🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 9. Isn’t This a Bit Too Provocative?
The sky quickly darkened, and stars began to twinkle. A calm hush settled over Bastia Castle.
“Let’s have a drink.”
Late at night, the Count of Bastia brought out a bottle of wine and personally poured it into their glasses. Arsen took a sip. The soft tannins melted on his tongue, clinging delicately. The slight bitterness lingering at the end suited his taste perfectly.
“The aroma is quite pleasant.”
“You’ve had a long day. I brought out a top-quality vintage that suits your preferences.”
Receiving such thoughtful hospitality, Arsen politely emptied a few more glasses.
The clinking of cups exchanged back and forth.
“I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”
At the Count’s voice, Arsen lifted his head.
“If Her Highness Princess Aracne had truly punished the knights, I wouldn’t have been able to contain the situation.”
“It was my failure in oversight. I’ll make sure such difficulties don’t arise again.”
“No, it wasn’t your fault, Sir.”
“Nor can we blame Her Highness.”
The Count fell silent, his lips tight. After all, the Remigis Order couldn’t openly challenge a member of the imperial family.
“If the Third Princess hadn’t stepped in, I shudder to think what might have happened to Sir Hagen… Truly, she was unexpected. I’d heard she wasn’t the assertive type.”
“Don’t judge others too easily by hearsay.”
Arsen slowly lifted the glass to his lips. The rich scent of wine lingered on his red lips.
“I only heard whispers about her visit to Bastia. To be honest, I had some concerns.”
“Concerns?”
“That she might be attending the launch ceremony without knowing anything about it—or that she’d be a burden to you. But after meeting her today, I realized my worries were misplaced.”
Arsen swirled the wine in his glass, lost in thought.
“…She’s quite different from the rumors.”
“Yes, indeed. Anton told me she even gets along well with Sir Lance.”
Anton was the chief steward of Bastia Castle. He was also one of those entrusted from the Lafayette domain ten years ago. The people of Dunstane Island had long worked as mercenaries across the continent. This led to the birth of many mixed-race children, which in turn sparked social tension.
Due to the long-standing enmity between the two regions, these mixed-race individuals belonged to neither side. Bastia had been the only place to offer them refuge. When Arsen had newly inherited his title, the first thing he did was implement a relocation policy for the mixed-race population.
Anton had spearheaded that policy. Having survived by moving between the Empire and the Lafayette domain, he was the most suitable person to lead the immigrants. Arsen trusted his judgment.
“Her Highness the Third Princess seems even more perceptive than expected.”
“Not just that. She’s also very approachable with her subordinates.”
The Count smiled faintly. Ever since Arsen had spoken in her defense, he had noticed his growing fondness for the princess.
“It would be wise for you to maintain a close relationship with Her Highness.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
Detecting the implication behind his words, Arsen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“She could be a great asset to House Lafayette. Didn’t you personally escort her to the palace with the knight order? I sincerely hope you’ll achieve what you seek. If you happen to form a close bond with Her Highness, your goals might come to fruition faster…”
Clack. Arsen slammed his wine glass onto the table. The impact made several drops spill over the rim.
“That’s out of line.”
“…I apologize.”
Sensing the cold change in atmosphere, the Count grimaced. The words were already spoken and could not be taken back.
“Let’s pretend that was never said.”
The knight downed the remaining wine and stood up at once.
“You’re leaving already?”
“I’ll be returning to the capital tomorrow. I need to rest early.”
“You’re heading back immediately? You could stay another day to recover.”
“Thank you for the fine wine. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Arsen gave a brief nod and hurried out. A flush rose to his skin, likely from the alcohol.
Meanwhile, at that late hour, Rose wandered the halls, unable to sleep. A salty sea breeze drifted in through the windows.
“The smell of the sea…”
Briny air, the scent of wet tides. She had hated that sharp smell as a child. After growing up, she’d been too busy to even go near the ocean.
Who would’ve thought she’d end up missing it?
She never imagined she’d smell her hometown in a distant, foreign world. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to focus on the horizon—but in the night’s darkness, only pitch blackness greeted her. Eventually, she gave up on stargazing and leaned her arms on the windowsill.
It almost felt like she was stranded alone on a deserted island.
“Your Highness.”
“Arsen.”
She turned to find the tall man standing still in the corridor. His eyes looked slightly unfocused, and a sharp scent followed as he approached.
“Have you been drinking?”
“Oh… Just a little wine.”
His partially unbuttoned collar revealed a deep chest that caught her eye.
Gasp. Isn’t that a bit too provocative?
She hadn’t seen him for a few days and was already going through withdrawal. But now here he was, giving her an eyeful all at once.
“Where’s Sir Lance? Why are you out here alone?”
“I didn’t want to wake him, so I came out on my own.”
He furrowed his brows and ruffled his bangs. Even that tousled strand of hair was beautiful.
“You should go back inside. The night air is chilly.”
“I can’t sleep. I’ll head in soon. You go ahead and rest.”
But Arsen didn’t leave. He leaned on the windowsill opposite her. Now they stood side by side, gazing out into the night.
“Thank you for today.”
“I didn’t do it to be thanked. I just ended up helping you as a result.”
Because it had been part of her plan to gain favor, his gratitude made her a little bashful.
“Like I said before, I’m doing this because I want to change myself, so don’t worry about it too much.”
“You mean the matter of your reputation?”
“Yes. Being called dense just doesn’t suit me.”
Rose flipped her long hair with pride. Seeing the smug princess, Arsen’s lips twitched faintly.
“Then you’ve succeeded.”
“In what?”
“Several knights have volunteered to serve as your personal guard. It seems those rumors that troubled you have lost their bite.”
“Really?”
If she’d not only earned Arsen’s favor but also that of the Remigis Order, then her safety was practically guaranteed.
Right. No one said I had to die.
Her cheeks flushed with joy, but she quickly caught herself and added,
“But don’t go replacing Sir Lance over this! We need loyalty, you know.”
“Understood. Though after today, I’m tempted to replace him immediately, I’ll let it slide just this once.”
“Hey, I told you—I didn’t call him on purpose.”
Arsen suddenly found the rosy tint of her cheeks rather vexing.
“You seem to have grown close to Sir Lance.”
“Maybe it’s because we’re around the same age. He’s easy to talk to. Yesterday, he spent the whole day telling me about sea voyages in the library.”
“You must’ve been bored.”
“Not at all! Thanks to him, I learned a lot about ships. I was already excited to be near the sea, and hearing about sailing made it even more fun.”
Rose’s gaze returned to the dark, invisible horizon. Arsen easily recognized the wistfulness in her eyes.
“Do you like the sea?”
“Yes. I used to go out to sea often, but not recently. I should’ve watched it more during the day… There were too many people, I couldn’t see much.”
“From my side, I had a clear view of the harbor.”
“Such sharp eyes, huh.”
Just then, she remembered the moment their eyes had met.
“Oh, wait a second.”
If that hadn’t been her imagination, if he really had turned around and their eyes had locked…
“We made eye contact, didn’t we?”
“…Didn’t you say you couldn’t see?”
“Nope, I definitely saw you. Even with all those people, your face stood out!”
“…”
He closed his mouth awkwardly.
“Wow, to think only the two of us made eye contact. Oh, and in the corridor too—that’s already twice!”
“Coincidence.”
“If coincidences repeat, they become fate. Guess you and I are destined.”
She beamed, eyes curved with a teasing smile.
“…You’re doing it again.”
Arsen repeated her words, then roughly ran a hand down his face. The sharp scent of alcohol clouded his head.
“Would you like to go out to sea?”
The sudden question widened her eyes.
“Not tonight, of course—what about tomorrow?”
“No, you’re busy.”
“I can spare a day.”
His resolute gaze convinced her.
He’s human too—he probably needs a break.
He’d probably had the busiest few days of all.
“Bastia has a boating tradition.”
“Oh! I’ve heard of that. It’s at the smallest port, right?”
She recalled a tale from a talkative boy—a romantic place popular with lovers…
Wait—is this a date?
Her lips curved mischievously, and she gave his arm a playful tap.
“You wanted to hang out with me that badly?”
At the casual touch, Arsen stiffened and yanked his arm back. Flustered, he quickly added,
“It’s in thanks for today. You endured all that without resting, just for the knights.”
“Hmm… I didn’t really mind, but if it’s a reward, I’ll gladly accept. So I can look forward to it, right?”
“I’ll find us a fine boat.”
His serious tone made it sound more like a military mission than a romantic outing, but she let it slide.
“Well then, I’d better head to bed. That way, tomorrow comes sooner!”
With that, Rose dashed off toward her room. She disappeared so quickly that he didn’t have time to offer to escort her. Arsen stared blankly at the spot where she’d stood. He had planned to see her safely to her room, but it was ruined now. The princess skipping away like that was the very image of a free-spirited girl. The solemn royal from earlier in the day was nowhere to be seen—only a cheeky side remained.
Around her, he could never keep his composure. Just now, he’d even impulsively changed plans on the spot—completely contradicting what he told the Count. Her bold remarks and sudden actions were bewildering. And yet… her occasionally sorrowful eyes lingered in his thoughts.
And always, at the end of it all, there was the scent of apricot blossoms. A shy smile beneath the petal-strewn terrace…
Arsen muttered a quiet curse.
“I must be drunk.”
The wine had clearly made him lose his senses. Regaining his composure, he vowed not to drink again.
