CH 2.16

“Yes, and the construction of reservoirs to prepare for drought in the northern region is progressing smoothly, right?”

“……”

Suddenly hearing the Crown Prince discuss political affairs at the banquet hall, Oren was rendered speechless. What’s with him?

“……As instructed, the proposal to amend the luxury tax has been submitted to the parliament……..”

“Yes, it must proceed as planned. By increasing the tax burden on the nobility, we can lessen the commoners’ taxes.”

“……Right.”

The force behind his words was as sharp as usual, but something seemed off. He appeared to be in a foul mood, and most importantly, his mind seemed preoccupied elsewhere.

‘What’s going on?’ As Oren observed him, it was clear that the Crown Prince’s attention was entirely focused on the balcony.

Meanwhile, although the Crown Prince tried to dismiss it as something irrelevant to him, it continued to bother him.

‘Should I go and take a look?’ Rael found himself thinking it unconsciously, but immediately shook his head. Entering the balcony where a man and a woman were together would be a tremendous breach of etiquette, as one could never know what they might be doing inside. Besides, he was no longer on good terms with Kierhan. In fact, he’d become Rael’s greatest adversary. Although the time wasn’t right yet, there would come a time when Rael would have to snap Kierhan’s neck.

How could he go into the balcony where a person like him was present?

“Haaa.”

Oren looked strangely at Rael, who sighed deeply. The Crown Prince was truly acting oddly different from his usual self. ‘What on earth is going on with him?’

“Your Highness, if I may ask, do you feel unwell…?” Just as Oren was asking this, the Crown Prince’s expression hardened even more.

It’s because he witnessed the scene where Marie and Kieran came out holding hands to dance.

Rael’s face turned as cold as ice as he watched the two quietly dancing in a corner of the banquet hall. Marie stumbled with every step—clearly unaccustomed to dancing—and each time it happened, Kierhan gently supported her with his arm.

Marie blushed in embarrassment, while Kierhan looked at her with a tender smile. The dance of the young woman and the silver-haired man went unnoticed by everyone else, but it caught Rael’s eyes sharply, as if thorns had stabbed his heart.

“……Oren.” The Crown Prince spoke in a low tone.

“Yes, Your Highness?” Oren responded in surprise at the sudden icy tone of the crown prince.

“Once the festival is over, I will go on an outing.”

“An outing, Your Highness? Are you referring to an undercover excursion?”

“Yes. After the festival, I will briefly observe and return, since public opinion is important.”

Unlike other rulers, Rael paid great attention to the public opinion. That’s why he would occasionally venture outside among the commoners, taking off his mask.

“Understood. I will make the necessary preparations.”

The crown prince nodded. He closed his eyes and remained still. In truth, he wasn’t going on an undercover excursion solely to gauge public opinion, as he’d implied to Oren. While it wasn’t a lie that it was one of the reasons, he had a separate, true purpose.

‘If I get some fresh air, I’ll come back my senses,’ he thought to himself. There was undoubtedly something wrong with his current state of mind.

Thus, he attributed those unsettling feelings as something that would fade soon enough. ‘I’ll be fine eventually.’

He turned his head again to look at Marie’s face. He admired her beautiful, radiant smile, but his heart ached knowing that her smile wasn’t directed towards him. “……I will now return to the palace.”

And so, the long-awaited masquerade ball came to an end. The next day, Marie woke up in bed, wearing a happy expression. ‘Yesterday was so much fun.’

Although the boisterous and indulgent masquerade was not to her taste at all, thanks to her nice friend, she had a great time.

‘Lord Kiel.’

She recalled the friend who’d accompanied her last night. He was kind and thoughtful, even inviting her to his estate when they parted ways.

‘Of course, it would be difficult to actually visit.’ Nevertheless, she was grateful for his constant thoughtfulness. ‘If we meet again next time, I’ll make him some sweets.’

Last night, during their conversation, he showered praises to the cookies she’d given him in the past. Upon hearing that he enjoyed them, she decided to seize the opportunity and give him another batch of cookies as a gift.

“Ah, it feels like a dream last night. I guess I won’t have another chance to attend such a grand banquet again, will I?”

Marie stretched and rose from her bed. Suddenly, her expression grew somber. The enchanting masquerade ball was over, and now she was worried about what awaited her. ‘Once my day off is over, I have to go to the Lion Palace.’

Susan, her former superior, had kindly arranged a special day off for her. After a brief trip outside the palace, she had to go to the Lion Palace where the Crown Prince resided.

“Worrying alone won’t solve anything. From now on, I really have to pull myself together and do well.”

Attending the masquerade ball had somehow helped her sort out her thoughts. Being the personal maid of the Crown Prince meant that going to the Lion Palace was an inevitable reality.

‘The important thing is to find a way to escape from the Lion Palace, no matter what. If I can’t do that and remain by the Crown Prince’s side, it’s only a matter of time before my true identity is exposed, and I face execution.’

Thus, she must absolutely find a way to leave the Lion Palace. Of course, it wouldn’t be an easy task. Since the Crown Prince personally appointed her, even the head maid wouldn’t be able to relocate her elsewhere.

However, Marie had a plan in mind. ‘The Crown Princess selection is about to start. During the selection period, I will help the Crown Princess candidates to the best of my ability. And once the selection is over, I can request a transfer to another place.’

The selection of the Crown Princess! It was a longstanding tradition of the Eastern Empire, in which Crown Princess candidates were brought into the palace to foster a close relationship with the Crown Prince. Among them, one would be ultimately chosen.

‘Since there will be numerous opportunities for the Crown Prince to interact with the candidates, there might be ways I can help the potential Crown Princess.’

It doesn’t require much to assist the candidate for the Crown Princess Selection. Since she would be staying by the Crown Prince’s side, there would likely be many subtle ways she could help them.

‘Plus, I have abilities that others don’t know about.’ While it doesn’t mean she could control ’those dreams’ at will, those random abilities might be of significant help in crucial moments.

‘If I can help one of the Crown Princess candidates, I will ask her to help me escape from the Lion Palace. And if things go well, I might even be able to shed the identity of a war captive and become a free person.’

Freedom! It was a status she desperately yearned for. The reason that she couldn’t leave that dismal palace in the first place was because she’s the personal possession of the Emperor—scratch that—the Crown Prince.

She made becoming a free person and leaving the palace her ultimate goal. ‘If I help one of the candidates to become the Crown Princess, I might be able to secure my freedom.’

Of course, it slightly bothered her that the Crown Prince personally appointed her as his possession, but she believed it was only fleeting. His sudden interest stemmed from her novelty. Over time, his interest in her would naturally wane.

‘Yes! Let’s do our best, Marie. So that I can escape this place—or rather—become free!’

With her firm determination, she changed her clothes and stepped outside the palace. Since she’d been granted a special day off, she planned to spend the day outside the palace.

“Be careful and come back safely, Marie! Don’t wander into abandoned areas!”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine!” Marie waved her hand in response to Jane’s concerns. It had already been three years since she arrived at the Eastern Empire Palace. Finally stepping outside the palace walls for the first time, she felt refreshed. ‘From tomorrow onwards, I’ll have to spend each day at the Lion’s Palace, attending the Crown Prince. So today, I’ll fully enjoy myself before going back.”

With that thought in mind, she headed towards the Capital.

“Come here and have a look, Miss!”

“Try this delicious food!”

Marie’s eyes widened at the bustling Capital of the Empire. ‘Wow, isn’t the street festival already over?’ Although the official palace festivities had ended, it seemed like the festival was still in full swing on the streets.

‘This is so exciting!’ She immediately immersed herself in the festive mood.

Meanwhile, back at the Lion’s Palace within the Eastern Empire, the Crown Prince, whom she feared the most, was changing his clothes and preparing for an outing.

“Are you really going alone? It would be better to have the Royal Guards accompany you…” Almond spoke with a worried expression.

However, Crown Prince Rael shook his head. “What can I accomplish with the Royal Guards by my side? To properly understand the hearts of the people, I must go alone.”

“But it’s still dangerous.” Almond sighed. The Crown Prince never failed to make him worry.

Rael lightly tapped his sheathed sword. “Dangerous? Besides Marquis Kierhan, is there anyone within the empire who could pose a threat to me?”

“Well, that’s true, but…” Being known as the Crown Prince of Blood, Rael’s swordsmanship skills were extraordinary. No, it wasn’t just extraordinary—it was totally unmatched. His skill was on par with Marquis Kierhan, who was said to be the strongest swordsman in the empire.

It wasn’t that Rael diligently honed his swordsmanship, but rather he possessed multiple innate talents in various fields, including swordplay. In fact, Rael would be considered a prodigy.

Thus, his skills were several times higher than the avarage knights. In most cases, he didn’t need an escort.

“…But still, please reconsider. We don’t know what might happen outside the palace.”

“It’s fine. If you’re with me, it’ll hinder me from observing the people.”

Almond, with his giant-like stature, let out a deep sigh.

Even if he possessed monstrous swordsmanship, it was customary to have an escort for unforeseen situations outside the palace. He couldn’t understand why the Crown Prince insisted on going alone today. As usual, Almond couldn’t break through the Crown Prince’s obstinacy.

As the Crown Prince took off his mask and stepped out of the palace, he murmured inwardly, ‘I’m sorry for being stubborn, Almond.’

He was well aware that he was being bull-headed. Although gauging the public opinion was important, his own safety as the Crown Prince was of greater importance.

‘I just really want to be alone today,’ he thought bitterly. Since the masquerade last night—or more precisely—since he saw her dancing intimately with Kierhan, his mind had been in turmoil. He insisted on going out alone to somehow clear off his mind.

‘Perhaps I’ll feel better once I take a stroll and get some fresh air outside.’ With that thought in mind, he headed towards the Capital. But was it the twist of fate? The path Rael chose happened to be the same street Marie had just headed to, where the festival was still in full swing.

t/n: oh dear… author also made rael the male equivalent of mary sue. how the hell is kiel supposed to compete with that (´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`)