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Chapter : 1
“The Duke of the North is being forcibly recalled?!”
Bang!
I burst through the door, and the Crown Prince, who had been sitting at the table, put down his documents and looked up.
As always, his appearance was unnervingly handsome.
But I glared at him as if I wanted to tear him apart, continuing my protest.
“Why are you doing this to Duke Rikesis, who has done nothing wrong? This kind of unreasonable treatment…!”
“Cardmael Rikesis. That one is dark at heart and corrupt.”
“…Excuse me?”
‘Dark at heart and corrupt?’
I was so shocked that I couldn’t even form a rebuttal, just gaping, but he continued speaking as if it didn’t matter.
“Do you think any husband could just stand by while such a person harbors ill intentions and lingers near his wife?”
…As expected, it was nonsense.
‘In this entire system, who cares less about Cardmael than I do…!’
Moreover, even if the Crown Prince’s claim were true, I still couldn’t understand him.
‘Wasn’t it you who cheated first?’
It wasn’t the first time.
The Crown Prince had constantly interfered in my love life, sabotaging it at every turn!
‘Come to think of it, he even ordered that dessert shop I went to with Cardmael to be closed!’
‘And barged in every single time with his royal guards!’
There were mountains of other suspicious incidents too.
But…
“Do you think any husband could just stand by while such a person harbors ill intentions and lingers near his wife?”
…That statement just now was essentially an admission that all those previous misdeeds were deliberate.
“Hoo… hoo…”
A curse rose to my throat, but I took a deep breath and held it back.
‘Cursing won’t help.’
Right now, I had come for a purpose—to confront that insufferable Crown Prince.
“Cancel the recall order, immediately!”
In the end, that was my only demand.
“….”
The Crown Prince’s eyes narrowed, and I didn’t avoid that unreadable gaze.
We glared at each other for what felt like an eternity.
Screech.
“That…”
The Crown Prince rose from his chair and walked toward me with leisurely steps, speaking calmly.
“That’s… difficult.”
“What exactly is difficult about it?!”
“No matter how much you defend Rikesis, I will not change my mind.”
He spoke in a voice so low it gave me goosebumps, and reached out his hand toward me.
“…!”
In an instant, I found myself backed against the door, trapped in his embrace.
“Lutier.”
He even called my name, gently brushing my cheek with his hand, making me flinch.
‘This guy… what on earth is he plotting!’
Just as the tension made the hairs on my arms and back stand on end, a whisper in my ear clarified his intentions.
“I hope you’ll make a choice now. This is your last chance. Either make Cardmael Rikesis return on his own…”
‘Ah, so it was a threat all along!’
“…or make him leave in disgrace.”
‘The early spring banquet is coming soon.’
After finishing lunch and before afternoon work, I finally had a rare moment of leisure.
I sat in the shade of a tree in the palace garden, drinking tea.
The weather was cool, and the distant sound of string instruments lifted my mood.
“Hmm?”
That is, until I noticed my father pacing near the back gate.
“Lutier!”
…What could it be this time?
‘If he had warned me he was coming, I would have received him personally.’
He ran up to me, out of breath, and without even catching it, blurted out:
“My daughter! Your husband Abel! That man is trash!”
“…Excuse me?”
Shocked, I immediately asked,
“Father, what on earth are you talking about?”
“I mean exactly what I said! Abel—the Crown Prince—has been involved with a maid… Gah! Huhk!”
‘…What? Involved with a maid?’
All sense of calm vanished.
“F-first, sit down.”
I quickly poured him some tea, which he drank in one gulp.
Then, as if vomiting blood, he shouted:
“Listen! That Crown Prince…!”
“…!”
What am I even hearing right now?
His claim was that there had been constant reports that the Crown Prince and a palace maid exchanged secretive, suggestive glances, and that yesterday at the evening banquet, they were seen entering the terrace alone, causing the noblewomen to whisper behind their hands.
“You ungrateful wretch! How dare you… Lutier? Are you listening?”
My father called me late, but I was already deep in thought and couldn’t respond.
‘The Crown Prince… was involved with another woman?’
He’s cheating on me?
“This…”
“Daughter…?”
“W-what kind of behavior is that damned husband up to?!”
Clang!
“Are you alright, Lutier?”
“Alright? Are you kidding?”
I stared blankly at my father.
“….”
“….”
He seemed to swallow nervously, but I remained completely composed and said coolly:
“Yes, of course I’m fine. I am the Crown Princess of this massive empire—would a mere rumor like that make me angry?”
“…Ahem.”
“I’m not angry at all. It’s nothing to me.”
“I see… Yes! This is surely nothing to you. This old man overreacted.”
He spoke while looking at my hand with fearful eyes.
“….”
“….”
Only then did I realize that the teacup I was holding had shattered. Irritated, I threw the handle into the grass.
‘How dare such a filthy rumor spread about a maid in the Empress’s palace!’
The Empress remained silent.
Even though she had considerable influence over the Crown Prince and me…
‘I can’t just stand by!’
“I need to go.”
“What did you say! Where are you going?”
“To the Crown Prince.”
“…!”
I dusted off the ceramic powder on my hands and stood up, but my father hurriedly grabbed my hand.
“Wait! The weather’s nice, so I thought we might have a tea party at the duke’s residence…”
“…?”
“Would you join us? Ha, ha, ha.”
‘The weather’s nice?’
I looked up at the sky.
The warm sunlight had vanished, replaced by heavy clouds.
Puzzled, I looked at my father, who smiled softly while nervously bouncing his leg.
“….”
I sighed deeply and said,
“Father, I’ll quietly confirm the truth behind that filthy rumor myself, so you should go inside.”
“No, I know you’ll head straight to the Crown Prince if I go!”
“I won’t go.”
I said that, patting his hand.
“So don’t tell the others. Especially not Ruark.”
After watching me for a while and giving several warnings like, “Don’t pull hair or slap him!” my father finally left.
‘What does he even think I am?’
I returned to my palace calmly and resumed afternoon work.
But a few hours later…
‘…I have to check it for myself!’
By nightfall, I cloaked myself in a cape and slipped out of the palace.
‘Good thing I brought the invisibility cloak.’
This “invisibility cloak” was a hidden heirloom mentioned in the novel The Rebellious Prince of the Magical Family.
‘I didn’t expect I’d use it to spy on my husband…’
Boom! Crash!
Thunder rumbled, suggesting rain, so I hurried.
‘I just need to confirm that the Crown Prince isn’t up to mischief.’
I quickly sneaked in through the back gate, walking past the back laundry area of the palace.
“Is it true that Lady Nebia visits His Highness the Crown Prince’s bedchamber every day?”
‘…!’
The words made me freeze in place.
“….”
I turned toward the voice, stammering.
‘Bedchamber…?’
