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Chapter: 14
“Irillin!”
“Oh my, our Irillin is here! Did you participate well in the competition?”
The marquis and marchioness ran out to the entrance of the banquet hall to greet me after spotting me.
Meanwhile, they didn’t even glance at Sis, who was behind me.
“Yes. I did participate well. But not just me… Sis also—”
“How do you think you placed?”
“Aren’t you hungry? There are refreshments over there, help yourself.”
Ah, why are they changing the subject just as I was about to talk about Sis!
Of course Sis feels resentful—no one but Irillin gets attention!
That twisted one will try to kill me! Because of you all!
Ugh… I don’t even know anymore.
Anyway, we’re planning to escape, so there’s no need to highlight Sis’s talent again.
So I changed the subject.
“But shouldn’t you be focusing on His Majesty the Emperor instead of me?”
The Founding Festival party was an event where influential people near the capital gathered at the palace to celebrate the special day.
Teenagers like me and Sis could slip out unnoticed, but the marquis and marchioness, who were involved in the current political situation, couldn’t afford to.
Pointing that out, they seemed to snap back to reality, clearing their throats and turning back.
Those people are so ridiculous—rushing over fussily just because their daughter arrived, even in such a formal setting.
“Hmm, children of House Heather. I hear you attended an art competition?”
Did the marquis and marchioness mention me again, or was the emperor speaking to me?
The emperor, as described in novels, resembled the crown prince very closely.
Even without looking down, his aura made one naturally bow. His gaze seemed devoid of emotion, his black hair was thick, and his red eyes piercing.
“Yes, Your Majesty. It was a very rare and valuable experience.”
I lifted a copy of my writing and replied as politely as possible.
The crown prince might have already spoken ill of me, so I was being cautious.
But people whispered.
“‘Irillin Heather’ showing manners!”
“So the rumor about being hospitalized at Dr. Saint’s clinic is true.”
Even Irillin has her limits—people can’t just act badly at will!
Even toward someone like the emperor, you can act somewhat normal!
“You’ve had a meaningful experience on a meaningful day.”
The emperor’s gaze lingered on me only for that moment.
Afterward, he turned his attention solely to his son beside him—not the crown prince, but his second son.
The emperor didn’t like the crown prince. The reason was simple.
The crown prince was the child of one of his servants.
To the emperor, the crown prince symbolized an unfulfilled desire.
Even so, he appointed the crown prince simply because he had no sons for a long time.
By the time a son was born from the empress, the crown prince had already firmly established his position.
The emperor couldn’t dethrone him against public opinion. He had no such sense of justice.
Later, when the emperor tried to kill the crown prince to give power to the second son, the crown prince’s power was already too great.
Ultimately, the emperor would share the same fate as Irillin.
Those who oppose ‘Gong’ always meet unfortunate ends…
‘So if you don’t want to die, you’d better flatter the crown prince as hard as you can.’
Perhaps because of our similar situations, I found the emperor’s behavior frustrating.
Even in this situation, the emperor’s attention wasn’t on the crown prince.
This time, it wasn’t on the second son either, but it could be more dangerous in a way.
Why?
Because the emperor was looking at Bin Ortega, the one the jealous crown prince adored.
“I hear you’ve been training in swordsmanship very diligently.”
“I strive not to disgrace Your Majesty or the crown prince.”
I anxiously watched the crown prince, but fortunately, his jealousy didn’t seem to reach his father. He remained calm.
He had been standing silently like an invisible shadow, as if this scene was very familiar to him.
Bin kept sending pitying looks at the crown prince, but he struggled to hide a twitching smile rather than appear sad.
“…?”
You know those days when you unconsciously do something out of habit? Today was one of those days.
The crown prince couldn’t control his expressions, and the emperor was noticing something.
Like a fly fluttering before your eyes, his gaze unconsciously detected the subtle change—the lift of the crown prince’s lips.
No one else noticed that small anomaly, and I realized—today marked the beginning of The Crown Prince’s Lover.
The Crown Prince’s Lover begins with the childhood separation of Bin and the crown prince.
The emperor and the Ortega family forced them apart after noticing their closeness.
The crown prince tried not to yield, but the emperor made it unavoidable.
He sent the 13-year-old crown prince to fight in the Northern Empire of Serom—a near death sentence.
The emperor aimed to disgrace the crown prince and elevate his second son.
But the crown prince survived and returned to the Albert Empire seven years later.
After much intense flirting, he finally achieved the love he couldn’t seven years ago.
Although they would separate today, this trial laid the foundation for a happy ending.
The more forcibly separated, the stronger their feelings would grow.
Ah, Trial 1 is about to begin.
“Viscount Ortega. I hear you’ve been sticking close to the crown prince lately?”
Even if he didn’t know about their relationship, the emperor’s question carried weight.
I noticed both of them flinch subtly.
But Bin quickly erased that expression and replied elegantly, “Yes. We’re deepening our friendship.”
“Friendship… yet you’re unusually close for friends.”
“How would Your Majesty know that? Since when do you take such interest in me?”
The crown prince interrupted, sounding sulky, but in doing so, blocked Bin as if protecting him.
The perceptive emperor noticed this.
“You act like a man protecting his lover. Don’t you have awareness as the future ruler of the Albert Empire? You should be ashamed.”
“….”
The crown prince’s expression sank like a wilting flower before the emperor.
At only 13, he had already given up seeking affection but wasn’t emotionally resilient enough to avoid being hurt by rejecting parents.
All he could do was try to escape this situation.
Bang! The crown prince slammed the door and ran out, and Bin watched with concern.
Should he follow? That might arouse the emperor’s suspicion.
“Remember to choose wisely whom to protect. I say this because your talent is too precious to waste.”
“…I don’t quite understand.”
“It’s a reminder not to forget Sebastien.”
Sebastien was the second prince.
While the crown prince was only addressed by title, the second prince was always called by name.
Bin seemed to feel the same as I did, his expression stiffened, and his lips trembled slightly as if he wanted to speak.
But he didn’t. Likely because the Ortega family’s people were sending silent pressure from afar.
“Shame on you. A viscount meant to bear Ortega’s future suffering such a scandalous misunderstanding.”
As soon as the emperor turned his attention away, Ortega’s people hurried to scold Bin.
I felt slightly embarrassed. Even though I was nearby, they didn’t care.
How nonexistent must the barrier between these families be for that to happen?
“From now on, stay away and spend time near the crown prince. Ortega must remain a loyal servant to the emperor. Do you understand?”
As a supporter of the second prince, Bin had to comply.
He nodded weakly.
“…Yes.”
Absolute submission—that was Bin’s survival strategy under Ortega’s pressure.
“Sparring.”
Several hours later, the crown prince, having presumably composed himself, suddenly said this to me.
…Sparring? Not some monster.
Why does everyone always go on about sparring whenever they see me?
“Shall we?”
“Yes.”
“Uh… the banquet is ongoing. You want to do it now?”
“It’s not sudden. We always do this. Quickly put on your protective gear.”
The crown prince was right.
In the Albert Empire, known for its love of swordsmanship, sparring was done during banquets instead of dancing to foster camaraderie.
Prepared with protective gear, I grabbed my sword—or rather, a branch.
Even in such a formal event, was it acceptable to hold a branch against the crown prince?
Just then, the crown prince appeared before me, fully geared and holding a branch instead of a sword.
Wow, what style…
Perhaps he prepared this to prevent anyone from objecting.
