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Chapter 08
**【Crown Prince Cedric’s gaze fell upon Ariel’s collarbone. Though there was no physical contact, that burning gaze made Ariel feel as though his touch was already upon her skin.**
**Involuntarily letting out a held breath, Ariel turned to flee—but Cedric caught her. This time, she truly felt the roughness of his hand.**
**He spun her around roughly and pressed her against the wall.**
**”We mustn’t, Your Highness the Crown Prince……”**
**”Shh—don’t make a sound, my rose……”】**
—
Odellia closed the book and stared at Cedric with a dumbfounded expression.
“What in the world is this?”
Cedric kindly showed her the back of the book—the section that advertised the plot summary.
It was a romance novel about the Crown Prince who became a hero after the war, and a noble lady who fell in love with him. The story followed a pure, innocent lady who received “education” (?) from the wild Crown Prince and grew into a proper woman.
Adding to that, Cedric whispered to Odellia:
“Apparently, the male protagonist is modeled after His Highness the Crown Prince. Seems like it’s quite popular among the ladies? Even the illustrations look like him. They say this one illustration alone is selling like hotcakes.”
He flipped to a page, and there was an illustration of a handsome man who bore a striking resemblance to Kalix, seemingly kissing a lovely woman.
“It’s the usual cliché—they lock eyes while dancing, and since their eyes lock, their lips lock too.”
“Cliché?”
“Yeah. All the famous romance novels in the capital have the same plot. The pure and innocent lady and the Crown Prince or Duke on a white horse—their love story.”
“……I thought nobles had refined tastes, but I guess not.”
“People who act proper on the outside are usually the worst. Every single one of these is by an anonymous author, yet they know high society so well—there’s probably a noble among the writers. Who knows, you might even get flustered reading this? Maybe this kind of love will find you too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous……”
Odellia scoffed and raised her hand playfully, as if to tap Cedric’s shoulder with the book. *Tap.* She felt the impact on someone—turning around, she found Kalix standing right behind her. The pose looked as though she had just shoved the book into his hands.
Perhaps because of that natural timing, Kalix accepted the book from Odellia’s hand. He flipped through the pages quickly, even scanning the promotional blurb at the back.
“……I didn’t know you had such tastes.”
“I don’t!”
Odellia denied it hastily, her face flushed red, but Kalix simply handed the book back to her with a single remark:
“I respect that.”
“Your Highness!”
To make matters worse, Cedric added:
“He thought it might be good to read it to fit in with the ladies, you know.”
“Cedric!”
Even Cedric was being particularly irritating today. Odellia cried out in protest:
“I have never—ever—read such pseudo-romance novels in my life!”
Her shout echoed across the courtyard.
She probably realized it the moment she yelled.
In a society where strong denial is taken as strong affirmation—
With all the flower bouquets, picture frames, and maids in uniform coming and going from the townhouse since early morning, and now her own shout about romance novels—tomorrow morning’s paper was sure to fly off the shelves.
—
***
**【His Highness the Crown Prince’s Choice! The Grand Transformation of the Parvasha Townhouse—Also Known as the Ghost House!**
**In this era where living as a spinster is considered a fiercer fate than death, there is a woman preparing for a belated debut.**
**Known to some as the Golden Lion Hero, and to others as the wild woman who spat an éclair at the heir of House Montegue—yes, Lady Odellia, one of the most anticipated figures of this social season.**
**She couldn’t secure a single tutor and had to wear a man’s tailcoat because she had no money for a dress—a shock and horror, or perhaps a refreshing move. And now, a ray of salvation has descended upon her.**
**That is, His Highness Crown Prince Kalix has stepped forward as her patron.**
**Perhaps His Highness Kalix’s heart was moved by compassion for the people? Or perhaps he is an angel sent by the gods to rescue this pitiful hero?**
**……**
**Lady Odellia must strive not to bring dishonor to His Highness Kalix’s name. At the upcoming imperial debutante ball, will she be able to surpass the young, well-educated ladies and receive Her Majesty the Empress’s ring?**
**Fortunately, the seemingly stone-hearted Odellia is reading a romance novel. Perhaps a pink cherry blossom bud is about to bloom in her heart as well?】**
—
If one lacks a respectable background, no matter how great a hero one is, it is easy to become prey for gossip.
Odellia placed the newspaper roughly on the table. Across from her, Kalix, whether she did so or not, leisurely sipped his tea with great composure.
“Your Highness. This isn’t right.”
“Yes. Indeed, this bread doesn’t go well with black tea.”
“That’s not what I mean……! Why on earth did you announce to the whole world that you’ve become my patron? His Majesty the Emperor will surely take it poorly.”
At that, Kalix set down his teacup and stared intently at Odellia.
“Do I strike you as a man who holds back to win favor?”
“……”
“In the first place, he’s the one who sent me off to die in battle and is now thinking I came back with a thorn named you. If I were afraid of the Emperor, I wouldn’t have returned alive from that battle.”
“……Forgive me, Your Highness. I was short-sighted.”
Odellia hastily dropped to one knee in apology. Kalix watched her quietly, then reached out and lifted her chin.
“Don’t kneel so easily, Odellia. A lady does not behave that way.”
“……”
“More than that, if I am your patron, won’t you be able to find a good match and marry?”
“……”
“You want a docile marionette, and I want a stupid husband.”
No sooner had his words ended than someone began pounding on the townhouse door. Odellia’s expression, as she looked toward the window, turned pale. A long line of men stood before the gate—a queue of suitors who had come to propose to Odellia, stretching across the yard all the way to the front gate.
It was highly unusual for a woman who hadn’t even made her official debut to have a line of suitors.
But far from being pleased that things were becoming easier, Odellia was merely worried about how exhausting the days ahead would be.
—
***
At the Alendassia Imperial Palace, from early morning, a servant carrying a newspaper on a lavish silver tray hurried along the long corridor. Soon, he paused before a magnificent red door, passed the guards, and entered, approaching a woman dressed only in flimsy pajamas. He offered her the tray.
“Today’s edition of the Daily Social Gazette, just printed.”
The woman lounging lazily on the sofa, smoking a cigarette, was none other than Empress Fabbiana of the Alendassia Empire.
“Like a caged parrot, I must recite and recite whatever is written in the papers. But what can I do? The Emperor commands it.”
Though she seemed uninterested, as Empress she could not afford to fall behind in worldly affairs, so she reluctantly picked up the newspaper.
Soon, as she read down the page, a glint of surprise flashed in the Empress’s eyes. Ash began to drop from her cigarette in chunks. The startled maids hurriedly brushed the ash from her garments—but not before it had already burned holes and left black stains.
“Your Majesty, I will bring you a new dress.”
“Good heavens, Your Majesty—are you burned?!”
Unlike the panicking maids, the Empress’s gaze remained fixed on the newspaper. She practically threw her cigarette aside and brought the paper so close to her face it looked as though she might be sucked into it.
“What in the world is this? Kalix became the patron of that lowborn woman?”
She looked like someone consumed by betrayal, utterly beside herself. The maids, knowing that the best course of action in such moments was to stay out of sight, quietly backed away.
Before long, someone else burst through the red door. Unlike the startled maids, Empress Fabbiana simply let out a deep sigh, frowned, and turned her head.
As expected, it was Emperor Liam. He too held a newspaper in his hand, his face filled with such displeasure that he looked ready to tear it to shreds on the spot. He confronted Fabbiana.
“That bastard Kalix has become the patron of a mere commoner.”
“I know. I have eyes, and I can read, Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“Then you must have something to say to me.”
“What exactly should I say? That your parrot, which you’ve always kept caged and raised, isn’t speaking as you command? I haven’t been able to meet Kalix since he returned from the war! No matter how many times I summon him or send word, he ignores me—so are you telling me to knock on his door wearing nothing but the flimsiest lingerie, unworthy of my status as Empress?!”
At his wife’s outpouring of frustration, the Emperor scoffed and retorted:
“Isn’t that exactly why I put you in that position?”
