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chapter 31
Could he really be dead? I couldn’t say anything since worrying might be considered futile, but since this was the royal palace, I couldn’t help the thought.
I wasn’t blindly devoted to the original story, so I didn’t deny the possibility that my spy husband might have a short life.
“First, let’s check if he’s alive.”
It felt like I had fallen into a world where making a loud noise could spell disaster. I cautiously climbed onto the bed. The old, worn-out mattress creaked under the light weight of a young girl.
Crawling forward like a four-legged animal, I came face to face with Rosinante.
Beneath his dazzling blond hair was a high, sharp nose. A sculpted jawline and the slightly visible Adam’s apple between the loosened buttons of his shirt.
Does he really need to look this handsome even while sleeping? As expected, the male lead is a male lead—the words escaped me, and I almost lost myself in admiration.
“Ugh, handsome or not, it’s all just makeup anyway!”
Pull yourself together. This was a fake Rosinante, only the appearance matched.
Clinging to my sanity, I tilted my head and pressed my ear to his chest.
Thump, thump… thump.
A heartbeat rang in my ears, though I couldn’t tell if it was mine or his. After listening for a while, I realized it was a mix of my pounding heart and Rosinante’s intermittent beats.
Fortunately, he seemed alive.
“…But why is he sleeping so comfortably during a mission? I almost thought he was dead.”
Feeling reassured, a complaint slipped out. But just as I was about to sit up, the unexpected happened.
“Don’t go.”
“Huh…?”
What on earth was happening?
Sleeping Rosinante reached out, pulling me toward him, and I clung to his chest without understanding why.
“You… you’re awake?”
“……”
“Your Highness…?”
“……”
He spoke suddenly, then fell silent when I addressed him.
I looked up and could still see his sleeping face.
Under his bright blond hair, his eyes were delicately closed. His lashes motionless, lips slightly dry. There was no sign he was awake.
“Could it be… that was sleep-talking just now?”
Being a fake male lead, his sleeping habits were apparently terrible too.
Caught in his arms, I had no choice but to stay there, held tightly. He was so strong it felt like a boulder, not an arm.
It was midday, and this was embarrassingly awkward.
I glanced around, and Zerodines said:
―Don’t worry about it, just continue what you were doing.
“Which makes me worry even more! And I wasn’t doing anything! Don’t misunderstand!”
My pounding heart felt like it was about to explode. Reaching my limit, I decided to interrupt Rosinante’s sweet slumber.
“Your Highness. Prince, please wake up.”
I shook him, and his eyes slowly opened. Drowsy, he looked at me, then at his own hand holding me, trembling as if reality had escaped him.
“What… what’s happening… why is the princess in my arms?”
His sleepy voice was hazy, as if he hadn’t slept properly. Before I could answer, he made a quick judgment about the absurd situation.
“Ah, was it a nightmare or a dream?”
Muttering to himself, Rosinante wrapped his other arm around me.
It felt ridiculous, almost comical, as if I were a cherished teddy bear.
But it was time to wake him up.
“Could you let me go?”
“No. It’s my dream, so I’ll do as I please.”
“This isn’t a dream.”
“Liar. Then why is the princess in front of me?”
“Well… my carriage arrived at the palace earlier than expected?”
On the first day of entering the prince’s palace, I found myself kneeling before Prince Rosinante.
“This is difficult. Please get up, Your Highness.”
“I’m really sorry…”
Rosinante wished there was a hole to hide in. Levieta said it was fine, but he himself wasn’t okay.
Not only had he been forcibly held, but he had also been whined at—right in front of Levieta!
He had thought he was fully reformed through special training, but he was still far from it. Actually, this situation happened because of that special training.
“I was supposed to be training, climbing coastal cliffs one-handed while poisoned…”
He had no memory of lying down on the bed. Shadow must have rescued him during the extreme training when he passed out and moved him to a safe place.
If he had endured the training, he could have personally greeted Levieta who arrived early.
“Still… it was nice to be able to hug her…”
Thump thump thump!
Seeing him pound his head in frustration, Levieta was shocked.
“Kyaa! Don’t do that!”
Levieta grabbed his wild hand. Rosinante, hand held, looked deeply into her eyes.
“I should have greeted you personally. I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“It’s okay. Thanks to the Empress sending someone, I received a warm welcome.”
“Was the journey difficult?”
“It was the most comfortable journey. I brought all my luggage.”
“So the princess will stay here from today?”
Today, tomorrow, and the next day—it all felt more dreamlike than a dream.
Seeing Levieta in his personal space felt surreal. Rosinante gazed at her eyes as if to imprint them onto his retina.
Admiring her ruby-red eyes, the reality of being together sank in.
“Next time, I won’t pass out.”
To protect her, he needed to be stronger. He had done well in the hunting contest, but more challenges lay ahead.
“Yes, I’ll be counting on you from now on. In that sense…”
The flimsy door finally broke, and Levieta, smiling, picked up the handle.
“I’d like to look around the palace. Could you show me?”
Shadow had trained Rosinante, teaching him about chivalry in between.
Standing, Rosinante bent slightly, extending his hand toward Levieta—a perfect posture of a knight serving a lady.
“Gladly.”
Yes. It was certain.
Judging by his disciplined posture, he was indeed Shadow, the spy of the divine kingdom. Shadow remained a mysterious figure whose appearance was unknown, but his obsession with knight novels was confirmed.
Thus, he should be called by his codename, Shadow. But for convenience, I’d continue calling him Rosinante.
For a blond prince, the name suited him better.
“The library and banquet hall are on the second floor.”
The library was just a storage room with old books, and the banquet hall was a large, empty room.
“Please feel free to use them, humble as they are.”
“What’s on the third floor?”
“The third floor is for the servants, so no need to go up.”
“Oh, there must be many officials in the 13th prince’s palace if there’s a separate space for them.”
“……”
“Your Highness?”
“There’s one official, my personal attendant, but due to lack of manpower, he handles cooking, cleaning, and chores as well.”
“Good heavens! How short is the budget!”
The budget for the 13th prince’s palace was laughably small, barely enough to maintain royal appearances.
“The Empress isolated people like this.”
But would her harsh methods work on me?
I couldn’t immediately crush enemies’ throats, but I could make pumpkin carriages and glass slippers—fairy godmother style.
Speaking brightly, I said:
“Let’s decorate the house a bit first.”
Shadow gave a haughty snort at my glance.
―This is nothing.
Mana gathered instantly, and magic erupted from my left hand, bathing the palace in white light.
