“Fushi, what’s your real name?”
I asked while watching Fushi eat. Then Fushi’s face, which had been happy about eating human food for the first time in a while, became dejected again.
“Just call me Fushi.”
“…Fushi isn’t your name.”
“Rosenthal called me Fushi. So that’s my name.”
“I was mistaken. That was the name of the divine beast His Highness the Crown Prince raises. I want to know your real name.”
Since coming to this world, I’d consistently hoped to distance myself from the story in <Three Crowns>. But now that I’d met a character who doesn’t appear in the novel, I felt a bit frustrated.
Not only their life journey or future, but I can’t even know their name unless they tell me directly. Even though this is natural, it felt uncomfortable.
As I stared intently, he opened his mouth slightly.
“…Fortis.”
“Fortis?”
“Yeah. Fortis. You can call me Forti. Is it strange?”
Before I could say anything, he lowered his head as if embarrassed. Is it that strange a name?
“No, it’s good.”
“It means brave. It doesn’t suit me. Even in the village, I was always ridiculed. Saying it’s a presumptuous name for a half….”
“Half?”
“Yeah. My father is human. I’m half.”
Fushi, no Forti spoke lightly, but the wounds carved within were clearly revealed.
“I see.”
I wanted to comfort him but no words came to mind. With no way with words or sense like this, no wonder the webtoon didn’t do well. I couldn’t say anything more and just gently stroked Fushi’s head.
“Fortis. Forti…. I think it suits you well. Right, Raki?”
“Of course. It suits you well.”
Raki nodded with a bright smile. Though he was shocked to see Forti in the morning, hearing he was a guard sent by the Crown Prince, he smiled brightly and greeted him.
I still didn’t know whether the Empire had no discrimination against beastmen, or whether Raki was so kind he accepted without prejudice.
“Really?”
“Yes. Forti.”
Raki grabbed both of Forti’s cheeks.
“Though I think a name meaning cute would suit better than brave.”
“I’m not cute!”
Forti bristled but with both cheeks grabbed, he had no persuasiveness. Raki grinned and looked at me.
“By the way, young master, what should we do with those herbs?”
He pointed to the herb basket Seha had brought. The moment I saw it, Seha’s face smiling confidently while lying came to mind.
“…Throw them away.”
“What? But His Highness the Crown Prince bestowed them.”
“His Highness didn’t give them. You can throw them away.”
Though Eldon was watching so he couldn’t have given poison, it felt somehow unpleasant. I mustn’t get entangled with Seha. An instinctive warning rang through my heart.
***
I thought. That Eldon might take me even by force. But I was mistaken.
Eldon left the Imperial Palace a few days later. The reason was that since he hadn’t rested a single day after the war ended, he wanted to take a break on a warm southern island.
But that was an excuse.
Grand Duke Curtis escaped the crisis by shifting numerous crimes including the slave auction to his vassal family, Viscount Bellos. Moreover, not stopping there, he even attacked Eldon saying he tried to frame him. Then Eldon left the Imperial Palace using vacation as an excuse.
Everyone mocked that Eldon who failed to attack the Grand Duke and Third Prince ran away, but in truth he headed to Viscount Bellos’s territory to find more decisive evidence.
He took all his subordinates including Leon, Silang, Gail, and Deren, saying it was to commend their hardships on the battlefield together. Of course, to find evidence. And he also had Seha, who wasn’t practically helpful, accompany them.
In the original, he took Seha to protect him from Rosenthal’s torment and the Third Prince’s clutches, but this time he left together despite having no particular justification.
It’s probably love. Though there was a strange part for a moment, as expected, the original’s development was progressing step by step.
But even so, how can you leave without even a word of greeting to me? Shouldn’t you at least apologize for deceiving Fushi!
In the end, after bringing Forti, I didn’t meet Eldon even once.
Though he was busy with Grand Duke Curtis and the Third Prince’s counterattack, there should have been time to apologize and greet, but seeing not even his shadow, in the end his heart went to Seha.
Unlike the original, Rosenthal hasn’t married yet and hasn’t tormented Seha. And regardless of Rosenthal’s misdeeds, Seha and Eldon fell in love according to the original’s development. Suffering in Viscount Bellos’s territory will probably deepen their feelings. That’s good.
The fortunate thing is that while Eldon was away, five of my paintings sold. The price was also higher than expected. The most expensive painting received 8,000 gold.
This was an amount equivalent to two years’ salary for knights. They said it’s almost unheard of for paintings by an artist who’s neither of noble birth nor has a patron to sell this expensively.
At this rate, I’ll be able to feed Raki and Forti even after leaving the palace. When Eldon returns from his trip and demands to break off the engagement, I should ask for Forti to be completely freed as alimony. And to remove the slave brand too.
It was going smoothly to an anxious degree. But why do I feel so depressed? I looked at my sketchbook and was shocked. Without realizing it, I’d been drawing that bastard Eldon.
Damn bastard. I tore the page and ripped it up vigorously. Then Raki, who entered opening the door, shouted.
“Young master, how can you still be like this! You must hurry and prepare!”
“Do I really have to go….”
“What kind of talk is that! It’s a party celebrating Her Majesty the Empress’s birthday! As the prospective Crown Princess, you must naturally attend!”
Ah, I don’t want to, I don’t. I don’t want to participate in official events as prospective Crown Princess. If the engagement is broken off, it’ll all be embarrassing history…. Moreover, aside from embarrassing history, there was a problem.
Having attended parties a few times after entering the palace and gotten sick of it, I’d been skipping most events making this excuse and that.
Especially after returning from the slave auction, I’d been holed up in the detached palace without coming out.
But today is the Empress’s birthday party, so I should at least show my face. I stood up from the chair. If I hold out, only Raki will be troubled.
***
“Young Master Rosenthal Chendewden enters.”
I should have somehow made an excuse not to come. I regretted it the moment I entered the party hall.
It’s not self-absorption, but truly most people were looking at me. It would have been very nice if they were gazes of longing and admiration toward the prospective Crown Princess, but befitting a villain sub-bottom, it was far from that.
People who dated (or had a one-night stand with) Rosenthal and grind their teeth after being dumped, people who still can’t forget and have lingering feelings, people who resent Rosenthal for stealing their lovers, gazes of disgust toward a promiscuous omega, or base desires all mixed together and poured onto me.
How did Rosenthal roam the party halls? Just seeing people’s eyes full of resentment made my head bow on its own. Even though it’s not my fault.
Somehow the gazes seem hotter than when I attended before. Among them are probably people who attended the auction, right? There must be people who rushed to buy me.
Thinking that people who looked at me with lewd eyes behind masks are mixed in gave me goosebumps. I urgently looked around.
I should just greet the Empress, then make an excuse that I’m sick and slip away.
Then, suddenly a red-haired man spoke to me.
“Her Majesty the Empress hasn’t arrived yet.”
With a courteous and plain attitude, showing no emotion about Rosenthal. It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone treat me so dryly without favor, antipathy, or lust.
I looked at his face. He was a man with sharp, thin lines yet an enchanting atmosphere. Words like pretty or handsome couldn’t describe him. Especially his large, long slit eyes without double eyelids captivated people.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Ah, no. Thank you for letting me know.”
Without realizing it, I’d been admiring him as if entranced. I bowed my head. Because he’s so beautiful, he probably doesn’t waver before Rosenthal. Could I become friends with someone like that?
“I’ll take my leave.”
I was about to ask his name when the man smiled lightly and left. It was good that he treated me plainly, but at the same time, it meant he had no special feelings.
After he left, I could hardly find anyone as cool as the red-haired man in the party hall. Unable to bear the party hall’s atmosphere, I went out to the balcony. Closing the balcony curtains tightly, my heart felt a bit more at ease.
Ah, I want to go back quickly. I want to play with Forti and Raki. I want to draw Forti’s ears.
“Why are you out here when it’s cold?”
Then along with the sound of curtains opening, I heard Arleigh’s voice.
“Your Highness the Third Prince….”
Damn it, of all people, I encountered the person I least wanted to meet. That Arleigh bastard, why did you come in here! When curtains are drawn, it means don’t come in! Don’t you know the Empire’s basic manners?
I retraced the novel’s content for today.
Rosenthal is enraged when not only stood up on the first night, but Eldon leaves taking Seha. And at the Empress’s birthday party, he meets Arleigh. Rosenthal thought the Third Prince would naturally cling to him, but Arleigh, already fallen for Seha, treats Rosenthal like a stone, and Rosenthal, wounded in pride, opens all his omega pheromones to seduce Arleigh.
And the two enjoy hard play and have passionate sex.
Well, anyway, as long as I don’t seduce him, nothing will happen.
“That title again?”
“I’m to become Crown Princess. I must observe propriety.”
“Crown Princess?”
Along with an ominous voice, pheromones started flowing from Arleigh’s body. Damn it! I’m not opening mine, so why are you!
Though Eldon often let pheromones flow too, it was to the degree of inducing a desired response. But Arleigh was different. His pheromones mercilessly attacked me, and I felt my lower parts getting wet in an instant.
Even standing was difficult. I must escape from here quickly. The novel’s content about what kind of bastard Arleigh is and what passionate play he enjoyed with Rosenthal unfolded like a panorama. I absolutely must not be caught.
