🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter: 41
“Are you all right?”
The voice that resonated from his chest was pleasant to hear, sweet, and the hand that gently enveloped me felt tender.
My whole body tingled. I turned my head away.
“Yes.”
“Of course you’d be all right, since I was supporting you. I mean, I’m referring to the incident from earlier.”
“Oh.”
“Are you all right?”
“…Yes.”
There had been two major incidents today, yet I had already forgotten them.
The presence before me was so stimulating that it felt as if nothing else mattered.
I wanted more without even realizing it.
‘Hurry and take my hand!’
Unable to resist the march of the Marchioness’s lips urging me, I reluctantly grasped Bin’s hand.
At that, Bin inhaled sharply. He looked utterly flustered.
“Shall we go?”
Yet when he led me by the hand, it was gracefully effortless.
“But what about… this isn’t a dress.”
“No need to worry. Your dance will be the most striking in the world, so a uniform and sword suit it better.”
It was far more pleasant to hear than any flattering words about how beautiful I looked in uniform.
It felt like he recognized me for being myself.
Led by him to the dance hall, the music changed.
It was a waltz with a romantic atmosphere.
To the slow rhythm, my heart fluttered slightly in time.
I let myself be guided by Bin.
However…
“…What are you doing?”
Contrary to the typical novel trope where entrusting your body to your partner automatically results in a smooth dance, nothing like that happened.
In reality, my movements creaked and stuttered like a broken robot.
“What? In novels, all you had to do was follow your dance partner’s lead.”
“That never happens in real life.”
Reality. It felt ironic hearing such words from a character in a novel.
But for the person themselves, it was unquestionably reality.
Alive and breathing, here and now.
“Even after avoiding high society for seven years, how could you forget dancing so completely?”
“Well, I guess in reality, even if I’ve forgotten, the body doesn’t remember automatically.”
“That much could still happen in reality…”
“Ah, whatever. Let’s just step.”
I performed haphazard steps that could hardly be called dancing.
Bin laughed at my shameless antics.
“Haha! What are you doing?”
“Do you know me? Why are you speaking so casually?”
I playfully scolded him, and Bin’s expression stiffened.
“…I was talking to myself.”
“Even if it’s to yourself, don’t speak so casually. If someone hears, they might think we know each other.”
“Whether we dance here, or hammer disguised as a dance, no one will care.”
“What? Are you saying my dance looks like hammering?”
“Do you know me? Why are you speaking casually?”
“…I was talking to myself.”
…This isn’t even a comedy routine. What kind of otherworldly conversation is this?
But honestly, it was fun.
Perhaps that was why my heart beat slightly faster than the waltz rhythm.
Bin seemed the same, unable to hide the amusement in his eyes.
Then it happened.
Clang!! The sound drowned out the music.
Everyone dancing froze and turned their attention to the source.
In the center stood a man disguised as a servant.
“Ugh—”
The man clutched his chest and groaned, throwing off his mask.
A blurry face was revealed. Someone I didn’t know.
But I recognized him.
I knew his presence all too well.
Why had I assumed he would only be among the distinguished guests?
And why had I forgotten?
Disguised as a servant, even in the novel, the Crown Prince’s identity wasn’t revealed until the very end.
That on the founding day, the Emperor attempted to poison the Crown Prince.
“Guh—Kuh!!”
The Crown Prince collapsed to the floor.
As he lay coughing, blood poured forth.
Those watching him only stepped back, offering no help to the unknown servant.
“He’s been poisoned! Someone help him!”
I stepped forward without hesitation. But everyone else’s reaction was lukewarm.
Was it because he was just a lowly servant, not the Crown Prince?
Disgusting humans.
A person is dying right before their eyes, and they’re worrying about social rank instead of life!
“Irilin, calm down.”
Bin gently grasped my shoulder.
Even through his mask, Bin’s eyes watching the Crown Prince were completely indifferent.
I painfully realized that the story had now diverged irreversibly from the original.
Why had things turned out this way?
I recalled a predictable scene from the novel.
┎“Why do you drink so much black liquid? Are you addicted?”
Bin had been slightly shocked, noticing that the Crown Prince’s cup was far larger than expected.
“I was about to throw it away anyway.”
Sensing danger, the Crown Prince pushed the cup of black liquid aside.
─As a result, the poison that the Emperor had applied to the cup became completely useless.┚
Though unintended, in the novel, Bin’s shock at the huge cup inadvertently saved the Crown Prince.
Where had things gone wrong?
Had there been no opportunity to guard him directly against the poison?
No, even if Bin had been present, he probably wouldn’t have cared about whether the Crown Prince drank the black liquid now.
“…Bin. You help him.”
“You don’t need to say it.”
Bin knelt before the Crown Prince. White light seeped from his hands.
He seemed to be casting a healing spell.
“I’ve cast a recovery spell, so the poison will soon be neutralized. Magic has improved so much these days that even a poison like this is easy—”
“Useless.”
The Crown Prince’s mask had a magical defense against any possible danger.
Even removing the mask wouldn’t break it.
The only way to dispel it is by speaking the wearer’s name aloud.
‘…And that was Bin’s role. I can’t expect it now.’
“The magic on the mask won’t work.”
“He’s just a servant. What kind of magic could even be on a normal mask… Ah, no.”
“Yes. The Crown Prince.”
Shock filled the hall at that revelation.
Finally, everyone moved forward to surround the Crown Prince.
“…Hah.”
Whether he was fully conscious or not, the Crown Prince sneered at the scene.
His voice, despite the poisoning, was surprisingly clear.
“How did you know?”
“Is that the problem right now?”
I sighed and rolled up my sleeves.
I had to give up expecting Bin to play his original role.
‘There’s no one else to take that role but me. I have to step up.’
“I’ll quietly dispel the magic, so stay still.”
“To dispel the magic, you need to say my name, right?”
“Why’s that?”
“You don’t know it.”
“I do.”
“Don’t lie. Who in this world knows my name?”
The Crown Prince was not exaggerating.
He was always addressed as “Crown Prince” or “Your Highness,” never by name.
Even in the novel, his name was never revealed.
He hadn’t been given a name until my sister created one for him.
‘Sis, the Crown Prince doesn’t have a name yet?’
‘He hasn’t needed one, so I haven’t thought of it.’
‘That’s harsh. He’s a prince and has no name?’
‘It’s fine. Being called Crown Prince is much cooler than having a name.’
‘No! Sis, can I give him one?’
‘…Fine. Though he won’t appear much anyway.’
‘Then at least put it in the setting file.’
‘Got it. So, what will it be?’
“Dion Abert.”
His biological mother had been a maid, so he even lacked a middle name that royals normally have.
Proud, stubborn, yet occasionally cute.
The name reflected the hidden side of him I now faced directly.
“Why….”
The magic on the mask lifted, revealing a familiar face instead of a stranger.
His red eyes wavered, confused.
Knowing a name he barely remembered himself left him bewildered.
“Why only you….”
Why did I alone know his name? Because I liked him very, very much.
Bin, Sys, they were all masterpieces my sister had created.
I smiled, conveying that meaning.
“…Why are you smiling? Makes me want to kill you.”
He muttered, rolling his eyes.
“Bin. Now, quickly cast the recovery spell.”
“Ah… okay.”
Bin once again let light flow into the Crown Prince.
By the time the light faded, the Crown Prince’s ragged breathing had eased.
This time, the recovery magic had worked.
“Ah…”
“Irilin!”
Relief hit me, and my legs gave out. If Bin hadn’t held me, I would have surely hit my knees.
“It’s really fortunate.”
This incident had clearly resulted from my interference in the novel.
Had the Crown Prince died ridiculously like this, I would have been tormented by guilt forever.
Even if it meant increasing my own survival chances.
“…Why.”
The Crown Prince’s languid red eyes stared at me as he spoke.
“Are you crying?”
His voice carried bewilderment.
Bin, standing beside me, also seemed surprised, unable to tear his gaze away.
Was it so shocking to see me cry? True, I’d never cried in front of them before.
“…Geez. Is this the first time you’ve seen someone cry? Why are you both so shocked and making such a fuss?”
“Not anyone, but you. It’s the first time we’ve seen you cry.”
“I just… hoped that your heart would move enough for His Highness to… no. Never mind. Forget what I just said.”
What nonsense is Bin spouting now?
Some things people can say, and some they can’t!
Annoyance made my tears disappear.
I stood with a stern face.
“Anyway, since I’ve used the spell, you should recover soon. Then… I’ll be going. Ah, why?”
“What?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I bowed slightly and tried to leave, but the Crown Prince’s gaze remained piercing.
It seemed he was expecting something.
Could he see Bin fawning over me as well?
Is that why he looks at me like that? Wanting to kill me!
“…Looking like you want to kill me, huh.”
Ugh. I was right!
