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Chapter 6
A little before the accident, inside the Imperial carriage.
Ian and Brian were on their way to the shopping district after receiving an anonymous report about a poisonous herb.
Normally, reports of this kind were often misunderstandings, so there was little value in investigating them.
However, this outing had been suggested by Brian in order to calm Ian, who had become increasingly irritated after attending a string of banquets that did not suit his preferences.
“……”
Ian sat silently with his arms crossed, staring out the window.
The air felt warm—spring was clearly approaching.
It had been in spring, when cherry blossoms bloomed in full glory, that his mother, the former Empress, had passed away from chronic illness.
The palace always prioritized the imperial couple’s wedding anniversary five days later, leaving the former Empress’s death anniversary in the background.
Ian himself, without expecting anything from others, would quietly observe his mother’s memorial day alone.
And once again, that day was approaching—and with it, the vivid memories of his nine-year-old self.
“Your Highness, the position of Empress must not remain vacant even for a moment.”
“But… my mother just passed away yesterday…”
“We understand Your Highness’s feelings, but His Majesty the Emperor must also fulfill his duty. Please remember that this is the Imperial Palace.”
Because of that, Ian had been forced to accept a new stepmother in less than a week after his mother’s death.
At the time, he had been too consumed by grief to understand, but as he grew older, he realized that the Emperor and Karola had already been involved while the former Empress lay on her sickbed.
“If you’ve risen to the position of Empress, you should always have the latest fashionable dresses prepared. Every empire is watching my every move. In that regard, the former Empress was truly outdated. There wasn’t a single decent piece in her wardrobe.”
Perhaps due to the sense of victimhood born from that inappropriate relationship, the new Empress constantly compared herself to the former Empress and belittled her.
She had only been waiting—patiently and silently—for the right moment to seize the Emperor’s position.
“……”
While Ian was lost in thought, the carriage passed through the plaza.
The sound of people laughing, brightened by the unusually warm weather, filled the air.
“Connie!”
And then, a woman’s gentle voice calling a friend.
Ian, almost instinctively drawn to it, turned his head.
Just as he was about to look away after briefly observing the smiling crowd—
“Wait, Duke.”
“Yes?”
“What is that?”
Something strikingly out of place entered Ian’s vision.
Following Ian’s pointing finger, Brian’s expression turned pale.
“Isn’t that a carriage? It’s going to cause an accident like that!”
A black carriage was speeding recklessly toward a building.
Only belatedly noticing it, people’s screams echoed through the plaza.
“……!”
At that moment, Ian’s eyes caught sight of a woman desperately running forward.
“Your Highness!”
The moment he saw her, Ian threw open the carriage door without hesitation and jumped out.
“Dangerous!”
Brian’s shout came from behind, but Ian paid no attention.
Instinct told him—whatever that woman was trying to do, he had to stop her.
“Get out of the way!”
The woman pushed someone away with all her strength.
The person she shoved managed to escape the carriage’s path, but the woman herself lost her balance and fell.
‘Idiot!’
At this rate, she would be crushed and die horribly.
Ian sprinted forward immediately.
Thud.
He grabbed her waist in one motion.
The small, light woman was pulled effortlessly into his arms.
BOOM!
The carriage crashed violently into a glass storefront.
Everything happened in less than a minute.
“Hey, are you alright?”
It was only when a strange voice tickled her ear that Rovellin regained consciousness.
The carriage had crashed into the very spot where she had just been standing.
People were screaming and fleeing, others were watching in shock, and some were shouting while trying to manage the scene.
The surreal situation made Rovellin feel as if she were dreaming.
“How did this… huh?”
As she tried to step forward absentmindedly, she finally became aware of a firm arm wrapped around her waist.
It belonged to the person who had just saved her from being run over.
Even though the danger had passed, the arm still did not let her go.
“T-thank you very much.”
Feeling both grateful and strangely uncomfortable, Rovellin shifted slightly to pull away.
But for some reason, his arm tightened even more around her waist.
“Um… you can let go now—”
As she twisted slightly and looked up,
her movement froze completely.
Those blue eyes looking down at her in silence.
‘I-Ian? Why is he here again?’
While she stood there flustered and unsure what to do, Ian’s ocean-like blue gaze carefully examined her face.
“You… do you know me?”
“…Pardon?”
Her eyes widened in confusion at the sudden, blunt question.
What, was there anyone in the empire who didn’t know the Crown Prince?
But Rovellin instinctively understood—that wasn’t the reason he was asking.
“Answer me—”
“Your Highness!”
Just as Rovellin’s lips moved uncertainly, Brian’s voice rang out from afar as he rushed over.
His shout rippled through the crowd.
“Your Highness? He said Your Highness?”
“Oh my goodness, that’s the Crown Prince?”
“Everyone, it’s His Highness!”
In an instant, the crowd erupted.
People who had finally recognized him dropped to their knees.
“I greet His Highness the Crown Prince!”
Cornelia also quickly approached and bowed.
Ian clicked his tongue as he glanced around, then finally released Rovellin.
“Enough formalities. Everyone, stand up. We need to handle the situation first.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
At his command, the people immediately began moving efficiently.
Ian scanned the accident site with sharp eyes.
The black carriage bore no insignia—it was a public carriage used for hire.
‘…There’s no driver.’
A driver was supposed to hold the reins at all times for safety.
Even if this had been caused by a mistake, the absence of anyone running after the carriage was suspicious.
As if it had been meant to happen.
Ian quickly memorized the carriage number.
The city guard would investigate it anyway, but something told him not to leave it entirely to them.
All authority over the capital’s security currently belonged to Count Wighell, a cousin of the Empress.
“Your Highness! Are you injured anywhere?”
“I’m fine.”
Brian rushed over.
“That’s a relief, Your Highness. Lady Bennet is also safe—”
“Bennet?”
“Yes, this is Lady Bennet.”
“Ah.”
Brian carefully introduced Cornelia.
He had originally planned to arrange a meeting between Ian and Cornelia before the engagement, but the sudden incident left him flustered.
Ian simply nodded without much reaction.
Then his gaze shifted to another woman standing nearby.
“And this is?”
“…Lady Rovellin Dines of the Viscount House, Your Highness.”
“Rovellin Dines.”
Ian repeated the name softly.
And stared at her intently, as if memorizing her existence.
“Your Highness, Lady Dines seems quite shocked. I will take her home.”
Brian quickly stepped between them, sensing something dangerous in Ian’s gaze.
“Oh, t-that’s a great idea! May I rely on you, Duke?”
Rovellin, still shaken, quickly hid behind Brian.
It was the perfect chance to escape.
Watching Brian grip her wrist, Ian’s brow twitched.
“Your Highness, shouldn’t you—”
“Duke, shouldn’t we focus on handling the accident first?”
“Pardon?”
“Soon the city guard will arrive. Someone needs to take command here.”
Ian’s dignified voice left Brian momentarily speechless.
With a faint smile, Ian continued.
“Therefore, I will escort Lady Dines.”
“Excuse me?”
“You finish the cleanup here and return to the Crown Prince’s Palace. Report to me directly.”
‘Wow… what an evil boss.’
For a moment, Rovellin thought of her previous life’s company director.
That boss also had the lovely habit of telling people to come back to the office after fieldwork just to report in person.
‘Poor Brian.’
But Rovellin didn’t have time to worry about others.
“What are you doing? Get in.”
Ian, standing beside the imperial carriage, gestured toward her.
