RR 05

 Chapter 5

The two’s secret meetings had begun immediately after the wedding.

Seamus had noticed Media lingering around the Crown Prince’s residence. They drank together, and that very night, they shared a bed. For Media, it was a chance to change her life.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Media stroked Seamus’s cheek as he slipped his hand under her skirt, meeting his eyes.

*Father only ever cared about Aella until the very end, but this man before me—I will make him see only me, not Aella. I will take the brightest thing Aella possesses.*

“What do we do now?”

“About what?”

Seamus asked, his face buried in Media’s neck.

“Aella wants me to get married. She’s trying to sell me off to some worthless man.”

Media spoke in a gloomy voice, stroking Seamus’s head.

“Is that so?”

Seamus lifted his head from her neck and looked at Media. His face showed little expression.

“I have no one but you, Your Highness.”

Media tried hard to squeeze out tears.

But her effort was in vain, as Seamus replied in an indifferent voice.

“Then go ahead and do it.”

“What?”

Media was flustered, her tears instantly drying up. *Get married? Instead of being jealous, he’s encouraging marriage?*

“If you get married, I can keep you as my mistress. If you officially become my mistress, we won’t have to hide and meet like this.”

Due to succession issues, the Emperor and Crown Prince were only permitted to take married women as mistresses. Thus, Seamus preferred that Media marry.

“Mistress?”

*Just a mistress?* Media had wanted to take Aella’s place. Since there was no history of a mistress becoming Empress, Media didn’t hide her disappointment.

“What? You don’t want to be my mistress?”

“N-No. If it means I can be by Your Highness the Crown Prince’s side, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do. I’ll get married.”

When Seamus frowned, Media quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and answered.

*History is something I can make myself.*

One corner of Media’s mouth curled up.

—

**\*\*\***

Winter passed, and spring arrived. Aella was still living through a frost-like winter, but like the changing seasons, changes began to appear around her as well.

The Petra mansion, which had collapsed in the fire, was rebuilt, and Media married Mikhail Baldoc.

“Tomorrow, the new Lady Baldoc will return from her honeymoon.”

Aella, who had been drinking tea, lifted her gaze at the voice.

Xenia Diudis, sitting across from her, wore a gentle smile. She was the woman who had once been Seamus’s fiancée.

For several months after the wedding, Aella had no lady-in-waiting. After the noblewoman originally appointed refused due to poor health, no one stepped forward to take the position.

Just when things were becoming difficult, Xenia came to Aella and asked to be made lady-in-waiting.

*”I wish to serve Her Highness the Crown Princess closely.”*

At her words, Aella could not answer easily.

Appointing Xenia, Seamus’s former fiancée, as her lady-in-waiting would stir up high society. Aella was worried not only for herself but also for Xenia.

Immediately after the broken engagement, Xenia had been mocked as the woman discarded by the Crown Prince. If Xenia became the Crown Princess’s lady-in-waiting, many would ridicule her again. There was no reason for Xenia to have to endure that.

*”I am in debt to Your Highness the Crown Princess. The reason I was able to avoid marrying the Crown Prince was all thanks to you. I always thought I would be unhappy if I married the Crown Prince. You saved me from that unhappiness. Your Highness, you stepped into that unhappiness in my place.”*

Seeing Aella’s difficulty, Xenia spoke her true feelings and said she wanted to repay her debt.

In the end, Aella accepted Xenia. And so Xenia, at the beginning of winter, became Aella’s lady-in-waiting.

“I think it’s about time we left.”

Xenia checked the time and spoke.

“Yes.”

Aella rose from her seat with a nervous face.

Today was the day of the orphanage event. It was a fairly large event where they would watch a play put on by the orphanage children and then distribute gifts and food.

It was Aella’s first public appearance as Crown Princess, after having missed all events since the wedding.

Aella left the room, clenching her fists.

*It’s alright. I can do well.*

Aella cast a spell on herself.

She couldn’t stay shut in her bedroom forever. Though she had gone through a terrible ordeal, she couldn’t just keep whimpering.

She had become the Crown Princess, so she had to do the work that came with the position. Even though she was called the Monster Crown Princess, she wanted to properly carry out the duties given to her.

When she saw the carriage waiting beyond the ornate door, Aella’s stomach suddenly churned.

Today, she had to travel in the same carriage as the Crown Prince. She would have preferred to use a separate carriage, but it was tradition, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Do we really have to ride together?”

Aella muttered in a bitter voice.

Since the wedding, Aella had barely seen Seamus. She had only happened to encounter him a few times in the palace.

Each time, Seamus looked at her as if she were an insect, and those eyes never failed to wound Aella.

Letting out a small sigh, Aella headed toward the carriage.

As she approached the carriage, she heard Seamus’s voice from behind.

“What a truly dreadful combination.”

Aella, about to board the carriage, turned at Seamus’s voice. Seamus, his expression twisted, was glaring at Aella and Xenia with a displeased look.

“A former fiancée and a monster wife. It feels like I’m having a nightmare.”

Seamus sneered as he brushed past Aella and climbed into the carriage.

Because Seamus bumped her shoulder, Aella stumbled. Xenia quickly caught her.

“Your Highness the Crown Princess, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Nightmares end once you wake up.”

Aella whispered softly into Xenia’s ear.

At Aella’s words, Xenia let out a small laugh.

Once inside the carriage, Aella truly felt like she was having a terrible nightmare. Seamus was sitting in the seat typically given to the wife’s side.

Aella let out a hollow laugh and sat across from Seamus.

“At least you have some sense.”

Seamus crossed his legs and looked at Aella with a crooked expression.

As a result, his shoe touched the hem of Aella’s dress. Aella silently gazed down at the spot where his shoe had touched.

“I was worried you might be clueless and sit next to me, but thankfully you’re not.”

“I’m glad my behavior pleases you.”

Aella adjusted her skirts so that Seamus’s shoe would no longer touch it.

“Make sure that hat of yours doesn’t get taken off in front of others. I can’t have you humiliating me as well.”

“I will be careful.”

Aella answered in a voice devoid of emotion.

Aella’s attitude irritated Seamus, and his face twisted. The sight strangely reminded her of Ther Motita.

Turning her gaze to the window, Aella maintained an upright posture without the slightest falter until they reached the orphanage.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of the orphanage, and the door opened.

Seamus, who had descended first, abandoned Aella and went inside the orphanage. Aella, who had no expectations anyway, got off the carriage with a composed face.

This was her first official event together with Seamus since the wedding. Aella prayed silently in her heart that it would pass without incident.

—

**\*\*\***

The orphanage’s official event began with the Crown Prince’s address.

Aella, who had been blankly staring at Seamus standing before the podium, felt a gaze and slowly turned her head. Her eyes immediately met Ther’s.

The event hall had a stage at the front, with chairs placed on both sides of an aisle.

The Crown Prince and Princess were seated in the front row on the left, while Ther was in the front row on the right.

When their eyes met, Ther gave a slight bow of his head in greeting. Aella bit her lip and nodded slightly.

She had known Ther would attend this event, but Aella was still shaken. To calm her trembling emotions, Aella gripped her skirt tightly.

“The laughter of children makes everyone happy…”

While giving his address, Seamus noticed Aella and Ther exchanging glances and immediately twisted his face.

*What’s so regrettable about a relationship that’s already over that they have to look at each other like that?* Seamus’s eyes, glaring at Aella, turned fierce in an instant.

After finishing his address, Seamus returned to his seat and sat down. Then, as if building a wall between Aella and Ther, he sat up straight.

“How does it feel to see your former fiancé?”

“That was a fine address.”

Aella ignored Seamus’s words and said something else.

Seamus chuckled and continued.

“You’re probably the only one feeling sentimental. Motita would run away if he saw your ruined face.”

“…….”

At Seamus’s wounding words, Aella’s hand gripping her skirt tightened further.

“Come to think of it, Motita is probably grateful to me right now. Because I saved him from marrying a monster like you. The Grand Duke Motita owes me a debt.”

Aella’s hand, gripping her skirt, trembled violently. The words Seamus spat out were horrible, and the thought that his words might be true made Aella miserable.

“So don’t go near that bastard. Unless you want to get hurt. I’m saying all this for your sake, Crown Princess.”

*Hoo hoo*, Seamus let out a laugh, his eyes malicious.

Aella clenched her teeth to keep from crying. Nightmares end once you wake up.

—

**\*\*\***

After the play ended, Aella personally distributed cookies and candies she had brought from the palace to the children. The children who received the snacks laughed happily, their faces full of joy.

Aella felt happy seeing the children’s expressions. Though she enjoyed seeing the children, mingling among the other nobles and forcing smiles was quite an ordeal.

Eventually, unable to bear the stifling atmosphere, Aella slipped away from the crowd and headed alone to the orphanage’s back garden.

*Whoosh—*

Just then, a strong wind blew Aella’s hat away. Startled, Aella looked around for the lost hat when she heard footsteps behind her.

Startled, Aella quickly covered her face with her hand and bowed her head. She didn’t want others to see her face like this.

*Please, just pass by…*

“Your hat.”

Soon the footsteps stopped, and a familiar voice spoke.

Aella’s green eyes trembled. Unable to muster the courage to turn around, she stood frozen like a stone.

The footsteps, which had paused, sounded again, and the owner of the voice stood before Aella.

She knew who it was without even raising her head.

Still covering her face with her hand, Aella looked up and met Ther’s eyes. Ther held out her hat to her.

“Thank you.”

Startled by Ther’s sudden appearance, Aella fumbled as she reached for the hat. But she accidentally knocked it, and it fell to the ground.

“Ah…”

Aella’s face colored with embarrassment.

Ther picked up the hat and stepped closer to Aella. At his movement, Aella’s eyes trembled unsteadily.

Ther carefully placed the hat back on Aella’s head and neatly lowered the veil.

Only after her face was hidden behind the veil did Aella lower her hand from her face.

“Th-Thank you.”

Ther looked at Aella for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth.

“I know.”

“Pardon?”

“That the plain little lemon wasn’t plain. Even if its peel has a small scar, a lemon is still a lemon. Not a monster.”

Leaving those words behind, Ther walked past Aella.

“Ha.”

Aella’s breath trembled.

*”The wedding will begin soon. Please remain in your place.”*

*”Is it because my face is ruined? Do you think of me as a monster too…?”*

*”Aella, you… ah.”*

She felt as though she had finally heard, just now, the words Ther had been unable to finish on the wedding day.

“Ther.”

Murmuring his name, Aella turned around. His back was growing distant.

*You abandoned me. You coldly abandoned me, so why are you being kind? Don’t make me just resent you. Why do you make me want to cling to you again?*

“Crown Princess.”

Just then, Seamus suddenly appeared and blocked Aella’s path.

Aella stepped back at the sight of Seamus before her.

Seamus looked at Aella with a twisted expression, then jerked his chin toward Ther.

“What? Thinking of running off after that bastard Motita?”