THBO 01

Chapter 01

1. A Dazzling Summer

[So why did you dote on and raise a beast so gently in the first place?]

Cecilia quietly stared at the man straddling her.

The unexpected wording struck her as if she’d been hit on the head, leaving her no choice but to hold her breath and look at him.

“A beast,” really.

She was surprised, because the man who had uttered such a vulgar word was the very person farthest from it.

Even if everything else in this world were to become base and lowly, he alone would remain noble.

[Why allow it to bare its fangs at you, without even knowing gratitude?]

She blinked several times, but between the opening and closing of her vision, the man remained firm and vividly clear.

Jet-black hair that seemed to swallow the darkness, and violet eyes like the hazy evening sky.

His large frame—big enough to completely shield her from the world—etched out a solid silhouette even in the dark.

The moment she tilted her head slightly, his persistent gaze pinned her down. Eyes deeper than a mire.

Unable to read the emotion within them, her mouth went dry.

I should look away.

It was unfortunate for him, but she was very good at pretending not to know.

“……I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

She answered evenly, with an air of composure. Yet the instant his low chuckle settled in her ears, tension raced along her spine.

Her toes curled, and an unfamiliar sensation prickled over her skin as goosebumps rose across her body.

No.

She deliberately put on an indifferent expression.

“Get down.”

[I don’t want to.]

“Then are you going to stay like that for the rest of your life?”

[Hmm, shall I?]

The hand braced beside her face moved slowly. Pale, straight fingers began to toy with the end of the ribbon on her shoulder.

The very ribbon tightly tied to hold her dress in place.

Would his touch turn cruel?

She knew perfectly well that he could simply pull the end and undo her clothes.

“If you have the stamina, do as you like.”

[……]

“Suit yourself.”

As she maintained her calm demeanor, he tugged one corner of his mouth up into a crooked smile.

The strong man lowered himself gradually over her body. His cool forehead touched her collarbone, black hair tickling her skin.

Was it because she was firmly trapped in his arms? It felt as though she couldn’t move even a fingertip.

Suddenly—very suddenly—everything about this felt far too dangerous—

An alarm rang in her head.

With a start, Cecilia shot upright in bed. Her golden eyes slid naturally toward the clock on the mantel.

Five minutes to ten in the morning.

“I’m doomed…….”

Her head throbbed from sitting up too quickly. Cecilia clutched it and let out a small groan.

So that was why it felt dangerous in the dream—her schedule was what was dangerous.

“I’ve lost my mind.”

To oversleep just because she tossed and turned a bit last night.

With no time left to berate herself, Cecilia threw off the covers, slipped into her slippers, and got up.

She hastily tugged a ribbon to loosen her hair and began brushing it roughly, when the maids poured into the room in a flurry, bright smiles on their faces.

“Good morning, Your Highness!”

“Did you sleep well?”

“We hope you had a peaceful night!”

Eyes of various colors sparkled with emotions of similar hue.

Today was the day a most noble person was going on a picnic!

And the empire’s one and only princess, Cecilia Yelizaveta Marisa de Lucerne, was radiant as ever today.

For the maids, it was the perfect opportunity to dress up their lovely mistress to the fullest.

One maid trotted up to Cecilia and complained playfully.

“Oh, honestly—didn’t we say to leave the brushing to us?”

“Ah, yeah. Sorry. I overslept, so I started first.”

When Cecilia obediently handed over the brush, far more practiced hands took over.

“Your Highness, we’ve brought some outfits!”

“I’ll take the one on the far right.”

“And the accessories?”

“Amber, please.”

“Yes!”

The bedroom, quiet just moments ago, quickly filled with bustle.

In the most splendid room of the Fonrep Palace, some maids prepared the princess’s attire, others made the bed, and still others began setting out breakfast with tea.

Only after her nails were tended did Cecilia finally take up the strong-brewed black tea.

Drinking it bitter with lemon instead of sugar or milk was a long-standing habit of the princess.

“It’s unusual for you to wake up late, Your Highness.”

Seeing the princess’s expression soften in the warmth of the tea, her nurse, Countess Jeanne Vieira, spoke in a teasing tone.

“Mmm, sorry. I had restless dreams.”

“Your Highness. Your wording.”

Isn’t that expression fine? Cecilia muttered softly—only to meet her nurse’s sharp gaze.

“To use such frivolous words—this nurse would be too embarrassed to lift her head! Your seventeenth birthday is just around the corner…… You wouldn’t use such expressions at your debutante ball, would you?”

Why did my nurse suddenly turn into a monster?

“Your Highness?”

At the theatrical pose of dabbing even her eyes with a handkerchief, Cecilia immediately backed down.

“As if I would…….”

“Of course not. Our princess is so thoughtful. I trust you won’t gift me the disgrace of having raised Lucerne’s precious jewel poorly.”

In the Lucerne Empire, the coming-of-age ceremony was held at seventeen.

And the grand banquet celebrating it was the debutante ball.

Given the importance of the day, a single wrong word at the debutante would drown her nurse in tears.

“Your Highness’s debutante is a festival for the entire empire.”

“I know. I’ll be careful.”

At Cecilia’s neat reply, the countess stepped back.

Having cared for Cecilia since she was little, she knew when it was time to stop nagging.

Instead, she gently took in with her eyes the girl she had raised with such care.

Soon she would shed the label of “girl,” but not just yet.

The child who once ran up to her, black hair flying, had grown into someone so lovely.

Those blinking golden eyes, rosy flushed cheeks, even the small fists she used to clench—everything was vivid.

Already like this, sniff…….

“Nurse.”

“Yes?”

It seemed she had sniffled without realizing it.

Following proper etiquette, Cecilia chewed her piece of bread slowly and spoke calmly.

“I’m not even having my birthday yet, I haven’t had my debutante, I’m not married, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know. But time is so cruelly fast, sniff.”

“Nurse, you said that yesterday too…….”

“Try raising a child yourself—then see if you don’t say the same!”

Having never raised a child, Cecilia quietly closed her mouth, then blinked with her hands cupping her chin like a flower.

Fluttering black lashes scattered light around her.

“But your Cecilia grew up beautifully, didn’t she?”

It was a gesture that sent ripples through the viewer’s heart.

Her beauty was so compelling that even the busy maids froze for a moment.

Even the countess was helplessly drawn in, finally smiling with satisfaction.

“Of course you are beautiful,” she emphasized firmly.

“More than anyone.”

It was, indeed, a devastating beauty.

Standing at the boundary between girlhood and womanhood, the princess had even transformed the instability of her age into perfect beauty.

Lofty dignity and cool arrogance—an air that inspired awe.

That beauty likely played a part in Cecilia Lucerne being accepted as a “true royal.”

In truth, the princess was not born of the current emperor and empress. She was merely a distant collateral relative, not even sharing a drop of blood.

But she had miraculously been born with black hair, and so was entered into the royal family and adopted as the emperor’s daughter.

The treasure of the Fonrep Palace. The empire’s beloved princess. The greatest beauty on the continent.

All were epithets that described Cecilia Lucerne.

And the woman who knew her own weapons well had already returned to a demure expression, scooping up a spoonful of milk sherbet.

Rather than dwell on the path Cecilia had walked, the countess gently changed the subject.

“You must have had quite a fierce dream, Your Highness.”

“Did I? ……Yeah, I guess I did.”

In the dream, she seemed to have clearly recognized who the man was.

Cecilia frowned slightly, concentrating on recalling his identity.

Just who was it?

She was sure he had been handsome.

Among the men around her who were handsome enough to be novel protagonists—

“First, if we exclude Alec.”

Cecilia silently set down her teacup. The curiosity that had driven her to identify the man sank completely beneath the next thought that surged up.

That is—

Cecilia—Cecilia Lucerne—knew something.

She knew that the story of this world was recorded somewhere, in printed words.

This isn’t some romantic metaphor about “life being a story and the world a grand stage made of stories.”

Once, when she was young, Cecilia read a book.

She couldn’t remember the detailed settings, or even the title, but she vaguely remembered the protagonists’ names and general setup.

The heroine was named “Blanche.” The long-awaited male lead was “Thierry,” and the second male lead was “Alexis.”

As for the plot she remembered most clearly:

1. The sunny-natured heroine falls in love at first sight with the prickly, cold male lead.

2. She showers him with affection, but innately indifferent, he mercilessly rejects her love.

3. Eventually, he falls.

4. Of course, there is always at least one period where their love wavers—because of the gentle childhood friend who always stays by the heroine’s side: the second male lead.

5. That second male lead has devoted himself to the heroine alone for a very long time—actually, since their first meeting.

6. But what good is preserving such devotion?

The second male lead does nothing more than serve as a fuse for the male lead’s jealousy, then disappears alone and forlornly near the end.

That’s how it goes.

Utterly, painfully clichéd.

So it was only natural that she forgot the title, the surnames of the characters, and even the fact that she had read it at all.

What made Cecilia recall that book she had read somewhere long ago was the moment she first met the novel’s heroine, Blanche.