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Chapter 20
Crazy.
A choice prompt appears now? Of all times?!
My whole body froze as if I’d been struck by lightning. No, honestly, I felt like crying.
‘…There isn’t a single usable option here!’
Damn it!
I have absolutely no intention of becoming enemies with Lakiel!
No, even staying quiet would’ve been better than this—these choices were basically forcing me to stomp all over my own plans.
‘W-wait. At least pick the least terrible one…’
Sneer at him? Absolutely not. Mock him? Also impossible!
Asking about the Crown Prince seemed slightly better, but I’d rather die than say anything related to that man. Every time I had to act like I was in love with the Crown Prince, I got chills all over.
No way I was doing that again.
Which meant only option four remained…
Pretending to be uninterested was… a strange choice. It was definitely something Eveline would do, yet somehow it also felt ordinary.
It had a similar vibe to the “threaten him” option that appeared the last time I met the Crown Prince.
‘Pretend not to care… So what exactly am I supposed to be uninterested in?’
If interpreted literally, it obviously meant having no interest in Lakiel. Because this was Eveline.
But the choice didn’t specifically state the target.
Which meant I could interpret it however I wanted…!
In the brief moment while Lakiel waited for my greeting, my mind spun furiously. Finally reaching a conclusion, I tilted my head slightly and spoke.
“Hmph. Have you been well?”
“…Lady Rosental. It’s been a long time.”
He replied in a rather serious voice. Completely different from when I’d met him outside the estate as Eve.
This version of him felt far more like a “prince.”
I glanced at him sideways and carefully chose my words, trying my best to sound casual.
“Well, Father will handle conversations with Your Highness just fine, but it’s still nice seeing you again after so long.”
In other words: I’m not particularly interested in why you came here, but that doesn’t mean I’m uninterested in you as the Second Prince himself.
It was my own little strategy to avoid lowering his nonexistent affection toward Eveline into the negatives.
‘Though who knows—he might already find me unlikeable.’
As far as I knew, he had absolutely no interest in women. Which meant seduction tactics were useless.
If charm alone could’ve worked, Eveline’s personality wouldn’t have mattered in the first place.
Fortunately, it seemed I’d passed.
The conversation continued without interference from the system.
“…Nice to see me?”
He asked with a bewildered expression.
“Didn’t we talk once before? I believe this is the first time since then.”
“We did. Though I didn’t expect you to remember.”
Sorry, but I don’t remember that at all.
Judging by the strange look on Lakiel’s face, their previous conversation clearly hadn’t belonged to the positive category. He seemed to be recalling it now.
Which made me a little nervous.
Surely Eveline hadn’t said something utterly ridiculous back then?
Still, satisfied that I’d at least managed to plant a small turning point in Lakiel’s mind, I turned toward the Duke.
“May I leave now? I’ve greeted His Highness, so I’d like to excuse myself.”
I just desperately wanted to get out before I caused some sort of disaster.
But the Duke had no intention of letting me go.
“No, Eveline. Sit here. It would be good for you to hear this as well.”
An overwhelming sense of dread washed over me.
The biggest one yet.
Unable to defy the Duke, I obediently sat beside Killian. He watched me with an unreadable gaze.
“Then let us continue where we left off, Your Highness.”
“Ah, yes. We were discussing ‘them,’ weren’t we?”
“So? What do you think of the proposal? I believed our needs aligned quite well.”
Lakiel lightly curled the corner of his lips upward and brushed a finger against the tip of his nose.
With his half-lidded eyes and relaxed air, he looked as leisurely as the afternoon sun, as though none of this posed any dilemma to him at all.
Of course, that didn’t necessarily mean good news for the Duke.
“However.”
Lakiel tapped his finger lightly against the table.
“I have conditions.”
“Conditions…?”
The Duke’s gaze sharpened.
Meanwhile, I opened my mouth in a fake yawn and picked up my teacup as though none of this interested me at all.
“If one wishes to win a battle for imperial power, one needs justification, does one not? Unlike my elder brother… my foundation within the Imperial Palace is weak. As you well know.”
Lakiel spoke slowly.
“I need undeniable proof that House Rosental supports me. Only then will the other nobles move as well.”
“…And what is it that you want?”
“It’s simple.”
Lakiel smiled faintly.
“Lend me the military strength of your ducal house. If a portion of the Rosental knights joins the army I’ve dispatched to the northern front, then I may consider this favorably.”
“That is impossible.”
The Duke rejected him immediately.
Even while pretending not to care, I was secretly fascinated. How often did I get to overhear political negotiations like this?
Honestly, I felt like grabbing popcorn and watching.
“The knight order is the symbol of our house. It cannot be moved lightly.”
“But—”
“Instead.”
The Duke interrupted Lakiel.
“If you agree to our condition, then perhaps it may not be entirely impossible.”
“…Go on.”
Hm? A condition…
What kind of demand could the Duke possibly make?
If he was willing to lend out the family’s knights, the price would surely be enormous. Sending military power to Lakiel was an incredibly risky move.
‘Still, why exactly did he insist I stay for this?’
What possible benefit could there be in Eveline hearing all this?
Just then, after taking a slow sip of tea, the Duke set down his cup and spoke.
“Become engaged to my daughter, Eveline.”
“…!”
Silence fell.
My eyes widened as I sucked in a sharp breath.
‘What did he just say…?’
“Duke…”
Even Lakiel raised his brows in surprise. Or rather—not surprise exactly. More like the expression of someone seeing something he had expected all along.
The adjutant standing behind him wore the same look, meaning the two had almost certainly discussed this beforehand.
‘No, I mean, it’s not like I never considered the possibility… but are they serious?’
What worried me was that Eveline’s personality would never accept this. I honestly wanted to ask whether the Duke had hit his head somewhere.
“The annulment between my daughter and the Crown Prince has already happened. Therefore, our house must make a new choice.”
The Duke continued calmly.
“The Second Prince accepting the daughter of Rosental, who was abandoned after her broken engagement to the Crown Prince… and the ducal house, moved by this gesture, dispatching troops to support the Second Prince’s campaign.”
“……”
“That alone would throw the Imperial Palace into chaos. And is that not precisely the justification Your Highness desires?”
Lakiel fell silent for a moment. His crimson eyes turned toward me.
And I…
“…Father!”
I shot to my feet, shouting.
“What are you—?!”
Just as I tried to act before the system could interfere—
Ding!
[Choose one of the following options.]
- I’d rather die than do that!
(She grips the teacup as if about to throw it, trembling violently.) - Are you serious?!
(She coldly sweeps her gaze across everyone before walking out.) - Have you already gone senile?!
(She openly insults the Duke.) - If it’s not the Crown Prince, then I refuse! A mere Second Prince?!
(She looks at the Second Prince with disdain.)
Aaaaargh!
Barely suppressing the urge to tear my hair out, I bit down on my lip.
‘Calm down. Just calm down.’
I already knew this, didn’t I? A political marriage was the best solution. I’d even expected it.
But the problem was figuring out how to both “act like Eveline” and “become engaged to Lakiel.” With my current limited freedom, this was the best possible outcome.
If only this had happened after my freedom level increased a little more…
I carefully scanned the choices before me.
‘…There’s still only one option I can choose!’
My hands trembled with anger. Fortunately, it probably looked to everyone else like I was furious at the Duke’s proposal.
Lakiel, as though he’d expected this reaction, slightly stiffened while maintaining his cold gaze.
‘Please don’t let this choice ruin the alliance between the Duke and Lakiel.’
As I nervously chewed on my lip, I noticed Killian hurriedly moving my teacup away.
So this was what that conversation during dinner last night had been about. They’d been planning my engagement behind my back.
I understood why, but still!
After exhaling a shaky breath, I squeezed my eyes shut, clenched my teeth, and muttered—
“Are you serious?!”
“…Eveline, sit back down.”
“No, Father. I don’t think there’s any reason for me to hear more! Surely you know my feelings better than anyone!”
“Eveline!”
I swept a cold gaze across the room, turned around, and threw out one final sentence.
“Do whatever you want. Consider my opinion delivered.”
Praying those words sounded ambiguous enough.
