“Oh, oh. Sorry, did it hurt a lot?”
I rubbed his ear and blew on it gently when Forti suddenly jumped up.
“I, I, I want to practice!”
“Oh, you want to? Go ahead. If anyone bullies you, tell me. Got it?”
“Y, yeah.”
I was very worried because he had skipped meals while looking for me for three days, but I’m proud to see him eating well and starting training again.
But when Forti left, I became anxious again… I moved my fingers in the air as if touching Forti’s ears, then feeling futile, I sprawled out on the sofa.
Being alone makes the spacious reception room feel even more spacious. In my past life, I spent most of my time alone after graduating from university. Except for when I was dating Kim Jigwang, I was alone the whole time. But how long has it been since I came here, and I’ve already become accustomed to an environment of living with other people?
Is Hereis really okay? He said he absorbed essence through a lucid dream, but he looked haggard… I should have insisted he eat a little more even when he declined. Could it be that he came to eat at night but went back because he was with Eldon? Anyway, he’ll stop by at least once today, right? He can’t skip meals after coughing up blood like that.
Less than a day had passed and worries were boiling over. If only I had a phone, I could contact him—how frustrating. I desperately wanted to storm into Hereis’s guild right away, but I didn’t know where it was. Even Rosenthal in the original work went through a lot of trouble to meet him directly. (To be precise, Raki did. The one who actually suffered was Raki, while Rosenthal just nagged him to hurry up and bring him.) But since only the content about really suffering to find him appeared while the detailed contact process was omitted, recalling the novel’s content wasn’t much help.
I don’t know anything about Hereis except for the original story content.
Hereis, I won’t expect a phone call, so at least send a text. Of course, that won’t work since there are no phones… I’ve never missed phones this much since coming to this world.
Originally, when Eldon, who had fallen for Seha, declared the engagement broken, I planned to come out with freedom guaranteed in the name of alimony.
After leaving the palace, I’d buy a small house, I would draw pictures, Forti would practice martial arts to his heart’s content, Raki would read his favorite books, and Hereis could also come and go freely absorbing essence without having to deliberately cover his red eyes and pretend to be a butler—I drew such a peaceful future.
Things were flowing well, so why did it turn out like this?
But it was useless to regret the past now. Since we held the official first night, I would be placed somewhere between the status of fiancé and official Crown Princess.
The certificate of investiture and seal of the Crown Princess, and gifts like the wedding ring and tiara can be received on the wedding day. So should I say ‘quasi-Crown Princess’? Though I’d receive substantially the same treatment as the Crown Princess except for lacking only the certificate and seal, I still wanted to somehow lower my own position.
According to the original story, after Seha is officially adopted as a consort on the founding anniversary, a bloody palace power struggle—written as such but read as one-sided bullying of Rosenthal by him—begins, and the love triangle surrounding Seha also ignites.
Though Arleigh accumulates power once more and prepares a counterattack, it becomes futile when the ailing Emperor passes away.
Eldon is invested as the new Emperor and moves his residence to Jebeln Palace where the Emperor resides. Naturally, Rosenthal should move to the Empress’s palace, but Eldon leaves him alone in the Crown Prince’s palace.
Unable to receive the Empress investiture and driven into a corner, Rosenthal feeds Eldon an aphrodisiac and succeeds in getting pregnant but is brutally killed, and the consorts including Melissa and the nobles aim for that empty position. But Eldon coolly deals with them and invests Seha as Empress. And he expels all the consorts from the palace.
In other words, consorts who didn’t actively bully Seha survive safely.
Since I have no intention of bullying Seha, won’t it be okay? Of course, my very existence is a sin, but unlike the original, Eldon now doesn’t hate me that much, so if I endure well somehow, I might be able to get out alive. Yeah, it’s too early to be discouraged that a dead ending has been confirmed.
The power of the original story was stronger than expected. And it seemed to have its own rules like a game. Since the condition that Rosenthal becomes Crown Princess has been cleared, the stagnant love between Eldon and Seha will begin.
Since it’s come to this, should I try to connect with Seha’s side? Even in the original, people who won Seha’s favor mostly had happy endings.
“Rosenthal, you idiot…”
I punched my own head hard. If I was thinking of becoming close with Seha, I shouldn’t have snapped at him in the carriage. Falling into the delusion that I might have become the main uke, I accumulated villain sub-uke points.
They said he’d stay at the training hall for a month—should I go visit with some food?
But what happens if I struggle all I want but can’t escape the flow of the original story? What if Eldon completely forgets that he stubbornly held the first night ceremony and later goes crazy for Seha and just kills me? Rather than dying after displaying every kind of abasement, isn’t it better to just enjoy everything confidently and then die? It’s a ruined life anyway, so I might as well fully enjoy the status of the ducal house and the power of the Crown Princess.
As conflict rose over which path to choose, the reception room door swung open and Raki entered.
“Young master! No, Your Highness Bi, you were here.”
Seeing the clear voice calling ‘Your Highness Bi’ and bright expression, I was relieved. Yeah, Raki must have spoken well.
I quickly gestured for him to come. He must have been itching to talk too, as he rushed over and sat on the opposite sofa.
“Your Highness Bi, what a relief. His Highness the Crown Prince must really cherish Your Highness Bi.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“His Highness the Crown Prince summoned me and asked about the food Your Highness Bi likes. He must be planning to make dishes with those precious Rosana!”
That bastard Eldon, digging such a trap for innocent Raki.
“…So what did you say?”
“I recited all the apple dishes and recipes that young master likes!”
I’m doomed. As expected, a villain’s subordinate who trips up their master at the crucial moment! Usually capable and sharp, but losing all tact at the crucial moment was so befitting of a villain’s lackey.
I already got on Seha’s bad side, and I got marked by Eldon for lying. But who can I blame? It’s my sin for selling out Raki’s name.
“Raki.”
“Yes, young master.”
“If something happens to me, take all the secret funds I’ve saved.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
“But you must take good care of Forti. Got it?”
Detecting the ominous atmosphere, Raki’s face hardened.
“Young master, what are you saying? With His Highness the Crown Prince’s favor being so devoted, nothing bad could happen.”
The favor isn’t actually favor…
“The imperial palace is a dangerous place. I’m just assuming a hypothetical situation.”
“You don’t need to assume such things! If something happens by any chance, I’ll protect you, young master!”
Sob, even though he made a mistake, I can’t hate this guy.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t worry. You must be anxious because you suddenly held the first night ceremony, but nothing will happen. Young master, you’re ‘Rosenthal Chendewden.’ His Highness the Crown Prince will also be completely captivated by your charm and won’t be able to escape.”
That can’t be. Eldon’s destined partner is someone else.
But I couldn’t tell Raki that, so I just smiled bitterly.
***
I waited in the Crown Princess’s room for Eldon and Hereis to come. If possible, I hoped Hereis would come first.
I didn’t want to show Hereis the sight of Eldon making a fuss about lying and me apologizing. I hoped Hereis would come before that and consume essence.
‘If by any chance those words are lies, you’d better prepare yourself. Crown Princess.’
I prepared myself as Eldon said. But even though I prepared, I had absolutely no idea what that bastard would do.
It would be perfect if he got angry about the lie and nullified the first night and broke off the engagement, but that’s not a punishment but my wishful thinking. Surely not death? Normally one wouldn’t harbor murderous intent just because someone lied about their favorite food, but with that bastard Eldon, it’s possible. He did say he’d kill me.
Assuming the worst-case scenario, goosebumps rose. When Hereis comes, should I ask him to take me away? With his skills, it would naturally be possible. But he’d become a criminal of the empire for the crime of spiriting away the quasi-Crown Princess. I couldn’t burden him with that.
Thinking about the future only made me gloomy and bleak. I took out the obsession novel book that Raki recommended to gain even a little wisdom.
Since Eldon is also a character in a BL novel, I thought reading obsession stories might help me understand his psychology.
This novel ended with the obsessive top repeatedly obsessing until transforming into a yandere and killing the bottom.
Damn it, why did I, a human being, choose such an ominous book among the many obsession stories Raki gave me? I should tell Raki to exclude sad endings from now on. As I shoved the book into the bottom drawer of the desk, a knock sounded.
“Your Highness Bi, it’s Bill.”
“Come in.”
Bill opened the door and bowed politely.
“Your Highness Bi, dinner is ready.”
Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten dinner either.
“I’ll go out now.”
As I rose from the chair, a sweet fragrance wafted over. Palace servants came in to set the table and brought in dishes one by one.
Apple pie, apple crumble, apple tart, apple jam, apple salad, apple juice, and even dishes whose names I didn’t know. Anyway, everything was apples. And not just ordinary apples but Rosana.
Even the newly laid tablecloth the palace servants spread had bright red apples drawn on it.
Ominous. Ominous. Ominous. An attendant pulled out a chair for me, but I didn’t want to sit. However, unable to overcome the puzzled gaze of the young attendant, I ended up sitting down.
As I trembled looking at the Rosana abundantly filled in the pretty basket, Eldon entered wearing clothes as red as apples. And as he sat in the opposite seat, all the palace servants went outside.
When the large door closed and only the two of us remained, Eldon spoke in his characteristic cool voice.
“You lied. According to the words of the attendant serving you, you like apples very much.”
Bi (비) – (short form/nickname for Crown Princess 황태자비)
