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Chapter 16
“Wow. Why does the High Priest talk so much?”
After the prayer meeting ended, Flaria complained and let out a long yawn.
The prayer meeting she had attended for the first time was more boring than she had expected. It began with a greeting from the Crown Prince, who had come representing the Imperial Family, and only ended after the High Priest’s long speech followed by an even longer prayer.
After standing up from a ceremony that had lasted over two hours, her body felt stiff and sore.
“Seriously.”
Thanks to Trevis stepping away to speak with the High Priest—whose face I had found awkward to look at—I was finally able to lift my head and walk confidently alongside Flaria.
I need to meet Count Kidne…
I naturally glanced back.
Today was the last day of the deadline I had given him. I was supposed to hear his answer.
But the Count was nowhere to be seen, as if he hadn’t attended the prayer meeting at all.
“Espin, let’s go eat some refreshments already. I’m hungry.”
Flaria grabbed my arm as I looked around and pulled me toward the garden.
In the garden we arrived at, refreshments had been prepared for those who attended the prayer meeting.
“Let’s sit over there.”
Flaria pointed to the nearest table.
“Please bring the refreshments quickly.”
As I watched Flaria ask for food the moment she sat down, a question came to mind.
“Flaria, the Crown Prince is here—shouldn’t you go greet him?”
At my question, Flaria’s face, which had been smiling at the thought of food, stiffened.
“Why…?”
“Well…”
Because you have a crush on the Crown Prince…
According to the novel, Flaria—the Empire’s only ducal daughter—had been rumored at some point to be the Crown Prince’s future partner.
Having grown up with everything she could want, Flaria naturally believed that the Crown Prince, and the position of Crown Princess, belonged to her.
However, the Crown Prince felt no particular attraction to Flaria. Instead, he fell in love at first sight with Chloe, the illegitimate daughter of House Ameron.
Unable to contain her fury, Flaria went on to torment Chloe, the female protagonist.
But then why does Flaria’s expression now show absolutely no interest in the Crown Prince?
Rather than interest, it was closer to dislike.
“The Crown Prince and you—”
“Don’t say something so horrible.”
Flaria cut me off sharply, then frowned slightly when she noticed someone approaching us.
“See? You mentioned him, and now he’s coming over… Why did you even bring it up…?”
She whispered to me without moving her lips, and her attitude clearly didn’t match that of someone with a crush.
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
At the Crown Prince’s smiling greeting, everyone seated stood up.
“We greet His Highness the Crown Prince.”
The Crown Prince nodded with a smile.
“It’s been a while, Flaria.”
“Yes.”
Flaria replied curtly and avoided his gaze, clearly unwilling to engage in conversation.
The Crown Prince smiled at her as if he found her sulking adorable.
“Come to think of it, the Imperial Banquet is just around the corner.”
He glanced Flaria up and down, then suddenly shifted his gaze to me beside her.
“You’re the lady of House Count Leon, aren’t you? How about it—shall I make you the star of this year’s Imperial Banquet?”
What is he talking about?
In other words, the Crown Prince was offering to be my partner at the Imperial Banquet—right next to the woman who was supposed to become his fiancée, and to her friend, no less.
No wonder he ends up falling in love at first sight with the female lead despite having a fiancée.
For Chloe, the female protagonist, it might have been destined love, but for Flaria, it was betrayal.
She had believed that she was the Crown Prince’s rightful partner, and everyone else had believed so too. But if the Crown Prince suddenly claimed he couldn’t marry because he had found his destined love—
It was only natural for Flaria to be furious.
“Thank you for the offer, Your Highness, but I lack the qualities to be a star. I will gratefully accept only your generous sentiment.”
“Is that so? Then I suppose I’ll look for someone more fitting to be the star of the banquet.”
As if deliberately making sure Flaria heard, the Crown Prince cast her a sideways glance.
Flaria’s expression didn’t change at all.
“Then I’ll be going. There are many nobles I must attend to. Haren, let’s talk separately next time.”
“Yes.”
Gone was the chatty Haren from earlier; the man now responded stiffly, looking every bit like the vice-captain of the knight order.
The Crown Prince left with a relaxed smile.
“‘Talk separately next time,’ my foot.”
As soon as he confirmed the Crown Prince had left, Haren muttered under his breath.
Hearing this, Flaria furrowed her brow deeply and agreed.
“Seriously, what is wrong with him? He really knows how to piss people off.”
She looked like she had much more to say. Judging by how tightly she pressed her lips and clenched her fists, they were clearly words she couldn’t say in such a public place.
“Exactly. ‘The star,’ my ass. His arrogance is unbelievable.”
At Haren’s words, Flaria nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Haren, you’ll be my partner for the banquet again this time, right?”
“Gladly. For the sake of my family’s peace.”
“Thanks for being my family for once.”
“It’s nothing. By the way, Espin—who are you going with?”
The two of them, perfectly in sync, turned their eyes toward me.
“Me?”
“Yeah. You said you wouldn’t go with your family this time and would find a separate partner, remember?”
“Did I say that…?”
“Yes, you did. You even told the Count already—that you had someone to go with, so you wouldn’t attend as a family this time.”
At Haren’s words, Flaria tilted her head.
“Espin, you have someone to go with? As far as I know, you don’t.”
No, I don’t. The Espin of that time must have been lost in sweet fantasies of going to the banquet with the prince of a neighboring kingdom she was supposedly in love with.
“Well, it’s not like I have someone specific… I thought I’d just find anyone to go with—”
“How does that make any sense? In noble society, who can just take ‘anyone’ as their partner?”
Lowering her voice so only we could hear, Flaria continued,
“There’s only that show-off.”
She subtly pointed her chin toward the Crown Prince, who was flirting with other noble ladies at a table behind us.
“She’s right. If you go with some random partner, you’ll only end up with bad rumors.”
“Exactly. Just go with your family. Ah—or is it uncomfortable for you to go with them?”
Left with no other choice, I nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Then… want to come with us?”
Was finding a banquet partner really that important? Since this was my first time being transmigrated, I didn’t know these things very well.
Why did the past Espin have to say something like that…
As I rolled my eyes, cornered by the situation, Haren suddenly clapped his hands as if an idea had struck him.
“Ah! I know the perfect person. Wait right here.”
Haren jumped up from his seat and headed off somewhere. Watching his hair flutter excitedly as he left, I felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
“Where did Haren go?”
“Who knows. He must’ve had a ‘good idea.’ Whenever Haren says he’s had a good idea, it’s never actually a good one.”
After pondering for a moment, Flaria spoke cautiously.
“He’s not going to bring His Grace the Grand Duke, is he? No matter how thoughtless he is, that would be too much.”
Surely he wouldn’t bring the Grand Duke—the one rumored to hate banquets—let alone his own superior…
That hope was quickly crushed when, in the distance, Haren appeared walking side by side with Trevis. Oblivious to what he was doing, Haren waved cheerfully in our direction.
