Rozalina whispered in a gentle voice, her tone reminiscent of a spring breeze.
“I’m fine, Lord Mortega. I know it wasn’t something Your Highness, the Crown Prince wanted.”
Mortega spoke with a slightly moved voice. The fact that Rozalina still hadn’t abandoned the Crown Prince made him feel elated.
Rozalina was still, and always would be, the best card for Cerden. The sunlight shining behind her seemed like a halo just for her.
To Mortega, Rozalina felt like a saint. A saint who had come down to save Cerden.
All of Mortega’s admiration and affection for Rozalina stemmed from Cerden.
“Indeed. So, Your Highness, the Crown Prince must have called for Lady Rozalina like this!”
“Is Your Highness, the Crown Prince in his office now?”
“Yes. I’ll escort you there.”
Mortega walked down the hallway with Rozalina.
She was a woman who drew attention just by being beside him. Moreover, her demeanor was perfectly poised and incredibly kind. Even the way she tucked her hair behind her ear was delicate and beautiful.
There was no one else who suited Cerden but Rozalina, who was kind, intelligent, and perfect in every way.
“Thank you, Lord Mortega. Thanks to you, I didn’t come here feeling bored.”
“Not at all. Please enjoy a good conversation.”
Rozalina bid farewell to Mortega and entered the office. Cerden gazed at Rozalina with a smiling face.
It was still a smile that was hard to read. On his excessively handsome face, the tension that had been coiled inside seemed to melt away.
Rozalina approached Cerden and greeted him warmly.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince. It’s been a while. I’m truly glad to see you back safely. I heard you even canceled the Victory Celebration Banquet.”
The gaze of Rozalina, facing Cerden, became dreamy.
Cerden seemed like the embodiment of Rozalina’s ideal. Therefore, he had to belong to her.
Only Cerden had the right to her.
Cerden smiled brightly and said, “I’ve lost as much as I’ve gained. I just thought it was more important to mourn those who have died. It seems you’ve been well, Rozalina.”
Rozalina smiled shyly.
“It’s thanks to Your Highness’s concern.”
“Hmm. It seems there have been many changes in the palace while I was away.”
“Ah…”
“So, I have a favor to ask of Lady Rozalina.”
There was no mention of the broken engagement between them. But Rozalina smiled as if she knew nothing. She feared that if Cerden saw through her true feelings, she might be sent away immediately.
Rozalina intended to wait quietly by Cerden’s side.
‘Could it be that he really intends to make that fool the Empress?’
The succession issue was at stake.
“A favor?”
“I would like you to take care of my wife. She currently has no friends or maids to accompany her, and it’s quite difficult for her. I heard that Duke Spelman sent two maids, but they need to be trustworthy. So, I called the person I trust the most.”
At the mention of a trustworthy person, Rozalina’s cheeks flushed. She didn’t know whether to be angry or to laugh.
The most trusted person? To ask someone who almost became the Crown Princess to be a maid? But this could also be an opportunity.
Rozalina nodded.
“If it’s what Your Highness wishes, I will do it. I can do anything.”
“Thank you, Rozalina.”
When he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled with a soft smile. That smile made Rozalina’s gaze become even more dreamy.
‘He’s mine. I will definitely have him.’
He was truly a mouthwatering man.
The maids who had been tormenting me for the past two days would frown as soon as they saw me.
It was the same now, and I wondered if I should show them any mercy.
They clung to me, making sure I wouldn’t leave their sight for even a moment. What were they planning to do when I wasn’t looking?
“I, I’m going to the bathroom!”
“The bathroom is right here. Can’t you go here? I don’t want to be alone, Evelyn.”
“W-What if I leave Evelyn alone in the bathroom…?”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why?”
In the end, Rosie and Cherryna, who were caught by me, stayed by my side until it was time to leave. Today was no different. I grabbed Rosie’s skirt as she momentarily left my side and shook it vigorously.
“You don’t like me anymore. Then I’ll be alone. You all go home! Go to your dad!”
“Th-That’s not it, Your Highness.”
“If you call me Your Highness, it’ll be awkward! Of course! I really like you, Miss Evelyn.”
How insincere.
“Then you’ll stay with me, right? Read me a book, play with me, and eat with me!”
“Of course.”
Seeing them sweating awkwardly made me feel delighted. I never knew I would enjoy tormenting people this much.
It felt like another part of me had awakened. Hehehe.
Just wait. I was about to devise a new way to torment you all… but before I could showcase it, a guest arrived.
She was Lady Rozalina, Cerden’s fiancée.
Rozalina. She had been mentioned in a novel. It was said she was an old friend of Cerden, and I had thought of her as a villain helping the antagonist.
She had been well-versed in high society and had lived alone after marrying young and becoming a widow, helping Cerden.
There was also a saying that to adapt to high society, one should not go against Lady Rozalina’s wishes. So, the Female protagonist had also sought her help.
That remarkable woman was here? I had no particular connection with Evelyn.
Why?
As I blinked nervously, hugging my doll, Rozalina entered the parlor.
“Nice to meet you, Your Highness. I am Rozalina from the Count Karma family. I have come to serve you at the behest of Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
She smiled brightly, but her eyes were filled with venom.
Cerden, you rascal.
Sending a spy after the candy, huh? Alright, I’ll deceive you perfectly.
I smiled brightly at Rozalina.
“Hello! So, from now on, Rozalina is my friend, right?”
“Pardon?”
“I was just about to play hide and seek! Let’s all play hide and seek together!”
I didn’t know what her intentions were for coming here, but now that she was here, she had to follow my rules. No matter how great Rozalina was, she was not an exception.
“W-What? No, Your Highness. We are currently…”
I jumped up from my seat, still hugging my doll. Rozalina stared at me in shock.
“I’m going to count to 30… uh, 20! The first person to be found gets ten slaps! Starting now!”
“Eek!”
“Ahhh!”
The two maids who had been tormented by me for two days ran out like crazy. I hadn’t expected to showcase my slapping skills here, which I had honed in my youth.
Rozalina was left dumbfounded.
Ah, it’s time for you to taste my hand as well.
“One, two, three!”
Rozalina sat down with a gentle smile, as if she were too noble to partake in such games. Soon, that thought would change.
Ten minutes later.
“Y-Your Highness, the Crown Princess, what are you…!”
“There are rules in the game. Doesn’t Rozalina know that?”
“Of course, Miss Evelyn!”
Puffing her cheeks, she gestured to Cherryna and Rosie. The maids, filled with malice, approached with sneaky faces.
The maids, holding Rozalina’s arms as she resisted, offered her up to me as a sacrifice.
“Ah, ahhh!”
Flap.
The birds in the garden flew up in surprise at Rozalina’s scream.
With a pale face, Rozalina blinked in disbelief.
“Y-You just hit me….”
“I’m going to count to 20 again! Hide and seek starts now!”
Rozalina covered her forehead, which had turned red from the slap, and was the first to dash out of the room.
Watching the three of them hop around like rabbits in the gentle spring breeze, I couldn’t help but smile wickedly.
It was a brilliantly peaceful day.
Cherryna and Rosie were still trapped in my garden, and now Rozalina had joined them.
This was a strategy to make them so flustered that they couldn’t think at all.
I slowly counted numbers while observing them. Cerden must be watching all of this too. Every eye here would be representing someone.
Cerden, Duke Spelman, Emperor…
“I’m going to start looking now! Ready or not, here I come!”
Let’s see how they fare. I will never lose.
“I’m fine, Lord Mortega. I know it wasn’t something Your Highness, the Crown Prince wanted.”
Mortega spoke with a slightly moved voice. The fact that Rozalina still hadn’t abandoned the Crown Prince made him feel elated.
Rozalina was still, and always would be, the best card for Cerden. The sunlight shining behind her seemed like a halo just for her.
To Mortega, Rozalina felt like a saint. A saint who had come down to save Cerden.
All of Mortega’s admiration and affection for Rozalina stemmed from Cerden.
“Indeed. So, Your Highness, the Crown Prince must have called for Lady Rozalina like this!”
“Is Your Highness, the Crown Prince in his office now?”
“Yes. I’ll escort you there.”
Mortega walked down the hallway with Rozalina.
She was a woman who drew attention just by being beside him. Moreover, her demeanor was perfectly poised and incredibly kind. Even the way she tucked her hair behind her ear was delicate and beautiful.
There was no one else who suited Cerden but Rozalina, who was kind, intelligent, and perfect in every way.
“Thank you, Lord Mortega. Thanks to you, I didn’t come here feeling bored.”
“Not at all. Please enjoy a good conversation.”
Rozalina bid farewell to Mortega and entered the office. Cerden gazed at Rozalina with a smiling face.
It was still a smile that was hard to read. On his excessively handsome face, the tension that had been coiled inside seemed to melt away.
Rozalina approached Cerden and greeted him warmly.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince. It’s been a while. I’m truly glad to see you back safely. I heard you even canceled the Victory Celebration Banquet.”
The gaze of Rozalina, facing Cerden, became dreamy.
Cerden seemed like the embodiment of Rozalina’s ideal. Therefore, he had to belong to her.
Only Cerden had the right to her.
Cerden smiled brightly and said, “I’ve lost as much as I’ve gained. I just thought it was more important to mourn those who have died. It seems you’ve been well, Rozalina.”
Rozalina smiled shyly.
“It’s thanks to Your Highness’s concern.”
“Hmm. It seems there have been many changes in the palace while I was away.”
“Ah…”
“So, I have a favor to ask of Lady Rozalina.”
There was no mention of the broken engagement between them. But Rozalina smiled as if she knew nothing. She feared that if Cerden saw through her true feelings, she might be sent away immediately.
Rozalina intended to wait quietly by Cerden’s side.
‘Could it be that he really intends to make that fool the Empress?’
The succession issue was at stake.
“A favor?”
“I would like you to take care of my wife. She currently has no friends or maids to accompany her, and it’s quite difficult for her. I heard that Duke Spelman sent two maids, but they need to be trustworthy. So, I called the person I trust the most.”
At the mention of a trustworthy person, Rozalina’s cheeks flushed. She didn’t know whether to be angry or to laugh.
The most trusted person? To ask someone who almost became the Crown Princess to be a maid? But this could also be an opportunity.
Rozalina nodded.
“If it’s what Your Highness wishes, I will do it. I can do anything.”
“Thank you, Rozalina.”
When he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled with a soft smile. That smile made Rozalina’s gaze become even more dreamy.
‘He’s mine. I will definitely have him.’
He was truly a mouthwatering man.
The maids who had been tormenting me for the past two days would frown as soon as they saw me.
It was the same now, and I wondered if I should show them any mercy.
They clung to me, making sure I wouldn’t leave their sight for even a moment. What were they planning to do when I wasn’t looking?
“I, I’m going to the bathroom!”
“The bathroom is right here. Can’t you go here? I don’t want to be alone, Evelyn.”
“W-What if I leave Evelyn alone in the bathroom…?”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why?”
In the end, Rosie and Cherryna, who were caught by me, stayed by my side until it was time to leave. Today was no different. I grabbed Rosie’s skirt as she momentarily left my side and shook it vigorously.
“You don’t like me anymore. Then I’ll be alone. You all go home! Go to your dad!”
“Th-That’s not it, Your Highness.”
“If you call me Your Highness, it’ll be awkward! Of course! I really like you, Miss Evelyn.”
How insincere.
“Then you’ll stay with me, right? Read me a book, play with me, and eat with me!”
“Of course.”
Seeing them sweating awkwardly made me feel delighted. I never knew I would enjoy tormenting people this much.
It felt like another part of me had awakened. Hehehe.
Just wait. I was about to devise a new way to torment you all… but before I could showcase it, a guest arrived.
She was Lady Rozalina, Cerden’s fiancée.
Rozalina. She had been mentioned in a novel. It was said she was an old friend of Cerden, and I had thought of her as a villain helping the antagonist.
She had been well-versed in high society and had lived alone after marrying young and becoming a widow, helping Cerden.
There was also a saying that to adapt to high society, one should not go against Lady Rozalina’s wishes. So, the Female protagonist had also sought her help.
That remarkable woman was here? I had no particular connection with Evelyn.
Why?
As I blinked nervously, hugging my doll, Rozalina entered the parlor.
“Nice to meet you, Your Highness. I am Rozalina from the Count Karma family. I have come to serve you at the behest of Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
She smiled brightly, but her eyes were filled with venom.
Cerden, you rascal.
Sending a spy after the candy, huh? Alright, I’ll deceive you perfectly.
I smiled brightly at Rozalina.
“Hello! So, from now on, Rozalina is my friend, right?”
“Pardon?”
“I was just about to play hide and seek! Let’s all play hide and seek together!”
I didn’t know what her intentions were for coming here, but now that she was here, she had to follow my rules. No matter how great Rozalina was, she was not an exception.
“W-What? No, Your Highness. We are currently…”
I jumped up from my seat, still hugging my doll. Rozalina stared at me in shock.
“I’m going to count to 30… uh, 20! The first person to be found gets ten slaps! Starting now!”
“Eek!”
“Ahhh!”
The two maids who had been tormented by me for two days ran out like crazy. I hadn’t expected to showcase my slapping skills here, which I had honed in my youth.
Rozalina was left dumbfounded.
Ah, it’s time for you to taste my hand as well.
“One, two, three!”
Rozalina sat down with a gentle smile, as if she were too noble to partake in such games. Soon, that thought would change.
Ten minutes later.
“Y-Your Highness, the Crown Princess, what are you…!”
“There are rules in the game. Doesn’t Rozalina know that?”
“Of course, Miss Evelyn!”
Puffing her cheeks, she gestured to Cherryna and Rosie. The maids, filled with malice, approached with sneaky faces.
The maids, holding Rozalina’s arms as she resisted, offered her up to me as a sacrifice.
“Ah, ahhh!”
Flap.
The birds in the garden flew up in surprise at Rozalina’s scream.
With a pale face, Rozalina blinked in disbelief.
“Y-You just hit me….”
“I’m going to count to 20 again! Hide and seek starts now!”
Rozalina covered her forehead, which had turned red from the slap, and was the first to dash out of the room.
Watching the three of them hop around like rabbits in the gentle spring breeze, I couldn’t help but smile wickedly.
It was a brilliantly peaceful day.
Cherryna and Rosie were still trapped in my garden, and now Rozalina had joined them.
This was a strategy to make them so flustered that they couldn’t think at all.
I slowly counted numbers while observing them. Cerden must be watching all of this too. Every eye here would be representing someone.
Cerden, Duke Spelman, Emperor…
“I’m going to start looking now! Ready or not, here I come!”
Let’s see how they fare. I will never lose.
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