Chapter 9
“If I accept your sponsorship, what must I give you in return?”
It was a question deliberately phrased to elicit a frank answer. He wondered how long the countess, whose cheeks had already flushed to the under-eyes, would continue to skirt around her intentions.
“I… I’ve been watching Your Highness the Prince for a very long time. When I first saw you, I thought you were the prince I’d always dreamed of since childhood. I admired you in my heart and, at last, I’ve gathered the courage to act.”
“…….”
“The Queen herself supported me. She said someone like you, who tends to feel lonely, might get along well with me. Perhaps we could fill the emptiness in each other’s hearts.”
We?
The countess had unconsciously used the pronoun “we.” Her demeanor suggested she was certain she could make the prince of a fallen kingdom her lover. David could guess why: the Queen had probably spurred on the countess from behind the scenes, sensing her hidden desires.
David sneered coldly and swept his bangs back. He deliberately ignored the countess’s gaze, which seemed almost hypnotic, and thought:
This is someone trying to swallow me whole. I cannot break like I did during my private meeting with the Queen.
Even if his chest boiled with anger and frustration, his mind had to stay clear. He wanted to avoid this if possible, but circumstances prevented it…
Because this was a negotiation over his own “price.”
“If you insist on this approach, then I shall no longer treat you as my lord’s wife.”
The “object” here was himself. David instinctively understood that in a situation like this, he must never appear subservient or bent.
That was why he had chosen a high-handed stance without a moment’s hesitation.
“Are you saying you will see me as a mere woman?”
The countess’s eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together. Ignoring her rosy delusion, David quickly made a decision.
He would quote an absurdly high sum.
His intention had two aims: either to make her give up and retreat or to secure an amount large enough to sustain Melania and her caretaker for years to come.
“200,000 Reble upfront. All in gold bars.”
“Wh-what?”
The countess’s eyes widened. It was far more than she had expected.
“I mean to treat you strictly as a business transaction. To treat a prince of a nation as nothing more than a courtesan, one must spend that much, don’t you think?”
David leaned back against his chair, posing casually while internally a storm of emotions raged.
…To state my own “price” with my own mouth.
He felt strange, yet powerful. The day had come when he could openly assert his princely status to deal with someone, to use it as leverage.
200,000 Reble would be more than enough. Enough for Melania and her caretaker to live without financial worry for at least five years. Enough so Melania could have a proper dowry when she found a good match as an adult.
His amethyst-clear eyes stared calmly at the countess, who dabbed sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
“Hmm, could it be 150,000 instead?”
The countess began haggling cautiously. Even 150,000 was a substantial sum, which spoke to her own wealth as the lady of the island.
“No, 200,000. If I am to play this dangerous game with you without my lord knowing, I need my insurance.”
David cut off her bargaining firmly, his gaze sharp.
“……I’ll… think about it.”
Intimidated, the countess rose abruptly and hurried out of the reception room as if chased.
Ugh.
David clenched his fist to stifle the rising nausea. The strong perfume the countess left behind made him feel sick. Even his own reckless self, throwing out such terms in the moment, disgusted him.
He silently prayed:
Let the countess’s sudden passion fade by the end of today.
About five days remained until the Count would leave Pardon Island.
The countess’s maid visited the knights’ quarters, carrying a letter. It seemed the countess had finally made her decision. David took it expressionlessly and read the contents:
“Understood. I’ll find a way. As soon as the gold bars are ready, I’ll send them. Now that it’s come to this, I hope this deal will not be broken. Unless you want to be branded as the scoundrel who forced your lord’s wife.”
Along with the readiness to provide 200,000 Reble upfront came a chilling threat. The paper, heavy with rose fragrance, crumpled in David’s fist.
Sigh. It felt as if a crater had formed in his chest, with molten lava boiling inside.
How could her body be so inflamed? What meaning was there in bedding a man she barely spoke to? Was she truly so drawn just by the skin of a face?
If he accepted the gold bars, he would have no choice but to enter the countess’s bedroom on the promised day. He hadn’t expected her to agree so readily. Should he have demanded an even higher sum?
David wiped the cold sweat from his brow. If the deal was broken, she might accuse him falsely. Though the countess would have no proof, the Count could suspect, and that would be a serious problem.
He had no idea what punishment he might face from the Count, his effective lord. He could even be expelled from the knights’ order, which he had considered a lifelong career.
He clutched at straws, thinking of anyone who could help.
Queen Elizabeth? His five half-brothers? His father, who had gone completely mad and locked himself in a cell?
No. None of them would act.
If he truly ended up in the countess’s arms…
The thought made his skin crawl. How could he suppress the nausea every time a strange woman touched him? How could he endure the shame each time he looked in a mirror?
How could he meet Melania’s innocent eyes and lift his head? How could he face Count Bogdan after all he had done?
There was no hope anywhere. The deeper he looked, the more despair there was.
Standing at the dead end, David pondered for hours and finally made a decision. He nodded once heavily and left the knights’ quarters.
The first place David went was the forest cabin where Melania lived.
He dismounted and ran inside. Melania and her caretaker were surprised; David rarely came to the house during work hours.
“David, what brings you here in broad daylight? Isn’t it training time?”
The caretaker, her brown hair neatly pinned, asked cautiously. David shook his head. Training was the last thing on his mind.
“Just… I wanted to see you and Mel.”
He spread his arms and approached them. Melania felt a pang of worry as she entered his wide embrace.
She gently pushed against his chest and stepped back.
[Is something wrong? Your face looks so dark.]
She held her palms outward, crossing them in front of her. David’s normally bright face seemed unusually gloomy today, as if he had brought a stormcloud into the room.
“No, you know me. I live for seeing you and the caretaker.”
He forced a smile. He had made his firm decision but could not speak of it yet.
I’m sorry, Mel. I’m sorry, caretaker.
He no longer had the strength to live as himself on this island. He wanted to abandon everything—his princely status and all.
He would send the upfront payment via Ruby as soon as he received it. He would leave the island secretly, like when he had first escaped, whether by fishing boat or stowing beneath a merchant ship’s deck.
Melania and the caretaker must continue living safely even without him. He would return when his existence was forgotten—if he survived, that is.
Hiding his crumbling inner feelings, David spoke as usual with the two. Only at sunset did he press his cheeks against theirs and bid farewell.
Suppressing tears, he guided Ruby the horse out of the forest.
Just as he turned toward the manor, an unexpected figure appeared, startling him.
“Hey, did you hide a treasure chest in the forest or something?”
It was Bruno, the youngest prince. The fifth child of the Queen, he had stationed himself with his guards at the small entrance to the forest David often used.
David held the reins tightly, wary of his half-brother’s sudden appearance.
“…Prince Bruno, are you following me?”
“What do you mean, ‘following me,’ brother? I lost your trail, so I decided to wait. I must say, I’m amazed at how quickly you handle a horse through the forest.”
Bruno spoke smoothly, friendly.
“Anyway, David. What business brought you into this forest? You don’t have a gun, so I assume it’s not hunting.”
“I wanted to bathe alone in the clear stream. What brings you here?”
David invented an excuse calmly. Bruno wouldn’t recognize Melania, and he didn’t want the existence of the forest cabin discovered.
“A delegation from Levantea has arrived. Since Father isn’t well, Mother is receiving them and urgently asked for you. She said you must be brought before sunset, no matter what.”
David’s expression turned puzzled.
A delegation from the invading country Levantea on Pardon Island?
Such a visit would surely have been announced by the Knight Commander. Yet he had heard nothing.
“Why has the Levantean delegation come here…? Does this have anything to do with being summoned by the Queen?”
“I don’t know the details either. Just hurry and follow. You’ll need time to get presentable.”
Bruno vaulted onto his horse and sped toward the manor.
David followed, questioning in his mind if Bruno’s last word had indeed been “get presentable,” amid the pounding of hooves.
