🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 3
This Is Really the Worst
Odette was a little dumbfounded by the quick answer that seemed to come as if he had been waiting for it.
“He wants me?”
What kind of condition was that?
Above all, the moment Odette heard Walter’s words, a foreboding feeling flickered in her mind.
“No way…”
She asked, half in doubt.
“Wh-what do you mean by wanting me?”
“Exactly what you think.”
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have asked again.”
“I didn’t realize Your Highness required footnotes for everything you hear.”
Walter raised one eyebrow slightly, lifted a finger, and slowly scanned her from the top of her forehead to the tips of her shoes as he spoke.
“I want everything about you, Your Highness—from head to toe—to be mine.”
No one would dare to touch her, no one could interfere.
A shiver slowly ran down Odette’s spine at his blatant tone.
It confirmed what she had suspected just a moment ago.
“Duke Ertmann… this man…!”
He’s trying to toy with me right now!
That was the certainty she felt.
Over the past month, Walter had been meeting continuously with the Third Princess, Regina.
“It seems it’s not a romantic relationship, at least according to what he said.”
Still, there was no denying that there was some sort of relationship between them.
After all, if Walter weren’t courting Regina, what reason would he have had to meet her so regularly?
“So Duke Ertmann must have some connection with Empress Catarina.”
Particularly suspicious was the fact that Walter knew about Odette’s arranged marriage plan.
Odette had mentioned it only once, cautiously, to her close maid, Ellie, in the palace.
“Someone must have heard that and passed it on to Empress Catarina.”
And since the Empress wanted to get rid of Odette like a thorn in her side, she would have orchestrated this plot to prevent Odette from marrying Louis.
“If I accept this proposal, he’ll reveal his true colors and embarrass me.”
Moreover, since Walter had already sabotaged her meeting with Louis, Odette would have no choice but to marry the Count according to the Empress’s plan.
Otherwise, why would he insist on such ridiculous conditions, claiming he wanted her?
Besides, this method had been used before—Regina had employed it with another man.
“The Fourth Princess has almost fallen. If you just sweeten her a little more, she’ll come to you first. Watch and see.”
“Well done. Are you sure?”
“Of course. A pitiful girl who knows nothing about men can be shaken easily with just a few flattering words.”
He was a man who had approached Odette boldly when no one else had even looked her way.
“Does love need a reason? I want you—that’s enough.”
Words so sweet it was tempting to fall for them.
Though she had been skeptical, she had still wavered at those words.
After that, Odette closed her heart to anyone who approached her.
Walter was no exception.
“I wasn’t fooled once, so there’s no way I’ll be fooled twice.”
Odette grasped her skirt and, composed and polite, greeted Walter.
Her hair flowed gracefully along her elegant curves.
Straightening her waist slowly, Odette gave a gentle smile and said:
“Consider the rudeness you showed me today as if it never happened, and please never appear before me again.”
Finally, she added one more sentence:
“Your Highness, you are truly the worst.”
A courteous yet firm farewell.
Late at night, on the terrace of the imperial palace’s banquet hall.
“Your Highness, you were here?”
At the voice behind him, Walter, who had been leaning against the railing, turned.
“…Russell Huntley.”
“Yes, it’s me. Even so, it feels awkward if the guest of honor isn’t present at the victory celebration…”
Russell, a knight with red hair, scratched the back of his head as he approached.
Though his half-lidded eyes made him look perpetually sleepy, Russell was, in fact, one of Duke Ertmann’s closest retainers.
Moreover, he had had to manage the banquet in Walter’s absence and deal with the crowd—an unenviable task.
He had come determined to make Walter answer for it twice over…
“…Something seems off.”
Russell’s strength was his keen awareness despite his careless appearance.
From what he could see, Walter was clearly in a twisted mood.
“Why now?!”
At this rate, complaining about his own labor would be impossible, and if he acted wrong, he could even be sent running drills.
Russell cleared his throat nervously and started cautiously:
“Ahem… so, how did your conversation go? Didn’t you say there was some sort of deal to make?”
“Oh, that.”
Walter slowly clenched and unclenched his empty hand.
“I was rejected.”
“Y-You were… rejected? I thought you said it would go well?”
Russell’s usually flatteringly confident eyes widened.
When he came to the banquet, Walter had seemed perfectly confident.
Or rather, he had seemed like someone finally encountering something he had long desired.
Since Russell knew of Walter’s eloquence, he hadn’t expected any failure.
But rejected?
“Did you… hear the reason?”
“She said she didn’t like me.”
A memory of the moment he had extended his hand to Odette replayed in his mind.
“Consider the rudeness you showed me today as if it never happened, and please never appear before me again.”
“Your Highness, you are truly the worst.”
It was a polite but firm farewell.
And she had escaped so quickly that Walter hadn’t even had the chance to stop her.
No wonder Walter’s mood was as twisted as Russell had observed.
Finally within reach, after waiting so long, and she slipped away just before he could grasp her.
Walter slowly brushed his hair back, his voice dripping low and cold:
“I didn’t expect her to give me trouble from here…”
Even in this, his foolish body reacted obediently.
From the moment he faced Odette, his heart had raced uncontrollably, chest tightening painfully.
As he had been warned:
“It’s easy enough to fulfill your wish at the cost of your heart. But can you endure it? Your true feelings will be twisted, and you’ll be rejected often.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“You’ll be hurt many times, and you won’t be able to trust the other’s true feelings. In the end, only pitiful words will remain. Do you still wish to proceed?”
“I’ve been through it once, so a second time won’t be hard.”
If he could meet her just once more, if he could prevent the tragedy that awaited her, it would be worth anything.
Walter smirked and struck a deal with “him.”
The price was a tightly constricting heart and a tongue stiffened against speaking the truth.
And newly granted time.
“She rejected my offer… now I cannot give up.”
Walter’s hand clenched slowly.
“Russell, I need to spread a rumor.”
The Next Day
“Princess Odette! Is the rumor true? You secretly met Duke Ertmann?”
“…So you’ve heard the rumor too…”
Odette slowly lifted her head from her pen, having been dipping it in ink, as hurried footsteps approached.
In just two days, she already looked very tired.
The reason was simple.
“Of course I heard! The moment I entered the palace, everyone was talking about it! They were all gossiping about you and the Third Princess, Regina!”
The scandal of Odette and Walter had spread widely through society overnight.
That they secretly met during Walter’s victory celebration.
In truth, there was nothing to prevent it—the banquet had been the largest in the capital in nearly a month.
And the scandal’s protagonists were of maximum public interest: Duke Walter Ertmann, rumored to meet the Third Princess, and the Fourth Princess, Odette.
“Did you hear? Duke Ertmann and Fourth Princess Odette secretly met…”
“What about the Third Princess then?”
Naturally, the palace was abuzz.
A love triangle between the Duke and the two princesses—the hottest gossip imaginable.
The problem for Odette was that she had little room to refute it.
After all, she and Walter had indeed met that day.
“I don’t think anyone else was around… so where did this spread from?”
As Odette fretted, red-haired Ellie rushed over, lowering her voice.
“Do you know how shocked I was? You were supposed to propose to Count Clovis, and yet there’s a rumor you secretly met Duke Ertmann! What happened between you and the Duke?”
“What happened, indeed.”
Odette couldn’t help but smile faintly at the familiar question.
“How many times has this question been asked?”
She felt as if her ears would bleed from hearing it so often.
The entire palace was buzzing, but the most talkative were the maids serving her.
“What if Fourth Princess Odette actually becomes the Duchess?”
“We ignored her because she was an illegitimate princess… what if she takes revenge?”
“Better treat her well now, just in case!”
The maids were daughters of minor noble families, never having lifted anything heavier than a teacup at home.
So, except for Ellie, all the others felt ashamed to serve the illegitimate princess.
They disliked attending to her and often treated Odette with contempt—until the scandal broke.
Afterward, ironically, their treatment improved.
But that commotion wouldn’t last long.
“This scandal will hurt Duke Ertmann the most.”
Soon he would hastily explain, and everything would quiet down again.
Odette lightly chuckled, confirmed no one was around, and began:
“So, what happened at the victory banquet was…”
“Wait, so Duke Ertmann knew Your Highness’ plan and came to interfere? Oh my!”
Odette told Ellie everything that happened at the banquet.
How Walter knew her plans and came openly to sabotage them. And apparently, Empress Catarina and Princess Regina had dragged him into this scheme.
“He probably thought I would fall for it. After my meeting with Count Clovis was blocked, he had few other options.”
Above all, Duke Ertmann was a truly desirable match.
For a mere illegitimate princess to reject him seemed almost laughable.
“Even I didn’t think Duke Ertmann would take part in such a prank! I can understand the Empress or the Third Princess, but the Duke? There’s no reason at all!”
“Honestly, that puzzles me too. If he wanted to impress the Empress, it would make sense… but Duke Ertmann? He has no reason.”
Why did Walter propose to me?
