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Chapter: 23
“Good evening, Lady Warfield.”
“Wow… Prince.”
The Baroness awkwardly dropped to her knees in a curtsey. She hadn’t expected the prince to approach first, and she couldn’t hide her surprise. Though the prince had already been her benefactor, a hint of suspicion flickered in her gaze nonetheless.
“Well… Prince Ian…”
“Prince?”
“…He’s apparently a big fan of David.”
Natalie had made up a quick explanation when the Baroness pressed her about how the prince knew her.
The Baroness had heard rumors that the prince’s private life was scandalous. But she had always thought such things were just stories, fabrications.
However, learning that he was actually obsessed with that infamous, risqué novel that had shaken the entire country, she couldn’t help but see him in a new light. His noble appearance, almost divine, certainly contributed to the sense of awe she felt.
How could someone so graceful have such a scandalous hobby? Her misconceptions about the prince grew, though Natalie had no concern for them.
Regaining her composure, Natalie quickly dropped into a curtsey herself.
The prince’s gaze lingered on Natalie’s face before traveling down to her dark gray dress, so elegant it made her seem almost like an elderly noblewoman. He smiled charmingly.
“A wonderful dress.”
“…Thank you.”
Natalie realized her timid resistance had no effect on the prince. She had expected as much, yet she still felt a flicker of frustration.
“May I have the honor of dancing the next piece with you?”
He asked with a relaxed expression.
Natalie stared at his outstretched hand, serious. At a ball, it was natural to dance. But…
Taking his hand felt like agreeing to some absurd bargain, and she couldn’t do it lightly.
How had things come to this? Her mind was in chaos, ready to explode. Just as her thoughts teetered on the edge, the Baroness whispered into her ear anxiously.
“Natalie, are you planning to wait much longer?”
Dare to refuse the prince?
Natalie finally regained her rationality.
“With pleasure. It’s my honor, Your Highness.”
She answered as casually as possible and placed her fingertips on his hand. The moment they touched, she instinctively flinched—his hand was warmer than she expected.
Feeling embarrassed at her own nervousness, Natalie averted her gaze. The prince said nothing, only slowly pulled her close. Though she dreaded moving her feet, Natalie obediently followed him.
They faced each other across the floor like other curious, excited couples.
The murmur of the crowd and the tuning of instruments created a chaotic background. The whispers seemed all directed at her, and since taking the prince’s hand, she couldn’t tear her eyes from the floor.
Her head spun so much she barely knew where she stood, when a fresh, calm voice reached her ears.
“With that expression, I’d seem like the villain.”
The prince had become brief with his words, but there was an unmistakable amusement in his face.
He guided her left hand onto his shoulder and whispered.
“I can’t undo what you’ve already heard. It was a suggestion made with you in mind.”
…Is he serious?
It didn’t seem he was asking for an answer. Following his lead, Natalie awkwardly lifted her arm and placed her palm on his left shoulder.
The cut of her dress left the top of her back nearly bare, and she could feel his fingertips almost grazing her skin. The tension made her swallow hard. Her hand gripping his shoulder tensed involuntarily, and the hand they held together felt slick with sweat.
“Do you dance much?”
Just before the music started, he asked. Natalie hesitated and shook her head slightly.
His mouth loosened into a small smile at her response.
Even if everything else is a mystery, the shell of him is truly angelic…
Her chestnut eyes locked on him.
“It’s fine. I’ll lead.”
As he said this, the music began.
Natalie’s mind went completely blank. She didn’t even know how she was moving her feet. Captivated by his gaze, she followed his lead, spinning and twirling.
“I didn’t expect you to be in the suite. Seems the novel sold well.”
He whispered unexpectedly, startling her. She lowered her eyes abruptly, as if waking from a dream. The breeze from their movement brushed her hair.
There were no other suitable rooms; the suite was all that was left, you bastard.
Though she wanted to scold him, he was royalty, so she swallowed it.
“I’m very glad you came. Can I take this as your agreement to the… arrangement?”
The prince teased relentlessly, and Natalie clenched her teeth, meeting his gaze. Seeing her response, the prince smiled in satisfaction.
Beautiful things often hold poison, they say. People too.
Prince Ian Baldemar, said to be an angel descended from the heavens, appeared before her as some kind of devil.
…Ha. His personality really is nothing like he seems.
Natalie muttered this silently in frustration. It was both a lament and a simple observation.
The prince froze, as if struck in the back of the head, then chuckled softly.
“Sometimes, I hear things.”
“…Pardon?”
He continued, silently amused.
“Miss Dows, the piece is almost over.”
Natalie realized he had read her lips. Her face went pale.
“You should give me an answer soon.”
He pressed her with a gentle voice as she froze.
“Lend me your notorious reputation. Drag Ian Astier’s name through the mud.”
The words whispered so casually belied their weight. To ruin the reputation of a prince beloved by all the people!
A lady of scandal, a legendary seductress. Natalie Dows, infamous. And here was the prince, forgetting his duty because of her—surely a scandal that would captivate the public.
“And divorce him. Make sure Ian Astier can never become king.”
If a marriage doomed by the world’s disapproval succeeded and ended in divorce in less than a year… even more so.
“But be cautious. Compared to three years ago, all eyes will be on you, and the whole world will try to tear you apart.”
The thought of him speaking as though he were worried for her, despite threatening her life, created a fleeting, foolish illusion. Surely, he had no such intent.
“Still… will you be my bride?”
The prince didn’t ask again.
He’ll kill me if I refuse, and yet acts like there’s another choice…
A quiet ripple ran through Natalie’s black eyes. Having faced assassination for the first time in her life, she could never imagine the prince’s threat was a joke.
She pressed her lips together in resignation, then slightly parted them as if to speak. The prince’s gaze narrowed on her.
“…I have a request.”
Finally, Natalie managed to say a word. She had practiced it in front of a mirror a hundred times, yet her head was bowed low when it came out.
Even after several steps, no answer came from the prince.
She glanced up.
“….”
His expression was peculiar. The curve of his lips seemed satisfied, but his gently arched eyebrows gave him the look of someone hearing unexpected words.
Had asking for something been presumptuous? Natalie pressed her lips together.
“Um… it’s not really a request. I just… wanted to ask once…”
Her voice barely above a whisper, she added timidly.
Unexpectedly, he responded.
“…You speak well.”
The prince murmured, smiling—not fully, but clearly.
Natalie, whose confidence had faltered, felt a strange encouragement from his expression. For some reason, he seemed genuinely pleased.
If she spoke now, perhaps he would forgive her. Feeling a strange certainty, Natalie opened her mouth.
“Because of me, everything went wrong. I hope it can be okay again.”
Her voice sounded as if she could collapse at any moment.
“I hope my father, mother, and little brother Alex can leave the mansion. I hope Bianca can speak of the old castle. Or that Dorothy can find a proper groom and marry. That alone would be more than enough.”
She poured out the thoughts she had kept bottled up for three years. For the first time.
The “femme fatale, wicked woman” title? That mattered little compared to this nightmare. She could endure anything if it meant her family could have even a little happiness.
“If I become your… one-year bride…”
She held her breath, staring at the angel—perhaps a devil—before her.
“Is that… possible?”
Natalie asked, her voice trembling.
The prince looked down at her twisted, tearful face, then slowly spoke. To Natalie, it felt like a thousand-year moment.
