chancellor¡¯s mansion!¡±


    ¡®You sly old man! Telling every detail about me to the Chancellor!¡¯


    I felt the urge to hit the face of the Count, who was smiling at me. But of course, I can¡¯t do something that crazy! I suppressed myself with my excellent self-control, clenched my teeth, smiled and replied, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m definitely looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Oops, your pretty teeth might get damaged. Clenching your teeth is a bad habit. I¡¯m telling you this because I have a daughter around your age, so you¡¯re like my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you so much for your concern.¡±


    Damn sly old man. The thought of not being able to relieve my fatigue because of the party on such a precious weekend frustrated me. By the way, it¡¯s the Chancellor¡¯s party, so damn Elise, the daughter of Marquis Schuteiner, will come too. With only my mother¡¯s family at the capital, it was going to be a very tiring party to attend, because it¡¯ll be full of Elise¡¯s followers.


    Of course, I can go to parties, but I honestly wanted to focus on adjusting to work for at least three months. This was why I was frustrated by the nosiness of the Chancellor and Count Clove.


    After being struck twice by the words of some sly old men, I returned to my seat and began laying out a proposal. I finished my assigned work, so I had plenty of time, but I wanted to blow my frustrations away.


    After focusing on my work for a while, it was time to go home, so I got ready to leave.


    ¡°Goodbye, everyone,¡± I said.


    I packed my bag and hurried out. There was a horse carriage from the Reclan family waiting for me outside. Getting off work on time is a vital part of work-life. As I was trying to get into the carriage with such a thought, someone pulled my wrist hard. I turned around at such unpleasant contact. It was Kyles again.


    ¡°Marina, please give me some time. Just one moment is fine.¡±


    His desperate voice made me snort. What made him do this earlier and now? I can¡¯t believe this. You ignored me when I had nothing, and now you want me to give you time?


    At one time, I did wish for Kyles to cling to me. That thought, however, only appeared for a moment while I put everything into my studies. Look at him being so clingy now. All my feelings were gone, so it just gave me unpleasant feelings.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but it is disrespectful to call my name like this. I have no business with you, so please be on your way.¡±


    ¡°Marina, please.¡±


    I struck his hand that tried to grab mine, glared coldly at Kyles, climbed into the wagon, and closed the door. The driver seemed to have checked the door closed as the carriage immediately began to move. I saw Kyles looking at me with a hollow look through the window. Damn a*sh*le, what¡¯s wrong with him?


    I let him go because he said he hated me, and I have spent a life of torture forgetting about him. Even when I dreamed of you coming back to me, you didn¡¯t even reach out. So why after all this time? Thinking of that broke my heart. This is pathetic. You still treat me the same way as before, and I¡­ can¡¯t get over the wound you inflicted on me.


    ¡°Please, let¡¯s forget about our pathetic past,¡± I spoke to myself with a throbbing head. I felt frustrated. I was no longer the person who used to cry for him. My cold heart that used to race at the thought of him had become so chilly, the anger that rose from within had lost its place to vent, and I only blamed myself for not being able to escape from the wounds of the past.

 CH 40

    ¡°My Marin, how was your day? Did anyone bother or bully you?¡±


    My expression hardened in response to my uncle¡¯s warm welcome with his open arms. I thought of the Crown Prince, my superiors, and Kyles in that order, but I kept my mouth shut. He wouldn¡¯t dare to go after the Crown Prince and my superiors, but he sure will go after Kyles. It was for my sake, not his, to not make a scene out of this. It was for me, who felt unpleasant just by getting involved with him.


    ¡°Go on, get in, and change into more comfortable clothes. At least you can rest for the weekend now. Don¡¯t you find that relieving?¡± asked my uncle.


    At that moment, I was reminded of something that I had forgotten about. That¡¯s right! Now, it¡¯s the weekend! I was so busy working that I had forgotten which day of the week it was. I¡¯m free to roll around in bed tomorrow and the day after too!


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to buy more dresses and other things for you this weekend. I met the Chancellor today, and he mentioned that he really wanted to invite you to his party next weekend. My niece sure is so attractive that even the Chancellor thinks highly of you!¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t know, uncle. I¡¯m not sure if you would laugh if you found the reason why the Chancellor wants me is because he wants me as his chess partner- I mean his daughter-in-law.¡¯


    I heard that Prince Siccain, who was reluctant to succeed his father, the Chancellor, was focused on practicing swordsmanship. Perhaps the Chancellor wants to use me, a government official, to marry him and get him to succeed in his position. But there¡¯s no chance that the famous mighty Prince Siccain would even consider me for his marriage.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my lovely niece and my daughter will have the most attention at the party,¡± said my uncle.


    I¡¯m certain that my uncle¡¯s eyes were wrong about my appearance. It¡¯s obvious that in the capital, where there are many beautiful ladies, Elise will come out on top¡­ With such a thought, I smiled sheepishly at the uncle.


    ¡°You should go to your room and rest now.¡±


    ***


    I sighed as I came up to my room because my uncle urged me to. I washed with the help of the Reclan family maids and Daisy. Then, I changed into more comfortable clothes. ¡®Ugh, I¡¯m tired.¡¯


    ¡°Marina? It¡¯s Lumi. Can I come in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, come in,¡± I answered Lumi¡¯s voice from outside.


    I straightened myself up. My cousin, with fiery, red rose hair and green eyes, walked in. As my uncle had boasted, my cousin was pretty like a doll. She was still young, however, and fell short of Elise¡¯s beauty.


    She was ready to stay up all night. Yeah, it¡¯s Friday, after all. I looked at her with such a thought. Then, Lumi opened her eyes wide and asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me? Is something on my face?¡±


    She was so cute that I stroked her head with a smile. Lumi blushed as she commented, ¡°Sister, you shouldn¡¯t laugh like that elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Why? Is it weird?¡±


    Well, I do look a bit strong. Maybe smiling would make it look like a smirk.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s too pre¡­ Phew. Just promise me not to smile at anyone,¡± said Lumi.


    I was overwhelmed by her insistence and nodded, ¡°Yeah, alright. After all, no one else is friendly to me like you guys¡­¡±


    Lumi made an expression as she was thinking of something, then mumbled to herself quietly, ¡°¡­I will protect her.¡±


    Protect what? There are times when it is hard to understand these cousins of mine from my mother¡¯s family. Today is such a day.


    ¡°So, we should go get your dress tomorrow! It will be really pretty!¡± said Lumi.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ll do the choosing this time! You tend to prefer boring designs without many frills. The trend in the capital is fancy laces and frills these days!¡±


    ¡°Is it? Then I¡¯ll trust you on it.¡±


    Actually, I skipped on decorated dresses to save money until now. My family has a gold mine now, so there¡¯s no need to save up anymore.


    ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t wait to go to the party with you! I hope next weekend comes fast!¡± said Lumi excitedly.


    Sorry, my cute little sister. I am not all too thrilled about it. But I didn¡¯t want to kill the atmosphere, so I just smiled¡­ I think I fell asleep after chattering with Lumi for a while.


    ***


    The next day, the maids began working on me as soon as the sun rose. Lumi also kept herself busy by creating all the fuss. She instructed the maids to do this and that on me. Not only that, but she was also now furious at Daisy, who had been putting makeup on me.


    ¡°You¡¯re this good, and you neglected my sister for all this time?!¡± roared Lumi.


    ¡°We¡­ didn¡¯t have much cosmetics,¡± replied Daisy with a depressed tone in her voice.


    I felt sorry for her, as she was clearly dispirited, and I didn¡¯t feel good about it either. I didn¡¯t like it when someone else was treating my maid poorly. The reason why Daisy was working as a maid was that it was the only option for her to enjoy her hobby. She was free to leave me whenever she wanted to.


    I became concerned that Daisy might have been offended and sighed in my mind as I talked to Lumi. ¡°We didn¡¯t have the luxury to spend money on that, as you might know. Now, I have enough money to spend. We can buy some today.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll guide you to the most famous boutique! And you! You should do your best to care for my sister! I¡¯ll kick you out for neglect if you don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡±


    Lumi seemed satisfied by Daisy¡¯s somewhat crestfallen answer, took my hand, and left the house. As we tried to get onto the carriage, a familiar voice called out to us.


    ¡°Take me with you! I want to go shopping with my pretty Marin too!¡±


    It was Chelleno. He was gleefully coming towards us before he flinched and stopped at the sight of Rey on a horse by the carriage. Were they still upset with each other?

 CH 41

    ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± asked Lumi annoyingly.


    He rushed into the carriage in response to Lumi¡¯s voice. Usually, we would have one more person, so it felt a bit empty. Jianne was missing because he had a bad cold. Just until a while ago, Jianne insisted that he would follow us even if he collapsed. That was until Lumi¡¯s kick knocked him out. With just one kick¡­ He sure seemed sick. I was worried.


    Chelleno, who stared at Rey through the window even after getting on the carriage, quietly said, ¡°I still don¡¯t like him. Marin, can¡¯t you find someone else to be your guardian knight? How about me? Let¡¯s perform the vow.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying nonsense. I already made a vow with him,¡± I said as I glared at him.


    Lumi laughed, ¡°Honestly, I can trust Sir Reyan to protect Marin. I can¡¯t trust you on that one.¡±


    Chelleno looked at her disappointingly and said, ¡°Why are you speaking so poorly of your brother!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re a play-¡±


    Chelleno quickly blocked Lumi¡¯s mouth with his hand. She stopped at the word ¡°play,¡± but I think I can make out the rest. Playboy. Are you saying he¡¯s a playboy?


    ¡°Lumi, you may continue.¡±


    It¡¯s intriguing. After hearing my words, Lumi threw Chelleno¡¯s hands off of her mouth with a frown. She then looked at me with a bright smile. ¡°Do you know how infamous he has become in the beau monde? He earned the name ¡®the Red-eyed Maniac!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Red-eyed Maniac?¡± I asked about such a grand nickname.


    Chelleno frowned at Lumi and said, ¡°Illumina, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t have taken my precious Kathlyn with you then.¡±


    What was Kathlyn that made them say that? The siblings were glaring at each other fiercely as if they were enemies.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who abused it first!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t abuse it! I will not stay silent if you take my lovely children again,¡± declared Lumi.


    Chelleno distorted his face. He had his arms crossed as he turned to me and mumbled, ¡°Ugh. You may be the only noblewoman with a strange taste for collecting swords, Illumina.¡±


    With that, Lumi glared at Chelleno, then turned to me with a smile and commented, ¡°My brother has a taste for¡­ ruby-like eyes. I mean, he claims that the most beautiful woman in the world has those eyes.¡±


    That¡¯s a strange taste. Even though that color is the same as mine, it has nothing to do with me. Every beautiful woman I know has different eye colors, so I guess the most beautiful woman in the world is not in this country.


    It was when I came to that conclusion, Lumi was looking at me in anticipation. Then I said, ¡°Oh, I see. That¡¯s unusual. I do have red eyes, but honestly, I prefer purp¡­ I mean blue eyes.¡±


    I almost said purple but quickly said blue instead. Dammit! I almost said the color that nutjob Crown Prince has¡­ Hmph. Frankly, they were beautiful! Anyway, Lumi seemed disappointed by my reaction and shook her head. Chelleno made a similar, hollow look. Then he said something that I couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°See? I told you it wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°It seems so,¡± said Lumi.


    ***


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Lumi shouted as she excitedly got out of the carriage.


    I, too, tried to get out when Chelleno, who got off first, and Rey offered me a hand at the same time. But Rey brought his hand down as Chelleno glared at him. He probably wanted to avoid an annoying argument.


    ¡°Marin! Come on!¡± said Chelleno.


    His bright demeanor made him look like a giant puppy that made me smile. What a weirdo. I glanced at Rey, who was shaking his head.


    ¡°Come on! We should get our dresses fitted first. Don¡¯t you need new clothes too?¡± Lumi shouted, then she spoke to Chelleno.


    ¡°Yeah. I wanted to check out some new releases actually,¡± replied Chelleno.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get the dress first and go together,¡± suggested Lumi.


    Because of Lumi¡¯s suggestion, we all headed to the dress boutique. Unfortunately, we encountered an irritating face.


    ¡°Long time no see, Reclans and Lady Harrant,¡± said Elise. The way she pretended to notice me this time made me laugh. She sure was inconsistent.


    ¡°Long time? We met not too long ago. How disappointing that you say that, Lady Schuteiner,¡± commented Lumi.


    Elise laughed, but her blue eyes seemed somewhat irritated as she said, ¡°You must be here to get your dress fitted. I wonder which one you¡¯ll get, Lady Harrant.¡±


    I was about to respond to her when Lumi stood in the way and coldly responded, ¡°You certainly are curious about a lot of things. How nosy? Can you get out of the way if that¡¯s all you have to say? We¡¯re busy people.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, sure. I¡¯m also busy myself.¡±


    Elise directed her gaze toward someone other than me this time, which was unfamiliar. Her eyes were always fixated on me with her hostile intent. This time she was focused on Chelleno. Huh? Do they know each other? Chelleno never said anything about that. Maybe this was my mistake as she was moving toward the dress behind him.


    ¡°I also like this one. Add this one, too,¡± said Elise.


    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡±


    Elise casually ordered the dress and left the boutique. It felt a bit unfinished.


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry about that witch. We should get ourselves some pretty clothes,¡± said Lumi.


    ¡°Yeah, we should.¡±

 CH 42

    After ordering a dress for the day of the party, we left the boutique. It was time to visit the boutique that specializes in men¡¯s clothing.


    ¡°Marin, what do you think of this?¡±


    The clothes Chelleno was holding had incredibly decorated lace. Although I didn¡¯t know much about fashion trends, I certainly knew that those clothes were too much for a man to wear. I frowned as much as I could and answered, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why? I like fancy ones like this.¡±


    That¡¯s terrible taste. He has been obsessed with shirts with laces or very colorful clothes since we got into the store. Well¡­ the Crown Prince or the knight Adrian might be able to pull it off. The two of them will look frighteningly good with it.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird.¡±


    Chelleno wasn¡¯t discouraged by my words and strolled around the entire store, picking out more of those strange clothes. It was then that Chelleno and a man grabbed the same clothes at the same time.


    ¡°What the heck?¡±


    ¡°What t¡­ Huh? Associate Harrant?¡±


    The man who called me excitedly was none other than my senior, Rave, who then said, ¡°Mari- no, associate Harrant. What a coincidence. You¡¯re as pretty as always today too. How about we go get some tea since fate brought us together¡­¡±


    Even while talking to me, he didn¡¯t let go of the red shirt with the lavish frills that he grabbed at the same time with Chelleno.


    ¡°You, what do you think you¡¯re doing? I laid my hand on this first. On what authority do you dare to pretend you know my Marin?¡± scathed Chelleno coldly. The two men were already glaring at each other.


    ¡°Hah? My Marin? Who the heck are you? How dare you address my cute Ma- I mean Associate Harrant with such a name?¡± bellowed Rave with a heightened tone.


    Chelleno¡¯s face crumpled as he retorted, ¡°My cute Ma- Associate Harrant, you said? Who the heck are you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it by the word ¡®associate¡¯? I¡¯m her senior!¡± shouted Rave.


    ¡°Senior? I¡¯m Marin¡¯s cousin!¡±


    What a historic moment. A match between Rave, the infamous playboy of Internal Affairs, and Chelleno, the infamous Red-eyed Maniac of the beau monde! Maybe it was true that one hates another from the same species. The two men glared at each other and retaliated with each word.


    ¡°Hah! No wonder you had such a bad impression. So, you¡¯re the infamous Red-eyed Maniac,¡± said Rave.


    ¡°Who¡¯s to say that? I¡¯m sure you, who courted every female officer from every department, should have anything to say about that.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I got this first, so put your hand down and piss off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. I was faster.¡±


    They looked like idiots fighting each other like children, fighting over clothes that I wouldn¡¯t even take even if they were free.


    ¡°Huh? Secretary Harrant?¡±


    Hmm? I heard another voice that called me from my behind. It was the handsome knight named Adrian or something, waving his hand happily at me. He then said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re meeting each other here.¡±


    Haha. I never thought I¡¯d ever see him again. What a coincidence. Adrian, still handsome as always, was wearing a simple white shirt. His face was so gorgeous that even such simple clothes looked great. As I said, it¡¯s the person that beautifies the clothing.


    ¡°Good to see you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you my name before? My name is Adrian, Secretary Harrant.¡±


    Ah, he sure doesn¡¯t fall behind the Crown Prince. To be handsome enough to make my heart pound, I wish I have a son like that in the future. That is if I get married, of course.


    ¡°Wait! What brings you here, sir?¡± asked Chelleno as he walked up to us. He finally seemed to have given up on that damn piece of clothes.


    ¡®Does he know Adrian?¡¯ Oh, that¡¯s right. They are both from the Central Knights. Chelleno is a Royal Guard that guards his majesty, the emperor, so they must be in the same department.


    ¡°Oh, Sir Chelleno. I¡¯m here for some clothes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. You¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Chelleno froze as he saw Adrian¡¯s smile. He seemed to have broken out in a cold sweat as he replied, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Wow, an opponent that Chelleno can¡¯t even stand up to! I was astonished when I heard a wonderful voice coming to my ears.


    ¡°So, the cousin that my subordinate Sir Chelleno was bragging about was you,¡± said Adrian.


    ¡°Huh? Did you know her name is Marin?¡± asked Chelleno.


    ¡°Yes, we met before.¡± After answering Chelleno¡¯s question, Adrian turned to me with a smile that made it seem like it brightened up the atmosphere and added, ¡°Like I said, until we meet again, Secretary Harrant.¡±


    ¡°Wait, sir. Are you trying to seduce my Marin? I cannot allow that!¡± said Chelleno as he wrapped his arm around me from behind with his stupid nonsense.


    I stepped on his foot with my heel and pushed Chelleno, who was in pain, away and smiled back at his senior. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my cousin is a bit reckless. I hope you as a senior would understand, sir.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just tell you my name?¡±


    He requested I fix the way I addressed him with a smile, so I sighed and answered as he wanted, ¡°¡­Sir Adrian.¡±


    He smiled beautifully at my answer like a reward, and I had to look. He sure was a tremendously handsome man. The Crown Prince wasn¡¯t too bad either. No, what was I thinking?


    ¡°W-what was just just now?!¡±


    Chelleno tried to shout in a heightened voice at me for calling Adrian¡¯s name but stopped as if he had seen something. I became curious and turned to look, but there was only Sir Adrian who was smiling. It was while I was fixated on that beautiful face, I heard a dissatisfied voice.

 CH 43

    ¡°Dear associate, are you cheating on me? Talking to another man like that!¡±


    Rave came near me while I was unaware and was frowning. Chelleno then spoke to him in an unpleasant tone, ¡°Hey, playboy officer! What are you talking about? Cheating is your specialty. Besides, Marin is mine in the first place!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s funny. But I belong to my associate already.¡±


    Idiots. Here we go again. I got a headache from their nonsense. That¡¯s when Lumi suddenly appeared and put an end to the debacle. ¡°She¡¯s mine, thank you! Stop being silly and pick your clothes!¡±


    Rave seemed to be excited by the sudden appearance of Lumi. He¡¯s starting again. I didn¡¯t expect him to do that on Lumi too!


    ¡°No way, are you another cousin of my Associate Harrant? Such a pretty and cute lady!¡±


    Lumi, however, replied nonchalantly with a smile to his flirtatious words, ¡°You have a good eye.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have one hell of an eye for a lady! Why? Because I¡¯m a great man! Hahaha!¡±


    So, the answer is that he¡¯s a narcissist? Well, it¡¯s not the first time Rave is bragging about himself, so I am almost used to it. He always says that he¡¯s ¡°great¡± and ends with saying that he¡¯s ¡°great.¡±


    ¡°Is that true? But she¡¯s mine, so you shouldn¡¯t even try,¡± said Lumi.


    ¡°Lady, you¡¯re very cute, although not as cute as Associate Harrant. Why don¡¯t we introduce ourselves? I¡¯m an officer of the Operations Department of Internal Affairs. Viscount Rave von Harsen.¡±


    It seemed he was disrespectful by the way he said it, but that made sense because¡­ of his family.


    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re from Marquis Harsen¡¯s family? I¡¯m Illumina von Reclaim of Marquis Reclan.¡±


    That¡¯s right. That annoying Rave was surprisingly the first son of Duke Harsen and a man with the title of a Viscount. Such a lazy playboy was the successor to one of two duke families in this country. A shame.


    Interestingly though, Duke Harsen was the Minister of Military, who controls an entire army. Rave, however, was known for being an excellent officer working at a desk. This was somehow similar to the Chancellor¡¯s son being a knight.


    At this rate, the two duke families would need to trade their positions. Maybe they should exchange their successors with each other. But for Duke Harsen, his second son Sir Hillain, an annoying follower of Elise, was a member of the Central Knights, could replace his brother.


    Anyway, I thought I saw Lumi¡¯s eyes look different when she found out Rave was the eldest son of a duke family.


    ¡°I have heard a lot about you from my father.¡±


    Rave¡¯s expression hardened in an instant at Lumi¡¯s words. Soon, he laughed awkwardly and waved his hand at me. ¡°Hahaha! I just thought of something I forgot about. I¡¯ll be on my way. Happy shopping!¡±


    What a weird guy. After Rave¡¯s delightful exit, the boutique became silent. It was Adrian who broke that awkward silence and said, ¡°I¡¯d better get going too. I have someone waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course. Farewell, sir.¡±


    Adrian smiled brightly at my response and replied, ¡°Same to you, my lady. Until we meet again.¡±


    I almost froze because of that smile. Whoa, how can a person be so handsome that I still have to say it even if my mouth hurts saying it?


    ¡°¡­He sure is a wonderful man,¡± commented Lumi. She seemed to have been mesmerized by his handsomeness. Yeah, he sure is.


    ¡°Ugh, What¡¯s wrong with you all? That man¡­ Ugh, what you see isn¡¯t everything!¡±


    Chelleno¡¯s words made me wonder more about the man Adrian. I wanted to question my cousin about him, but he didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about it, so I didn¡¯t ask in detail. So, Sir Adrian isn¡¯t just some ordinary knight?


    ¡°Where are you going, Marin?¡± asked Chelleno, who was trying to get back on the carriage after we bought everything we needed.


    ¡°I have to get something. I¡¯ll come back soon. Rey, follow me.¡±


    Chelleno looked displeased as soon as he saw Rey. He would have followed me, but he didn¡¯t get out of the wagon, probably because of him.


    Rey, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem interested in Chelleno and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to buy that again?¡±


    With a slightly dissatisfied voice, I nodded and replied, ¡°Of course I am.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re rich now. Why the fuss now?¡±


    I frowned at the utter lack of consideration in his words. This wasn¡¯t a simple part-time job. It was the joy of my life. ¡°It¡¯s my hobby, so don¡¯t bother.¡±


    Rey frowned. I didn¡¯t feel good either as I could see disapproval in his eyes which were a similar color to mine. Then he replied, ¡°Yeah, okay. But don¡¯t go too much. People will laugh at you if they know.¡±


    Who will laugh at who? It¡¯s my noble hobby! I¡¯m always proud. Because of that, I pridefully¡­ walked into a stuffed doll store. Rey seemed embarrassed to be here, so he decided to wait from a distance where he could see the entrance.


    ¡°Whoa¡­ The capital sure is different,¡± I commented astonishingly.


    The sheer number of parts and materials for dolls were enormous already. The cute but full of different materials and dolls, the boutique had some dolls that I made myself. It sure was worth selling them anywhere in the world. Honestly, I¡¯m actually dubbed ¡®Doll Master M¡¯ among doll sellers. It was a nickname I got because my dolls had a sense of dignity of a master craftsman within them. Isn¡¯t that the best reputation Doll Master M deserves? Hah!


    ¡°Can I get that and that?¡±


    As always, I felt happy when I bought doll materials. I should make a cute teddy bear with this. I haven¡¯t made one in a while. Would Harry like it if I sent it to him?


    I saw Rey in the distance when I got out of the store. He seemed to be tired as he had his eyes closed. While I was trying to call him¡­

 CH 44

    ¡°NNGH!¡±


    Someone covered my mouth. What? Who is it? I rolled my eyes nervously but calmed myself. ¡®Calm down. If they were trying to kill me, I would¡¯ve died already. There should be a reason why I was pulled into the alleyway by the entrance.¡¯


    Soon, the mouth cover had been lifted. I turned and saw the man who was holding me. But how¡­ Why is that man here?


    ¡°You, why are you here?¡±


    He was saying the same thing I wanted to ask him myself. The person was, to my surprise¡­


    ¡°Good evening, your highness. Secretary Marina von Harrant at your service.¡±


    It was the Crown Prince. He was glaring at me with his purple eyes. He asked, ¡°Are you¡­ stalking me?¡±


    Such ridiculous words came out of his mouth, and it made me laugh. What kind of nonsense is this nutjob talking about after showing up out of nowhere?


    ¡°Answer me, Marina von Harrant,¡± ordered the Crown Prince.


    Even if it was nonsense, his will to attack was real. I felt chills run down my spine and gulp. If I show my weakness to a predator like that, it will bite off my neck at once. That¡¯s why I answered confidently and proudly, ¡°I didn¡¯t stalk you, your highness. I just visited this store here.¡±


    The Crown Prince frowned. He looked at me as if he didn¡¯t understand and questioned, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a doll store? I don¡¯t understand why a fully grown adult would visit such a store.¡±


    I think his words upset me a bit. What was wrong with a grownup enjoying such a thing?


    ¡°A fully grown adult can enjoy dolls. I, well, like it in another way other than looking at it.¡±


    ¡°Another way?¡±


    ¡°Making dolls.¡±


    He then stared at me with intense eyes that I couldn¡¯t see what his intentions were. I felt like I would get possessed by his purple eyes but came back to my senses. He sure is so handsome.


    ¡°Is that it? What a strange woman. Anyway, it¡¯s fine if you weren¡¯t stalking me.¡±


    ¡°What brings you here, your highness? All alone¡­¡±


    Anyway, nobody would think the Crown Prince would walk around here without a guard. It was sure to bring questions.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m here for a little business, and it doesn¡¯t concern you. I¡¯ll be gone then,¡± answered the Crown Prince and then ran off. Wow, can a human run like that too? He had splendid body movements.


    ¡°Huh? Why are you coming out of there?¡±


    Rey seemed to be surprised when he found me coming out of an alleyway. I just answered casually, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just¡­ almost bitten by some crazy dog.¡±


    Rey frowned and snapped, ¡°Nonsense. Should we go back then?¡±


    I began walking to the carriage with Rey when I felt something strange. Someone seemed to be looking at me. I turned my head and looked in that direction without realizing it. But there was nothing but an empty street.


    ***


    My precious weekend had passed by with a snap. It was Monday, the start of a week that I wished wouldn¡¯t come. I tiredly walked downstairs, and my loyal puppy Chelleno greeted me energetically.


    ¡°Marin! Let¡¯s go to work! Oh, it¡¯s so nice to go with you!¡±


    He seemed very lively. It seems even the aftermath from this weekend didn¡¯t exist to him. I took the carriage with Chelleno to the front of the Royal Palace. Before leaving, the driver said that he will be coming back in the evening. We then walked into the palace.


    ¡°Welcome, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good day,¡± said Chelleno in a dignified tone and looked at a junior knight bowing to him.


    I laughed at him, trying to look dignified in front of others. He is a dignified man who fights over a red shirt with Rave! I felt like my mouth would fail me and turn into a grin. But I held back to protect his honor.


    We¡¯ve reached the crossroad where our paths split. I told him to go, but he refused stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not okay for me.¡±


    Even though I tried to refuse, he insisted and escorted me to the office building in the end. So stubborn! I was about to say goodbye to Chelleno and get inside when I heard an annoying voice.


    ¡°Hello, Mari- I mean Associate Harrant!¡±


    The man, who was waving his wide-spread palm at me annoyingly, was Rave. Usually, I would address people by their last name, but that man is so annoying that I didn¡¯t want to give him such respect, at least in my mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re as beautiful as always! Oh, don¡¯t look at me with such a fierce look. I¡¯ll melt!¡±


    Because people can even call the emperor with any name in their mind, I can say whatever about that punk. That¡¯s what I have done, and I will always do that and call him a punk.


    ¡°Oh, anyway. Why did that rascal follow you here? He has to go the opposite way!¡± shouted Rave.


    ¡°You sure are very interested in my cousin, aren¡¯t you? Do you want me to introduce you to him? How about you two become friends?¡± I asked with a smirk.


    Rave seemed to hate the idea. Yeah, you should look at who you¡¯re trying to joke around. Maybe he still hasn¡¯t figured me out yet.

 CH 45

    ¡°He-heck no! I would never be friends with such a man!¡±


    Rave stuttered at my words, while I smiled innocently and added, ¡°Why? You seem very interested in my cousin.¡±


    ¡°No way. I won¡¯t fool around with you anymore. Please don¡¯t get me involved with your cousin. Can you do that? Please,¡± begged Rave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it depending on how you do from now on.¡±


    I looked away as if I was considering, and Rave sighed and opened the door to the Operations Department.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Everyone turned to Rave and me because of my greeting and greeted back, ¡°Good morning!¡±


    Ah. Greetings always make people lively whenever I hear them. I sat on my seat and began looking over documents before the office turned into a battleground of policies. Soon, the second hand grazed past the minute hand, and the war of government officials began. I had to look over the documents and revise them as always.


    ¡®This policy should be more efficient if I revise it this way.¡¯


    ¡°Secretary Harrant! Come here for a second!¡±


    While I was busy with work, I heard Director Clove calling me over with a fuss. As I walked up to him, the Director sighed, ¡°We have trouble.¡±


    ¡°Pardon, sir?¡±


    ¡°The strategy you proposed at the meeting a while ago was well received by the State Council Meeting where every minister and cabinet joins. His Majesty also heard about it and said he wants to meet with the person who proposed the idea.¡±


    Oh, so it actually caused a fuss. How do I look today? How am I dressed? It¡¯s alright. Makeup? Good. Daisy did a pretty good job at least. Yeah, I¡¯ve got nothing to lose. Let¡¯s do this.


    ¡°I understand. When should I go?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The Royal Guards will come to get you in a while. But¡­ are you okay?¡± asked the Director.


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±


    Why would I not be okay? It¡¯s not like I am guilty of something. I looked at Count Clove with a puzzled look, and he sighed, ¡°Nevermind. I had forgotten that you aren¡¯t a normal officer. There¡¯s a reason why Administrations wants you.¡±


    This reminded me that I had become the victim of two directors¡¯ fight for pride, and I stated, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll be back to my seat.¡±


    Count Clove became even more surprised by my words and asked, ¡°Wait, are you going back to work in this situation?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. The Royal Guards aren¡¯t here yet, so I should finish the policy plan I was working on before they arrive.¡±


    ¡°You sure are something.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t only Count Clove but everyone at the office that was sighing. I became curious, but whatever. I will go my own way. I should deal with my work fast and face the Emperor.


    ***


    Not long after, the door of the office opened. I turned in that direction with anticipation. There was a familiar face walking in. It was him.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to bring Secretary Harrant.¡±


    The Royal Guard that came to escort me was the essence of handsomeness, Adrian. The other man was Chelleno. I didn¡¯t expect my cousin and Adrian to come. But that aside, Chelleno seems to be quite skilled, unlike how stupid he acts at home. The Royal Guards, which protects the Emperor, were the pinnacle of the Central Knights. Considering my uncle, who values skills above all, there was no way he would let my cousin join because he was his son.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Secretary Harrant,¡± I answered and got up to walk to them.


    Chelleno seemed like he wanted to speak as his mouth tried to move, but I glared at him to stop. Adrian smiled brightly and said, ¡°Please follow us. His Majesty is waiting.¡±


    ***


    After walking past the office and the garden where there were fewer people, Sir Adrian turned around, smiled at me, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. He is calling you because you have done well. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Actually, I¡¯m not nervous at all.¡±


    I heard wind leak from behind, so I turned and saw Chelleno giggling from behind with his shoulder shuddering. Damn fool. He¡¯s a cousin who cackles at me without helping me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marin.¡±


    I glared at him for calling me by my nickname in such a situation. Chelleno flinched and cowered. Sir Adrian, who was walking ahead, turned again, smiled, and commented, ¡°You two sure are close as cousins.¡±


    Does he think we¡¯re close when all I do is pick on him? It came to me that maybe he wasn¡¯t an ordinary man either.


    Chelleno asked, ¡°So, how do you two know each other?¡±


    ¡°It was just a coincidence.¡± After casually answering Chelleno, Adrian looked at me. Then he made a smile that could brighten the surroundings and added, ¡°And we meet again coincidentally. Isn¡¯t that right, Secretary Harrant?¡±


    His words made my heart flutter. He¡¯s way too handsome.


    ¡°Sir, are you trying to court my Marin again? I mean, you are very skilled¡­ compared to me, but no way!¡± declared Chelleno, as he hugged me from behind again.


    I stepped on his shoe with my heel again. Just like last time, I spoke to him with a grin, ¡°Sir, please look after my cousin. He¡¯s got a long way to go.¡±


    Adrian frowned for a second, then brightly smiled, ¡°Have you forgotten my name again, my lady?¡±


    He firmly requested I change the way I formally address him. I sighed at his kind smile and gave him the answer he wanted, ¡°¡­Sir Adrian.¡±


    His blue eyes seemed satisfied by my answer, and I had to look. He sure is a tremendously handsome man. Such beautiful eyes, he doesn¡¯t falter behind that of the Crown Prince.

 CH 46

    ¡°No! Marin, you are being l¡­¡±


    Chelleno gasped as if he was responding to my words. But then he shut it like he had seen something. I was curious and turned to look at the front, and Sir Adrian was looking at me with a smile that was so bright that it could blind me.


    ¡°Shall we head on then, Secretary Harrant?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ***


    With Chelleno and Sir Adrian escorting me, I soon arrived at the central palace. The servants there opened the door for me. I saw a figure sitting down at the office desk, so I bowed and showed respect to the emperor of this country.


    ¡°Your Majesty, Marina von Harrant is your servant.¡±


    ¡°Welcome. Are you the new secretary that we recruited this time?¡± asked the Emperor.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I was appointed as a policy officer at the Operations department.¡±


    ¡°You may raise your head.¡±


    I looked up and saw the middle-aged man with sharp features that somewhat resembled the Crown Prince. The Emperor sat at his desk and was giving me an intrigued look.


    ¡°So, you are the daughter of Count Harrant? Then perhaps, do you know about the demonic race that became flowers?¡±


    ¡°Please excuse me, Your Majesty. I don¡¯t know what you are speaking of.¡±


    ¡°I see. There¡¯s no need to talk about it if you don¡¯t know. It will be more interesting to talk about more realistic matters on hand,¡± replied the Emperor as he got up from his seat and moved to the couch. He then offered me a seat. ¡°You may sit. This will take a while.¡±


    As I sat down because of his offer, he looked at me carefully and smiled, ¡°Haven¡¯t you liked chess since you were young?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I used to play against my father.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Count Harrant was unmatched by anyone with his skills.¡± Then I almost laughed at the whispering words that the Emperor added, ¡°It was to the point that he had to intentionally lose to the Chancellor who was so eager to win.¡±


    So he was that good! The Emperor wasn¡¯t someone I could just speak casually like that.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you visited the palace when you were young, have you not?¡±


    The palace¡­ Of course, I could never forget. At the time, I came to the palace with my mother, who went to look for my father while I played by myself. There was a child who appeared to be a young servant around my age who approached me. He was crying so sadly alone, so I taught him chess. I taught him that this was the best way to forget about bad thoughts. Then I gave him the doll that I had with me.


    That boy was my first love. He had a beautiful face and unforgettable eyes.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I believe I have.¡±


    ¡°As expected. Do you perhaps happen to know why Count Harrant was sent to the estate on the outskirts of the country?¡±


    I was a bit annoyed by him casually asking about the cause of my family¡¯s collapse, but it was the Emperor who was asking the question. I didn¡¯t show even the slightest bit of my feelings and answered what I knew without hesitation, ¡°I have heard that he was removed from his office because he opposed the tax increase policy.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you know. However, that isn¡¯t true. He had put down his post to protect what is precious.¡±


    What? So my father wasn¡¯t removed but voluntarily resigned from the office? Unknowingly, I gave the Emperor a surprised look for telling me such a startling truth. Then I realized it was disrespectful and bowed.


    The Emperor then looked at me kindly and said, ¡°You are very much like your father.¡±


    No way, Your Majesty. People always say I look like my mother. My head was spinning from what I had just learned about my father. For what reason did he have to give up his post of Advisor to the Emperor and leave the palace?


    ¡°You will learn one day. By the way, I would like to play a chess game with you. Would you mind playing with me right now?¡±


    ¡°It would be my honor, Your Majesty.¡±


    Then we played a few rounds of chess. It was three wins out of three games. The Emperor laughed sheepishly, ¡°You sure are great at chess. I sometimes won when I used to play with your father. Have you overcome your father?¡±


    ¡°That is correct, Your Majesty.¡±


    In response to his compliment, I told the truth. The Emperor looked at me kindly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took too much of your time. I had a lot of fun.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Your Majesty. I had a great time as well.¡±


    ¡°I would like to play chess with you from time to time if you don¡¯t mind. Will you allow me?¡±


    Unlike his son, the Crown Prince, his Majesty the Emperor was a very gentle and nobleman. Besides, he was very considerate and cared about the feelings of a mere middle-grade officer. It might be disrespectful to think of that. If he was my father¡¯s old friend and not the emperor, I would have liked him very much.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored, Your Majesty.¡±


    I was already very fond of the Emperor, who has shown his humane side instead of being a sovereign being. Yeah, I guess a few chess games can do that. I can always play with such an emperor.


    I bowed to him, left the office, and found Chelleno nervously waiting for me. Sir Adrian smiled as he approached, ¡°I will escort you back, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, sir.¡±


    As I walked back with them, Chelleno tapped me from behind. He mouthed if I was alright. I nodded, and my cousin turned from a concerned cousin back to a gentle knight.

 CH 47

    ¡°Thank you, Sir Adrian, Sir Chelleno.¡±


    I thanked the two knights as we arrived at the office building. To my gratitude, Sir Adrian smiled, which brightened the area around him. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. We look forward to seeing you again next time, Secretary Harrant.¡±


    I smiled in response to his goodbye. Then I turned around and made my face expressionless again. This was a place where everyone was wearing a mask, so I¡¯m not stupid enough to get excited by some hollow words.


    When I opened the door to the office and entered, all the workers who were suffering from their work stopped all at once and looked at me. It was Rave who opened his mouth and broke that awkward silence.


    ¡°My assistant, you have returned safely!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the fuss? It¡¯s not like I committed a crime.¡±


    ¡°You sure didn¡¯t.  So, what did His Majesty say?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up as if everyone agreed with his words, but I just smiled as I didn¡¯t want to go into details of the private conversation. Because of that, I replied, ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Was it something important?¡± asked Rave in disappointment.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered. Of course, it is important! The chess match with His Majesty was quite fun. Besides, we secretly scheduled our next appointment, so wouldn¡¯t that be important?


    ¡°I feel you are going farther and farther away. Don¡¯t forget about me even if you succeed in the future, yeah?¡±


    I was annoyed at Rave, who pretended to cry with exaggerated gestures. Just as I was about to snap at him, the Director, Count Clove, called me, ¡°Secretary Harrant, come here for a second.¡±


    ¡°What is it, sir?¡±


    When I approached Director Clove and asked, he hesitated before speaking out cautiously, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s about the poverty relief policy you devised this time. His Highness didn¡¯t approve of it. He wishes for you to come in person if you want to get approval. What will you do?¡±


    I sighed a little at those words. Honestly, I really hate the Crown Prince. ¡°I will go to see His Highness.¡±


    ***


    Arriving at the Crown Prince¡¯s Palace, I tried to enter his office. However, I received shocking news from the Crown Prince¡¯s servant that he was absent and didn¡¯t know when he would return. The servant who spoke to me looked at me apologetically.


    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, I will have to find him myself!¡¯


    After leaving the office, I scoured the rest of the area except for the bedroom, which was forbidden to enter. However, I couldn¡¯t find the Crown Prince anywhere. I asked the other servants, who were always weirdly kind to me if he was in the bedroom, but the answer was no. It was frustrating.


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    I was so annoyed that I couldn¡¯t help but swear. This time, I came to the library and got the servant¡¯s permission to look around, but he wasn¡¯t in there either. Exhausted, I leaned against the statue next to me and became startled.


    ¡®Huh? What is this?¡¯ I thought to myself and spoke out loud whatever was on my mind, ¡°¡­A secret passage?¡±


    A secret passageway revealed itself in the fireplace once the statue was pushed. Even though I knew it was a mistake, I stepped into it as if I was possessed for a moment. When my entire body entered the passage, the passage closed like magic. I felt like a pawn on a chessboard, one that can only move forward.


    If I can¡¯t go back anyway, I have no choice but to move forward. I walked through the narrow passage, saw a door, and I gently pushed it silently. There, I saw an unbelievable sight.


    In the room located within the secret passage, the Crown Prince who had frustrated me by not showing himself until now was there. Still, it was truly an unbelievable sight.


    The Crown Prince, who is a cold and merciless nutjob with a terrible personality and had the full name of ¡°Clyde Sieghard Urd Genorium¡­¡± was surrounded by lovely stuffed dolls. He was hugging each one lovingly and even called their names!


    It was a surreal sight. No, is that really him? He told me only children love such dolls¡­ Wait. That¡¯s a doll I made¡­!


    ¡°After all, you guys are the only ones who can comfort me,¡± commented the Crown Prince. My eyes widened in shock at the sight of the nutjob talking to himself as if he was talking to the dolls. Then he muttered, ¡°She must be in trouble now. That unbelievably frustrating¡­ damn woman.¡±


    That damn girl is right here, Your Highness.


    ¡°Good evening, Your Highness.¡±


    I could see his back become rigid because of the voice suddenly coming from behind. He turned and saw me in disbelief, to which I faced him with not a gentle, fake smile but a victor¡¯s grin. Then I added, ¡°I have learned well of Your Highness¡¯s secret hobby. Since I have found you, Your Highness, it¡¯s time for a reward.¡±


    ¡°How- Why are you¡­?¡±


    His shocked expression was somewhat new. That expression was amazingly handsome too, but to me, knowing his true self, he was crazy.


    ¡°I accidentally touched the statue at the study, but I never imagined to find you hiding in a place like this. Especially for a secret hobby like this.¡±


    Because of my words, the Crown Prince gave me a hardened look, which then turned into a vicious one. Goosebumps rose on my body from that frightening expression, and my legs trembled. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t lose my smile, so victory was still in my hands.


    ¡°You, a mere officer, dared come into my secret passage and spy on me? I see that you have a death wish,¡± threatened the Crown Prince.


    ¡°The study also doubles as a drawing-room, so I believe my entry as a mere officer was permitted?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Do you think you can get out of here alive with your sly mouth?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    The Crown Prince, who had been speaking to me viciously, heard my short answer and hardened his expression from astonishment. Then I explained to that lunatic why I had a justifiable reason, ¡°Your Highness. I was summoned to the Crown Prince¡¯s palace by summoning me. Didn¡¯t you call me to question me on the policy proposal? Isn¡¯t that right, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Even so, isn¡¯t it also true that you broke into a private, secret area at will?¡±


    ¡°But Your Highness, you wanted me to find you, did you not? Why are you threatening me when all I did was follow your orders?¡±

 CH 48

    At my impeccable reasoning, the Crown Prince became silent and looked at me viciously. I¡¯m not the one to succumb to such threats, so I added, ¡°By the way, His Majesty will look for me if he finds out I am missing. It was reported that I went to the Crown Prince¡¯s palace.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I had a close conversation with His Majesty today. His Majesty will probably be heartbroken if I disappear.¡±


    Honestly, I was nothing more than an opponent to His Majesty in chess, but no one knew what happened because I only talked to the Emperor today. In other words, there was no way the Crown Prince would know that I was lying, even if I blackmailed him like this. Moreover, if I disappear at his palace, even the Crown Prince would be unable to escape the responsibility.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look bothered?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s nothing special about it. There¡¯s nothing strange about some lunatic doing some crazy things. Besides, it¡¯s just a hobby, so there¡¯s nothing to talk about, right?¡±.


    I don¡¯t know what he thought of my words, but his expression changed for a very brief moment. His expression soon turned cold again, and he spoke with a low growl, ¡±Are you mocking me?¡±


    ¡°How could I, Your Highness. There¡¯s no reason to mock you when I don¡¯t see anything wrong with it? As I said before, dolls aren¡¯t exclusively for children. Wasn¡¯t it you who made fun of me?¡±


    To be honest, I enjoy the hobby in a different way than the Crown Prince. Then I continued, ¡°Besides, looking at Your Highness reminds me of the children I left behind in my hometown.¡±


    ¡°Children?¡± asked the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Oh, I mean my crops. I raised them because of the lack of finances in the estate, but I became attached to them as I raised them.¡±


    ¡°That is a weird hobby.¡±


    ¡°Not as much as yours, Your Highness. But we aren¡¯t doing any harm with our hobbies, right?¡±


    The prince¡¯s face became rigid when I sarcastically answered as he did to me. However, I was speaking truthfully on the last part. Frankly, I never thought of growing crops as a shameful hobby. My flowers and plants comforted my mind and body after the fall of my family. So I am proud to say I like my hobby and I¡¯m not ashamed of it.


    ¡°Anyway, I never thought of my hobbies as strange. There are a few living things that return love given to them, like plants. Is it weird to do what you love? Perhaps you have a different opinion than me, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Are you putting me and you on the same level now?¡±


    I shook my head, looking at his purple eyes that seemed eager for an unknown reason, and replied, ¡°I never put myself on the same level. My only small wish is that Your Majesty will refrain from picking on documents I am submitting for no reason in the future.¡±


    The Crown Prince, who listened with a hard expression while grinding his teeth, became strangely docile and reached his hand out to me. I put the pen and papers on top of his hand, and he signed on it while putting one hand on his head and then waved his hand at me.


    ¡°Piss off now.¡±


    ¡°Will do, Your Highness.¡±


    I was puzzled by the fact that he did it so easily. Still, it was a great success. While I was satisfyingly walking out with the documents, I suddenly remembered an important fact and turned around. The Crown Prince frowned at the sight of me suddenly turning around.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± demanded the Crown Prince.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to get out, Your Highness. Will you please open the door?¡±


    ¡°¡­What makes you so bold?¡± asked the Crown Prince.


    I answered, ¡°Me.¡±


    I saw the prince¡¯s eyes looking at me as if I was insane for my answer. It made me feel unpleasant. Wouldn¡¯t it feel bad to be considered crazy by someone who is?


    With the help of the Crown Prince, I came out of the study. It was already evening. This isn¡¯t good. I might not be able to leave work on time.


    ¡°If then, Your Highness, it¡¯s time to get off work, so I¡¯ll leave quickly.¡±


    Now that I had nothing to do, I ran without looking back. While I was running, I heard something breaking. Hmm? Well, he didn¡¯t throw it at me, and it¡¯s his own loss for doing that.


    ***


    When I arrived at the office, I handed the documents over to Director Clove. He took it and looked at me with worried eyes. That¡¯s because I had spent quite some time trying to find the Crown Prince.


    ¡°You¡­ Are you alright? So, the shield¡­ I mean, why did you leave the tray behind?¡± asked the Director.


    ¡°As you can see, I am fine, sir.¡±


    Looking impressed, Director Clove then asked, ¡°But how did you find His Highness? It is always impossible to find him when he disappears.¡±


    You know, that¡¯s because that nut job was enjoying a mundane hobby that suits him. If I get this out of my mouth, I¡¯ll probably die without anyone realizing it. I didn¡¯t think it was anything to be ashamed of, but if he created a secret passage for that, it meant he didn¡¯t want to reveal it to others. That¡¯s probably the reason why he signed the documents so easily.


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve done a great job. You can go home for today.¡±


    In response, I bowed, then I went back to my seat, packed my things, and hurried out of the office. Today, as always, I succeeded in leaving work on time. Heh heh.


    On my way home in the carriage, I realized that the Crown Prince could prove quite useful. Except that I have to risk my life and gamble in return.

 CH 49

    A few days have passed since then. I¡¯ve been busy with work since this morning, so I have been lying around at home after work. Then, Lumi came in and looked at me with a frown and commented, ¡°Sister! My God. Tomorrow is the party. Why do you look so relaxed?¡±


    ¡°I can prepare tomorrow,¡± I replied calmly to Lumi¡¯s fuss.


    She shook her head, then came up to me eagerly and said, ¡°That¡¯s nonsense, sister! Is there a soldier who goes to war without preparation?¡±


    ¡°Uh- I guess not?¡±


    She made an example fitting for a lady of a prestigious knight family. I was pushed back by her eagerness, and I stuttered as I nodded. Lumi said with her eyes gleaming, ¡°Then let¡¯s get ready! There¡¯s no time to waste! Come on, take her to the bathtub.¡±


    At Lumi¡¯s orders, the maids behind me took me to a tub with a frightening amount of foam and washed me. As soon as I got out, they applied perfumed oil to my body and started to apply an unknown face pack on my face. After a period of torment, I questioned my supple body and the smooth, shiny face if it was really me. It¡¯s definitely good to have money.


    ¡°Sister, this isn¡¯t the time to lose your mind! You should get a massage too!¡± shouted Lumi.


    Led by Lumi¡¯s hand, I was laid with my face down and received a message from the maids. It relieved my tired shoulders and stimulated my swollen legs.


    ¡°Now, we have to choose beforehand the dress you¡¯ll wear tomorrow. Dear, bring all of my sister¡¯s dresses,¡± ordered Lumi.


    It was a bit unpleasant to see Lumi giving orders to my maid, Daisy. Ah, I just wish she wouldn¡¯t act so rude to her. But it was good to hide my thoughts for Daisy¡¯s sake. I¡¯m indebted to this house, so if I had shown favor towards her, the other maids would have disliked her.


    Moments later, I looked at the dress Daisy had brought. What Lumi chose was a red money dress that I bought to show off in a boutique. Lumi looked at it and smiled happily and then ordered, ¡°This is it! Bring her jewelry, too.¡±


    When Daisy came with my jewelry, Lumi glanced over it, sighed, and closed it. Then she called her maid. ¡°Bring my jewelry box.¡±


    Lumi took out a pair of pearl earrings and a necklace from her jewelry box that the maid had brought over. She then happily smiled and ordered Daisy, who was standing behind me, ¡°Help her get changed into the dress.¡±


    As I got dressed with Daisy¡¯s help, I became somewhat embarrassed. There¡¯s no way a dress like this would suit me, right? But Lumi paid no attention to my expression, and gave me earrings and a necklace, and shouted, ¡°This is it! This should teach that rash Schuteiner girl a lesson!¡±


    I felt tired seeing Lumi becoming more competitive than me toward Elise. I¡¯m not worried about bumping into her tomorrow, but I¡¯m concerned that my cousins will cause trouble.


    To Daisy, Lumi said, ¡°Help her get dressed like this tomorrow.¡±


    After Lumi left, I changed back to my normal clothes again. I felt fatigued. To be honest, it¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve fought with another person, so I wasn¡¯t too worried. But it was very tiring for other people to care about me. Why is everyone worried when I can handle it on my own?


    ***


    ¡°My lady, wake up!¡±


    I think I closed my eyes for a bit, but it was already morning as I opened my eyes from Daisy waking me up. I got dressed, and Daisy and the other maids put my makeup on. A busy hand moved about me frantically, then stopped.


    Daisy carefully asked me, ¡°Do you like it, my lady?¡±


    An unfamiliar, gorgeous woman was looking at me from the mirror. Honestly, it was my first time wearing such a fancy outfit, so my appearance looked awkward as if I was looking at someone else. Will Elise von Schuteiner even care when she sees me like this? I¡¯ll be lucky if she doesn¡¯t laugh.


    ¡°Marin, is that really you?¡±


    When I left my room, my cousins¡¯ eyes widened in shock. Chelleno and Jianne had their mouths open while Lumi¡¯s eyes were gleaming, but honestly, I was still embarrassed and feeling awkward.


    ¡°Who else could it be when I just got out of my room?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. About today¡¯s dance¡­ If you don¡¯t have a partner yet, why don¡¯t you dance with me f¡­ Ah! Lumi!¡±


    Lumi stepped on Chelleno¡¯s foot with her shoe to interrupt him, then smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t go ahead and mess things up. There¡¯s no way my sister doesn¡¯t have a partner, right?¡±


    No, my dear Lumi. I¡¯m honestly worried. Shouldn¡¯t at least Chelleno ask me for a dance if there¡¯s no one else?


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ll be very popular today! I swear to Usiad that there is no woman prettier than you in all of Genorium!¡± declared Jianne.


    Jianne. That¡¯s because you never saw any gorgeous girls. You need to broaden your horizons. You can¡¯t swear to God¡¯s name for such a thing. The Holy Kingdom will be furious!


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll stand by your side and coach you one-on-one. You can¡¯t dance with anyone without my permission!¡± shouted Lumi.


    I had to nod at her determined order. I believe it was I who used to teach her a lot in the past, but now the situation has reversed. But then again, I don¡¯t know much about the central¡¯s beau monde, so I better follow Rumi¡¯s advice.

 CH 50

    We rode a carriage and headed to the Duke Siccain¡¯s estate, where the party was held. Not long after, I was able to see the grand scale of the duke¡¯s estate. It was definitely bigger than Marquis Reclain¡¯s mansion. Our Harrant estate, which had already fallen among other counts, wasn¡¯t even there to compare. Oh, but maybe it¡¯s different now, thanks to the gold mines.


    ¡°Welcome. Could you show me your invitation?¡±


    As we got off the carriage and entered the entrance, a man who appeared to be the butler of the duke¡¯s family spoke to us. Our servant showed him the invitations, then he looked at them one by one, pointed at me, and asked, ¡°The invitation seems to show a different number of guests. Excuse me, my lady, but how are you related to the children of Marquis Reclan?¡±


    In response to his words, I laughed and said without any embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯m Secretary Marina von Harrant, a cousin of the children of Marquis Reclan and a policy officer from the Operations Department of Internal Affairs.¡±


    At my words, he suddenly smiled and deeply bowed, ¡°Please forgive me, my lady, you were expected. Please head into the hall.¡±


    I was a bit surprised by his sudden reaction, but it wasn¡¯t to the point of panic. I just thought that the Chancellor had given him a message prior, so I went inside.


    ¡°The children of the Marquis of Reclan, Sir Chelleno von Reclan, Jianneen von Reclan, Illumina von Reclan, and Marina von Harrant, the policy officer of Internal Affairs,¡± spoke a voice as we entered.


    At the same time, all attention in the hall was on us. I reminded myself to walk gracefully and stepped inside. My cousins also looked noble and dignified, unlike how they were at home.


    ¡°Assistant Harrant! Good to see you here,¡± a voice called out to me.


    This flirtatious voice must be¡­ I turned my head gracefully toward the sound. As expected, it was Rave, surrounded by women, looking at me with a mischievous expression on his face. He sure lives up to the nickname ¡°Playboy of Internal Affairs.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, First Secretary Harsen,¡± I replied to him. I usually call him Punk Rave in my mind, but this was how I usually addressed him.


    ¡°No way, we see each other every day, and you¡¯re still happy to see me? By the way, my assistant, you are really beautiful today, enough to please my eyes. How about we dance together¡­¡± Rave answered like a mad man until he was interrupted by someone.


    It was Lumi. She then said, ¡°Oh? It¡¯s been a while, viscount.¡±


    The corners of Rave¡¯s lips rose when she saw the pretty doll-like Lumi. He sure lived up to his infamous nickname, the Playboy of Internal Affairs.


    ¡°How are you? Lady Illumina,¡± said Rave.


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Lumi replied.


    Even though he was being authoritative, it didn¡¯t look that weird. Was it because Rave is shameless? Or was it because the blood of an arrogant ruler flows inside him? You ask why is there a ruler¡¯s blood flowing in him?


    That¡¯s because his grandfather was the half-brother of the previous emperor. He too shares the blood of the imperial family. Of course, he became the first Duke of Harsen because he didn¡¯t have purple eyes. But there was no precedent for previous emperors to keep their brother alive, so the Duke of Harsen was the only living family of the imperial family.


    ¡°I see that you and my sister are still on good terms?¡±


    What nonsense are you talking about, my dear cousin? Do you think I¡¯m on good terms with him?


    ¡°Of course! Isn¡¯t that right, assistant?¡±


    Rave, who spoke to me as if asking a question, nonchalantly wrapped his arms around my shoulder and smiled. I hated seeing him smiling and flirting at the same time. But this was a party hall with eyes everywhere. I couldn¡¯t make threats as I did at work, so I just smiled as wide as I could.


    ¡°Of course. Lumi, my senior, was so good to me lately that I want to tell my uncle more about him.¡±


    The moment he heard those words, Rave¡¯s expression hardened awkwardly. Well, I would have been really disappointed if you hadn¡¯t noticed that much, you a*sh*le!


    ¡°Hahaha. Well then, assistant. Please excuse me, as I remembered I had business to attend. It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Illumina. Let¡¯s have a cup of tea next time!¡± said Rave.


    Lumi frowned as she looked as Rave disappeared quickly and commented, ¡°I was interested because of his family, but he¡¯s not qualified. He looks untrustworthy the more I look, and it¡¯s obvious that he will break some hearts.¡±


    Her eyes were correct. She sure was my cousin. I was worried that she would fall for him for his looks, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t seem to like him. Sure! My Lumi is so much more than the likes of Rave!


    Then a voice said, ¡°Uh¡­ Secretary Harrant.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Good to see you here,¡± I replied to the voice¡¯s owner.


    It was Lynel who called to me with a hesitant and quiet voice. He looked even younger with his honey blonde hair and light blue eyes. They made him look like an elf. I turned to Lumi to introduce her when I noticed her expression hardened. Soon her face turned red.


    ¡®Huh? Lumi, are you..?¡¯


    To my surprise, Lumi then gracefully approached and greeted him before I could even introduce her, ¡°Good evening, sir. My name is Illumina von Reclan. Cute- I mean, sir. What would be your name?¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh- My name is Cedric von Lynel.¡±


    Lynel seemed surprised by her show of interest and stuttered on his answer. Lumi¡¯s smile deepened as she commented, ¡°Cedric. Your name is as pretty as you.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Lady, I-I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Ah, damn it. As if she wasn¡¯t a member of the Reclan family, she acted just like my mother. I heard when my mother was young, she approached my father, who was a promising young central government official, and offered him to be hers. From what I heard from my mother, I heard that all girls of the Reclan family had a thing for the handsome and scholarly type.


    Was it because I was also half Reclan that I was attracted to Kyles, who wasn¡¯t as handsome but had a scholarly look to him? Such a question arose. However, once I was hurt, I became wary of scholarly men.

 CH 51

    As if realizing there was something unusual about Lumi, Lynel became pale and stuttered, ¡°I-I should get going.¡±


    Lumi smiled as if she was satisfied while watching Lynel almost run away and commented, ¡°He seems quite shy. But that¡¯s okay. I like it better that way.¡±


    ¡®I know she¡¯s my cousin, but I think she¡¯s really dangerous.¡¯


    Of course, Lumi, with her doll-like beauty, and Lynel, who looked frail, resembled two pretty elves, so they looked nice together. However, I just got very anxious because I thought they would be like my parents. My father always lives under the control of my mother.


    ¡°Sister, are you interested in that man by any chance?¡± asked Lumi.


    I turned to her and saw her looking at me with teary eyes. Then, I shook my head hastily and replied, ¡°He¡¯s just my coworker. I¡¯m¡­ not into that kind of man.¡±


    ¡®Because he kind of reminds me of Kyles,¡® I thought but didn¡¯t add that last part.


    Lumi brightened up at my answer and responded, ¡°That is great news! I was worried that I would have to give up on my first love.¡±


    ¡­And you even call it that first love? Did you always fall in love that quickly?


    ¡°By the way, do you think that a*sh*le also came to the party?¡± asked Lumi.


    ¡°Maybe. He¡¯s also a government official. He works in Foreign Affairs.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I see.¡±


    While Lumi was muttering about, a loud voice was heard, announcing the entrance of the person that I didn¡¯t want to hear about, ¡°Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marquis Schuteiner, and his daughter Elise von Schuteiner are now entering.¡±


    It was the entrance of the woman who caused my relationship with Kyles to end. Her shining silver hair was mysterious as always, her clear sea-blue eyes were beautiful and clear, her red lips and slightly raised cheeks were like ripe apples, and her pure white skin accentuated her delicate features. She really was like the incarnation of beauty. As such, I think I had cowered a bit against her beauty.


    There is nothing to be scared about. Even if she is the daughter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, she is the kind of girl who only knows how to manipulate, gossip, and ostracize others from behind. Of course, it had been painful and difficult for the person who suffered from it. But it was all in the past now. I couldn¡¯t have moved forward if I was held back by my past. Now she is just one of the small hurdles I have to jump over.


    ¡°Bah. Still a douche as always. A hateful girl who pretends to be an angel and does all sorts of insidious things on the inside,¡± whispered Lumi in a low voice.


    I didn¡¯t deny it because she wasn¡¯t wrong. But no matter how much we talked down to her, people were approaching her one by one.


    ¡°Good evening, Lady Elise!¡±


    ¡°Lady Schuteiner, it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Even if I hate to admit it, she was still the most glamorous and beautiful person in the beau monde. Look at that large crowd that appeared the moment she walked in! I bluntly answered Lumi¡¯s comments about her, ¡°But we can¡¯t deny that she¡¯s beautiful.¡±


    Although, she¡¯s venomous. In response to my additional comment, Lumi¡¯s eyes widened, and she whispered back, ¡°Sister, what do you mean? You are much more gorgeous than that woman!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not a fool. The number of people approaching her is proof.¡±


    Oh, Lumi. I know you want to cheer me up as a cousin, but that¡¯s too far-fetched. I shook my head with a bitter smile, to which Lumi beat her chest as if she was frustrated. Then she responded, ¡°But that¡¯s because¡­¡±


    Just as Lumi was about to say something, a horn suddenly sounded, announcing the appearance of the protagonist of today¡¯s party, ¡°Today¡¯s host, the owner of this mansion and the Chancellor, Duke Vernon Hadesion von Siccain and Duchess Minerva Lianna von Siccain, as well as their son, Prince Droinel Adrian von Siccain, will enter.¡±


    Adrian? That¡¯s the name of a person I know. As I was thinking that, I saw the person that I knew entering. Brilliant platinum hair shimmered in the light, and his icy blue eyes met with mine and curved softly. Oh¡­ It¡¯s just a coincidence that his eyes met with mine. Right? To think that he was that Prince Siccain.


    He looked so different from the Chancellor, who had a sharp impression. I didn¡¯t come across the possibility, even when their eyes and hair were the same color. The Prince¡¯s exceptional handsomeness seemed to have been inherited by the Duchess. His beauty is just like his mother, who is considered an unmarried lady to some. She is such a beauty that lives up to being the sister of the Empress, who was famous for being the most beautiful woman in the empire.


    ¡°Thank you to all the distinguished guests who attended our party! Hope you all enjoy it!¡± said the Chancellor.


    Music played after the welcoming introduction, and the party began. Along with the murmuring, the handsome Adrian, I mean Prince Siccain, who was receiving everyone¡¯s attention, was walking towards me.


    ¡®It should be a coincidence, and he¡¯s just walking past me,¡¯ I thought while I was going to eat some delicious food with Illumina. But I felt someone come and stand next to me, so I turned my head. It was Prince Siccain, standing to my right.

 CH 52

    ¡°Glad you came today, Secretary Harant,¡± said Prince Siccain.


    ¡°Oh, yes. I didn¡¯t know you were the Prince Siccain.¡±


    As I casually turned to his side and greeted him, I saw him smiling sheepishly as he replied, ¡°But you don¡¯t seem all that surprised.¡±


    ¡°Well, to be honest, there is nothing to be surprised about. I did expect you to be a son of some high-ranking family.¡±


    At my words, a smile appeared on his beautiful face. I saw some of the ladies faint, but to me, he was just a person from another world. Then the Prince asked, ¡°Are you always predicting everything like that?¡±


    ¡°What¡­ It¡¯s helpful to be prepared.¡±


    It¡¯s always been convenient to look ahead at all the variables. I did that only to prevent problems in advance, but his expression turned into a playful one in response to my words.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you have also predicted this.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, he grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. I heard people gasping at that sight. I was also shocked. It wasn¡¯t because of the unexpected circumstances, but because of his unexpected actions.


    ¡®So, he¡¯s a bit crazy. He enjoys watching me while I¡¯m in shock.¡¯


    ¡°Lady Marina. Will you dance with me, Droinel Adrian von Siccain? Please give me the honor of dancing with you.¡±


    ¡°It will be my honor, Prince Siccain.¡±


    For a moment, the urge to embarrass him by refusing to do so came to me, but I wasn¡¯t crazy enough to act on the impulse to disgrace the Chancellor¡¯s son at his party. I guess I should enjoy this chance of being the focus of this party. Elise von Schuteiner, I¡¯m coming on top of you. As I smiled at Elise, who was staring at me, it seemed like her durable mask had acquired a small crack. This pleased me.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re enjoying it, Marina,¡± said Adrian.


    I found it a bit annoying that he addressed me by my name, but I decided to let this one slide since he allowed me to crack Elise¡¯s mask. I actually did feel pleasant thanks to you, so I replied, ¡°Well, I saw something amusing for a short moment.¡±


    ¡°Something amusing?¡±


    I grinned at him as he asked me with a smile, then his expression became strange.


    ¡°Yes, something really amusing,¡± I said.


    As people¡¯s attentions were focused on me and Adrian dancing together, I saw that b**ch looking at us both with cold eyes. At this moment, she wasn¡¯t the one who was shining the brightest at the party of the Chancellor, the man with the most power after the Emperor. It was Marina von Harrant, a fallen noble who had become a government official. All envious eyes and jealous swear words were directed to me right now.


    ¡°Marina, I want you to call me Rian from now on,¡± said Adrian.


    As he leaned over and whispered to me while we danced, the murmurs grew louder. That was a good move. Thanks to that, I was able to see a lot more funny faces from Elise and her cronies. I¡¯m not sure what intentions you have by doing this to me, but I¡¯ll pay you back since I enjoyed it because of you.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as you wish, as repayment for making it an enjoyable occasion, Rian.¡±


    His beautiful smile deepened as I called him by his nickname. I never knew what he was thinking, but he was still undeniably handsome. It was to the point that I was constantly astonished even when I didn¡¯t care much for a person¡¯s looks.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor, I look forward to being called that name wholeheartedly. Beautiful Marina,¡± said Adrian.


    There was no sincerity in hearing such a compliment from someone more beautiful than me. Still, my feelings toward him were friendly for now, as I was able to hurt the ever so proud Elise thanks to him. As I was about to part with him with a smile, I heard the sound of another horn.


    ¡°The Little Sun of Genorium, the Crown Prince Clyde Sieghard Urd Genorium, enters!¡±


    At the sound of announcing the Crown Prince entrance, I frowned without realizing it. I didn¡¯t expect that nutjob to attend parties.


    ¡°Good evening, Your Highness,¡± said the Chancellor.


    The Chancellor and his wife, the hosts of this banquet, bowed their heads, and all the nobles bowed their heads as a courtesy to the imperial family. Then I heard an arrogant yet beautiful voice, ¡°You may raise your head.¡±


    When I raised my head, I saw him glaring at me. Damn it. It looked like he decided to keep an eye on me after that damn doll incident. It was apparent that my goal of staying under the radar at work had failed. But it didn¡¯t matter as the end goal was the same. After all, it would have been impossible to do so under that crazy man anyway.


    ¡°Chancellor, this is a wonderful party,¡± commented the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness,¡± replied the Chancellor.


    ¡°Even if there¡¯s some that I find unpleasant.¡±


    The Chancellor did not even blink at the nutjob¡¯s additional comment. He had the nerve to, as the leader of all officials.


    ¡°I am sure you will find a lot lacking for your noble taste, but I still wish for you to have an enjoyable time,¡± said the Chancellor.


    I was able to guess what the Crown Prince thought after the Chancellor replied to him with a laugh. He would have cursed him for being a sly man. Anyway, I didn¡¯t need to think about the mind of a crazy individual, so I figured it would be best that I didn¡¯t pay attention for my own sake.


    ¡°It has been a pleasure, Sir Adrian.¡±


    Adrian looked at me with a slight disappointment after I corrected how I addressed him but soon returned a bright smile as he responded, ¡°Marina, my mother really wants to meet you. Would you mind spending some more time with me?¡±


    I felt burdened by this but figured it wouldn¡¯t be terrible to be acquainted with the Duchess. Now that I was at the capital, I had to fit in, so I replied, ¡°It will be an honor.¡±


    I was escorted by Adrian to head toward the Duchess and saw the Crown Prince looking at me with a sullen expression on his face. I guess he doesn¡¯t like me around him. It¡¯s understandable since he had shared his secret hobby unwillingly with me. But it was nothing to be ashamed about.


    I stood in front of the Duchess, who was in her seat as she watched the party. She was an elegant and charming beauty resembling Adrian that caught my eye. Unlike her son, she had golden hair like the sun and gray eyes. She was a beautiful woman who didn¡¯t look her age.

 CH 53

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Lady Duchess Siccain. My name is Marina von Harrant from the Operations department of Internal Affairs.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, my dear. I heard a lot from Rian and my husband. You really are a beautiful lady,¡± said the Duchess with a smooth voice that almost felt like a marble rolling on a silver tray.


    To my greeting, a gentle voice, like marbles being rolled on a silver tray, answered. I felt very embarrassed to hear that I¡¯m beautiful from a truly gorgeous lady. She had such a beautiful voice and heart. The Chancellor is so blessed to have her.


    ¡°I, too, had heard of good words about you, my lady. But I see that your reputation was underestimated. You don¡¯t look like someone who has a son this mature.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you speak beautifully, just like your own beauty. I can see why my husband has praised you so highly.¡±


    She surely seemed very different from my mother. If it were my mother, she would have fallen into narcissism with a smile as if it was natural to receive such compliments.


    ¡°I believe he had deemed me highly because I¡¯m a new recruit. In reality, I¡¯m immature and only indebted to the Chancellor.¡±


    I smiled shyly in response to her compliment, and she looked at me with fond eyes. Then she replied, ¡°And you are also humble. We should have tea together in the future. I hope to see you more often.¡±


    ¡°I am flattered, my lady.¡±


    After talking with her about various things, she said that she had something to do and left urgently. Left alone again, I saw Adrian approaching. Hmm, do I have to spend time with him again? At that moment, Chelleno stood in the way.


    ¡°Sir! It¡¯s my turn now! I was looking forward to this day too!¡± shouted Chelleno.


    At that, Adrian walked up to him and whispered something with a laugh. Chelleno then turned pale and began to hesitate as he stood still. Meanwhile, someone boldly asked me to dance.


    ¡°Hey, my assistant! Are you free? Let¡¯s dance!¡±


    Rave. It was him. Damn, I don¡¯t really want to dance with that flirty a*sh*le. Oh, that¡¯s right! I had an idea!


    ¡°Of course. It is an honor, sir.¡±


    As I answered with a smile and gently grabbed the outstretched hand, I saw him looking at me with an awkward face. It was as if he was asking why I accepted his offer. Heh heh heh. Why did I accept it?


    The music started, and as he grabbed my waist and gave me a flirtatious smile, I smiled too, stepping on his foot, pretending it was a mistake. At that moment, his disgusting face was slightly distorted, but he hid the pain. It was the rule of a gentleman to pretend nothing happened when a lady steps on you. Rascal, I¡¯m going to make a hole in your shoe today. I was eager about my plan when he suddenly smiled and spoke softly.


    ¡°Dear, do what you want to do. I¡¯m just glad that I can dance with my pretty assistant like this.¡±


    What? You rascal, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m going to feel guilty if you say that? I stepped on him a few more times but got annoyed by his smiling face and gave up. I tried to part ways with him, trying to get away from him as soon as possible, but Rave grabbed my hand tightly with a smile on his slick face and laughed.


    ¡°Are you only going to dance once? My feet are strong. I can do this for 10 more songs.¡±


    This drew a lot of attention to us. Damn a*sh*le, harassing me like this! He sure is smart, worthy of being an officer of Internal Affairs. I had to question his taste as I looked at him, enjoying the pain. Does he have any masochistic tendencies?


    ¡®Damn, why are there so many weirdos around me?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m tired, and I want to rest for a while.¡±


    Contrary to what I was thinking, I smiled and refused him politely. Rave made a disappointed look and smiled, ¡°That¡¯s a shame, but what can I do? Let¡¯s dance again later, my assistant.¡±


    ¡°Sure will,¡± I replied.


    Sure, I won¡¯t! Do you think I¡¯m crazy? I would rather dance with my cousin, Chelleno, than you!


    After giving an answer that contradicted my heart, I moved to the terrace, and people¡¯s eyes seemed to follow me. Is this what attention feels like? Eyes that used to look at me with ridicule and badmouth me now seemed to have a bit of admiration and jealousy mixed.


    As I was out on the terrace to catch my breath, someone called, ¡°Marina.¡±


    Damn, doesn¡¯t that rascal ever become tired? Sick a*sh*le! What caught my eye was Kyles, who seemed to have followed me to the terrace.


    ¡°Would you please leave? I came here first,¡± I said as I coldly looked at him.


    But he ignored my words and approached me at once. Then he asked, ¡°Why are you being so cruel? You used to be much more kind-¡±


    As I interrupted him, I retorted, ¡°You¡¯re being clingy on things that are over. You and I are over. Wasn¡¯t it you who made that happen?¡±


    Hearing my cold voice, he immediately approached me, knelt, and said, ¡°I was only trying to test you¡­ I was wrong. Please come back.¡±


    ¡°Test me?¡± I responded in astonishment at the words he had just spitted out.


    He quickly added, ¡°Yes, test. Lady Schuteiner. She gave me the idea. She told me to test your faith toward me.¡±


    Insane douche. The Crown Prince, the most extraordinarily crazy man I know, wasn¡¯t as insane as you. A freaking test? Is that an excuse you came up with now? It was so ridiculous that I thought I was going crazy. I thought he at least knew when to stop before. This is really annoying.

 CH 54

    ¡°Look here, son of Viscount Pail. You and I are already strangers, and we have nothing to say. If you don¡¯t want to leave, then I¡¯ll see myself out.¡±


    As I was about to pass him, who was still kneeling, Kyles¡¯s hand grabbed my wrist so hard that I couldn¡¯t move forward.


    ¡°This is a misunderstanding, Marina! I couldn¡¯t say it because there was a disturbance before, but I¡¯ll say it now!¡±


    Is that disturbance, you mean the Crown Prince? How arrogant. Even though he isn¡¯t here, isn¡¯t that blasphemy?


    ¡°Let me go,¡± I snapped at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done with you yet. You are mine. So don¡¯t keep dancing like a b**ch with other men!¡± shouted Kyles.


    Crazy a*sh*le. I was thinking about how I should deal with him, when Kyles pulled me in and tried to get up and hug me. I was about to strike his shin with the base of my heel when someone hit him first.


    ¡°You are being ugly.¡±


    The person that spoke with a cold voice while looking down at the now-collapsed Kyles was the disturbance that Kyles talked about. In my own words, this person was also the nutjob, the Crown Prince. But why is this man here?


    ¡°I thought this place was empty, but the conversation was interesting,¡± commented the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Did you overhear us?¡±


    ¡°No. You two spoke in front of me, and I just heard it.¡±


    The nutjob spoke of nonsense fitting of his nickname. Then I asked, ¡°Your highness, what about your fianc¨¦e¡­¡±


    I frowned at Kyles, who looked confused while talking about Lady Schuteiner, who he used to like. For a man who just spoke about testing me and such nonsense, he seems to have feelings for her.


    ¡°That should do it as usual,¡± said the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±


    I clicked my tongue at Kyles, who swore and left, which was another blasphemy to do in front of the Crown Prince. Foolish douche. It wouldn¡¯t be weird if you got hung for disrespecting a royal.


    ¡°Are you enjoying the situation? You always speak so well in front of me, but you were silent with him. Perhaps you still have feelings for your ex-fianc¨¦?¡± asked the Crown Prince.


    ¡°No, Your Highness. I was figuring out where I should hit him to be effective, Your Highness.¡±


    I was just considering which weak spot, the pit of the stomach or his shin, to hit to give him more pain. That is an unpleasant misunderstanding. The Crown Prince¡¯s expression turned distorted because of my honest answer.


    ¡°Do you always calculate everything?¡± asked the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Yes, because it¡¯s efficient.¡±


    The prince¡¯s expression became more serious because of my straightforward answer. I looked at him and bowed, ¡°Anyway, thanks for your help, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know how to be thankful?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do. I¡¯m human too.¡±


    Does he think I¡¯m going to calculate even such small things? Well, to be honest, he was the Crown Prince of the empire, so it was right to show politeness. I didn¡¯t want him getting back at me because I didn¡¯t thank him.


    ¡°We should go back,¡± said the Crown Prince.


    When the Crown Prince suddenly reached out his hand, I almost flinched. However, I kept my expression emotionless and placed my hand on top of his. Then, I just had a bright idea.


    ***


    When the Crown Prince and I came out of the terrace together, Lady Schuteiner, who was acting lovely, surrounded by people, hardened her face. Until now, she must have been the main character of this party. With Sir Hillain, Rave¡¯s brother, who didn¡¯t look like Rave at all, and the second son of Duke Harsen by her side, she had many ladies and gentlemen from prestigious families around her.


    I almost laughed at the circumstance that had turned upside down. If it were me from earlier, who was sheepish and mundane, I would have been alone listening to their smug comments.


    ¡°Your Highness, may I make a suggestion?¡± I asked the Crown Prince.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    I made a deep smile and whispered to him in a sweet voice, looking at me with suspicious eyes, ¡°If you dance with me, I will give you a handmade doll that you have never seen or heard of.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I smiled even wider at the Crown Prince, who was taken aback by my proposal. Then I proudly added, ¡°I told you before that my other hobby is making dolls, right? I assure you that you won¡¯t regret it. I¡¯m confident that it will be better than any of the policy proposals I devise.¡±


    Yes, I¡¯m the noble lady of will who even made dolls as a side job to finance the estate. For reference, the dolls I made were delicate and perfectly finished, so they were sold at a fairly high price on the black market. It was to the point where dolls embroidered with ¡°Doll Master M¡± on them were so popular that people bought them for a hefty price. That is the reputation of the trustworthy Doll Master!


    In fact, I was almost astonished to find three of my dolls at the Crown Prince¡¯s secret room, where I found him doing that crazy act with them. I sincerely apologized to the dolls as I lamented my extraordinary talent for making the crazy Crown Prince collect them.


    ¡®Why do you have to go through such hardships, because you met such a madman rather than a lovely and cute owner? I¡¯m sorry that I made you guys so perfect.¡¯


    ¡°You really are a strange woman,¡± commented the Crown Prince.


    I looked at him with a smile, pushing down the word, ¡°Not as much as you,¡± down my throat.


    ¡°Marina von Harrant, I give you the honor to dance with me.¡±


    The Crown Prince said with a smile on his beautiful face. The smile I saw for the first time made me forget what I was doing without realizing it. Gosh, that¡¯s right. This man is messed up, but his face is no less handsome than that of Adrian¡¯s. Guess they sure are cousins.


    ¡°It would be an honor. Your Highness.¡±

 CH 55

    I grabbed his hand with fake embarrassment and began dancing. For a nutjob, he was quite good at dancing. Although I heard that he had never danced with anyone in public before, he was very good at it. Honestly, he was very handsome. If he weren¡¯t so crazy, maybe the fight from under the shadows among the ladies would have been fierce.


    Although he was deemed perfect in every aspect, including his looks, he was very selfish and more merciless than anyone. As a result, it was difficult to cope with him for the average noble lady. As such, it was known that no one dared to court the Crown Prince.


    The party¡¯s sole purpose was to find a wife candidate for the Crown Prince, and he picked Elise von Schuteiner, who apparently was annoyed by everything. Maybe it was bound to happen, as she was the most beautiful girl among the ladies from the competing noble families. At last, it was the flower of the beau monde, Elise, who was promised to be his wife.


    But now, the Crown Prince, who didn¡¯t even dance with his fianc¨¦e at a public party, was dancing for the first time. With me! I glanced around to see people¡¯s eyes filled with jealousy, envy, and anger. It was especially amusing to see Sir Hillain, who is Elise¡¯s follower, and his expression. I almost laughed. How can he have such pure love? Honestly, if the person I liked was the fianc¨¦e of someone else, I would have gone crazy out of jealousy.


    In that regard, he sure was a great loyal dog. But my present was meant for someone other than him. While I was trying to check on Elise von Schuteiner, who made me do such a bold act, the Crown Prince pulled my waist toward his and said to me, ¡°Aren¡¯t you dancing with me right now? Don¡¯t you dare look elsewhere, or I will pull those eyeballs out of your face.¡±


    Like always, he was splendidly insane. He¡¯s threatening to make me blind because I have committed blasphemy by not focusing on him, who was so full of himself. I suddenly felt sorry for Elise, who is said to be marrying this man.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have feelings for me with this dance either, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Even then, I won¡¯t allow you to put your mind somewhere else while you¡¯re dancing with me,¡± replied the Crown Prince.


    ¡®How childish. Now that I know that you love dolls, you¡¯re not even going to try to hide your childishness, Your Highness?¡¯


    Anyway, it was a shame that I couldn¡¯t see Elise¡¯s distorted face because of the debacle with the Crown Prince. I felt so good when I saw that face she made when she saw us coming out together a while ago. I was too busy with my thoughts when I realized the music had stopped. The dance with the Crown Prince had come to an end. I bowed to him and paid my respect to my partner.


    ¡°It has been my pleasure, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it was,¡± the Crown Prince replied.


    I almost clicked my tongue at the Crown Prince, who was obviously receiving my fake respect. Oh God, I¡¯m truly worried about the future of Genorium.


    ¡°If you will excuse me then.¡±


    I was going to leave when I realized the Crown Prince held my wrist and didn¡¯t let go. I saw him frowning from not understanding what was happening. He then got up to me, lowered his head towards mine.


    ¡°So, when will you give it to me?¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°That thing you promised.¡±


    Oh, you mean the doll. As if I wasn¡¯t going to say you¡¯re not crazy, why do you have to ask me in such a weird way? I can sense everyone¡¯s eyes on us. I glanced around and noticed that damn Elise¡¯s face and became happy. She was shaking in anger with her pale face as she looked at me!


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure when, but I will prepare it as soon as possible,¡± I whispered as I smiled, to which the Crown Prince froze like he felt unpleasant, but it didn¡¯t matter. It was so pleasing to tease that damn girl. I should do this more often! If only I could¡­


    ¡°Then, please excuse me,¡± I smiled and gracefully left the spot. I almost wanted to jump at the feeling that I was walking above a cloud.


    ¡®Oh, it was great to come to this party today. It was a bit annoying, but to see those damn people¡¯s faces crumpled like that!¡¯


    ***


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    It was Sir Hillain, the younger brother of Rave and the second son of the Duke of Harsen, who stopped me to talk to while I was out at the garden taking a rest. What loyalty he had! Honestly, if it were me, I would hope that their relationship was destroyed. Is he very understanding, or is he just trying to act understanding like I was in the past? I pretended to understand Kyles, who made Elise his friend. Either way, he was a sorry man.


    ¡°What the heck are you doing, Marina von Harrant? You hung around with Sir Droinel, who is very noble unlike you, and you even courted His Highness, who certainly has a fianc¨¦e. This is disgusting.¡±


    He glared at me with his dark blue eyes and dark blue hair, which was the only resemblance he had to his brother Rave. His eyes looked so merciless that I almost swore in return. Sir Hillain¡¯s mouth poured out strong criticisms that were intentionally hateful towards me, but it was unfortunate because those words won¡¯t hurt me.


    ¡°You are being disrespectful, Sir Hillain. Have you not learned about manners when you are talking to a lady?¡±


    ¡°Disrespectful? Disrespectful, I see. Have you not done something disrespectful yourself?¡± he asked back.


    ¡°What did I do that was deemed disrespectful? I accepted Sir Adrian¡¯s offer to dance, and I danced with His Highness out of courtesy as I got to meet him due to business reasons. On what pretense are you allowed to criticize me like this?¡±


    ¡°You use your sly tongue well, Marina von Harrant.¡±

 CH 56

    ¡°Well, thank you for the compliment. As a central government official, I didn¡¯t want to be someone who had to rely on someone else to do the talking for me. You think too highly of me,¡± I replied sarcastically, as I pointed out that he was here to pick a fight with me on behalf of that girl, which made Sir Hillain blush with anger.


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡±


    You don¡¯t have what it takes to talk over me, and still, you come over to bark because your master was bitten? Tsk tsk, poor dog.


    ¡°What are you doing to my Marin?¡± demanded Chelleno, who followed me secretly and glared at Hillain as he growled at him.


    ¡®This is how a dog should be!¡¯ I thought. He is a good red dog who is very cute on most days but can be a fierce fighter when I need him.


    ¡°Sir Chelleno, you better watch your cousin¡¯s actions. Her actions are like a courtesan, aren¡¯t they?¡± said Hillain, who compared me to a high-class prostitute.


    Chelleno tried to throw a fist at him in rage, but I stopped him. However, my effort ended up in vain, as someone else¡¯s fist had struck Hillain down. It was Rave, Hillain¡¯s older brother, who struck the second son of Duke Harsen.


    ¡°Ugh, brother! What are you doing¡­!¡±


    Rave, who always was smiling, was now coldly looking down at his brother, who he had punched.


    ¡°Hillain,¡± said Rave.


    ¡°B-brother.¡±


    ¡°You know, I pretended not to see even when you were behaving foolishly. I found it cute that you wanted my place and deemed it funny. I also didn¡¯t bring up the fact that you were hanging around with thugs, using my name to dishonor it,¡± said Rave.


    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstand-¡±


    As Hillain was trying to say something, Rave kicked him, grabbed his collar with a cold smile, and bellowed, ¡°But I won¡¯t allow you to act like that to a lady. That lady is my precious assistant. If you piss me off again, I will make sure that you never try that kind of knight play ever again.¡±


    Hillain became pale, got up slowly, glared at me as he bit his lip, and left.


    ¡°Oh, assistant. I¡¯m so sorry. He has far more to go. I came here while I was on my walk because I heard a familiar voice, but I didn¡¯t expect to see something so dumb,¡± said Rave in his usual casual tone but with awkward laughter.


    Chelleno then responded spitefully, ¡°You should educate your younger brother. I¡¯m letting this slide because of you, Viscount.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you for that. So, are you alright, Marina?¡±


    Rave seemed to be worried about me, which I thought was a joke, and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think your brother might have pushed me too¡­¡±


    His face became furious after hearing such words, and I quickly took back what I said, ¡°I¡¯m joking! Are you angry because of me?¡±


    Even if he¡¯s an a*sh*le, Rave still considers him his brother, seeing that his face became so fierce at such words.


    ¡°Huh? Why would I be angry at you? If that idiot did such a thing to you, I was going to beat him up good,¡± said Rave.


    ¡°Hahaha. Of course, you will. You can¡¯t even fight.¡± I laughed at Rave¡¯s unfitting serious expression. Isn¡¯t it funny to hear that when he¡¯d been a scholarly type of man his entire life?


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I can¡¯t fight! I almost died thanks to you then,¡± said Rave.


    I think I laughed so hard at Rave¡¯s joking words. Honestly, there are times when he can be annoying, but I could never hate him. After laughing for a while, I returned to the party hall with Rave and Chelleno.


    ¡°Sister! Where have you been? It¡¯s crazy!¡±


    Lumi was looking for me when I got back to the party hall, and I replied to her with an awkward smile, ¡°Oh, I was out walking. What happened?¡±


    Lumi looked at Chelleno and Rave, who were next to me, and sighed. Then, she whispered to me, ¡°Sir Hillain, son of the Duke of Harsen. He was attacked by an unknown man out in the garden and is now being treated at the temple.¡±


    It was Rave who was surprised as he asked, ¡°Hillain was attacked?¡±


    Seeing Rave¡¯s hardened look, Lumi hesitated before she answered, ¡°Yes, he almost lost his life. He¡¯s in a very critical state, I heard.¡±


    What the heck is going on? I mean, I don¡¯t pity him since he just said some unthinkable things to me, but it sure felt like things were in a mess with such an unexpected incident.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Chancellor now?¡± asked Rave as he began to act like the charismatic successor of the duke. Honestly, I can¡¯t get used to him like that¡­


    ¡°I believe he contacted the temple and is now out searching for the culprit himself,¡± said Lumi politely.


    Rave, who became serious once he heard that, was about to take some steps to move when he turned to me, trying to analyze the situation, smiled casually, and replied, ¡°My assistant, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll go see the Chancellor.¡±


    I didn¡¯t worry much, but I couldn¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t, so I just nodded to him and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then I heard some whispers around me that said I was now flirting with Viscount Harsen at the sight of us together. But I didn¡¯t care. I was too focused on thinking about the possible culprits.


    Was it almost right after he left us? Then there¡¯s a possibility that someone was at the garden, or someone sneaked into the garden without letting the guard know. Maybe I should go see the guard guarding the garden first.

 CH 57

    ¡°Except for you, my lady, and the other three who were with you, the people who were at the garden were Kyles von Pail, Jianneen von Reclan, Arhan von Stayner, and His Highness, my lady.¡±


    So, the suspect is currently one of those four, and there could be more. Who was it? Who could have done such wonderful work? I would have felt a bit sorry if he had died, but he didn¡¯t. So that¡¯s good. I¡¯m not so kind or foolish enough to worry about a man who came at me with hostility and ridiculed me.


    Wouldn¡¯t it feel better to have the enemy die and disappear, whether or not the man was good? I just think that he didn¡¯t deserve death after what he did to me, so I thought what happened to him was a punishment from God, who sided with me this time.


    After listening to the guard, I went to the crime scene. According to the guard, Hillain was attacked with a sword from behind. I guess around the kidney area? From the way, the flowers were bent, and the blood had sprayed around the place where the victim had fallen, the criminal used his left hand to handle the sword. The criminal is a left-handed swordsman or is right-handed but used his left to hide his habit.


    This was a shame. I could have gotten more evidence if I got to see Hillain¡¯s state myself. Are these traces the only thing I can look at?


    There were giant trees around the flowerbed where Hillain was attacked, which seemed like a great place to hide before making a sneak attack. It was important to know if he saw the attacker or not, but the victim was now in a coma from a critical wound.


    The way he couldn¡¯t even scream makes me think that the attack was unexpected, and Hillain was taken down at once. Or maybe it was just a coincidence with luck. If it was the former, then the attacker should have been skilled enough to strike him in the heart. I should think about a possible candidate who is skilled enough to sneak up on Hillain and strike him down at once.


    From the list of suspects that the guard told me, Kyles didn¡¯t have the guts nor sword skills to do this but may have despised him. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t get into Elise¡¯s group because Hillain didn¡¯t like him. But I¡¯m sure that foolish bookworm wouldn¡¯t have the guts to attack. How could a guy who shivered in fright whenever he saw Rey or Chelleno attack Hillain, who was a knight?


    Then I¡¯m left with Sir Arhan, the captain of the Royal Guards of the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince himself¡­


    Sir Arhan is a guard of the Crown Prince. He would know Hillain since he is a member of the Central Knights, but they are stationed in different places and probably don¡¯t have many connections with each other. Sir Arhan nor the Crown Prince seem to have any reason to have any ties, either good or bad, with Hillain, so who is left is Jianneen then.


    Jianneen¡­ a 15-year-old boy, my cousin, the second son of my uncle, brother of Chelleno, and the twin brother of Lumi. He is considered to have quite the potential with his sword skills. If he had heard what Hillain had said to me, it would have certainly angered him. But I couldn¡¯t consider him a criminal just because of that.


    Jianne¡¯s height is similar to Lumi¡¯s. Perhaps because he is still growing, if he had struck Hillain, who was tall, from behind, toward the top, the wound should have been just slightly above the center. But I couldn¡¯t be sure because I hadn¡¯t seen the wound. Of course, it won¡¯t be fun if the problem is too easy to solve.


    I looked around again. Looking from this angle, if I were to attack this flowerbed where Hillain had fallen, it should be from the top or from the back of that tree in front of the mansion. If not, then there is also a possibility that the attacker came from the mansion. If so, then the suspect can be anyone who was at the party. I should check that tree and that mansion then.


    I investigated the mansion and saw no evidence on the windows of the first floor. I then checked the other flowers but to no avail. It was when I was up on the second floor to look that I felt something strange. Oh¡­ I think I now know who it was.


    I smiled intentionally and told Chelleno that I was going to meet with someone. Then I called the suspect to a quiet room. In response to the smile the man gave me, I made a grin and looked up at him.


    ¡°Why did you attack Sir Hillain? ¡­Sir Adrian.¡±


    His blue eyes bent in a smile, enjoying what I had just said. But his mouth spoke as if he didn¡¯t understand the question and asked, ¡°What do you mean, Lady Marina?¡±


    ¡°Do I really need to explain?¡±


    ¡°I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, lady.¡±

 CH 58

    I pulled my lips upwards at the sight of him bluntly lying and replied, ¡°I noticed from the second floor that a tree branch was bent on the tree. From that angle, there is no way to come up from below without touching a branch. Seeing that the small branches by the second floor were untouched, it is certain that a jump was made from the third floor. I heard that your private office is near that same tree. The only people at this party, who can freely access the third floor used by the family of the Chancellor, are the family members themselves and their workers. Everyone has access to the second floor since there is a lobby and a drawing room there, but the third floor is off-limits to guests as it has bedrooms and offices.¡±


    ¡°Then I suppose the attacker can disguise as a worker to infiltrate the third floor.¡±


    ¡°Bedrooms and offices are private places. There is no way unfamiliar servants could be allowed into such spaces. New workers are usually given work with general duties, as it is a basic rule of Human Resources. It should be your family who knows their routines. The Chancellor and the Duchess were at the party hall during the attack, so they couldn¡¯t be suspects. Then only you remain. You, a member of the Central Knights, are the same as Sir Hillain.¡±


    Even with my accusation, he was calm. He looked at me in a relaxed state with his fingers crossed. It was quite amazing to see him so composed.


    ¡°But I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t have any physical evidence to prove that. You never know. Maybe the criminal is one of the workers.¡±


    Evidence¡­ I smiled at him. He beamed at me as he threw that word at me.


    I smiled and held his hand. His cold blue eyes became filled with interest. I picked up his left hand, then touched the ring on his index finger, which bears his family seal.


    ¡°I see blood still on the inside of this ring. You should¡¯ve cleaned the blood after you took off the ring.¡±


    I was actually relieved. If he had cleaned the inside, then it could have been difficult to find proof. Adrian¡¯s eyes sunk and coldly smiled.


    ¡°I know, right? I never thought a careless mistake like this would get me. But you sure are very brave. Aren¡¯t you afraid of me? You never know what I might do to you while we are alone,¡± commented Adrian, who was now holding my hand.


    I smiled back at him, ¡°You can¡¯t do anything to me. I told my people that I was going to see you. If I disappear, you will be the first to be questioned. Maybe it¡¯ll lead the attack on Sir Hillain to you too.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps so. So, what will you do now? Marina.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem bothered by my threat and just smiled at me with his cold eyes. My grin deepened. I opened my mouth to tell him my intentions.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell anyone about this. I also got rid of the evidence you left behind, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it. I broke the small branches off the tree on the second floor, so it¡¯ll divert the attention to other people, or it might end up unsolvable.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± asked Adrian with a suspicious look. I smiled brightly at that.


    ¡°The reason why I did this is that I hate Sir Hillain. Actually, it wasn¡¯t bad when I heard that that man was attacked. So now, if you can, can you tell me the reason why you attacked your subordinate?¡±


    With that, Adrian¡¯s eyes softened as he looked at me. His icy-looking eyes now seemed like a lake that had reflected off warm sunlight. Adrian then kissed my hand, which he held, and smiled. His sudden change was surprising.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Would it be sufficient if I told you that he made me angry?¡± said Adrian.


    ¡°Yeah, but how?¡±


    His eyes then turned chilly again as he replied, ¡°It¡¯s because he tried to break my most precious flower from the flowerbed.¡±


    What? Just for that reason? I mean, I can relate to him as a fellow gardener, but wasn¡¯t that a bit too dramatic? Maybe he¡¯s crazier than the Crown Prince.


    ¡­No, I take that back. If the Crown Prince¡¯s doll was damaged, then he probably would slice him down the same way his doll was damaged.


    ¡°Honestly, I never considered you to be so emotional, Prince Siccain.¡±


    ¡°I asked you to call me Rian,¡± said Adrian as he smiled sweetly at me.


    My face hardened and got back to the point with a harsh tone, ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the subject. So, was that the only reason?¡±


    ¡°Marina, don¡¯t you understand how furious you can be when someone damages what is precious to you?¡±


    Actually, I did understand him. I started growing crops to help with the estate¡¯s financial situation but later gave my heart to them. I thought that ¡°their lives depend on me¡± as I watched them grow. When Harry accidentally damaged a part of my garden, I was so furious because it felt like my small but peaceful kingdom had been destroyed.


    No, actually, I was sad. I was so upset and cried that I couldn¡¯t even understand myself. Everything else was fine, but it was even more so when it came to the frail flowers that depended on others.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    His eyes became passionate as I answered him. I found myself a bit overwhelmed by them, so I turned away and changed the subject.


    ¡°But still, it¡¯s hard to be forgiven for attacking the second son of Duke Harsen, even for the only son and successor of the Chancellor. It would have been less reckless if you just showed him your anger and got his apology¡­¡±


    ¡°You know, I won¡¯t forgive anyone who put his hands on what¡¯s mine,¡± said Adrian in response.


    I almost flinched as his blue eyes looked directly at me. I heard that quiet people explode when they¡¯re furious, but it was true. Now, I should be careful not to touch his things from now on. I never thought I would step back at the pressure when I didn¡¯t even do that in front of the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Alright. I heard your reasons, and I understand. If you will now excuse me, I will-¡±


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? We didn¡¯t even have tea yet,¡± said Adrian.

 CH 59

    I quickly waved my hand to refuse him, talking kindly after interrupting me. Do you think I can have tea in a situation like this? Oh, maybe you did it because you can drink tea, after all.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel like having tea¡­,¡± I tried to refuse.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. They¡¯re valuable tea leaves that we got from Aseria of the East, but if you don¡¯t want¡­¡±


    Huh? Did you say Aseria? That¡¯s precious tea with a good scent, but it¡¯s worth two gold coins per gram, so not everyone can drink it. Oh, this is tempting. What should I do?


    ¡°I also thought of serving cookies made by the best patisserie from the Florence Kingdom with it¡­ but I guess we should do it next-¡±


    Interrupting him, I added, ¡°Actually, I just remembered that I had to speak to you about something.¡±


    I smiled intentionally as I sat on the chair, and his clear blue eyes bent into a smile. Maids came in, and he ordered different things. Not long after, expensive tea and cookies were brought to us. Gosh, how much are they? Oh my god, why did they sprinkle gold powder onto the food? And that scent! It¡¯s amazing!


    The sweet scent filled the entire room. I couldn¡¯t resist the urge, so I took a sip of tea. Without realizing it, I let out my astonishment. It¡¯s so good! It almost felt like the tea I had until now was just water with some plants in it.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    His quiet voice, which was nice to listen to, asked me, and I nodded without even thinking about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good!¡±


    He smiled brightly at my reaction. It was the smile of a young man around my age, instead of the graceful smile of a successor to the Duke.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I just thought it was so cute¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did you say something?¡±


    I was so focused on the tea that I didn¡¯t hear him and asked him curiously. He smiled and replied, ¡°I like it. I don¡¯t want to let anyone see this.¡±


    Does that mean he doesn¡¯t want to give tea to just anyone? I mean, I understand since it¡¯s expensive. Even I forgot to think about what I should say and was astonished by this amazing tea and cookies. I can see why he doesn¡¯t want to give it out to just anyone.


    ¡°Thank you so much for serving me with such precious tea.¡±


    ¡°If you want, I can give you the tea leaves. You should have it at home.¡±


    I had to hold back my mouth from grinning. I barely got my lips to calm down and answered, ¡°Is this a bribe for not turning you in?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it can work that way too.¡±


    My, this is an unexpected profit. That eyesore Hillain got hurt, I received precious tea leaves for free, and I also got to taste a cookie with golden powder on it that just melts away in my mouth. Today was a very lucky day.


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity,¡± I replied to him with a smile, to which Adrian returned one with his beautiful face.


    Honestly, I can¡¯t see who comes out on top in terms of looks between him and the Crown Prince. No, actually he wins if I consider his character.


    ¡°Oh, since I gave you some tea, can I ask for a favor?¡± asked Adrian.


    ¡°Please,¡± I said without hesitation. I was willing to do almost anything he asked in my current mood. I began to like this man quite a lot.


    ¡°I heard from my father that you¡¯re an awesome chess player. I want to learn a thing or two from you. If you don¡¯t mind,¡± said Adrian.


    I was a bit concerned that he might ask me something more serious as a request, but this was nothing! It fortified my thought that he is quite the good man. There¡¯s no bad man who gives out food!


    ¡°Of course. We can play now. If you want.¡±


    But he shook his head to refuse and smiled, ¡°You should go rest today. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired. Please stop by next time when you have time, my lady.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t feel irritated at all since he seemed to be quite similar to me, and I came to like his attitude for thinking about me first. Of course, he could be frightening if he wants to, but he seems gentle if his things aren¡¯t touched. This is good. I thought I could maybe befriend him since we seemed to get along quite well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you then. I already told my servants about the tea leaves, so you will get them separately,¡± said Adrian.


    ¡°Thank you, Rian.¡±


    When I called him that, his eyes became large from surprise and bent pleasantly. He then spoke to me in delight, which was quite unlike him.


    ¡°Can you call me that again?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Please, Marina. Just once,¡± said Adrian.


    That¡¯s when a cold voice was heard from behind, ¡°¡­What are you doing, Adrian?¡±


    I was becoming embarrassed of him for almost begging. Just as I was going to say something to him, a voice suddenly interrupted. We turned in the direction where the voice came from.


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± said Adrian as he wore a beautiful smile.


    The Crown Prince, however, looked vicious as he accused, ¡°A violent attack had happened at your own home, and you¡¯re wasting time with a woman?¡±


    ¡°You are overexaggerating, Your Highness.¡±


    The answer to his sarcasm was from me, not Adrian. The Crown Prince¡¯s face distorted with unpleasantness as I intervened between them.


    ¡°This is rude, Secretary Harrant. How dare you interrupt my conversation with my cousin?¡±


    ¡°I apologize for my rudeness, Your Highness, but I had to defend Sir Adrian¡¯s honor. He was only replying to my request to talk to him. There was a small argument between my cousin Chelleno and Sir Hillain prior to his incident, so I just wanted to clear it out before creating any misunderstandings. Please understand with your most generous heart, Your Highness.¡±

 CH 60

    The Crown Prince¡¯s face became fiercely vicious in response to my words and retorted, ¡°You dare worry about my cousin¡¯s honor? Piss off, if you¡¯re done.¡±


    Crazy a*sh*le. I swore at him in my mind and was about to leave by saying goodbye to Adrian, but someone held my wrist tightly and didn¡¯t let me go.


    ¡°My apologies, Your Highness, but I¡¯m not done yet. And it was me who talked to Marina. If you want to scold me for it, I¡¯m all ears. But please don¡¯t treat the lady I¡¯m interested in this way,¡± said Adrian with a smile.


    The Crown Prince¡¯s face became cold as ice. Ugh, I hope this doesn¡¯t brew up any trouble.


    ¡°Are you talking back to me?¡±


    ¡°I am just asking you as your only older cousin. As you may well know, I only want to show my good side to someone I¡¯m interested in. Please understand generously, Your Highness.¡±


    Adrian bowed politely, then grabbed my hand and quickly walked past the Crown Prince. Even I became dazed at such boldness as I thought, ¡®Whoa, look at him? That ill-tempered Crown Prince won¡¯t let him do this even if he¡¯s a cousin¡­ or does he let him?¡¯


    I frowned as my hand hurt from the way Adrian so tightly grabbed it, and he quickly loosened his grip and asked as he looked at me worryingly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did it hurt?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just a bit numb,¡± I replied reassuringly.


    However, Adrian was like a sad puppy and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Were your feelings hurt because of me?¡±


    I shook my hand to say no. That a*sh*le says worse things than that. There¡¯s no need for an apology for such words, so I replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize to me, Rian.¡±


    At my honest answer, Adrian smiled brightly and said, ¡°You called me Rian again.¡±


    I almost became mesmerized by that smile. Hey, Marina. Wake up. That is a delicious fruit inside a painting that you can¡¯t take!


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like me?¡±


    My eyes became larger out of astonishment at the words he had thrown at me disappointingly. Then I had to laugh as he continued, ¡°I want to be friends with you.¡±


    Honestly speaking, I thought with the slightest possibility that maybe Adrian was intrigued of me as a woman. But I guess he wasn¡¯t. There¡¯s no way that such a perfect man would like me. He just wanted to be friends. It¡¯s good that he broke my fantasy so that I don¡¯t expect too much.


    ¡°¡­A friend? Of course, Rian.¡±


    I was relieved to see him brighten up with my answer. Actually, I didn¡¯t want to see any man yet. He approached me with the intent of becoming friends, so it¡¯s all good. If I¡¯m friends with the successor of the Chancellor, then it can help my career and¡­ Oh, I¡¯m being a calculating person again. Rian only wanted to be a friend out of pure interest.


    ¡°Oh, then can I call you like how Chelleno does?¡± asked Adrian.


    ¡°Yeah. You can call me Marin!¡±


    ¡°Marin¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll take you back now.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Actually, it felt good to have more friends, as I only had three people who I could consider as ones. I hope they are doing well. Beth, Aria, and Mion. I suddenly miss them. Will I be able to see them again?


    ¡°Marin, what were you up to with my superior until now?¡±


    As I got back to the hall with Rian, Chelleno ran up to me and asked as if he was waiting.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± I answered playfully, and Chelleno frowned.


    ¡°Marin!¡± shouted Chelleno.


    ¡°Sir Chelleno, since when have you been so interested in Marin¡¯s personal life?¡± Rian asked with a smile as he wrapped his arm around Chelleno¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°W-wait! Sir, did you just say ¡®Marin?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we agreed on me calling her that way from now on. Isn¡¯t that right, Marin?¡±


    I nodded as his voice calmed me, and Rian smiled at Chelleno. They seemed quite close to each other. Chelleno¡¯s expression, however, seems to have hardened a bit. I guess I¡¯m overthinking it.


    Lumi found us and approached us. She was about to say something, then saw Rian beside us and bowed. Then, she pulled me towards her and said, ¡°Sister, we should get some fresh air by the terrace.¡±


    I nodded and left Rian and Chelleno¡¯s side.


    ***


    As we got out to the terrace, Lumi checked around the entrance to see if there was anyone around. Afterward, she said to me, ¡°Sister, oh my god. I didn¡¯t think he was the rumored Droinel! It¡¯s my first time seeing him.¡±


    What rumor? I looked at Lumi curiously, and she began to explain.


    ¡°He¡¯s famous for not having any kind of personal relationship with anyone other than his family and the other knights! Just look at his face! He¡¯s so unrealistically handsome! Besides, I heard countless girls wanted to stand beside him since he¡¯s the son of the Chancellor and all. Such mesmerizing handsomeness and the title of the future duchess. It¡¯s a seat envied by every central noble,¡± said Lumi belatedly.


    Then she whispered, ¡°Rumor says that he turns so cold as soon as a girl shows interest in him. He never showed interest toward a girl ever, so this must be¡­! I¡¯m so happy for you! It¡¯s going well between you two, right?¡±


    I was astonished by Lumi¡¯s words. This is a huge misunderstanding, so I clarified, ¡°Going well? We¡¯re just friends.¡±


    ¡°Friends? No way. Sister, what do you think of him, honestly?¡±


    What did I think of him? Hm¡­ Handsome? Splendidly handsome? And also, he reminds me of my first love that I gave up a long time ago. Such a splendid face is very rare. The only one who I can think of that can be compared is the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Honestly¡­ he¡¯s handsome,¡± I answered, and Lumi seemed glad.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I agree if it¡¯s him! He¡¯s perfect! Handsome and also from a prestigious family! It will be even more perfect since there¡¯s no chance he will ever cheat on you!¡±

 CH 61

    I couldn¡¯t help but nod at those words. Perfect. Yes, he sure is too perfect, and there¡¯s no way such a man would like me. I lacked so much in comparison. Besides, his friend already friend-zoned me, so how could I even dream about it?


    ¡°Sister! Just try it, okay? You have to promise me!¡±


    On the inside, I felt bitter because of Lumi¡¯s words.


    ***


    I came back to the party with Lumi, but it was strangely quiet. Huh? Why is the Crown Prince standing there? And is that Elise? She seems oddly pale. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on the noblest man at this party and his fianc¨¦e. What the heck is going on here? While I was looking at them curiously, a magnificent yet cold voice came out of him.


    ¡°For that reason, I announce the end of my engagement with Elise von Schuteiner,¡± said the Crown Prince.


    You¡­ What? I looked at him in shock and disbelief then slowly blanked out. I can¡¯t believe this. Did those words just come from the Crown Prince himself? While I was in shock, I heard some whispers around me.


    ¡°Did he just say she¡¯s promiscuous and loose?¡±


    ¡°Poor thing, to have to listen to such words! That lovely lady must feel hurt by this!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just friendly, not promiscuous! But perhaps His Highness thought differently. Tsk tsk.¡±


    I was in a daze because of the whispers from the noble ladies. Then I remembered a few words that I heard before as I heard the words promiscuous and loose. It was the words that one of Elise¡¯s dogs Hillain had told me.


    Wait¡­ No, no way. Why would the Crown Prince react to words someone told me? He would actually be glad and throw such words at me!


    While thinking that, I felt like my eyes met with the Crown Prince¡¯s purple eyes. But there¡¯s no way he could find me among all these people! It must have been my mistake. This delusion was almost like an illness now.


    ***


    And that ended the party. I felt numb by the time I returned home. Then I wondered, ¡®What happened today?¡¯


    So, I danced with the Crown Prince, and he announced the end of his engagement. I also became friends with Rian, the only son of the Chancellor, and he attacked Hillain, one of Elise¡¯s close followers.


    ¡°So many things happened today,¡± commented Lumi. I agree with her. It was difficult to believe that all of this happened in just one day. Then, Lumi added, ¡°But I feel great because of what happened to that girl from Schuteiner¡¯s.¡±


    Yes, it did feel good at that moment when the Crown Prince announced that he was ending his engagement with Elise. But I honestly didn¡¯t want that much to happen. I did hope she would become as unfortunate as I was, but this didn¡¯t feel that great either. Maybe she might direct her misfortune towards me now.


    This is why being paranoid is a scary thing. I¡¯m now free from being bullied, and I have trusty allies at my side. Still, I¡¯m being wary of her bullying.


    ¡°Sister?¡±


    I was surprised by my name being suddenly called and turned to Lumi. She looked at me with concern in her green eyes and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, I just had a lot to reflect on,¡± I replied as I nodded to her.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose so. There were a lot of things that happened that revolved around you today. But you really did look good with Prince Droinel,¡± said Lumi.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Rian and I are just-¡±


    ¡°LOOK! He allowed you to not just call him by name but by his second name. It¡¯s proof that he¡¯s in love with you!¡±


    Then it came to me. He revealed his second name, which was only given to the master of the duke¡¯s family, his wife, and his successor. Why did he do that? Hmph¡­

 CH 62

    ¡°Well, I guess he just wanted to become friends,¡± I said as I brushed it off.


    ¡°Gosh! Stop denying it!¡±


    Perhaps I was rejecting her words, but they did bewilder me too. ¡®Does he really?¡¯ I wondered. But that thought soon dissipated. There¡¯s no way Rian would have feelings for me. He said he wanted to be friends. Besides, I¡¯m lacking not only in my family but with my appearance and everything else. I¡¯m definitely out of his league, so there¡¯s no way that he, who lacks nothing, would like me.


    ¡°Stop that nonsense and go to sleep,¡± I replied as I brushed her words away again.


    Lumi sighed and hugged me as she said, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re a great person. You can be confident in yourself. Don¡¯t talk down on yourself so much. It¡¯s not like you.¡±


    That touched my heart. But was I ever confident about how I looked? I may have when I was really young. Or not. Mother always told me that I was ¡°lacking as a daughter,¡± so that was always in my mind.


    Kyles sometimes told me that I was pretty, but he also added all the time, ¡°There are countless girls who are as pretty as you. You¡¯re lucky that you have me.¡±


    Was it because my closest acquaintance told me such words? Compliments about my looks never felt relatable. Whenever I heard such compliments, I always felt like I was wearing the wrong clothes and made me look like a clown. I just thought it was only a compliment made out of courtesy.


    ¡°Good night, Marin.¡±


    Yeah, I should get some sleep. Today was a very tiring day.


    ***


    My precious weekend passed by in an instant. As always, Monday, the beginning of the workweek, came back. As I entered the now familiar door of the Operations department, every officer looked at me like zombies. It is a known fact that the God from the sky had driven the demon god from this land, and all the undead went extinct after the Age of Light, which came after the Holy Kingdom defeated the darkness. But it almost seemed like the undead had come back to life.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Good¡­ mor¡­ ning¡­¡±


    I started the day with an energetic greeting, but what came back was a dying voice. Yeah, it is the start of a week, which is harsh for everyone. I totally understand.


    ¡°Good morning, Marina!¡±


    However, there was one person who was still as energetic as ever. It was Rave. Who would think that a childish man like him was the successor of that Minister of Defense strong but silent Duke of Harsen? Even when his brother was attacked, he was the same as ever.


    ¡°You¡¯re as pretty as always,¡± said Rave.


    His unchanging flirting made me sigh. Ugh, there he goes again! I replied, ¡°That¡¯s enough. So, how¡¯s your brother?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he got better after getting treated at the temple. But we couldn¡¯t find the attacker,¡± said Rave as his eyes turned cold. I still can¡¯t get used to him getting all serious like that.


    ¡°What will you do if you find the attacker?¡±


    In response to my question, Rave answered coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll pay them back with interest.¡±


    I swallowed with an empty throat at his unusual expression. I knew who the attacker was, but I wasn¡¯t ever going to tell him because I hate his brother Hillain! Every time I came across that man, I was angry. How could I like a man who is hostile even when there was no reason to be?


    Besides, I now consider Adrian a friend. How could I not like a handsome man, a great person to talk to, and who gave me expensive and precious tea without any hesitation? Even if I didn¡¯t consider that, it¡¯s obvious that I would side with Rian if the choice were between a man who had been hostile towards me from the beginning to a man who has always been friendly from the start.

 CH 63

    ¡°I see,¡± I replied, pretending not to know anything.


    Rave then eased his expression and grinned, ¡°Anyway, Marina, you look more beautiful today. Has something changed?¡±


    ¡°Stop it, alright?¡±


    He¡¯s going at it again. Isn¡¯t he tired of saying ¡°beautiful¡± every time? Honestly, those kinds of compliments don¡¯t mean anything to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. You¡¯re really beautiful. Shouldn¡¯t you realize by now your own beauty? You, beautiful red flower-like lady?¡±


    Those sly words and the way he compared me to a flower got on my nerves. I responded with my disgust using silence, but Rave continued to linger around me with a grin.


    ¡°So, do you want to go see a concert with me if you have time?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I refused.


    ¡°How about a salon? Build a friendship between coworkers,¡± Rave asked again.


    What¡¯s up with him? I felt even more unpleasant because of Rave, who was unusually lingering more by my desk. I¡¯m already tired.


    ¡°Sir, work hours will be starting soon.¡±


    ¡°We still have 10 minutes. My only happiness in this boring government official life is watching my assistant¡¯s flower-like beautiful face!¡±


    That angered me. I didn¡¯t like how he was comparing me to nonsense and flirting like that. Besides, why was he comparing me to a flower? I¡¯m not a flower, which is weak, fragile, and needs protection!


    ¡°No, thank you. Now, I need to start my work¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? Who made you do all these piles of work? Who was it?¡±


    Rave pointed it out as he exaggerated his reaction, and I realized that I did have more work on my desk than him. However, I was his subordinate, so it was understandable. It was natural for lower-ranked officials to have more things to look over. Besides, I had documents that were brought not only by my assistants but also from Rave, who was my superior, to look it over. It¡¯s no wonder why there were so many.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s Monday. I guess work has piled up.¡±


    Rave frowned at my casualness, then smiled, ¡°Alrighty then. You go ahead. I won¡¯t waste any more of your time.¡±


    Huh? Is he giving up already? Well, he¡¯s always like that, so I guess there¡¯s no surprise in that.


    ¡°Secretary Harrant! Would you come here for a second?¡±


    That¡¯s when the Assistant Director Viscount Raymont called me over, and I walked over to him. He handed a report to me and said, ¡°This is a document that needs approval from the Central Knights, as it is related to the protection of His Majesty. But the captain of the Central Knights is famous for being picky. I heard that Marquis Reclan is your uncle.¡±


    Oh, so you mean I should ask my uncle for approval. But my uncle, the epitome of a stubborn knight, would never approve of it just because I was his niece. I also didn¡¯t like the idea of this either.


    As such, I spoke my honest thoughts to Viscount Raymont, ¡°My uncle will not go easy on it even if his niece asks him. But can I take a look at the document for a second, Assistant Director?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Here it is.¡±


    The document was about downsizing the number of knights within the palace to focus on the national defense. The military proposed this. However, this was absurd. It might seem useless because it was a time of peace, but the military force within the palace is needed to ensure the safety of the Emperor and is necessary. What did they intend by proposing such nonsense?


    Of course, government officials of Internal Affairs might think this was the best way not to waste any manpower or budget, as we always think about efficiency. But this proposal was going to hurt the backbone of the empire.


    ¡°He will never approve this. You must reject this proposal.¡±


    He always complained that they weren¡¯t getting enough men at the Central Knights, so there¡¯s no chance he would approve this. I also wouldn¡¯t approve of this. What the heck were these people in the military thinking?

 CH 64

    ¡°Alright, then. I have to send this proposal back to the Ministry of Defense. Will you do that for me?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ***


    I was walking toward the military compound when I heard a voice excitedly calling me, ¡°Marin, where are you off to?¡±


    I turned and saw Rian with his yet again gorgeous and wonderful face as he smiled at me. He sure has the perfect face. It¡¯s to the point where I, as a woman, feel like I lost to him in terms of beauty.


    ¡°I have something for the Ministry of Defense,¡± I replied as I suppressed my feelings of defeat.


    I can try as much as I can, but I won¡¯t catch up to him as he is in a different world. He¡¯s the only son of the Chancellor, has a phenomenally handsome appearance, and is a skilled Royal Guard. I considered myself an elite as I was appointed as a policy officer right off the bat, but I still felt like I lost against this perfect human being.


    ¡°Oh, I see. I had business at the ministry as well. Shall we go together then?¡± asked Rian.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Then I walked to the military compound with him. It was located in the far right corner of Internal Affairs, so we had to walk for a while.


    ¡°Marin.¡±


    I turned to Rian as his smooth voice called me all of a sudden. He was wearing a faint smile as he asked, ¡°So, when will I get to play a game of chess?¡±


    I thought about his question. I wanted to take a rest Friday evening. If that is so¡­


    ¡°How about Thursday?¡±


    With that, his phenomenal face wore a fitting smile as he replied, ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    Does he want to learn chess that badly? I don¡¯t quite understand him, but I don¡¯t dislike him nonetheless. Honestly, I¡¯m just fascinated by how such a perfect man is approaching me, even as a friend. I suddenly became depressed. I just felt that I was nothing compared to him.


    Then I remembered what Lumi had said before, ¡°Rumor says that he turns cold as soon as a girl shows interest in him.¡±


    But that interest probably meant in a romantic sense. Well, Rian is a charming man. I should be careful, so I don¡¯t lose my newly-found friend.


    ***


    We arrived at the military compound. As the door opened, everyone, who was working inside, turned and fixed their gaze on us. It was probably because Rian was way too handsome. Yeah, even men would consider him very good-looking.


    Unlike Internal Affairs, there weren¡¯t a lot of staff members here. I heard that higher-ranking officials do all their work here¡­


    ¡°What brings you here, ma¡¯am?¡± the military official politely asked us as he approached.


    I spoke to explain my business here, ¡°I¡¯m an officer from the Operations Department of Internal Affairs. I came here to reject the proposal that your ministry proposed.¡±


    ¡°I see. Of course. I will send the message to my supervisor. What is your name, by the way-¡±


    ¡°I also have business here myself,¡± said Rian, cutting off the military official who asked for my name with a bright smile.


    ¡°OH! Please excuse me. You¡¯re a knight from the Central Knights,¡± said the government official. Mesmerized, he looked at Rian, then blushed.


    I almost laughed. Hmph¡­ Yeah, well. I learned that it was foolish to feel defeated by that man. After all, he¡¯s in a completely different league.


    ***


    When I returned to my office, it seemed everyone was busy. I turned to my desk, trying to make up for the wasted time. However, it felt like my workload had somehow decreased. Actually, it wasn¡¯t just a feeling. I certainly had fewer documents on my desk.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re back, my assistant,¡± I heard Rave¡¯s annoying and talkative voice and turned to his desk. And my god, there were piles of documents on his desk.


    ¡°First Secretary Harsen? What is¡­ that?¡±

 CH 65

    I asked him for an answer, and an energetic voice replied, ¡°Earlier, I noticed that my documents were on your desk.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I had to laugh. So, you means those documents sent to me were yours? But that seemed as though¡­


    ¡°Well, get back to work! We don¡¯t have all day!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I answered as he urged me to go back to work. I glanced at him on my way back and saw Rave wearing a satisfied smile on his face as he was organizing documents.


    ¡®Does he love working on documents or something? What a weirdo,¡¯ I thought.


    ***


    After a long time, it was finally time to go home.


    ¡°Good work today, assistant. How about we go on a date now?¡±


    Rave, who looked a bit drowsy and fatigued, tried to flirt with me. Wow, he was so energetic in the morning and now look at him. I realized again that Monday could be harsh even for a man like him. But of course, he had to do all those documents all by himself, so he obviously was tired. Actually, all officials would only work, looking forward to the weekends.


    ¡°Ugh, alright. How about some tea?¡±


    Rave seemed shocked by me accepting his offer and looked with his enlarged eyes at me. Then he asked me with a dumb look on his face, ¡°Er, I need to ask this because I need to know if I¡¯m not dreaming. Will you have a dance with me? I think I¡¯ll know if this is a dream or not if I get stepped on by your atrocious footsteps.¡±


    Oh, that fool. I can¡¯t like whatever words he throws at me, so I snapped, ¡°Forget it then.¡±


    ¡°N-no! Where do you want to go? Eh? A salon by the downtown area? Or you can come over to my place¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a drawing room at the palace,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Yeah, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Rave seemed quite excited and began walking toward the drawing room. I watched him from behind him. He had no flaws when I looked at him from the back. With broad shoulders, his height, and¡­ Well, he wouldn¡¯t have any flaws in the front if only he didn¡¯t speak. But, hmmm? His neck above his shirt was red. Is he hot or something? What is with him? He sure is weird. It has become quite chilly lately.


    ***


    ¡°Please sit, my assistant,¡± said Rave as he pulled the chair for me, a befitting action for the famous playboy of Internal Affairs.


    As I sat on the chair, he sat across from me and began grinning. I was confused by his foolish-looking grin, then asked the servant maid for tea. Shortly after, our tea was served, but Rave¡¯s gaze was fixated on my face.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re pretty,¡± said Rave.


    He¡¯s spitting nonsense again to flirt with me. There are so few days when he¡¯s ever serious. I told him, ¡°Stop the nonsense and speak out.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    His eyes grew wide, and I took a sip of the tea. It was a bit bitter. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because you had a favor to ask that you did some of my work?¡±


    In response to my words pinpointing his behavior from earlier, Rave¡¯s expression froze. Then he replied, ¡°You misunderstood me. I didn¡¯t want anything in return.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you do it?¡±


    He became silent at my question. He was looking at me with a bit of disapproval.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said, telling him what I was thinking. Rave then made a very unusual, serious expression on his face and gazed at me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand. I was just doing what I wanted to do.¡±


    That made it even harder for me to understand him. ¡®Why does he give when he wants nothing in return?¡¯


    Even when I was sacrificing myself for Kyles, I was hoping for a reward in return for how much I had done for him. I¡¯m confident it is the same for most people. Even a family member, let alone a lover, would want something in return when giving something.

 CH 66

    ¡°Then I will word it this way. I can¡¯t trust you,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Even if I say that working on documents is my hobby?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Do you think that even makes sense?¡±


    Rave made a small sigh. Then I saw him looking at me with his blue eyes. Watching him being serious like this without his usual childish ways made me realize why he was so famous for being a playboy. Rave, when he doesn¡¯t speak, is smooth and handsome.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get to the point then,¡± said Rave as he took something out of his pocket. He looked at me with a weird expression as he handed it over to me and said, ¡°Open it.¡±


    I opened the letter that was sealed with the seal of the Duke¡¯s. There was folded paper inside. I opened it to see¡­


    ¡°An invitation?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He was looking at me with a serious expression, then continued, ¡°It¡¯s an invitation to my birthday banquet. I want you to attend in return for my favor. I really want you to come.¡±


    Ugh, as if I even wanted that favor. I mean, I didn¡¯t have to work extra hours thanks to him. But I still am concerned as it was the Duke of Harsen we¡¯re talking about. Everyone knew that my uncle and Duke Harsen had a bad relationship. This meant that there was a chance that I had to go to that banquet all by myself.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I answered.


    However, I¡¯m different now. I¡¯m not a weak, worthless woman who had to run and cower away from Elise¡¯s hostility like before. I¡¯m a government official at Central and a soon-to-be central noble if I¡¯m given a title from His Majesty.


    I have no reason to cower anymore. She still is in a higher seat than I am, but I didn¡¯t have to cower in the presence of her followers, at least. I can go to Rave¡¯s birthday banquet with my back straight.


    ¡°Thank you. I mean it,¡± said Rave with a smile, which wasn¡¯t his usual light-hearted smile.


    It made me smile too. Honestly, I don¡¯t think I dislike him. He¡¯s nosy and always telling me what to do. Come to think of it. He took the responsibility of helping me adjust on my first day when he had no reason to. Also, he was friendly to me.


    ¡°We¡¯re coworkers. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Coworkers¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± mumbled Rave as he made a certain expression on his face. Then he grinned and added, ¡°So, you can trust me from now on, Marina. I¡¯m your coworker¡­ and your direct supervisor. I can help you if you need it.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    I also didn¡¯t feel displeased about him calling me by my first name. He sure was a trustworthy person as a coworker. Perhaps I can trust him a bit.


    ¡°Well then, how about we go watch a play-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ugh, I guess I can¡¯t trust him too much though. Flirting right after being so serious! But it didn¡¯t feel bad anyway. It was this day I confirmed that I have quite a trustworthy coworker.


    ***


    I already told my carriage to go home first since it might take a while to drink tea with Rave. As I was about to grab a paid carriage to go home, Rave stopped me and declared, ¡°I¡¯ll take you home with my carriage!¡±


    Huh? Isn¡¯t his home located in the opposite direction of the Reclan¡¯s? That sure is an inefficient offer.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s inefficient for you to do that. I¡¯ll just go home on a paid carriage-¡±


    ¡°Marin.¡±


    That¡¯s when a clear and cool-sounding voice interrupted my words by calling my name. I turned and saw my friend, who was as beautiful as his voice, looking at me.


    ¡°Rian! Good evening.¡±


    ¡°Are you going home? But your carriage¡­¡±

 CH 67

    ¡°Oh, I sent it away because I had to discuss something with my superior here. I was about to grab a paid carriage,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then may I-¡±


    ¡°No, Marina will go home on my family¡¯s carriage.¡±


    It was Rave who interrupted Rian as he grabbed my wrist. Hey, you surprised me. That¡¯s when I heard a voice coldly say, ¡°That¡¯s what you wish, Rave Graciel von Harsen. Shouldn¡¯t you consider her opinion first?¡±


    Whoa¡­ I¡¯ve never seen such coldness from Rian ever since I met him. His gaze was fixated on my wrist, where Rave¡¯s hand was grabbing.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. This is between me and Marina, Droinel Adrian von Siccain.¡±


    Rave, too, glared at Rian with a similar fierceness in his eyes. Oh gosh, what¡¯s up with the sudden argument in front of the palace? We might get into trouble at this rate. I hated such fuss. Also, why is Rave picking a fight with a Royal Guard of the Central Knights when he can¡¯t even fight?


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ll just grab a paid carriage-¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t,¡± declared Rian.


    ¡°No,¡± said Rave.


    I just said that to stop their argument, and they responded to me at the same time. They were still glaring at each other. Honestly, they were both acting weird. Wait¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that they were fighting for their pride.


    ¡°Huh? Marin! What¡¯re you doing here?¡±


    At that moment, I heard an energetic voice calling me and turned. It was Chelleno, walking up to me. I asked, ¡°Chelleno! Didn¡¯t you go home yet?¡±


    He proved his usefulness in this situation! I lucked out, hahaha! Then, I announced, ¡°Well, First Assistant and Rian, I¡¯ll be going back home with Chelleno.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Okay,¡± said Rave.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ Of course, Marin,¡± said Rian.


    The two of them reacted differently. Rave seemed frustrated, while Rian let out a short sigh and returned back to his usual self.


    What a relief. It could¡¯ve been a fight between two duke families. I have no idea why those two men were so worked up, but it seems they don¡¯t like each other too much. It¡¯s a shame that my friend and my superior dislike each other, but it doesn¡¯t concern me.


    ¡°Hahaha! Then if you¡¯ll excuse me, sir, I¡¯ll return home with my Marin,¡± said Chelleno, who had a victorious look. But then he became pale with his gaze looking toward my back. I turned and saw Rave and Rian waving their hands at me.


    What did Chelleno see anyway? I was a bit curious but quickly brushed it away because I wouldn¡¯t find out anyway. I¡¯ll never know until he tells me about it. After being sent off by two proud men, I returned to my uncle¡¯s mansion with my cousin.


    ***


    A few days later, Rave came over to me as soon as I arrived at work and handed me another invitation. Confused, I asked, ¡°Huh? What is this?¡±


    ¡°You should go with Lady Illumina this weekend. You¡¯ll be bored if you go alone, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Gosh, is this why he¡¯s such a playboy? He understands a person¡¯s mind so well.


    ¡°It¡¯s this Saturday! Don¡¯t you forget about it!¡± added Rave.


    ¡°Yeah, of course, ¡±I responded energetically to his satisfaction. Rave then returned to his seat with strange and delightful footsteps. I didn¡¯t think he would realize I would be alone at the banquet. He sure is keen on these things. But thanks to that, I think I can enjoy the party with Lumi.


    As I was pleasantly going over the documents, I heard Vice Deputy Raymont calling me, ¡°Secretary Harrant, can you come over here for a second?¡±


    I was still buried with a pile of work even after working so hard. I sighed and walked over to him as I thought, ¡®I already have loads of work. You still have more for me?¡¯


    ¡°Did you call, sir?¡± I asked him, putting my complaints into words.


    He apologetically answered, ¡°His Highness has appointed you to report to him once again. I think he really likes your answers. It¡¯s a drought preparation policy proposal for the upcoming drought season. Here¡¯s the document for you to bring over to him.¡±


    Damn it. So, you mean he wants me because I¡¯m the easiest to bully?

 CH 68

    He apologetically answered, ¡°His Highness has appointed you to report to him once again. I think he really likes your answers. It¡¯s a drought preparation policy proposal for the upcoming drought season. Here¡¯s the document for you to bring over to him.¡±


    Damn it. So, you mean he wants me because I¡¯m the easiest to bully?


    ***


    ¡°Your Highness, I heard you¡¯ve called for me.¡±


    The nutjob greeted me the moment I walked into his office, ¡°Yes. Did you bring the drought preparation proposal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± I answered.


    He browsed over the proposal then made a reluctant nod. It seemed to have no flaws, as it was reviewed and approved by Vice Deputy Raymont. Then the Crown Prince said, ¡°We sure need embankments. That will also help us in flooding.¡±


    Adding to his words, I commented, ¡°It has been found that we have about 60 embankments at the moment. Our estates total up to 300, including those on the outskirts. We are very lacking in the number of embankments even with the estates in close proximity. We are proposing to double the number of embankments as such.¡±


    ¡°And the location to put the embankments?¡±


    ¡°We are still reviewing that. We will pick out locations and bring it up to you for your review, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I see. Good work,¡± he answered.


    Actually, I was honestly surprised to hear him praise me so easily. It was the first time I heard that from him. I was so surprised that I just stood there blinking without realizing it, and he made a faint smile. I was mesmerized by that smile until I heard a calm voice.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a walk? I have something to show you.¡±


    Why is that nutjob acting so weird today? He sure is unpredictable. Usually, he wants to eat me alive so badly but look at him now.


    ¡°Y-Your Highness? Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Just stay quiet and follow me,¡± replied the Crown Prince.


    Even though I¡¯m not the lowest ranking staff member, I¡¯m only a mere official, so how could I disobey him? I have to obey if he wants me to.


    ***


    I followed him, and we ended up deep into the Imperial Palace. The palace was north of the center where the bedroom of His Majesty the Emperor and the now-deceased Empress was located. It was off-limits to a mere official like me, but here I was. I suddenly realized the authority of the Crown Prince.


    No one blocked us as I walked with the Crown Prince. We walked past the gates that were heavily guarded by guards as if it was nothing. Soon, as we walked in, I saw the Palace of the Moon. It seemed it was being well taken care of even after its owner, the Empress, was gone. But why did he take me here? I was becoming very curious when the Crown Prince suddenly turned to look at me. It took me by surprise.


    ¡°Come this way.¡±


    He then lent me his hand. I hesitated to take it, so he grabbed my hand. The Crown Prince then walked straight into the building. This is very confusing. I avoided eye contact without realizing it but then became surprised by the sudden change in scenery and almost dropped the proposal he approved.


    At first, I thought it was an ordinary building. However, sunlight shone through the glass roof above, and inside was filled with plants and trees. This was¡­ a garden. A large amount of money was invested in this beautiful garden.


    It was a scene that I dreamed of. No, I couldn¡¯t even dream of this. Various flowers and trees that I couldn¡¯t even think of getting because of their price were everywhere. I even saw rare flowers that could only be found on foreign soil. Even though my family became rich, I still couldn¡¯t dare to afford them. There were flowers that cost 1000 gold per flower among those. I never thought I could see the rare flower that is only said to blossom on snowy mountain peaks in the north in real life. I had only seen a drawing of it in a book.

 CH 69

    ¡°Do you like this place?¡± the Crown Prince asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± and I answered wholeheartedly. This place was like a wonderland for all gardeners.


    No, even if it wasn¡¯t for gardeners, anyone would be mesmerized by the beauty of this place. It was certain that this place was man-made. However, looking at the paradise-like garden, it was as though nature was moved into a small place and made me, who was mostly unimpressed by it, touched. It was so amazing to see a mere human replicating nature to such an extent.


    ¡®I wanted a garden like this too. A beautiful garden, filled with flowers that I love, healing and giving me rest,¡¯ I thought.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    I suddenly felt my voice fail me. Was this how it feels to be touched? Yeah, I can¡¯t even put it into words how grateful I was feeling. But I still thought I had to put praise into words out of respect that it deserved. As such, I barely got my voice to speak out the words, ¡°So¡­ beautiful.¡±


    Tears dropped from my eyes from such astonishment. I was so impressed that this beautiful and wonderful place was a man-made garden. Then I felt like I, a person with so much guilt, was somehow given relief in such a paradise-like place. Oh, how I wanted time to stop. It felt burdening to go back to reality, but it also felt like I could thank my life for having the opportunity to look at this paradise-like place at least once.


    The Crown Prince is a nutjob. But I feel like I can ease the intensity of what I call him just because he has shown me such a beautiful place. Yeah, I should say thanks to him.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ you?¡± But before I could finish my thanks, his long finger touched my cheek where tears fell.


    ¡®What the?¡¯


    I froze because of his unexpected action. His face then slowly lowered towards mine. I took a deep breath. His face got so close that I could now feel him breathing. I would have reacted immediately if this was usual for me. But I couldn¡¯t move because of his purple eyes gazing at me.


    I stood there, frozen, only blinking slowly. If I didn¡¯t I felt like I was going to be seduced by those eyes. Do demons that seduce humans have such an eye color? It was the color purple, which is said to only appear in the royal family. They were so beautiful that they brought chills to me. Am I breathing right now? There was only us here. His face came closer, and I felt like my heart would come to a stop.


    If he was a real demon, a demon who lured me with paradise as bait, maybe it might be easier to just have him seduce me because I find it really hard to even breathe. I couldn¡¯t even blink anymore. I was held captive by his eyes. A bit of fright and slight excitement coexisted within me.


    If he were to come closer, and maybe. Perhaps, if he kisses me, then I would be seduced. However, his face didn¡¯t come any closer to my face. Instead, it moved over to my ears. The handsome nutjob, without much action, just teased me as if he was making fun of me for freezing up.


    ¡°You¡¯re ugly when you cry.¡±


    ¡®Ugly¡­? Yeah. Heck, I know I¡¯m ugly! You handsome nutjob!¡¯


    Yeah, maybe he showed me this garden to bring me to my most delighted state, just so that he can make me feel the most miserable afterward. I was a fool to think about thanking him and expecting something normal from that nutjob! AARGH!

 CH 70

    I was stupid for the second time in my 18 years of living and unable to do anything out of shock. The Crown Prince opened his mouth again, seeming to have more rude words to throw at me, ¡°But.¡±


    I was readying myself for whatever mean words he was about to hurl at me. Yeah, I¡¯m ugly, you good-looking a*sh*le. While I was thinking, I heard his voice.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re ugly.¡±


    I was bewildered by this. It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m ugly? Then I felt like my heart was going to stop as he continued, ¡°What¡¯s important isn¡¯t the face. It¡¯s the nature of it that matters.¡±


    What¡¯s important isn¡¯t the face. I felt strange. Why did the unpleasantness that I felt suddenly lift away as soon as I heard that? I know it wasn¡¯t a compliment, but it didn¡¯t feel bad at all. Actually, it felt like he recognized me for the way I was. It felt like he was telling me that even though I look like this on the outside, I was useful because of what was on the inside.


    My heart raced and became delighted. Then I heard his voice once more in my excitement, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t need anything else.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t need anything else? My heart churned. I felt like I would jump around in excitement.


    ¡°¡­You just need to keep your promise.¡±


    I sighed and felt my bubble popping. What nonsense was I thinking just now? Ugh, I want to hide in a rat hole if I can. Damn it, I knew it! I was a fool! He¡¯s handsome, but he¡¯s still crazy! He even refused the most beautiful girl Elise, so why would he do that to me? I was screaming in embarrassment in my mind when I heard the nutjob¡¯s voice again.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t keep your promise, then I will destroy this place without mercy.¡±


    I had to question if what I had heard was correct, ¡®W-what did you say? Y-You beast!¡¯


    That¡¯s right. This was all part of his highly calculated scheme. This handsome nutjob had studied how to bully me so that I would truly suffer. I should¡¯ve known when he was acting out of the ordinary. He was trying to stab my back when I least expected it. This was the first time someone had threatened me like this¡­ I was frustrated because this was a method that I had never thought of or heard of.


    ¡°And by promise, you mean¡­?¡±


    I asked him just in case. He frowned and answered with an unpleasant expression, ¡°¡­That.¡±


    Yeah, well. I knew it already as I was just asking him about it just in case. From his response, he wasn¡¯t being direct about the subject, so I could confirm my suspicion was correct. It was about the damn doll. It seems that the doll lover had grown anxious. Of course, he is! He must have grown nauseous waiting, as he must have been excited to add a new doll to his collection!


    Ah, but I still can¡¯t forget the astonishment I felt when I first saw the garden with my own eyes. I think I can do anything for this garden since I have laid my eyes on it now. To me, this place was like a treasure of humanity that should never be destroyed. Ugh, he¡¯s got my weakness now.


    ¡°Yes, I will do my best to craft it,¡± I answered.


    Oh, how unlucky I am. I was placed in such a miserable situation because I offered this crazy a*sh*le a doll. But it was strange. Why was my heart still pounding? Hmm, maybe it was because of the garden. I concluded my thought and bid him farewell.


    ¡®It¡¯s a shame.¡¯ A sudden thought came over me, and I was surprised by it. Then I realized. Yeah, I am just feeling ashamed of having to leave this beautiful garden behind, not being able to look at it further.


    I turned around to have another look at the garden. The Crown Prince was standing there with his eyes closed as if he was tired. He looked so holy that he even looked like a god living in paradise. I had to take my eyes off the sight that made me want to glue my gaze on it. Dissatisfied, I then moved my footsteps toward my office.

 CH 71

    The day of the battle of policies moved very busily. It was a busy day starting with the Crown Prince. ¡®Ugh, I should never think about him again. It¡¯s embarrassing!¡¯


    I intentionally worked harder to forget about my shameful mind racing over the Crown Prince. Soon, it was time to go, so I quickly packed. Today was the day I promised Rian.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be off then,¡± I said as I hastily left the office. I was a bit delighted somehow. As I came out of the building, I saw Rian waiting. ¡®Oh, so that¡¯s how he usually is,¡¯ I thought to myself, looking at him standing there with a distant expression.


    That distant look made it difficult for me to approach him until he looked up and found me. Then he made a bright smile, waved his hand at me, and called, ¡°Marin!¡±


    Ah, all that just gives me a sense of false hope. I¡¯m certain that he has no other feelings for me. I should forget about being hopeful from now on. I would be so ashamed if I ever became as worked up as I was with the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Hello, Rian. How have you been for the past few days?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°It was good, thanks to you. Shall we go then?¡±


    My heart was touched by his kind voice. Hahaha, I¡¯m still a woman, after all, reacting like this to such a handsome man.


    The Chancellor¡¯s mansion, which I visited a while ago, retained its elegant and graceful beauty. It almost resembled the family that owns it, the father, the Chancellor, the beautiful mother, and Rian. It was so perfect.


    How about my family in that regard? Hahaha, Harris and I are already lacking, let alone my parents. But unlike me, Harris has a cute look to him. He resembles my father a lot, a weak scholarly type of man, and has that lovely face.


    As for me, I resemble my mother, but I didn¡¯t get her pretty features, so I was completely different from the noble and prestigious beauty that my mother has. My expression is cold and even merciless in some way that I become depressed whenever I look into a mirror. I was always discouraged about it. If I had my mother¡¯s features, I would not have felt so lost to my friend Rian like this.


    ¡°My, my! Welcome, Lady Harrant,¡± said the Duchess as she saw me walking into the mansion. But why was she out here in the hall?¡±


    ¡°Good evening, my lady. It has been a while. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°It was good. I¡¯m so glad to see you again like this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your warm welcome.¡±


    It was a sudden welcome, but I did expect it as I was visiting a duke¡¯s home. I didn¡¯t show her my surprise and calmly responded to her. The Duchess then grabbed my hand and commented, ¡°You should come more often. I like you very much, alright?¡±


    Hahaha, it sure was awkward, but I didn¡¯t let my thoughts show and smiled brightly, ¡°I¡¯m so honored to be considered so highly by a lady I admire.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how lovely you are. Well, go on then.¡±


    How can she find anything lovely about me? Her eyesight must be different as well. I bowed to her and went over to the drawing room with Rian.


    ¡°Marin, I prepared something good for you today,¡± said Rian.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, then looked down at the tea table. Wow. A feast filled with sweets!


    ¡°Please sit.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of it and sit down at his offer. Whoa, they look so good.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± added Rian.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate and took a bite of a delicious-looking cake. Then I let out my astonishment, ¡°It¡¯s so good¡­!¡±


    Rian smiled, putting his chin above his hand.


    ¡°You should try it too, Rian,¡± I offered to him, but he gave me a troubled smile. Huh? What is it? I became curious.


    Then, he calmly replied, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really like sweets. To be honest, I hate them.¡±

 CH 72

    Huh? You don¡¯t like these delicious foods? Anyway, it sure is a surprise. I didn¡¯t think Rian had something he didn¡¯t like. It somehow made me feel warm. It was as if I found a weakness in a man who I thought was perfect.


    ¡°But still. Try at least once,¡± I spoke with a grin, and he became even more troubled. Then I picked up a cookie, pushed toward his face, and added, ¡°It¡¯s really good. It¡¯s not that sweet.¡±


    Actually, I wanted to tease him a bit. Although it wasn¡¯t his intention, he did give me an inferiority complex after all. Because of my revenge, he somehow frowned and stared at it for a while. ¡®Did I tease him too much?¡¯ I thought and became sheepish. Then, as I tried to bring my hand back, he lowered his head, took the cookie, and put it into his mouth.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s sweet.¡±


    I froze in response to his quiet words, which sounded like a rant. Then I laughed as he frowned, ¡°Hahaha. Rian, you look like¡­¡±


    For a moment, he looked like Adrian and not the perfect Sir Droinel. Or maybe it was me who wasn¡¯t looking at what was inside of him, overshadowed by his looks. Look, his ears became red, embarrassed for showing his weak side. He, too, is human on the inside, just like me. It doesn¡¯t matter how he looks on the outside like what the Crown Prince said.


    ¡°Marin, stop laughing.¡±


    That made me laugh even more. I was a bit glad I learned this about him today. I was worried that I lacked too much to be his friend.


    Rian looked at me laughing, then made his usual bright grin and said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s okay. There¡¯s only me here¡­¡±


    I laughed again as he spoke to himself. Hahaha. Is he saying it doesn¡¯t matter because no one saw me laughing at him? He sure is a funny guy.


    ¡°Marin, what are you doing on the weekends?¡±


    He asked me this while we were playing chess, and I gave him an honest answer, ¡°I was invited by Secretary Harsen to his party.¡±


    Rian¡¯s expression turned a bit cold at my words. Although his mouth was still smiling, his eyes weren¡¯t. Was he always on bad terms with Rave? I never heard anything like that, though. I looked into their relationship after that incident by the gate, but they had no connection at all. So then, why do they hate each other so much?


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± asked Rian.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Who are you going with?¡±


    He was looking at me with a dark expression. Is he worried about me? Then, I answered, ¡°I¡¯m taking my cousin Illumina.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a relief.¡±


    He then laughed at my confusion. I had no idea what was up with him. Well, Lumi is great when it comes to talking. And like that, I spent my time at Rian¡¯s place playing chess and returned to the Reclan¡¯s before it got too late.


    ***


    I opened my eyes as soon as the sun went up. It was a frightening habit. Today was a day off, but I still woke up the same time I did for work anyway.


    ¡°Daisy, can you get me some water to wash my face?¡±


    I rang a bell to call Daisy, and she came in with water. I washed my face with it and saw my reflection on the water. I picked up the water with my hand, and the ripple distorted the reflection immediately. Then it seeped through my hands. Yeah, it is hollow just like this. There¡¯s no need to think much about it. Whether the reflection is ugly or beautiful, water is still water. The nature of it doesn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Who cares if it¡¯s not too pretty? What¡¯s important is the nature of it.¡±

 CH 73

    Speaking to myself like that made me feel a lot better. Yeah, I¡¯m still me. I just need to pull my chin up and live proudly. With that in mind, I figured my raised eyebrow wasn¡¯t all that bad after all, so let¡¯s enjoy the party later today.


    ***


    I busily prepared myself when it became noon and headed over to the House of Harsen with Lumi. After a bit of time, we were now close to the duke¡¯s estate. I saw it appear through the carriage window. Compared to the Chancellor¡¯s mansion, it wasn¡¯t lacking. While the home of the Siccains was elegant and noble, the Harsen estate was so grand to the point it hurt my eyes. Now, I found out why Rave had such taste in his clothing. Well, it was fortunate that he at least wore his officer uniform with a simpler style.


    ¡°Welcome, ma¡¯am. Can I please have a look at your invitation?¡± asked a servant who worked for the Harsens. I handed him the invitation, and he looked surprised. I tried to interpret the meaning behind his expression just now.


    ¡°Please, head in.¡±


    I walked through the gate with his guidance and heard a loud voice announcing our entrance, ¡°Illumina von Reclan of the House of Reclan and Internal Affairs Secretary Marina von Harrant of the House of Harrant are joining our party!¡±


    I looked around and realized the meaning behind that look. The attention we were receiving wasn¡¯t friendly. However, I expected as much. Elise was with her cronies in the hall. Unlike how they were at the House of Siccain, there was confidence in their expressions.


    ¡®Are they confident because this is their territory?¡¯ I wondered.


    I glared at them with disdain until I heard a voice welcoming us, ¡°Welcome, Lady Illumina and my dear assistant!¡±


    I noticed Rave was wearing some grand-looking clothing. Well, it looks great on him, actually. He looked like a ferocious predator with striking markings on him. I didn¡¯t know this when he was in uniform, but he looks really good with such eye-catching clothing.


    ¡°My, Viscount Harsen. You look wonderful today,¡± complimented Lumi.


    Rave burst into laughter, ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re also very beautiful. And of course¡­¡± Rave then stopped in the middle of his words, then grabbed my hand, kissed it, and added, ¡°You truly are gorgeous.¡±


    Hmph. And there he goes flirting again. Now, I don¡¯t really think much about it. To him, flirting with a woman was like breathing. I told him, ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    Rave revealed his perfect teeth and smiled. He seemed to be in a great mood as he replied, ¡°Thank you, Marina.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    As Rave fixated his gaze on me, I heard another familiar voice, ¡°Secretary Harrant! Good to see you here!¡±


    It was my other superior, Second Secretary Lynel with his boyish and cute appearance. I replied, ¡°Secretary Lynel. I knew you were coming too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Rave and I have a personal relationship,¡± answered Lynel.


    Then, Rave placed his arm around Lynel and smiled victoriously, ¡°You know, Cedric, here was actually my junior at the Central Academy.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    I looked at them and noticed Lynel looking at Rave unpleasantly. But the catch was that he still looked cute. He was like a male elf. Anyway, women were mesmerized by these two good-looking men. That¡¯s when Lumi loudly introduced herself.


    ¡°GOOD EVENING, SIR CEDRIC VON LYNEL!¡±


    ¡°O-oh, good evening, Lady Illumina von Reclan,¡± answered Lynel awkwardly.


    It was for sure he still found himself awkward around Lumi. She then walked over to Cedric and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Just call me Lumi, heh.¡±


    ¡°H-huh? N-no, I-¡± Lynel tried to reply, but Lumi interrupted him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be embarrassed!¡±


    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not that! Oh, I forgot I had business to attend to! Please have a great day, ladies.¡±


    Lumi seemed disappointed by his clear rejection. Then Rave told her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lady Illumina. There¡¯s a lot of men out there. Or do you want me to comfort you instead?¡±


    Even with his words that were either to comfort or to seduce her, Lumi had her head down with her shoulders shivering. Then a chilling voice came out from her, ¡°Kekeke¡­ He¡¯s so cute. He looks like a small embarrassed bird.¡±


    It sent chills down my spine. How could she speak like a perverted old man with that adorable little face! What¡¯s even scarier was that Lumi was still very doll-like even then. With her lovely face, she kept on mumbling, ¡°I will make that adorable man mine.¡±


    ¡°I will make that adorable man mine.¡±


    Hearing Lumi¡¯s words, Rave and I stood there astonished and looked at her. Then with a smile, Lumi, who was going to grab a drink, added, ¡°Sister, please excuse me for a minute.¡±


    With a shaky voice, Rave commented, ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I can ever make jokes to Lady Illumina from now on.¡±


    I looked at Rave with pity, and then the horn rang through the hall.


    ¡°The Crown Prince of the Great Genorium, His Highness Clyde Sieghart Urd Genorium is now joining us!¡±


    I froze on the spot, and so did Rave. Well, the imperial family were nobility, so they didn¡¯t need an invitation to join any party they wanted to go to. The Crown Prince slowly walked in, stepping on the carpet.


    Everyone around him watched him. I knew things would have been the same even if he wasn¡¯t a crown prince. He was beautiful enough to captivate anyone¡¯s gaze. Pitch dark black hair, with lazily-brought-up eyelids and the purple-colored eyes beneath them. The beautiful face that seemed to be carefully chiseled by an artisan- No, by a god himself. The Crown Prince was like a living masterpiece.

 CH 74

    ¡°Welcome, Your Highness,¡± greeted Rave, who had walked over to the Crown Prince first.


    The Crown Prince looked down on him unimpressed. He then looked at him for a long time before he spoke in a low voice, ¡°I hope you are having a wonderful birthday, Viscount Harsen.¡±


    ¡°It is an honor to have you here, Your Highness,¡± answered Rave.


    ¡°Do you truly mean that?¡±


    Nutjob. Why is he asking back like that?


    ¡°Of course, I am. How would I not be?¡±


    Rave responded flawlessly, but the Crown Prince remained emotionless as he looked down at him. Then he blurted out, ¡°It¡¯s good that you know your place.¡±


    To talk like that to the successor to the house of a duke. It¡¯s hard to understand, even if he¡¯s the crown prince. Rave, however, didn¡¯t even flinch and just kept his head down. The Crown Prince then scanned around the party with the same expression and stopped briefly in my direction, where I was looking at him secretly.


    I didn¡¯t even have to think, ¡®Maybe he¡¯s looking for me,¡¯ here. There was no way he could find me among all these people.


    ¡°Please continue with the party. I¡¯m here to be entertained, so I wish for all of you to enjoy the party as well.¡±


    And with that, the party resumed.


    ***


    Lumi¡¯s eyes sparkled as they fixated on Lynel. Her eyes were like that of a bird of prey, eyeing on its target. But she still drank even with her eyes on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, sister. I have to keep staring at him like this, so he learns about how I feel for him!¡±


    I think he¡¯ll just think you¡¯re a frightening being, my beautiful doll-like cousin. Then I asked her, ¡°What part of Cedric makes you like him so much?¡±


    ¡°Well, you might not know this, but he¡¯s¡­ not an ordinary man! I don¡¯t know why he has such magical powers, but I think I can figure it out. We aren¡¯t in a fantasy world.¡±


    Magical powers? Does she mean that he has some kind of magical ability to charm others? And what does she mean that he¡¯s not ordinary? What does she mean by fantasy? I absolutely have no idea what Lumi is talking about.


    ¡°What are you-¡± I was about to ask her what she meant when Lumi clenched her teeth and drowned my words. Her expression became frightening, like a military general glaring at her enemy.


    ¡°That vulgar woman! How dare you come close to my Cedric! Nngh!¡± Lumi fiercely clenched her teeth as she glared at Elise von Schuteiner, who approached Lynel.


    ¡°C-calm down, Lumi. Maybe she just wants to have a word with him.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying! Cedric¡¯s magical powers naturally attract people! I¡¯m sure that vulgar woman found out about his true potential and is now trying to flirt with him!¡±


    No way. I was completely fine with him. But I couldn¡¯t say to Lumi that Lynel had no such magical powers, as she seemed to truly believe he was a magically charming man.


    ¡°Y-yeah, I suppose Secretary Lynel has such powers, but you can¡¯t just walk up to her and grab her by her hair. Let¡¯s calm down and see where it¡¯s going, alright?¡±


    Lumi then let out a deep breath and nodded. I was relieved to see my cousin calming down a bit and glared at Elise to find out her intention behind it. ¡®But why is she trying to get close to Secretary Lynel?¡¯


    However, it was proven that Lynel was a very shy man. If it wasn¡¯t for that, there was no reason why else Elise would be leaving with such an embarrassed look on her face. I wasn¡¯t sure what conversation took place between them, so I guessed that his shyness had played a role in making her retreat hastily. I was about to relax when Lumi gave me no time to stop her and went over to Lynel.


    ¡°Sir Cedric von Lynel!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes?¡± Lynel flinched at Lumi¡¯s fierce approach.


    Lumi then made a bright smile and offered him her hand, ¡°You seem bored. Why don¡¯t we dance? I¡¯ll make it enjoyable!¡±


    Gosh, Lumi¡­ A lady asking for a dance? What in the world was that? I know I have done that before, but I didn¡¯t do that in front of everyone else. She was acting bizarrely in front of everyone, which surprised me.


    ¡°H-huh? Wait¡­!¡±


    However, Lumi didn¡¯t wait for his reply and grabbed his hand. I saw Lynel¡¯s face become completely red from blushing. Maybe Lumi¡¯s method is working!


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t be so nervous. Just feel the music!¡± said Lumi.


    She smiled like a gentleman courting a shy lady, and I almost felt the chills. Oh, Lumi, how are you going to clean up after this mess?


    Lynel already seemed to have lost his mind because of Lumi¡¯s bold actions and was being pushed around. But the two of them, at least appearance wise, were like a prince and princess from a fairyland. Even the people around them looked pleased watching them.


    The man, who was now dancing with Lumi, was 20 years old. He was two years older than me. However, he looked so young that it was plausible if he were to claim that he was 15, so there was nothing strange with the two of them dancing together. But with my cousin finding someone to be with, now I had no one around me. I mean, the hall had an air of hostility toward me after all.

 CH 75

    This was probably why Elise arrived early. She must have spread terrible rumors about me to control the atmosphere by working with the nobles that came to the last party at the Chancellor¡¯s estate. I came to such a conclusion because I had seen these women glancing at me while whispering to themselves before. That was my guess.


    ¡°You two look great together,¡± said a soft voice from behind.


    It was her, Elise von Schuteiner, the culprit behind the hostility at this party. I narrowed my eyes, questioning her intentions, to which she made a smile that could captivate anyone that saw it and laughed, ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Hasn¡¯t it? After being at the Chancellor¡¯s place?¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± I answered with a laugh.


    Her clear eyes were shadowed a little by darkness. She was acting naturally as the beautiful and innocent Elise von Schuteiner even in front of me.


    ¡°Anyway, I forgot to congratulate you at the time because of the situation. Congratulations. You become a secretary¡­ It took me by surprise,¡± said Elise.


    I frowned because of this unexpected compliment from her. What¡¯re you up to, Elise?


    ¡°You¡¯re well-mannered, so I figured you would do well as a palace maiden. I¡¯m sure you would have pleased those at the Royal Palace.


    It would be foolish to take her words as the truth. Although she worded it nicely, her words hinted that I should become a palace maiden and try my best to gain attention from the knights or officials there. Or to make it worse, she wants me to be like a b**ch. Since there are a lot of talks about my behavior, I suppose it was the latter that she wants to talk about.


    ¡°Perhaps. But I think I¡¯m better at using my brain than my body,¡± I replied with a laugh.


    Elise then made her signature angel-like smile and commented, ¡°I think you would do great, Lady Harrant. As you have done¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I interrupted her with a smile.


    Then she took one step closer to me and whispered, ¡°¡­Like a b**tch.¡±


    That short additional comment was vicious, but she smiled innocently right after. Her ability to put up such an act astonished me. She would have been a great actress. Then I responded, ¡°Oh, I still have a lot more to learn compared to you, Lady Schuteiner. Thank you for the compliment anyway.¡±


    At my bright smile, her mouth was smiling but her eyes went cold. That¡¯s right, Elise. You started this dogfight. Didn¡¯t you?


    ¡°Anyway, the party at the Chancellor¡¯s was wonderful, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    I saw her mouth become distorted because of my words. Yes, Elise. Your loyal dog was sent out that day and couldn¡¯t even come today. It was also the day you were dumped by your fianc¨¦.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see that you¡¯ve lost, or is it just that you don¡¯t want to lose?¡± I added quietly with a sympathetic look as she bit her red lip. Her face began to go pale.


    One of her followers, who looked like she couldn¡¯t let the confrontation between Elise and me alone anymore, came forward and blocked her from me. It was Matilda von Hudleton, the daughter of the central noble, Count Hudleton.


    ¡°How dare you talk to her?¡± criticized Matilda.


    I made a bright smile at Matilda, who jumped in the middle of our conversation and retorted, ¡°It was Lady Schuteiner who talked to me first. You shouldn¡¯t meddle in our conversation. You should leave.¡±


    Matilda glared and replied, ¡°Hah! A hillbilly from the countryside doesn¡¯t know her place! You b**ch.¡±


    My expression became stern at her swears and glared back at her, ¡°What did you just say, Lady Hudleton?¡±


    She didn¡¯t care about my question and continued to bicker, ¡°What. Did I say something wrong? Everyone here knows that you flirt with every man around like a b**ch.¡±


    At her words, Elise von Schuteiner¡¯s followers and nobles who didn¡¯t like me began joining forces with Matilda.


    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong. You are a lowly¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so into flirting with men like a sad hillbilly noble. Tsk, tsk.¡±


    ¡°Even though she dresses like that, she still looks like a bumpkin. I don¡¯t understand why those three asked her to dance at the Chancellor¡¯s party¡­¡±


    ¡°And that Count Harrant- He¡¯s been out of a job since being kicked out to the countryside.¡±


    It sure was the beau monde at central. It was a battleground of words that hound you if you showed even the slightest of weakness. Although my family had recovered financially, it didn¡¯t mean our power from our days at central had returned to us. Not only that, my family¡¯s residence wasn¡¯t located at the center.


    But even in the flood of disgusting accusations, I didn¡¯t lose my calm. It¡¯s always best to fight back with words when you¡¯re attacked by them. To do that, one shouldn¡¯t lose his or her cool. I glared at them one by one and began speaking with clear pronunciation.


    ¡°Will you all take responsibility for your words?¡±


    Silence fell at the word ¡°responsibility.¡± I raised my voice and continued, ¡°I¡¯m asking you all if you will take responsibility for everything you said here.¡±


    The murmurs showed they heard the words that I repeated once more, but they still had smug expressions as they were looking at me. Matilda, who seemed to have gained power from that, bickered and replied, ¡°Sure, I will take responsibility!¡±


    Then I closed my eyes, opened them viciously, and glared at Matilda. Then I replied, ¡°What you all just said disrespects not only me, who is a mere government official but to all the noble people sitting in important seats in this country.¡±

 CH 76

    As I finished, complete silence fell at the party. ¡°Then I ask again. Are those people foolish enough to be swayed by a lowly b**ch-like woman?¡±


    I had to push back my smugness. The talkative nobles became completely silent at my words as if they had promised. Fools. You only speak words after making sure that whatever you say won¡¯t come back to harm you. Water has been spilled. If you can¡¯t take responsibility, then it¡¯s wise to avoid doing something that will deem you responsible for it.


    Regret will not help you there. How could she be so foolish and show off her pride when she cannot even take accountability? Yes, that stupid woman became so red out of shame.


    ¡°Hah! You have a sly mouth! I suppose you tricked those wise people with that slick tongue of yours, you dirty b-¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth right now.¡±


    Someone interrupted Matilda before she could finish. It was none other than Elise von Schuteiner herself. Matilda seemed shocked by her words that were different, much rougher from her usual, kind, and soft ones.


    Elise then spoke to her coldly, ¡°Stop right there, Matilda von Hudleton. As the leader of the beau monde that you are associated with, I won¡¯t allow your actions to bring disgrace to our society any further.¡±


    That¡¯s a shame. It was a chance to let her blow up by herself. Her actions toward me were deliberate disrespect, as she was from the house of a count, the same rank as mine.


    Actions were deemed disrespectful when someone from a lower or of the same rank talked down to another individual in public. It wasn¡¯t discourteous when someone of a higher rank talks down on a lower-ranked individual. What¡¯s amusing is if it wasn¡¯t in public, then it wouldn¡¯t matter who disrespected who. Also, talking about someone behind their back couldn¡¯t be proved, so it wasn¡¯t ill-mannered to do so.


    Anyway, this was the chance to send her down to purgatory as it was a public place. She should have done it secretly if she wanted to talk down to me. She had discredited me out in public. It was possible to sue her, bring her to court, and earn a settlement. It¡¯s a shame that Elise jumped in to put a stop to it.


    ¡°I apologize on behalf of Matilda, Lady Harrant. I will make sure that this will not happen again and warn her as a friend,¡± said Elise.


    She meant that she would act as if nothing had happened, so I should just leave it there. Elise sure is smart, after all. But I¡¯m not going to let this one slide so easily.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s perfectly alright. You don¡¯t have to do that for me. This was between me and Lady Hudleton. There is no need for you to take such responsibility. Instead, I will bring this to the court,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That sounds interesting.¡±


    I don¡¯t think it was Elise who answered me. The one who could casually jump in between our fight was the Crown Prince. Of course, he could say he has a say in this as he was a bit related, so he couldn¡¯t have kept quiet about it. Besides, he is a member of the royal family with the right to give judgment. He had the authority to be the judge of a temporary court. This meant that he would be the sole judge of Matilda¡¯s trial instead of a regular court.


    ¡°We will then start the trial of Matilda von Hudleton, who had disrespected Marina von Harrant right here,¡± ordered the Crown Prince.


    Elise¡¯s expression turned cold, but mine became calm. It was hard to expect how the Crown Prince might act. Even if he dumped Elise as his fianc¨¦e, it didn¡¯t mean that he would side with me. This meant that I had to carefully choose words that would only benefit me.


    ¡°Marina von Harrant, you may testify about the situation,¡± said the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I was having fun at the party at around 7 o¡¯clock in the evening today. Then Lady Hudleton suddenly threw some swears at me with a few other nobles joining her to discredit me. Their accusations consisted of you, Your Highness, Prince Adrian, and the host of today¡¯s party Viscount Harsen, so I couldn¡¯t let it pass,¡± I testified as I glared at Matilda and a few of the other nobles who discredited me. I saw them hiding their faces with their fans with a flinch.


    Fools. I smirked at them, then I heard the Crown Prince¡¯s voice, ¡°And what was the accusation?¡±


    ¡°Is it okay to say it word by word exactly?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If it does not dishonor you, I will allow it.¡±


    I felt a bit better hearing those words. My honor was trashed multiple times already. Honor meant nothing to me as it was already in a trench since I became a fallen noble. The only thing important to me right now was to benefit from this situation.


    ¡°I will tell the truth even if it dishonors me. I was having a conversation with Lady Schuteiner. That¡¯s when Lady Hudleton interrupted us. I objected to that, and she said, ¡®Hah! A hillbilly from the countryside doesn¡¯t know her place! You b**ch,¡¯ and discredited me.¡±

 CH 77

    I felt anger rising as I testified. However, the person in front of me was the Crown Prince. I couldn¡¯t show my emotions so easily as it could be used against me. I tried to remain calm and suppress my emotions.


    ¡°So, I objected, and she said ¡®What. Did I say something wrong? Everyone here knows that you flirt with every man around like a b**ch.¡¯ I fought back, pointing out the fact that she disgraced two men¡¯s honor, and she replied, ¡®Hah! You have a sly mouth! I suppose you tricked those wise people with your slick tongue of yours, you dirty b-,¡¯ to me. Everyone here witnessed it.¡±


    As I said, I saw the Crown Prince looking at me with sunken eyes. Was it because I wasn¡¯t feeling good that his beautiful purple eyes looked even more unpleasant than usual?


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re there.¡±


    A man flinched at the Crown Prince¡¯s cold voice and answered, ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I¡¯m Viscount Lewin. How can I be of service?¡±


    ¡°Is Lady Harrant telling the truth?¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s voice that was so frightening made the Viscount flinch. He then nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, it is the truth. Lady Harrant was worried about bringing shame to the others who were disgraced because of her, even while being disrespected.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± said the Crown Prince as he nodded.


    Then Matilda began to scream, ¡°Your Highness! This is unfair! That sly woman surely tricked that man too!¡±


    Her voice rang through the hall, and her friends made an awkward expression. The Crown Prince laughed. Matilda became mesmerized by that laugh and looked at him, then was cut down.


    ¡°AHHHHH!¡± Matilda screamed as she looked at the strands of hair that were cut off.


    The Crown Prince placed his sword at her neck and threatened, ¡°Do you want your head cut off? Shut up if you don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    Matilda trembled as she sobbed and shut herself up. The Crown Prince smiled with satisfaction. It seems some ladies had forgotten about the terrifying situation because of his unworldly beauty. There was astonishment in the hall. But to my eyes, it was just a nutjob, a very handsome one with a sword.


    ¡°How dare you disrespect a member of the royal family? You dare to interrupt when you aren¡¯t allowed. Anyway, I will now make a judgment. You have disrespected the royal family and a noble of the same rank. Your sentence is death. Also, your direct family members will be made into slaves for disrespecting the royal family,¡± declared the Crown Prince.


    Matilda¡¯s face turned into despair. She turned to Elise as her last line of hope, but she coldly ignored her and turned away. Foolish girl. Do you think she will side with you? She¡¯s not that kind of woman. No, it¡¯s not only her who will ignore her in this case. No one in their right mind would try to help you when you¡¯re involved with the crime of disrespecting the royal family. Everyone will try their best to stay away from it.


    ¡°Please, wait a moment, Your Highness.¡± And in such a dangerous moment, there was one crazy person who spoke to break the silence. And that person was¡­


    ¡°What is it, Marina von Harrant?¡±


    Yes, me.


    ¡°That is too severe of punishment, Your Highness.¡±


    The Crown Prince frowned at my words, and the audience became confused.


    ¡°She certainly is responsible for her words, but she didn¡¯t directly dishonor you, Your Highness. Her actual target of discrediting was only me. That is why I consider your judgment that she had discredited the royal family to be unfair. Please reconsider this fact.¡±

 CH 78

    Silence fell, and the Crown Prince looked at me, questioning my intentions. No, it wasn¡¯t only him. Everyone else was also staring at me with a similar look.


    ¡®Sympathy? No way.¡¯ I just wanted to give her something small while grabbing a big one instead.


    ¡°How could she be so kind? Most people would allow her to be punished for disrespecting the royal family.¡±


    ¡°Forgiving someone who just swore at you so easily¡­ I suppose prejudice is such a bad thing. We thought wrongly of such a lady.¡±


    ¡°Lady Schuteiner was a bit cold, though. She just dumped her follower.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing she can do in this situation.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a daughter from the house of marquis. She didn¡¯t do it. That¡¯s all.¡±


    I heard murmurs and had to suppress my laughter. Yes, I actually didn¡¯t care if she died here. If she died, then I can¡¯t use her. There¡¯s no fun in that. It was better that she stays alive so I can use her to my benefit, which is why I¡¯m letting her live.


    As I save her, my fallen reputation will take a little bit of its honor back while lowering Elise¡¯s reputation since she refused to rescue her close follower. Her reputation is hard to bring down, as she is a higher-ranked noble. It would benefit me to bring her down because of that woman.


    ¡°Please reconsider with mercy, Your Highness. She hadn¡¯t committed that great of a crime.¡±


    The Crown Prince coldly looked down at me. Did I use you? Yes, I did. I made a fuss because I knew you were here. Even if you hated me, I knew you wouldn¡¯t let this slide if it was related to your honor. That would apply to everyone who has the noble blood within their veins.


    ¡°Marina von Harrant¡­ I deem your words reasonable, so I will reconsider my judgment. Even though she didn¡¯t directly insult the royal family, she has done so indirectly. As such, I will lower the rank of the house of Hudleton as a baron,¡± declared the Crown Prince.


    It was the perfect outcome. I¡¯m merciless in taking down my enemies, but I¡¯m not a murderer who would be fine killing people for no reason. Besides, she won¡¯t be around to harass me if she dies. There¡¯s no way I can pay her back for what she did to me. Not only that, she became a mere baron now, so her pride must have hurt greatly. It would be much better to see her suffer while alive.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, Your Highness!¡±


    Matilda was sobbing with her makeup all washed down at miraculously surviving her death sentence. Although I felt a bit sympathetic, I didn¡¯t feel any guilt. ¡®She brought it upon herself.¡¯


    But I was a bit surprised when she suddenly got up to me and knelt, ¡°Marina von Harrant, I will never forget your kindness.¡±


    It hasn¡¯t even been one hour since we glared at each other like sworn enemies. But now, she was looking at me as if I was some kind of savior while kneeling down. I felt quite weird. Humans are so interesting. If you felt betrayed by the one who you trusted in the most dire situation, you have to believe that the one who helped you is a god even if it is actually a demon.


    I assisted her with standing up in her helpless state. The audience began to clap for us. Their actions made it look like a play. In that instance, I calculated the words that would strengthen my reputation, ¡°I have been insulted by you, but I have no spite toward you. You misunderstood me because you did not know me.¡±

 CH 79

    Those words were completely calculated, but she seemed to have been touched by them. Matilda looked impressed and bowed with tears in her eyes. She probably must be thanking me for saving her life and allowing her to remain as a noble.


    She could have thought I was the reason for all of this. However, it wasn¡¯t Elise, the person she formally considered a god, who saved her from this crucial moment. It was me, who she used to think of as an enemy. With Elise, who was the source of Matilda¡¯s hate toward me, ignoring her, her hate must have lost its worth. Trust is so weak that once it cracks it crumbles away so easily. Just like how I felt towards Kyles.


    Glaring, Matilda must be feeling angry at Elise for ignoring her and turned back to me with trusting eyes. But do I feel sympathetic towards her? No way. I plan to persuade her since she should know much about Elise von Schuteiner and dig up Elise¡¯s weakness from her.


    ¡°Are we clear on our misunderstandings then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Lady Marina, I apologize for trying to insult you and misunderstanding you. You may not want to see me, but it would be great if you could forgive me,¡± said Matilda.


    I know I saved her life, but to call me with such honorifics! Her dramatic change of heart coming from her simple ways was astounding. Underneath, she must be an innocent person and must have been thankful to Elise for having her as a close follower because she was trustful of others. Matilda was proud of having Elise by her back and showed off her relationship. Because of that show-off, she exaggerated and insulted her while I was talking with Elise. But she must have felt betrayed because Elise turned her back on her.


    Thanks to that simple and stupid woman, my plan became easier. These kinds of people have specific characteristics. They seem to stay loyal to one another if no betrayal happens. It was just ironic that she first placed her trust in Elise and now me.


    ¡°Matilda, I have misunderstood you as well. It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t know you well.¡±


    Yes, a lot. I was even worried that you would trust Elise even while you were being accused. But now I know that there was no need to worry about that. Thank you for being actually much more stupid than I thought.


    ¡°But I envy your courage to come up, apologize, and accept your wrongdoings. You are an amazing person,¡± I said.


    I didn¡¯t think she wouldn¡¯t have standards or pride. If I had known that her pride that seemed unbreakable would be destroyed so easily then I wouldn¡¯t have done so to this extent.


    I didn¡¯t feel too good about it. I couldn¡¯t forget that the Crown Prince was looking at me. Usually, I wouldn¡¯t feel bad about using someone, but why did it keep appearing in my mind this time? It felt like my hair was stuck on something protruding, unpleasant, and uncomfortable.


    ***


    ¡°Marina!¡± Rave approached me while I was out alone on the terrace. Why was he looking at me like that? There was sadness in his eyes. ¡°Why are you always¡­ trying to take every burden by yourself?¡±


    I thought about his words. But that¡¯s obvious. My every action, word, and everything is under my control. Who could take responsibility besides me?

 CH 80

    ¡°Even just now, I would have helped you even if you didn¡¯t do that to that extent,¡± said Rave.


    Hollow laughter came out in response to those words. My entire life, I had lived in such a way. I have used those around me so that I could change the situation without any help. That¡¯s how I¡¯m used to living.


    ¡°It¡¯s easier that way,¡± I replied.


    I don¡¯t need any help. What would have happened if he had helped? After all, he was one of the reasons behind this jealousy. I can say that nothing would have changed.


    Rave seemed to have been deep in thought. His dark navy eyes were darker than usual. It was when my thoughts were in his eyes he said, ¡°There¡¯s no way it is easier, silly.¡±


    I was curious about his sudden words and looked up. That¡¯s when something was placed over my head. It was Rave¡¯s hand.


    ¡°People don¡¯t live alone. I¡¯m the eldest son of the House of Marquis, but I get around people as a government official. People live by helping each other. Your actions sometimes make those around you feel worried. You refuse help and try to take all the burden by yourself.¡±


    Those words pressed something inside me, and my heart felt stuffy. I was overwhelmed by that feeling, then I heard Rave¡¯s voice again, ¡°I¡¯m your superior, Marina. I told you before that you can always count on me. If you want, I¡¯ll be your ally.¡±


    That made the burden on my shoulders a bit lighter. My ally, huh? It was an unfamiliar word as I believed I only had my family, cousins, and friends who lived far away. My ally.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    Although I was a bit embarrassed, I felt touched. My ally. While I was thinking about the word ¡°ally,¡± Rave added, ¡°It¡¯s not just me. Look.¡±


    He then pointed toward the entrance of the terrace, where I saw Lumi, who seemed nervous, and Lynel. My heart warmed. Rave helped me feel a lot better.


    ***


    While waiting for the Reclan¡¯s carriage with Lumi, I heard a familiar voice near the gate. Is that¡­ Rian? My eyes met with his, and he waved his hand at me. I looked at him, curious as to why he was here.


    ¡°You should go to him,¡± encouraged Lumi with a wink and pushed me in that direction.


    ¡°Rian, why are you here?¡±


    Hearing my voice, he smiled brightly and replied, ¡°I was waiting for you. I was worried.¡±


    ¡°Worried?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. I was worried that you might have run into some hardships.¡±


    Then I was reminded of the words Rave had told me earlier. My ally. Yes, I wasn¡¯t alone after all. I felt warmth returning to my heart. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to give back¡­ Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I didn¡¯t do it because I wanted something in return.¡±


    I was reminded of the Crown Prince, though. The man who sided with me today. Honestly, I felt terrible for using you. Although you¡¯re not my ally, thank you for siding with me today. Someday, I will pay you back for this debt. ¡®I will craft a wonderful doll that you so badly want.¡¯


    After being lifted of that heavy guilt, I felt I could breathe easier. I was able to laugh with my friend after forgetting about that guilty feeling.


    ***


    After the party, I felt a bit of guilt toward the Crown Prince. I couldn¡¯t get over it even while I was working, so I kept sighing. And now, the Crown Prince that I met with again was nitpicking the documents I brought to him.


    ¡°You call these public documents?¡±

 CH 81

    There we go. It¡¯s starting again. Changing his mind on everything made me annoyed. Ugh, I suppose that day was one of his ever-changing minds. There¡¯s no way he was on my side.


    ¡°Make sure you do it right. Anyway, when will that be done?¡±


    By ¡°that,¡± he must mean ¡°that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it, Your Highness.¡± Actually, I didn¡¯t even make a sketch of it. Oh my god, what should I do!


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m looking forward to it. You are dismissed.¡±


    I took the documents and sighed. He might kill me if I haven¡¯t even started it yet. Oh well.


    On my way back to the office, I saw a familiar place and stopped. It was the place where I met that boy for the first time. The first love that I miss so dearly. I thought about him for a while, then turned.


    ¡®It¡¯s not time to daydream,¡¯ I thought, as I returned to reality and took this annoying problem back to the Operations Department.


    ***


    I was brainstorming about the doll and fell asleep. Then, I opened my eyes to a familiar place. Where is this place? The Royal Palace. Yes, this is the Royal Palace. Huh? But it looks much bigger than usual. Usual? What am I talking about? It¡¯s my first time here.


    ¡°Rina.¡±


    I turned to the voice calling me. My father, who was handsome as always, was looking at me. My father is an advisor to the Emperor.


    ¡°Father!¡± I¡¯m proud of my father. Hehehe. It¡¯s a historical day where I followed my father to the Royal Palace.


    ¡°Can you wait here for a while? His Majesty has called me with an urgent matter,¡± asked Father.


    ¡°Of course! I will wait here.¡±


    He left me at an empty gazebo and hurried off. There were no knights around, as it seemed to be a remote area.


    ¡°What should I do now?¡±


    Father left a chessboard, so I don¡¯t get bored. I should just do that since I¡¯m bored. ¡®Huh? There¡¯s someone there.¡¯


    I looked close by and saw a boy crouched on a flowerbed near the gazebo. Curious, I walked up to him. The boy looked around at the sound of someone approaching. His pretty eyes were teary.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    I saw the boy, but he had no color. Everything around me was full of colors, but this boy alone had none. But even without color, he had such beautiful eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m Rina!¡± I said to him.


    ¡°Rina?¡± he asked back.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied.


    Rina was the name my father calls me. My actual name is Marina, but I said my name was Rina because it was more familiar. Then he became dumbfounded by my words and continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your name. How did you get in here?¡±


    ¡°Huh? My father wanted me to wait here.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯ll come back for me when he¡¯s done with work.¡±


    His expression became dark at once. Then he bit his lip, and tears began to fall from his eyes. I was shocked and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying!¡± retorted the boy.


    But you are crying. The boy seemed angry at the fact that he was sobbing. ¡°No one comes for me¡­ even if I wait.¡±


    Who is he talking about? He seemed to be trying hard not to cry, but tears kept falling. I felt saddened by that. I felt like I wanted to cry along with him. Then he grabbed his chest with his small hands.


    ¡°It hurts here,¡± said the boy.


    I bit my lip as I felt like crying too. It was all because of him. He was trying hard to push those difficult feelings back, which made me sad. I thought about how to make his heart not hurt.

 CH 82

    ¡®That¡¯s right!¡¯ I then thought of a way to forget about the pain my father told me when I was crying after being scolded by my mother. That¡¯s right. Maybe he will stop crying with this method.


    ¡°You know what, I¡¯ll tell you how to forget the pain when your heart hurts.¡±


    He looked at me doubtfully but said nothing. I then grabbed his hand and said to him, ¡°Among everything I did, chess was the only thing that made me forget about everything else! I happen to have a chessboard here. My father left it with me. So¡­ let¡¯s play together.¡±


    He looked at me with a look that was hard to tell how he was feeling. Then he answered in a low voice, ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    I was so excited by his answer that I grabbed his hand and dragged him. Even when he was being dragged, he had an awkward look on his face as tears kept falling from his eyes.


    Then I began explaining about chess pieces in front of the chessboard, ¡°So, this is a pawn. It¡¯s a basic soldier, but rank- I mean, if it reaches the other end of the chessboard, it will be promoted to anything except the king. Doesn¡¯t it sound like the infinite potential of a person?¡±


    ¡°I see. So even a pawn isn¡¯t worthless,¡± said the boy. He now had stopped crying and was listening to my explanation carefully.


    I smiled and continued, ¡°This is a knight, and it moves in a terrifying way. It can jump over the other pieces like this. Doesn¡¯t it look as cool as a real knight?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. Knights aren¡¯t cool.¡±


    Huh? You have extraordinary taste. All boys around my age like knights.


    ¡°And this is a bishop. Just like real priests are an important basis to people¡¯s minds, it works the same way in chess. Bishops move diagonally, so it¡¯s good at taking on enemy bases. And this is a rook. It¡¯s like a castle too. A castle works as a powerful weapon when you¡¯re defending. That¡¯s why it can launch a powerful attack directly. It¡¯s the most important piece after the queen.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He seemed astonished by my explanation. It felt great to teach him. Then I pointed at the queen and king pieces on the chessboard.


    ¡°This is the queen and king. The queen is the best tactician that protects the king. It is the most powerful piece. What¡¯s interesting is that in chess the king¡¯s job is to be protected by the queen or other pieces. But it¡¯s also the most important piece. You lose in chess when you lose the king. Isn¡¯t it almost like a kingdom?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± the boy replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is like a miniature war. There¡¯s a rumor that chess was created by a queen for her king, who loved war so much. That king is said to only play chess after that. Maybe she wanted to increase the importance of the queen within the chessboard to show her love to him. To her husband, who stupidly only loved war. Maybe she wanted him to be reminded of her inside the game.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not what I want to say. I¡¯m saying that chess is so much fun that it even made war-loving kings fall in love with it! I¡¯m saying that chess can blow your sadness away too!¡±


    At my smile, he also laughed. Then I explained how to play chess, its rules, and a few tactics slowly, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do the real thing then. You play black.¡±


    As we played, he was completely into chess, thinking seriously about my attack. I laughed at him tapping on his desk, becoming nervous from my offensive moves. It seemed he had completely forgotten about his sadness. Then it was checkmate.

 CH 83

    ¡°Again!¡± shouted the boy.


    I smiled proudly at the boy, who frowned with an unaccepting look on his face. Then, I asked him, ¡°How is it now? You forgot about it, right?¡±


    In response to my question, he became dazed. He looked at me in disbelief, then turned to the chessboard and laughed. Then, I heard a soft voice, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°Right? Chess is so fun. Let¡¯s play again next time.¡±


    ¡°Next time?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah. My father hasn¡¯t come yet, so I should go find him. I have to go back home.¡±


    At that moment, another hand hurriedly grabbed my hand. This boy is quite strong, unlike his face, which was so pretty. He asked, ¡°¡­When will you come again?¡±


    He looked nervous. After I barely got him to smile, he¡¯s about to cry again. But I felt good. He seemed to like me, just like how I came to like him. So, I planned to come back no matter what.


    ¡°In three days,¡± I replied, thinking about urging my dad.


    He then let go of me and added, ¡°You have to come back. If you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Once more, he became sad, so I gave him the king piece from my chess pieces and said, ¡°I¡¯ll come back for the most important piece.¡±


    He became even more tearful and answered, ¡°Yeah!¡±


    Then, I woke up. Right. I met my first love when I was ten. I felt my heart ache a little bit. Oh, I want to see him again.


    ***


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    I came back to my senses after hearing some whispers calling my name. Rave was giving me a weird look. Every eye was on me. Oh, right. I was in a morning meeting.


    Rave whispered to me again, ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s your turn to speak. It¡¯s about the analysis regarding the increased agricultural production compared to last year.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    I was a bit shocked by Rave but didn¡¯t show that on my face. Then, I made a speech regarding the analysis that I had prepared. I made no mistakes and everyone returned to focus on the meeting. Thank god or something, I was able to finish the meeting without any problems even with my mind drifting to places.


    ¡°Marina, you seem weird today,¡± noted Rave.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you to be drifting away like that.¡±


    Hearing that, I sighed. Was I that obvious? It¡¯s shameful. There¡¯s no way I could be an ambassador by acting like that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too harsh on yourself. Everyone is like that,¡± added Rave.


    I laughed. Yeah, I guess I can make mistakes like other people. But then, I had to frown as I said, ¡°Don¡¯t think about putting your hands on me.¡±


    Rave took his hand back as he tried to place it above my shoulder and smiled awkwardly. He would have been a fine man if only he didn¡¯t try to pull something like that.


    When I returned, Vice Director Raymont waved at me, signaling me to come. As I walked up to him, he handed me another document and said, ¡°Secretary Harrant, you are to report the results of this morning¡¯s meeting at the Crown Prince¡¯s palace.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I replied.


    I almost laughed at the fact that I seemed to have become the Crown Prince¡¯s personal messenger. The shield- I mean the tray that I used for every visit to him was now laying in a corner, collecting dust.


    ***


    On the way to the Crown Prince¡¯s palace was the gazebo, which was still intact and where I met the boy. I stood there and looked at it. Yes, we met three times here. And that day, we parted ways. The third time we met, I was playing chess after meeting him here. I bragged about myself as I taught him some chess skills.

 CH 84

    ¡°This is called a ¡®discovered attack.¡¯ If you move the bishop here, a rook that was shadowed behind can catch the enemy¡¯s queen. The building that was blocking it from moving made it allowed to attack.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    ¡°And this is called ¡®castling.¡¯ The rook and the king change places. The king moves while the rook moves to the king¡¯s position to protect it. For the castle to work, there shouldn¡¯t be any pieces between the two, and the king can¡¯t be threatened. That¡¯s the only way they can switch places,¡± I explained.


    ¡°I see. So, the rook sacrifices himself to protect the king? Well, I suppose that makes sense since the fortress is there to buy time for the king to escape,¡± said the boy.


    ¡°Maybe you could say that. Anyway, you see that the knight is threatening the king and the rook at the same time. This is called a ¡®fork.¡¯ The knight is a piece you can employ very often. That¡¯s why I like the knight.¡±


    ¡°You like knights?¡± He suddenly frowned as he asked.


    I think I nodded as I replied, ¡°Yeah. I like knights. Tactics using the knight¡¯s movements are so fun!¡±


    ¡°Knights¡­ I like the queen. It¡¯s the strongest.¡±


    I smiled at him. Then, I taught him the most important thing about chess. ¡°You know what? In chess, every piece no matter how strong or weak they are, help each other. The weak pawn can protect the queen, and sometimes you have to sacrifice the strongest queen for an important tactic.¡±


    ¡°I understand. So, even if the piece is very important, its priority can be changed for the king.¡±


    I was proud of the boy who seemed to have understood chess now. Then, I added, ¡°As I said before, the weak pawn can become the queen. Although the pawn can only move forward, it can also become the strongest piece just by doing that. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± answered the boy.


    ¡°So, if you move forward once, you just need to move forward like a pawn even if it¡¯s difficult.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± replied the boy.


    I looked at the boy who answered me wholeheartedly. He seemed a bit touched while I felt sad. Although it was my guess, that boy must have been a servant or a relative to the royal family. Most likely, he was a child from a house of a duke or the grand duke as he was able to say at the palace at will. But he was most likely a servant. A boy crying within the palace? Well, that settles it, right?


    At the time, I even thought about running away from the palace with the boy. He looked so fragile that it didn¡¯t seem weird if he were to break at any moment. But even then, he didn¡¯t try to depend on anyone. I wanted to protect him.


    ¡°Thank you, Rina.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Huh? Marin, what are you doing here?¡±


    From behind, I heard a voice calling me while I was thinking about the past. It was Rian. Huh? But something¡¯s weird. I felt d¨¦j¨¤ vu. It felt familiar. Rian, the cousin of the Crown Prince, must have visited the palace often as well.


    ¡°Oh, I was thinking about something. I have a lot of memories of this place.¡±


    ¡°Really? Me too,¡± said Rian.


    I felt my heart come to a stop. Then, I felt like I couldn¡¯t hear anything now. My eyes and ears were on Rian. ¡°What?¡± My voice trembled as I asked back. Do you have a lot of memories here too? Wait¡­ Are you¡­


    ¡°Oh, yeah. I used to hang around here a lot with His Highness when I was younger. It was when the Empress was still alive,¡± answered Rian.

 CH 85

    I sighed. Yeah, I suppose Rian, who is a prince, wouldn¡¯t have been crying at the castle. It¡¯s not like he was lacking in anything to be doing that.


    ¡°Marin, are you off to the Crown Prince¡¯s palace again?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s a bit hard, but there¡¯s no other way but to move forward,¡± I answered as I smiled.


    However, Rian looked at me with his beautiful blue eyes and said, ¡°Forward¡­ like a pawn?¡±


    No way. How do you know about my habits? ¡®Are you really¡­?¡¯ Just like a ripple that erupted out of still water, a question rose powerfully from within me. Just as I was about to ask him any further, a voice interrupted.


    ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± asked a frighteningly chilly voice.


    I turned and saw the Crown Prince glaring at us, and I greeted, ¡°Good morning, Your Highness. Marina von Harrant at your service.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Your Highness. Droinel von Siccain at your service.¡±


    In response to our greetings, the Crown Prince coldly scanned us with his purple-colored eyes and callously snapped, ¡°Are you two not working? The Royal Garden is no place for a secret date.¡±


    My face froze at his bickering as I was worried that Rian would feel bad. However, Rian smiled brightly, as if he was happy to hear that. Then, he said, ¡°A secret date¡­ That¡¯s an honor. But that¡¯s a misunderstanding, Your Highness. Secretary Harrant and I aren¡¯t in a relationship yet.¡±


    Hahaha, misunderstanding. That¡¯s right. But I¡¯m still thankful to have a friend, who is in a different league, joking that it¡¯s an honor when it¡¯s me who¡¯s tied to those words.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny, Adrian. I¡¯m sick of this, so get back to work now,¡± ordered the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I suppose we¡¯ll be seeing each other often from now on, so I can protect what I care about.¡±


    Yeah, even if the Crown Prince is selfish, it would seem weird for his cousin to be hanging around me. That¡¯s why he said those words. But still, it was annoying. It sounded like he was telling me to know my place. Rian, however, is such a good man. He cares about his cousin, the crown prince, so much, which was why he was hanging around at the palace.


    ¡°Marina von Harrant. What is that in your hand?¡±


    Hearing the voice that seemed to annoy me for some unknown reason, I handed the Crown Prince the document that I had brought over. Then, I answered, ¡°It¡¯s the document containing everything from today¡¯s morning meeting, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I see. So for what reason were you loitering in this place?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Your Highness. If you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡±


    As I was about to say that I was going to leave, he grabbed my wrist. He glared at my hand for a while, then spoke with an irritated voice, ¡°Let¡¯s play a game of chess.¡±


    Hahaha. Do I have to play chess with a nutjob again? Why does he want to play if he¡¯s going to lose anyway? At that moment, I remembered that boy again. He always said to me whenever he lost, ¡°Rina, I will win next time! If I do, I¡¯ll say something to you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    I could have lost on purpose, but I was a competitive child. As such, I kept winning. Then, by the end, I made his eyes teary. It caught me by surprise, and I made a mistake.


    ¡°¡­I win. I WIN!¡±


    Seeing him this excited, I thought I did a good job making mistakes and asked, ¡°So, what is it that you want to say to me?¡±


    He became silent in response to my words. His pretty eyes, however, had some sort of determination in them as he said, ¡°I like you.¡±


    My heart sank. No- no. My heart began to race and pound like crazy. It was pounding so hard that I was scared it might fall off. But I was too young, so I didn¡¯t know the source of those emotions. It was the first and last time I felt such powerful feelings. Yes, it was love. At the same time, however, the sensation burning up my face made me unable to look at your face, so I escaped that scene as if I ran away from that place. I added this word just in case so you won¡¯t get hurt.

 CH 86

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back again in three days!¡±


    ***


    Well, well, well. Always on top of things even while your mind is elsewhere.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s voice woke me from my thoughts. Oh, I won. He then continued, ¡°Thinking about something else in front of me¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have let you be if it wasn¡¯t for that.¡±


    I sighed in response to his cold voice. This man never changes. He wanted to pick a fight with me when he was the one who wanted me to play chess with him. I responded, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it thinking about something else. I was just concentrating on my next move.¡±


    I looked at the Crown Prince and noticed he was looking at me with his chin held by his hand and with an unpleasant look on his face. Then, I looked at the finished chessboard. My, who is this fool? A fool who would put the king in danger to protect the queen. If only he had sacrificed his queen because then I would have gotten into trouble.


    ¡°Why do you play like this?¡± I asked with an almost dumbfounded-sounding voice.


    ¡°Because I want to,¡± softly answered the Crown Prince. His purple eyes were peering at me.


    What, so you¡¯re telling me not to care because it¡¯s your choice. I mean, who plays chess like this? I¡¯ve never seen it played this way. Come to think of it. The Crown Prince always ended up getting a checkmate because he was too protective of the queen. I suppose he wanted to protect it because it¡¯s a valuable piece. But there are times when you have to boldly sacrifice the queen when there¡¯s a need. If you need a queen that much, you can promote the pawn by moving it forward. I can¡¯t understand him. In fact, I never understood him anyway.


    ¡°If we¡¯re done, I¡¯ll be on my way, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°The Crown Prince went silent, then spoke in a low voice, ¡°The promise¡­ Keep it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Highness. Well, then¡­¡±


    So, is it because of the doll that you picked a fight with me? My mind was a mess because of my first love, okay? After I got back home, I lay down on my bed, thinking about the doll. Ugh, I can¡¯t think of anything. I then realized the first time I ever made a doll was for that boy.


    ***


    After I heard his love proposal, I went home, dug under my blanket, and kicked it. I regretted running away. I should¡¯ve stayed and told him that I liked him too.


    I was into you when I first saw you. That¡¯s why I wanted to know more about you, meet with you, and be kind to you. The 10-year-old kid who¡¯s always calculating things wasn¡¯t thinking of making any profit only when it was you. That¡¯s why, I quickly finished making a doll, thinking about you, who seemed lonely when I first saw you. I held the doll and smiled as I hugged it. I¡¯ll tell him how I feel and give this to him.


    On the day I was visiting the palace, I insisted on bringing the doll. Eventually, Father gave up, so I managed to bring it to the palace. Deeming I was being weird, Father asked, ¡°Rina why do you insist on bringing such a thing all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°No reason.¡±


    Father looked at me suspiciously but went on his way as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go do my job, so play nice around here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father,¡± I answered.


    He left me by the quiet gazebo and left. After I was left alone, I played some chess.


    ¡°Rina.¡±


    I was surprised by the voice calling my name and turned around. It¡¯s him! I couldn¡¯t suppress my mouth from forming a smile because of happiness. And like that, a huge smile appeared on my face.


    ¡°Here! It¡¯s a present!¡±


    In response to my gift, he took it with a weird look on his face. Then, his expression looked distorted, and he said, ¡°You¡­ This¡­¡±


    Hearing his words, I smiled and hugged him. Because of my sudden actions, he froze, probably because he didn¡¯t know what to do.

 CH 87

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s warm. Isn¡¯t it? Sometimes it¡¯s not bad to hug like this. It¡¯s my first time making it, but I¡¯ve got a lot of compliments!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your first time?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s the first doll that I ever made.¡±


    At that, his expression froze, and he turned to the doll in his arms. He didn¡¯t look unhappy. Then, he commented, ¡°¡­It¡¯s cute.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    That¡¯s when his beautiful eyes turned to me. Yes, it was the eyes that I wanted to protect. Those eyes were like those of a young wounded predator. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said.


    I think I was mesmerized by his bright, wonderful smile and that my younger self had blushed quite a bit. I had the urge. Yes, it was due to that urge that I did what I did to you. No, it wasn¡¯t an urge. I had been suppressing it. It was proof of love that I had grown up with while looking at it. It was something that I wanted to do to you. It was a kiss.


    It still feels fresh, the moment when I had my lips on your lovely lips, the almost teary eyes, and your shaking shoulders. You were the essence of loveliness itself.


    ¡°I like you,¡± I said.


    Hearing my words, he hugged me. My heart began to pound heavily. Then, I heard a low voice in my ears, ¡°It¡¯s your fault.¡± I was shocked and looked at him. His entire face was red. He pointed at his chest and continued, ¡°It¡¯s banging like crazy here. You made me weird.¡±


    I was happy about that because you were just like me. I wasn¡¯t the only one. That¡¯s why I was so happy. I replied, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±


    However, right after I had said those words, a fierce voice was heard from behind, ¡°Rina! Who are you with right n¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t forget the shock on my father¡¯s face and the way he froze when he saw the boy. Then, he said, ¡°W-what are you¡­¡±


    Father was about to scold me when he saw the boy and stopped. He then grabbed my hand and dragged me. Confused, I asked, ¡°Father! What are you doing?!¡±


    I tried to resist, but he picked me up and left the scene as if he was running away. After that, I was forbidden from visiting the palace, and I never saw the boy again. Every time I wanted to talk about the boy with my father, he fiercely scolded me. His stern look was so scary that I couldn¡¯t dare to ask him. And that¡¯s how my first love ended.


    No, it wasn¡¯t over though, up until I met Kyles, I remembered him and missed him. Only after meeting Kyles, I was able to let go of my useless longing. However, my heart still races whenever I think about him. I experienced this for the first time in my life, and it was likely I would never feel that way again. The deep kiss that I shared with Kyles never made my heart race like the childish kiss that I shared with the boy.


    As I reminisced over the past, I remembered the doll that I first made for him. I wasn¡¯t skilled then, but my feelings of liking someone for the first time ever went into that doll. It was deemed the masterpiece of my lifetime. Once more, I¡¯ll try making a doll for him. Although I may never meet him again, the Crown Prince, who seemed crazy over dolls, would take care of it.


    ***


    On my way to the Financial Department, close to the Crown Prince¡¯s palace, I turned to the gazebo and thought, ¡®Huh? That¡¯s¡­¡¯


    It was the Crown Prince, sitting there. I think I held my breath as I took a sneak peek at him. The combination of the Crown Prince and the gazebo surrounded by fully bloomed flowers was beautiful, like a painting. The reason why I¡¯m sneaking a peek at him isn¡¯t that I have feelings for him. It¡¯s more similar to when you¡¯re admiring a famous painting. He sure is handsome, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s crazy. Still, I can¡¯t¡­


    ¡®Take my eyes off of him.¡¯ I barely managed to pull my eyes away from this view and leaned on the pillar where I was hiding. Then, I sighed.

 CH 88

    ¡°Marin, what are you doing here?¡±


    I was scared by the person, who suddenly was speaking to me. Gosh, you scared me. It was Rian. I replied to him, ¡°Oh, I was resting by the pillar because my legs hurt.¡±


    Rian slightly frowned because of my words. Even with that expression, he looked so elegant. What a man.


    ¡°Your legs hurt¡­? Here, I¡¯ll carry you.¡±


    I was surprised when he immediately turned around with his back facing me and kneeled, signaling me to get on. Because of this, I said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. Don¡¯t worry, Rian.¡±


    He then got up again and looked at me. Er, that¡¯s a bit awkward. He¡¯s too kind to the point where I could misinterpret him¡­


    ¡°Is that true?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I responded.


    Hearing my answer, he looked at me worryingly and said, ¡°Tell me anytime if you ever feel sick. We¡¯re friends.¡±


    Friends. Yeah, we¡¯re friends. I think my heart ached just a tiny bit because he friend-zoned me. Hearing those words from him, who may be my first love, was a bit sad.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered. But it felt weirdly unpleasant. Was it because I saw my first love in him?


    ***


    After days of suffering, I created the masterpiece of my life. It was so lovely that I wanted to hug it so tightly. I¡¯m sure that nutjob will be pleased. After completing that doll, I fell asleep.


    ¡°Rina, thank you.¡±


    I think that boy was in my dreams. When I opened my eyes, I couldn¡¯t remember much about him still, which frustrated me.


    But today was D-day. I made up an excuse that I had things to report to the Crown Prince and got out of the office. Let¡¯s give this to him and be done with it!


    Gosh, the crazy crown prince. The nutjob! But I feel good that my paradise, the garden, is now safe. He might threaten me again¡­ But honestly, it would be nice if I could see its beauty again.


    ¡°Marin?¡±


    I turned to the voice calling my nickname and saw Rian there. Handsome as always, he was smiling wonderfully under the sunlight. He still looked shiny and had a gorgeous face with a bright grin on it.


    ¡°Good day, Rian,¡± I greeted.


    ¡°Good morning, Marin. Where are you off to?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have a report to bring to His Highness,¡± I answered using the official excuse that I had made up.


    Rian laughed unintentionally and answered, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll escort you to his palace.¡±


    He¡¯s such a great man. It would be strange if a woman didn¡¯t fall for him. If he¡¯s actually my first love, then will I be able to have him? A man who was so different from me?


    Rian then suddenly called, ¡°Marin.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I responded. Then I looked up at him and saw a kind smile on his face.


    ¡°Come visit my place again anytime soon. I¡¯ve got new cookies and tea for you. I also want to learn more about chess.¡±


    If you think asking me will make me go¡­ Yes, I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll definitely go. Honestly, it¡¯s a hard offer to turn down. The tea that I drank from before, I liked it so much that I looked into buying some more, but found out it was so expensive. It was too expensive with the amount of money I had, so I still thought about it. And he wants me to come again! A newly-recruited government official with a low salary can¡¯t refuse that kind of offer.


    ¡°If you say so, I suppose I have no choice. I¡¯ll let you know before I go,¡± I replied. But honestly, I almost wanted to beg him to invite me. Still, I should sound cool. After all, I¡¯m the most anticipated person in the center.

 CH 89

    Rian and I walked while having a casual conversation. Soon, we arrived at the Crown Prince¡¯s palace.


    ¡°Thank you, Rian.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Marin,¡± replied Rian.


    He¡¯s so well-mannered with his friend, so he should be really kind to his lover. I became envious of the future duchess of Siccain. I was, especially going to be if Rian is my first love. But he¡¯s my friend, so I should wish him the best.


    ***


    Feeling a bit flattered, I walked into the palace. I saw a servant looking sterner today. What¡¯s up? Is the Crown Prince in a bad mood again? While I was curiously looking at the servant, the door opened. The person coming out was¡­


    ¡°Marin?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Uncle?¡±


    It was my uncle. Why is he, the captain of the Central Knights, visiting the Crown Prince¡¯s palace? It seemed Uncle found it weird that I was also coming to this place. I couldn¡¯t tell him that I was now responsible for reporting to the Crown Prince because my supervisors insisted, so I didn¡¯t find this situation welcoming at all.


    While the both of us were being curious about each other, I saw the Crown Prince glaring at me from inside. Was that his way of pressuring me to give him the doll quickly?


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said as I bowed to my uncle. He nodded and left the door. He seemed to have many questions for me, but because we were in front of the Crown Prince it had to be pushed back for the future. I didn¡¯t tell him because he would get worried, but I feel bad that I made him more concerned.


    ¡°Your business?¡± asked the Crown Prince.


    As I walked up to the Crown Prince with a heavy heart, I saw his cold expression. He probably shared an unpleasant conversation with my uncle as he seemed very unhappy.


    ¡°I came to keep my promise to you.¡±


    His eyes looked interested immediately. If I let him down, he¡¯ll make up any excuse to punish me. But that¡¯ll never happen. Heh, heh.


    ¡°Here it is, Your Highness.¡±


    As I gave him the bunny doll that I made, his eyes grew large. He snatched it from my hands. I threw swears at him, then saw him looking at the bunny without saying a word.


    ¡®Come on! Give me a reaction! I assure you that as a dollmaker that is my number one masterpiece!¡¯


    I looked at him with excitement and anticipation. Soon, his eyes were fixated on me. On the top of his handsome face was¡­ I don¡¯t know. His eyes were weirdly sunken. To think that he was being happy.


    ¡°¡­A doll. Did you make this?¡±


    His voice was always cold, but it was colder this time, so I bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I made it from scratch.¡±


    Hearing my words, something faint seemed to dwell in his eyes. I had seen his expressions, ranging from annoyance, rage, boredom, and tiredness, while I visited the palace. But I¡¯m not sure what that was. Was he happy? He doesn¡¯t look displeased, but he seemed a bit disappointed too. Does he not like my doll? While I was thinking, the Crown Prince had walked with his long legs towards me and stood in front of me.


    I expected as much, so I looked at him without an expression. Is he going to threaten me again? I expected him to threaten me, so I was ready for it. But something entirely different began to happen. The Crown Prince held my hand.


    ¡°I knew it was you.¡±


    In response to his words, something caught my mind. When I visited his secret room I saw him store the dolls that I made in a crystal case out of many dolls. I noticed this because they were so easy to spot.

 CH 90

    At the time, I was proud that my skills were worthy of such handling. But, but! Was he looking for the master doll crafter who went silent after putting such masterpieces on the market? By saying, ¡°I knew it,¡± meant he was following my trails.


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t doubt it anymore. It was you who I was looking for.¡±


    Yeah, sure. That nutjob now might lock me up, the best doll crafter in this country, and make me craft dolls for the rest of my life. Damn it! I wanted to hide that I¡¯m Doll Master M as best as I could¡­ But come to think of it, with that nutjob¡¯s obsession with dolls, he should have been able to notice. There weren¡¯t other doll crafters who could perfectly craft it with such detail and full of cuteness.


    My genius talent revealed itself! I heard being too good is also a crime, and this was just the case. Oh god, why did you not only give me the brain of a genius but also the talent of crafting so that I got picked by that nutjob?


    ¡°With you back, I¡¯ll never let you go.¡±


    My god, I now face the crisis of my doll-making career.


    ***


    After my identity was revealed, I was forced to be served tea by the Crown Prince. I felt like crying as he stared at me without saying a word for a long time. Trying to calm my nervousness down, I asked him, ¡°Y-Your Highness. Is there anything you want to say to me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said to me.


    But then, why do you keep looking at me like that?! Why aren¡¯t you letting me go back to my office?! ¡°Then¡­ Why are you doing this?¡±


    At my question, he looked at me, began tapping on the table, and answered, ¡°Well, guess.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± I replied.


    ¡°The reason why I¡¯m doing this. Guess, or I might destroy that stupid garden.¡±


    ¡°Pardon¡­?¡± I repeated.


    You crazy a*sh*le. How would I know why you¡¯re doing this? Ugh, this is crazy. When I asked him if he didn¡¯t like the doll, he said he liked it. I could see that he was telling the truth from the way he carried the doll earlier, so there was no reason to doubt that. Then, there was only one answer remaining.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m asking this just in case. You don¡¯t like me, right?¡±


    In response, his face distorted for some reason. Then he bit on his lip and asked, ¡°Why do you think that?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well¡­¡±


    Don¡¯t you think I would have come to that conclusion from the way you have been treating me? The Crown Prince became silent, then spoke with a hint of annoyance in his voice, ¡°I see how it is. Good. You¡¯re free to go for now. You can¡¯t run anymore.¡±


    My heart began to race. It was probably out of self-pity for being caught by a nutjob. He sure was persistent. How long will you enslave me for making dolls? Beginning next time, I should get something in return. He could also be my best customer. Let¡¯s think positively.


    ***


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    I was surprised by Rave¡¯s voice as he was suddenly talking to me. Ugh, crap. To show him such an unprofessional state¡­ It was only an instant, so I figured it might be okay. Rave, however, seemed to have caught on even in that moment and looked at me with a serious look on his face.


    Then, he hesitantly asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    There¡¯s a lot of things wrong, a lot. Thanks to the Crown Prince, I think my soul had left me in just one day. However, I wasn¡¯t close enough to this man to share even those details, and it¡¯s obvious that I would be poisoned to death if I were to spill the Crown Prince¡¯s secret.

 CH 91

    ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied.


    Yes, there was nothing. Let¡¯s be calm again. I shouldn¡¯t play into his schemes anymore! I¡¯m Marina von Harrant, daughter of my proud parents and the up-and-coming government official of the Chancellor¡¯s Operations department. I¡¯ll be a high-ranking official in the future, so I shouldn¡¯t be withered down by something like this.


    ¡°I see, okay.¡±


    Rave¡¯s voice felt a bit stern, but it wasn¡¯t time to think about that. My mind was all tangled up, so I didn¡¯t have the time to think about others. Yes, no matter what comes at me, I¡¯ll take it on! Now, come on!


    ***


    It was only a few days after I had made that proud declaration, the Crown Prince called for me every single day for some weird reason. But he didn¡¯t make me do anything when he called me. He just drank tea or dragged me out to walk to the garden and ordered me to sit while he worked. I felt like I was getting a headache from this continuous daily routine.


    ¡°Your Highness, I apologize, but I think I should return to my office-¡±


    ¡°Sit. I didn¡¯t allow that,¡± interrupted the Crown Prince.


    Every time I had nothing to do, I tried to return to my office, but he didn¡¯t let me go. ¡®Damn it, damn it! If you call for me, either bully me or ask me some questions on policies or something!¡¯


    The Crown Prince was staring at me as I sat down with a look that I couldn¡¯t interpret what his intentions were. The problem was that it frustrated me. Think about it. You have a supervisor peering at you while having nothing else to do. You can feel him staring. What kind of person would like that? Maybe it was because of that my heart kept racing. It was because I was feeling mentally oppressed.


    But he still certainly is handso¡­ AHHH Marina, you crazy woman! Wake up!


    In my honest opinion, I wanted to give up on my proud declaration, or whatever. I wondered how much he hated me to think of such fresh torture.


    ¡®I can¡¯t do this anymore! I can¡¯t live like this!¡¯


    I had to come to terms today. I must! ¡°Your Highness, if I¡¯m vacant from my seat as a policy officer, there¡¯ll be trouble with our work.¡±


    ¡°Then, the Operations department is of no use. To have a problem just because they¡¯re missing a mere official?¡±


    I felt rage coming because of his sarcasm. Didn¡¯t you recognize my talent before? I felt betrayed at the thought he had looked down on my work. What is this emotion? My mind went hot while my heart went cold.


    Yes, now I know. I was angry. Just because of the words ¡°mere official.¡± Oh, Your Highness, there is a problem if we don¡¯t have a mere official. If I, an official, can¡¯t approve the job that I¡¯m responsible for, then the policy will affect the country, not the people the most. There were loads of work that I had to work on that needed to be delivered to other departments, and you say a ¡°mere official.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, just tell me honestly that you want to bully me.¡±


    I felt like crying when I said that, especially when I said the word ¡°bully.¡± Elise and now the Crown Prince¡­ What have I done wrong that makes me hate myself so much?


    It felt like the compliments and what I had shown him as a government official had become worthless. I thought that maybe I was a bit special among the other officials to him. Or that I was talented enough for his recognition. I even felt excited when he called me out yet agreed with my answer.

 CH 92

    I felt like I was worth nothing. I was acting like a perfect government official, especially in front of him. But here I was, just a mere official. It feels like I¡¯m being thrown off a cliff.


    He looked at me without saying a word, and I continued, ¡°All this time, my dream was to become a government official. I worked hard to come to this place. I looked forward to doing my part for this country¡¯s well-being by making policies that I came up with into reality. But Your Highness is making my dream worthless and is bringing disgrace to it.¡±


    I looked at him for a response, but he had no answer. Well, why would he care about a mere official¡¯s ambition? I was nothing to him from the beginning, after all.


    ¡°I understand well, Your Highness. I¡¯m speaking to you as a loyal servant, not out of spite, that a mere official like me being vacant from the office brings many problems to work. I was appointed as a policy officer responsible for going over policies and reporting them. If I¡¯m not able to do that, it¡¯ll immediately impact the citizens of Genorium.¡±


    The Crown Prince continued to remain silent, which frustrated me as though I had a sigh stuck in my throat.


    ¡°Your Highness. The policies you¡¯re looking over right now are all processed and reported by mere officials like me. Not only that, those who face our citizens take their complaints and process them are ranked lower than me. Do you think any of them are useless? How can you, the future ruler of this country, overlook that?¡±


    Damn it. Although I was the one who said that, it felt so right. I brought up anything I could out of frustration that my ego was hurt. I wanted him to correct what he said to me. Not only that, I wanted him to recognize that I¡¯m not a mere government official but also a splendid or at least acceptable one. But considering his character, he wouldn¡¯t correct his words. Instead, he might actually drag me out for blasphemy and hang me or something.


    That¡¯s right Marina. You lived a great 18 years. It wasn¡¯t all that bad. I fought hard to be where I am, so to be considered a mere official was very hurtful and insulting. That¡¯s why I recklessly fought back against the Crown Prince. I didn¡¯t want to be worthless in front of anyone.


    I glanced at him and saw him looking at me without any expression. But then¡­ Hmm. He looked a bit astonished, or was I mistaken? Wake up, Marina. That man won¡¯t care about a government official¡¯s words. I think I¡¯m overestimating everything recently.


    ¡°Overlook¡­ Actually, I did overlook something. That¡¯s fine. If you don¡¯t like it, so be it,¡± said the Crown Prince.


    Because I was thinking about what he would do to me and wishing for a less painful punishment, I almost doubted what I heard. I never expected him to say such a thing. So be it? Mother, Father, your daughter has succeeded! I have survived that nutjob¡¯s monstrosity!


    ¡°And you aren¡¯t a mere official.¡±


    My heart began pounding again. Oh, it¡¯s probably because I have exhausted myself from letting out too much of my emotions. No, of course, I¡¯m not a mere official. I¡¯m the Crown Prince¡¯s doll crafter and his reporter.


    While I was acting proud of myself, I heard a low and a bit of a let-down voice, ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you busy?¡±


    Is he¡­ really letting me go? My god! What is that nutjob up to now? Puzzled, I glanced at him and then heard an even lower, frightening voice, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you leave while I let you? Or do you wish to stay longer?¡±

 CH 93

    I felt sorry for the woman who was going to become the future crown princess. Who cares if you¡¯re not on the highest throne? It will be torture having to deal with those kinds of mood swings. Although, I¡¯m not sure why I can¡¯t imagine it.


    Doesn¡¯t it feel bad to think of someone besides that nutjob? Yeah, why would I imagine something that didn¡¯t happen yet? I¡¯ll enjoy this moment.


    ¡°Then, if you¡¯ll excuse me, Your Highness.¡±


    ***


    Quickly, I got away from the Crown Prince¡¯s palace and sighed in relief. You are insane, Marina. What have you just done? Acting so disrespectful and emotional to the Crown Prince! Nine lives won¡¯t be enough at this rate.


    I think I¡¯m becoming emotional, which isn¡¯t like me. Am I going crazy because I¡¯m dealing with someone nuts? No, I don¡¯t want to go crazy! Just the thought was terrible enough. I¡¯m not crazy, but I certainly am shocked mentally. My heart is still racing.


    ¡°Marin? Have you been to the prince¡¯s palace again?¡±


    It was Rian, who I often came across lately. I nodded at his yet again wonderful looks and replied, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s tiring.¡±


    He looked at me and nodded, ¡°You look very tired. Your face is a bit flushed too. Did His Highness swear again?¡±


    A swear¡­ Was it? I did consider it an insult. Maybe the effects of that word are still lingering.


    ¡°Marin, are you crying?¡±


    Rian lowered his head to look at me as I put my head down. I felt like laughing, ¡®Yeah, he really looks like him.¡¯


    Rian seems really similar to my first love. That boy used to care about how I felt all the time too. His caring nature made me like him. However, to Rian I was only a friend. Let¡¯s not get ahead of myself.


    ¡°No, I was just thinking of something.¡±


    I felt a bit bitter. Yes, even if he is my first love, I¡¯ll never get close to him. Once I show any interest in him, he¡¯ll coldly cut me off, and we won¡¯t be friends anymore. That¡¯s why it¡¯s only right that I never do, even though it hurts. But still, I want to confirm it.


    ¡°Rian, I have a question. You know, what you said before, ¡®move forward like a pawn.¡¯ Where do you hear that?¡±


    Rian¡¯s expression disappeared from his face. I was taken aback by this sudden change, then he spoke with a bit of laughter, ¡°Hmm¡­ Maybe you don¡¯t recognize the words you frequently say. You said it multiple times while we were playing chess.¡±


    ¡®Did I?¡¯ I wondered.


    Maybe I did. I did use those words quite often. That¡¯s a relief. I was a bit relieved that he wasn¡¯t my first love. That means I don¡¯t need to give up on my first love yet.


    ¡®If I find you again, I¡¯ll say I missed you.¡¯


    ***


    It was a boring day when Rey suddenly came to my room and said, ¡°I need a vacation.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± I asked.


    ¡°About two months.¡±


    He was a boring guy, who never asked for a vacation, so I found it weird. I haven¡¯t had any problems in the few months I¡¯ve been living in the capital, so I agreed wholeheartedly.


    ¡°Sure. But there¡¯s one condition.¡± Rey became curious while I smiled and answered, ¡°Call me Lady Marina, and I¡¯ll allow it.¡±


    Rey frowned at once. My mouth was turning into a smile. He, however, overturned the situation by throwing a word that made me feel unpleasant immediately, ¡°If you keep doing that, I¡¯ll expose that you¡¯re a crybaby to your cousins.¡±


    My face distorted at such unpleasantness while Rey wore a smug expression as he continued, ¡°Or you can give me a vacation.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any proof of that.¡±

 CH 94

    ¡°I can make one like calling your cousins while you¡¯re crying.¡± Although he¡¯s my distant cousin, he¡¯s unlikable. I waved my hand instead of answering, and he smiled, ¡°Just in case, don¡¯t walk around alone. Always bring Daisy with you, alright? Lady Crybaby.¡±


    I threw a pillow at him out of annoyance, but he was already out of the room. Damn it! Maybe I should craft a doll. I picked up a needle, but I couldn¡¯t do it because I was constantly reminded of Rey¡¯s annoying face.


    ¡®Ugh, this is annoying.¡¯


    I wondered how I should relieve myself of this annoyance but then I remembered I should prepare some clothes for the coming fall. So, I decided to go shopping with Daisy.


    ¡°Daisy, what do you think about that hat?¡±


    She shook her head with a stern look at my question. It might look like I brought Daisy because of what Rey said, but actually, I brought her along for a different purpose. She has a very keen sense of fashion, so she was very helpful when going shopping.


    ¡°What about that?¡± I asked.


    Daisy nodded softly in response to my question this time. Hmm, I should try it on. I was about to put my hands on the hat that Daisy allowed when someone else also placed her hand on it. I looked up to see who it was.


    ¡°Lady Harrant, what is the meaning of this rudeness?¡±


    It was graceful, but a clearly hostile voice. Silver hair sparkled in front of my eyes. Beautiful aquamarine-like eyes were glaring at me. I also glared at her while I was trying not to falter behind.


    ¡°My, Lady Schuteiner. I put my hand on it first.¡±


    Elise von Schuteiner. I didn¡¯t think I would come across her here. She glared at me for a long time, then moved her hand away with a smile.


    ¡°Maybe you like touching things that I¡¯ve touched first. Oh well, it looks like you look better with this after all,¡± commented Elise. She then whispered to me so that only I could hear her, ¡°You¡¯re like a crow thinking that it¡¯s something better, so it¡¯s picking up lavish feathers one by one. You think you¡¯re something?¡±


    I glared at her because of how two-faced she was. The boutique was quiet, but her whispers were fazed out by small chattering all around, so her mask wasn¡¯t taken off around people here.


    Then, she smiled and whispered, ¡°Marina, oh Marina. Are you full of yourself because you danced with His Highness? Do you think he was being truthful? You¡¯re just a toy to him.¡±


    As she finished, she dropped the hat from its display and stepped on it with her heel. Then, she pulled me toward her, making me also step on the hat. It happened all too quickly.


    ¡°What are you doing? I know you hate me, but you didn¡¯t need to do this to a hat just because you grabbed the same one that I had put my hand on!¡±


    She was acting like a Lady Schuteiner who was fighting for justice as she looked at me with guilt. Everyone around, the nobles who visited the boutique as guests began to whisper.


    ¡°Lady Harrant? The one that danced with Highness before Lady Schuteiner did?¡±


    ¡°There were rumors that Lady Schuteiner¡¯s engagement was canceled because of that.¡±


    ¡°She sure has a temper. Is she being arrogant because she got His Highness¡¯s attention?¡±


    ¡°Poor Lady Schuteiner. Look at her¡­ She¡¯s shivering.¡±


    I glared at every one of them who was muttering about. Fools. You don¡¯t know anything. That b**ch is shivering with her head down because she¡¯s only trying hard to suppress her laughter!

 CH 95

    ¡°That¡¯s why her fianc¨¦ dumped her.¡±


    Elise¡¯s eyes began to turn to an angle. Although she covered her mouth, I could see it. She glanced at me while laughing. Then, I realized that all this was her plan. I don¡¯t know how she knew about my plans today, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s ignore what everyone says. While I was thinking to myself, I heard some sarcasm directed at me.


    ¡°How can a person be so spiteful?¡±


    ¡°I think Count Harrant is to blame for her education at this point.¡±


    Although I felt my head aching and a dull sense pushing me down, I didn¡¯t want to respond to despicable fools who like to talk about other people. I slowly took a deep breath and talked to myself.


    Calm yourself and ease your expression. Act calmly so that those words don¡¯t hurt you and look forward. Don¡¯t you see? Those are the people who put me on a stake and tried to bring me down. Don¡¯t give up on yourself. They are doing that so that you can hear.


    ¡°How about you insult me like that in front of my uncle?¡± I asked.


    In response to my words, all of them shut their mouths as if they planned it. Well, my uncle¡¯s family is nowhere lacking compared to Elise¡¯s family. But it still hurts my ego. I wanted to get out of this situation with my power, so borrowing power from others made me look pitiful, and I hated that. However, I didn¡¯t want to put my tail down and surrender to those who insulted my father and me.


    ¡®I won¡¯t get hurt or run anymore. I won¡¯t get scared or hurt by you even if that¡¯s what you want to do. I promised¡­ never to look at myself as weak again.¡¯


    Those words became a spell and made me stronger. Then, I realized something that I didn¡¯t know just before. They were wary of me now. Only then, did I understand that they were nothing to me. I smirked at them and spoke like I was giving them a lesson, ¡°It¡¯s not wise to pick a fight if you¡¯re not ready to lose something.¡±


    Unlike my head that was growing cold, I felt like throwing up from my gut. However, I couldn¡¯t look weak to my enemies. I hid my sick gut as if I was wearing a mask and called an employee over, ¡°I¡¯ll pay for that hat. Unlike someone out there, I¡¯m not a cowardly noble who blames someone else for what she has done herself.¡±


    Elise¡¯s expression froze viciously at my sarcasm. She looks so puny because she shows herself so easily. Elise, you can¡¯t directly attack me. You thought you could hurt me? The reason why I¡¯m hurt right now isn¡¯t because of you. It¡¯s because I was reminded of my hurtful past.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me, please enjoy your shopping,¡± I said.


    ¡°W-wait, are you going to run aw¡­ Hieeek!¡±


    While I was trying to ignore the person calling me out from behind, I heard something crash, so I turned around. A chandelier from the ceiling had fallen, and Elise, who was close-by, was on the ground shivering. Strangely, she was looking at Daisy with a frown, pointed at her, and said, ¡°You?¡±


    That¡¯s when Daisy held my hand and smiled, ¡°It seems the chandelier had fallen. Milady, we should get out of such a building now.¡±


    Just as I was curious about her actions, she dragged me out of the boutique. I tried, but I wasn¡¯t fine hearing insults from all those people. I felt like my legs would fail me, but I ground my teeth and walked.

 CH 96

    ¡®No, not yet. It¡¯s not the time to stagger. Just one more step. Just one more¡­!¡¯


    I managed to barely walk out with anger that was trying to eat me alive when someone held my hand. With warm hands and green eyes, my servant looked at me and said, ¡°I¡¯m your servant, my lady. I¡¯m not helping you. I¡¯m just doing my job.¡±


    I felt like a fool to be relieved because of her words. I couldn¡¯t be weaker than I was, but why were there so many people around me who made me weak?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I refused her help because of that. After using some effort to walk, I was able to get into a carriage. As soon as I sat down, my legs went numb.


    ¡°Milady, are you alright?¡± asked Daisy.


    I felt numb but acted as if I was calm and nodded, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I¡¯m fine. That¡¯s¡­ just all in the past. Even if I regretted it, nothing would change. But why is that past still trying to drag me down? Even if I act right, my genuine actions don¡¯t work. I¡¯m saying I¡¯m fine but¡­ it¡¯s getting tiring.


    ***


    While people were smirking at me, I was alone in a large area filled with people. Even with those eyes that looked down at me with everyone laughing, I stood as if I couldn¡¯t see or hear them and as if I was calm. But from the inside, I was hurt.


    I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why are you all looking at me like that? While I glared at them with such thoughts, I saw familiar faces among them. Kyles and Elise. You won¡¯t hurt me anymore. When I glared at them, I saw others who were looking at me behind the two of them. They were my precious people. Because they were looking at me with such eyes, the inside of me cracked and shattered completely.


    ***


    ¡°AAAARGH!¡±


    I opened my eyes with a scream. Cold sweat was all over my body. Oh, right. I fell asleep right after I got home earlier. So, it was a dream. It was a disgusting one.


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    I¡¯m fine. It didn¡¯t happen, nor will it happen. Wake up. I¡¯ll become a failure if I become weak because of such things. I barely managed to calm my emotions, and my mind turned cold again. I got up from my bed and stood in front of the mirror.


    ¡®I can¡¯t look weak.¡¯


    I was relieved to see myself in the mirror with a bit of a stern and expressionless look on my face because it felt like I was back to my usual self. In an effort to wake my mind up from that lingering weakness, I opened the window. The cold and chilly early-morning air came in and cooled me off. At the distant floor of the sky where darkness hadn¡¯t driven away, the bright sun was ripping through and soaring up from beneath. While looking at the sunrise, I wished that my weakness from within could burn away without a trace.


    ***


    ¡°Marina, you don¡¯t look so well.¡±


    I heard Rave¡¯s energetic voice, but I didn¡¯t deny it. The unpleasantness of last night¡¯s nightmare still lingered, so I didn¡¯t want to play along with others. I nodded with a stern expression and replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just a bit tired because I couldn¡¯t sleep much.¡±


    Rave then began to make a fuss, ¡°What?! My dear Marina couldn¡¯t sleep? Was it because you were thinking of me?¡±

 CH 97

    Even at his foolish joke, I couldn¡¯t react like I used to. I felt bitter as I remembered the reason why I couldn¡¯t sleep. That¡¯s when Vice Directory Raymont called me over.


    ¡°Secretary Harrant, send this document to the Finance department.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I answered.


    Just, as usual, it was an errand from my supervisors. I could let my subordinates do it, but they were busy because of the mundane tasks that I delegated to them. Because of that, I had no choice but to go myself. What¡¯s fortunate was that the Crown Prince was out hunting and wasn¡¯t in the palace. If he was there, then I would have had to go to the prince¡¯s palace as well.


    As I arrived at the Finance department, I realized there were many female officials there. Female officials were deemed more detail-oriented and nitpicky, so this department, which was at the top of all financial works, valued them more.


    ¡°Hello. I am Rosaine von Faularner, Chief of Budget Planning. How can I help you?¡±


    A slightly cold-looking official came to me as I stood there with a document. I handed her the document and replied, ¡°It¡¯s an order from Operations of Internal Affairs. It¡¯s asking to organize the ledger as it seems a bit disorderly.¡±


    She checked the document with my words written on it and nodded. Then she looked up to see me and agreed, ¡°Yes, this sure seems more efficient. I¡¯ll bring this to our vice director who handles this.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered and felt weird at her looking at me for unknown reasons. Then, I clenched my fist. I was uncomfortable by such a look, probably because I was traumatized because I was bullied in the past. I asked, ¡°Any questions?¡±


    ¡°N-no. I was just thinking of something. Please excuse me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be going back then. Goodbye.¡±


    She nodded, then looked at me for a while longer, and slowly turned around. I, too, began to head back to my office. On the way back, I had to walk past External Affairs. While I was worried that I might run into Kyles, someone pulled me. I almost screamed but saw a familiar face.


    ¡°Rave?¡± I said.


    It was Rave. He grinned at me and said, ¡°Marina, while we¡¯re coincidentally out on an errand, why don¡¯t we skip work and go play?¡±


    I think it was Rave¡¯s habit to say the word ¡°coincidentally.¡± Anyway, I was so tired that skipping work sounded so appealing, so I hesitated and said, ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just follow me. You can¡¯t even focus on your work today.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny him, so I just sighed. I couldn¡¯t focus on my work at all today. However, I couldn¡¯t just skip it, so I hesitated. Rave then grabbed my wrist and declared, ¡°I¡¯ll take the blame, so follow me.¡±


    I felt a bit unpleasant and threw his hand off of me. Because of my cold reaction, Rave looked a bit hurt, looked at me, and commented, ¡°Oh, my assistant is so cold! You didn¡¯t need to do that!¡±


    ¡°It hurts. I can walk on my own, so don¡¯t pull me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m sorry. Come this way!¡±


    Rave looked excited. Was he that excited to skip work? I can understand that because I also wanted to rest right now. It¡¯s best to take a break when you¡¯re tired.


    Not long after, I saw an empty garden with a bench. I was about to sit down when Rave quickly pulled out a handkerchief, placed it over the bench, and said, ¡°A lady should always be treated with care!¡±


    He winked with those words, which was a bit funny.

 CH 98

    ¡®Who can stop him from doing that? Rave will never stop his habit of flirting for the rest of his life,¡¯ I thought as I burst out in laughter. Then, I heard Rave¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Oh, you finally smiled,¡± Rave said as he smiled, brightly as if he was happy as well. Gosh, does he like me laughing at him that much?


    ¡°Marina,¡± said Rave.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered at the sudden call of my name.


    Rave then spoke to me with a mischievous smile and asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    I felt frustrated, but I couldn¡¯t tell him. Things with Elise and the nightmare¡­ I couldn¡¯t share things like that with him, so I replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°I see. It¡¯s nothing this time as well,¡± commented Rave with a lower voice. He stayed silent for a while, then threw his pocket watch into the air and grabbed it. That¡¯s an expensive watch! What if you break it?


    ¡°Rave, it¡¯ll break if you drop it!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Your face looked funny. Why are you worried when it¡¯s not even yours?¡±


    ¡®Of course, I¡¯d get worried. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that watch, and you¡¯re throwing it into the air! How can I just ignore it!¡¯


    As I was about to snap at him, Rave watched me with an unexplainable sunken look on his face. It was a grim expression that didn¡¯t fit him. It was so unfamiliar that it caught me off guard. I looked away and heard Rave¡¯s voice in his usual tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll repair it if it breaks!¡±


    I became bitter at his words. How wonderful would it be if you could return to normal? If I could do that, I could stay emotionless while people insulted me¡­ I acted as if it didn¡¯t hurt me, but it seems I¡¯ve been hurt from the inside. If the watch was repaired, it might look fine on the outside, but it might have critical damage inside that¡¯s hard to find.


    Unaware of my thoughts, Rave began throwing the watch again. At that moment, the watch that was thrown in the air without much thought looked like me, who had to withstand uncaring hostility, and I became disgusted. Oh, Marina. Don¡¯t be a fool. However, the unpleasantness that had already filled my guts was difficult to suppress.


    ¡°Marina, are you alright? Are you angry because of me?¡±


    I tried to stay calm as best as I could. Although Rave was a good coworker, I didn¡¯t trust him enough to show all my feelings to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t mind-¡± I was about to hide from him when he interrupted me and penetrated through my mind against my expectations.


    ¡°But you look like¡­ you¡¯re going to cry.¡±


    I was appalled. How did he know? I must have been trying my best to look expressionless. How do you always find out that I¡¯m suppressing my sadness?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Have I done something wrong? Please, talk to me. Why are you always trying hard not to cry?¡±


    I¡¯m confident that I didn¡¯t show any hints of it¡­ This time again, he penetrated my weakness hidden behind my calm mask.


    ¡°I should go back.¡±


    It was unpleasant. I didn¡¯t want to stay with him any longer because he, who had looked through my iron mask, might pull out the weak mind that I could barely suppress. Coldly, I snapped, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind me anymore.¡±


    Rave glared, then gritted his teeth and put his head down. Then, I left him there and hurried to get out of there.


    ***


    Only after I saw there was no one around me did I let out a deep sigh that pushed up from my heart. It was frustrating. I was still tied to my past and was being held there. My beautiful memory of my first love, Kyles, who deceived me, and I from the past, who agonized over the bullying were no longer here.

 CH 99

    I have to act like I¡¯m not tired and frightened even though I was. Government officials have to maintain that calmness even when blood and iron flow around. That¡¯s why I tried my best to ignore my weak mind.


    After I was able to calm myself, I returned to my seat. Rave, who had been waiting for me, came to me and asked, ¡°Marina, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    I found it uncomfortable and annoying for him to keep asking me if I am okay. I don¡¯t want to talk about it anymore. So I covered my face with a fake smiling mask made up with lies.


    ¡°Really. It was just a prank earlier,¡± said I.


    ¡°Hah¡­ let¡¯s talk later,¡± said Rave.


    Rave seemed like he had a lot to say, but he couldn¡¯t say as we were at work. I then stopped thinking about him and returned to work. It¡¯s good when I dive into work like this as I can push all these regrets and hatred away and think about nothing else.


    ***


    ¡°Goodbye, everyone.¡±


    I hurriedly left the office as soon as it was time to go home. From behind, I heard someone calling me, but I ignored them. It must have been Rave. I didn¡¯t want to go through the unpleasantness of being around him again. I trusted that if I stood alone strong, I could push those unpleasant feelings back down as I always did.


    I fastened my pace as I pushed down my frustration, and soon I was by the main gate. Was it because I gave Rey a vacation when he would have come to pick me up? I felt empty. I would have talked to him to ease myself if he was here.


    I sighed by myself at the carriage waiting area by the main gate. Then, someone called me.


    ¡°Excuse me, beautiful lady?¡±


    I turned my head toward the voice, even though I was sure it wasn¡¯t calling me. There was a poorly clothed girl looking at me. She had a basket of flowers in her arms, so she must be selling flowers. There was no one around me. Did she just call¡­


    ¡°Did you call me?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Of course!¡± she answered.


    She sure had the skills of a salesperson. Well, I suppose you should have that kind of skill to sell flowers on the street! People buy flowers to feel better after all.


    ¡°Someone told me to give this to you,¡± said the energetic girl.


    I took the envelope she handed to me and asked, ¡°Who gave this to you?¡±


    I felt something was off but acted calmly. The girl shook her head with a stern expression and answered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think he was also running an errand for someone. Anyway, my job is done, so I¡¯ll be off beautiful lady.¡±


    The girl left as I watched her, then I looked around. It was the same outside of the Royal Palace. The ever-peaceful capital. I could see nothing off about it at all.


    ¡®Who could it be? This envelope could be¡­¡¯ I certainly didn¡¯t feel good. I decided to take a look at it after I got home.


    ***


    I left my cousins, who greeted me cheerfully, behind and entered my room. I locked the door, took a deep breath as I was now alone, and began opening the envelope. What came out of it was a letter. I opened it with a puzzled look on my face. As soon as I read it, I felt my disgust shoot up from within me.


    You dirty b**ch. How do you live while ruining another person¡¯s life? You better live quietly if you don¡¯t want any trouble.

 CH 100

    The letter was written in blood. Who was it? Who sent this to me? Was it Elise? Someone who hates me? My emotions came out full-blown as I was alone in my room. Rage made me tremble.


    I became furious. Who did I ruin that made me have to read something like this? Was it Kyles who broke up with me? Or was it Elise who broke up with the Crown Prince? I don¡¯t know. However, I¡¯m not responsible for either of them. In both relationships, I was the victim, not the offender. I was enraged at such ignorance of calling me a bitch even then.


    Why¡­ When I have done nothing wrong, do I have to withstand such insults and scars in my mind?


    ¡°Sister, is there something wrong?¡±


    I came back to my senses while I was deep in my dark thoughts when I heard Lumi¡¯s concerned voice from outside the door.


    ¡°Marin, open the door! Are you okay?¡± asked Jianne.


    ¡°Marin! Answer me!¡± shouted Chelle.


    That¡¯s why being so quick to read one¡¯s mind¡­ is annoying. That was the case for Rave and my cousins. I looked at the mirror before I opened the door. It¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t see anything off about me, so they¡¯ll never know.


    ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss?¡± I asked as I opened the door.


    The three of them were staring at me. Then, I saw Daisy standing behind them and froze without realizing it. Her usual sleepy eyes were so clear, unlike usual. Her deep forest-like eyes were visibly clear. It was my servant, who comforted me by bringing me hot chocolate every time I was bullied. My head started to hurt from her eyes that seemed to pierce through me.


    I¡¯m not a foolish coward. I¡¯m unhurt by such pain. I¡¯ve been saying it to myself so many times, but I can¡¯t explain why it was so painful.


    ¡°Milady, are you alright?¡±


    However, the brief travel to my past was over. I didn¡¯t want to show my weak side anymore, so I lied, ¡°I was just tired and needed some shuteye.¡±


    I acted like nothing was wrong. Everyone looked doubtful but didn¡¯t ask any further. They only sighed.


    ¡°Sister, tell us anything if you want to,¡± said Lumi.


    ¡°We¡¯re always here for you,¡± added Jianne.


    ¡°Marin, we can do anything for you,¡± said Chelle.


    ¡°Milady, tell me if you¡¯re tired. I¡¯ll give you a massage,¡± said Daisy.


    I smiled as there was nothing wrong with their words. I didn¡¯t want any harm to come to them because of me. If my pain becomes theirs, they too might leave me as Kyles did.


    ***


    When I was young back when my father was the supervisor to His Majesty, I felt like the world revolved around me. Everyone was friendly toward me and was kind. But my father¡¯s sudden collapse from his seat and the downfall of my family came so suddenly.


    The proud and confident 13-year-old me was puzzled by the sudden change in attitudes of the people around me. I was still the same, unchanged, but people looked coldly at me and insulted me just because my background had changed. My confidence and self-consciousness that I had built up fell to the depth slowly like that.


    Kids are crueler because they don¡¯t know how to cover their evil. The Northern Academy where I went after our estate moved, had kids calling me ¡°Beggar Harrant¡± just because of poor-looking clothes. Children from families that tried to befriend my father before, began ignoring me and soon joined those who insulted me and looked at me with those degrading eyes. I tried to act calm, but people who were kind to me before changed their attitudes, which came as a huge shock to my younger self.

 CH 101

    In my youth, when my mind was full of scars, I saw him. Crouched on the street, the young boy was carefully handling a wildflower to move it to a safer place.


    ¡°What¡¯s Pail doing again?¡±


    ¡°He dirtied his clothes for some stupid flowers.¡±


    When I saw that boy, Kyles, I was genuinely shocked. His hands and clothes were dirty because of some worthless flower on the road. And what he said¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. Even if it doesn¡¯t look worthy to you, it might be precious and beautiful to someone out there.¡±


    ¡­Felt like he was referring to me. My heart shook because he claimed a worthless wildflower to be beautiful and cared for it. If he finds something people find insignificant to be worthy, wouldn¡¯t he do the same for me as well? I wanted to be close with him because I thought he would never betray me and remain my friend forever. However, I had no courage, so I tried to leave with a heavy heart.


    That¡¯s when Kyles approached me. He gave me his handkerchief as I was crying from being touched by his words and awkwardly asked, ¡°Excuse me, but are you alright? Why are you crying so suddenly?¡±


    After that, I was put into a dilemma when he first confessed his love to me. I didn¡¯t feel that way for him, but I was alone. I was afraid he might leave, so I accepted his confession.


    A year later, I was afraid that I might be a loner once again because Kyles graduated as he entered the Academy two years earlier than me. I wished that time would pass as fast as it could. Then, Beth, Aria, and Mion came to me. They were all my valuable friends.


    It was like a dream. I had friends who liked me, and Kyles visited me even after graduating from the Academy. After leaving the small world called the Academy, I, unfortunately, awakened from that dream. Friends who became a part of my world had to leave me due to personal reasons. I was left relying only on Kyles. I was foolish and young, so I relied on him for everything. I talked to him about things I found troubling and even complained to him.


    But after Kyles, who was the center of my life, betrayed me, I learned a great lesson. I learned that if I annoy people with my problems, those people can always abandon me. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t be weak anymore. I won¡¯t be swayed by those who insult me.


    ***


    I was on my way to the Finance department for an errand when I heard some whispers. I turned around to look and saw some servants.


    ¡°So, she¡¯s the one¡­¡±


    They were in beautiful dresses and well-groomed while insulting me. Even if I had my uncle¡¯s family as support, it wasn¡¯t enough to put out all the flames that had caught on. It was obvious that Elise and her cronies were fanning those flames.


    ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of that fallen noble Harrant, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°What a mess. A fallen noble became so confident just because she became an official.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems her true goal was to grab herself a husband and change her social status.¡±


    ¡°Such lewd actions must have caused her to be dumped.¡±


    I glared at them with the most vicious expression I could make as the insults were coming toward me. Then, I saw them flinching at the sight of me.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you dare talk about my actions. You don¡¯t know half of how I lived¡­ Do I want to change my status by grabbing for myself a good husband? Well, I do want to succeed, but I¡¯ll do it with my own power. I don¡¯t want to rely on someone else.¡¯

 CH 102

    Just as I was about to snap at them with such a thought, I heard a stern voice retort, ¡°Don¡¯t you all have a job to do? I¡¯m sure talking about someone behind their back isn¡¯t part of your job.¡±


    I turned and saw the stern-looking government official I saw at the Finance department glaring at those maids. Her name was Rosaine von Faularner, I think.


    ¡°Huh? What is she saying?¡±


    ¡°Does she think she¡¯s something because she¡¯s an official?¡±


    The maids mumbled, but Rosaine didn¡¯t back down and sternly spoke to them, ¡°Even if you¡¯re maids from the Royal Palace, you can¡¯t talk disrespectfully like that to me as I¡¯m a deputy. If you¡¯re a 1st maid, you would be ranked the same as me as I¡¯m a 5th ranked official. The person you¡¯re insulting right now is a secretary, a 4th ranked official.


    I couldn¡¯t fight back at them because I was worried things might get messier even when they were insulting me, and she was siding with me in my place. I never experienced something like this.


    ¡°To find someone so disrespectful to serve the royal family as a maid¡­ This is impressive. Will it be okay if I let the Head Maid know about this?¡±


    The maids flinched and scurried away while whispering to themselves. Rosaine then turned to me and talked in a low voice, ¡°That. Is it the budget plan for the current date?¡±


    Her eyes were on the document I was holding, so I answered,  ¡°Yes.¡±


    As I handed it to her, she bowed with her hand and commented, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. Their only pleasure out of their boring lives is insulting others. That¡¯s all they do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    She smiled at my answer and bowed again, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me then.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.


    Even as I watched her leaving, instead of pride that made me not want to look weak, I was worried that she might get hurt because of me and couldn¡¯t thank her. I acted strong, but others being friendly to me was unfamiliar. I looked at her back for quite a while, then returned to my office, where people considered me a part of them.


    ***


    Days had gone by, and I found my calmness had returned, but rumors about me had spread all over the beau monde. I was used to getting attacked by people who hated me, but that didn¡¯t mean I was oblivious to it. Although I felt disgusted and sick of it, I still acted calmly. I didn¡¯t want others to know that it affected me. However, the people around me didn¡¯t leave me alone.


    ¡°Marina, let¡¯s talk for a second.¡±


    Rave held onto me. He seemed frustrated by something. Other officials seemed to share his thoughts as they signaled for us to talk.


    ¡®Is he trying to ask about the rumors regarding me?¡¯ I sighed and went out of the building with him.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Rave took a deep breath and let it out. Then he looked at me with his dark blue eyes and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He then spoke in a frustrated tone, ¡°There¡¯s certainly something going on with you. There¡¯s a rumor going around about you.¡±


    Ah, as expected, the reason why I expected to see him was that he was similar to me from the past. The foolish me, who was frustrated and wished that boy who wouldn¡¯t speak to talk. I don¡¯t dislike him. Just like I was before, he, too, must be worried about the questions he¡¯s asking.


    ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Stop lying! How can it not be with such rumors!¡±


    I found it unfamiliar to me for Rave to shout like that. It was the first time he spoke in such an angry tone when he was always playful. I blanked out in shock, and he looked at me with an unusual look on his face.

 CH 103

    ¡°I can¡¯t take my eyes off of you every time you do that. I¡¯m so worried. I¡¯ll help you if there¡¯s a problem that¡¯s hard to deal with. So please, don¡¯t make that look.¡±


    I was surprised by his seriousness, but there was something very familiar about that to me. Yes, I used to be like that in the past.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. Those rumors were made up by someone who doesn¡¯t know me.¡±


    I had to deal with my problems. If he were to interfere, he would be mixed into this with me and would suffer from a scandal. I don¡¯t want people who have nothing to do with this to get hurt because of me, especially the people I care about. Also, I want to personally take revenge on those who bring harm to me.


    ¡°I can deal with it.¡±


    Rave froze at my straight up refusal. His deep blue eyes were full of frustration. I talked to him more directly, ¡°It¡¯s my problem, so you can¡¯t help. It¡¯s a burden I have to deal with on my own.¡±


    ¡°Marina, people can¡¯t live alone.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want others to take my burden.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to lose people who were precious to me anymore, so I became strong. Rave made a sad expression as he looked at me. Then he reached out with his hand to me.


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t take my hand, I¡¯ll keep offering it to you. If you have to take the heavy burden all by yourself, I¡¯ll help you by your side.¡±


    His warmth came to me, and a bit of it stayed by my heart. However, I didn¡¯t want to rely on him, so I refused to take the hand he offered and rejected his words from within me. ¡®I¡¯m not weak, so I don¡¯t need to be helped. I¡¯m used to people insulting me now.¡¯


    As if the warmth that came was a dream, my heart became cold immediately after thinking about those who insulted me. I had no intention of forgiving those who tried to hurt me using cowardly rumors. I also didn¡¯t want to rely on anyone. I have to get revenge for myself.


    I shook my head without an answer, and he took his hand back and clenched it into a fist. He then smiled as usual and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Marina.¡±


    When I got back, I sorted the rumors that I found suspicious. Sadly, there were just too many that I couldn¡¯t even count. It might have been someone who had a grudge against me. However, I knew from experience that a reason wasn¡¯t necessary for someone to hate others.


    I was frustrated when Vice Directory Raymont ordered me to bring a report to the Crown Prince¡¯s palace. Then, I left with the report. With my thin shield gone, I felt eyes looking at me along with whispers. Although I had forgotten about it recently, I was actually used to all this. It was frustrating, but it didn¡¯t matter as I had done nothing wrong. I thought there was nothing wrong with my actions, so I was sure I wouldn¡¯t get hurt by those who judged me on their own accord. I was on my way to the palace when someone suddenly pulled on my wrist.


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    It was Kyles with weirdly sunken eyes looking at me. Then he asked, ¡°Having a hard time?¡±


    Dumbfounded by his sudden words, I frowned. Kyles tried to put his hand on my face, but I slapped it.


    Kyles then spoke, ¡°There are rumors about you.¡± I twisted my lips as I glared at him without speaking, and he continued, ¡°I can comfort you. You have done nothing wrong. I¡¯m on your side.¡±

 CH 104

    Such nonsense made me scoff. On my side? On my side, my arse! You dumped me when I trusted you and sided with Elise, who bullied me. How could you say that you¡¯re on my side?


    ¡°Piss off, you sick a*sh*le.¡±


    Kyles glared because of my rather harsh tone. He then clenched his hand that grabbed my wrist harder and ordered, ¡°Stop resisting. I¡¯m the only one who kept a flawed girl like you by my side.¡±


    I was so flustered that I stupidly asked without realizing, ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Flawed. Honestly speaking, who would ever date you when there are so many bad rumors and flaws revolving around you if it wasn¡¯t for me?¡±


    I was not only flustered but also enraged by his unbelievable words. As my face froze, he seemed to discover that I was afraid and continued, ¡°But I can look over those flaws because I love you.¡±


    ¡°You love me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. The things that happened with Lady Schuteiner¡­ You got it all wrong. I¡¯ll explain.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to listen to Kyles¡¯s insane nonsense any longer. I can¡¯t understand how he insults me while saying he loves me. No, he still has feelings for Elise, so I don¡¯t get why he keeps doing this to me. Stupid a*sh*le!


    ¡°Are you blabbering about love while insulting me? Hah, if I were you, I would at least not speak crap. Piss off. I don¡¯t want to see you anymore.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a misunderstanding!¡±


    I became furious at him for trying to repeat the same pattern. Right, if he were sensible enough to be talked to, then he wouldn¡¯t have held me here using force. If he tries to be forceful, I won¡¯t take it any longer.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    I kicked his shin with my boot and was freed with him moaning. Hmph! Weak son of a b**tch! Insulting me while telling me you love me? You say insulting me is love. That¡¯s nonsense.


    ¡°Marina! Please! Don¡¯t go!¡±


    I heard his voice trying to stop me from behind, but I hurried away without looking back. It¡¯s disgusting and sickening. I felt like I was dumped in filthy and muddy water and had gotten out.


    ***


    After I broke myself away from Kyles and ran away, I was aimlessly walking toward the Crown Prince¡¯s palace when someone grabbed onto my clothes. I was shocked and tried to break free until I heard a kind voice.


    ¡°Marin, are you alright?¡±


    Rian. It was Rian. A sigh of relief escaped from my mouth. As soon as I saw his blue eyes, a strong sense of something squirmed from within.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look good, Marin.¡±


    What is it? Why is he looking at me with such eyes? I stared at his eyes for a while, then felt awkward and looked away. Then, I replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alright. I¡¯ll be off.¡±


    Trying to return to my office, I turned away from him, but he still held onto my clothes. Unlike Kyles, his touch was careful not to touch me directly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for grabbing you like this. You don¡¯t look so good, Marin.¡±


    His kind voice made me feel complicated. I had many mysterious enemies threatening me and Kyles who was clinging to me. However, I couldn¡¯t tell him about this either. I had to deal with these problems.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Rian repeated.


    His eyes turned a bit cold. They looked like the ones from that day. The day when Hillain was attacked I saw the kind Rian¡¯s true self. I felt guilty with his cold-looking eyes staring at me, but I replied as if I was completely fine.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    After hearing my answer, he looked at me without any emotions for a while. Then, he suddenly smiled and said, ¡°It must be if you say so. Things must have happened that I don¡¯t know about. I respect your choice, Marin.¡±

 CH 105

    Even when he said that he respected me, those words that came out made me feel awkward. However, his kind eyes were on me, so I just nodded, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need. I haven¡¯t done anything yet.¡±


    What did he mean by that? He¡¯s good at talking with unknown intentions quite often. Of course, he can say he hasn¡¯t done anything for me. There¡¯s no need for such a perfect man to do something for me anyway. It¡¯s not like his flower was damaged.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You were on your way to the palace, right? I¡¯ll protect you from all danger.¡±


    I saw the image of a trusty knight from his proud stance. He¡¯s a precious person who respects, protects, and values me. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want him to be harmed because of me. He¡¯s my beloved friend.


    Yes, a friend. Although he reminds me of my first love, he¡¯s a friend I can talk to with different emotions. I only want him to see my good sides and be friendly with him. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want him to take my burden.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± announced Rian.


    We were already at the palace while I was busy with my complicated thoughts. ¡°Thank you for that,¡± I said.


    Rian made a bit of a restrained smile. Then, he bowed politely and replied, ¡°You¡¯re most welcome. Go on now.¡±


    I walked toward the Crown Prince¡¯s office. Just like always, the door opened, and he looked at me. As always, he spoke to me. My thoughts ended as I saw the uncaring purple eyes staring at me. It was a different feeling from when I saw Rian and Rave¡¯s eyes. I thought I could forget all my thoughts, hardships, and suffering by being mesmerized by those purple-colored eyes.


    ¡®It¡¯s said that purple is the color of a demon. Why am I reminded of that?¡¯


    ¡°What are you doing? Go ahead and hand over your report.¡±


    I frowned at the Crown Prince¡¯s yet again cold words and handed him the document. Then I told him, ¡°It¡¯s a list of locations for the embankments, Your Highness.¡±


    After looking at the report for quite a while, the Crown Prince brought up his purple eyes to look at me and asked, ¡°This place. Who suggested this?¡±


    A smile came to me as I saw where he was pointing his finger. Keharen River is a river that penetrates through Genorium and Azar. It was one of the most valuable water supplies. There¡¯s a potential diplomatic issue that might arise when the embankments are built on that river, so everyone was worried. However, I knew that there was an internal feud between Azar¡¯s king and its chieftains, so I insisted on that spot. It was the Chancellor, the highest-ranking official of our Internal Affairs, who agreed with my choice.


    ¡°It was me.¡±


    He then touched his chin and smiled, ¡°Good work. Azar is in the middle of internal warfare, so they won¡¯t have the room to care about it. You didn¡¯t miss even the slightest of details, did you?¡±


    I felt proud of his compliments. That¡¯s when he told me, ¡°But I wonder why you missed that?¡±


    ¡°Pardon,¡± I asked. What did I miss? I looked at him with such thoughts.


    He laughed as he looked at me and responded, ¡°So stupid.¡±


    It certainly didn¡¯t feel good to be called stupid without knowing the reason, so I asked, ¡°What did miss that made me hear such words? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    I glared at him with a frown. He looked at me with a weird expression for a long time and answered, ¡°You don¡¯t need to think about it if you don¡¯t get it. There¡¯s nothing more foolish than thinking about something that you don¡¯t need to hold on to.¡±

 CH 106

    I didn¡¯t understand his words, but it made me dive into my thoughts. What was it that made him say that?


    ¡°But if it were me, I would never let go. If I can keep thinking about it, then it must be important.¡±


    Why was he going back and forth¡­? Such thoughts made me sulky, but strangely, looking at him and talking to him made me feel better. That¡¯s when the Crown Prince suddenly walked up to me. I gulped as the purple eyes looked at me.


    The Crown Prince then spoke with his unique and callous tone, ¡°Let¡¯s play chess.¡±


    Weird man. He never gives up, even when he¡¯ll lose anyway. Most people would be sick and tired and would never try.


    ¡°Hah¡­ You¡¯ve never won though,¡± I sighed and spoke arrogantly.


    With a bit of a rebellious tone, he answered, ¡°You don¡¯t always need to win. I¡¯m free to do whatever I want even if someone tells me not to.¡±


    It was surprising, but his words stuck in my mind that you don¡¯t always need to win. Him saying he didn¡¯t care about winning when he was the crown prince was striking.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re very right¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to care about others. It¡¯s me who lives my own life, after all. So, just go ahead and play.¡±


    His aloof words made my frustration blow away and made me wear a smile on my face. Right. Who cares about others? All that matters is that I live doing whatever I want. Even if I regret it, I can still live on afterward. After all, I¡¯m the master of my own life.


    ¡°But we¡¯ll have to play next time. I¡¯m quite busy.¡±


    After coming back to my senses, I realized that I had loads of work on my hands. I realized that my word pace was considerably hindered while I was sad. Actually, I found it a bit annoying to play chess with the Crown Prince. Most of the time, he tends to drag on.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re good at making excuses. You just hope I¡¯ll forget about it. Don¡¯t you?¡±


    I had to suppress my smile at his annoyed rambling. Am I crazy that I find him cute when he¡¯s sulky like that? I was also thankful. His uncaring words reminded me about my promise to myself to not care about how others think about me.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I responded.


    ¡°There¡¯s no chance. I¡¯ll never forget.¡±


    The Crown Prince spoke with a meaningful voice, and I left the palace.


    ***


    It was finally the weekend. I decided not to cower and went shopping with Daisy. After buying loads of stuff, I was about to go into an old bookstore located at the end of an unpopulated alleyway.


    That¡¯s when Daisy became serious, shook her head, and said, ¡°Milady, we shouldn¡¯t go there.¡±


    I frowned at her unexplained words and asked, ¡°Why? You suddenly find my hobby weird now?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. However, we shouldn¡¯t go in there.¡±


    No one in their right mind would take such words seriously if they came out of the blue. I ignored her and opened the door to the bookstore.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be angry if you keep saying weird stuff. We¡¯ll go home after that.¡±


    As I entered, I was greeted by a quiet bookstore. Daisy, another man, and I were the only guests. The owner of the store stayed silently in his spot even when a guest walked in. I didn¡¯t put much thought into it and began picking out books. Rose in the Night, Partner of the Successor, Butterfly and the Wind¡­


    ¡­Hmmm, I realized I only chose romance novels. Yeah, well, reality is filled with a*sh*les like Kyles, after all. It might be better if I enjoy romance by daydreaming with books!

 CH 107

    I sighed and gave the books to Daisy to get them checked out. Suddenly, she threw the books and pulled me towards her. It was so sudden. There was a man who was closing in with a sword. A book had struck him, so he held his head with his hand.


    We quickly pushed the bookshelves down to stop him from coming over and ran for the exit. However, the door was already locked and couldn¡¯t open. We ran toward the cashier, only to find out the owner had a sword stuck in his chest and died. While I was in despair, I heard a frightening voice.


    ¡°Kyahaha. It¡¯s most enjoyable cutting a girl like you. I can finally complete the request.¡±


    ¡°Request? What do you mean?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t answer my question and only cackled. After his cackling stopped, he spoke again, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know. Just cry nicely when you die.¡±


    Then, I saw him closing in. I thought about the best choice I could make in such a situation. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll go after my servant as his target was surely me. So, I spoke to Daisy, who I hid behind my back.


    ¡°Daisy, run. Go and tell the others.¡±


    But Daisy didn¡¯t answer. Thinking she might have gotten afraid, I turned to look at her. However, she was looking at me, puzzled.


    ¡°Why did you say that?¡±


    I felt a bit annoyed at her for asking me that, but I realized that there was no way for her to run when our only exit was locked. That¡¯s when Daisy kicked the door, breaking it and opening it a bit. It seems it would open if pushed. Shocked, I looked at her, and Daisy spoke harshly, which didn¡¯t seem like her at all.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even fight.¡± I looked at her surprised by her unusual appearance. Her green eyes, brown hair, and unusually sharp eyes. Then she added, ¡°Stay behind me.¡±


    Daisy already had multiple daggers between her fingers as she glared at the man. It was so unrealistic that I stared at her. She was Daisy but was so unfamiliar. Was she really Daisy? My doubts exploded when she turned to look at me again. She was back to her usual self again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel depressed about this. You¡¯re not getting my help. I¡¯m your servant, your hands and feet. You¡¯re responsible for using your head, so leave the rest to me.¡±


    Before she could finish, the man charged at us. Daisy threw her daggers immediately. The man dodged it quickly, but one of the daggers got stuck on his shoulder. It didn¡¯t seem to hinder his movement, so he was getting closer.


    Daisy looked at her empty hands and sighed as she spoke in shame, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think my skills did get rusty after being away for a few years.¡±


    I closed my eyes at Daisy¡¯s words. It didn¡¯t matter. She had tried her best, so it was time for me to do something. I told him, ¡°Just let her go.¡±


    The man just grinned at my words. Then I felt chills running down my spine. This man likes killing.


    ¡°Hah! You ran out of daggers! I¡¯ll beautifully kill you both!¡±


    When he charged in with a sword, Daisy kicked her skirt that came down to her knees. It happened in an instant, where she quickly pulled out the dagger strapped on both her thighs. She threw them quickly at the man.


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of the rapid exchange of attacks. I was worried that Daisy might get hurt. But contrary to my worries, she quickly kicked the man¡¯s sword away from his hand. After becoming empty-handed, the man realized he was going to lose and began to beg her for his life.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll do anything!¡±


    The man, who was about to take another one¡¯s life just until now, seemed to value his own life and was begging for it. But Daisy didn¡¯t seem to want to stop. Just when her daggers were about to strike his neck, I spoke to her.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I ordered.


    The dagger stopped right in front of his neck. The man had a hint of hope in his eyes as he looked at me. Daisy was also looking at me, awaiting my orders, so I told her why I stopped her.


    ¡°Daisy, we can¡¯t question him if he dies.¡±


    Yes, that was the only reason why I spared him. I needed to know who requested him to kill me.


    ¡°Y-You devil!¡±


    The word ¡°devil¡± made me feel weird. I was astonished to hear such a word by a man worse than the devil, who was willing to kill for money and pleasure.


    ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re worse than the devil himself. You should look forward to what¡¯s going to happen. Things that you¡¯ll have to say will be a confession to your crime.¡±


    As the man was about to say something to me in return, Daisy suddenly took her daggers back and glared at him. I looked at her with a puzzled expression. That¡¯s when I saw something very unrealistic happening in front of my eyes. I promise that it was almost the devil¡¯s work.

 CH 108

    The man, who was alive just moments ago, had his neck sliced off. I looked at that terrifying sight in shock. Then, I heard Daisy¡¯s determined voice.


    ¡°Milady, you have to run. He is stronger than me.¡±


    I shook my head. No, I won¡¯t run. Losing someone precious to me once was enough for me. I promised myself that I¡¯ll do my best to live in the present so that I don¡¯t regret it.


    ¡°Even if I run, I won¡¯t outrun my speed. And I will also regret it. I¡¯d rather make a decision that I won¡¯t regret.¡±


    Daisy made a faint smile, shook her head at my words, and commented, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t understand you.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I can¡¯t understand why you¡¯re trying to protect me when you can live by running away alone.¡±


    Even while we whispered to each other, the enemy didn¡¯t show himself. Or I thought he didn¡¯t until a certain man appeared in front of us.


    ¡°Milady! Stay back!¡± shouted Daisy and held up her dagger.


    The man in the black robe just smiled in a relaxed state even when Daisy was glaring at him. He had dark red hair and brown eyes. His face was ordinary, but the red scorpion tattoo on his face was striking.


    ¡°Oops, my mistake. You seemed to think I was going to attack, but unfortunately, I have no intention of harming you ladies right now. I am a gentleman.¡±


    He spoke kindly, but I instinctively knew that this man was dangerous. Very dangerous. While I was watching him with such a thought in mind, the man narrowed his eyes and coldly peered at me. It made me shiver.


    ¡°Our client is a bit picky and wants to get rid of all the evidence. I guess I have to deal with those bodies that you ladies made a mess of.¡±


    He snapped his fingers, and the bodies disappeared into thin air. Dumbfounded, I made a dumb expression, then returned to my senses. It wasn¡¯t magic, so it must be his men who quickly snatched those bodies up. From this situation, I¡¯m certain this man wasn¡¯t on my side. He must be my enemy.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked.


    The man smiled playfully at my question and replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t it up to you to find the answer to that question, cutie?¡±


    I knew he wouldn¡¯t answer my question anyway. I just asked to see what kind of man he was. That man was only a minion.


    ¡°Even if I ask you who you work for, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll tell me that I¡¯ll have to find the answer to that as well, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, cutie. I heard you¡¯re good with chess.¡± He answered my question playfully again and looked at me with his brown eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to play a game for your life from now on. Hope you enjoy that game.¡±


    I shivered from the sudden chills, and Daisy covered me and glared at him.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s quite a strong piece of pawn you got there.¡±


    To put Daisy¡¯s marvelous skills as some strong pawn¡­ How strong is he then? While I was wondering about his strength, the man who was grinning as he looked at us glanced to his sides and smiled.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t seem to know this yet, but there are strong people around you. I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re on your side, though.¡±


    What does he mean that there are strong people around me? The people on my side would be my cousins and Rey. Was he talking about them? Chelleno is a part of the Central Knights, and I heard Jianne is a skilled swordsman. Rey also won duels against Chelleno, so he must be skilled as well. But they¡¯re certainly on my side, so I¡¯m not sure why he said he wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯re on my side.


    I was thinking of his words, when he added with a smile, ¡°Anyway, my job here today is done. I¡¯m actually worried about that bloodline. I can¡¯t measure if it¡¯s strong or not. I hope he¡¯s not on your side.¡±


    After speaking such words, the man instantly disappeared. I looked around, but the area was dead silent. Daisy closed her eyes, then opened and spoke softly, ¡°He¡¯s gone. Milady, are you alright?¡±


    Hearing her words, I looked at her and answered, ¡°No, actually, I¡¯m shocked about the trash that tried to attack me and the suspicious man, who¡¯s certainly my enemy¡¯s minion. I¡¯m even shocked about you.¡±


    Daisy looked surprised as I pointed her out. I looked at her, then loosened my eyes and laughed, ¡°But that¡¯s okay. You¡¯re my servant, Daisy. You¡¯re with me of your own will. I don¡¯t care who you are.¡±


    She seemed to get rid of her worries at my words. I offered her my hand and added, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, my hands and feet.¡±


    Daisy then wore a bright smile, one she had shown me before, and replied, ¡°Yes, milady!¡±


    ***


    When I returned, everyone was shocked at me, who looked messy. I didn¡¯t tell the truth to my uncle, who questioned me on what had happened. I couldn¡¯t tell him the truth as I had to reveal about Daisy too if I explained. I just had to wake up from my recklessness and bring guards with me from now on. Although Uncle was dealt with, the problem was Lumi.

 CH 109

    ¡°You! Where were you when she was going through that?¡±


    I immediately went to protect my servant Daisy from my doll-like cousin yelling at her.


    ¡°Lumi, I know you¡¯re furious because of me, but Daisy is my servant. I¡¯ll ask her for her wrongdoings if I have to, so please just let me be alone with her.¡±


    Lumi became silent at my request. I didn¡¯t say anything else but stared at her with eyes that looked like they were begging her to follow what I said. Soon, Lumi broke her silence.


    ¡°Hah¡­ Alright, sis,¡± answered Lumi, but her green eyes were still glaring at Daisy. My cousin¡¯s problem is that she loves me too much. However, she¡¯s doing that because she doesn¡¯t know how scary Daisy can be. Daisy won¡¯t attack her, but it¡¯s better to be wary of her. The quiet types are much scarier when they¡¯re angry!


    I got into my room, closed the door, washed up, and changed my clothes. Daisy silently assisted me through it. After I sat by my vanity table, I closed my eyes while feeling a hand squeezing out the dripping water from my hair. Soon, I heard a low voice.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious?¡±


    Hearing a voice, I opened my eyes and saw Daisy looking right at me through the mirror. I replied, ¡°I am, but I¡¯m not going to ask if you don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    Daisy made a faint smile, then began to speak as she rubbed my hair with scented oil, ¡°My father and I¡­ were assassins until we escaped the guild. You might not know, but betrayal means death in the Assassin¡¯s guild. We had to find a place to live in hiding. That was when we found the Harrant estate.¡±


    Right, I heard about it too. I heard that our estate treated commoners better than other estates. Because it was located in a remote area, we had a lot of retired mercenaries or other people with bad histories come to settle down.


    ¡°We went to visit the lord of the estate so we could purchase a free man¡¯s identity when the lord, your father, asked us to stay. He asked us to work for him and that we will be paid well. My father, who wasn¡¯t my real father, was quite a famous assassin.¡±


    I remembered Daisy¡¯s father Scott¡¯s kind-looking face. Then, I remembered how fierce he was when tending to the garden. His motto was to eradicate all rats that damage the plants¡¯ leaves. But, paying enough money? Father, even if Scott was a skilled man, you sure bragged about money that we didn¡¯t have.


    ¡°But my father declined the offer. He said he was too lazy to do it. My father¡¯s dream was to farm,¡± said Daisy.


    Yeah, his love for his garden was beyond imagination. It was he who taught me the enjoyment of gardening. I also learned about my extra income, thanks to that.


    ¡°So, we were on our way out after rejecting the offer when a girl came over to me and asked for my name. But her face¡­ It struck me right in the heart. I thought that I would be satisfied for my entire life putting makeup on that face,¡± continued Daisy.


    ¡°Wait¡­ You mean that girl was?¡±


    ¡°Yes. After I saw you, I begged my father to work for your family.¡±


    I became dazed. Huh? But why my face? That¡¯s when something came to my mind, ¡°Marina, if only you got your looks from me, your mommy.¡±


    ¡®Yeah, I suppose my flawed face had ample room for improvement with makeup.¡¯


    ¡°Milady, are you beating yourself again?¡±

 CH 110

    How did she know? My face froze from shock. Daisy held my shoulders as her eyes turned eager and said, ¡°Please be confident! You¡¯re the most beautiful girl I¡¯ve ever known!¡±


    Daisy must have weird tastes. It¡¯s either that, or she just wants to make her master feel better. But¡­ It still felt good to hear that.


    ¡°T-thanks,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m with you now because I like you as a person rather than how you look,¡± commented Daisy with a smile in response to my awkward answer. She then began brushing my hair. Daisy continued while caressing my hair, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, milady. I¡¯ll protect you at all costs.¡±


    Her words sounded so trustworthy, and I felt my heart warming up. So, I have been stuck in my stupid stubbornness all this time. I can¡¯t live in this world alone. With that, I was able to fortify my trust in my people.


    ***


    ¡°Marina, what¡¯s up with those flowers?¡±


    Rave began to fuss over a small flower pot I brought when I came to work to bring up my mood. I smiled as I spoke to him, ¡°These are wildflowers from the flowerbed outside.¡±


    At that, Deputy Kass also began to make a fuss, ¡°Oh, why did you bring wildflowers? There are more beautiful flowers out there. I have a lot at home too. Do you want some?¡±


    Just as I was about to refuse his well-intended words, a deep and serious voice interrupted, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t denounce something so easily. It may look like an ordinary flower to some, but to others, it may be the most beautiful flower.¡±


    I was so shocked that I froze in place as I heard Rave speaking so seriously with his dark blue eyes. It was similar to what Kyles had said before.


    ¡°That was a wonderful thing to say.¡±


    At someone¡¯s voice, Rave then suddenly wiped his serious expression away and spoke while grinning, ¡°I used to say this a lot at the beau monde. Heh heh, isn¡¯t it impressive? There were a lot of people who took my words and used them too.¡±


    Did Kyles take those from Rave then? Gosh, then those words didn¡¯t mean much. ¡®A*sh*le! Even the part I liked about him was a fake mask he borrowed from someone else!¡¯


    I didn¡¯t even have the slightest of feelings left for Kyles, and I realized that I didn¡¯t have to consider his past either. After cursing at him in my mind, I turned to my small flowerpot and smiled.


    ¡®It¡¯s fine. I decided to do whatever I want while trusting my people from now on.¡¯ I said this to myself and dove back into the battleground of the policies.


    ¡°Secretary Harrant! Have you finished listing the embankment installation site to bring to His Highness?¡±


    I frantically went over the documents to include after Vice Director Raymont had reminded me and answered, ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll get them reviewed one last time and have them signed off.¡±


    I was so busy that I couldn¡¯t even think about other things. Yes, living in the present is a really busy job. That¡¯s why I must do my best so that I don¡¯t regret every moment. Regrets leave scars, but they¡¯ll be covered with new flesh as they heal. I decided to not be afraid of getting hurt anymore and move forward. And in that way, I was finally able to overcome my scarred past.


    ***


    ¡°Deputy Faularner. Good day.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Secretary Harrant, welcome.¡±


    ¡°I am here to hand you this.¡±


    I often came across Deputy Rosaine, so I spoke casually to her now. She also treated me casually as if she was an old acquaintance.

 CH 111

    ¡°Do you mind stopping by for tea? My coworkers and I are having some tea at the resting area, actually,¡± said Rosaine.


    ¡°I would love to, but I have loads of work to do. I¡¯ll join you next time.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Rosaine replied.


    After handing over the documents to her and leaving the Finance department, I sighed. I said I would go on my way, but it¡¯s still hard to hang around with people other than Rosaine, especially when they¡¯re women.


    ¡®They might dislike me.¡¯


    I was going to ignore how people thought of me. However, the rumors still lingered, and I was still a good candidate to gossip over. Not only that, getting ignored when I say something is still unpleasant and discouraging.


    I felt so discouraged that I walked in a dazed state and couldn¡¯t see someone coming around the corner. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t bump into that person, but it was my mistake, so I bowed to that person to apologize.


    ¡°I apologize for that mistake,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. An official from the Finance department?¡±


    The way the voice casually spoke to me sounded like he was a high-ranking official. I answered while putting my head down, ¡°No, sir. I am an official from Internal Affairs, the Operations department.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I heard there¡¯s only one female official there¡­¡±


    I became curious about the voice that was trailing off and looked up. The cold snake-like eyes scanning its prey and the familiar facial features seen on handsome gentlemen, yes, this must be¡­


    ¡°Greetings, Lord Schuteiner.¡±


    Damn Elise¡¯s father. He sure was Elise¡¯s father, alright. He¡¯s handsome enough to be eye candy even at his age. But his eyes were much colder than that of Elise. He looked at me with vicious eyes that were about to attack, but he was still smiling with his mouth. What an a*sh*le.


    ¡°Greetings, Secretary Harrant. You surely are as beautiful as my daughter mentioned.¡±


    Beautiful? You have the most beautiful girl in the country as your daughter. That Elise must have spoken all kinds of swears about me. Anyway, it¡¯s really a bad day that I had to come across this man.


    According to rumors, he loved his only daughter Elise, who looked just like his deceased wife, so much that he would die for her. He would do anything for his daughter. I¡¯m sure he must have a huge grudge against me. Just the reason that his daughter hates me will be enough.


    ¡°Thank you for such flattering words. I¡¯m so flattered that your daughter has spoken so highly of me.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. My girl speaks so much about you.¡±


    Although the conversation sounded pleasant, those words were a warning. It was a warning to me that he knew about me, and I should be wary of that. But I¡¯m not one to cower before such a threat.


    ¡°My, isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡±


    He and I were going through an intense battle of the minds. If I were to cower, he would consider me a weakling from now on. And then he will swallow me, who made his daughter feel unpleasant, immediately in one bite.


    ¡°I¡¯m so honored that your daughter thinks so highly of me. Please send her my regards as well.¡±


    I have no intention to cower before you or Elise. I, who will become an ambassador in the future, will not succumb to such a threat. An official should never cower against outside threats under any circumstances. That was my knowledge of true government officials.


    ¡°Hahaha! Sure, I¡¯ll relay your words for sure. Oh, and I¡¯ll add that I like you. I look forward to it.¡±

 CH 112

    That is a declaration of war. He meant that he would have his eyes on me and get rid of me himself, so I should wait for my doom. But I, a government official of Internal Affairs, the Operation department, which is the heart of all ministries, will never cower before the leader of the External Affairs Ministry, which is ranked lower than Internal Affairs. Sure, go ahead and try. I won¡¯t cower away at any threat you might throw at my policies and position.


    ¡°Of course. I hope I live up to your expectations.¡±


    After hearing my answer, Marquis Schuteiner coldly scanned me and walked away. I couldn¡¯t identify who sent the letter from a while ago and couldn¡¯t find who was behind that mystery. However, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that that man is somehow related. I can foresee a lot of things that will happen. I must be ready for those who will attack me.


    ***


    A few days had gone by after that. Today, there was an event hosted by Internal Affairs within the Royal Palace, so all government officials from every ministry were invited. It was a very important day for me as well. I had to present my proposal to build the embankments, explain its pros, and persuade the majority of officials they were profitable to the empire. I scurried around busily while greeting officials from other ministries and spoke to them with instructions.


    ¡°Are you Gerde, from External Affairs?¡±


    ¡°Right. Who might you be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Secretary Marina von Harrant from Internal Affairs.¡±


    His attitude immediately changed as I introduced myself. I became angry at him as his expression turned into a smirk as he scanned me from top to bottom, but I suppressed my anger. Now wasn¡¯t the time.


    ¡°Please share about the profitable points in regards to Azar regarding the policy at the event today. It is vital to our country,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sure, sure. Unlike someone, I know how to draw the line between work and personal matters.¡±


    ¡®A*sh*le. Speaking in a condescending tone when we¡¯re the same rank. It¡¯s getting on my nerves, but I have to hold back.¡¯


    My reputation within Internal Affairs was great, but I heard that I wasn¡¯t regarded as highly in other ministries. But I was confident that I wouldn¡¯t be shaken by it. They only act so rashly because they don¡¯t know me.


    ¡°Hah! Only women like that act on their feelings. Psst. This is why we shouldn¡¯t have women in high positions.¡±


    I stopped in my footsteps. I realized that I didn¡¯t have to hold back anymore with those words. That¡¯s when I heard a bit of an angry voice from the Finance department.


    ¡°What did you just say? It¡¯s very unpleasant to hear such words in public.¡±


    I turned in the direction where the voice came from and saw officials from the Finance department glaring at him angrily. It was Rosaine who spoke to him.


    ¡°Who are you to interfere like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Deputy Rosaine von Faularner from the Finance department, managing the budgetary planning.¡±


    In response, the loser from External Affairs frowned and began talking down to Rosaine. ¡°What? How dare you, a deputy, try to lecture me? I¡¯m a higher-ranking official to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to lecture you. I¡¯m asking for a rightful apology for your wrong comments.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You¡¯d have no chance if you were at External Affairs. It¡¯s only thanks to Marquis Lynel, who is soft-minded, that an arrogant wench like you is working here. Also, I know that Faularner is a baron. How dare the daughter of a low-ranked noble interrupt me? This is insubordination.¡±


    I heard laughter from other ministries after those words. Rosaine blushed, apparently embarrassed by such insults. I didn¡¯t like him being so rude to someone weaker than him. I almost wanted to slap him. Besides, am I acting on my feelings? That¡¯s bull! Today¡¯s task is important for the empire, so External Affairs should consider it significant as well. If they can¡¯t explain the matter well, then it¡¯s apparent they¡¯ll be laughed at. As a fellow government official, rage began to consume me because of man¡¯s carelessness.


    ¡®Hah, alright. I¡¯m already at the bottom, so I doubt it would be even worse if I fall anymore,¡¯ I thought as I walked up to him again. The son of a b**** from External Affairs smirked as I walked back to him.


    ¡°What? You¡¯ve got something more to say?¡±


    I grinned in response to his words and answered, ¡°Yeah, I wanted to say this to this foolish man acting out his feelings!¡±


    ¡°W-what? Are you talking to me right now? You¡¯re talking to me?!¡±


    As he pointed at me, I smirked at him and answered, ¡°Yeah, you! The information that created the speech that you put effort into memorizing was done by me, who happens to be a woman. The salary you receive was also calculated by those women you speak of.¡±


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s true that women¡¯s work efficiency is lacking-¡±


    ¡°Do you want to hear an interesting fact? Starting now, there will be more of those female officials, who you look down on, being hired. When the time comes, men like you won¡¯t say such nonsense.¡±

 CH 113

    ¡°Are you crazy, Marina von Harrant? You¡¯re talking rudely to an official ranked the same as you!¡±


    I smiled pleasantly and replied, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who talked so rudely when you¡¯re the same rank as me?¡±


    ¡°Stop trying to talk back picking on every detail. Isn¡¯t it because you¡¯re a woman that you are being nitpicky-¡±


    He tried to talk back again, so I quickly interrupted him. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Almighty official from External Affairs. Let me ask you this. Can officials at External Affairs talk down to other officials if they¡¯re ranked lower? Do all those officials from External Affairs talk down to women officials?! Do you think of women officials from External Affairs as inefficient, unskilled people? Is that it?¡±


    ¡°N-no! I- Uh-¡±


    Eyes that were looking at him had turned cold already. Many people, not only women, were looking at him in disgust. He blushed at the sight of that and spoke to me, ¡°Hah! Try managing today¡¯s speech without me then! Marina von Harrant, it¡¯s all your fault!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault, not mine. Stop blaming others, and leave if you don¡¯t want to do it.¡±


    He hurriedly left after I said that, and I felt relieved. But I also felt guilty. Hahaha, things had gotten worse when I already had a problem with the leader of External Affairs. ¡®Oh well. I should look after myself.¡¯


    The speech was made using the information I had gathered anyway. There was no reason I couldn¡¯t do it, but I still had to get permission from the leader of External Affairs. As such, I waited for Marquis Schuteiner, who I wished to avoid if I could. Soon, when he came, I explained and asked for his understanding.


    ¡°Hahaha! It would be perfect if you take the lead as you¡¯re the one who proposed the policy from the beginning!¡±


    Although he was talking like this, his eyes had a smug look that seemed to ask, ¡°Do you think you can really succeed?¡±


    I then walked up to the stage with determination and announced the policy. As I expected, the speech was completed without a problem, and the event was a success. But External Affairs paid no gratitude for me making the speech in their place. I felt like I had gained a loss, but it still felt good. Isn¡¯t it better to give the bastard a blow than to feel stressed for not doing anything?


    ***


    I came to the Finance Department to deliver various matters again. I saw a familiar face and approached her. However, I was a bit worried as I got close to her. I did it because I felt unpleasant, but I thought she might hate me because it all happened because of me.


    ¡°Deputy Faularner, good day.¡±


    I gathered up my courage and greeted her. She greeted me with the same old smile and warmly welcomed me, ¡°Yes, Secretary Harrant. Welcome. Everyone was waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I replied.


    She smiled brightly at my puzzled look and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. We waited to take the break just for you!¡±


    She dragged me by hand while I stood dumbfounded, and female officials waiting at the resting area cheered as soon as I appeared.


    ¡°Yay! She¡¯s here!¡±


    ¡°Welcome, Secretary Harrant!¡±


    I stood puzzled by their grand welcome. Rosaine spoke to me with a smile, ¡°Everyone was deeply touched by your boldness that day. We felt so good seeing you speak on things that we ourselves wanted to say! We all like you a lot.¡±


    Huh? They were touched by what I did? Do they like me? I felt like I am dreaming. Is this real? I¡¯m being looked at so warmly by the same woman? They¡¯re not looking at Elise, but me, right?


    While I was numb from the surreal feeling, Rosaine spoke to me again with a laugh, ¡°Actually, we looked up to you even before. You¡¯re the only woman secretary we know. You are always welcome among us.¡±


    I felt very warm because of those words. Maybe I had been way too defensive until now. I truly felt that in order to make good relationships, sometimes courage is a must.


    ***


    ¡°Marina, aren¡¯t you going to the Finance department too often these days?¡±


    I just laughed at Rave. He looked at me for a while, then returned to his work with a smile. Now, I¡¯m living as a government official that I had dreamed of. I can¡¯t say that I won¡¯t succumb to power, like the warning from the first book I read when I took the government official course at the Academy.


    However, I¡¯m trying hard not to be a monster, protect the weak, and so that I won¡¯t regret anything anymore, as I can¡¯t dial back time. As I always did, I just need to try as hard as I can as time flows. I¡¯m the master of my own life. So, I need to do my best for myself.


    Standing strong against the rain and the wind like the wildflower that grows strongly against hardship. Let¡¯s live by doing my best.

 CH 114

    Eventually, I stopped reading an adventure storybook. The story was about a sword master, a magician, and an elementalist teaming up to defeat a demon king. I read it because it was a novel my brother Harry likes, but it wasn¡¯t my type of book.


    ¡°Ah, I wasted my time. There¡¯s no way such a thing exists in real life.¡± I mumbled to myself, almost pretending I was the famous critic Viscount Haut until I heard a knock.


    ¡°Marin, is it a good time to talk?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle. You¡¯re always welcome.¡± I got up from the bed as I answered the call from outside. I opened it and saw Uncle standing there.


    ¡°Oh, were you reading? Is it an adventure book?¡±


    I nodded at his question, ¡°Yeah, but I lost interest while reading it. It was just too unrealistic. A sword master, a magician, and even an elementalist! They were going to defeat a demon king, so I lost my interest.¡±


    Uncle laughed at my rant, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t find it all that unrealistic, to be honest. Anyway, why don¡¯t we go to the drawing room? I arranged for some tea and cookies there.¡±


    I headed for the drawing room with my uncle right away at the word ¡°cookie.¡± As I sat, the maid came with tea. Uncle kept asking me about my schedule for the day while fiddling with his teacup, looking very nervous.


    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I asked.


    At my question, he brought up a long sigh and let out a long breath. After keeping silent for a long time, he looked at me with his green eyes and asked, ¡°Marin. What do you think of a woman who trains in the art of the sword?¡±


    I thought about it. Wielding a sword is worshiped as a male-only practice, meaning a female doing so would bring many prejudices. But I have seen my mother regret not achieving her dream my entire life. I have seen the training ground since I was young, and there, she shined brighter than usual. My answer came easy.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±


    Uncle smiled bitterly. ¡°Right. Well, you have your maid who I can¡¯t say she¡¯s ordinary, and there¡¯s your mother¡­ I can see why you can think of it that way,¡± Uncle replied with a deep sigh. Then he added, ¡°I guess I wouldn¡¯t have to feel so troubled if there were a lot more people who think like you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Hearing my question, Uncle took a sip of the tea and hesitated until he opened his mouth, ¡°In my life, I have seen two geniuses.¡±


    ¡°Geniuses?¡± I asked.


    Uncle¡¯s eyes seem to shine at my question. ¡°Yes. They hide their sharp claws, pretending not to be predators. But both are smart enough to shake this whole country.¡±


    Then I became curious. What part of them made my uncle, dubbed the best swordsman right now, make such a claim? ¡°Are they that amazing?¡± I asked him.


    Uncle laughed, took another sip, and answered slowly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t think of them as ordinary human beings. Whatever you think of, they¡¯re beyond that.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. You make me think of some sword masters that I read from the books.¡±


    Sword masters. They cut stones, swing swords at speeds that can¡¯t be seen, and can fight against 100 trained swordsmen. They were beings from books. There were records of them existing from history books¡­ but I believed that they were exaggerated by the people of their times to honor their heroes.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I was just joking, but Uncle seemed strange. It was as if I was right¡­ Wait. No way. ¡°Are you saying such beings exist within the country? And we have two of them?¡± I almost yelled, and Uncle slowly nodded.


    ¡°They far exceed my level, but that¡¯s what I am guessing. And sword masters aren¡¯t so far-fetched, to be honest. They exist, although hidden.¡±


    It must be true, if my uncle, dubbed the best swordsman of the empire, claims it so. But to think such beings truly exist. That is so¡­


    ¡°Amazing! It¡¯s like an adventure novel!¡± Was it my answer or the tea that made my uncle look more bitter? I didn¡¯t pay much attention, however, and kept asking more questions in excitement. ¡°Who is it? Can you tell me who?¡±

 CH 115

    Then he smiled teasingly at my question and replied, ¡°It¡¯s no fun if I tell you who it is.¡±


    ¡°Uncle!¡± I cried.


    At my protest, he became serious, looked at me, and responded, ¡°I have no idea if that person will be good or bad to our empire yet. You should only speak after you check the facts and make sure you can speak out.¡±


    I nodded to his words which I totally understood, and Uncle smiled again.


    ¡°But a stake in a pocket will show. That person will reveal his abilities to the world soon enough. Until then, I won¡¯t let down my guard against that person. Such a person with such high nobility holding that kind of power can always be a threat,¡± Uncle explained.


    A man of high nobility with power. Who could that be? If Uncle said high nobility, then it must at least be a noble higher than the duke. Then it must be either Rian, Rave, or the rumored Prince of the Grand Duke. I¡¯m pretty sure Rave is out of the question, so that leaves Rian or the Prince! But who is it between the two of them? If Rian even has such power, then he really is perfect. The Prince of the Grand Duke¡­ I have no idea who that is.


    ¡­I was in the midst of such an interesting chain of thoughts when Uncle continued, ¡°But that person isn¡¯t the only genius that the world allowed us. Or maybe, this person can even exceed the level of the genius I previously spoke of.¡±


    I was shocked to hear that. How talented would that person be if they were at that level? ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Yes, amazing. The problem here is that the genius is a woman.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± I asked.


    The times have changed, and now, a woman joined the government. But the world of physical strength was still dominated by men. Even my mother, who I admire the most, ended up as some strong-headed noble lady even with her skills. That was the reality of the empire.


    That kind of exceptional talent wasn¡¯t going to shine if it was held by a woman. Even if she¡¯s a sword master, she might get used without any recognition. I understood my uncle¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°In your point of view, do you want that person?¡±


    In response to my words, my uncle looked serious. He let out a big sigh and grabbed his face as he spoke, ¡°No.¡± Then he showed his eyes and added, ¡°Rather, I fear her.¡±


    What did that fear mean? I looked into his eyes, but they were so deep that I couldn¡¯t even guess what he meant.


    ¡°Thank you for listening to my rambling,¡± Uncle said.


    ¡°No, no. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Uncle shook his head at my answer, ¡°Maybe so, but I still feel lighter. Problems are like that. The starting point can be different if you talk to someone instead and ease yourself rather than contemplate over it without any solution.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s so right.¡±


    I nodded at his words. That¡¯s right. But it is also wise not to talk about a deep secret, just like Uncle just did. That can make relationships go wrong even if you¡¯re close. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t talk about my problems to my cousins. If they get in trouble because of my problem, I would feel devastated.


    ¡°It¡¯s late now, Marin. You should get back to your room.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Good night, Uncle.¡± I left the drawing room. Uncle looked very troubled.


    As I returned, Daisy changed my clothes and helped me to wash. She may look like an ordinary girl, but she¡¯s actually a skilled ex-assassin. She must have learned the art of swords when she was an assassin, so I decided to ask her about what Uncle told me.


    ¡°Daisy, do sword masters really exist?¡±


    The response to my question came immediately as Daisy confidently said, ¡°Yes. They are scarce, and none of them show themselves in public, so ordinary people don¡¯t know. But they do exist.¡±


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡±


    ¡°My guild¡¯s master was at that level,¡± she answered.

 CH 116

    Oh my god, so Uncle was right! ¡°How strong is he?¡± I asked.


    Daisy rolled her eyes a bit and let out a short sigh with the answer, ¡°I couldn¡¯t even dare try to do anything in front of him. If a sword master tried, I¡¯d be a dead man in seconds.¡±


    I see. From my point of view, Daisy seems strong enough¡­ Wait. Was the suspicious man I saw at the old bookstore a sword master too?


    ¡°Daisy. What about the man we saw at the¡­¡±


    I was bringing up the question, to which Daisy immediately denied, ¡°No. He was a bit weird. Assassins have developed senses as we have to act in the darkness. But that man seemed like¡­ a being from another dimension instead of a swordsman. But his skills must be close to a sword master, just like you guessed. I barely managed to stand in front of him, to be honest.¡±


    I felt dazed by her words. I see. So, my mysterious enemy truly sent a powerful being to me to kill me out of fear! But I can¡¯t give up only because my enemy is strong! In chess, the weaker pieces often capture the queen, the strongest piece in the game. Even a strong being will have a weakness. I felt I could see how I was being looked down upon by my enemy, revealing their strongest piece like that. But in battle, you can never relax. The outcome can never be predicted if you hold yourself tight to the end.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired now. I should sleep.¡±


    ¡°Of course, milady. Good night.¡±


    Daisy turned the light off and left. I laid myself on the bed and began guessing about the genius Uncle mentioned through my numbing sensation. If I could make the genius be on my side, my safety was assured. If so, I need to know who that genius is. But who could they be? I kept thinking about it, then realized I was thinking nonsense and laughed.


    ¡®How could I know that person will side with me if I ask for help?¡¯ I stopped my pointless thoughts, lost consciousness, and fell asleep.


    ***


    Today was my day off, so I was resting at home with an uncombed look. Daisy made me wash my face, but I was too lazy to do anything else, so I even skipped breakfast as I lay in my bed. Then I became hungry and went down to head for the kitchen.


    ¡°Marin!¡±


    The familiar voice struck me on the spot. I turned my head toward the voice and saw a person who had no chance of existing in this mansion, sitting down at the chair of the lobby.


    ¡°R-Rian? Why are you here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hahaha. Did I surprise you? The Captain called me in.¡±


    I was startled by his visit, but I remembered he was a member of the Central Knights as I heard him saying it was an errand from my uncle and quickly accepted the reason he existed in this space. But right now, I was in an unsightly state, completely unarmed. The hunger disappeared, and I thought I should run to my room right now. I quickly turned to escape back to my room on the second floor when Rain called me.


    ¡°Marin, do you like watching theatricals?¡±


    I had to think about his sudden question. Theatricals? Well¡­ My family wasn¡¯t in a financial position to enjoy such lavish hobbies until very recently. I have never seen them, so I can¡¯t say if I like them or not.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure? Actually¡­ I¡¯ve never seen one.¡±


    It was enough to be looked down upon if I said that, but Rian still just smiled and spoke in this way.

 CH 117

    ¡°I¡¯m not the type to enjoy theatricals either, so it¡¯s also new to me. That¡¯s good. Apparently, a theatrical film named Elaine produced by this new producer is said to be quite interesting. So what I¡¯m saying is why don¡¯t we-¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Sister! I was looking for you, and there you are with Prince Siccain!¡±


    Lumi¡¯s unexpected voice was like a messiah to me. I wanted to hug her right away, but I couldn¡¯t do that in front of Rian, so I just smiled. ¡°Oh- right. Yeah, that happened¡­?¡±


    ¡®Get me out of here, Lumi! It¡¯s rude to Rian to be in such a hideous state!¡¯ I said in my mind and looked at her.


    She smiled and introduced herself to Rian, ¡°Good morning, Prince Siccain. I know we¡¯ve met before, but I never got a chance to introduce myself. I am Illumina von Reclan.¡±


    ¡°Good to see you, Lady Illumina. I am Droinel von Siccain.¡±


    ¡°I heard you are a friend of my favorite sister, so I wanted to take part in the conversation, if you may.¡±


    NO! Not that! You should talk in place of me! Send me back to my room!


    ¡°You are very welcome, Lady Illumina.¡±


    Ugh, this isn¡¯t right. Whatever. He isn¡¯t romantically interested in me, so I guess it doesn¡¯t matter if I show myself to him without makeup. I don¡¯t feel too comfortable with an overly relaxed look¡­ but at least I¡¯m not in my pajamas.


    ¡°I think I overheard something very interesting. Are you asking my sister to go watch a movie?¡± Lumi asked him.


    ¡°Oh, yes. I was about to ask her to go watch a movie together, as I heard it¡¯s quite fun.¡±


    Er- huh? I see? But I¡¯ve gone through some rough times recently, so I don¡¯t feel relaxed enough to watch theatricals.


    ¡°Oh, I am full of my head these days-¡± I was about to refuse politely.


    ¡°Theatricals are best when you¡¯re full of yourself! Elaine is wonderful, actually. I have the book, and I already went through it three times!¡± Lumi cut me off and smiled.


    I would offer to go watch whatever my cousin wanted to see if it was under normal circumstances, but I had unidentified enemies lurking outside, so I didn¡¯t want to get her mixed up in it. I was about to refuse again when another voice excitedly came about.


    ¡°What? Elaine?! Are you talking about the theatrical that was made from the novel? It¡¯s so hot these days!¡±


    ¡°Jianne! What are you doing here?¡± Lumi spoke to him in a scolding tone. But Jianne ignored her and approached me with an eager expression.


    ¡°S-sister! I want to see it! Can you please take me with you?¡±


    I became weak to the begging look on his face when Lumi protested to him, ¡°You should go alone if you want to watch it so much! Why are you trying to tag along with her?¡±


    ¡°Who watches theatrical movies alone? I don¡¯t want to watch it alone,¡± said Jianne.


    ¡°What? You scoffed at me when I asked you to go watch it together!¡± Lumi frowned as she said that, and Jianne also grimaced.


    ¡°Why would I want to go watch a monster like you?¡± Jianne replied.


    ¡°What? Monster?! You¡¯re a dead man, you weakling!¡± Lumi shouted.


    ¡°Weakling? You stupid, muscle brain!¡±


    The twins were about to begin an endless fight, so I had to bring up the best answer to quell it, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go watch the theatrical. Together.¡±


    At my answer, Jianne and Lumi¡¯s expressions turned weird. But I felt relieved to see that it became quiet and swallowed my sigh when I heard a small one from an unexpected direction. I then froze after turning to see the person behind the sigh.


    ¡®Rian? He sighed!¡¯


    I was surprised to see Rian, the epitome of strictness, sighing. Then I realized I included my cousins in his invitation without asking him, so I apologized. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry, Rian. We don¡¯t have to go if you don¡¯t like¡­¡±

 CH 118

    ¡°I think it will be more energetic if we bring your cousins along. I was just worried I would be a nuisance,¡± said Rian.


    Oh, I remembered how good Rian was again. He¡¯s so different from some prince and a crown prince from somewhere who has no sense of thoughtfulness. ¡°No, of course not. It¡¯s good to see the theatrical version with you, Rian.¡±


    In response to my words, Rian made a fantastic smile and took me in his lake-like eyes. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    Honestly, I realized lately that I really dig handsome faces. I didn¡¯t really think much about a man¡¯s appearance¡­ but I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off Rian and the Crown Prince. Come to think of it. I think it was Kyles¡¯s words that made me disinterested in how men look.


    ¡°I¡¯m disgusted by women who like handsome men. It makes them look stupid.¡±


    Right, I never needed to heed to his ramblings. Come to think of it, I was dumb. Now that I broke up with him, I have no reason not to want a good-looking friend.


    ¡°When should we go then?¡± asked Rian.


    I spoke of a time that seemed right without hesitation, ¡°This upcoming Friday!¡± Rian¡¯s eyes bowed as he brightly smiled. How can a man smile so¡­ innocently?


    ¡°Friday sounds good. I¡¯ll see you then, Marin.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If you may excuse me¡­ I¡¯ll return to my room now.¡± Even if I was captivated by Rian¡¯s handsome look, I didn¡¯t forget about my pitiful state. Quickly! I should get out of this place!


    ¡°Oh, yes. Of course,¡± nodded Rian.


    ¡°Well then. Let¡¯s go, kids,¡± I spoke to my cousins.


    ¡°Yeah! Sir Droinel, if you¡¯ll excuse us,¡± said Jianne.


    ¡°Heh heh. Prince Siccain, I¡¯ll see you on Friday!¡± said Lumi.


    I was about to leave the area with my troublemaking cousins when I heard a low voice that made me stop.


    ¡°Oh, and Marin. You were cuter than usual today.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    At my question, his lips raised as he answered, ¡°To see you in such an unprepared state, which is very unlike you¡­ was so cute that I couldn¡¯t resist complimenting you. And your face also looks very innocent for some reason-¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Rian!¡±


    I cut him off immediately, covered my face with my two hands, and ran out. Ugh, it¡¯s so embarrassing! Why couldn¡¯t he just pretend he didn¡¯t see my bare face? It¡¯s bad if a person is too nice. Doesn¡¯t he know that too many compliments are sometimes worse than doing nothing?


    As soon as I got to the room with my cousins, Lumi began making a fuss, ¡°Kyaaaa! Sis did he just¡­ confess his love for you?!¡±


    Lumi apparently had been heavily influenced by romance novels in that she thinks of everything as romantic gestures. I began correcting her with the cold reality.


    ¡°No way! Lumi, stop trying to put Rian and me in that way. You can¡¯t mix up a friendly compliment with romantic interest! He¡¯s a friend, and also a person that I happen to come across often at the palace! He just felt sad because of my ugly and bare face and probably wanted to boost my confidence. That¡¯s all! Rian¡¯s a good person!¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be, sister! You¡¯re the most beautiful woman in the world! Sir Droinel was just telling the truth!¡± Jianne yelled.


    When I was young, Chelleno used to talk nonsense about me being the prettiest in the world. It was just like the magic mirror from the fairytale, where the mirror tells the evil queen that she¡¯s the most beautiful woman. As I heard Jianne¡¯s nonsense that came from Chelleno¡¯s brainwashing, I strongly rejected his belief.


    ¡°Jianneen, get a hold of yourself! Chelleno brainwashed you!¡±


    Hearing my words, the twins sighed.


    ¡°Ugh, when will she ever realize her beauty?¡± said Jianne.


    ¡°That day may never come. Aunt told her she¡¯s ugly literally every day¡­¡± replied Lumi.


    Then the two of them looked at me with a sympathetic look and spoke the same words at the same time, ¡°This is bad.¡±

 CH 119

    Hah. If I didn¡¯t say they were twins. These little kids, who always fight each other to death, play along so nicely at times like this. It¡¯s good that they aren¡¯t fighting, but if the reason for that is to insult me, I couldn¡¯t standstill.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s bad! Get out!¡±


    The room fell silent as I shoved them out of it. I immediately went over to the bed, covered myself with the blanket, and kicked on it.


    ¡°Aaagh! I¡¯m too embarrassed to see Rian on Monday!¡± And with such shame, my golden weekend passed by too quickly.


    ***


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    I wished so badly that it would not come, but the sickening Monday returned yet again. Actually, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like going to work, but weekends are so sweet that I just wish Monday would never come.


    ¡°Good morning, Secretary Harrant!¡±


    I was greeted by people as I entered the office and started the day¡¯s work. As I was going through documents, Vice Director Raymont called me, and I walked over to him. And¡­ of course.


    ¡°His Highness is calling for you. He has something to talk to you about the construction of the embankments that you suggested last time.¡±


    I almost sighed immediately. What is he trying to talk about this time? Does he want to play chess again? Then I was reminded of him hating to lose. Yes, that childish look. As I remembered the Crown Prince¡¯s childish and slightly dissatisfied look, I was overwhelmed with the urge to laugh that I had to suppress.


    ***


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    The words the Crown Prince said as soon as the door opened made me feel weird. It was because I felt like he had been waiting for me to come. But of course, that could never happen¡­


    ¡°I was waiting for you.¡±


    What? What is he talking about? I knew it was a disrespectful thing to do, but I still looked at him with a startled expression and my god¡­! He was approaching me with a serious look on his face. Every time he laid his step forward, I felt my heart pounding.


    ¡°Marina von Harrant.¡±


    As he called my name, I swallowed my empty throat without realizing that the sound of saliva coursing through my throat seemed to sound louder than usual. I¡¯m so unused to this strange feeling. A feeling that made me want to hide somewhere, and my face burned up.


    ¡°You and me together, should¡­¡±


    All the hair on my skin seemed to rise. At this moment, my eyes carried the face of the handsome nutjob with purple eyes, and my ears carried that wonderful voice inside. Oh my, did he just say ¡°together?¡± All of my attention was on what he was going to say next.


    ¡°Go to check if the construction of the embankment is going well next week. You have a responsibility as the official who suggested the policy.¡±


    The way that he emphasized the word ¡°responsibility¡± made me realize that the Crown Prince¡¯s bullying started yet again.


    ¡°This is the letter of request. You should relay it to Internal Affairs.¡±


    It¡¯s an order, not a request. An order that he¡¯ll borrow me, an officer, from Internal Affairs as he pleases. I fell into a state where I felt lethargic, got a headache, and felt sick inside. I don¡¯t know much else, but I know what this feeling is. It was disappointment.

 CH 120

    ¡®Wait, why am I disappointed in him¡­ Oh!¡¯


    I was about to think about the reason for my discontent when something struck my mind. Yes, I¡¯m¡­ blaming him! Forced out of office work?! Why do I have to go out of the capital? I want to decline. But there¡¯s no way I can do that.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Is that the only reason you¡¯ve summoned me?¡± I asked.


    The Crown Prince looked at me without a word, then opened his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything about the word ¡®responsibility?''¡±


    Well, I felt¡­ that the Crown Prince was trying to pick on me by bringing up reasons like responsibility? But I can¡¯t say that either, so I decided to lie. ¡°No, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered.


    He didn¡¯t like my answer and frowned as he mumbled, ¡°Failed today too.¡±


    I have no idea why he failed, but my job here was done. There was no reason for me to stay any longer, so I said, ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡±


    ¡°Who said you can go? I have more business with you.¡±


    I was thinking about what he¡¯ll throw at me next with his voice when he walked up to me. I took a step back as the distance between us became too close, and he glared at me while speaking to me irritably, ¡°I am very displeased these days.¡±


    I barely suppressed my urge to frown at that nutjob starting again when he looked at me and threw a displeased rant. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going crazy because of someone who doesn¡¯t seem to have a clue. What do you suppose I should do?¡±


    What? He¡¯s the crown prince who can say whatever he wants to anyone, and he is still worried about that? In response to his dumb and boring question, I answered immediately without hesitation, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you just say why you are angry directly?¡±


    At my very obvious answer, he shook his head with a frown and replied, ¡°No. As soon as I say it, that certain someone and I will get hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­Get hurt?¡±


    I became curious who would dare hurt that crown prince. I¡­ wish I could do that to him too! I want to give him hell, so he learns to become a better person! That¡¯s when he pointed at his heart with his finger and continued.


    ¡°I think this part will hurt a lot. It¡¯s about a very precious person. So, talk to me. What should I do?¡±


    What? That nutjob has someone precious? He never worries about anyone and always does whatever he pleases to everyone! However, I felt disgusted. Those clear purple eyes looking at me right now were kind to someone else. And that handsome face was kind to someone else. That made my heart ache.


    Ah¡­ Yes. This feeling must be¡­ my anger towards that nutjob. He always treats me like trash, but his heart aches for that precious person? Good then. I¡¯ll make you become completely hated by that person!


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Every time you see that person, scold them for forgetting about it like an idiot! Then that person will try to think about it.¡±


    Actually, I myself thought it was a stupid idea, but the Crown Prince sighed with a stern look. He then smiled and spoke to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re so foolish.¡±


    As soon as I heard that, I realized that a quick-witted man realized my plans and made me feel guilty. But I pretended I didn¡¯t care and maintained my expressionless look.


    The Crown Prince then looked at me for a while and asked, ¡°Do you like theatrical plays?¡±

 CH 121

    Theatrical plays, again? At the d¨¦j¨¤ vu, I looked back at him without answering, and he frowned with his fingers pressing on his forehead.


    ¡°It¡¯s too boring for me. I feel like I¡¯m wasting time watching a fake story. But even when it¡¯s fake, maybe someone can be mesmerized by that world and feel it¡¯s true.¡± His meaningful words made me look dumb, and he continued, ¡°But you know what? The play has an end. That¡¯s why I endure even if it¡¯s boring.¡±


    He seemed to be speaking to me, but it made no sense, so I couldn¡¯t understand where he was going with it. But I somehow thought that his words had some deep meaning to them.


    ¡°You can go now. Time is valuable, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± I answered quickly as I found this meeting to be quite uncomfortable. Then, I heard a low voice coming from him.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not too far now.¡±


    What does he mean, ¡°not too far?¡± But I thought he must not be speaking to me anyway. A person of his rank doesn¡¯t have to worry about others when talking to himself, so that¡¯s probably why he¡¯s mumbling to himself while I¡¯m still here.


    After returning to the office, I handed over the request letter to Director Clove that said I was being appointed as an officer to go out on the field at the actual embankment construction site. Director Clove read the letter and nodded.


    ¡°Think of it as a paid vacation. It¡¯s a good place with nature around it. It will be a good vacation. I envy you,¡± said the Director.


    ¡®You can go yourself if you want that vacation,¡¯ I thought, suppressing the curse words that were soaring up my throat. Yes, it¡¯s never good to be stuck in the middle ranks like this.


    ¡°Oh? My assistant, are you going somewhere?¡±


    It was Rave, who came into the director¡¯s office with documents, asking me that question. Our director, Count Clove, answered in my place.


    ¡°Secretary Harrant will be heading north with His Highness soon. It¡¯s for the fieldwork for the embankment construction.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why? You know how much our work efficiency falls if she¡¯s not around!¡± Rave protested strongly, putting down the documents on the desk.


    Count Clove frowned and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s His Highness¡¯s order.¡±


    Rave became stern, then suddenly grinned, ¡°Then we have no choice. Oh, anyway, director, I suppose my vacation is still in order?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Is it next week?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s approved. You can go now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    His protest on my behalf was wiped away as soon as he spoke of his vacation, which made me feel angry. So next week must be when I would be going through hell with the Crown Prince. Rave acts like he¡¯s such a good superior, but in the end, his vacation is what matters. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t consider him all that good after all.


    ***


    ¡°Secretary Harrant!¡±


    While I was working after arriving at the office, Vice Director Raymont called me. I stood up automatically and began getting ready.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asked me with a dumbfounded look.


    I instinctively spoke what came to my mind, ¡°It¡¯s His Highness. Right? He¡¯s looking for me?¡±


    Vice Director Raymont shook his head slowly and answered, ¡°No. He didn¡¯t call you today.¡±


    That made me ashamed. Was I automatically thinking the Crown Prince would be looking for me? Maybe the dream I had a while ago affected me. But I couldn¡¯t show myself ashamed, so I calmly asked, ¡°Then what is it that you are calling me for, sir?¡±

 CH 122

    ¡°Actually, the Minister of Defense and Minister of External Affairs praised your work because it allowed our successful negotiation with the new King of Azar to happen, and they wanted to see you.¡±


    I realized two facts from these words. One was that Marquis Schuteiner, who originally sided with the Imperial party, now turned over to the Noble party. The Minister of Defense was Duke Harsen, the leader of the Noble party and one who has a direct lineage of the Imperial Family. If Marquis Schuteiner was befriending the Duke, then it was a silent protest of his daughter being shunned by the Imperial Family.


    But of course, it is a known fact that Duke Harsen¡¯s son Hillain loves Elise so badly. Maybe it was the Marquis¡¯s scheme to plan a wedding between their children to form an alliance and pressure the Imperial Family to weaken them as revenge. With the two powerful families getting together, it meant the nobles under them were going to be allies as well. It wasn¡¯t easy even for the Emperor to look away.


    The second thing I realized was that they were eyeing me. Even if I did suggest the policy, it was very unlikely for the ministers to summon a mere secretary unless they were very interested. This meant that there was a chance that I would have to go up against not only Marquis Schuteiner and his daughter but even Duke Harsen.


    However, I couldn¡¯t decline their request. If I had to take it, then I at least had to give the impression to the Duke that he doesn¡¯t need to be wary of me. I was about to answer when someone jumped in on our conversation.


    ¡°The Ministry of Defense is looking for Secretary Harrant?¡± It was Rave who came in our direction, asking sternly.


    The Vice Director nodded, ¡°Yes. As you know, it is thanks to her policy that our negotiation with Azar went well.¡±


    ¡°That is right. But the policy was completed with the work of the entire Internal Affairs. If Secretary Harrant is to be solely praised, then there will be complaints revolving around fairness.¡±


    ¡°But it is the Ministers¡¯ orders. You know very well that we have no right to refuse.¡±


    In response, Rave¡¯s expression turned colder. ¡°But¡­!¡±


    ¡°Please let them know that I will visit them today or tomorrow at their convenience.¡± I cut off Rave¡¯s words and agreed with the Vice Director.


    Rave¡¯s face scowled as he said, ¡°Marina!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. What is it?¡±


    In response to my words, he clenched his fists and glared at Raymont. ¡°As your subordinate, I want to advise you to never become swayed by the unfair use of authority again.¡±


    ¡°Unfair use of¡­ What! What are you-¡±


    ¡°Internal Affairs has a different jurisdiction from the separate ministries. Even if they are ministers, they cannot summon us at their will without the permission of the Chancellor. I believe you should have declined their request, Vice Director.¡±


    Rave was actually right about this. But reality never worked that way. Vice Director Raymont was only a viscount even if he was ranked high, so there was no way he would dare decline the ministers¡¯ request.


    ¡°Hmph¡­ Alright.¡±


    But of course, Rave was also the future Duke of Harsen. Even if he was a subordinate of Viscount Raymont within the office, he was a higher-ranked noble outside.


    It left a bitter taste in my mouth. I thought that no matter how hard one tries, it isn¡¯t easy to overcome a birth lineage.


    Rave grabbed my wrist and said, ¡°Follow me, Marina.¡±


    Well, you said unfair use of authority. Isn¡¯t this actually unfair use of authority?


    ***


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Rave asked.

 CH 123

    As soon as he took me to the resting room, Rave asked me with a serious look on his face. I nodded.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re just calling me because I¡¯ve done something good.¡±


    Even with my answer, Rave looked at me anxiously, then spoke with a kind voice, ¡°Can you give me your hand?¡±


    I reached out my hand without any thought, and he immediately kissed the top of my hand.


    ¡°What? What are you doing?!¡± I protested and tried to take my hand away, but Rave held on to it so tightly that I couldn¡¯t take it off. Then I saw him looking at me with a serious expression, which frightened me. There is this side of him that gives me chills. He seems so different.


    ¡°Rave, I don¡¯t like th-¡±


    That¡¯s when Rave let go of my hand with a teasing look on his face, pretending nothing had happened. ¡°Hahaha! Are you startled? I thought you were too nervous, so I did it to make you relax.¡±


    ¡°Rave!¡± I shouted.


    His voice then turned serious again as he stated, ¡°Anyway, tell me if my father gives you a hard time. He listens to my request, whatever it is. He will understand if I persuade him.¡±


    Bah. This might look like a scene from a cheesy theatrical play. He¡¯s like a husband who¡¯s listening to his wife¡¯s concerns about her in-laws.


    ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ll mind my own business, so you don¡¯t need to care.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Rave responded.


    I frowned at his answer, and Rave patted my head and added, ¡°You¡¯re so cute.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not cute!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. It¡¯s my dream to marry my pretty assistant, you know!¡±


    I sighed at him for starting his nonsense. There must be a hundred women that fit his dream¡­ but Genorium only allows one husband and one wife, so say goodbye to your dream, Rave.


    ***


    Not long after that, a message came from those who called me. As the Vice Director directed, I entered the societal club hall that only members could enter, and a waiter walked up to me.


    ¡°You must be Secretary Marina von Harrant, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Please come this way. They are waiting.¡±


    As I was guided to a special room, the Minister of External Affairs and a well-built middle-aged man were looking at me.


    ¡°Hello, sir. I am Marina von Harrant.¡±


    I bowed and greeted them. Then the man with quite aggressive-looking eyes, Duke of Harsen, pointed his chin at me and said, ¡°I heard the finest officer of Internal Affairs was coming¡­ and we see a very beautiful lady here.¡±


    At the Minister of Defense, Duke Harsen¡¯s words, Marquis Schuteiner, the Minister of External Affairs answered. ¡°Not only that, she has an amazing feat. She¡¯s from a fallen noble family from the countryside and became an officer at central.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite right. An amazing lady who works hard to bring her family up all by herself.¡±


    It might sound like they were complimenting, but the problem was that they were talking about my family as fallen nobles or about me trying to bring up my family. It felt sickening. They were getting on my pride. But I couldn¡¯t fall for their attempts to taunt me. My reason here was to have at least one less enemy.


    ¡°I am so honored to be praised by such world-famous figures. But I heard you have different matters for summoning me,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Hahaha! You sure are bold! I see why the Chancellor took a liking to you!¡± Duke Harsen laughed hard for a while, then caressed his chin as he continued, ¡°But you are different from ones like us, who were born noble. Your reputation is dwindling too.¡±

 CH 124

    Now I realize why they¡¯ve called me here. Compliment? A reward? Those were all excuses. They wanted to insult me so that I could show my emotions. It was when I just glared at them without any response that the Duke grinned, ¡°Come closer. I have something to give you.¡±


    I walked slowly up to him, and he handed me a diamond necklace. Does he want me to take a look at it? What¡¯s the meaning of this? It was when I was in the midst of such a thought that he laughed and spoke.


    ¡°You can have it.¡±


    ¡°Pardon, sir?¡± What is going on? Did he call me to insult me and give me a necklace? I looked at it with a confused look, and the Duke spoke once more.


    ¡°You can have it. I heard your family had become rich from finding a gold mine, but I¡¯m sure you never had a chance to have such a lavish thing yet. I feel sad to see someone like yourself trying so hard to climb the ladder that you¡¯ll never succeed, which compelled me to donate. Yes, like your father, Count Harrant!¡±


    I had to suppress my urge to throw the necklace on the ground because of the insult that I couldn¡¯t bear any more. But I had to endure it. This man had the power to wipe me and my entire family out even if he needed to fabricate a reason.


    ¡°I will return this to you, as I don¡¯t deserve a gift like this.¡±


    My voice was calm, but my hand shivered. No, my entire body was trembling. I wanted to get rid of this man who insulted my family and me. But I held myself tightly to smile and made a sarcastic response to his arrogance.


    ¡°If you are so willing to donate, I would be grateful if you donate to starving commoners in the slums.¡±


    Duke Harsen began to laugh again at my answer. Then a vicious look overwhelmed me. ¡°You¡¯re so bold, refusing my hospitality.¡±


    ¡°I am so honored that you value my unconfident attitude, sir.¡±


    That man, after all, was my enemy. At such a thought, I decided to take a stand without stepping back any longer. Soon, a vicious aura died down, and Duke Harsen was looking at me curiously.


    ¡°Not bad. Unique.¡± I stayed silent, and the Duke laughed again as he continued, ¡°But you must know how to bend if you want to survive. A strong tree will crush under a powerful storm.¡±


    Duke Harsen. I have no idea why he approached me in this way. But what I know is that he hates me very much, and he¡¯s an a*sh*le who¡¯s prejudiced in his own superiority.


    ¡°Thank you for being concerned about my survival. But I believe a strong tree will survive a powerful storm if its roots are firm.¡±


    The Duke laughed so hard at my response, although I was unsure if it was because he found me funny or na?ve. After that, he spoke to me in a low voice, ¡°You can go now. I think I will see you again soon. When that time comes, you will have to relearn how to speak politely.¡±


    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±


    I felt good about not holding my back anymore. Then the Duke spoke to my back smugly, ¡°She¡¯s just like her father.¡±


    I am not sure why they called me to insult me, but it was apparent that they had no good feelings toward my father. Marquis Schuteiner was my enemy already, but Duke Harsen wasn¡¯t any better, if not more. That chilling aggression and unreasonable hostility towards me proved such. I should be wary.

 CH 125

    And Friday came so quickly. Time was medicine. With so many things happening in between, the shame that made me kick my blanket eased, and I had no problem meeting with Rian now. Oh, and come to think of it, all those rumors about me had also died down with time. But even though those rumors subsided, my enemy who attacked me with rumors, and the attacker, was still hiding behind a veil. As such, I was in a dilemma.


    ¡°Ha¡­ I¡¯m not sure what I should do. I feel uneasy seeing nothing happen, so maybe I should try something instead.¡±


    I felt most uneasy when it was hidden away. For example, a mouse is most unnerving when it hides in a wardrobe that I can¡¯t do anything about. If it¡¯s in front of me, I can either kill it or kick it out of the house, but if it hides in a place where I can¡¯t see, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it, which makes me feel uneasy.


    I spoke to Daisy about my frustration, and she replied with a frightening voice as she was tying my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, milady. I won¡¯t let anyone lay a hand on my perfect muse- I mean, My lady.¡±


    I laughed at Daisy¡¯s words. I might¡¯ve considered it a joke, but I now know that she has such power and it wasn¡¯t impossible after all.


    ¡°Anyway, I heard Sir Reyan is coming tomorrow?¡±


    Tomorrow was the end of the second month of Rey¡¯s vacation. I don¡¯t know why he left, but I had a guess. It was probably¡­ to finish his business with her. Beth, my friend and the daughter of a servant of the Grand Duke, and Rey looked at each other with the same eyes. And from some time, they began having agony in their eyes.


    I always thought about it, that the reason why Rey worked without any vacation was that he broke up with her. He probably pushed himself with work, so he could forget that pain. I experienced it myself, so I know how bad your health can be. That¡¯s why I thought my cousin needed time to work out his painful memories and agreed to his long vacation. I got a letter from him that he¡¯ll be returning tomorrow, so¡­ is he okay now?


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s coming back tomorrow.¡±


    At my words, Daisy spoke with a bit of delight in her voice, ¡°That¡¯s good! Then I can relax and sleep at night now.¡±


    ¡°What? Did you¡­ Did you stay up all night because of me?¡±


    Honestly, Daisy just needed to do her work as a maid. All she needed to do was do the laundry, clean up, and assist me. There was no need for her to sacrifice herself when she wasn¡¯t even my knight. In response to my startled question, Daisy just laughed and answered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I slept while you were at the palace working. No assassin will attempt to do anything under the tight security of the palace. But of course, I know this mansion is quite safe too.¡±


    I was touched by that. So it was due to your sacrifice that I am safe. I always thought I was living alone. But now I know that the reason I can live was that I had people helping me, like Daisy or Rey. I was arrogant. Come to think of it, I took their sacrifice for granted. It wasn¡¯t something that could just happen.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, milady. I was just doing my job. I¡¯m your person. It is my will to put my life on the line to protect you.¡±


    My person. That gave warmth to my chest that spread over to my entire body. So, this is how it feels to have someone who throws their life to protect me. It was so overwhelming, and I was so thankful that it felt like I would cry. But I shouldn¡¯t cry in the morning.

 CH 126

    ¡°But- if you buy me a limited edition cosmetic from Chanelle, I would feel rewarded a bit.¡±


    That made me take back my tears. Yeah, well. Everything needs a price. Of course, Daisy has the right to be rewarded, although it¡¯s quite cute that she requested cosmetics as a reward. Considering that, she¡¯s more of a girl than a frightening assassin.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll get some when I visit the streets soon.¡±


    ¡°You have to hurry. It¡¯s a limited edition, so it¡¯ll sell out quickly. Anyway, you¡¯re so perfect today as well, even though I was the one who did it.¡±


    In response to her impossible compliment, I turned to look at the mirror and felt that my usual face looked a bit pretty today. Yeah, it¡¯s not bad to be complimented like this sometimes. I was feeling a good vibe surrounding me when I heard a rough knock.


    ¡°Marin! Let¡¯s go to work!¡±


    I sighed at Chelleno¡¯s voice, and Daisy spoke with a grin, ¡°Have a good day, milady.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t need to come for me after work today. I¡¯m going to watch the theatrical version with Lumi, Jianne, and Rian.¡±


    ¡°Yes, milady.¡±


    I opened the door of the room with my protector maid behind me and saw a big dog-like Chelleno grinning in front. It was the same as usual, but it never gets old.


    ¡°Marin, you¡¯re pretty today too!¡±


    I always found this side of Chelleno to be annoying before, but now I know that he does this because that¡¯s what he thinks of me. I just find it a bit problematic that his impression of me is a bit overrated. I hope he can see me normally. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t know what I was thinking, so he just offered me his hand with a bright smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I looked at his hand. The hand that he would offer to me anytime. Maybe¡­ if I tell my cousins and my uncle about my problem, it might be a bit easier to solve. But I had to think deeply as it might hurt my uncle¡¯s family. They are the people that I want to protect.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go.¡±


    As I grabbed his hand, Chelleno blushed and swung his hand a bit hard, seemingly glad. At his childish expression, I scolded him coldly, ¡°Stop. You¡¯re not a kid.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Sorry.¡±


    I felt proud to see him stopping immediately. At least he could hold himself and act like an adult now. I patted his head as a reward, and Chelleno asked with a grin, ¡°Marin, I heard you¡¯re going to see the play with our troublemakers and Adrian?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Do you want to come with me?¡±


    At my question, Chelleno spoke slowly, sounding a bit depressed, ¡°No, I can¡¯t go even if I want to. I have a night shift today. But it¡¯s good that Lumi¡¯s going with you. I never thought I would feel the need for a sister! Even if it¡¯s Adrian, he¡¯s no match for my beastly sister. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t trust Adrian, as he¡¯s like the epitome of a knight, but he¡¯s still a man, so you must be careful.¡±


    I know Lumi can be strong, but she¡¯s such a pretty girl! You shouldn¡¯t call her a beast! What a terrible brother. He¡¯s worse than how my brother and I speak¡­ Actually, never mind. They are truly brother and sister. Anyway, I find it hilarious to hear that I should be careful of Rian. I¡¯m sure everyone would say he should be careful of me instead.


    ¡°Anyway, have fun, Marin. I approve of Adrian so¡­ I guess I should allow a play.¡±


    Funny. Chelleno¡¯s birthday is later than mine, and he¡¯s acting like he¡¯s my older brother. I see whatever I want to see without your permission, alright?

 CH 127

    It feels it has been a while ago since I came to work with Chelleno, but after diving deep into work it was already time to get off work. I looked forward to the time to leave, but not having Daisy or Rey made me feel a bit worried.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think anything will happen while watching a play¡­ It should be alright,¡¯ I thought. Then I began packing my things so that I could be on time.


    ¡°My assistant, do you want to have tea with me today?¡±


    Rave tried to flirt with me again, but I was busy. I have to go watch a play, then go home and relax. ¡°I have a prior appointment. Sorry.¡±


    Listening to my words, Rave began teasing and asked, ¡°With who? Huh? C¡¯mon. Tell me. Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡±


    I felt annoyed at him tagging along, and I sensed he wouldn¡¯t leave unless I told him, so I decided to answer his question, ¡°With my cousins and Sir Droinel.¡± Rave¡¯s expression froze solid at my answer. Hmph. Maybe he still has a bad relationship with Rian.


    ¡°How? I mean, what kind of appointment is that?¡± Rave asked.


    ¡°Well, I was just talking with him at my uncle¡¯s place and-¡±


    ¡°WHAT? You called him to your place?! I¡¯m disappointed, Marina! You don¡¯t even allow me to have tea time, and you invite him over to your home!¡±


    Ugh. The distance to the main gate was quite far, so I was caught in a place where I had to respond to his nonsense. I looked at him frowning at me, and I also scowled.


    ¡°Did you forget? My uncle is the knight captain of the Central Knights, and he¡¯s a knight of that group. He was just there on an errand.¡±


    At my words, Rave immediately brightened up to smile and began mumbling, ¡°I knew it. There¡¯s no way my cold assistant would invite someone so easily. But an errand, huh? I envy him. Maybe I should¡¯ve become a knight.¡±


    As his nonsense continued, I laughed at him in my mind. ¡®You can¡¯t even fight. How can you become a knight?¡¯ But I also felt astonished. He can barely use a shield yet has such confidence. I actually envy such unexplainable determination.


    ¡°Heh heh. So, Lady Illumina is also going together, right?¡± Rave asked.


    ¡°Yes. Are your questions answered now?¡±


    Rave shook his head at my question and grinned, still lingering in front of me. ¡°No, I¡¯m always curious about you. Why don¡¯t we go to a quiet area to have tea and talk some more?¡±


    His pickup lines were always so cheesy. I bet that he had done this to countless other women besides me.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost at the gate, so why don¡¯t we go on our way now? I have no questions for you, by the way.¡±


    Even with my cold words, Rave still lingered around me childishly, looking at me. ¡°No. I¡¯m following you. I should watch that play too.¡±


    At his crazy claim, I scowled and began walking at a faster pace. Rave continued to follow me with a grin. That¡¯s when a white horse suddenly stopped in front of us. I almost fell on my back from being startled but caught myself and greeted the person on the horse.

 CH 128

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡±


    At my greetings that I made while hiding my shock, the Crown Prince received them with an indifferent expression. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rave, as soon as he saw the Crown Prince, also wiped the joking look on his face and bowed, ¡°Your Highness, the future sun.¡±


    Even at Rave¡¯s greeting, the Crown Prince just glared at him with his intriguing purple eyes. Shortly after, Rave spoke to him, ¡°Your Highness, if I may. It is not a gentleman¡¯s manner to suddenly cut in front of a lady. A lady might be surprised.¡±


    That¡¯s right. That wasn¡¯t appropriate even as a person! In response to Rave¡¯s correct words, the Crown Prince slowly frowned. Oh, I¡¯ve seen him so many times now that I can read his expression. That expression shows that he¡¯s pissed off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need someone like you to teach me, so shut up.¡±


    But Rave didn¡¯t seem to back off and just glared at the Crown Prince while responding sarcastically, ¡°You know that so well, and I¡¯m not sure why you made such a mannerless appearance. Are you okay, Marina?¡±


    Rave suddenly turned his target to me. The Crown Prince also turned towards me and asked, ¡°Were you surprised?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    I spoke to him honestly without hiding it, and the Crown Prince jumped off his horse. Then he glared at me with his purple eyes that made me feel weird, then a low voice came from him. ¡°I believe it¡¯s only right to take the responsibility if you¡¯re surprised. I¡¯ll take you back home to be responsible, Marina von Harrant.¡±


    What insane reasoning is that? Why is he taking responsibility for startling me? And what does that have to do with taking me back home?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Your Highness. Come to think of it- I don¡¯t think I¡¯m surprised at all- *hicc.¡±


    I quickly covered my mouth from sudden hiccups, and the Crown Prince wore a smile on his handsome face. Others would be mesmerized by that smile, but to me, that was just a meaningful grin of an evil nutjob.


    ¡°You were startled, I see.¡±


    ¡°No, I was not. *Hicc. I have an appointment today. I have to- *hicc* go there.¡±


    What¡¯s wrong with this stupid hiccup?! Anyway, Rave also quickly nodded at my refusal, ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t try to snatch a lady¡¯s appointment, would you? I don¡¯t think that is the manner of a¡­¡±


    ¡°No. To me, the safety of Marina von Harrant is more important than her manners.¡±


    It¡¯s quite touching, actually, but to hear that from a man who threatens my mental health the most made me feel insane. But why is my heart pounding? Oh, I know why.


    Yes, I am¡­ afraid. How can I not when thinking about going back home frightened on the horse of that handsome nutjob? I saw him riding a horse the other day, and I remember he was controlling the horse like he was doing a rodeo. Wasn¡¯t I surprised just now by how he stopped his horse in front of me?


    My mind was becoming busy with such thoughts when the Crown Prince said, ¡°She and I¡­ will be going together to look at the embankment construction site soon.¡±


    Hahaha. I see. It¡¯s actually for him instead of me. I was feeling foolish for being touched by his words and began worrying that I would be late because of this handsome yet selfish man.


    ¡°I¡¯m safe! *Hicc!* I¡¯m going home with my cousins today!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°By your cousin, you mean Chelleno von Reclan, the central knight who¡¯s famous for flirting with women? The most popular knight among all officers and knights combined?¡±


    Huh? How come he knows all those details? Chelleno, what have you been doing within the palace? In place of the confused and hiccupping me, Rave answered.


    ¡°Your Highness, if I may correct that fact. It is me who¡¯s the most famous within the palace. And my Marina here is actually going to watch a play with her female cousin.¡±


    At that moment, something ominous got shrouded in the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes. ¡°Rave von Harsen. Didn¡¯t I tell you before? Of your place?¡±

 CH 129

    It was such a frightening look that if possible, the Crown Prince would rip Rave to death with his eyes. But even with that kind of look, Rave just grinned.


    ¡°Oh, I changed my mind, Your Highness. I believe I answered that I would see what you would do and follow. It means that I haven¡¯t decided my direction yet.¡±


    ¡°You have a death wish,¡± said the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t justify killing. It¡¯s not wise to say things you can¡¯t do.¡± Rave answered with such an out-of-line attitude that the Crown Prince became more vicious. It almost felt like the air was ringing.


    ¡°You should watch your mouth yourself, Rave Graciel von Harsen. I¡¯m sure your father will make that justification, actually.¡±


    At those words, Rave also turned cold and glared back. Oh, my head. Why am I stuck in other people¡¯s fights? I¡¯m busy today! I don¡¯t want to waste my golden Friday between these nutjobs!


    ¡°*Hicc* Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Hearing my call, the Crown Prince looked at me less viciously than he did at Rave. It still was frightening, but I had to say what I had to say. I gulped down my throat and spoke with a serious expression, ¡°I¡¯m running out of time, so I have to go if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    Huh? Thanks to gulping, my hiccup seemed to have stopped. That made me feel better, and I smiled, forgetting that I was in front of the Crown Prince. Did he see me brighten up? He looked at me with a dumbfounded look. It was Rave, who opened his mouth instead of the Crown Prince, who was watching me silently.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Marina, I sometimes find it hard to decide if you¡¯re too brave or slow-witted.¡±


    Well, I, too, sometimes think I may be too courageous. I mean, I almost had the Crown Prince kill me many times after protesting against him. But I¡¯m not slow-witted! No way! My wits are the only weapon that made me survive all those times! With that concluded, I spoke to answer Rave¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m brave, Rave.¡±


    ¡°Do you think so?¡±


    Rave frowned at my answer. But I couldn¡¯t tell what the Crown Prince was thinking from his expression. It was expressionless, but it didn¡¯t seem bad either. That awesomely handsome face seemed to even wear a smile. That¡¯s when the Crown Prince spoke.


    ¡°You can go.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°A promise is important, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I had to foolishly ask him back as I didn¡¯t expect him to let me go, and he smiled. It¡¯s strange. Seeing that smile made my heart sink and my face blush, so I wanted to escape. I don¡¯t know why I am doing this. While I was thinking that, Rave stood in front where I was watching the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Right. A promise is important, so I¡¯ll escort Marina to her appointment. Then if you¡¯ll excuse me, Your Highness.¡±


    As I listened to his words, I realized I had to tell him that he didn¡¯t need to do that and opened my mouth, ¡°The Main Gate is the place, which is like- right in front from here.¡±


    At my answer, Rave coughed and raised his voice. ¡°HMPH! Your superior is offering to escort you, and you need to say no more. Let¡¯s go!¡± Then he whispered to my ears, ¡°His Highness can change his mind, you know?¡±


    Well, how can I dislike him? My superior is sometimes serious and dim-witted but sometimes a very thoughtful person. He¡¯s sometimes very arrogant yet modest¡­ I should take back the last part. Anyway, I bowed to the Crown Prince, and he hopped on the horse again and quickly left.


    ¡®Where is he going at such a late time?¡¯


    I became curious about his destination but decided to forget about it. He must be off to buy a doll or something. But that¡¯s disappointing. He¡¯s off to buy another doll instead of Doll Master M¡¯s doll!


    As I walked with Rave while thinking various things about the Crown Prince and left the Main Gate, a carriage with a familiar family¡¯s emblem on it had familiar faces in it waiting for me.


    ¡°Sister!¡±


    ¡°Sis!¡±


    It was Lumi, Jianne¡­, and the wonderful-looking Rian. I waved at them. Then I heard a rumbling noise coming from next to me.


    ¡°That punk.¡± I was worried that Rian heard Rave¡¯s voice, but he was still smiling, so I was certain he didn¡¯t hear it, which made me relieved. ¡°Rave, it¡¯s time for you to go.¡±


    Rave then looked at me with a sad look on his face and commented, ¡°Wow, have you been waiting for this moment? You¡¯re so cold!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m cold, so go back to your home now.¡± I quickly brushed him off, worried he might pick on a fight with Rian again.


    Rave grinned, ¡°I¡¯m not going home.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to watch the play too.¡±


    I was so dumbfounded that I looked at him with a frown, and he made a flirty smile and placed his hand on my shoulder. Then he said, ¡°I¡¯m just joking! Joking! Did I scare you? Go have fun.¡±

 CH 130

    Did he play with me again? I was about to brush his hand off my shoulder when his hand was suddenly lifted.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Then I heard Rave¡¯s dumbfounded voice while shocked by someone suddenly approaching him.


    ¡°Viscount Harsen! You shouldn¡¯t touch my sister like that!¡±


    Even Rave seemed shocked by Lumi¡¯s quite hostile reaction. Jianne also seemed to be stunned and was bowing as he ran over to apologize. ¡°Lumi! What are you doing? I apologize on behalf of my sister, Viscount.¡±


    It was cute that Jianne was looking after his twin sister. Rave was shocked, then angry, but he wore a smile again and shook his head. ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s quite alright. It¡¯s good to see that Lady Illumina cares for her cousin.¡±


    Responding to Rave¡¯s kind voice, Lumi eased her expression and returned to normal. ¡°Oh, of course, I care for her! I love Marina more than my sibling! I apologize for my rudeness just now, Viscount Harsen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Anyway, you two are just alike. Although your tempers are quite different.¡±


    With those words, the twins both frowned and glared at each other. They sure look alike. Lumi had her hair brushed down today, and she was so pretty even without heavy makeup. On the other hand, Jianne had his long hair cleanly tied up. If Jianne brushed his hair down and wore a dress, I wouldn¡¯t know who was who. It was while I was thinking about these useless thoughts when someone coldly called out to Rave.


    ¡°Rave Graciel von Harsen. I suppose you have no more business here, so you better get going.¡±


    Rave also turned distant at Rian¡¯s cold voice. ¡°I was about to do it without you telling me what to do, Droinel Adrian von Siccain.¡±


    To see them like this, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if both of them had some kind of multi-personality disorder. Rian is usually kind before he turns ice cold, while Rave is usually a clown before he becomes arrogant. Either way, it¡¯s not normal.


    ¡°Bye, Marina!¡± announced Rave.


    ¡°Yes, goodbye.¡±


    At my answer, Rave sent a kiss with his hand, got up in his family¡¯s carriage, and left. Rian smiled brightly like the blazing sunlight of noon as if the face he showed Rave was a facade and offered me his hand. ¡°Marin, let¡¯s get you up on the carriage.¡±


    As I got up while holding his hand, his eyes bowed as he smiled, ¡°I have to use my carriage. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Such hospitality did give my heart butterflies. How could I not be when a prince of a fairytale treats me so kindly? But in reality, the actual prince is a nutjob, who has some crazy love for a doll, and it made me sigh. Reality is cold when you have too high of an expectation. After Lumi and Jianne entered, the carriage door closed, and I saw a giant travel bag in the corner.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Lumi laughed at my question and casually answered, ¡°It¡¯s just some hats and accessories.¡±


    I see! It¡¯s quite common for noble ladies to bring multiple clothes to parties in case the dress gets ruined. In extreme cases, they even carry a dress around when they¡¯re going out. But that looks like a sword. Why did she bring a sword here? I was getting curious when Lumi began to make a fuss.


    ¡°Sis, sis! So who is it?¡± Lumi¡¯s voice was so energetic that my curiosity disappeared and directed my attention to her question.


    ¡°Huh? Who? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Oh, between the two princes! Who do you like? Didn¡¯t you see them fighting over you just now?¡±


    I was stunned by her words. They were fighting because they hated each other, not because of me. If what you¡¯re saying is right, then the Crown Prince is in love with me and had to pick a fight on Rave? Nonsense. That romance novel just ruined her.


    ¡°Lumi, think about it. What you¡¯re saying is the same as getting hyped up because someone just smiled at you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But they were being so kind towards-¡±


    That made me laugh bitterly. I, too, had thought there were feelings behind that kindness and shared that with my family after returning from the party. But¡­


    ¡°Oh gosh, Marina. Are you so na?ve? Giving you a handkerchief because water splashed is simple manners! You¡¯ll be ashamed if you say such a thing to someone.¡± My brother threw that at me in the face and told me to wake up.


    ¡°Rina. It is natural for gentlemen to be kind. You shouldn¡¯t fall for those words¡­ I mean, don¡¯t get the wrong message from such kindness!¡± My father then told me it¡¯s a gentleman¡¯s way to be kind¡­ Yes. That seemed to be true, so after that I tried my best not to get the wrong message about other people¡¯s kindness toward me.


    ¡°It¡¯s manners. Should they be unkind when I work with them together at the palace? We should learn to see the difference between a friendship between coworkers and a romantic relationship.¡±


    At my words, Lumi sighed and pressed her forehead with her finger as she turned to Jianne.

 CH 131

    ¡°You were right. You¡¯re amazing in many ways,¡± Lumi said with astonishment.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I asked.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if she meant it in a good or bad way. Lumi looked at me innocently and replied, ¡°Nothing. I just hope that you will have more confidence in yourself. You¡¯re really a wonderful person no matter who looks at you.¡±


    I¡¯m confident! Indeed, I¡¯m not sure about my looks, but it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not confident in my abilities. A nineteen-year-old secretary recognized by many higher-ups. I find myself astonishing, to be honest. I worked hard to achieve that, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m amazing. I know I may have no charm for a romantic interest, but I don¡¯t plan on getting married, so that doesn¡¯t concern me. What¡¯s important in life is the ability and power to survive and money.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    In response to my answer, Lumi opened her eyes wide and asked, ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. As an officer, I¡¯m amazing. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll rise up the ladder and become a high-ranking official.¡±


    My confident answer made Lumi sigh again, ¡°Whew¡­. Yeah, I hope you do that.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Her sighs seemed to have gotten deeper, but anyway we moved on to different topics energetically. After a short moment of chatting with the kids, the carriage soon arrived at the theater. The door opened, and Rian offered me his hand with a bright smile.


    ¡°Marin, I¡¯ll escort you in.¡±


    He looked just like a prince, so I became dazed. Then I saw something strange and rubbed my eyes. That¡¯s strange. Why am I seeing the Crown Prince there?


    ¡°Marin?¡± Rian asked me with a confused look, and I rubbed my eyes only to see the Crown Prince disappear. I see. I¡¯m tired and hallucinating.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I held his hand to enter the theater. The interior was quite lavish, although it was no match for the Imperial Palace. I was quite nervous as I didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes on my first visit to the theater. Soon, we were at our seats. The seat was comfy and had a good view of the stage. Yes, our seat was on the second-floor special seating, separate from the floor seating. It was different since we entered, actually. While everyone else was buying their tickets, as soon as Rian showed his badge on his chest, we were immediately guided into this place without being asked a single question.


    Well, he¡¯s the only son of the family of the marquis. Not only that, but his father is also the current chancellor, so he has power. I don¡¯t know much, but I heard that the theater gives their sponsoring family special seating in the form of a room. This special seating where we were escorted in was the largest and had the best view of the stage. It meant that Rian¡¯s family had donated the most amount of money to the theater. The man on the top of the ladder. To think I¡¯m watching a play with such a man when I used to do two jobs because of poverty¡­ It¡¯s astonishing. But of course, my noble cousins should be familiar with such-


    ¡°Whoa! This is amazing! The seat is so comfy!¡± Jianne shouted.


    ¡°This is much better than where we watched last time! Well, of course, you can¡¯t watch from here no matter how much you pay! Teehee!¡± Lumi shouted.


    ¡­I guess they aren¡¯t familiar with this either. But I can see that they have watched plays several times. Meanwhile, all the plays I¡¯ve watched were plays with dolls when I was young. This is very unfamiliar.


    Jianne then spoke familiarly to the servant of the marquis that followed us, ¡°Stay outside. I¡¯m not sure when we¡¯ll head back, so tell that to the carriage rider too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

 CH 132

    The servant closed the door as he left. Everything that I saw here felt unfamiliar and new to me¡­ but I should try my best not to show that this was my first time, no matter what may happen. And right after that, I saw a hallucination again. Yeah, I must be tired to see such a¡­


    That¡¯s when everyone got up from their seat and immediately bowed.


    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡±


    At my cousin and Rian¡¯s greetings, the Crown Prince nodded casually, ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was Rian, the cousin of the Crown Prince, who spoke regarding the prince¡¯s sudden visit. ¡°What brought you here, Your Highness? I believe you don¡¯t like plays.¡±


    He seemed quite surprised as well, as Rian had such a nervous look in his eyes, which wasn¡¯t like his usual calm self. The Crown Prince looked at him disinterested and replied, ¡°It¡¯s not bad from time to time.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? But the theater-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you to talk so much, Adrian. Didn¡¯t you say I can use your family¡¯s guest seats whenever I want?¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ Yes, I did. But this isn¡¯t like you either, Your Highness. I didn¡¯t expect you would show up so suddenly at a place that you don¡¯t like,¡± said Adrian.


    The Crown Prince wore a cold smile on his face. ¡°No, this is exactly like me. I don¡¯t care about the way or the method. If you don¡¯t feel confident enough, then get lost. I¡¯m actually getting quite annoyed because of you.¡±


    Rian sighed at those words, then turned to me, who was gazing at the two of them and smiled. After making such a refreshing smile, he turned back to the Crown Prince and shook his head. ¡°I am sorry, but I have no intention of giving up. After all, you and I are in place of being selected in the end.¡±


    At those words, the Crown Prince glared at him, then turned his purple eyes towards me and my cousins, who were awkwardly standing. ¡°You can all sit down, or you don¡¯t have to if you want to tell everyone that I¡¯m here.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t exactly correct. These special seats were on the second floor and were in isolated quarters, so it was separate from the regular seats. It was also separate from any other special seats, so it wasn¡¯t visible from other seats. While I was thinking of that, the Crown Prince took his seat, and I had to take a gulp.


    Interestingly enough, the Crown Prince was sitting right next to me and to my left was Rian. I¡¯m watching a play between two of the best men in the entire empire!


    ¡°Oh, this is like a dream! To watch a play with Your Highness and Sir Droinel! This is such an honorable night.¡±¡±


    Lumi spoke exactly what was on my mind, which shocked me. She didn¡¯t seem to care if the Crown Prince was here and chatter. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a special show tonight! A sword dance! I want to see it!¡±


    ¡°Hey, do you want to show off your violent side that badly?¡± Jianne whispered from her side, but Lumi didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°Who cares? Marina likes sword dancing too. I¡¯m sure everyone will enjoy it. Isn¡¯t that right, Your Highness?¡±


    Lumi¡¯s sudden question shocked me yet again, and I was about to turn toward her when I heard a kind voice from the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Well, I guess he would like a sword dance. It was said that the Crown Prince is quite skilled in swords. That¡¯s when I heard a kind voice from my right.


    ¡°I like it.¡±


    As soon as I heard that, I could hear my heart racing again. What- it¡¯s doing it again? I¡¯m not sure why it¡¯s doing this so often these days. That¡¯s when I heard Rian¡¯s beautiful voice.


    ¡°I like it too, actually.¡±

 CH 133

    Hong Heesu3-4 minutes


    Well. I guess the people who gathered here all liked watching stuff like that. As for me, I had been watching Rey and his teacher¡­ Huh? The lights turned dark while I was thinking that.


    ¡°Oh? It must be starting now.¡±


    My heart began pounding at Lumi¡¯s words. Oh, I see it now. The reason why my heart raced just now¡­ was because I was looking forward to a play! I¡¯m a newbie who¡¯s watching one for the first time, after all!


    Soon, the play started, and I dived right into it, forgetting everything on my mind. The beautiful main protagonist of the play was smart and decisive. She was such a perfect woman.


    ¡®I envy her.¡¯


    From the way she controlled the wind to everything else, she was well-suited to be the protagonist. She was a fallen noble like me in the past but was confident all the time, which wasn¡¯t like me. And she had a very kind but also strong will when needed. She was the perfect lady in the story, and I can see why she was the protagonist.


    But if I act that boldly in real life, I would be pummeled to dust. Well, most people will think of her as themselves while watching the play, but I was different. It was for a simple reason. I had no control over the wind and didn¡¯t marry a king. I was a complete observer here. I, who wasn¡¯t pretty nor good, was never going to become a queen like that. Come to think of it, I think I¡¯m just a side character in a story. I guess I would show up as an ¡°Officer 1¡± in the story even if I did manage to show up. But a side character has their own life. Although I couldn¡¯t be the protagonist, I¡¯m trying my best to live my life.


    While I was watching the play with such thoughts, I felt heaviness on my right shoulder. I froze up and turned my head a bit to the side and saw the Crown Prince sleeping with his head on my shoulder.


    ¡®How can he fall asleep while watching such a great story?¡¯ I thought for a brief moment before realizing I had to find a way to overcome this problem. If I took my shoulder away, then the Crown Prince was going to wake up, but I couldn¡¯t stay frozen like this either. My heart began pounding strongly, so I was worried that he would feel its movement.


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    I called him quietly, but he didn¡¯t respond. Why does he always have to put me in such a spot? I became troubled when I heard Rian asking me quietly from my left.


    ¡°Marin, did His Highness fall asleep?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rian sighed and stood up after I answered. He then moved the Crown Prince¡¯s head up to the back of the seat and shook his head, ¡°I guess he overdid himself. He couldn¡¯t sleep well for the last two months.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Why?¡±


    What made the Crown Prince skip sleeping? Did he work so hard even then? Rian looked at me with his lake-like blue eyes at my shock. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But¡­ maybe something happened that made him think hard about it.¡±


    Honestly, it never came to me that the Crown Prince was the type to think about anything. He was arrogant and did whatever he wanted. But even when he had a bad reputation, I felt saddened and sympathetic towards him the moment I heard that.


    He was erratic but recognized my ability, was thoughtful of my feelings, and sometimes changed his mind for me. Yeah, that made me come to know him well. It must be sympathy that I am feeling right now.

 CH 134

    ¡°Is he okay? Doesn¡¯t he need to see the doctor? Or¡­¡± I began to whisper as I got worried, and Rian smiled to relieve me.


    ¡°He¡¯s just tired. He¡¯s a very special person, so he doesn¡¯t usually get sick. He¡¯s fine.¡±


    No way. Even if you are a special person, you still get sick. I didn¡¯t feel good about Rian talking like it was nothing when the Crown Prince was sleeping like a dead man, and I protested without realizing it.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s fine. He¡¯s human too, and it would be hard for him to skip sleeping. Fatigue can consume you from the inside even if you look strong outside. You shouldn¡¯t assume so easily like that.¡± I snapped at him sharply.


    Rian replied with a bit of a bitter smile, ¡°It¡¯s the first time, Marin, for you to show your emotions like that.¡±


    I then realized I overdid it and quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I didn¡¯t mean to go harsh on you.¡±


    Rian then made a teasing smile and said, ¡°If you are really sorry, can we go take a walk outside together?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    It was going to be an intermission soon. I nodded as I was really sorry, and he took me to the balcony towards the corner of the theater. The balcony, which was made to be a resting area, had a door so we could be alone. It was quiet with only the sound of bugs, and the outside of the theater could be heard faintly.


    ¡°Rian, I¡¯m really sorry about earlier¡­¡±


    Rian shook his head at my apology. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t think too much about what¡¯s in the past. Actually, I have something I truly wanted to tell you right now.¡±


    I nodded at his sudden words, and his expression turned serious as he looked at me a bit nervously.


    ¡°I know you will find it shocking soon, but I figured it might be too late at this rate, which is killing me, so I can¡¯t drag this any longer.¡±


    What was it that I was going to find shocking? I looked at him with curiosity in my eyes.


    He asked me in an ever more serious voice, ¡°Marin, I¡¯m always glad and happy in every moment with you. What do you think of me?¡±


    At once, I, too, became serious like his face. I wasn¡¯t a fool and knew what those confession-like words meant. What do I think of him?


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    To me, he was the man who gave me a sweet dream and a man of admiration. He¡¯s with me, smiling and talking, but still feels like he¡¯s at the top of a high tower, distant from me, like a prince of the spire. I, who was lacking in every way except in official rank, found it miraculous to even maintain a ¡°friendship¡± with such a man. Well, if it were me who had the ambition to become an officer to succeed out of spite, I would have accepted his proposal right away. But I¡¯ve changed a lot now.


    ¡°I am happy, glad, and feel like I¡¯m some amazing person when I¡¯m with you. But that¡¯s not happiness that I achieved with my own abilities.¡±


    The duchess. It was an astonishing seat of power that I could take when I had a not-so-great place within the center. But if that happened, then I would be left as the wife of the successor to the Duke of Siccain, not as Secretary Marina. I had an interest in him, but I didn¡¯t want to give up my dream for him.


    And strangely, in this situation¡­ I was worried about the wellness of the Crown Prince, who fell asleep as if he had fainted. Was it really alright that he could fall asleep outside the palace?

 CH 135

    The chair was comfy, but it is probably still worse than sleeping on a bed. Yes, I¡¯m an officer. He is the crown prince who will be my master in the future. This was loyalty. I¡¯m so devoted as an officer that it makes me think of him like that. Anyway, I drifted off, but I had to return to the topic and answer this way.


    ¡°Rian, I¡¯m not worthy enough for you,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Hah¡­ I don¡¯t know why you talk down to yourself so much. Marin, you are so charming for my-¡±


    ¡°Thank you for considering me so highly, Rian. But I don¡¯t want to give up my dream for you.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a no.¡±


    Rian turned heavily. But soon, like a light seeping out through the small opening of a door a faint smile came upon his graceful lips. ¡°Of course. You shouldn¡¯t give up your dream. But Marin, just like you value your dream, I¡¯m not going to give up my heart for you. I, too, dream of having you by my side.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand, no matter how hard I thought about it. He was more than enough for me, so why was he trying so hard to give his heart to me? Why give me such a warm smile even now?


    ¡°If it¡¯s okay, can you give me more time? If you allow me, I want to make it so that I can keep your dream and me. I like you.¡±


    Those words touched my heart. Since when have I heard a passionate proposal from someone? This moment felt like a dream, and I felt flustered and nodded without realizing it.


    At my wordless permission, he kissed the top of my hand. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll do my best to have you open your heart towards me, my Marina.¡±


    Embarrassment made my face blush. I found it awkward to be alone with him, so I began speaking whatever came up in my mouth and spoke awkwardly. ¡°Oh, the intermission must be over! The play must be on now. Let¡¯s get back.¡±


    As soon as I turned to open the door of the balcony, Rian smiled as he opened the door and commented, ¡°You can treat me as usual. I don¡¯t want you to feel uncomfortable around me.¡±


    That¡¯s not something you can just do! I know I¡¯m quite unconcerned when it comes to many things, but I still can consider something like this as nothing!


    ¡°Hahaha. Let¡¯s go?¡±


    My arms and legs moved in the same direction awkwardly. Rian, who isn¡¯t a friend, is so awkward¡­! I hope this was all a dream.


    As we returned, the play was yet to start, and a sideshow was up on the stage. The Crown Prince was not here, probably awakened.


    ¡°Huh? Sister, where have you been?¡± Jianne called with a bit higher voice than usual, and I turned. He was smiling.


    ¡®Huh? He looks a bit different than usual.¡¯


    Oh, he has a hat on. Where did he get it? Jianne had all his hair put inside the hat, which I couldn¡¯t figure out where he got it, showing his neckline. But he looked much more frail than usual.


    ¡°Oh, I just wanted some air¡­,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Was the play boring for you?¡±


    ¡°No, no way¡­ By the way, where did you get the hat?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my servant brought it for me.¡±


    Oh, right. The servant, right? He would have brought it from the carriage. But even considering that, something seemed off. ¡°That¡¯s strange. You look a bit different than usual¡­¡±


    He seemed to speak differently and became chattier, which made me look at him. Jianne clapped his hand and said, ¡°Oh! His Highness asked to tell him when the play started again. If you excuse me then.¡±


    I became flabbergasted at Jianne, who seemed clumsy, unlike his usual self, when Lumi began to cough.

 CH 136

    ¡°Are you okay, Lumi?¡±


    Lumi seemed to be coughing badly and answered me in a hoarser tone at my question. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think I have a cold. You should sit down. Prince Siccain.¡±


    ¡°Er- yeah.¡±


    I sat down and glanced at Lumi. Was it because she was sick? She seemed calmer and more mature. So, she is like this when she¡¯s silent. By the way, she seems a bit more well-built. Did she¡­ get fat? She¡¯ll feel insulted if I say that, so I should be careful.


    ***


    Time passed by quite a while, but Jianne and the Crown Prince didn¡¯t return. I couldn¡¯t focus on the play because of that. What happened to them? I was fidgeting with my fingers nervously when the light on the stage went down. It seemed this wasn¡¯t planned, as I heard startled voices mumbling.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    Out of curiosity, I looked down on the stage when the audience fell silent. The light turned on as the staff seemed to take care of the situation. I tried to breathe in relief to blow away my anxiousness when a shocking sight was seen on the stage. Jianne, covering the bottom half of his face with linen, was fighting against a mysterious masked man with a scorpion tattoo on his wrist. But no other than us knew that the fight was real. The audience thought they were actors doing their sword dance and began cheering them on.


    ¡°This is what it¡¯s about!¡±


    ¡°Beat ¡¯em kiddo!¡±


    The audience¡¯s cheers began to heat up the stage. However, I couldn¡¯t play along. I felt like going crazy from watching my cousin fighting on the stage below.


    ¡°Rian! It¡¯s Jianne¡­!¡± My voice trembled from the shock, and Rian sat me down on the chair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry and stay here. I¡¯ll go down.¡±


    As I saw his back going further away, I realized I was wrong to ask him for help and had to tell him that he, the only successor of the family of a duke, didn¡¯t need to risk his life. My conscience told me I had to do it, but my concern for my cousin stopped me from saying it. I bit my lip as I looked down. That¡¯s when I heard a voice with a smirk.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite strange, really. What was on your mind when you sent your only protector away from here? Tell me, pretty.¡±


    I turned and saw the mysterious man that released me and Daisy back at the old bookstore last time, already inside the room and standing while leaning on the door, watching me.


    ¡°Lumi!¡± I ran over to hug her and glared at the man.


    The man grinned, looked at us, and said, ¡°I love your face the more I see it, but I like your character too.¡±


    ¡°Cut the nonsense! Is that man on the stage one of you?¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ Yes, he is. He¡¯s one of two sub-guild masters of the guild, but I didn¡¯t expect him to have such a hard time against that little girl. What a shame. Isn¡¯t it? But of course, a girl of her ability would be hard to fight against¡­ Where did you get such an ally?¡±


    Little girl? Jianne would be angry if he heard that. He may look just like Lumi, but he always thinks he¡¯s manly and handsome. He¡¯s such a kid with a kind soul¡­ Anyway, now is the time to question him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re getting at, but why are you here? I can see that you aren¡¯t here to kill me from the way you¡¯re blabbering all that nonsense.¡±

 CH 137

    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re so slow on catching onto stuff about yourself, but you¡¯re so fast when it comes to other things around you. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m here on a different matter today, but I came to say hi while I¡¯m on it.¡±


    I was about to throw some swears at him for giving a wrong analysis about me as I¡¯m quick to catch onto things, unlike what he said. That¡¯s when the man deepened his smile and mumbled.


    ¡°Anyway, what do you think? I¡¯ll persuade my client to give up going after you if you become my bride.¡±


    There was no way I would take such crazy words seriously when my life was on the line here. ¡°What? Are you crazy?¡± He wasn¡¯t the Crown Prince, so I felt no need to stop myself from spitting out at him, and he laughed.


    ¡°Whoa, I¡¯m completely sane. I¡¯m a romanticist, you know? If you become my woman, I¡¯ll take care of all the household chores and raise our kids. You can¡¯t find a man like me anywhere. But I only need you to take care of my mother, as she lives alone.¡±


    That crazy a*sh*le¡¯s words were illogical. First, one has to take care of their own parents, and a skilled woman like me would rather find workers for household chores and raising children. Besides, if I were sane, I wouldn¡¯t even think about marriage with that strange and suspicious man.


    ¡°Cut the nonsense and tell me why you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense? So harsh. It may be the second time I¡¯ve seen you, but I felt we¡¯re destined, beautiful!¡±


    Why did his crazy words remind me of Rave? I was about to snap at that suspicious man for making this atmosphere more casual than it actually was when someone yelled at him in my place.


    ¡°You crazy a*sh*le! How dare you try to flirt with my Mari¡­ I mean, my sister!¡± Lumi¡¯s voice was coarser, probably because she was angrier than before.


    The suspicious man frowned and snarled, ¡°Hey, husky girl. Is there a law that prohibits a mysterious man from trying to flirt with a woman he likes? No, right? Then why are you trying to interfere with my love?¡±


    It was absurd but hard to fight back, so Lumi tried to blurt angrily out further when the man suddenly reached his hand towards me. Or he tried to, at least before he stopped.


    ¡°Oh? Wow¡­ This is astonishing. Coming back already? I felt it going weak, so that¡¯s why I came, but I didn¡¯t think he would be fine. Today was just a test to see his strength, but boy, he¡¯s a monster. I guess it¡¯s the blood.¡±


    The man then pulled back his hand as he continued, ¡°I better get going. My target seems to be more difficult than I thought. I¡¯ll need to be prepared. Anyway, beautiful. It was fun. Think about my offer, alright? Let¡¯s see each other with smiles next time.¡±


    Today, I think I have heard similar words, but how I felt about them was different. If my face blushed because Rian¡¯s proposal was mesmerizing and overwhelming, that crazy man¡¯s proposal infuriated me, and I wanted to hit him in the chest. Anyway, it¡¯s good that he¡¯s retreating. I was so nervous about what to do if he attacked¡­


    The man disappeared, and I quickly looked down at the stage. Jianne and Rian, who had been fighting relentlessly, also seemed shocked that their enemy had disappeared as well.


    ¡°I guess we have a lot to talk about.¡±


    I turned to look at the kid calling me and nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡± My eyes were fixated on Rian and the other kid coming towards our seat from the stage. ¡°I, too, have a lot to ask.¡±

 CH 138

    I looked down at my cousin, who seemed confused by my words, then remembered an important person, who I had forgotten about.


    ¡°Wait- where¡¯s His Highness-¡±


    I felt like I was struck by lightning. Even if the Crown Prince was strong, it was evident that he would have been injured if he had come across multiple enemies. I was overwhelmed with bad thoughts, that maybe he was the target and that he was struck down.


    ¡°I have to find His Highness! I¡¯ll go look for him!¡±


    ¡°W-wait!¡±


    I left my cousin behind and got out of the room to find His Highness. Without knowing where to go, I ran. That¡¯s when I found bloodstains on the ground. I didn¡¯t know why, but I felt like the Crown Prince was at the end of this trail, so I followed the trail without thinking. When I came to, I saw the blood trails end at the balcony by the end of the corridor. I approached it nervously. I saw a faint figure of a man beyond the opaque glass door.


    ¡®Can I go in?¡¯


    After a bit of hesitation, I made a decision. The attackers probably had retreated along with the man who seemed to be the leader. Even if the man beyond this door wasn¡¯t the Crown Prince, if he was injured, then he needed help.


    I opened the door carefully and saw the man covered in blood. The man, standing tiredly, realized someone was coming in and turned to look at me with cold purple eyes.


    ¡°You¡­?¡±


    I looked at the surprised look on his face and became so shocked that I forgot what I was doing and quickly walked over to him. ¡°Your Highness! The blood¡­! Are you alright?¡± It felt like my heart sank. How did he end up all bloody like this? ¡°Are you hurt? We have to go see the doctor!¡±


    The Crown Prince sighed at my question, then made a very faint smile that can only be witnessed when looked at very closely. ¡°It¡¯s fine. This isn¡¯t my blood.¡±


    He spoke with a kind voice, and his purple eyes made me feel weird. My heart began to pound again, which I hoped he couldn¡¯t hear as I asked him questions. ¡°There were intruders in the theater. Did you meet them as well?¡±


    At my question, the Crown Prince¡¯s cold expression returned. Then he nodded, ¡°Yes, I did. Those insolent rats.¡±


    Rats¡­ That¡¯s the word that describes the assassins. It made me realize one thing. ¡°Those men¡­ Were they after you?¡±


    The Crown Prince didn¡¯t agree nor disagree with my words and just looked at me. I couldn¡¯t understand what that meant and was about to be filled with confusion when he opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    I got a headache from that answer. I now realized why he couldn¡¯t sleep. From the way those assassins moved or their bold attacks done in front of many people, they weren¡¯t just some bandits. Who could they be? Why did they recklessly try to assassinate the Crown Prince? The Imperial Family was absolute within the Genorium. There have been war-crazed or violent emperors in the past, but even they were generous to their people, making them idolized within the empire. These people were like the sun itself. For them to be removed from their thrones and overthrown, the reasons had to be important.


    ¡®But who had reasons to justify it?¡¯


    It was probably only possible if the attacker was in line to be the next successor. Having some random man replace the throne would raise conflict with both the people and the nobles. And with that said, the culprit was narrowed down by a large margin.

 CH 139

    Yes. Noble beings who could be justified in becoming the next emperor by nobles and the people. With that logic, it was probably the grand duke or one of two duke families.


    I was about to think deeply about this. ¡°Huh?¡± That was when my left wrist was grabbed. I was surprised, but it was being carefully handled.


    ¡°You got a cut here.¡±


    He spoke as he pointed at my hand, and I realized there were some scuffs on my hand. It wasn¡¯t a big injury, and there were a few droplets of blood on it. It probably happened when I ran over to my cousin because of the sudden appearance of the leader of the assassins.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, Your Highness. It will heal quickly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not okay.¡±


    I was surprised and looked at his face. But the Crown Prince, who had just spoken those shocking words, searched his jacket, then frowned.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± I asked.


    He then frowned and answered frigidly, ¡°¡­Handkerchief.¡±


    Am I going crazy? He looks so cute¡­ Anyway, I had a handkerchief on me, so I handed it over to him. ¡°Here.¡±


    The Crown Prince then took my handkerchief and began wrapping it around my hand. What a relief. I blew my nose a lot with this¡­ but I didn¡¯t today!


    As I was thinking about that, I heard the Crown Prince¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    My left hand was treated quite nicely. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡±


    Who would ever have the luxury of having the Crown Prince take care of your injury with a handkerchief like this? As I thanked him for such a rare experience, he continued, ¡°Of course. You¡¯re my¡­¡±


    At that moment, I felt like I had butterflies in my heart. Why? Why was I doing this? I couldn¡¯t understand why I was doing this. This felt so unusual that I couldn¡¯t understand what this feeling was. It was true that I was looking forward to what he was going to say next. As I was waiting for that very word, his smooth voice came into my ears.


    ¡°¡­Associate secretary who will follow me to the embankment construction soon.¡±


    I had sudden fatigue coming over me at those words. Why does he have to say that on such a beautiful Friday! To heck with secretary! ¡­But yes. I¡¯m a secretary. I¡¯m just an ordinary girl who¡¯s not pretty or from a powerful family. False hope only returns me hollow disappointment. I¡¯m not perfect, and the best I can do is be a sidekick with some skills. I don¡¯t deserve a romance. But of course, I¡¯ll do my best to grab the chance if it ever comes to me¡­ Although, I¡¯m sure it will never come.


    ¡°I am deeply honored, yes.¡±


    The Crown Prince suddenly smiled at my answer. That fantastic smile along with the night sky made me almost gasp. He answered, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡­He¡¯s just so handsome that even his smile makes me put all kinds of meanings to it. He probably doesn¡¯t have any thoughts about that. I guess it¡¯s better if I just don¡¯t have any false hope at all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Everyone must be shocked that I went missing.¡±


    Then I realized. Rian and everyone else must have been worried sick! ¡°Yes!¡± I responded.


    After he said those words, we returned to the private room where we watched the play. There, Rian and the twins were watching me. Then I saw an injury on Lumi, so I ran over to her and began making a fuss.

 CH 140

    ¡°You¡¯re hurt! Are you okay?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Lumi answered.


    I had to suppress my urge to sigh at her answer. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re safe.¡±


    In response to my words, Lumi¡¯s eyes became teary, but she still had a bright smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you worry.¡±


    I was looking at Lumi for a short moment until I heard Rian¡¯s voice speaking to the Crown Prince. ¡°Your Highness, have you been attacked?¡±


    The Crown Prince nodded with an unsurprised look at Rian¡¯s calm question. ¡°Yes.¡±


    As I heard them talking, I remembered the possible assailant behind this attack. Rian is the eldest son of one of two duke families, who I was suspicious of.


    ¡°Just as I thought.¡±


    I looked at Rian with his calm voice. He¡¯s his cousin¡­ and he¡¯s not worried about the Crown Prince? He¡¯s all bloody like that. I was looking at them in confusion when Rian asked the Crown Prince.


    ¡°Will you be returning to the palace?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Even at the Crown Prince¡¯s answer, which could have been shocking, Rian casually nodded, ¡°I see.¡±


    Just as I was about to become shocked by Rian¡¯s simple answer, the Crown Prince turned to me and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be going then.¡±


    We all bowed at his declaration.


    ¡°I hope for your safe return, Your Highness,¡± stated the twins in unison.


    I, too, tried to bow and say farewell to him as well, but his tired look and bloodied state made me say this instead, ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t overdo yourself and return home safely, Your Highness.¡±


    When I looked up, the Crown Prince had already turned his back on me. I sighed at that uncaring sight when Rian walked over to me.


    ¡°Marin, your hand¡­ Are you hurt?¡±


    I shook my head and smiled at his question, ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch. His Highness tied it up for me. It¡¯s just a small scratch. Does it look like a big injury?¡±


    ¡°An injury? Let me take a look. I have some medicine on me¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Rian. I¡¯m fine.¡± I found his offer to be awkward and snapped. His handsome face wore a bit of disappointment on it. I quickly changed the topic. ¡°Anyway, why do you carry medicine?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a knight.¡±


    I felt sorry for the words that came out with a sigh, but I didn¡¯t want to untie the handkerchief the Crown Prince himself had tied to my hand. I didn¡¯t know why. But I had a strong desire for it.


    ¡°Marin, if you¡¯ll allow me the honor, can I bring you back to your home? Separately from your cousins.¡±


    After offering me a ride back home in his carriage, I realized he had confessed his love for me earlier. Oh, this is awkward. Rian was comfortable and easy to get along with when he was a friend, but I felt he was so overwhelming for me as a man.


    I quickly made my decision and made an apologetic look as I spoke to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ but I need to have a talk with my cousins.¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t a lie either. I realized something, and I had to talk with the kiddos.


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll look forward to next time. I¡¯ll walk you out to the carriage then.¡±


    Rian looked a bit disappointed but tried his best to talk casually so that I wouldn¡¯t feel apologetic. Hmph. This is the man I should marry¡­ but I don¡¯t plan on getting married anytime soon. I do like Rian but only as a friend. I felt awkward when I had to see him as more than a friend. If I accepted his feelings with such an attitude, it was demeaning to him, so I¡¯m sure it¡¯s only right to have some distance from him.

 CH 141

    As we got to the area where the carriages were waiting for us, the kiddos got up first. I was about to get up too until Rian held my hand to help as he always did. I held onto his hand as I got up. Right before the door closed, he spoke to me in a low voice.


    ¡°I hope you make up with your cousins.¡± He then closed the carriage door and brightly smiled. The sight seen over the window was so bright, like the warm sunlight of the spring, that it made my face blush.


    I¡¯m crazy. Why was I pushing a man like this away? But¡­ I have to. I feel like I¡¯ll be happier living as Officer Marina than as a duchess.


    A bitter smile lingered on my lips, then slowly faded away. There were other matters at hand that were more important than Rian right now. I turned to my cousins who were in front of me. Yes. The kiddos look so similar that if they change clothes and cover their hair, it would be hard to differentiate them from each other.


    ¡°Lumi.¡±


    Both flinched immediately at my call. My cousin with the dress tried to say something.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡±


    My eyes, however, were looking at my other cousin who was wearing pants and a hat to cover their long hair. I was looking at Lumi, who was disguised as Jianne.


    Act 3. All Tangled Up.


    After returning to my room at my uncle¡¯s mansion, I immediately jumped onto my bed. My mind was all mixed up with thoughts.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to fool you. Father told us to keep it secret from everyone. I had to keep it a secret from you as well.¡±


    The sound of begging in his voice made my heart flutter. Come to think of it. I was only able to become an officer because I was given a chance. I was raised under parents who believed there was nothing wrong with women being educated. I figured it was normal. But in general, most noble girls only had little education. In this society, it was normal for noble ladies to prefer becoming maids of the palace, which required less studying than becoming an officer, and most followed suit. In that society, it wasn¡¯t strange for my uncle to disagree with Lumi taking up a sword as her career instead of a hobby.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister. I found it more enjoyable to learn about drawing, writing poems or learning music than to practice swords, so I often changed places with my sister.¡±


    Jianne also seemed to have hard times. It was hard to imagine an artist raised within a family of knights. That¡¯s why he probably changed places with his sister Lumi to learn about the arts. Then was it all Lumi¡¯s doing which made Jianne earn the reputation that he has?


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do it recently because of physical differences¡­ but we had no choice today. Illumina said there was a vicious aura around us.¡±


    Its target was the Crown Prince. It wasn¡¯t us, but Lumi said she couldn¡¯t overlook the aura surrounding us.


    ¡°I wanted to protect my brother and my precious sister.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ that girl.¡±


    She revealed an important secret for such petty reasons. I¡¯m so soft on my cousins. I haven¡¯t explained everything to them yet¡­ I went after them for the truth when I still had my secrets tied up within me. It made me feel troubled. Do I have to tell them about this? I was getting mixed up when I heard a quick knock on the door.


    ¡°Marin, it¡¯s me.¡±


    I opened the door to find Lumi, Jianne, and Daisy standing there. As I became curious as to why that¡¯s when Daisy spoke to me with a serious look.


    ¡°Milady. It¡¯s an intruder. We have to get out of here.¡±

 CH 142

    I turned to my cousins after hearing those words. Even if they were skilled with swords, they were just kids. Even if Daisy was strong, she was all alone. We needed help. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the knight¡¯s camp first.¡±


    ***


    Daisy, the twins, and I immediately escaped from the mansion. The mansion was already in chaos, and there were a few dead workers here and there. As these intruders were assassins, those dead people were probably unlucky victims who happened to be awake at such late hours. It was a terrible sight to see. We turned away from their bodies, heartbroken.


    Training made a loud noise, so the knight¡¯s camp was located further away from the mansion. While we silently headed for the camp in agitation, I heard another scream from a distance. Someone probably woke up only to find bodies. It was evident that all of the people at the mansion were going to be killed by assassins at this rate. My mind began racing, but I tried to keep cool. If I made the wrong decision, it was going to endanger even my cousins¡¯ lives.


    I silently rubbed my cousin¡¯s shoulder, who was heartbroken by the death of their family workers. You have to survive. All we can do is to survive to avenge their death. I spoke to myself words that I wanted to relay to my cousins as I hurried to my place silently.


    Soon, we were at the camp, but the sight that unfolded made my body shake. About seven knights were going against about ten assassins. It seems the rest of the assassins were searching through the mansion. If it weren¡¯t for these knights trying their best to hold them off, their lives would have been in trouble.


    ¡°We have to go for the leader.¡±


    The best way to finish chess when the power balance is weighing on my enemy is to remove the most threatening piece from the opponent to make them lose the will to fight, or grab the most powerful being as a hostage, just like doing a checkmate. I scanned each assassin. The most threatening piece was of course the most powerful piece, the queen. The king can be forced to surrender with a checkmate but could never be killed.


    The number of intruders currently is the size of a regular assassin¡¯s squadron. There must be a king or queen among them. I looked closely and found a gray-haired man who wasn¡¯t wearing a mask, looking bored as he leaned himself by the tree and watched the knights and assassins fight. He had a scorpion tattoo on his wrist.


    ¡®That tattoo¡­ It was on the man that Lumi fought earlier.¡¯


    I can assume that man was an important figure who worked under the man I saw at the theater. That man said the man with a tattoo on the wrist was the Assistant Guild Master, so he probably is of the same or similar rank.


    ¡°We have to get rid of him,¡± I said as I pointed it out, and Lumi looked determined. But I was planning to order Daisy to fight instead of my cousin, so I ignored her. I wasn¡¯t sure of her skills yet.


    ¡°Daisy, can you kill him?¡±


    Daisy shook her head at my question, ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, milady. He¡¯s about as strong as me.¡±


    Daisy¡¯s words made me sigh. But she was the only solution to get through this mess, so I had to make a decision. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    Daisy nodded in response. She then silently took out a crossbow and aimed at the man. That¡¯s when the man immediately turned to the bush where we were hiding. The man looked in our direction with a curious look until he saw a rabbit jumping out of it and lost interest, only to return back to watching the fight.

 CH 143

    Daisy slowly aimed her crossbow toward the man. But as she aimed it at him, I saw a knight charging toward that man. If my memory was correct, that knight was the oldest one, who was nearing his retirement. I was on the verge of making a decision. There was a chance that the knight would get struck by the arrow. I shook my head toward Daisy, who turned towards me. I couldn¡¯t try when there was a chance that we could kill our ally with our own hands. I just hoped that the knight would open a chance for us and proceeded to watch.


    But the enemy was showing different levels of movement. It was a matter of time before the knight was killed. The only reason we were planning to attack them with the element of surprise was that we were hiding. If we were to be found, it was all going to fail. I was trying to analyze the situation when the knight got struck with a sword on his shoulder. Lumi tried to jump out at once, but Jianneen quickly held on to her to stop her.


    ¡°No. You said you¡¯d keep your skills a secret. If you go out right now, you¡¯ll never live a normal life.¡± Jianne whispered.


    However, Lumi glanced at him with a look of disgust and shouted as she threw his hand off her shoulder, ¡°Let me go! Fritz was stabbed!¡±


    I absolutely understand her, but I almost swore at her for recklessly shouting. It may be a mistake, but Lumi just put us all in danger.


    The man ignored the knight named Fritz, who was in pain and turned towards the bush where we were hiding. Now, he has found where we were hiding. When a man of such power noticed us, there was no need to hide anymore. As we got up, the man frowned as he looked at the twins.


    ¡°You¡¯re that kid who fought me earlier.¡±


    He was looking at Jianneen, who shook his head and corrected him. ¡°No, you¡¯re wrong. You fought with this ugly one, not me.¡± Jianne spoke sarcastically.


    Lumi gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Jianneen, I¡¯ll have a word with you later.¡± After responding fiercely to her brother, Lumi turned back to the man and snapped, ¡°Are you blind? How could you mistake me with that weak sauce? Are you an idiot?¡±


    Those were obviously offensive words to use to pick a fight. It was probably to direct his attention away from the injured knight. It was reckless, but it seemed to have worked as the man frowned.


    ¡°You have a big mouth. You two look the same. No one could tell who¡¯s who.¡±


    Actually, I had to agree with him on that. However, the twins looked deeply insulted by the man¡¯s words.


    ¡°Hey, monster. Since you decided to show yourself to the world anyway, make sure you kill him.¡±


    Lumi nodded at Jianne¡¯s words, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m getting rid of him.¡± She glanced down briefly, then looked up with violent eyes that appeared unfamiliar. Then she roared, ¡°You dare intrude on the house of Reclan and attack my knights? For what purpose have you done this?¡±


    It was a sharp voice that even felt vicious, but the man grinned as he considered it was coming from a little girl. ¡°Well, I was just ordered by my master to bring in a pretty girl with red eyes. Oh, you must be her! Oh, and I¡¯m under strict orders to keep it a secret, so I had to kill everyone that saw us. You¡¯ve seen us too. Too bad.¡±

 CH 144

    He confessed that he had killed people but spoke as if it was a joke, which infuriated me. He murdered innocent people, and now he was going after my cousins!


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    The man began laughing at Lumi¡¯s threat. ¡°You think you can do that? Nah. You were barely catching up to me earlier. Where are you getting that confidence from? You barely managed to fight before that man came to help.¡±


    It was Jianne, however, who answered sarcastically at the man¡¯s words. ¡°That wasn¡¯t her skills but mine.¡±


    The man became confused and asked, ¡°What are you talking about? You said I fought with her, no? Are you dumb?¡±


    At that moment, Lumi pulled out the sword she had brought. Jianne smiled victoriously as he answered, ¡°You¡¯re the dumb one. My sister is so smart that¡­¡±


    At the same moment Jianne spoke, Lumi kicked the ground to jump. ¡°She strictly fights with my skills when she disguises herself as me.¡±


    ¡°Wait- this isn¡¯t fair!¡±


    But before he could even fish, the sword swung at him. With the sound of wind slashing through, it immediately struck the man¡¯s neck. But¡­


    ¡°Whoa¡­ That¡¯s something. I would¡¯ve lost my head if I was slower.¡± The man was already behind Lumi. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re different from before. It¡¯s really a shame that I have to kill you now.¡±


    A weird light glowed from the man¡¯s ordinary eyes. It was a strange color that had a faint hint of purple. The moment I saw it, an unusual sense of fear struck my head. What is that? But strangely, I felt like it wasn¡¯t the first time that I felt this fear. While I was thinking, that¡¯s when-


    ¡°Who said you could kill me? You shouldn¡¯t mistake my skills with just a test to see what kind of a man you are to have such weird thoughts.¡±


    Lumi¡¯s sword was held up, and it had¡­


    ¡°You¡­ That¡¯s¡­!¡±


    But the man¡¯s head was cut off immediately before he could even finish. This time, it was real.


    ¡°It¡¯s never a good idea to relax until you actually win. You never know until it¡¯s game over,¡± commented Lumi. The sight of her blade blazing up with a red flame was fantastic.


    ¡°Lady Illumina?¡±


    The injured knight stared at his master¡¯s only daughter with a look of shock. All the knights and enemies stopped fighting and looked at Lumi with astonishment. Then one of them shouted the words that described Lumi¡¯s powers.


    ¡°S-Sword Master?¡±


    Lumi¡¯s perfectly pretty face wore an arrogant smile at those words. Only then, did I realize who the genius Uncle mentioned was. I shouted, ¡°Lumi, so you¡¯re the genius swordsman that uncle told me about!¡±


    Lumi slowly nodded as she turned to me. She had a sigh of relief that could only be acquired after revealing the old secret. That¡¯s when one of the enemies shouted.


    ¡°Kill yourselves! We cannot risk the leak of our secrets!¡±


    The enemies immediately began killing themselves as they realized they couldn¡¯t fight Lumi. It happened so fast that every one of us became infuriated by what had happened.


    ¡°Dammit! Search their bodies to see if there are any clues. Also, take good care of our people who have fallen today.¡±


    The servants began cleaning up the bodies at Lumi¡¯s orders.


    ¡®Why did they go so far to kill themselves? If it were me, I would have just told what I knew.¡¯ I thought as I couldn¡¯t understand their actions. Then I was disgusted by the devastating sight of bodies being taken care of and threw up.


    ¡°Milady, please clean yourself with this.¡±

 CH 145

    Even while I was wiping my mouth with the handkerchief that Daisy gave me, I tried my best not to look at the bodies. While I was soothing myself, I heard Lumi¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Are you all alright? Anyone hurt?¡± asked Lumi.


    ¡°We¡¯re all fine, thanks to you, milady!¡±


    I felt at ease because of the knights who were looking at their lady with admiration.


    ***


    ¡°Are you all okay?!¡±


    Uncle, who came running home after hearing about the attack, was looking at Lumi with sweat all over his face. She looked down, and he sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve done a good job, Illumina. My foolishness has cost lives today. Let¡¯s go talk in the drawing room. Aiden, take care of the rest.¡±


    Baron Aiden, one of the workers of the Reclans, bowed at my uncle. Then we followed Uncle into the mansion.


    As we got into the drawing room, silence fell upon us. I felt so uncomfortable in this situation. It was as if I was sitting on a fire. It was evident that the fight between father and daughter would break out once the silence was broken. It was my uncle who broke this weakly built truce.


    ¡°So, you found out.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I found out that my cousin is the strongest swordswoman.¡±


    ¡°I can see that it is impossible to hide talent even if I try,¡± Uncle said bitterly as he gazed at me with his blue eyes.


    ¡°What happened? These assassins must have been very skilled since we had great casualties today. I can¡¯t understand why such men came after you.¡±


    ¡°Hah¡­ Let me explain, Uncle.¡±


    I sighed with a heavy heart for the damage that happened to the House of Reclan because of me. I was the target of today¡¯s attack. Many lives were taken away just because the enemy wanted to capture me alive. And this may not be the last time people close to me fall into danger.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. They¡¯ve attacked my family, so this isn¡¯t only your problem. Besides, trying to harm you already means the problem falls into my hands. So tell me.¡±


    My uncle seemed to understand my dilemma and went right to the center of my thoughts. Yes, he was right. The House of Reclan¡¯s motto was to ¡°pay back as much as we got.¡± Even if I tried to run away from my enemy, my relatives already had taken much damage. And even if I got through to my uncle, Lumi was already guessing what was going on, so she wasn¡¯t going to stand by. Even if I run, she¡¯ll follow me and go after my enemies. This wasn¡¯t only about me anymore.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± I explained the problems that had been haunting me in recent days to my uncle and cousins. Their expressions turned ferocious at my stories.


    ¡°How dare they attack my lovely niece¡­!¡±


    ¡°They dare come after my precious sister¡­¡±


    ¡°HOW DARE!!¡±


    They all shouted in anger and began shivering in fury.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show them!¡±


    As they unleashed their anger against the enemy in hiding who attacked me, they began questioning me for an answer.


    ¡°Do you have any idea who it could be?¡±


    ¡°I have a guess¡­ but I¡¯m not certain, so I can¡¯t tell you yet. But I can be sure of one thing. The assailant who attacked the Crown Prince and I seem to be related in some way.¡±


    And as soon as I answered my uncle¡¯s question, Jianne fiercely asked his own, ¡°Do you know who might have sent you that letter?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Rumors about my past had spread in central, so it was probably one of the central nobles. It was probably someone who had a bad relationship with me and who also happened to know my past. It might have been Kyles, Elise, or someone related to them.

 CH 146

    ¡°Actually, someone was hostile towards me recently.¡±


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Uncle asked with a fierce expression.


    I figured it was pointless to hide it from him, so I answered, ¡°It was Marquis Schuteiner. I came across him one day, and he spoke to me with a motive. He said, ¡®I will look forward to it,¡¯ to me.¡±


    Uncle nodded at my answer as he seemed to understand. ¡°Yes, he is famous for his love of his daughter.


    Then, Lumi added, ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s why people are saying he would even kill for his daughter, which of course, is true as he has a history.¡±


    ¡°History?¡± I asked.


    Lumi nodded and continued. ¡°One time, Lady Schuteiner tripped while her knight from the House of Schuteiner wasn¡¯t paying attention. I heard Marquis Schuteiner blamed him for being disloyal. Then, he punished him by cutting off the knight¡¯s muscles on his dominant hand. I mean, who considers disloyalty a crime these days? Anyway, the knight took his own life after that, but the Marquis even stopped rumors from spreading.¡±


    To nobles, knights were their servants and swords. A knight captain of a powerful noble family was treated the same as a baron. The fact that Marquis Schuteiner had done such terrible things to a knight with the rank of a noble proved that he cared for his daughter so much that he didn¡¯t even care about his own reputation. Bad thoughts filled my mind, but I had a hint of doubt in it.


    ¡®Is he really the culprit?¡¯


    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t mind too much, sister. Even if he is behind all of this, I won¡¯t let him put his hands on you,¡± reassured Lumi.


    I smiled and nodded, ¡°Thank you for saying that. I feel relieved.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. You¡¯re really precious to me. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    That¡¯s right. I would also step forward if I saw someone trying to harm Lumi. Now that I think of it, chess can¡¯t be won with one piece. What makes chess interesting as a game is the various pieces around the king, the piece that determines winning or losing, and the queen, the piece that is the strongest one.


    ¡°Lumi, I know this can be hard, but I want you to help me,¡± I asked for help from my cousin, who had just changed from a pawn to a queen. She grabbed my hand with a smile. And like that, I acquired the strongest queen of all.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    And there were more of my people.


    ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t put your uncle out,¡± said uncle.


    ¡°Sister! I¡¯ll do my best to help too,¡± said Jianne.


    As I smiled at both of them for their words, that¡¯s when the door to the drawing room burst open.


    ¡°Father! My brother and sister- Marin- ¡­You¡¯re all safe!¡±


    Yes, I couldn¡¯t leave you out either. A smile appeared on my face at Chelleno, who was drenched in sweat. And¡­


    ¡°Sir, I was shocked when Sir Chelleno told me of what happened and had to come to help. It is good to see you all safe.¡±


    There was Rian. It was obvious. He was here because he was worried about me.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect you to come too. Thank you, Sir Droinel,¡± Uncle replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome, Captain.¡± Even when he was answering uncle, Rian¡¯s eyes were fixated on me. Soon, they moved away from me as he spoke in a relieved voice, ¡°Now that I¡¯ve confirmed you¡¯re all safe, I will return to my post.¡±


    Uncle deeply nodded at his words. ¡°Of course, of course. It¡¯s an honor to have an associate like you! Hahaha!¡±


    I felt embarrassed by my uncle¡¯s huge laughter. What will he think when Uncle finds out that Rian came here not because of his superior¡¯s safety but because he was worried for the woman he likes? Anyhow, Rian just left with a huge smile on his face, even at Uncle¡¯s words.

 CH 147

    ¡°Hahaha! That Sir Droinel is a fine young man. He came running after me because he was worried about me¡­ Maybe I am a well-respected man after all!¡± said Uncle.


    ¡°Father, that¡¯s¡­ He¡¯s worried about Marina¡­,¡± Lumi mumbled.


    ¡°Of course! Marina is my niece, so he would¡¯ve been worried about her too! Anyway, a fine young man he is! I hope my sons learn a thing or two from him!¡±


    I almost sighed at this sight. Can a person be so oblivious to others like that? I was thinking about that until I realized that I, who thought Rian¡¯s show of interest was a mere show of friendship, had really been oblivious to his feelings.


    ¡®¡­Yeah, I guess I AM slow on catching onto people. I didn¡¯t agree when mother or others used to tell me that¡­ but they were right.¡¯


    After thinking of that, I was reminded of what the Crown Prince had done. All of his doings. I think he was a little different from me. Was it perhaps, because he likes me? Such thoughts popped up in my head, only to turn into a bitter smile at the impossibility that it could be true. He even refused that lovely, angel-like Elise. Why would he take an interest in me? Rian had been kind to me since the beginning, but the Crown Prince¡­ He always insisted on me.


    Yes. At first, I was his target to unleash his anger. Then I turned into a doll maker. Only recently, he then moved on to treating me as a useful officer.


    ¡®It¡¯s better not to have false hope. Then I won¡¯t need to be disappointed.¡¯ I was suddenly drawn to the handkerchief tied to my left hand. I tried many times to take it off my hand before I eventually failed.


    ¡°You all must be tired. Go and get some rest.¡±


    At Uncle¡¯s words, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. My cousins would have clung to me, following me into my room, but today was an exception. We were all tired from not being able to sleep and were also mentally exhausted.


    As soon as I returned to my room, I immediately laid down on my bed from fatigue. Right away, I felt drowsy as my eyelids closed. I wanted to run away from all these problems, so I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


    ***


    A faint figure of a boy was smiling at me. That boy had no color and was faint in a grayish color. It was my first love that I completely had forgotten about because of all these events.


    ¡®Just for once. Please¡­ Let me know who you are.¡¯


    At my plea, the faint figure began to scatter away into dust. I reached out, trying to catch it before it disappeared when someone grabbed my left wrist. When I turned to see who it was, I was so shocked that I tried to break myself free from that grasp. But the hand, which felt so real, did not let go.


    ¡°You¡¯re so foolish. Why are you denying your feelings?¡±


    My feelings? I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about. In the midst of such thoughts, he, as if he had perceived them, made a mesmerizing smile and continued. ¡°You can¡¯t even take the handkerchief that I tied to your hand off, and you still insist you don¡¯t know your feelings? You are so foolish, Marina von Harrant.¡±


    At that moment, his head began closing in on me. My heart began pounding rapidly as his head approached closer. Bump. Bump. Bump. When I realized the rhythmic sounds began speeding up, he whispered to my ears, ¡°How long do you think you can deny your feelings?¡±

 CH 148

    ¡°AAAH!!!¡±


    I opened my eyes in shock. I quickly glanced around in embarrassment, relieved to find no one around me. ¡®That¡¯s a relief. Really. Was it a dream? Gosh, I¡¯m going crazy!¡¯


    I almost had the urge to fall back to sleep, but I was a bit afraid that I might have that embarrassing dream again if I fell back to sleep. Instead, I was spending my weekend packing things up when I heard a knock.


    ¡°Milady. It¡¯s me.¡±


    It was Daisy. I told her to come in, and she spoke hastily, ¡°Sir Reyan is back.¡±


    ¡°Where is he? Why are you telling me that without him coming up to report?¡±


    Daisy sighed at my question. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ He insisted he had to see the Marquis first, so he went to the office. I¡¯m confused about what is going on¡­¡±


    That made me become curious. Ray was given two months of vacation. But after he returned, he immediately went to my uncle while leaving me, his Lady of Oath, behind?


    The priority of a knight¡¯s oath differed depending on the type of oath. In the case of the Oath of Loyalty, the matter of most importance lies with the Lord. In the case of the Oath of Protection, it was the lady. I was given the Oath of Protection by Rey. With Rey¡¯s stuck-up character in mind, I realized the reason for his vacation and such actions weren¡¯t just for his own leisure.


    ¡®Was he given some kind of order from my father? Why? What for?¡¯ While I tried to guess my father¡¯s intentions, I heard a familiar voice outside the door.


    ¡°Marina.¡±


    It was Rey¡¯s voice. I sighed and said to Daisy, ¡°Daisy, open the door for him.¡±


    The door opened, and Rey came in in a completely fine state. I decided to throw questions at him. ¡°So, how was your vacation?¡±


    ¡°It was so-so,¡± answered Rey.


    I smiled at his answer. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange though? You¡¯ve been traveling for two months, but you¡¯re so cleanly dressed.¡±


    Rey didn¡¯t even blink at my words and answered with a bit of annoyance in his voice. ¡°Why is that strange? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been sleeping on the streets. I stayed at an inn.¡±


    I¡¯m not a fool, and I know it¡¯s normal to be dressed cleanly if he had stayed at an inn. But Rey¡¯s hair was all crumpled up, and his shoes were dirty from outside dirt with soles that were all flat from wearing them long. It was awkward looking, as if he had been wearing different clothes all this time, only to change his clothes right before he came in. If he was lying about it, then there must have been a reason, and he wasn¡¯t planning to tell me about it. If that was the case, it was better to make him think, I have no idea to make him relax and find out what he was up to afterward.


    ¡°Anyway. I heard you were attacked, Marina. The Marquis told me.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded, and Rey, for some unknown reason, glanced at Daisy and turned back.


    ¡°They must have been strong.¡±


    Of course, they were. If Lumi wasn¡¯t a sword master, it could¡¯ve been dangerous. ¡°It was bad since you were not around,¡± I replied.


    Ray turned to Daisy again. I was able to make out one thing from those actions. Rey knew or suspected Daisy¡¯s skills. And to add to that thought, I felt like it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that I had skilled fighters like Rey or Daisy around me. That made me guess that either or both of them were my guardians and an overseer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be with you from now on.¡±


    I made a faint smile at his words. It felt like I had gotten a knight removed from the chess, and suddenly it returned. It was frightening to think that an unknown enemy was coming to attack me, but I felt relieved to think I had Rey with me again. But then, a sudden question made me dive into thoughts again, which removed the smile from my lips.


    Was it really a coincidence that I was protected by strong pieces surrounding me as if it was planned from the beginning?

 CH 149

    I was in the middle of my thoughts as I aimlessly looked around the room when I found the luggage that Daisy had prepared for my trip. Oh, I just remembered something important that I had forgotten about.


    ¡°Oh, Rey. I have to leave the estate for about two weeks starting tomorrow,¡± I said to him.


    ¡°Why?¡± Rey asked as he stopped to see me.


    I answered with a sigh, ¡°The Crown Prince is going off to oversee the embankment construction site, and he appointed me as his associate.¡±


    Rey sighed as he nodded, ¡°Hah. So I am going off on a trip right after returning.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go pack things up then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Get some rest when you¡¯re done with it. Daisy, can you go help Rey?¡±


    As they both left, I fell down on my bed again from fatigue. If it is during the trip that they have to be around me all the time, I¡¯ll be able to find a room even from perfectly secretive ones like them. I have to find out what is going on behind them.  Then I fell asleep with those thoughts. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t even dream and had a good night¡¯s sleep.


    ***


    I sighed as soon as I opened my eyes. The day came when I had to go out to the embankments with the Crown Prince. He said he¡¯ll be going over to the capital and the northern region, so it¡¯ll take about two weeks. I have to find out who is the one behind Rey and Daisy¡­ and also deal with the Crown Prince. I already feel dizzy. But why? I had no idea why my heart was pounding so fast like this.


    ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    I heard Rey¡¯s voice and hurriedly finished getting out. As soon as I was done, Chelleno, in his uniform, smiled brightly at me, glared back at Rey, and turned to me again.


    ¡°Marin, I¡¯m also going on this trip!¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡± I replied with a look of confusion.


    Chelleno answered delightedly, ¡°Heh heh heh. My father doesn¡¯t like abusing his powers, but it¡¯s different when it comes to your safety. He said we can¡¯t be assured of His Highness¡¯ safety with just the guards, so it was decided to send me and Sir Droinel along on this trip.¡±


    I felt my stomach sink at that word. Rian! Do I have to spend two weeks together with him when it¡¯s already awkward to be around him? ¡°No way!¡± I cried.


    Chelleno became teary at those words I spat out without thinking. ¡°M-Marin! Do you not like me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, er- no. Not that¡­ It¡¯s nothing. I was just surprised by such exceptional work from my uncle.¡± I tried my best for Chelleno not to recognize the awkwardness between me and Rian. Ugh, it seems everything is getting more complicated as time goes by.


    ***


    As I got to the main gate of the Imperial Palace, I saw Rian in a uniform, smiling at me. ¡°Marin, you¡¯re here.¡±


    He looked wonderful, but I felt awkward and uncomfortable every time I faced him. Chelleno frowned a bit at Rian, who only greeted me but immediately wiped the frown off his face when Rian looked at him. That made me question why Chelleno was so scared of him like that? I had such questions in mind until Rian turned to Rey, who followed me.


    ¡°Sir Reyan? I have heard a lot about you. I heard you are Marin¡¯s cousin and the knight who swore an Oath of Protection.¡±


    Ray nodded and greeted Rian back, ¡°Any knight will know the honorable name of Sir Droinel. It is an honor to meet you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Same goes to you too, Sir Reyan. I am looking forward to accompanying you on this trip.¡±


    I felt my stiff heart melt away at Rian¡¯s smooth voice. Ugh. He¡¯s a fruit inside the painting that I already decided to give up on¡­ but it sure looks tempting. Honestly, I¡¯ll never get to date such a man ever. It was at that moment when Rian came up to me and offered his hand.

 CH 150

    ¡°Marin, shall we go?¡±


    Yes. Even if he did confess to me, let¡¯s not interpret every one of his actions as having any meaning. This man is kind to everyone¡­ He¡¯s just habitually nice.


    I suppressed my sighs while I walked with Rian¡¯s escort. It might be possible that I have to ride the carriage with him as well. This is bad.


    When I arrived at the central palace, the Crown Prince and his guards were waiting. As I walked towards them, the Crown Prince glanced at Rian, who was standing beside me and spoke with dissatisfaction in his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re late, Secretary Harrant.¡±


    I glanced at the clock on the tower in front of the central palace, just to make sure I had done such a disloyal deed. To heck that I¡¯m late! I¡¯m actually about 20 minutes early.


    ¡°Your Highness, may I know when you arrived which made you say that?¡±


    ¡°About an hour ago. You dare make me wait. How disrespectful.¡±


    That made me let out a sigh. What made this man have such a weird line of thought? Is he at the center of every standard?


    ¡°I apologize, Your Highness.¡±


    The Crown Prince grinned immediately at my answer as if he was waiting for it. My heart began to race, and my line of vision was suddenly fixated on his face. Then, I came to my senses and pressed my forehead. Ugh, I must be crazy for getting hooked on that smile. Even if he looks so splendid on the outside, he is crazy on the inside¡­


    ¡°So, you must pay the price for making me wait then, Marina von Harrant,¡± the Crown Prince replied.


    ¡®He must want me to play chess or give him a doll.¡¯


    But his answer came unexpectedly. ¡°You should get on my carriage and talk with me on the way.¡±


    I became dumbfounded. How is that a punishment? I wanted to ask him until I realized that a mere officer riding on the carriage that only the crown prince or crown princess could ride on could cause a lot of problems. I would rather ride with Rian than that! Oh God, why do you have to give me such suffering?


    ¡°Are there any other choices?¡± I asked, giving up on it.


    The Crown Prince grinned and offered his hand, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you already? This is the price you have to pay.¡±


    That meant there was no choice. Daisy was going to have a hard time riding the carriage with Chelleno and Rey. But she has no choice. At least it¡¯s going to be better inside the carriage than being outside.


    ¡°¡­Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    As I held his hand, I felt something flutter within me that spread through my body. What was going on with me? But before I could think about that question, I think I felt the flutter coming from within my heart at the sight of the Crown Prince helping me get on the carriage.


    As the Crown Prince got up, the door closed. I felt awkward while sitting at the corner of the giant and lavish carriage that is too much for just two passengers while glancing at the Crown Prince. That¡¯s when I heard a kind and soft voice coming from him.


    ¡°You can be at ease. You can even get some shut-eye if you¡¯re tired.¡±


    When I glanced at him, I saw his purple eyes looking at me. My heart raced again, but I tried my best to reject that unfamiliar sensation and tried to think about various things just so I could get myself straight. That¡¯s when the Crown Prince closed his eyes with a tired look. I had to swallow an empty throat at the sight of his long eyelashes from his closed eyes.

 CH 151

    How can a human be so beautiful¡­ Ugh, this is strange. There¡¯s no way I will fall asleep¡­ But I¡¯m getting so sleepy. My eyelids became heavy, and my eyes turned dark. And soon, I fell into the deep depths of sleep.


    ***


    ¡°Rina, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault that you¡­¡±


    The young boy without colors. My first love is crying again. Is it because he misses his mother? I felt sad, so I reached out my hand to him to speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I promise I¡¯ll return to you.¡±


    ***


    I suddenly woke up from my slumber as I felt my head tilt forward, and realized something was placed over me. This¡­ It¡¯s the Crown Prince¡¯s jacket! I turned in disbelief, and God- the Crown Prince had his head laying on the seat of the carriage with just a shirt on as he was sleeping.


    I- I fell asleep in front of him! And why did he put his jacket over me? Did he¡­ Did he realize what he did to me was bad and felt sorry about it? No way! That¡¯s impossible! When he¡¯s asleep, he looks like a young man his age.


    He didn¡¯t look his age when he was awake because he was always glaring at me, but now that he looks so calm and serene, it almost makes him look innocent. Tsk, that nut job can never be innocent¡­ Yeah, I must be out of my mind. I¡¯ve gone mad. Marina, Marina. Wake up! How can you fight your enemies in your current state?


    I got up, so I could put the jacket over him. That¡¯s when my wrist was snatched and pulled in aggressively. Soon, I was under him while awkwardly holding the jacket. The purple eyes that were a bit dazed returned to his sight.


    ¡°Marina¡­ von Harrant?¡±


    His words sounded a bit higher in the end, which made it seem like he had done it unconsciously. I was certain he had made a mistake, but my heart raced in shock. I stuttered as I answered, which wasn¡¯t like me at all.


    ¡°Y-Your Highness. Can you move away from me if  you¡¯re awake?¡±


    The Crown Prince hurriedly moved in response to my words. I, too, got up and returned to my seat to straighten myself. My heart was racing like crazy. But I couldn¡¯t show it. If he thinks I have become sick and leaves me behind¡­ that actually sounds good. However, I might get fired, so I have to be careful. For that reason, I calmly handed over the jacket to the Crown Prince, who sat some distance from me.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    The Crown Prince took the jacket with a low sigh and said to me, ¡°I¡¯m getting tired.¡±


    I thought about the meaning of those words, then remembered he was attacked at the theater a while ago. I heard from Rian that day that the Crown Prince wasn¡¯t getting enough sleep and was pushing himself. Was he having such a hard time that he couldn¡¯t even sleep? Was that why he was sleeping in this carriage to push himself? But if he gives up on protecting himself, he will only meet death.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up.¡±


    The Crown Prince¡¯s eyes became large at my words as he turned to look at me. I, too, looked at him and told him, ¡°A beautiful flower will bloom if you hang on and endure.¡±


    At my words, he turned to look at the window and spoke softly, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll never give up.¡±


    He looked a bit at ease, and I, too, felt my bad feelings easing a bit. I then returned my focus back to situations surrounding me when I heard a soft voice.

 CH 152

    ¡°You seem bored. Do you want me to tell you an old story?¡± The Crown Prince asked me.


    ¡°Old story? What is it, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Well. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve never heard about it.¡±


    He spoke with his hand holding his chin in a taunting way that made me feel challenged. I¡¯m quite confident in myself, as I got a perfect score on the literature section of the officer¡¯s exam. I know most of the stories out there, so I spoke confidently.


    ¡°Well, we shall have to try and see.¡±


    The Crown Prince smiled briefly, then fixed his purple eyes as he opened his mouth, ¡°A long, long time ago. There was a noblewoman who was shunned because she refused the fianc¨¦ that her father appointed for her. The land that she was sent to was a desolate place that was very challenging for a living being to survive. But the woman gave the place life and turned the land so life could flourish.¡±


    ¡°She must have started farming,¡± I jumped in.


    The Crown Prince frowned as he nodded, ¡°Close. Now, don¡¯t cut me off and listen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    The Crown Prince scolded me and continued, ¡°But she was lonely. No matter how hard she worked on the land, the land was infamous for being the land of the dead, and no one came to visit.¡±


    Yeah. It¡¯s not like she was by herself from the beginning. A human who wasn¡¯t alone before will find it hard to survive alone. If you know the warmth and stability that another person can give, you will feel like dying without it.


    ¡°Then one day, a man appeared. He was king of the nation, and they fell in love with each other at first sight.¡±


    Love at first sight? Characters in stories fall in love so easily. The thought made me feel bitter. Love in reality is very hard to achieve.


    ¡°The man tried to bring her to his castle to get married. But the woman refused. The woman¡¯s father was so powerful that he could kill the man if he wanted.¡±


    A man who could kill the king of a land easily¡­ Was the father a legendary Grand Sorcerer or a Sword Master? Oh, but a Sword Master isn¡¯t legendary anymore.


    ¡°But man didn¡¯t care. He tried to bring her to his castle. That¡¯s when the fianc¨¦ that the woman¡¯s father appointed appeared in front of them. The fianc¨¦ was very powerful and brutal.¡±


    Oh, I think I can see who these people were. So the woman was like a princess shunned from an empire, and the man was the king of a small nation. The fianc¨¦ was so powerful that the princess¡¯s father wanted to keep it to himself. But still. The story never made sense at all! In most stories, the king is the man of absolute power, while here, he is nothing¡­ It made me feel sad for him.


    ¡°The two fought over the woman. It was a fierce battle, but the fianc¨¦ was winning the fight. That was when the woman attacked him. But the fianc¨¦ didn¡¯t falter. Instead, he was infuriated that he cursed the woman for attacking him. At that moment, a worthless, red flower bloomed over the land. The fianc¨¦ thought that if he turned her into it, and transformed her back to herself later, she would be loyal to him.¡±


    The story enraged me. So, he thought of breaking her to make her loyal to him, because he couldn¡¯t have her? That¡¯s not love! I was about to be furious over these feelings that seemed like they were mine when the Crown Prince¡¯s voice dissipated my anger at once.


    ¡°The fianc¨¦ smirked at the devastated man and left, but the king didn¡¯t want to leave his beloved woman to live in suffering. So he threw away everything he had and went as far as he could so that the woman¡¯s father or her fianc¨¦ couldn¡¯t find her, and planted her there. The man, after sending the lonely woman to a place where many people were around but couldn¡¯t be harmed easily, died from the wound that the fianc¨¦ inflicted on him.¡±

 CH 153

    ¡­The story was so tragic to hear to lift my boredom. Ugh, I thought it was going to have a happy ending because the setting was so unrealistic. Why did it have to end with such realism?


    ¡°That¡¯s such a pointless ending,¡± I commented.


    But the Crown Prince shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    It¡¯s not over yet? The man died. What else is there to say?


    ¡°The God from the sky felt sympathetic to the cursed woman and said to lift her curse. But the woman refused that offer. She was afraid that the man who loved her wouldn¡¯t recognize her if she returned. Even now, it is said that she is still in her flower form, waiting for the man. Waiting for the resurrection of the man to recognize her.¡±


    Is that a hopeful ending? But it¡¯s certainly not a bedtime story for children. Who would try to find and read such a tragic story? Besides¡­ I felt a bit annoyed by the man who gave everything he had to protect the woman and the woman who was waiting for him without telling him when she would come because it felt so foolish.


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand them at all,¡± I spoke with a sigh. That¡¯s when I heard a soft voice.


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    As I nodded to answer, I saw his fierce purple eyes looking at me, which made my mouth shut. That¡¯s when the Crown Prince, while his gaze was fixated on me, spoke. ¡°I understand them. If it¡¯s for the one I love, I¡¯ll be able to endure no matter how frustrating it is.¡±


    That is so absurd. None other than the Crown Prince was saying that! He doesn¡¯t even love any¡­


    ¡°I feel like it hurts here. They¡¯re a very precious person.¡±


    Oh, yeah. He did have a precious person. Hahaha. Maybe that¡¯s why he refused Elise. Too bad, Elise! As I was thinking about that, my nose started to get wet, and my heart ached. I was surprised by the unfamiliar sensation but realized he was the Crown Prince and slowly breathed in and out. After I found my calmness, I spoke coolly to change the topic.


    ¡°Oh, Your Highness! We just passed the milestone, so we must be close to the first site now!¡±


    The start of every river in Genorium is from the Pond of Cecilia that¡¯s on Roker Mountain north of the empire. Because of that, it was natural to say that all rivers located in the northern regions that spread out from the mountain are all upper currents. There were a total of 20 embankment sites we had to see. It was only those that were being built in the northern region. If construction was done on the entire land, then we would¡¯ve had to travel over a year to look over every site. No, the construction would¡¯ve been over before that. The land was the power, but as an officer that had to travel across the land to see the construction site, vast land is quite burdensome.


    ¡°You mean the Oreose River. I¡¯m sure eight embankments must be built there. We¡¯ll have to stay there for at least three days,¡± The Crown Prince replied.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Have you decided on where to stay?¡±


    In the case of the Crown Prince going out of the palace, he usually stayed at regional noble estates. But if he was traveling under disguise, it would have been a different story¡­ Anyway, because of that reason, if a member of the Imperial Family went out on the trip, noble families would have been notified prior. in the region. In most cases, nobles would fight among themselves to get a chance to bring the Crown Prince into their estate, even if they had to lobby the one close to him. But this nutjob isn¡¯t normal at all, so I¡¯m looking forward to the noble family he¡¯ll be staying with.

 CH 154

    Chapter 154 - Together in the Carrier


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve decided.¡±


    ¡°Where will that be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The Estate of La Crehen.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Huh?¡±


    I became so surprised and answered in shock. The Crown Prince turned toward me. ¡°It isn¡¯t like you to be surprised. My aunt is there, so I was there when I was young. Or¡­ are you curious about them too?¡±


    Well, members of the family of the Grand Duke of LaChen, have never come to any official parties, and they were under the shadows. But that¡¯s not why I was surprised. ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing, Your Highness.¡±


    What I was thinking was that he was under a threat of assassination. If my guess is right, the only people that have no trouble succeeding to the throne after an assassination are the Grandduke and the two duke families. With that said, it was like he was going to stay at a possible enemy¡¯s house, so how could I not be surprised? But I couldn¡¯t show him that. The Grandduchess was his aunt and the Emperor¡¯s sister after all.


    As I suppressed my thoughts with such logic, I felt the carriage slowing down. I looked out the window and saw a village located by the riverbed. There were various crops and small houses that couldn¡¯t be seen in the capital. The smiles of the village people made my heart warm. The village at my estate was also small and had heartwarming sights like this.


    ¡°Wow. This is so heartwarming.¡± The Crown Prince frowned, not understanding what I was saying. I smiled and answered, ¡°Oh, I meant the people. They are doing their best each moment to live. I think my policies can be helpful to those people¡­ I¡¯m glad.¡±


    The Crown Prince looked at me without saying a word. I tried to look away as I felt weird again. Then, I heard his beautiful voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re so fascinating. Most nobles would consider commoners as lowly beings or ones that need sympathy¡­ But why?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the same people. And we help each other to live.¡±


    ¡°Help each other?¡±


    ¡°They farm the land, becoming the foundation that allows me to think of a policy. So we¡¯re helping each other. Nothing in this land is useless. Everyone just has different roles.¡±


    There is a reason why a butterfly hangs on a flower, and why a mole burrows into the ground. Every living being fulfills its own role. What I dreamed of was for many lives to live without facing inequality. That was the reason why I became an officer and lived as one.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get off,¡± he said.


    The Crown Prince became silent, seeming to have lost interest, and just looked at me without wearing any expression. I looked away and got up to get off the carriage. But-


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    And I had to sit down because of the nutjob¡¯s change of mind. I turned back to him, to see what was going on now, and the Crown Prince got off the carriage first and offered his hand to me.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    I sighed, not understanding what nonsense this was, but had to push down my lips from going up. Oh, this is strange. Why am I smiling all of a sudden?


    ***


    While I was looking at the actual construction site, I was able to see the exact point where the embankment must be built more accurately. I was only able to find out the current was stronger as the papers didn¡¯t share every little detail. I guess this is why the paperwork and the actual work at the site are different.

 CH 155

    Chapter 155 - Meeting an Old Friend


    ¡°The current is stronger than I thought. It¡¯ll take longer to finish if we¡¯re to build it more stable. I¡¯m sure the carpenters will do their job, but we¡¯ll have to make the water flow out more easily. With such a powerful current, the embankment might explode if the water is blocked.¡±


    As I said my humble opinion, the Crown Prince shook his hand annoyingly. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll tell them about it.¡±


    His answer seemed callous. As I looked around, the knights were just fooling around, not helping me with my work measuring the depth and width of the river. It seems I was the only one who was working hard here. Not only that, the knights, who were coming in and out of the forest instead of the river, were glaring fiercely around.


    ¡°Your Highness. If I may, I¡¯ll be able to finish the investigation if the guard knights help me,¡± I spoke with a bit of sulkiness in my voice.


    The Crown Prince turned to me to answer, ¡°Oh, they¡¯re busy because there¡¯s a rumor of a wolf problem up north. You shouldn¡¯t mind them and focus on your job.¡±


    Why did he want me to follow him on the investigation then? I swore at the Crown Prince as I looked around the river when I found something strange between piles of rubbles.


    ¡®Huh? What¡¯s that?¡¯


    My eyes grew large as I went over to check. I thought it was some shiny stone because it was smooth from the current, but when I picked it up and cleaned the mud off, I realized it wasn¡¯t a stone but a cuff with a diamond placed on it. It was a unique-looking cuff with the symbol of a daffodil beneath the transparent gem. Why was it here? There were no other nobles besides us, and there was no chance of others coming here. Was it just a coincidence that such an expensive-looking cuff was dropped here?


    I thought for a second, then put the cuff into my pocket. I should keep it well since I can¡¯t handle suspicious objects without thinking.


    ***


    The investigation of the second embankment was done successfully. Alone. Why did he bring those knights if I was going to be working all by myself?


    ¡°Your Highness, we should leave this place soon,¡± a voice suggested.


    I sulked as I saw those heartless knights who only stood guard without helping me one bit. But as the voice of Guard Captain Sir Arhan said to the Crown Prince, the sun was going down.


    ¡°Yes. We should go.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t investigate further if the sun went down, so we headed to the Grand Duke¡¯s estate.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, Your Highness.¡±


    It was night when we arrived. The secretive mansion of the Grand Duke wasn¡¯t as big as I imagined. It was more elegant and graceful than lavish.


    ¡°Welcome, Your Highness. I¡¯ll guide you into the mansion.¡±


    As we got off the carriage, a man looking to be a servant of the Grand Duke came up to us to welcome us. The Crown Prince turned to look at me, but the guard knights immediately circled around him, and I was pushed back. It was Chelleno, Rey, and Rian who came to my side instead.


    ¡°Marin, we¡¯ve been apart all day. It¡¯s good to be back together again, heh heh.¡±


    Rey sighed at Chelleno¡¯s words while Rian smiled as if he agreed.


    As we went in, we saw all the workers bow toward us. The workers here seemed very polite and graceful, fitting to be the servants of the Grand Duke. Our family is also a house of a count, but our servants¡­

 CH 156

    Chapter 156 - Meeting an Old Friend


    No, I couldn¡¯t even expect my servant Daisy to be graceful. Even if she¡¯s an exceptional assassin, she¡¯s quite clumsy, to be honest. Anyway, I believe my friends¡¯ parents work for the Grand Duke. I hope I run into them¡­ I was in the middle of such thoughts when I saw someone and became shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Your Highness. Mother and father are out on official business on His Majesty¡¯s orders. Please understand I¡¯m here to greet you in place of the head of the house.¡± A low voice with such a beautiful face that looked alluring, a young man my age, the prince of the Grand Duke, was smiling at the Crown Prince.


    ¡°It¡¯s allowed.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ll allow it, I¡¯ll guide you to the room¡­ Huh?¡±


    Then his smiling face immediately turned expressionless as his gaze turned over to me. I¡¯m the one who is shocked, Mion. Why are you making such a face?


    ¡°Marin?¡±


    Everyone flinched at the nickname that came out of his mouth.


    ¡°Do you both know each other?¡± Rian suddenly asked a bit stiffly, which made me think about what to say until I heard a charming voice responding in place of me.


    ¡°Yes, we know each other very well.¡±


    I looked up the stairs and saw a woman coming down slowly. A beautiful woman with pale white skin with a graceful faceline and lips. She can look arrogant somehow, but she still was the kind young girl on the inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Beatrice.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    I felt betrayed the moment I heard her full name. Beth. That was my friend, who I¡¯ve known as Elizabeth, the oldest daughter of a family that works for the Grand Duke. The moment I confirmed her name to match that of the princess of the Grand Duke, I felt like I was lied to, which infuriated me. Then she came over to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Marin.¡±


    Still the same kind of voice. Yes, I liked that about you and trusted you. But now I realize you¡¯ve deceived me all along. I feel betrayed as much as I like you.


    ¡°Greetings¡­ Your Grace.¡±


    That made me more infuriated. I felt bitter at you as you became saddened by my words, but it didn¡¯t matter. I felt so stupid for relying on my friends, who were confident no matter what happened, which made me like them so much.


    ¡°Marin, I know you¡¯re surprised-¡±


    Mion tried to jump in, but Beth refused, ¡°Stop. I¡¯ll handle it later.¡±


    My heart sank at her cold voice, but it didn¡¯t matter. I was enraged about being betrayed by my best friend. That¡¯s when I heard the Crown Prince¡¯s chilly voice.


    ¡°How long are you going to make me stand here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll guide you to the room where you can stay.¡± Mion guided the Crown Prince and disappeared from my sight. Beth came over to me. She was about to say something to me when-


    ¡°Marina, I have something to tell you.¡±


    Rey dragged me over. Something fell upon Beth¡¯s eyes as she saw him. It was anger. She turned away as she bit on her lips as if she had seen something awful and walked away. I turned to my cousin. Rey sighed at Beth going away and spoke to me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the room first.¡±


    ***


    A maid bowed as she left me in the room where I¡¯d be staying. Daisy also hesitantly left the room. I turned to Rey and asked, ¡°Did you know?¡±

 CH 157

    Chapter 157 - Meeting An Old Friend


    Rey nodded at my question, which filled me with rage, and I threw a pillow at him. But he didn¡¯t let it hit him and snatched it as he sighed, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Everything that¡¯s happening is the problem.¡± I answered, my voice trembling in anger.


    Rey came over to me and flicked my forehead with his finger. ¡°Wake up. Will you be pushing your friends away for such petty reasons?¡±


    ¡°Petty reasons? Do you think it¡¯s petty to deceive your friend?¡±


    Ray became stern, glared at me, and snapped, ¡°Marina von Harrant. Do you feel betrayed just because she hid her identity? Can¡¯t you understand that there could¡¯ve been a reason that she did that? Why do you always think only about yourself?¡±


    ¡°I know! I know! But¡­!¡±


    ¡°Sure, you would¡¯ve kept her as your friend if she revealed her identity! You¡¯re a fool who distances yourself away from everyone that¡¯s higher in rank!¡±


    I felt saddened by Rey¡¯s outburst, which cut me off, and I felt like I would cry. My cousin, who had been with me since I was young. He was like my own sibling. Even though we argued a lot, we never hurt each other¡­ but I didn¡¯t want to cry and show my weak side to my cousin who was hurting my feelings. I was more angry at him because he knew me so well that he found my weak spots and spoke coldly to him.


    ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve had to say?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not done yet! This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯re shooting at the wrong place! Why do you always think so lowly of yourself?¡±


    I felt furious that he kept digging into my weakness. It made me say something that I shouldn¡¯t have said to him. ¡°Is that why you couldn¡¯t even ask Beth out?! You can¡¯t say such big words when you¡¯re not much different either!¡± I spoke with the intention of harming my cousin, who had hurt me.


    But Rey didn¡¯t become angry. Instead, he looked tired when he replied, ¡°Yes. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m a worthless coward with nothing to be confident about. But you¡¯re different. You¡¯re the eldest daughter of a direct bloodline of a noble and an officer of Internal Affairs¡­ Couldn¡¯t you have more confidence?¡±


    I became dazed by his words, and Rey wore a bitter smile as he added, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone. Think about it.¡±


    Rey left by closing the door behind me, and I sat on the chair while covering my face with my hands. You¡¯re such a fool, Marina. Why do you have to attack the person on your side in a situation like this?


    ***


    Beth invited me to dinner, but I refused because I felt sick. There¡¯s no way I could put food down my throat in such a complex situation! I was easing my anger lying down alone when I heard a knock.


    There was no way Beth, who was always very proud, would come by herself. Then it was either Chelleno, Rey, or Rian. Chelleno wouldn¡¯t knock and call my name at the door instead. Rian wouldn¡¯t knock so vigorously like that¡­ so it was going to be Rey. I felt uneasy, but I also had the urge to push away my feelings stuck inside my heart, so I opened the door.


    ¡°Can you stop knocki- Huh?¡±


    I was dumbfounded when I saw the person standing at the door. He was¡­


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re sick.¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ Yes, Your Highness.¡±


    The Crown Prince.


    ¡°Why? How are you sick? When did it start?¡±


    I felt like I would really get sick from the Crown Prince asking me with a grim expression. No, actually, it¡¯s bad for my heart. It keeps pounding¡­


    ¡°¡­No, I think I¡¯m alright. I may be too tired. You don¡¯t have to worry-¡±


    ¡°How could I not worry?¡±

 CH 158

    Those words made me look straight at the Crown Prince. I didn¡¯t know what he meant, but his eyes made me so embarrassed that I wanted to hide.


    ¡°Why are you worried about me?¡± I felt saddened by the words I said, because I was reminded of what Rey had said, but it didn¡¯t matter. I wanted to know what meaning those eyes had. The answer came right away.


    ¡°Because¡­ you¡¯re my assistant on this trip.¡±


    That confirmation made my heart sink. So it is. You just think of me as a skilled officer. His confirmation about what he was thinking of me made my heart ache. Why did it hurt, though? The question came back with an easy answer. I was finally able to realize what the feeling that shook me all this time was.


    I have feelings for the Crown Prince¡­ It¡¯s to the point where I have now forgotten about my first love. The reason why I denied this feeling many times was because I wanted to protect myself from being hurt. There¡¯s nothing more heartbreaking than love that can¡¯t be achieved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Who said I was worried about-¡±


    ¡°There¡¯ll be no problem with tomorrow¡¯s schedule.¡±


    He was about to shout angrily at my first word, but stopped. Those eyes. I decided not to have any wrong ideas about that now. But¡­ Now that I realize it, I¡¯ll do my best.


    Yes, Marina. It¡¯s good that I didn¡¯t even dream about false hope. So don¡¯t be disappointed. Let¡¯s do our best for the people I love now and for myself. As he said, I¡¯ll do my best to become the best officer so that I can help him, the man I like, become the best emperor. That¡¯ll also be my ultimate goal.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to assist you, Your Highness.¡± The Crown Prince looked at me for a long time without saying any words until he sighed. He must be worried that I would interrupt our schedule. ¡°So, trust me.¡±


    After a brief silence that felt like an eternity had ended, the Crown Prince spoke, ¡°I always trust you.¡±


    ¡­This is going over the line. Why do you always make me have hope? I wouldn¡¯t even try if you¡¯d just be cold to me.


    ¡°You should get some rest.¡±


    After he closed the door as he left, I sat down on the spot. I was destroyed before I even started. But this wasn¡¯t over. I didn¡¯t even think about pursuing this love, which is why I¡¯ve been denying my feelings.


    ¡°I like you.¡±


    I felt like I would cry the moment I let that slip out of my mouth. The reason why my heart still hurt was that the person who should listen to this confession was already gone.


    The Crown Prince, who everyone says is a nutjob. Of course¡­ I can¡¯t deny that, but every time I see him being unexpectedly kind, every time I see him smiling at me, and every time I feel like he is looking after my feelings, my heart flutters.


    The reason why I denied it wasn¡¯t because¡­ I was a fool, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt myself because of rejection. And it was also because it was actually hard to accept my feelings. The difference in our ranks, our appearances, and the feelings between us are different. Hahaha! I suppose there¡¯s not much in the world that works out the way I want. Yes, this isn¡¯t me giving up. I love him in my own way. I will protect him and try my best to make him become a splendid emperor. So that others, aside from me, will come to know his true nature, and he won¡¯t be feared and become a beloved ruler.

 CH 159

    ¡°Marin, are you in there?¡±


    I was in my chain of thought, when I heard Chelleno¡¯s voice. I quickly dabbed the tears off my eyes with a handkerchief. I would be embarrassed sleeping at night if others saw me, and I cried. I looked into the mirror to check on myself and opened the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Er, I brought you something to eat.¡±


    There was a box full of cookies in his hands. Where did he get this? I knew that it couldn¡¯t be Beth or Mion because I knew as a best friend, they hated sweet things. But then¡­ it must mean someone had brought them along on the trip. My eyes grew large, and Chelleno grinned.


    ¡°You like sweets.¡±


    How did he know? I never showed my taste preferences at my uncle¡¯s house, so I was even more surprised. My mother hates being picky on food, so if she found out that I have a sweet tooth, she would be furious. That¡¯s why in fear of getting the word out to my mother, I refrained from showing my preferences at Uncle¡¯s house. Did Chelleno really bring this here?


    As I was becoming curious, he said, ¡°I should get going then.¡±


    I was even more shocked to find Chelleno just leaving like that. He would never leave so easily. What¡¯s wrong? I closed the door, grabbed the box of cookies, and took one into my mouth. My god- This is so delicious! It was so delicious that it just blew my sadness away.


    ¡®Ugh, I would get fat¡­ but who cares. I won¡¯t even get married.¡¯


    Ever since I realized my feelings for the Crown Prince, I gave up on marriage. Honestly, I don¡¯t think there will be anyone else who could make my heart pound harder than him in my life. Now that I¡¯ve accepted my feelings, I would rather live single while working under my loving, handsome Crown Prince instead of getting married to some a*sh*le and living miserably. Of course, nothing will return even if I give all my feelings¡­ I¡¯m hungry. I was so hungry that I emptied the whole box in the end.


    Now that I filled my belly, I felt tired. I went immediately to my bed, closed my eyes, and put myself into a drowsiness that overwhelmed my entire body.


    Chapter 4. Breaking Out of the Crisis


    I opened my heavy eyelids and saw the sun had gone up. I glanced at the clock and realized I fortunately hadn¡¯t overslept. I quickly washed up and dressed myself. That¡¯s when I heard a knock.


    ¡°Milady, it¡¯s me.¡± She didn¡¯t show much presence until now, but it was Daisy who followed me silently. I opened the door for her. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be awake by now. You¡¯re awake early as I expected.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a habit.¡±


    Daisy smiled and began combing my hair. ¡°Yes, I think it has become my habit as well. I automatically woke up at the same time as you.¡±


    She certainly is my maid, after all. It¡¯s like we resemble each other the more we stay together.


    ¡°Anyway, you should eat something today,¡± Daisy said. It wasn¡¯t like her to be nosy, but she smiled and said something that made me confused. ¡°You¡¯d never know. It was a mess yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Mess? What do you mean? What happened?¡± I asked her, looking at her, confused.


    She turned my head back around and replied as she worked on putting up makeup on me. ¡°Hmm¡­ Shall I say, a storm went through that made everyone else quiet?¡±


    I rolled my eyes to glare at her for the idiomatic phrases that weren¡¯t like her at all.


    Daisy just grinned, ¡°So you must join breakfast today. I¡¯m not sure if the storm will come today as well, but my guess is that it will be awfully quiet.¡±

 CH 160

    When I came down to the dining room, I was met with dead silence like a mortuary that struck me awkwardly. I felt like taking some steps back out of the room to retreat back to my bedroom, but I gulped down my throat and calmly greeted.


    ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡±


    Everyone immediately turned towards me with my voice. Most looked bright, but Sir Arhan, the Captain of Guards, seemed especially delighted to see me.


    ¡°Secretary Harrant! It is so good to see you! You must never skip a meal if you don¡¯t want to get sick!¡± He almost never spoke to me before, so when he smiled brightly, he showed his teeth that were missing in front, and that made me almost laugh.


    From what I heard, the missing front teeth were the result of him protecting the Crown Prince against an enemy¡¯s club from the war that they joined together¡­ He seemed to be proud of his missing teeth as it was proof of him protecting the Crown Prince. But I heard a rumor that it was those missing teeth that deterred women away from him even when he¡¯s completely normal. I mean, I can understand it because it will break the romantic mood if his missing teeth are shown when things get heated up. I was heatedly daydreaming about Sir Arhan, when Chelleno pointed at the chair next to him.


    ¡°Marin, come sit next to me!¡±


    Huh? Why is everyone making such a fuss? I went over to sit with such thoughts.


    ¡°Did you have a good night¡¯s sleep, Marin?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡±


    Out of all the people, Rian was next to me. And¡­ the Crown Prince was sitting right across at an angle.


    ¡°Thanks to you.¡±


    Rian¡¯s eyes grew large and wore a smile on his lips. ¡°You couldn¡¯t eat much yesterday, so you should have it full today.¡±


    It was a good chance to have a glance at the Crown Prince. A nice meal and the eye candy Crown Prince closeby. It is like catching two birds with one stone!


    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    He just spoke short sentences, but it made me so excited that my mood was delightful. Was I like this when I liked Kyles? No, I never was. I felt comfortable around him, but my heart never raced, and not all of the small things that he did were as important as this.


    ¡°Yes.¡± It was the same answer but came so easily compared to when I hesitated when I had to say it. That¡¯s when the food came.


    ¡°Oh¡­ we¡¯re finally eat- UGH!¡±


    The Lieutenant Captain Sir Helgen was trying to say something, when he suddenly stopped with a gasp. I looked at him and Sir Arhan, who was looking at him fiercely.


    Sir Arhan turned to me with a grin, ¡°Hahaha! This pal just bit his tongue because of the delicious food! Let¡¯s dig in, shall we all?¡±


    His missing teeth still didn¡¯t match his perfectly normal face, but I tried not to show my laugh and started eating.


    ***


    As we finished breakfast, I followed the Crown Prince to another area where the embankment had to be built. Was it because I learned how to do it yesterday? The investigation went more smoothly than yesterday. And it was when I was working hard that I found something by the bushes next to the river and quickly walked over there. It was as I expected when I walked up close. It enlightened my mood. I didn¡¯t think I would find such a valuable thing here!

 CH 161

    ¡°Marina! Why are you here?¡±


    Rey came running after me, and I smiled at him as I showed him what I found and shouted, ¡°Look! It¡¯s Sieg!¡±


    But it wasn¡¯t Rey who answered me.


    ¡°Say that again.¡±


    I stood frozen at the purple eyes that were glaring at me. Rey answered in my place. ¡°My apologies, Your Highness. She had found Siegmain, a rare plant, and was informing me of her finding.¡±


    ¡°Did I ask you?¡±


    Rey didn¡¯t seem to be frustrated by the Crown Prince¡¯s sudden turn to a hostile tone and continued, ¡°I¡¯m her knight, so it¡¯s my duty to protect my master.¡±


    The Crown Prince then glared at Rey and commented coldly, ¡°You¡¯re bold.¡±


    ¡°My apologies,¡± answered Rey as he lowered his head.


    The Crown Prince frowned, and awkwardly pushed up the side of his lips and became stern. I¡¯ve watched him for a long time, so I knew what that face meant. That¡¯s the face he makes when he feels like crap. Very. Even if I¡¯m annoyed by my cousin, I can¡¯t let him be killed by the angry Crown Prince, so I spoke to ask for his forgiveness.


    ¡°My Highness. I apologize for my knight¡¯s disrespectful demeanor. It¡¯s all my fault, so please ease your anger.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve made another mistake to me,¡± answered the Crown Prince to me.


    I thought about whether he was starting again. Last time, he made me ride in his carriage, so what is he going to ask of me again? It was when I was becoming curious that he looked at me and spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the punishment later.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± I asked back dumbfoundedly.


    The Crown Prince looked at me for a while and asked, ¡°Do you know my full name?¡±


    Only then, did I think I understood why he became angry with me.


    Clyde Sieghard Urd Genorium.


    In his entire name, it was the second name Sieghard that those who were close to him used to call him. Was it the word ¡°Sieg¡± that made him think that I was calling him? I just said ¡°Sieg¡± because that¡¯s what I call the Siegmain plant that I have at home¡­


    ¡°Nngh!¡±


    Then I suddenly had a strong headache. It hurt so much that I felt like I would faint. My vision began darkening as I swayed to fall when someone helped me to stand. I turned, thinking it was probably Rey, and realized it was the Crown Prince who helped me and jumped off of him to get away.


    ¡°My apologies, Your Highness.¡±


    I bowed to make an apology, but he didn¡¯t reply. I looked up to glance at him, but he was looking at me with an unfamiliar expression.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    At my call, he turned to me again as if he had come back to his senses. He made a slow sigh, then replied after a bit of silence. ¡°Do you do this often?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Do you always sway like this?¡±


    I realized that I swayed at his cold words, so I shook my head. ¡°No, Your Highness. I sometimes do it when I get tired.¡±


    Actually, I don¡¯t do this when I¡¯m tired, but only when I try to remember a certain truth that I can¡¯t remember. But there¡¯s no need to tell him all this.


    Actually, I felt good. He probably said that because he would be annoyed to see me faint, but his words felt as if he was worried about me¡­ which made me smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be okay!¡±


    The Crown Prince frowned and sighed as he spoke, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Then he called to Sir Arhan, ¡°Arhan, follow me. And I need one more¡­¡±


    The Crown Prince frowned after turning to Adrian, who was at my side. Then he glanced around each of the knights here, shook his head after glancing at Chelleno, then pointed to Rey.


    ¡°You.¡±

 CH 162

    The Crown Prince took me to the carriage. There, he made a simple order to Sir Arhan, ¡°Take her to the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion.¡±


    At that, I shook my head to strongly refuse, to let him know that I¡¯m still a useful and valuable person to him. ¡°Your Highness! But the investigation won¡¯t be easy without me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can figure out the effects of the geographical situation or the outcome of the waterway being blocked without you. Besides, it¡¯s up to architects to worry about embankment construction¡¯s materials.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    Honestly, I¡¯d hate to become worthless to him. I don¡¯t want to be worthless to him, just like I was dumped by Kyles because I was worthless to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a nuisance if you stay.¡±


    But I already had become worthless to him, so I bit my lips. I was a fool to have swayed at such timing¡­ I blamed myself for messing up everything.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have become a nuisance, Your Highness. If you insist, then I¡¯ll be on my own from here.¡±


    But the person I wanted to blame the most right now, was that bad man. I was angry that he didn¡¯t even give me a chance to prove myself even if I insisted. He shouldn¡¯t hurt my feelings even if I like him!


    ¡°You- what¡­?¡±


    The Crown Prince seemed to be astonished, so I answered with the most uncomfortable look on my face and voice. ¡°You can forget about a useless officer like me and be on your way. I¡¯ll be on my way myself. Here, go ahead. Sir Arhan!¡±


    ¡°Yes, milady?¡±


    I knew I was going the wrong way as I saw Sir Arhan¡¯s dumbfounded look as he asked, but I was already abandoned by the Crown Prince for being useless. I figured there was no tomorrow for me, so I was going reckless from giving up.


    ¡°You, sir, are the Knight Captain of His Highness¡¯s guards. As such, it¡¯s your duty to protect His Highness at all times. Please don¡¯t waste your valuable energy for such a useless officer, and help His Highness by his side.¡±


    I walked past Sir Arhan and his dumb expression. I saw Rey, but I didn¡¯t want to look at him either, so I walked past him too. That¡¯s when a calm and also low voice came to me.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    I pretended I didn¡¯t hear the Crown Prince¡¯s order and walked onward.


    ¡°STOP!!¡±


    Even at his angry bellow, I continued to walk ahead. That¡¯s when someone pulled me in. The pull was so hard that I fell on top of the person who pulled.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ What are you¡­¡±


    I was going to ask what was the meaning of this when I saw an arrow stuck on the spot where I just had been and felt chills running through my body. Was it those assassins? Did they follow me here?


    ¡°Dammit. He ran to the woods!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go after him,¡± answered Rey in response to Sir Arhan¡¯s voice.


    Then Sir Arhan replied, ¡°Please. I¡¯ll send reinforcements soon.¡±


    I trusted Rey¡¯s abilities, but I was still worried. What if he gets hurt? No, he¡¯s not weak, so he should return safely. Even though I assured myself as such, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off Rey while he disappeared from my sight.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll gather up knights and order them to track him down. Please wait here.¡±


    After Sir Arhan also disappeared, I realized I was left alone with the Crown Prince. I also realized that I was sitting on top of him, quickly jumped off, and away.


    ¡°M-My apologies!¡±


    My heart raced, which I tried to suppress when the Crown Prince got up and asked while looking over at me. ¡°Are you alright? Did you get hurt-¡±

 CH 163

    At the absurd question that was aimed at me, something broke within my head. ¡°Why are you asking me if I¡¯m okay?!¡± He saved me, became my cushion, but still asked if I was okay, which got me angry at him. ¡°You¡¯re the former sun, who will succeed the throne in the future. Why did you risk yourself for the likes of me?!¡±


    The Crown Prince turned solemn and looked away. He tried to say something quietly, ¡°Because you were-¡±


    ¡°Yes, I may have been kicked out of the field because you deemed me useless, but I¡¯m still a valuable officer nonetheless! But a king shouldn¡¯t still sacrifice himself for his subjects!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like th-¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®it¡¯s not like that?!¡¯ Do you have any idea that what you just did could jeopardize our empire?!¡±


    I was making our country an excuse, but that wasn¡¯t what I truly felt. I wanted to speak to him for recklessly sacrificing himself for a worthless woman like me. That¡¯s what I wanted to say to him. ¡®Unlike me, you¡¯re a valuable person.¡¯


    That¡¯s when he looked at me. I never saw him make such a face. Is he angry or uncomfortable? I don¡¯t know. I have no idea what that face means¡­ I was trying hard to decipher what his face meant when the answer came from him.


    ¡°Enough. Enough nagging. I already regret bringing you here.¡±


    I almost felt like crying at those words, but I held onto it. Yeah, I guess he hates me. I spoke like that even when he saved my life¡­ But why does he have to go so far to say he regrets it? This was why I decided not to dream of anything and be satisfied with the life of an officer. It¡¯s hard to control my mind. But is there anyone out there who can control their mind as they want? I would say no one.


    ¡°Alright, then. If you¡¯ll excuse me, this useless officer will¡­¡±


    As I was about to get up, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me in. But this time, it was more of a careful act, unlike before. ¡°But it¡¯s not because you¡¯re a nuisance or useless. You are¡­¡±


    I gulped down my throat. That¡¯s when he threw my hands away and pulled his sword out. Oh, is that it? You¡¯re going to kill me because you hate me? A*sh*le. You made me hope for it even at the last moment! You demon¡­ Huh? That¡¯s when something shot my head.


    Blood. It was a bloodbath, and I saw something stopping me in the front.


    [You and your cursed bloodline! You demonspawn!]


    ¡°Rina, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry!¡± A young boy was shedding tears. But that face, unfortunately, was still unclear.


    ¡°WAKE UP!¡± A rough voice pulled me out to my senses. Then I saw the Crown Prince standing in front of me with a fierce look on his face. ¡°Dammit! It was one of the succubi!¡±


    ¡°Succubi? I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t¡­ Huh?¡±


    The ground was dug up, the trees were cut down, and everywhere was a mess. I became so shocked that my eyes were wide open and looked around, until I heard a calm voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the demons.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    I was so dumbfounded by such nonsense that I replied to him, but the Crown Prince still looked very angry as he answered.


    ¡°It was one of those demons that attacked us. These ones bring the worst memory stored deep within you and lock you in it.¡±


    At the moment, I thought maybe he had finally gone mad. A demon? Come on. There¡¯s no such thing as the world. This is bad if he goes even crazier from this¡­ Or he already did.


    ¡°Hah. I know it¡¯s hard to believe. But I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡±

 CH 164

    Come on? Who would believe such a thing if you suddenly were told of it? You can¡¯t even be sure of its existence, and how are you so sure that it is a demon or not?


    ¡°And how are you supposed to know that, Your Highness?¡± I asked the Crown Prince.


    He became solemn and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ I¡­¡±


    As he was about to say something, the loud and thundering voice of someone could be heard. ¡°YOUR HIGHNESS! ARE YOU SAFE?! Oh god, a wound on such a perfectly handsome face!!¡±


    I was surprised by Sir Arhan¡¯s words and turned to look at the Crown Prince¡¯s face. There was a thin red line on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    He said it was nothing, but it was something to me. I felt like rage succumbed to me as I shivered in anger. How dare a nation¡¯s treasure-worthy handsome face be scarred!? Actually, I was angry because the face of someone I liked had gotten even a small cut, and not only because he was handsome. That¡¯s when Sir Arhan said exactly how I felt.


    ¡°It is something to me! This is unforgivable! A wound on such a handsome and perfect prince¡­!¡± His words seemed a bit overboard for a loyal servant, but all of his guards seemed to agree with him.


    ¡°Our precious prince¡­!¡±


    ¡°This must be avenged!¡±


    ¡°Right! We will not forgive the man behind this!  We will put our lives to avenge it!¡±


    I even felt scared to see these knights acting like they were some sort of cult serving the Crown Prince as their god. I think I should try my best not to talk back to the Crown Prince in front of them from now on.


    ¡°Anyway, the attacker must have been killed, right, Your Highness?¡± Knight Lieutenant Sir Helgen asked.


    The Crown Prince shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? Then-¡±


    At that, the Crown Prince turned vicious at an empty space. It was as if he was glaring at an assassin that attacked him. ¡°He got away.¡±


    The enemy, who hired the assassins to attack me twice, seems to be going after the Crown Prince as well. Then I decided. I should protect this very handsome but ill-mannered¡­ No, a cute man from those assailants who attacked my people.


    ¡°Anyway, are we tracking the assailants?¡±


    The loyal knight answered his master right away, ¡°Yes, Your Highness. A group was sent within five minutes, and I¡¯m sure they have caught up to Sir Reyan by now.¡±


    I felt an ominous feeling filling up my head at Rey¡¯s name. That¡¯s when the Crown Prince spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll head in too.¡±


    ***


    Soon, we were at the center of the woods where Rey had chased after the assassin. There, we found the group that was sent in first, standing dumbfoundedly.


    ¡°You there! What are you doing!?¡±


    Those knights, who looked dazed, flinched at Sir Arhan¡¯s loud voice and came back to their senses. It was as if they were mesmerized by something.


    Then on the ground, there was a trail of blood. It would be good if it was the attacker¡¯s, but I became afraid that it might be Rey¡¯s. I then shook my head, blaming myself for thinking such foolish thoughts. ¡®No way. I always heard all the time how skilled he is!¡¯


    My cousin didn¡¯t have a proper background, but his skills as a knight were better than Chelleno, a Central Knight. But why? We were so deep in the woods, but I couldn¡¯t see Rey anywhere. I tried to shake away my bad feeling, but they just kept growing.


    ¡°My prince! You must see this!¡±


    The Crown Prince walked quickly over to Sir Sardin, the youngest of the Guards, calling him, and I followed from behind. There was a cut-off snake¡¯s head with something stuck between its fangs. It was an envelope. As the Crown Prince ripped the envelope open, the letter inside revealed itself to the world. As soon as he saw the letter, he handed over the letter to me.

 CH 165

    ¡°Find out where he wants us to come.¡±


    There were two letters.


    Dear Prince. You can¡¯t even catch me. If I knew you were so weak, I would¡¯ve attacked you sooner. There was no point in testing your power. My client made such a fuss that I thought maybe that blood runs thick in you, but I am guessing it doesn¡¯t. Or is it because of your ¡°weakness?¡±


    One letter was a provocation to the Crown Prince. What about ¡°the blood,¡± though? I couldn¡¯t come to any conclusion when I didn¡¯t have any clues yet. So I opened the other letter to see if there were any other clues. And in there¡­


    ¡°Marina!¡±


    My headache was so bad that my eyesight became dim. My body swayed. I didn¡¯t fall thanks to Chelleno grabbing me, but what was on the letter was shocking.


    Marina von Harrant, my pretty. The game is getting more interesting thanks to your participation. But seeing that you¡¯ve sent your knight, one of the few chess pieces you have, all by himself, just to catch a pawn, it seems you don¡¯t mind losing him.


    If you want to prove that¡¯s not the case, come find me.


    I¡¯m at the place where the tears of Undine fall. If you come to me, I¡¯ll free your knight alive.


    PS You¡¯d better come before the sun sets, if you wish to see the dawn of morning.


    From your future husband.


    Tear of Undine. It was easy to guess where he meant. But it was also clear that he was provoking the Crown Prince to come. I freed myself from Chelleno¡¯s hands and walked over to the Crown Prince. Then I looked straight into those purple eyes and said, ¡°This is a trap.¡±


    ¡°He insulted me.¡±


    His purple eyes were full of rage. But I shook my head and spoke to the one I adore, ¡°We have to go back.¡±


    Yes. An officer needed to make small sacrifices for the greater good. Even if that small sacrifice was a knight who¡¯s like my precious brother¡­


    My gums seemed to bleed from biting so hard onto my teeth. My nails stuck into the palm of my hand from clenching too hard. It was painful. It was so painful, but I was an officer who had to advise the most beneficial way to my king no matter the case.


    ¡°You are the future of the empire. You shouldn¡¯t volunteer to walk into a trap for a mere knight of a noble family.¡±


    I saw his mouth opening in response to me. But before he could even try to say anything, I strongly shook my head and firmly continued, ¡°It¡¯ll be a great loss to the empire if anything happens to you, the sole successor to the throne. So you must go back.¡±


    The Crown Prince sighed at my plea. It was the face that I liked so much, but what was important right now was what he was going to say.


    ¡°Alright. I will heed your advice. But this is because I trust you. Find a way to deal with this man, Marina von Harrant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I was relieved because of his permission, and we returned to the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion.


    ***


    The Crown Prince went up to his room to find a way as soon as we arrived. I looked at him, walking away with a dumb expression, then looked down at my hands. The whole mansion was talking about what happened to Rey. It was Beth and Mion, the current masters of this mansion while the Grand Duke and Duchess were missing, who appeared through those people.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Beth asked a servant, and he walked closely up to her and answered.


    ¡°A knight had been kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°A knight? Who? We must gather up all the knights of the house and-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Sir Reyan.¡±

 CH 166

    Beth staggered the moment she heard who had been kidnapped. At that time, the wind blew. That¡¯s strange. I looked around, but all the windows were closed. Anyway, it was her brother Mion who helped her not fall from staggering.


    ¡°Beth, are you alright?¡±


    Beth looked devastated and didn¡¯t respond to Mion¡¯s question. Instead, she came over to me, asking, ¡°Marin, tell me it isn¡¯t. Isn¡¯t it? They must have gotten the wrong information. Rey¡¯s so skilled! There¡¯s no way he was kidnapped! Tell me he wasn¡¯t kidnapped.¡±


    She and I weren¡¯t on good terms right now, but she was so desperate that she grabbed my arms and asked with teary eyes. I shook my head and replied to her, ¡°They¡¯re right, Your Grace. He was kidnapped while going after the assassin that attacked me and His Highness.¡±


    Beth fainted, probably from the news being too shocking to her. Mion, who quickly caught her, looked up to me and questioned, ¡°How many enemies are there?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have no idea, Your Grace. He was kidnapped with no witness.¡±


    Mion then looked at me for a second, then let out a sigh. ¡°Then there was no choice but to stop tracking him down. His Highness¡¯s safety could¡¯ve been jeopardized.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was the situation.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re still you, aren¡¯t you? How can you be so calm even in this kind of situation?¡±


    I felt like a bitter smile would appear on my lips. Actually, they always told me the same thing. But at that time, they praised my stubbornness, not like now where he was pointing out my calmness even after my knight had been kidnapped.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s think of a way. We can¡¯t give up on Rey like this.¡±


    I know. I knew, but if we just went straight in, we were all going to die. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t even respond and bowed. Then I saw Beth unconscious, which made the corner of my heart hurt.


    ¡°Hah¡­ You should go to your room and get some rest, Marin. Don¡¯t worry about Beth.¡±


    With Mion¡¯s permission, I bowed and turned my back on him to walk up the stairs. That¡¯s when I heard whispers.


    ¡°How can she be so cold when her relative has been kidnapped?¡±


    I made a hollow laugh at the house servants whispering. I know. I¡¯m cold and cruel. That¡¯s why I ignored my knight like that.


    As soon as I got to the room, I sat at the desk. My dream job that can achieve my life-long dream versus the life of my cousin. It was obvious which was more important to me.


    Your Highness. It is I, Secretary Harrant. I tried my best to assist you in any way, but my only knight has been kidnapped, and I¡¯m going to save him. I know this isn¡¯t right, so please don¡¯t forgive me for acting on my own accord. Also, please find the owner of ¡°this¡± in this letter. It is the clue to the attack.


    After writing down the letter, I put ¡°that¡± into the envelope and sealed it. Then I went to the person who could deliver this.


    ¡°So, you want me to give this to His Highness after three days?¡± Chelleno asked with a confused look, and I nodded. He still looked confused as he continued, ¡°Why? You can do that yourself.¡±


    I made a bitter smile. Maybe I won¡¯t be here after three days¡­ That¡¯s why I chose my cousin to be the courier of an important truth. After handing Chelleno the letter, I was heading elsewhere when someone stopped me on my path.


    ¡°Marin, are you alright?¡±


    It was Rian. I tried my best to look depressed and nodded, ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry, but can you allow me to be alone?¡±

 CH 167

    Rian had a disappointed look on his face as he nodded at my words. I¡¯m so thankful that he cared. But my feelings were for someone else now, and I didn¡¯t deserve it. I reminded myself to properly decline his confession and to save my cousin.


    ***


    To save Rey, I took Daisy and walked out of the mansion, disguising it as going out for a walk.


    ¡°Did she say she¡¯s taking a walk? How can a person be so cruel? He wasn¡¯t just a knight but her cousin¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh! Be quiet! She¡¯s a central officer!¡±


    I heard whispers as they watched me. But I didn¡¯t care. What¡¯s important to me right now is to escape the mansion without being noticed.


    ¡°Do we really have to do this, milady?¡±


    I nodded at Daisy¡¯s words. The letter that the Guild Master had sent threatened to take another¡¯s life on top of Rey¡¯s.


    You¡¯d better come before the sun sets if you wish to see the dawn of the morning.


    My country, the empire, serves the God of the Sky. Therefore we call our emperor, the sun, the empress, the moon, and the future emperor, the crown prince, as the sun of the dawn. The wording he used to tell me to come if I wanted to see the dawn of the morning meant that he¡¯d kill the Crown Prince if I didn¡¯t come. I had no choice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have to find a way to get us out alive.¡±


    Daisy looked confused at my strange confidence, then enlarged her eyes. ¡°M-Milady!¡±


    I became confused by her sudden stuttering. I tilted my head, and she pointed toward my back with a shocked expression. I turned and saw Beth looking at us with a frown.


    ¡°Marin, where are you going?¡±


    Honestly, I was shocked by her sudden appearance, but I pretended to be calm. ¡°I was out on a walk, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie! You¡¯re going after Rey! Don¡¯t try to lie to me! I knew you were going to do this.¡±


    She sure had a keen eye for catching lies, so I decided to quit acting. No matter what lies I came up with, she was going to try to follow me. ¡°You will only get in the way, Your Grace.¡±


    Even at my cold words, her golden eyes had a certain determination. ¡°Same goes for you too. You had worse grades than me in sword class. Take me with you. I won¡¯t get in the way. Please? Or at least take Mion with you. He¡¯ll be of help.¡±


    At that, I spat sarcasm at her. ¡°Why? Why don¡¯t you go tell His Highness to come too? Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Marin, please! I¡¯ll persuade Mion. Take me with you. Mion probably can even take on wizards. He¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s- what? Is he a Sword Master or something?¡±


    Nonsense. By wizards, does she mean the ones that are in fairy tales where they shoot fire or create ice? Well, there are summoners, which seem similar in concept, but even that made no sense either. Realistically speaking, what Mion can do is use a bow and sword. Even if his grades in sword class were quite good, they weren¡¯t that exceptional. His archery was exceptional. I give him that. But¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure he won¡¯t be able to defeat an enemy who¡¯s about as strong as an actual Sword Master.


    I was about to reject her plea when Beth grabbed both of my hands. ¡°I¡¯m begging you. I have been mean to Rey because he tried to distance himself from me lately. If I can¡¯t see him anymore, I¡¯ll regret it for my entire life. Please. Help me¡­¡±


    Her plea made me feel sympathetic, but I shook it off. If a fight breaks out, Beth is going to be in danger. That¡¯s why I roughly shook her hands off and declined her once again.

 CH 168

    ¡°No, Your Grace.¡±


    After continuously declining her, Beth seemed outraged and made an angry look on her face. ¡°Why do you keep saying no!? You¡¯re still so stubborn, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer her and just watched her. She was still straightforward, just the same way when I knew her as a daughter of a viscount. Then she became frustrated by my silence and grabbed my collar.


    ¡°I still consider you as a friend. But I don¡¯t understand why you are so cold to me. If you¡¯re angry, be angry. But please¡­ take me to him.¡±


    I shook my head at her words again. She was about to become enraged, so I roughly freed myself from her grasp and spoke coldly to her. ¡°Beatrice! Do you even understand how much you¡¯re getting in the way right now?!¡±


    She seemed surprised by my sudden change of tone from being polite to my regular self, and her eyes turned large.


    ¡°I¡¯m answering my enemy¡¯s invitation so that I can negotiate with him. I¡¯m busy taking care of myself, and you want me to protect you too?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to protect-¡±


    She was about to protest, so I went to her beforehand. ¡°And what I¡¯m doing to you now isn¡¯t because you¡¯ve been lying to me all this time.¡±


    At that, Beth scowled as she looked at me. ¡°Can you be sure of that? Do you know how sad I was when you ignored me like that-¡±


    ¡°And you thought I should greet you as a friend in front of all those people? Wake up! You two are na?ve kids who didn¡¯t even experience the beau monde with everyone else. Wouldn¡¯t it be suspicious if you two are suddenly friends of mine?¡± I saw Beth biting down on her lip. I felt my mouth turn bitter.


    I admired her confidence toward nobles who were higher in rank than her. But that confidence actually came mostly from her noble rank. I didn¡¯t feel jealous but I felt empty. The proud young lady that I admired was actually a na?ve princess living alone in a noble tower. Still, I couldn¡¯t hate her. She was still the same lovely person that my friend used to be, and she still saw me with an adoring look even after hearing my harsh words, so I had to look back at her with the same eyes.


    ¡°You should go on with your romance after Rey comes back. I¡¯ll make sure to save him and bring him back.¡±


    At that, tears dropped from her eyes, then she wiped them off with her clothes and nodded, ¡°You didn¡¯t change a bit. You were always so kind to your people and didn¡¯t bend your will to anyone. Okay. I trust you, Marin.¡±


    I smiled slightly at my friend¡¯s voice but was surprised by what came next.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    What was in her golden eyes was determination. A will to do anything that I ask her to do. I was a fool. Trust is only earned when it goes both ways. I didn¡¯t trust others, so others wouldn¡¯t have trusted me too. Now, I¡¯ll trust her. Even if a person looks weak, a determined person can have unimaginable potential. So I spoke to her about what she could do as the Princess of the Grand Duke.


    ¡°I have a favor. Make sure no one knows I left. And can you get me two horses?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Wait a second.¡±


    Not long after, she returned with two horses. I was about to hop onto the horse when she spoke to me with determined eyes. ¡°Remember, Marin. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to keep it a secret that you left today. But if it goes over a day, I can¡¯t promise you. And if you don¡¯t return, I¡¯ll have to send Mion and everyone I can gather to scour the mountain to find you, Rey, and protect my people on the estate from unwelcome trespassers. You have to understand me.¡±

 CH 169

    I didn¡¯t answer and just nodded at her. Ah, Beth wasn¡¯t a weak princess at all. She was a queen who reigned over this region. A queen who wishes to protect everyone under her from her spot. Maybe this is why I have a liking for her.


    ¡°You must come back safe!¡±


    Daisy and I got up on the horse she got us, then immediately headed for the place where the Tear of Undine falls.


    ***


    ¡°Milady, where did that man tell you to come that made us go up the mountain for such a long time?¡±


    We were going up the mountain road like pawns charging toward the enemy base. Daisy asked me in frustration after a while, so I explained to her my guess.


    ¡°You know that Undine is the spirit of water from a legend. Right? It¡¯s obvious what he meant by her tears when she herself is water. He¡¯s talking about the biggest fall in this region, Lunarlon Fall, which comes from the Pond of Cecillia.¡±


    Understanding, Daisy then turned to the map and commented, ¡°I see. It¡¯s quite close to the Grand Duke¡¯s estate. We¡¯re halfway there, so we should get there before the sun sets.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not too far from here now. Hang in there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, milady!¡±


    ***


    Luckily, we didn¡¯t have a hard time getting to the destination as the road to the fall was quite well-maintained. But there was no one around the fall.


    ¡°Have we gone to the wrong place?¡± Daisy asked with a worried look, but it didn¡¯t concern me. Assassins preferred to stay hidden. With that thought, I approached the fall.


    ¡°Milady! You shouldn¡¯t get too close to the fall!¡±


    Even with Daisy¡¯s warning, I still walked closer and closer. When I was quite close to the wall of the cliff where the water was thundering down, I smiled victoriously. As expected, there was a small opening behind the fall, a very small opening that a person could barely fit in to get past it.


    ¡°Look. There¡¯s an open space there.¡±


    Daisy nodded as her eyes grew large from shock. ¡°Right. Assassins are used to hiding in the shadows.¡±


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s get in.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Milady.¡±


    I pushed myself in after Daisy, and soon we saw a cave that we couldn¡¯t see before because it was covered by the fall. As we walked toward it, the Master of Assassins made a smile on his face with open arms while sitting on a giant chest.


    ¡°My pretty! You¡¯re finally here.¡± But when I stopped leaving some distance from him, he wiped the smile off his face and looked at me. ¡°Gosh. I¡¯m sometimes confused if you¡¯re smart or dumb. If it were me, I would¡¯ve begged the Crown Prince to come with me.¡±


    At that, I wore a smirk as I glared at him. ¡°Cut the nonsense. Where did you hide my cousin?¡±


    In response to my voice, his finger pointed down at the chest that he was sitting on, and my voice turned cold from rage.


    ¡°Do you lack the basic sense to keep the hostage safe? It¡¯s a simple rule that even petty thieves understand. How could the leader of a guild be so ignorant?¡±


    ¡°Are you angry, pretty? Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t harm him. I just put him there because he resisted so much.¡±


    I ignored him and called Rey, ¡°Hey! Rey! Are you alive?¡±


    The chest was silent even at my call, which worried me. But the Master opened the chest and pulled out the unconscious Rey from it, which made my heart sink.

 CH 170

    ¡°What have you done to my knight-¡±


    ¡°Take him. I have no use for him since you¡¯re here.¡±


    I became confused by his sudden change in attitude and looked at him. The Guild Master grinned, showing his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m actually making a deal. Between the client who asked to get rid of you and the client who asked me to keep you alive.¡±


    That made me curious. Was there a client who asked him to keep me alive?


    ¡°He yelled at me to save your life, telling me that you¡¯re going out on fieldwork with the Crown Prince. I envy you, pretty. You¡¯re loved by so many people!¡±


    ¡°Who asked you to save me?¡±


    He grinned at my question and spat, ¡°That¡¯s your job to find out. Don¡¯t try to freeload.¡±


    He was right. So I nodded and asked him instead, ¡°Then are you going to let us go?¡±


    ¡°No. My job is to save your life. Meaning, if I take you as my bride, then I can fulfill both of my clients¡¯ wishes.¡±


    I didn¡¯t expect too much from him anyway. So a smirk appeared immediately. I then opened my mouth to answer him sternly, ¡°That won¡¯t work. I¡¯m not planning to be captured, actually.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Such big words! You do know that your servant girl is no match for-¡±


    ¡°I picked up something interesting by the riverbed yesterday. It was a diamond cuff with daffodils. It¡¯s a unique design that¡¯s hard to find in the countryside or even back in the capital. Who do you think dropped it there? Hmm?¡±


    He then went through his pockets at my words, and made a troubled look. ¡°Shit.¡±


    As he acknowledged his mistake, I continued. ¡°Yedah. You probably dropped it while you were hiding at a place easy to strike. But this isn¡¯t yours. It belonged to the client who asked you to attack. There aren¡¯t many boutiques out there that deal with such an expensive cuff, nor carry one. If I ask big boutiques who requested them to craft this, I think I¡¯ll be able to get the client easily. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    He began to clap at my theory. I felt very uncomfortable by his exaggerated actions, but I had to keep myself straight to get us out of his grasp alive.


    ¡°So what? You know I can take that cuff away from you right now.¡±


    That¡¯s right. Only if I had it in my hands. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I¡¯ve already given it to my cousin. If I don¡¯t return, he¡¯ll hand that over to the Crown Prince, and it¡¯ll be a piece of cake for him to find those traitors.¡±


    The Guild Master turned very cold, as if he was ready to rip me apart, at my words. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Let us go. If you do that, I¡¯ll place the cuff anywhere you want once I get back to the capital.¡±


    He began cracking up like a maniac at my offer, then he looked intrigued as he turned to me. ¡°Amazing. Most people would think they¡¯ve picked up a fortune. I usually like dumb girls, but I think I¡¯ll come to like a smart girl like you too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough with the nonsense. So, what is it going to be?¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let you go. But this will be the last time. I¡¯ll send a pigeon out to tell you the location to drop the cuff off once you return to the capital. Send it there.¡±


    He was about as strong as Lumi, so it wasn¡¯t going to be hard for him to kill us right here. That answer seemed to be true. I was relieved by his reply and began waking Rey up.

 CH 171

    ¡°Hey! Wake up!¡± He didn¡¯t wake up when I shook him, so I had no choice but to slap him. Of course, I had no hard feelings.


    ¡°He won¡¯t wake up because he was drugged¡­ You can be quite a scary girl, my pretty. I feel like I¡¯ll be smacked a lot when I marry.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mind the Master¡¯s blabbering from the side and kept slapping Rey. Even if he¡¯s drugged, he will wake up if I keep going at it.


    ¡°AARGH! WHAT?!¡±


    I almost cried when Rey woke up. I was worried something had gone wrong. You¡¯re safe!


    ¡°Marina! Why are you here¡­ Am I dreaming?¡±


    He looked dazed from drowsiness, so I grabbed his collar to speak. ¡°You a*sh*le. Have you ever heard of a lady rescuing her knight? You just made me the only lady who¡¯s done that!¡±


    In response to my words, Rey lowered his head and mumbled, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come. You could¡¯ve¡­ just abandon me.¡±


    I became angry at his words and slapped him.


    ¡°Whoa, girl. You just slapped him on top of that swollen face! What a woman. I feel like I¡¯m in love in such fierce ways!¡±


    He talks at Rave¡¯s level. It¡¯s best that I don¡¯t pay any attention to such a*sh*les. I kept ignoring him and offered my hand to Rey. ¡°Cut that out, will you? I¡¯ll never give up on my chess pieces. I came here to save you not only because you¡¯re my cousin but because you¡¯re useful to me. So let¡¯s go back. Besides, the lady who loves you is waiting for you.¡±


    Rey then immediately looked up in surprise and questioned, ¡°Beatrice?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She asked me to bring you back safe, stupid! And what¡¯s wrong with your status? If I become a high-ranking officer, you¡¯ll become the knight of a high-ranking officer! Of course, I might get fired from going off today¡­ Anyway, I don¡¯t think His Highness will fire me. There aren¡¯t many who can take on his ill manners.¡±


    Even If I like the Crown Prince, it¡¯s undeniable that he¡¯s a bad-mannered person. The fact that only I was called to the palace among all those officers proves that I¡¯m the only one who could take him on. He won¡¯t come to save me, but I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t fire me if I did return to him.


    At that, Rey looked at me with his swollen face, then got up. ¡°Yeah. Thank you, Marina.¡±


    The Guild Master clapped at us, but turned quiet when I glared at him. I hope I never have to see that crazy fool again¡­ but he¡¯ll come to attack us again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go now. I¡¯ll kick you and your client in the butt soon, so you might want to be ready for it.¡±


    He replied to me with a kiss instead of answering my declaration of war. It brought chills to my skin, but I had no choice but to retreat. And it was when I was going out of the cave I heard his amused voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re so popular, pretty. You have not one but two tagging along with you.¡±


    Two? Was he talking about Rey and Daisy? That meaningful word ¡°two¡± kept coming up in my head, but I wanted to get out of here fast, so I pretended I didn¡¯t hear him and got out of the cave.


    ***


    I was on the way back on a horse with Rey behind me when he spoke softly, ¡°You¡¯re so reckless, Marina.¡±


    ¡°The same goes for you, too. You should have run if you thought you couldn¡¯t win.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I should keep going forward?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pawn¡¯s work. All the other pieces can retreat.¡±


    Rey sighed at those words, and I felt heaviness on my back from him putting his face on it. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m a pawn, knight or a rook.¡±

 CH 172

    At that point, I smiled and spoke to him, ¡°Everyone starts out as a pawn. Then you become something else when you reach the end. Don¡¯t worry too much. If you¡¯re a pawn, then you can reach the destination to power up your ability, and if you¡¯re something else, then you just have to do your job.¡±


    The heaviness from my back disappeared, probably because Rey held his head back up at my answer. Then I heard a calm voice.


    ¡°Yeah, I got it. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    At that, I spoke to him teasingly, ¡°And don¡¯t be too cold to Beth! Confidence is what draws women, alright?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not confidence. I¡¯m just worried that I would get in her way with her nobility. Didn¡¯t you become all squeamish even when you like His Highness?¡±


    My face blushed as he pointed that out. Ah, it¡¯s a relief that he¡¯s behind me. If he was right across, he would¡¯ve seen my face blushing red. ¡°I don¡¯t like anyone!¡± I answered, trying my best to stay calm, and I heard Rey laughing.


    ¡°You were always bad at hiding your feelings once you liked someone. I can see it in your eyes.¡±


    Do I? I have to admit that I do. I always become so soft towards a person I like.


    ¡°Yeah, you were like that when you told me you fell for Kyles. Your eyes revealed those feelings.¡±


    I was about to become angry at Rey for bringing up the story of my ex-fianc¨¦ when he continued on. ¡°But this time it¡¯s different from Kyles. Honestly, the way you looked at him doesn¡¯t feel much different from how you looked at me or Chelleno. It was an eye of friendship, no matter how I interpreted it. So I was confused, if you really liked him at all. But you¡¯re different when you look at His Highness.¡±


    It seemed my knight who had grown up together knew about me as much as I knew him. But¡­ ¡°Is it okay to have these feelings?¡±


    At my question, Rey hesitated a bit before he answered it. ¡°I knew about Beatrice long before you did. That¡¯s why I kept my distance from her while I questioned myself. Was it really okay for me, a mere knight of a noble family, to dare have these feelings towards the Princess of the Grand Duke? But you can¡¯t control your own feelings. Honestly, it¡¯s not like our feelings are a bad thing. It¡¯s just the noble hierarchy that¡¯s getting in our way¡­¡±


    I sympathized with his words and became depressed, when I saw a familiar sight. I also saw a familiar face on the horse as well.


    ¡°But Rey, you and I are different.¡± Yes, he is different from me. He is¡­


    ¡°REYAN!¡±


    A familiar voice called Rey¡¯s name. As I stopped my horse, Rey immediately jumped down from the horse. Then, to his embrace with a look of disbelief, his loving woman jumped in.


    ¡°You fool! I was worried to death about you!¡±


    My snobbish friend in tears made even Rey become quite shocked that he couldn¡¯t find what to do with his open arms. That¡¯s when Beth ordered him angrily, ¡°What are you doing?! Are you just going to watch while I cry? Come on and hug me!¡±


    At that point, Rey hesitantly wrapped his arms around her back, and Beth pushed her face into his embrace. ¡°I was just¡­ I hated you for hating me. I hated my own nobility because you put some distance from me just because I was a princess! So I tried to forget about being a coward like you and find someone else. But I couldn¡¯t forget you. I couldn¡¯t, because there¡¯s no one around who¡¯s as good as you!¡±