“Yes. I love him.”
I stared straight at Arleigh and put strength in my voice so my acting wouldn’t be discovered.
“That bastard will be deposed!”
That’s all he has to say…. He can’t say anything disadvantageous to himself and only flaunts his status. But this was the expected reaction and the best scenario I’d thought of.
“I know. But I don’t love him because he’s the Crown Prince. I admire him because he’s the person who saved me from the slave auction.”
“Don’t be deceived! He’s the one who sold you off!”
“That’s a false rumor.”
“You’re fine with not becoming Crown Princess?”
“Yes. Now that I’ve actually lived in the palace, it’s boring. It would be enjoyable to go to Coolum with him and draw pictures.”
Coolum was land at the northern edge of the Empire, mainly used as an exile destination for nobles and imperial family members. Imperial family members or relatives by marriage who lost in power struggles were often sent there.
Arleigh’s eyes, nose, and mouth all opened wide, as if he never expected such words to come from the great Rosenthal.
“Eldon has someone on his mind! They say he fell for some Hyeon Tribe trash and even took him to the southern island!”
Is tattling all he can do? But does he think I don’t know a rumor that not only the imperial palace but all the nobles know about?
Besides, I know best how sweet Eldon and Seha are together!!! The image of the two who didn’t forget words of love and sex even while having a hard time searching for evidence suddenly came to mind and anger surged, but I suppressed it and smiled elegantly.
“So what?”
“What?”
“Your Highness, have you forgotten? I am Rosenthal Chendewden. I don’t care about others’ hearts. I currently admire His Highness the Crown Prince. Isn’t that enough? Must I also know who he embraces?”
Wow, to think the day would come when I’d say such words. Anyway, when I answered firmly, Arleigh’s mouth stuck together.
“…You really do love that bastard?”
“Yes. Before him, things like status and power are meaningless. I tremble every day with this new sensation.”
I thought up lines like this all last night, which is why I dreamed of kissing at the clock tower. I smiled bitterly and looked at Arleigh.
“I don’t care whether he’s Crown Prince or a commoner, or whether he admires someone else. This is probably what they call love.”
“Rozen…”
“I’ve realized. All the emotions I thought were love until now were all misconceptions.”
This was a line Arleigh says to Rosenthal in the original work. Saying that loving you was a misconception, that true love is Seha, igniting Rosenthal’s anger.
But Arleigh will be okay. My words right now are also his emotions. I hope that hearing my words, he realizes his feelings weren’t love but merely possessiveness toward an ‘omega.’
I bowed my head toward Arleigh.
“I’m sorry. Your Highness Arleigh. The time I spent with Your Highness was pleasant memories, but it wasn’t love.”
“……”
“Once again, congratulations on receiving the Imperial Medal, and I hope Your Highness also finds a lover you can truly connect with from the heart.”
I gave a courteous bow and left.
“Rozen…”
I’d been walking for a while when I heard Arleigh’s voice. But it was a sound small enough to be buried in the wind.
One side of my heart felt refreshed. I’d removed one major obstacle after Eldon.
My connection with Arleigh was completely severed with this. After today’s party, Arleigh will fall. In the original work, the more he falls, the more severe his obsession with Seha becomes, and he rages that everything happened because he’s not the Crown Prince, but this time it will be different.
I clearly said I’d break up with him even knowing Arleigh would become Crown Prince. At least there’s no chance he’ll start a rebellion to hold onto me.
Of course, the power of the original work is scary, and after I leave the palace, he might fall for Seha and do exactly the same things as in the original. But I hope that doesn’t happen.
Although I’ve only met Arleigh a few times, I hope he doesn’t throw away his life futilely. This is a feeling like sympathy and compassion for a fellow ‘supporting character’ life like mine.
“Young master.”
As I was immersed in thoughts about Arleigh while drawing, Hereis spoke to me.
“Yes?”
“Do you love His Highness the Crown Prince that much, young master?”
After putting on a show saying I love him, that he’s the only one, if I deny it just a few hours later, he’d think I’m a really strange person, right?
“Yes. Because he’s my marriage partner.”
“I see…”
I put down my brush and looked at Hereis. His complexion wasn’t good and his expression was stiff. It seems his body is suffering because he can’t ingest vitality… As I stared at him silently, Hereis’s face suddenly came closer.
“You really seem to love drawing, young master.”
“Do I?”
“Yes. Even painters wouldn’t draw this diligently.”
Did I do too aggressive brushwork? After all, I have experience from drawing non-stop while suffering through weekly deadlines. Although I wasn’t popular, I was an icon of sincerity who never missed a deadline even once. Thanks to that, I could keep renewing my contract.
Of course, here I have Rosenthal’s slush fund, but still…
“I have to work hard to feed four people.”
“Four people?”
“Forti, Raki, Harry, and me. That’s four.”
“Me too?”
“Well, a meal is a meal…”
I made a lewd comment so casually. As I mumbled, Hereis smiled faintly. He seems to feel a bit better.
“But you’ll receive the Crown Princess’s stipend.”
“You heard earlier, right? His Highness the Crown Prince has his heart set on a Hyeon Tribe servant. With his personality, he’ll try to cancel the marriage too. Whether His Highness is safe or deposed, I’ll end up leaving the palace. So I need to draw diligently before that.”
I really wanted to visit the famous glass garden of the imperial palace at least once, but since it was close to Arleigh’s secret garden, I kept avoiding it and ended up never going. Should I go even now?
“…Yet you hold him in your heart?”
“Well, first I love passionately, and if the other person dislikes it, I have to let go. Hearts don’t work as you intend anyway.”
As I was about to pick up the brush again, Hereis grabbed my hand.
“Rest. You don’t need to draw for money. Even if you leave the imperial palace, I’m not so incompetent that I’d make my companion worry about meals.”
“Ah no, no. I can’t impose on you that much. I already feel sorry now.”
I immediately waved my hands. I feel bad about imprinting and starving him, so I can’t shamelessly receive such help.
“Ah, there is one thing I’d like to ask though.”
“Please tell me.”
“Can you find me a house?”
“A house?”
“Yes. With a garden large enough for Forti to practice martial arts, and since Raki likes books and cooking, it would be good if the kitchen was a bit big too. With a study as well. I want to set up my atelier too. It’s fine if it’s in a remote location, as long as it’s not too expensive.”
“…You won’t return to the ducal residence.”
“I’m an adult, so I should be independent. After ruining the national marriage, what face would I have to stay there?”
“Is it because of Martin Chendewden?”
Wow, what’s with that intelligence gathering? I was startled. Only people at the ducal residence know about Martin’s obsession. It really hits home anew that the person before me is the ruler of darkness.
“Yes, well… It’s the sin of a beautiful face.”
“……”
Why are you making such a serious expression? I lightly tapped Hereis’s arm.
“Harry, at times like this you should laugh at me. It’s embarrassing when you take it seriously.”
“…No. I think it’s a beauty with many sins. There’s nothing to laugh at.”
He’s really serious. Of course, it’s true that Rosenthal possesses unrivaled beauty.
Come to think of it, before I had no particular feelings when anyone praised Rosenthal’s appearance, as if hearing someone else’s story, but at some point I became embarrassed.
When exactly was it?
As I fidgeted with my hands in embarrassment, the door opened and Raki came in.
“Young master!”
I sent Raki instead of attending Arleigh’s Imperial Medal celebration party. Seeing him rush in breathlessly, it seems the story progressed as in the original work.
“Why such a hurry? Did something happen at the party?”
“That Hyeon Tribe bastard returned!”
His voice was full of indignation. Even though I’ve never shown anger toward Seha, it seems the villain DNA latent in Raki is having an effect. For kind Raki to be seething like this, the original work’s power is truly scary.
“There must have been quite a commotion.”
“Yes. Because His Highness the Crown Prince sent a congratulatory gift with that servant. Even though it was just an errand, they made such a loud fuss about what His Highness the Crown Prince’s intention was, how much favor it showed!”
Having received a warning yesterday, Raki reported the party situation in detail without hiding anything. But only Seha came? What about Eldon? He’s not hurt, is he?
“Why didn’t His Highness the Crown Prince attend?”
“They say he’s still enjoying a vacation on the southern island.”
“A vacation? Then he hasn’t returned to the palace yet?”
“No, young master.”
My heart began to beat rapidly. The vague anxiety was gradually becoming concrete. Eldon didn’t come. Maybe he’s hurt. As my heart swayed with anxiety, Raki continued.
“His Highness the Crown Prince sent a diamond incense burner that the Empire’s Fifth Emperor used, but His Highness the Third Prince just gestured it away. He didn’t even say thank you. It’s really too much.”
“…An incense burner?”
“Yes.”
“The gift was an incense burner?”
“Yes. Sir Silang and Seha brought it.”
He brought an incense burner instead of evidence to strike down Grand Duke Curtis?
My rapidly beating heart slowly settled.
Seha and Silang brought an incense burner. Then it means they haven’t found the secret ledger yet. He just formally sent a gift, and Eldon is still collecting evidence. It’s a bit different from the original work, but there won’t be a big problem.
I was relieved. Because Eldon wouldn’t be hurt or anything. But it didn’t take much time to realize that relief was a luxury.
