In the novel, Cerden initially did not trust Evelyn.
So he tested her in various ways and confirmed that she was indeed a fool, which led him to lower his guard. However, it was mentioned in the novel that he regretted that decision.
This test, too, would eventually pass.
Cerden sat next to me. I thought he would turn back right away, but he remained by my side.
The once empty sofa was now filled. Cerden leaned back loosely against the sofa. He was already tall, and with his large build, he spilled over to the side.
I rolled the candy around in my mouth.
I felt Cerden's warmth touch my back and then completely envelop me. His breath, and his scent. Had I ever been this close to such a handsome man?
It was something I had no immunity to. He truly had a breath-stealing charm. It was maddening.
I barely managed to catch my breath while rolling the candy in my mouth. I focused on the taste of the candy and thought.
It’s delicious.
Thanks to the candy, I could at least keep my wits about me. Without it, I might have blushed embarrassingly. I was barely managing to keep my gaze from drifting to Cerden's fingers.
On his hands, the veins were prominent, and there were faint scars. His fingers were long and appropriately thick. Annoyingly, his hands were also my type.
Cerden, who had no idea what I was thinking, quietly asked,
“What do you usually do to pass the time?”
“Um. I read books.”
What did Evelyn do? I answered with whatever came to mind. Besides, I needed to read books.
Evelyn's memories had all been absorbed into me, but she truly knew nothing.
Even though she had been subjected to all sorts of ridicule in the Duchy, she was completely unaware of it. She was not mature enough to recognize her own situation.
For example, it was like this.
“Uh? That’s Evelyn’s! Why are you taking it!”
“I’m just keeping it safe! I’m worried the lady might lose it. Precious things should be entrusted to your closest friends!”
“Really? Then you’ll keep it safe?”
“Of course, we’re friends, right?”
“Friends!”
She was easily deceived by the maid to the point of giving everything away. Now that I think about it, those ‘friends’ who were maids were nowhere to be seen. They must have been assigned to stay close to Evelyn in the Duchy.
But that wasn’t what was important right now.
Cerden, still exuding a massive presence, was beside me.
“Books? Yes, you like books. Fortunately, I think we have some books among the gifts we prepared. Bring the gifts.”
“Yes, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Gifts? Somehow, I felt uneasy. It was the first time I felt anxious about receiving a gift.
The aide entered with a box.
He began to take things out of the box and lay them one by one on the table. Surprisingly, everything was something children would love.
The book I mentioned wasn’t any of these. But then again, young girls would definitely prefer these kinds of books. Moreover, Evelyn had a personality that liked shiny and cute things.
Just looking at what was brought into the room revealed her taste.
The aide spoke in a cold voice.
“This is a coloring book, this is a fairy tale book, and this is a crayon, and this is a puzzle, Your Highness, the Crown Princess.”
The gaze directed at me was filled with hostility. After all, he had returned as a war hero, and it was understandable that he would dislike the suddenly appeared fool of a Crown Princess.
It was a bit unfair, but I understood why the aide hated me. In fact, he didn’t hate me. He hated Evelyn and Spelman. There was no need to be hurt by that gaze.
Besides, I was someone Duke Spelman had planted to weaken the Crown Prince’s power.
What a vile child.
Using even his sick child without hesitation was truly villainous.
I knew Duke Spelman’s true intentions from reading the novel; he wanted to use Evelyn to plant a spy in Cerden while preventing the Crown Prince from obtaining a Crown Princess with strong backing from her family.
In fact, there was a separate candidate for Crown Princess that the aides had carefully selected. They had even had a brief engagement ceremony with the Crown Prince. How infuriating it must be that all of that had gone to waste.
“Thank you! You gave me a gift! You must really like me! Then I like you too.”
I meant it as a way for us to get along. Instead, it earned me contempt. Disgust was evident in the way he looked at me.
It couldn’t be helped.
I turned my gaze and touched the first book.
Isn’t this totally Snow White? It looks readable.
Moreover, it had illustrations, making it quite enjoyable to look at.
This is true vintage.
It seemed like it would be quite expensive. The cover was even gilded. Still, it seemed like they chose something nice to give to the Crown Princess.
“Can you read?”
Pretending not to be able to read would be too frustrating. Besides, Evelyn could read.
Wasn’t she said to be a genius before her brain was damaged at the age of ten?
“Yes! I can read really well. Should I read it to you? Princess White ate poisoned grapes and collapsed…!”
Cerden narrowed his eyes and smiled. His smile, reminiscent of a 19+ novel’s villain, looked somewhat lewd, and I swallowed nervously.
Why is he laughing? Does he like my performance?
“Why did she collapse?”
“She ate grapes that were poisoned.”
I answered in the most cheerful voice I could muster, as if to say, “How could you not know that?”
“Do you know what poison is?”
There was a purpose behind choosing this book. Every word was a trap. I tightened my grip on the book.
Get a hold of yourself. This is a tiger’s den.
I should just quietly do some coloring. Isn’t that what was all the rage? My fingers trembled slightly from the tension.
Cerden’s eyes, looking at me, sparkled with a strange light.
“Poison is a bad thing. The princess collapsed after eating poison.”
“You’re smart.”
Cerden leaned toward me, who was sitting on the rug. Then he leaned his face over my shoulder.
Cerden’s scent washed over me. It was intentional. He was testing me. I reminded myself of that and tried to steady myself. Cerden knew how to make people nervous too well.
I could feel his breath completely.
I barely managed to suppress my body, which was about to tremble. I just tried to blink my eyes prettily. Our cheeks brushed against each other.
I rolled the candy in my mouth. The tension was making my saliva explode.
Cerden strangely reached out and placed his hand over mine. Then he moved my hand to turn the page of the book.
That was the hand I had been eyeing earlier.
To avoid screaming, I bit down on the candy and tightly closed my mouth. I trembled to the point of forgetting to swallow.
Cerden’s voice settled in my ear.
“Have you ever heard your father talk about poison? About bad medicine or bad things? Things that can hurt people.”
It was whiter than I expected. Is that why the veins were more visible? It seemed delicate yet manly.
I was so focused on Cerden’s hand that I forgot something was stuck in my mouth. The moment I opened my mouth to answer, the candy rolled off the book along with my saliva.
At the same time, my saliva dripped onto Cerden’s hand.
No, no!
My dignity!
I couldn’t manage to clean it up, so I just stared blankly at the candy.
“…My candy.”
I muttered in despair. What kind of disgrace was this in front of a handsome man?
“…I don’t think there’s any need to test her anymore, Your Highness, the Crown Prince. You should go wash your hands quickly.”
The aide’s voice, filled with certainty and contempt, reached my ears. I was still staring blankly at the candy, letting it wash over me.
Cerden pulled away from me, chuckling. At the same time, the deep scent of wood that had surrounded me faded away.
“That might be true.”
I remained frozen, staring at the candy, regardless of what conversation they exchanged. Like a child who was only fixated on the candy.
The fairy tale book beside me was getting wet with my saliva, causing the letters to blur.
Ah. Really. I can’t live with this embarrassment.
Click. I heard the sound of the door closing.
As soon as Cerden and the aide left the room, I buried my head on the desk. In front of me was the red candy, half-melted with my saliva. I squeezed my eyes shut and muttered.
“…I want to die.”
I pretended to be a fool to survive, but at this rate, it seemed like I would die of shame instead.
Could it be that this was the purpose of possessing me…?
So he tested her in various ways and confirmed that she was indeed a fool, which led him to lower his guard. However, it was mentioned in the novel that he regretted that decision.
This test, too, would eventually pass.
Cerden sat next to me. I thought he would turn back right away, but he remained by my side.
The once empty sofa was now filled. Cerden leaned back loosely against the sofa. He was already tall, and with his large build, he spilled over to the side.
I rolled the candy around in my mouth.
I felt Cerden's warmth touch my back and then completely envelop me. His breath, and his scent. Had I ever been this close to such a handsome man?
It was something I had no immunity to. He truly had a breath-stealing charm. It was maddening.
I barely managed to catch my breath while rolling the candy in my mouth. I focused on the taste of the candy and thought.
It’s delicious.
Thanks to the candy, I could at least keep my wits about me. Without it, I might have blushed embarrassingly. I was barely managing to keep my gaze from drifting to Cerden's fingers.
On his hands, the veins were prominent, and there were faint scars. His fingers were long and appropriately thick. Annoyingly, his hands were also my type.
Cerden, who had no idea what I was thinking, quietly asked,
“What do you usually do to pass the time?”
“Um. I read books.”
What did Evelyn do? I answered with whatever came to mind. Besides, I needed to read books.
Evelyn's memories had all been absorbed into me, but she truly knew nothing.
Even though she had been subjected to all sorts of ridicule in the Duchy, she was completely unaware of it. She was not mature enough to recognize her own situation.
For example, it was like this.
“Uh? That’s Evelyn’s! Why are you taking it!”
“I’m just keeping it safe! I’m worried the lady might lose it. Precious things should be entrusted to your closest friends!”
“Really? Then you’ll keep it safe?”
“Of course, we’re friends, right?”
“Friends!”
She was easily deceived by the maid to the point of giving everything away. Now that I think about it, those ‘friends’ who were maids were nowhere to be seen. They must have been assigned to stay close to Evelyn in the Duchy.
But that wasn’t what was important right now.
Cerden, still exuding a massive presence, was beside me.
“Books? Yes, you like books. Fortunately, I think we have some books among the gifts we prepared. Bring the gifts.”
“Yes, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Gifts? Somehow, I felt uneasy. It was the first time I felt anxious about receiving a gift.
The aide entered with a box.
He began to take things out of the box and lay them one by one on the table. Surprisingly, everything was something children would love.
The book I mentioned wasn’t any of these. But then again, young girls would definitely prefer these kinds of books. Moreover, Evelyn had a personality that liked shiny and cute things.
Just looking at what was brought into the room revealed her taste.
The aide spoke in a cold voice.
“This is a coloring book, this is a fairy tale book, and this is a crayon, and this is a puzzle, Your Highness, the Crown Princess.”
The gaze directed at me was filled with hostility. After all, he had returned as a war hero, and it was understandable that he would dislike the suddenly appeared fool of a Crown Princess.
It was a bit unfair, but I understood why the aide hated me. In fact, he didn’t hate me. He hated Evelyn and Spelman. There was no need to be hurt by that gaze.
Besides, I was someone Duke Spelman had planted to weaken the Crown Prince’s power.
What a vile child.
Using even his sick child without hesitation was truly villainous.
I knew Duke Spelman’s true intentions from reading the novel; he wanted to use Evelyn to plant a spy in Cerden while preventing the Crown Prince from obtaining a Crown Princess with strong backing from her family.
In fact, there was a separate candidate for Crown Princess that the aides had carefully selected. They had even had a brief engagement ceremony with the Crown Prince. How infuriating it must be that all of that had gone to waste.
“Thank you! You gave me a gift! You must really like me! Then I like you too.”
I meant it as a way for us to get along. Instead, it earned me contempt. Disgust was evident in the way he looked at me.
It couldn’t be helped.
I turned my gaze and touched the first book.
Isn’t this totally Snow White? It looks readable.
Moreover, it had illustrations, making it quite enjoyable to look at.
This is true vintage.
It seemed like it would be quite expensive. The cover was even gilded. Still, it seemed like they chose something nice to give to the Crown Princess.
“Can you read?”
Pretending not to be able to read would be too frustrating. Besides, Evelyn could read.
Wasn’t she said to be a genius before her brain was damaged at the age of ten?
“Yes! I can read really well. Should I read it to you? Princess White ate poisoned grapes and collapsed…!”
Cerden narrowed his eyes and smiled. His smile, reminiscent of a 19+ novel’s villain, looked somewhat lewd, and I swallowed nervously.
Why is he laughing? Does he like my performance?
“Why did she collapse?”
“She ate grapes that were poisoned.”
I answered in the most cheerful voice I could muster, as if to say, “How could you not know that?”
“Do you know what poison is?”
There was a purpose behind choosing this book. Every word was a trap. I tightened my grip on the book.
Get a hold of yourself. This is a tiger’s den.
I should just quietly do some coloring. Isn’t that what was all the rage? My fingers trembled slightly from the tension.
Cerden’s eyes, looking at me, sparkled with a strange light.
“Poison is a bad thing. The princess collapsed after eating poison.”
“You’re smart.”
Cerden leaned toward me, who was sitting on the rug. Then he leaned his face over my shoulder.
Cerden’s scent washed over me. It was intentional. He was testing me. I reminded myself of that and tried to steady myself. Cerden knew how to make people nervous too well.
I could feel his breath completely.
I barely managed to suppress my body, which was about to tremble. I just tried to blink my eyes prettily. Our cheeks brushed against each other.
I rolled the candy in my mouth. The tension was making my saliva explode.
Cerden strangely reached out and placed his hand over mine. Then he moved my hand to turn the page of the book.
That was the hand I had been eyeing earlier.
To avoid screaming, I bit down on the candy and tightly closed my mouth. I trembled to the point of forgetting to swallow.
Cerden’s voice settled in my ear.
“Have you ever heard your father talk about poison? About bad medicine or bad things? Things that can hurt people.”
It was whiter than I expected. Is that why the veins were more visible? It seemed delicate yet manly.
I was so focused on Cerden’s hand that I forgot something was stuck in my mouth. The moment I opened my mouth to answer, the candy rolled off the book along with my saliva.
At the same time, my saliva dripped onto Cerden’s hand.
No, no!
My dignity!
I couldn’t manage to clean it up, so I just stared blankly at the candy.
“…My candy.”
I muttered in despair. What kind of disgrace was this in front of a handsome man?
“…I don’t think there’s any need to test her anymore, Your Highness, the Crown Prince. You should go wash your hands quickly.”
The aide’s voice, filled with certainty and contempt, reached my ears. I was still staring blankly at the candy, letting it wash over me.
Cerden pulled away from me, chuckling. At the same time, the deep scent of wood that had surrounded me faded away.
“That might be true.”
I remained frozen, staring at the candy, regardless of what conversation they exchanged. Like a child who was only fixated on the candy.
The fairy tale book beside me was getting wet with my saliva, causing the letters to blur.
Ah. Really. I can’t live with this embarrassment.
Click. I heard the sound of the door closing.
As soon as Cerden and the aide left the room, I buried my head on the desk. In front of me was the red candy, half-melted with my saliva. I squeezed my eyes shut and muttered.
“…I want to die.”
I pretended to be a fool to survive, but at this rate, it seemed like I would die of shame instead.
Could it be that this was the purpose of possessing me…?
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