🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 11
With a sly smile on his face, Floan finally eased Aileen’s tension.
She could at last feel a small measure of relief.
It was as if all the taut strings inside her had been loosened.
Without realizing it, strength drained from her legs, and Aileen bent slightly, resting her hands on her thighs as a soft laugh slipped from her lips.
“…Aileen?”
“Goodness, why did I even bring an axe all the way here…”
Her words sounded more like she was chiding herself than speaking to him.
Floan tilted his head, a mixture of confusion and amusement crossing his expression.
He reached out and steadied her shoulder, supporting her as if she might collapse at any moment.
“…I suppose I must have startled you,” he said quietly.
Aileen shook her head, forcing another little laugh.
“No… I wasn’t scared.”
Her words were stubborn, but her face betrayed her—pale and slightly trembling.
Floan looked at her for a long while before speaking again, his voice softened.
“You don’t always have to pretend to be strong.”
The gentleness in his tone made Aileen’s heart lurch.
She turned her gaze away, afraid he might see too much in her eyes.
The silence stretched, filled only with the faint sound of their breathing.
Finally, Floan let out a low chuckle and said,
“Still, I’m glad. If it’s you, I don’t mind showing this side of myself.”
“…This side of yourself?”
Her voice was faint, hesitant.
Floan leaned closer, his smile deepening.
“The one that laughs, the one that worries, the one that bleeds.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
“…Then… you don’t mind showing me all of that?”
“I don’t mind at all.”
For the first time, Aileen found herself unable to deny him.
The warmth in his eyes, the weight of his words—she couldn’t turn away.
And in that fragile moment, something within her quietly shifted.Adeline caught her breath and greeted the Crown Prince. Cesare clenched his square jaw and took the hand she extended.
“It’s been a while, Adeline.”
“You moved your palace. It’s so remote that it’s hard to visit you. Sometimes even I get lonely for family, you know.”
“For someone as sickly as you, there’s no better place. Think of it as convalescing in comfort.”
“Of course. I’m always grateful to His Majesty, Father.”
Adeline lied smoothly with a brazen face, and Cesare’s brow furrowed with displeasure.
“Oh, right! Let me introduce you. This is the Lion of Baltica, King of Odium—Lachiel Baltica.”
“I know who he is.”
Cesare extended his hand first. The Lion King, who had shown no interest in this meeting, accepted reluctantly, as though indulging him out of boredom.
“Crown Prince Cesare Dixon.”
“The Lion of Baltica,” the king replied lazily.
Though Cesare was sturdier than most Marmar men, standing beside the Lion King made him seem no different from a hyena. In height, breadth of shoulders, bearing, and even royal dignity, Cesare could not compare.
The Lion King’s sand-colored hair, polished by attentive handmaidens, glistened like golden honey. His deep blue eyes radiated a charisma that made others tense. Even his casual stride carried ease and dominance. His voice was so low it seemed to crawl up one’s spine. His large hands were rough and calloused.
“My goodness, look over there—it’s the Lion King.”
“The princess must have brought him.”
“Just like the rumors said.”
The nobles didn’t directly compare him to Cesare, but to Cesare—who had long harbored inferiority toward the Lion King—it sounded exactly like comparison. He glared at Adeline with a hardened expression.
What are you looking at? Adeline just kept smiling brightly. Seeing his shallow composure crack made her want to hum like a child.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince.”
It was then that the Duke of Nordhill approached.
“Please continue your conversation. I’ll see you later.”
The duke, a tall and upright old man with hawk-like eyes, swept his gaze over the Lion King, Cesare, and Adeline in turn. Only when his eyes met hers did he nod briefly, then pulled his granddaughter away, signaling his intent to remove her from the scene. Clearly, the nobles’ attention was unwelcome.
Adeline said nothing, nor did she return his greeting. The duke tugged his granddaughter’s hand until they drifted away naturally.
“You look perfectly fine, despite claiming illness. I thought you’d outgrown feigning sickness.”
Cesare sneered while exchanging formalities with the Lion King. Adeline only answered with a sly smile.
Cesare turned to the Lion King.
“I have something to discuss with my sister. Would you excuse us?”
The Lion King asked with his eyes if Adeline was all right. She answered again with a bright smile.
“I’ll wait,” he said, leaving as boldly as he had arrived. All noble eyes followed him, like tropical fish scattering before a shark. Adeline laughed aloud at the sight.
“Amazing, isn’t it? A king should command that kind of presence. Looking at him makes me think so.”
“Don’t interfere, Adeline.”
Cesare’s voice was tense. Searching for the vanished duke and his fiancée, he suddenly seized Adeline’s arm.
“Even if the Lion King takes interest in you, he won’t be your shield. He’ll return to the desert soon enough.”
“Let go.”
“Worried you won’t find a man? Then just pick one here. I’ll order him to dance with you.”
“I said let go. Imagine the scandal— the ailing princess finally makes an appearance at the ball, only to go home bruised by her brother’s hand. Wouldn’t that be charming?”
Adeline wrenched free and continued,
“Cesare, are you still picking a dance partner for me?”
“Why? Have you taken a liking to someone? Since dancing is the only thing you both enjoy and do well, perhaps I should help.”
“Really? Then tell me—who here outshines the Lion King? If there’s anyone better, I’ll consider them.”
“Adeline—”
“Look at that magnificent back. Among all these old, ugly nobles, who could dare challenge him? His gaze is deep, his voice chills the bones. Being beside him is like galloping across the plains on a wild horse—soaring into the sky and plunging down again. Do you know that thrill? The women around you probably only giggle at Father’s shadow above your head. Poor Cesare. Those who covet what they cannot have are nothing but pitiful.”
Adeline knew no one else could hear them, so she mocked him freely.
“What did you say?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear. If you refuse to acknowledge it, you’ll always be just a wretched loser.”
Cesare stared at her as if she were a stranger. The Adeline he remembered never mocked so calmly—she screamed, cried, and threw tantrums until she exhausted herself.
But now she was a woman with unreadable depths. Hesitating, Cesare asked bitterly,
“Did you learn that vulgar tongue in Nova?”
“No. All of it in Marma.”
“Adeline!”
“My fever’s too strong to dance with whoever you wish. So you’ll have to do it for me. I’ll pick the lady—take her hand and twirl her around. All right, Cesare? You were born to a life of luxury; at least serve those poor women this much. After all, the only thing you do well is smiling like a fool with that polished face.”
Adeline’s cold smile cut deep.
Cesare tried to recall what Rihardt had reported about her, and what the foolish maidservant had said. He couldn’t remember their words, only that Adeline had endured countless attacks, survived barely, and returned home not to welcome but to scorn and ridicule.
“What’s your game?”
He demanded. Adeline said nothing.
“I asked—what are you plotting? Do you intend to claim a place in Marma now?”
“Why bother? This is already my place.”
“You are my sister. A worthless toy Father bought with gold.”
“That worthless toy prevented war. While you were sheltered like a child, I stopped a war. I saved this country from ruin.”
“Adeline, you’ve bitten a viper. Hold your tongue if you don’t want to be hurt.”
From afar, they looked like affectionate siblings whispering. Adeline’s smile was so smooth that no one could tell they were exchanging venom.
Then Adeline pointed.
“Look over there.”
Cesare followed her finger casually—then scowled.
His fiancée was flushed and chattering beside the Lion King. Lady Beatrice Hill of Nordhill trotted after him eagerly, nearly running to keep pace with his long strides. Her grandfather was nowhere to be seen.
“That woman.”
“That’s your fiancée, isn’t it?” Adeline sang.
“It’s political.”
“Really?”
He tried to sound indifferent, but she heard the defeat in his voice. Her smile widened.
“Will you just let her? I don’t care who she follows, but soon enough your reputation will be in tatters.”
For the first time, Cesare’s mask began to crack. He leaned forward, as if ready to charge.
“Cesare. Even if the Lion of Baltica is extraordinary, you are heir to Marma’s throne. Go and claim her. Tell your foolish fiancée that the finest man here is you.”
Her words broke with laughter. Adeline laughed outright, catching nobles’ attention.
“I’ll have to retrain you. We’ll speak after the ball,” Cesare growled, striding off like a storm. He headed straight for Lady Beatrice. Nobles whispered noisily. Adeline folded her arms, watching.
Beatrice, unconcerned by Cesare’s anger, reached to link arms with the Lion King—only for Cesare to snatch her hand. She brushed him off casually.
“Hah.”
Adeline exhaled a laugh. She could almost hear Cesare’s mask shatter. Did Beatrice realize she had just touched his reverse scale? Cesare Dixon was not accustomed to rejection—especially not before the man he had envied all his life.
Cesare raised his head toward the Lion King. It was like a black hyena facing a golden-maned lion. Adeline pursed her lips in amusement.
Things had gotten interesting. She had never expected this scenario—Cesare’s fiancée showing interest in the Lion King.
Beatrice tried to refuse him politely, surely with graceful excuses, but Cesare was no man for such games. Hardened by childhood with Adeline, he clasped her hand firmly, smiling with menace. Near the duke, he maintained gentlemanly decorum, but in his mind it was war.
Beatrice glared at him resentfully. The Lion King, indifferent, moved to leave—but the reckless girl clung desperately to him, even asking for a dance. Cesare dragged her back with a forced smile, while the Lion King shook his head firmly. Nobles stared.
Indeed, the Lion of Baltica was remarkable—he crushed Cesare Dixon’s pride without even trying.
“Ahahaha…!”
Adeline savored the rare spectacle with a full smile. Her body still ached with fever, but her mood soared.
The banquet was to last late into the night. Unable to escape while the Emperor remained, Adeline ordered a servant to fetch a cold cloth to cool her head.
Only then did the Lion King return to her.
“Lachiel Baltica.”
He bent low to catch her faint whisper. His massive form loomed over her.
“So, you finally said it.”
“Said what?”
He chuckled low.
“You’ve finally decided to call my name.”
Her heart skipped. Adeline said nothing, but instead placed a ripe strawberry into his mouth.
After the banquet, the Lion King escorted Adeline back to her palace, then returned home and summoned his lieutenant, Zacharian.
“Why does Adeline feud with Cesare Dixon?”
Zacharian froze at the unexpected question.
“If you don’t know, don’t answer.”
“What? No, Baltica, it’s not that—”
“Then what?”
“You’re only curious about this now?” Zacharian asked reproachfully. At times, his king seemed shockingly indifferent to others. The Lion King sighed shortly.
“What I want is Adeline—not some worthless crown prince.”
“It is about Lady Adeline. And why call the crown prince worthless?”
“Cesare Dixon could never do anything to her.”
Zacharian had no reply. At first he had worried the king trusted Adeline too much—but after meeting her himself, he found the king’s judgment sound. Stroking his chin, he said,
“They were once rumored to be close.”
“Impossible.”
“Well, anyone who matters knows the truth—that they’re deeply uncomfortable with each other. Still, some claim to have witnessed fierce quarrels between them, even before she was taken as hostage to Nova eleven years ago. Supposedly, Crown Prince Cesare often rebuked her tutors, blaming them for her faults.”
“Rebuked?” the king repeated.
“He killed them.”
“Killed… her tutors?”
“Yes.”
There was nothing more to say. The deeper he dug into that woman, the more he felt he was hitting a massive, unyielding wall. He thought he’d finally become her friend, but to reach her true heart might take a hundred years.
The Lion King sat and recalled Cesare Dixon at the banquet—a textbook royal prince, showered with love and expectation, smiling endlessly yet never truly content. When facing him, Cesare puffed his shoulders and clenched his jaw, barely holding back his temper.
A man of war, the Lion King sensed violent rage keenly. He could easily read Cesare’s suppressed fury.
“Has Adeline ever aspired to the throne?”
“What? No, never.”
“To the crown prince’s seat?”
Zacharian shook his head vigorously.
“No. As you know, she left at seventeen. Being a hostage isn’t some kind exchange—it was a tribute. Adeline was Marma’s lovely offering to Nova’s king. Fortunately, she didn’t become his wife or bear his child, so her return was accepted. If she had borne an enemy royal’s child, she would have been stripped of title—or quietly killed.”
It was a shameful story. Even Zacharian, loyal to Baltica and with no affection for Marma, scowled at the thought. Each time he saw Adeline lately, he felt pity and anger.
“In any case, there’s no way she would covet the throne. And Cesare Dixon’s position is unshakable. Lucky man—an only son with no rival. A prince with no competition is blessed indeed.”
News spread throughout the palace that Cesare had imprisoned Adeline, and that the Duke of Nord Hill had come to see her only to humiliate and insult her.
Richard stayed silent, and the knights pretended not to know. Lingo had gone on “leave,” saying he had an investigation to conduct.
When Nabi, who had been making snacks to cheer Adeline up, stepped out of the kitchen for a moment, she saw Colin among the maids, on the verge of tears.
“It’s really too much. Honestly, the princess hasn’t done anything wrong, has she? I don’t even particularly like Her Highness, but why is it somehow her fault that that childish Lady of Nord Hill rejected His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Well… true.”
The maids nodded reluctantly. Colin’s face was red with anger, as though she herself had been insulted.
“I still can’t believe such a graceful duke could make such vulgar demands. Whatever the case, Her Highness is the one I serve. She’s not some lowly whore! How dare they say such a thing!”
“Colin, calm down.”
“Doesn’t it bother you at all? The princess may not be the kindest person, but still—she’s the one we serve.”
The head maid—whom Adeline called “Snout”—let out a heavy sigh and gently patted Colin’s shoulder.
“It’s best to pretend you know nothing. For people like us, ignorance is the safest answer. I admit, the princess’s situation is pitiful… but what can we do? That’s her background.”
“Big sis… I can’t do that. You know very well, if I say I don’t know anything, His Highness the Crown Prince might kill me.”
The maids knew Colin was placed to watch Adeline under Cesare’s orders. They also knew she had been severely beaten by him twice already.
The head maid covered her face with both hands and muttered,
“We really didn’t know. We never imagined His Highness could be like this.”
“Should I tell the Mistress of the Maids?”
“Are you insane? She’s the Empress’s confidante. That would endanger all of us.”
The mood grew heavy—just like the atmosphere throughout the palace. While the maids comforted trembling Colin, none of them noticed Nabi standing nearby, watching them with a cold, cynical expression.
“Someone’s here.”
Another maid rushed in.
“I think it’s that secretary from yesterday.”
The maids’ faces went pale, and Colin ground her teeth.
“Let’s go.”
Early in the morning, the secretary appeared again, silently holding out a blank sheet of paper. Colin and the others froze, glaring at him. They didn’t speak out, but their furrowed brows, pursed lips, and muttered curses made their anger obvious.
With clear discomfort, the secretary handed the paper to Adeline.
“His Highness says, if it is difficult for you to speak, then you may write it down.”
“What?”
“Pardon?”
“What exactly should I write? Is he expecting me to compose a love letter on behalf of Lady Beatrice? I don’t even know what the Lion King likes.”
The secretary faltered, unable to respond. Adeline mocked both the Duke of Nord Hill and his granddaughter at once, but since neither of them was present, the secretary had no way to defend them.
Threatened both by Adeline’s words—“Get out, before I strangle you”—and by the maids cracking their knuckles, the secretary retreated, saying he would return.
After that, Adeline wasn’t allowed to step outside her reception room, nor meet anyone except her palace staff. Even her daily outings were banned. Nobody spoke to her, not even Richard.
It was Cesare’s order.
“Cesare thinks he’s clever. But he’s mistaken. He must believe I’m still that restless child who goes insane if locked up. But I am the relic who survived eleven years imprisoned in Nova’s royal castle. Tell him it’s useless.”
Richard gave no reply. Cesare had ordered him not to respond until Adeline cooperated with the Duke of Nord Hill.
“Colin, I’m hungry.”
“Shall I bring some snacks, Your Highness? The cook baked some crispy biscuits. They’re delicious.”
Colin must have received the same order of silence, yet the young maid, learning how to handle Cesare bit by bit, insisted she should keep the princess company as her only conversation partner. Then, of course, she faithfully reported everything back to Adeline afterwards.
To shadow someone all day without speaking was more suffocating than he expected. Richard began to suspect this punishment wasn’t for Adeline’s sake at all, but rather designed to torment him.
His patience snapped when Colin brought a weekly paper and Adeline burst out laughing while reading it.
“Wow. My brother really has no pride. He says he won’t break the engagement with Beatrice? That old man must be powerful indeed, if Cesare is groveling like this.”
Cesare had apparently declared he would not accept Lady Beatrice’s withdrawal from their betrothal. The paper dismissed it all as her whim, or baseless rumors.
Unable to let go of Nord Hill’s Duke, Cesare must have been desperately trying to win the lady back. Adeline, amused, thought of the girl with those wide, deer-like eyes.
“Then His Highness will marry Lady Beatrice after all?” Colin asked.
Richard shot her a warning glare, but since she seemed prepared for it, he didn’t stop her.
Adeline folded the newspaper and set it aside.
“That, I don’t know yet. Beatrice has gone into seclusion—they say she refuses to see anyone. She’s in the same situation as me. I should cheer her on.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Snout wouldn’t stop gossiping all morning.”
Colin thought for a moment who “Snout” was, then smiled awkwardly. She was slowly getting used to Adeline’s nickname for the head maid.
“That lady… she won’t end up like Lady Tamiren, will she?”
“What? Definitely not.”
“But her fiancé is the Lion King.”
Colin spoke gravely, as if the Lion King were some notorious womanizer. Adeline was chuckling at the thought when—
“Your Highness, the Lion King has come to visit you.”
“…Who?”
Adeline shot up. Richard and Colin both looked shocked. Only the maid who entered to announce him was smiling brightly.
“He said he could not refuse your invitation, that yesterday was the longest night of his life.”
…Who said that?
Adeline dropped her cookie in disbelief. Surely the maids had mistaken the guest. The Lion King she knew would never say something like that. Colin also froze, tray in hand.
“We’ll bring him in.”
The maids flung the reception room doors wide. Normally, they would busy themselves asking what tea and refreshments to serve him. Today, strangely, they acted with unusual pomp.
“This way.”
From the hallway, the head maid approached gracefully.
“Shall I bring it in?”
“It must be heavy.”
“It’s fine. I’ll have the younger girls help carry them.”
“Thank you.”
The Lion King gave her a slight nod. She nearly swooned but quickly composed herself and bowed politely.
He seemed like a different man altogether. Adeline stared at him, unsettled. Stopping before the open door, he looked down at her, holding a glass case in one hand.
“I have things I wish you would accept.”
Who are you? Adeline wanted to ask. But sensing this man was deliberately staging a performance for some hidden purpose, she forced herself to nod awkwardly instead.
“This way.”
Led by the head maid, all the other maids except Colin entered, each carrying glittering boxes. They placed them neatly upon the reception table. Some were glass, others gilded.
“What is all this?”
Unable to resist, Adeline asked. The Lion King casually brushed his hair back and replied languidly,
“They are for you.”
The maids’ and Colin’s eyes sparkled with expectation. Clearly, they wouldn’t leave.
Sighing, Adeline stood and opened the boxes one by one. She bit her tongue hard to keep from laughing.
They were all the useless, overpriced luxuries she herself had picked out during her travels with him in Voltaine.
“A giant pumpkin! Guess I’ll use it for decoration.”
“This wall ornament is exotic. Should I hang it here in the reception room?”
And not only those. He had added heaps of jewels—who knew from where.
“What in the world…”
The maids stared at Adeline, silently demanding her reaction. She swallowed dryly and forced a smile.
“Pretty.”
“Perhaps. But to you, they must be trifles.”
Richard, unable to endure any longer, slipped out of the room.
“Adeline.”
The Lion King held out his hand.
“I want something in return.”
“…What?”
She stared, wide-eyed. He still wore that lazy smile, his gaze molten with raw desire. When she placed her hand in his, he intertwined their fingers.
The maids, watching closely, quickly gathered the jewels back into their boxes and bowed.
“We’ll take our leave now.”
Colin, following the head maid out, blushed scarlet.
In return? Adeline bit her tongue again, suppressing laughter at his face. She whispered only for him to hear,
“What do you mean, in return? These are all mine to begin with. Why should I give back what’s already mine?”
“Not all of them.”
“You’ve become quite the swindler.”
That day, both realized they were becoming alike.
It had been Lingo, from outside the palace, who informed the Lion King that Adeline was being confined. He had wanted to storm her quarters immediately, but his men restrained him.
“Your Majesty! No matter how angry you are, you can’t just abduct the princess!”
So the Lion King and his retainers huddled together, plotting how to free Adeline. Finally, with a chilling aura, he asked the essential question:
“By what right does the Crown Prince imprison her? Adeline is his equal—a princess of the realm. Unless the Emperor himself commands it, no one has the authority to confine her.”
He was right.
He then gathered the trinkets they had bought in the South, along with bribes once offered by Viscount Voltaine, repackaged them, and brought them to Adeline as if they were gifts of courtship.
When Adeline heard this explanation, she buried her face in a pillow to stifle her laughter, then looked up and asked,
“So you mean you just returned to me the jewels I bought with my father’s gold, pretending they’re from you?”
“Don’t overcomplicate things. They’re all yours.”
“Of course.”
“Are you all right?”
He asked. Adeline shrugged, retreating to sit at the edge of the bed. They had moved to her bedchamber, fearing their voices might be overheard in the reception room.
She made space beside her, signaling him to sit. As he lowered himself, the massive bed dipped.
“I heard Cesare Dixon locked you up.”
“What’s new?”
“You mean this isn’t the first time?” he frowned.
“First, the whole palace. Then the second floor. Next, only a bedchamber and reception room. Soon he’ll forbid me from leaving even the bed. That’s how Cesare operates.”
It was a form of torture. Cesare knew how much young Adeline had hated being trapped. Beating or starving her drew attention, so this was his alternative. Foolish. She scoffed.
“He never changes. Still thinks I’m the restless fifteen-year-old who used to cry and beg forgiveness when locked up. Not anymore. I survived eleven years confined in Nova.”
As if this would break her?
“…Do you want to leave?”
The Lion King’s dissatisfaction was clear. To him, the Crown Prince of Marma was nothing but a cowardly loser.
Adeline, lying on her stomach with her chin in her hands, asked,
“And if I say I do? Will you let me?”
“Of course.”
“How?”
He slid his fingers through her long hair spread across the bed, letting them glide down.
“You seem to forget who I am sometimes.”
Adeline suddenly shot up, shouting,
“You’re the man who came here to propose to me!”
After lingering in her chambers, the Lion King finally left. Richard hurried to report to Cesare.
Cesare, furious, smashed an expensive wall ornament upon hearing that the Lion King had brought lavish gifts to the princess’s palace. He even struck a maid who screamed in fright. Yet he still couldn’t stop the Lion King.
“Tell Adeline she is not to take a single step out of her bed. A princess of such vulgar conduct is a disgrace to the royal family!”
Richard had no choice but to obey. When he relayed the order, Adeline only looked unsurprised.
Another day passed.
“Your Highness Vita.”
Adeline was half-asleep when Richard’s irritating voice cut through. She instantly woke.
“…Impressive.”
“Pardon?”
From behind the heavy curtains, Richard repeated himself. Adeline kicked off her tangled blankets and grumbled,
“Do you know how extraordinary you are? To wake me instantly from sleep. I usually sleep through anything, but your voice makes me so angry it sobers me up. That’s a rare talent.”
Richard had no retort. When he drew back the curtain, his twisted expression made her laugh mockingly.
“Behold, the great knight of Selmore, allowed entry even into the bedchamber of an unmarried princess.”
“Don’t call me that. As I’ve said, the one who granted me access to all your rooms was His Highness the Crown Prince—”
“Also Cesare Dixon, also the Duke of Nord Hill, also—”
“Princess!”
Unable to endure her jeers, Richard finally shouted. Colin, who had just been about to enter, froze in alarm.
“Don’t call me princess. You don’t see me as one anyway, so why bother?”
“You are now and forever the Princess of Marma.”
“I know. That’s why you should just call me Your Highness Vita, idiot. How many times must I tell you? You’re insufferable.”
Her complaint, half mixed with a yawn, made his face twist even further. Adeline laughed loudly on purpose, then beckoned timid Colin inside with a grin.
