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Chapter: 26
“…I thought you meant we’d see each other often, not literally ‘every day.’”
“Of course I meant ‘every day.’ I’m completely smitten with Natalie Daus.”
“……”
“Isn’t that only natural?”
Her words caught in her throat for a moment at the oddly proud tone in his voice.
Even for a couple in love, seeing each other every day seemed a bit much. He seemed thoroughly immersed in his role.
Prince chuckled quietly at Natalie’s expression, which looked like she’d just been hit.
‘…He really laughs well.’
Natalie furrowed her brows slightly. He genuinely seemed to enjoy this, not just acting.
For a moment, she wondered if he actually found talking to her enjoyable.
Meanwhile, he smiled and spoke again.
“You didn’t take my mother’s place. Good thinking.”
Thinking of the stately dress she had stubbornly worn last night, she felt like he had seen through all her inner thoughts, which was embarrassing.
Reflexively, Natalie glanced down at her outfit. Luckily, her lavender outing dress and ivory coat looked ordinary.
She breathed a small sigh of relief—just as a gust of dusty wind rolled a tabloid paper to her feet.
She instinctively recoiled her toes, and the prince slowed his pace. His gaze naturally followed hers to the ground.
Has our angel fallen?
The bold headline made them both stop dead in their tracks.
“Image matters, after all.”
The prince murmured.
“They’re certain I’m being threatened by you.”
It was probably the rest of the article she had skimmed over during breakfast.
“They must think your reputation is so fearsome that no one could imagine the prince troubling a lady.”
He smiled, eyes crinkling, clearly enjoying himself.
Being tied to the prince was more overwhelming than she’d imagined. Is this really okay? Natalie looked up at him with a serious expression.
For a brief moment, their eyes seemed to search each other. Surprisingly, the prince looked away first.
“If you have something to say, don’t hold back or worry about being polite.”
He strode past her in long, confident steps, speaking as he passed.
Natalie blinked, thinking, Did he just say that? But recalling last night, he had indeed said something similar.
Still, if she spoke her mind openly, wouldn’t it count as treason?
Natalie stared blankly after the prince’s round head as he walked ahead, her gaze caught by his swaying blonde hair.
“Today’s the first day. You’ll get used to it gradually.”
Sensing her gaze, he glanced back briefly and added the remark.
Natalie snapped out of her daze and hurried to close the gap between them.
“And you should smile more. Otherwise, people might think you were dragged here against your will.”
That’s true, she thought.
“…I’ll try.”
“I didn’t come to assassinate you. I came to love you.”
As if anyone could forget he could easily assassinate her. And he spoke plainly.
He’s just pretending to love me, she thought.
The prince spoke in his usual teasingly ambiguous way. Natalie couldn’t help but frown in irritation.
Then he stopped again, turning around suddenly. She had no chance to hide her displeasure.
“What were you just thinking?”
“……”
The prince was the quickest-witted person she had ever met, with an uncanny knack for making people uncomfortable.
“Tell me.”
No matter how awkward or pitiful her expression was, he didn’t back down.
“You came to pretend to love me, didn’t you…”
She muttered softly, feeling the burden of her role.
The prince’s eyes went wide, and he laughed heartily.
His laughter was breathtakingly charming, yet somehow infuriating.
Natalie prayed for the walk to end soon, quickening her pace, now taking the lead past him.
“Exactly. I’ll act like I’m madly in love with you. So at least you can pretend to be embarrassed.”
He chuckled continuously, closing the small gap between them in just two steps.
“I don’t expect to see a truly lovestruck face. Your acting seems clumsy anyway.”
Then, unexpectedly, he leaned in close, whispering so intimately it almost felt like a command to fall in love immediately.
Wha—!
Natalie froze at his sudden move. Her heart raced wildly; she could only blink.
Watching her slow reaction, he added teasingly,
“Do I have to explain everything again? Was my aide’s explanation insufficient yesterday?”
“…No.”
Natalie denied it, mainly wishing to end this uncomfortable walk as quickly as possible.
Yet, there were many parts of the prince’s plan she didn’t understand—especially the “marriage” part.
Prince Ian marrying some baron’s daughter? How is that even possible?
Yesterday, Lord Pible had detailed how a common noblewoman could marry a prince. But the more she learned, the more skeptical she became.
It seems too reckless.
She stole a glance at the prince’s profile. For once, he was quiet, and she wanted to leave him be. But she cautiously asked,
“Is eloping really the only option?”
The prince’s eyes widened slightly at her unexpected question. He tilted his head, curious.
“Then how do you plan to marry me?”
“Would the church in Grand Baten recognize you as a princess? The bishops don’t like you that much, do they?”
The conservative church of Baten would never allow a prince to marry a woman outside the ruling family—especially if she was a problematic baron’s daughter.
“…They’d never approve.”
“Then we’ll have to elope and seek approval from another country’s church.”
Could she even imagine herself standing beside him before a foreign bishop?
“There’s still plenty of time before the elopement, so no need to stress yet.”
He said this lazily, lips curved into a faint smirk.
Natalie clenched her fists without realizing it. He was far more playful than he appeared.
She had never met anyone like him. And yet, he was a prince. How was she supposed to react?
“Your Highness, wait a moment.”
Just as her temper flared and she nearly sighed, Marcus arrived.
Natalie replaced her sigh with a sharp intake of breath.
After whispering to him, the prince excused himself for a moment.
In that brief pause, the baroness approached Natalie, lowering her voice.
“Natalie, what did the prince say? You didn’t make any mistakes or behave rudely, did you?”
“He didn’t say much. He seems surprised we ran into each other.”
Natalie denied it to her mother. Beyond that, there was nothing to discuss. The two women stepped aside to wait for the prince’s party.
The spring sun past noon was unusually intense. This summer was going to be brutal.
Heat flamed her face, making it feel even hotter. Natalie fanned herself while glancing at the prince’s still-ongoing conversation with his aide. It seemed to be taking longer than expected.
“If it’s Lady Warfield, isn’t that a scandal for the lady?”
A low voice struck her ears.
Her fanning hands froze in midair. She blinked in disbelief.
That’s… about me, isn’t it?
“Daring to step back into society—how shameless!”
The two men’s whispers became clearer, as if confirming they were talking about her.
“An infamous libertine and a scandal? How did a future crown prince even get involved?”
“How could that innocent prince have been fooled by her? So obvious.”
Embarrassed by the blatant gossip, Natalie ducked her head. She didn’t even dare look up, fearing it might be someone she knew.
“To think I’d ever hear the name Warfield again! Are all rural nobles as shameless as the Warfield family? I couldn’t even show my face if it were me!”
Beside her downcast gaze, she saw her mother’s trembling hands. Her mother must have heard the ridicule too.
Natalie bit her lower lip firmly.
“Be careful. Compared to three years ago, all eyes of the world are now on you, and everyone will try to tear you apart.”
She hadn’t entirely ignored the possibility of gossip.
Yet, unlike the men suggested, she wasn’t bold enough to withstand it. Standing before others was difficult, and it made her head burn with frustration and sorrow.
Especially seeing her family insulted because of her… it was unbearable.
“Miss Daus?”
The prince, who had returned unnoticed, called her.
In that moment, Natalie stopped imagining grabbing them by the collars, demanding how moral they thought they were after reading her writing.
If I can’t endure it… well, I’ve already made my choice. I’ve taken his hand.
Looking at his face, her previously flushed head cooled instantly.
She relaxed her lips and slowly lifted her head.
Their eyes met. In his bright blue eyes—bluer and clearer than the sea viewed from Warfield—she saw her own pitiful face reflected.
…Why must the one I catch be the beautiful one with poison hidden inside?
Somehow, she felt a pang of sorrow. Tears stung her eyes. She barely managed to look away before her vision blurred.
