Their breath trembled.
“There's a strange sound right now...!”
“It’s nothing, just go back.”
The Head Maid's voice faded away, and the door slammed shut. Cerden and I locked eyes once more. Instinctively, I realized what I needed to do.
I fumbled with my lips and slightly parted them.
“Ah, it hurts!”
I kicked my feet and burst into tears.
Ah, really... I wanted to die from embarrassment. It felt like it would be quicker to die from shame before being killed by assassins or other political rivals.
“Hahaha.”
Cerden approached me with a soft laugh and extended his hand. Then he playfully tapped my cheek.
“Stop.”
Wha, what? I was momentarily breathless at his handsome face. I was surprised, but quickly continued the act.
“It hurts! How can I not cry when it hurts? My husband is a fool!”
“My husband?”
“Waaah... Rosie said that...”
Fortunately, tears like chicken droppings fell freely. Cerden pulled my hand and helped me up. His grip was a bit rough, but still warm in its own way.
After sitting me on the bed, Cerden began to comb my hair. One strand at a time.
In his blue eyes, which gazed at me intently, I was reflected. A pretty girl crying like a child, tears streaming down her face.
Cerden tilted his head and leaned closer to me, still wearing that smile. A smile befitting a 19+ dark character.
What is he doing...
A strange feeling crept in, making me want to look away. I wanted to swallow, but I was afraid that would give me away, so I just sniffled.
Cerden reached out to me. No, that’s what I thought.
But what Cerden picked up with his long fingers were the notes that had been scattered across my bed. The notes I had been looking at, embarrassed after falling off the bed.
In that moment, only one thought crossed my mind.
I’m screwed.
Deciding to visit Evelyn late at night was a thoroughly intentional choice.
In a moment when no one was around, I was curious about what Evelyn would look like when she let her guard down.
And Evelyn greeted Cerden in a more shocking state than I had expected.
She was sprawled on the bed, her pajama hem flipped over, exposing her legs.
Seeing her cry like a child without realizing it made me truly wonder if this woman was an idiot.
But.
“What is this?”
Cerden chuckled lazily. His gaze fell on the suspicious items scattered across the bed. Numbers and dots were written on them.
It was clearly a treasure map.
Cerden stared at Evelyn, who was sniffing. Suddenly, Evelyn sprang up, her eyes wide, and lunged at Cerden.
Cerden let Evelyn do as she pleased. She climbed onto Cerden, pushing him back onto the bed.
In that moment, her pajama hem fluttered. Evelyn gasped for breath, her hand resting on Cerden's chest.
Cerden narrowed his eyes and looked at Evelyn. With a triumphant expression, Evelyn snatched the notes.
“Evelyn?”
“They're mine! I found them, so they're Evelyn's treasures!”
Evelyn babbled in a childlike tone.
Cerden looked up at Evelyn and asked.
“Where did you find them?”
“Umm... outside here. I found them while treasure hunting. They're all Evelyn's! No one can have them!”
Cerden narrowed his eyes. Was it an act, or was she serious?
“All the gardens here are mine. I lent them to Evelyn. So anything found there would also belong to me, right? Evelyn is currently stealing from me.”
Cerden spoke in a calm, lazy voice.
Evelyn's eyes widened. I was curious how she would respond this time. When I had her read the story about the poisoned food, she had drooled on her palm.
What would she do now?
Evelyn fidgeted.
“...Then, can I show you just for a moment?”
“Show me?”
“Uh-huh! Since you lent me the garden, I’ll lend you too! Evelyn is not bad!”
“Ugh.”
Cerden couldn’t hold back his laughter. Then he whispered lazily.
“Okay, so you’re lending it to me. Good, then show me. That way, you’ll be a good girl.”
Evelyn reluctantly nodded and spread out five notes with her long, white fingers. Then she said triumphantly.
“You can only look! They’re Evelyn's treasures!”
I was hit with a wave of existential crisis. Was I really supposed to survive like this?
In truth, I felt no such self-loathing when I was teasing Cherryna, Rosie, or Rozalina.
Strangely, whenever I got involved with Cerden, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being mocked.
Was it because of those deep eyes?
It felt like he was toying with me, knowing everything.
Still, exposing these notes to Cerden might actually be a good idea. He might decipher them for me.
I smiled bashfully while keeping an eye on Cerden.
“Did you see everything?”
I was curious if he had deciphered them, but I couldn’t ask in detail. Cerden looked up and smiled brightly. It was an incredibly beautiful smile.
“Yeah. I saw everything. Thank you, Evelyn.”
Cerden patted my head.
Then he picked something up from the floor. It was a glass jar filled with candy. It had been under the bed all along, but it seemed to have rolled out due to the recent commotion.
No, why... at this timing...
I swallowed hard.
“Didn’t you like candy? Why is this under the bed?”
I instinctively let myself go.
Acting crazy, I snatched the jar from Cerden's hand. Then I shouted loudly.
“It’s my treasure!! You’re bad! My husband is bad! Why do you keep coveting Evelyn's treasure? Go away! I won’t show you!”
At those words, Cerden burst into laughter.
He buried his face in the bed, shaking his shoulders with laughter, and I stomped my feet, shouting that it was my treasure until he left the room.
The next day, after Cerden had spent a long time laughing on my bed and then left.
The guards were changed. I’m not sure of the details, but it seemed the knights from the palace had switched.
And a teasing gift arrived.
A glass jar filled with candy.
Mortega approached Cerden with a surprised expression. Perhaps he had just finished training, as Cerden was coming out of the training ground, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel.
“Why are you running like a fire-lit pony so early in the morning? Is something wrong?”
His smiling face was cold yet beautiful.
Mortega swallowed hard as he looked at Cerden, who was filled with the morning breeze.
Mortega spoke in a suppressed voice.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, I heard that the duty roster for the royal guard and your personal guard has changed. And that the roster will be announced every morning.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, but I’m curious about the reason for the sudden change. Was there an attack yesterday? Are you hurt anywhere... no...”
Mortega looked Cerden over. His perfect physique was made up of dense, solid muscles, smooth as silk.
Mortega raised his head to meet Cerden's gaze.
“I thought my heart would drop, Your Highness.”
Mortega muttered in a voice that had slipped out unconsciously. Cerden, looking down at Mortega, who had collapsed to the floor, chuckled.
“You have a very weak heart.”
“There have been three attacks this year alone, Your Highness. How many times has poison been in your cup?”
Mortega rubbed his reddened eyes.
Cerden lowered his body and met Mortega's gaze, speaking softly.
“As you can see, I’m fine, Mortega.”
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince is not alone. Please remember that my life is also tied to yours.”
Mortega murmured in a weary voice.
It was Cerden's unilateral decision to alter the royal guard's duty roster late last night.
Cerden patted Mortega on the shoulder and stood up.
As Cerden turned away, his eyes were cold. The morning sun was rising.
“There's a strange sound right now...!”
“It’s nothing, just go back.”
The Head Maid's voice faded away, and the door slammed shut. Cerden and I locked eyes once more. Instinctively, I realized what I needed to do.
I fumbled with my lips and slightly parted them.
“Ah, it hurts!”
I kicked my feet and burst into tears.
Ah, really... I wanted to die from embarrassment. It felt like it would be quicker to die from shame before being killed by assassins or other political rivals.
“Hahaha.”
Cerden approached me with a soft laugh and extended his hand. Then he playfully tapped my cheek.
“Stop.”
Wha, what? I was momentarily breathless at his handsome face. I was surprised, but quickly continued the act.
“It hurts! How can I not cry when it hurts? My husband is a fool!”
“My husband?”
“Waaah... Rosie said that...”
Fortunately, tears like chicken droppings fell freely. Cerden pulled my hand and helped me up. His grip was a bit rough, but still warm in its own way.
After sitting me on the bed, Cerden began to comb my hair. One strand at a time.
In his blue eyes, which gazed at me intently, I was reflected. A pretty girl crying like a child, tears streaming down her face.
Cerden tilted his head and leaned closer to me, still wearing that smile. A smile befitting a 19+ dark character.
What is he doing...
A strange feeling crept in, making me want to look away. I wanted to swallow, but I was afraid that would give me away, so I just sniffled.
Cerden reached out to me. No, that’s what I thought.
But what Cerden picked up with his long fingers were the notes that had been scattered across my bed. The notes I had been looking at, embarrassed after falling off the bed.
In that moment, only one thought crossed my mind.
I’m screwed.
Deciding to visit Evelyn late at night was a thoroughly intentional choice.
In a moment when no one was around, I was curious about what Evelyn would look like when she let her guard down.
And Evelyn greeted Cerden in a more shocking state than I had expected.
She was sprawled on the bed, her pajama hem flipped over, exposing her legs.
Seeing her cry like a child without realizing it made me truly wonder if this woman was an idiot.
But.
“What is this?”
Cerden chuckled lazily. His gaze fell on the suspicious items scattered across the bed. Numbers and dots were written on them.
It was clearly a treasure map.
Cerden stared at Evelyn, who was sniffing. Suddenly, Evelyn sprang up, her eyes wide, and lunged at Cerden.
Cerden let Evelyn do as she pleased. She climbed onto Cerden, pushing him back onto the bed.
In that moment, her pajama hem fluttered. Evelyn gasped for breath, her hand resting on Cerden's chest.
Cerden narrowed his eyes and looked at Evelyn. With a triumphant expression, Evelyn snatched the notes.
“Evelyn?”
“They're mine! I found them, so they're Evelyn's treasures!”
Evelyn babbled in a childlike tone.
Cerden looked up at Evelyn and asked.
“Where did you find them?”
“Umm... outside here. I found them while treasure hunting. They're all Evelyn's! No one can have them!”
Cerden narrowed his eyes. Was it an act, or was she serious?
“All the gardens here are mine. I lent them to Evelyn. So anything found there would also belong to me, right? Evelyn is currently stealing from me.”
Cerden spoke in a calm, lazy voice.
Evelyn's eyes widened. I was curious how she would respond this time. When I had her read the story about the poisoned food, she had drooled on her palm.
What would she do now?
Evelyn fidgeted.
“...Then, can I show you just for a moment?”
“Show me?”
“Uh-huh! Since you lent me the garden, I’ll lend you too! Evelyn is not bad!”
“Ugh.”
Cerden couldn’t hold back his laughter. Then he whispered lazily.
“Okay, so you’re lending it to me. Good, then show me. That way, you’ll be a good girl.”
Evelyn reluctantly nodded and spread out five notes with her long, white fingers. Then she said triumphantly.
“You can only look! They’re Evelyn's treasures!”
I was hit with a wave of existential crisis. Was I really supposed to survive like this?
In truth, I felt no such self-loathing when I was teasing Cherryna, Rosie, or Rozalina.
Strangely, whenever I got involved with Cerden, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being mocked.
Was it because of those deep eyes?
It felt like he was toying with me, knowing everything.
Still, exposing these notes to Cerden might actually be a good idea. He might decipher them for me.
I smiled bashfully while keeping an eye on Cerden.
“Did you see everything?”
I was curious if he had deciphered them, but I couldn’t ask in detail. Cerden looked up and smiled brightly. It was an incredibly beautiful smile.
“Yeah. I saw everything. Thank you, Evelyn.”
Cerden patted my head.
Then he picked something up from the floor. It was a glass jar filled with candy. It had been under the bed all along, but it seemed to have rolled out due to the recent commotion.
No, why... at this timing...
I swallowed hard.
“Didn’t you like candy? Why is this under the bed?”
I instinctively let myself go.
Acting crazy, I snatched the jar from Cerden's hand. Then I shouted loudly.
“It’s my treasure!! You’re bad! My husband is bad! Why do you keep coveting Evelyn's treasure? Go away! I won’t show you!”
At those words, Cerden burst into laughter.
He buried his face in the bed, shaking his shoulders with laughter, and I stomped my feet, shouting that it was my treasure until he left the room.
The next day, after Cerden had spent a long time laughing on my bed and then left.
The guards were changed. I’m not sure of the details, but it seemed the knights from the palace had switched.
And a teasing gift arrived.
A glass jar filled with candy.
Mortega approached Cerden with a surprised expression. Perhaps he had just finished training, as Cerden was coming out of the training ground, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel.
“Why are you running like a fire-lit pony so early in the morning? Is something wrong?”
His smiling face was cold yet beautiful.
Mortega swallowed hard as he looked at Cerden, who was filled with the morning breeze.
Mortega spoke in a suppressed voice.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, I heard that the duty roster for the royal guard and your personal guard has changed. And that the roster will be announced every morning.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, but I’m curious about the reason for the sudden change. Was there an attack yesterday? Are you hurt anywhere... no...”
Mortega looked Cerden over. His perfect physique was made up of dense, solid muscles, smooth as silk.
Mortega raised his head to meet Cerden's gaze.
“I thought my heart would drop, Your Highness.”
Mortega muttered in a voice that had slipped out unconsciously. Cerden, looking down at Mortega, who had collapsed to the floor, chuckled.
“You have a very weak heart.”
“There have been three attacks this year alone, Your Highness. How many times has poison been in your cup?”
Mortega rubbed his reddened eyes.
Cerden lowered his body and met Mortega's gaze, speaking softly.
“As you can see, I’m fine, Mortega.”
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince is not alone. Please remember that my life is also tied to yours.”
Mortega murmured in a weary voice.
It was Cerden's unilateral decision to alter the royal guard's duty roster late last night.
Cerden patted Mortega on the shoulder and stood up.
As Cerden turned away, his eyes were cold. The morning sun was rising.
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