《My Engagement was Cancelled so I will stop Pretending to be a Fool》


 Volume 2 - Prologue

    ¡°King Otwar did that?¡±


    Hearing the news from her husband, King Brior, the Queen narrowed her eyes.


    The two are currently inside the Queen¡¯s chamber.


    King Otwar is the current ruler of the Kingdom of Levanor located to the north of Brior.


    The 3 countries namely Brior, Levanor, and Philarush are collectively called the Lunoir Triple-Alliance. A long time ago, these 3 countries were once a single superpower so the diplomatic relationship between them is quite active and they share a very close tie to one another.


    After using her white bishop to take the King¡¯s knight, the Queen gently leaned back on her sofa.


    At the moment, the Queen and the King are in the middle of a chess match. The prize for the winner this time is the right to decide which summer villa they will visit for their vacation. However, hearing the news from her husband, it doesn¡¯t seem like they will have enough free time to relax at a villa this year. In truth, the Queen couldn¡¯t care less which villa they will visit but since the King made it a bet, she accepted the chess match. After all, the Queen isn¡¯t quite fond of losing.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s that incident after all. We can¡¯t refuse it this time.¡±


    ¡°Ara, is there really a need to refuse though?¡±


    Seeing the corners of the Queen¡¯s mouth raised up, a wrinkle formed between the King¡¯s eyebrows.


    ¡°¡­¡­what are you scheming now?¡±


    ¡°Scheming you say? Do I look like the type to do that?¡±


    Fufu, the Queen laughs.


    And the King was convinced by her smile. This is his beloved wife who has been by his side for so many years. He can tell immediately if her smile is a genuine one or an evil one.


    The Queen then picked up her queen.


    ¡°I personally support it you know.¡±


    Thud, the Queen placed her queen on the board. Looking at the board, the King¡¯s expression immediately changed.


    ¡°W, Wait! That¡¯s¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°It seems that it is my victory today as well.¡±


    The white queen was placed in front of the black king.


    Even if he gets the queen in the next move, it would still result in checkmate.


    Fufu, the Queen made another smile. This time it is a genuinely happy one.


    ¡°It appears that fortune has favored me this time, Your Majesty.¡±


    Ugh, The King regretfully groaned.

 Prologue

    Welp, I¡¯m in a Shoujo mood today lol


    -Mr.Graverobber


    ¡°Lady Olivia Atoir. Despite being engaged to the Crown Prince, you have disregarded your necessary education as the Crown Princess of our nation. That is your sin. That¡¯s why the engagement between Olivia and His Highness the Crown Prince is now considered canceled. Henceforth, my well-educated daughter, Tiana Lemone will replace you as Fiancee to Prince Alan.¡±


    When she was suddenly summoned to the royal castle, Olivia was utterly stunned by the words of Minister Lemone and the triumphant expression on Crown Prince Alan who¡¯s standing next to him.


    Besides Alan, Tiana, the minister¡¯s beloved daughter stands in a weeping manner with her hand on the prince¡¯s arm. Tiana is a petite and pretty lady with light brown hair, an appearance that arouses a desire to protect from others. However, even as a form of flattery, calling her [Well-Educated] is quite far-fetched. After all, as far as Olivia is concerned, Tiana is an [Dumb].


    Tiana is 17 years old, the same age as Olivia but she has been constantly harassing Olivia, who was the fiancee of the Crown Prince from an early age. She treated her like an enemy. However, the harassment from her was, to be honest, lousy. To say it frankly, Olivia is rather astounded each time Tiana attempts something.


    ¡®Falling herself when she tried to push me into the fountain, faceplanting when she tried to leap at me, getting the prince soaked in wine when she tried to sprinkle it on my dress¡­¡­., This is bad, I think I¡¯m gonna burst out laughing just thinking about it.¡¯


    As expected, it would be bad to start laughing here. After all, Olivia is currently being denounced.


    ¡®Rather, Prince Alan is even more of an idiot than I thought huh.¡¯


    Olivia¡¯s so-called ¡°Sin¡±¡ª¡ª-was that she neglected the necessary education as someone who was engaged to the Crown Prince. Indeed, Olivia [did not receive] the lessons required as the Crown Princess and [pretended] to be ignorant of the education necessary as a noble lady. However, there¡¯s a reason behind this. It was none other than Prince Alan himself who commanded her so.


    But there¡¯s one thing that needs to be stated first. Olivia is a genius. Since she was young, she¡¯s been a bookworm. There has been nothing she likes more than learning new things. Her vast knowledge is immeasurable and she was even rumored to be a rare talented child when she was only 6 years old.


    The reason she was chosen as the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee¡ª¡ªno, he was only still a Prince at the time¡ª¡ªwas not only her status but her brain as well.


    And despite that¡ª¨C


    ¡®People would think that I¡¯m a fool when I¡¯m next to you so just pretend to be an idiot from now on. Don¡¯t you go learn anything new now¡ª¡ªwasn¡¯t it Prince Alan who told me to do that himself.¡¯


    Olivia was disappointed with Prince Alan when he said that to her less than a year after their engagement but Olivia decided to follow his [Suggestion]. After all, most of the Crown Princess Education that needed to be learned was already instilled inside her head. Rather than wasting time learning something she already knows, she would rather spend her time reading some new books.


    Olivia glanced at the King who had been silently observing the situation and her father, the Prime Minister who¡¯s standing beside him next to the throne. Her father appeared to have suppressed it from showing on his face but it seems that he felt insulted seeing his daughter being ridiculed like this. On the other hand, she doesn¡¯t know what the King is thinking since he has been grinning at this whole affair for a while now.


    ¡®¡­¡­if His Majesty doesn¡¯t intend to stop this then, he must be planning something.¡¯


    How did such an idiot of a prince born from that kind of father? The fact that the King is a smart and capable man is something Olivia already knows.


    ¡°Olivia, do you have anything to say? Or are you too dumb to understand what is happening to you right now?¡±


    Alan asks her with a grin. Did this idiot seriously forget what he told Olivia to do when they were engaged?


    Certainly, being a woman who got thrown away by the Crown Prince is a disgrace but if it means not having to spend her entire life with him, this might be a good fortune in disguise. After all, Olivia doesn¡¯t want to be a queen.


    She pondered to herself for a moment about what would be the most shocking thing for the prince to hear right now. Payback of this level should be allowed for her.


    ¡®Right¡­..¡¯


    Olivia pinched the hem of her scarlet dress and bowed deeply at the prince. She then looked at Alan with the smile she had never shown him before. Seeing that smile which looked like a rose in full bloom, Alan¡¯s eyes opened wide and he forgot to breathe for a moment.


    ¡°On this occasion, allow me to congratulate you on your engagement, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±


    Alan was astonished. Apparently, he expected her to be clinging to him in tears.


    When he understood what¡¯s going on, Alan¡¯s face turned from stunned to bright red. Perhaps it¡¯s a given. Olivia¡¯s words were more than enough to hurt Alan¡¯s pride. He was given a blessing from the woman who up until a few minutes ago was his fiancee. She was some he [Threw Away]. There is also that big smile of hers. Even though she was abandoned, there was no regret to be seen on her face. If there¡¯s a man whose pride won¡¯t get hurt by this then she¡¯d like to see one.


    ¡°Olivia, you¡ª¨C¡±


    ¡°Your Highness. I am no longer Your Highness¡¯s fiancee so please refer me using Atoir, my family name.¡±


    Alan¡¯s face was dyed even redder.


    It was when Alan who¡¯s trembling with anger tried to shout something at her that¡ª


    ¡°I apologize for my belatedness.¡±


    Suddenly, a voice from a third party echoed from behind Olivia and she turned around.


    ¡®¡­¡­Prince Cyrus?¡¯


    Olivia¡¯s eyes went round by the appearance of the Second Prince Cyrus who is walking toward her with a smile.


    Cyrus stopped next to Olivia and looked up at the King who¡¯s sitting on the throne. In his hand, there¡¯s a bouquet of bright red roses.


    ¡°CYRUS! I DIDN¡¯T CALL YOU HERE!¡±


    Alan shouted but Cyrus continued with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Father, Do I have your permission?¡±


    ¡°You do.¡±


    The King, who had been silent until then, opened his mouth for the first time. When she wondered what he needed the King¡¯s permission for, Cyrus suddenly knelt down in front of Olivia.


    When the rose bouquet was presented to her, Olivia¡¯s head turned pure white.


    ¡°Lady Olivia Atoir. Will you marry me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t f*** with me!¡±


    Alan¡¯s wrathful voice reached the stunned Olivia¡¯s ears.


    ¡°OLIVIA IS MY FIANCEE! WHY YOU, MY OWN BROTHE¡ª-¡±


    ¡°Oh, Aniue, did you not break off your engagement with Lady Olivia just now?¡±


    Cyrus replied with a smile and Alan was bitterly silenced.


    The King, who was watching over the situation happily, smiled at Olivia who still couldn¡¯t understand the situation.


    ¡°Olivia, I am sorry that we called you here all of a sudden but that¡¯s how it is. In place of Alan, will you consider re-engaging with Cyrus instead?¡±


    Realizing what the King was planning, Olivia raised her face in a snap.


    ¡®I see, he planned for this to happen from the beginning¡­..¡¯


    She couldn¡¯t read the King¡¯s intention at first but it was clear to her that he could have put an end to this farce from the beginning if he wishes so.


    Receiving the bouquet from Cyrus, Olivia smiled back at him.


    ¡°Before I give my response, can we [Talk] a little? Your Highness.¡±

 CH 1

    Also, this series doesn¡¯t have chapter¡¯s name


    -Mr.Graverobber


    The 2nd Prince Cyrus is 20 years old¡ª-2 years younger than his brother, Alan.


    In contrast to Alan who has maroon-colored hair and a slightly darker shade of skin, Cyrus is a fair-skinned young man with bright blonde hair.


    Due to his love for books, Cyrus was often reading something in the castle¡¯s library. Olivia, who is a bookworm herself, also met him quite frequently in that library. However, she only remembers having small talk with him there.


    Why did that Cyrus suddenly propose to Olivia then?


    ¡°Was it an order from His Majesty?¡±


    Being told that she¡¯d like to have a talk with him first, Cyrus invited Olivia to his room. Fragrant tea was prepared for her and one after another, delicious sweets were served.


    As he puts the sugar in his tea and stirs it, Cyrus has a puzzled expression on his face. Unlike his fearless-looking brother, Cyrus is a man with a gentle demeanor. His image is that of a gentle prince who always smiles.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I am talking about your proposal earlier¡­¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Cyrus looked slightly hurt as he set the spoon aside.


    ¡°Well, I can see why you would think of it that way¡­¡­.given the situation.¡±


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°You are.¡±


    Standing up from his seat, he moves to Olivia¡¯s side and kneels down while clasping her slender hands.


    ¡°Sorry, I went and did things in the wrong order. I love you.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it that much of a surprise?¡±


    Cyrus smiles as Olivia¡¯s eyes went round.


    ¡°No, I mean, you¡¯ve never¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, you were my brother¡¯s fiancee after all.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±


    Seeing Olivia still doubtful about his confession, Cyrus thought to himself for a moment before looking up.


    ¡°Hmm, then let us change the subject. This room, what do you think about it?¡±


    Following Cyrus¡¯s line of sight, Olivia raised her face and replied.


    ¡°I think there¡¯s a lot of books here.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°¡­..Umm.¡±


    Wondering why there are so many books here, Olivia tilted her head to the side. Then she immediately realized.


    The bookshelves along the wall of this room were filled with books. As a prince, no matter how rare a book is, he would be able to obtain it if he so desires. In fact, some of the books she can spot on these shelves are so rare that Olivia herself still hasn¡¯t read them yet. In other words¡ª-


    ¡°Why, the library¡­¡­.¡±


    Every time Olivia visited the library at the castle, Cyrus was always there. Despite the fact that he can obtain any kind of book he desires without ever visiting such a place, why was he always there? Realizing the [Reason] behind that, Olivia¡¯s face gradually turned red.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I was there only for you.¡±


    Cyrus appears to be happy with Olivia¡¯s reaction. His hands are still holding hers.


    ¡°I have always loved you. Still, because you were my brother¡¯s fiancee, I thought that I had to give up. But when I heard that he was planning to have his engagement with you annulled¡­¡­.¡±


    He hurriedly went to consult the King and surprisingly, he easily received permission to propose to Olivia. Explained Cyrus.


    Olivia felt dizzier and dizzier as his story went on.


    She¡¯s happy about Cyrus¡¯s feelings but Olivia has only seen him as Alan¡¯s younger brother. Besides, with her just being abandoned by the Crown Prince, what would others think when they see her immediately getting together with the 2nd Prince? If this is handled poorly, not only Olivia¡¯s own honor but the honor of the Royal Family will also be tarnished.


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t have to give me your reply right away. I will do everything in my power to persuade you. So, if you feel like you don¡¯t mind becoming my wife, you can give me your reply then.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.and what if I won¡¯t ever feel that way toward you?¡±


    ¡°I will do my best that you will, I assure you.¡±


    Saying so, Cyrus dropped a kiss on the back of Olivia¡¯s hand and winked at her like a mischievous child.


    The reason Cyrus became interested in Olivia was very trivial.


    The 6 years old girl who was introduced to him as his brother, Alan¡¯s fiancee, was a clever girl whose emerald eyes shined with the light of curiosity and intelligence.


    In fact, his impression of Olivia was that of a smart girl. The reason he felt that way was when he realized how a 6 years old girl understood the content of the conversations of the adults around them.


    ¡®I see, so my father found a girl who possesses the qualities to become the future queen huh.¡¯ Cyrus was convinced so. However, back then, that was the extent of his feelings for her.


    It was around 2 years later that Cyrus noticed the change in Olivia.


    Despite being brothers, Cyrus and Alan did not get along well. They rarely met each other even though they lived in the same castle. Still, since he actively tried to avoid Alan as much as possible to not get into trouble, some faults also lied with him.


    Perhaps because of that, he rarely meets Olivia who regularly visits the castle as Alan¡¯s fiancee. At best, he would only spot her reading her books in the courtyard from a distance.


    Apparently, Olivia likes reading. They share the same hobby but it¡¯s a shame since she¡¯s his elder brother¡¯s fiancee. If she was not engaged to his brother then they might have been able to spend their time together chatting about their favorite books.


    That¡¯s what he thought.


    Until one day.


    Cyrus was walking down the corridor on his way back from his sword practice when he heard the castle maids gossiping something among themselves.


    It is not uncommon for castle maids to gossip about rumors here but when the name [Olivia] was mentioned, he immediately stopped his feet.


    ¡ª¡ªI wonder why Prince Alan chose Olivia-sama of all people?


    ¡ª¡ªIt seems that she has refused to take her education seriously you know.


    ¡ª¡ªWith an ignorant girl like that as his fiancee, will His Highness Alan be okay?.


    Cyrus doubted his ears at the maids¡¯ words.


    ¡®What is going on¡­¡­.?¡¯


    Even though their interaction was limited, the person they described did not match the Olivia Cyrus remembers.


    If what the maids said were true, it would be dangerous to leave Olivia like this. After all, he cannot leave the kingdom in the hands of fools.


    Cyrus is the 2nd Prince who will eventually be in a position to assist his brother, the next king. However, he can only assist his brother as the King¡¯s younger brother. If the king and queen do something wrong and refuse to listen to reasons, he doesn¡¯t know how this country will turn out.


    Thinking so, Cyrus wanted to confirm the truth. Fortunately, Olivia is only 8 years old. He can still correct her since she¡¯s still young. If she¡¯s an adult then it would already be too late.


    One thing that he remembers about her was that Olivia likes to visit the library.


    The two-story library made of brick was built behind the castle. It houses a large collection of books from old to new ones. There are many picture books that children like to read there as well. Cyrus suspected that Olivia might have skipped her classes and spent her time reading picture books there.


    Changing out of his sweaty clothes, Cyrus headed to the library. There, he found Olivia reading a book by the window.


    He was about to call out to her but he immediately stopped himself the moment he saw the title of the book she¡¯s reading.


    The book that Olivia is flipping through is very thick. It was a book about the law of this country.


    Cyrus¡¯s eyes opened wide. It was a law book that even the 11 years old Cyrus found very difficult to understand. He¡¯s currently studying law from his tutor but he has only read the first 6 pages of that book. It took him a month just to comprehend the content of those 6 pages.


    Yet, it seems that Olivia has already read more than half of that same book. Moreover, there was no hesitation to be seen when she flipped through its pages.


    ¡®¡­¡­a rare talent huh.¡¯


    Come to think of it now, he does remember someone evaluated her like that when she got engaged to Alan.


    At the time, he thought that it was an exaggeration but now such words were revived vividly in Cyrus¡¯s mind.


    If Olivia truly is a genius that is qualified to be called [A rare talent], how did such rumors about her circulate among the maids?


    Deciding to observe her, Cyrus sat down a little distance away from Olivia.


    When Cyrus thinks back on it now, at that time, Olivia might have already become a special existence for him.


    It would be years from that moment until Cyrus realized how special she is to him but it was no exaggeration to say that it was at that moment that Olivia was no longer only his elder brother¡¯s fiancee.

 CH 2

    NU won¡¯t list this series¡­¡­¡­.well, do your best F5 squad.


    -Mr.Graverobber


    As soon as Olivia Atoir came back from the castle, she immediately lazily collapsed down on her bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­¡­.¡±


    Too many things happened today.


    Who could have imagined that immediately after the Crown Prince broke off his engagement with her, his younger brother would propose to her right afterward.


    In the first place, an act of annulling the engagement between her and the Crown Prince is nothing short of scandalous. It¡¯s not something that would end peacefully when he declared[This engagement is canceled!!]. Just what was the King thinking? At the very least, it is clear to Olivia that the King is plotting something here.


    As far as Olivia knows, the King is not someone that is blind to the big picture of things.


    In other words, compared to the scandal of breaking off this engagement that involves his own son, the Crown Prince, the King stands to gain something beneficial from this. But what could that be?¡±


    ¡®¡­¡­well, I guess this is not my concern anymore.¡¯


    Olivia was surprised by the abruptness of this annulment but she doesn¡¯t feel one bit of anger or regret over the cancellation of this engagement. Thinking about it now, the only thought in her mind was [Ahh, so he really is an idiot] I guess?


    Prince Alan doesn¡¯t understand anything.


    What kind of effect scandals stemming from how he abandoned his long-time fiancee and switched over to another woman immediately would have on him. He probably has no idea how it would affect his reputation as the Crown Prince.


    Even so, this as well has become something that is no longer related to Olivia.


    In the first place, the position of Alan¡¯s fiancee brought her nothing but troubles. It was very stressful for her. Even after he told her to pretend to be a fool, she still has a difficult time doing that since Alan always makes a fool out of himself. It was nothing but annoying for her who has to follow up after him while pretending to be a fool to have Alan have all the credit.


    Moreover, Alan doesn¡¯t even know that Olivia had been constantly helping him out from behind the scene. What he did instead was call her names like [A Fool], [An Incompetent], or [An Ignorant Girl] in public. To be honest, it was quite irritating for her to act humble and reply with [My apology for my lack of education¡­¡­] each and every time.


    The only fool here is you.


    How nice it would have been if she could say this out loud. Knowing that she can¡¯t afford to call the Crown Prince a fool, Olivia could only swallow down her urge to say that.


    ¡°Still, that proposal¡­¡­why.¡±


    In her mind, she couldn¡¯t care less about the matter with Alan anymore. The problem she has to solve right now is Cyrus. He told Olivia that he has always been in love with her but she at least know that he is not so stupid to not realize the consequence of proposing to his elder brother¡¯s fiancee immediately after the engagement was broken.


    As far as Olivia knows, Cyrus should be that sensible.


    Judging from how the King already gave him permission, this may have been a part of the King¡¯s plan. But what exactly is he planning?


    ¡°Olivia-sama, your dress will be wrinkled if you lie down like that.¡±


    Hearing her maid, Taylor, Olivia gets up from her bed.


    Having Taylor help her change into more comfortable indoor wear, she untied her glossy platinum blonde hair that was done up and let it flow down her back.


    ¡°Nee, Taylor. Cyrus-sama proposed to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    Taylor seemed to have heard about her engagement cancellation with Alan beforehand. However, Taylor, who doesn¡¯t have a high opinion of Alan in the first place, considers this to be a good fortune since her mistress won¡¯t have to be the wife of the man she doesn¡¯t love.


    However, when she heard that Cyrus had proposed to her, her expression immediately turned cheerful.


    ¡°This is wonderful news! If it¡¯s His Highness Cyrus then he would have my full approval!¡±


    Cyrus is a serious and diligent man. However, unlike the flashy Crown Prince, he mostly acts modestly in the shadow of his brother.


    Then again, anyone who comes into contact with him would realize the fact that he is a gentleman with a kind personality. Olivia came into contact with him when she visited the castle and Taylor who was accompanying her naturally met him as well.


    ¡°I have always thought that it would be nice if His Highness Cyrus became the Crown Prince! So, did you accept his proposal, my lady?¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know how to feel about this.¡±


    When Olivia replied so, Taylor looked extremely disappointed.


    ¡°Olivia-sama, sometimes it is important to take advantage of the momentum you know.¡±


    ¡®Why did you not accept his proposal?¡¯ Taylor poutily complained.


    Two weeks after Prince Alan broke off the engagement, Cyrus visited the residence of Duke Atoir.


    Since she is no longer the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee, Olivia has no obligation to visit the castle anymore. That¡¯s why she chooses to spend her time on her hobby, reading.


    She was reading in her room when Mautens, her butler informed her of Cyrus¡¯s arrival and Olivia¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise.


    After all, he did not give her any advance notice.


    When she goes downstairs and enters the salon, she can hear [Oh, Ufufu] from inside.


    When she took a look, her mother, the Duchess was chatting with Cyrus with blushed cheeks while happily giggling like a young girl.


    When she spotted Olivia, her mother stood up from the couch and approached her with almost skipping strides.


    ¡°His Highness Cyrus is here to see you. I will take my leave now¡­¡­.Also, be sure to get along with His Highness alright.¡±


    With that quiet reminder-like words, her mother leaves the salon in a good mood.


    ¡®¡­¡­I see, Mother completely took a liking to His Highness Cyrus huh.¡¯


    She doesn¡¯t know what Cyrus said to her mother but it was probably enough to put her in a good mood.


    When Olivia took her seat, Cyrus handed her a bouquet. Once again, it¡¯s rose. It appears His Highness is quite fond of red roses.


    ¡°Good day, Your Highness. What kind of business do you have with me today?¡±


    When the maids left after serving tea to Olivia, her question was to ask for Cyrus¡¯s purpose of visiting.


    Hearing such a question, Cyrus¡¯s smile turned a little cloudy.


    ¡°You are aware that there is a room at the castle that was prepared for you right? It appears that Tiana has decided to make it her own, I thought that I should let you know. I mean, you must have some personal belongings left in that room right?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s about that.¡±


    Even with no one telling her, Olivia has already anticipated that possibility. Since she¡¯s no longer the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee, it wouldn¡¯t be weird if she no longer has access to that room. She didn¡¯t put many personal belongings there but she did plan to retrieve them before they announce the broken engagement.


    ¡°Your Highness went out of your way to come here just for that¡­¡­..?¡±


    Something like this doesn¡¯t worth Cyrus himself visiting her. Rather, it would be sufficient if someone from the castle just informs her through a letter.


    In response, Cyrus scratched his cheek as though he¡¯s troubled.


    ¡°Aah, yeah. Well, that was just an excuse after all.¡±


    ¡°An excuse?¡±


    That means he has other business with her.


    Putting his index finger in front of his mouth, Cyrus whispers [Actually, it¡¯s still a secret].


    ¡°Next month, Crown Prince Edward from our neighboring country will visit the castle. There will be a dance party to welcome him.¡±


    If it¡¯s a welcome party for the Crown Prince of their neighboring country, invitations would be sent to houses with the rank of Marquis and above. Surely, such invitations would arrive at Duke Atoir¡¯s residence as well.


    ¡®So it¡¯s like that¡¯


    Even with her engagement with Prince Alan recently annulled, Olivia is still the daughter of the Duke. She is obliged to attend. However, she would have no escort since Alan will attend it with his new fiancee.


    ¡°¡­¡­.do you want me to accompany you there as your partner?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, of course.¡±


    No nobleman would dare to invite a woman, who their Crown Prince just annulled his engagement with, as their partner. If she refuses Cyrus¡¯s invitation, Olivia will have to attend the party alone. After all, her elder brother already has a fiance, Olivia obviously can not bother him with being her escort.


    ¡°Even though it would look bad for Your Highness with me as your partner?¡±


    When Olivia said that with a bitter smile, Cyrus shut one of his eyes and replied.


    ¡°Did I not tell you before? I¡¯m in the middle of persuading you.¡±


    Getting caught off guard by that, Olivia¡¯s cheeks dyed bright red while her eyes went round in surprise.

 CH 3

    This one is from Cyrus POV.


    Also, for those who don¡¯t know, Aniue = Elder Brother and Aneue = Elder Sister respectively.


    -Mr.Graverobber


    After Cyrus received a positive reply from Olivia regarding the welcome party for Prince Edward, he is on his way back to the castle in a good mood.


    ¡°You seem to be in a good mood, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am, Colin.¡±


    Colin is Cyrus¡¯s escort. He is 8 years older than Cyrus and he has been with him since he was 10 years old. He is like a big brother to him.


    While stroking his short black hair, Colin speaks to Cyrus as he looks outside the carriage window.


    ¡°Even so, I did not expect this to work out at all.¡±


    ¡°You and me both.¡±


    Replied Cyrus with a bitter smile as he follows Colin¡¯s line of sight and looks out the window.


    Naturally, a carriage displaying the royal crest is very conspicuous so many people on the main street stopped their feet and turned toward their direction.


    In a monarchy country like Brior, the royal family is always the center of attention. If the popularity of the royal family declines, there is a risk that dissatisfied citizens will rise up against them in revolt. That is why Cyrus always has to act under the premise that he is always being watched.


    Fortunately, Brior has been enjoying an era of peace for more than 200 years now.


    However, that doesn¡¯t mean that they can relax their guard. After all, a moment of carelessness can destroy everything that they have built.


    This is why, to Cyrus, a scandal that will attract criticism toward the royal family that Crown Prince Alan caused over the annulment of his engagement is foolish beyond measure. That being said, Cyrus was also glad at his brother¡¯s foolishness at the same time.


    After all, this is his chance to get his hand on Olivia.


    Still, as Colin says, Cyrus never thought that it would play out like this either.


    Even now, he still recalls the conversation he had with his father, the King, the day before his brother declared his intention to break off his engagement with Olivia.


    When Cyrus visited the King¡¯s private chamber, his father greeted him with a smile as if he already expected his arrival.


    ¡°I thought that it¡¯s about time you come to me.¡±


    ¡°Is it true that Aniue intends to break his engagement with Olivia?¡±


    Skipping the greeting, Cyrus asks the King without changing his expression.


    ¡°It is true.¡±


    ¡°It is true? Father¡ª-.¡±


    Cyrus never expected his father to allow his brother to annul his engagement with Olivia like this.


    To his son who seems to be confused, the King asks a question in return.


    ¡°So? Is that all you came to ask me today?¡±


    Sitting down on the couch that his father urged him to, Cyrus takes a deep breath.


    ¡°Father, if you are going to allow Aniue to annul his engagement with her then please give Olivia to me.¡±


    ¡°Even if you ask me to give her to you, she is not mine to give. You will have to ask her yourself.¡±


    ¡°Then please give me a chance to persuade her.¡±


    The King smiles bitterly at his son¡¯s request.


    ¡°You are being too impatient right now. Calm down first.¡±


    Saying so, his father opened the cigar case on the low table and took out a cigar.


    Seeing the purple smoke being blown to the ceiling, Cyrus got a little frustrated.


    Olivia is a beauty. Not only that, but she is also a very talented woman. If he keeps loitering around, another man might come up and snatch her away. Unable to let such a unique opportunity go, Cyrus can not afford to stay [Calm] as his father asked him to.


    ¡°What will I have to do to make Olivia mine?¡±


    The King exhaled smoke and stroked his chin.


    ¡°For that, you will have to come up with an answer on your own¡­¡­.but, I guess I can tell you one thing. For me, the only woman who is worthy of being the next [Queen] of this country is Olivia. That is all.¡±


    ¡°Queen¡­¡­?¡±


    Cyrus mulled over his father¡¯s words for a moment before opening his eyes wide.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you are so quick to understand.¡±


    Cyrus quietly stares at his father who¡¯s carefreely smoking his cigar. And shortly after the King put his cigar on the ashtray, he opened his mouth again.


    ¡°Father, shall we make a bet?¡±


    Hearing that, the King laughs.


    ¡°Fine. But the deadline can¡¯t be too long alright.¡±


    TLN: It¡¯s a short chapter though

 CH 4

    Alan kicked his deck in frustration.


    In front of him is a mountain of piled up documents that are waiting for his approval.


    ¡°Oi, why are there so many?¡±


    Being glared at by Alan, Alan¡¯s aide, Bucks strokes his bald head and nervously replies.


    ¡°But Your Highness, there were always this many documents though¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! It should have been one tenth of this before right!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    Bucks mumbled his words at first but he decided to continue it anyway.


    ¡°Most of the documents, Umm¡­¡­they were originally processed by Miss Atoir before they reached you, Your Highness¡­¡­..¡±


    The reason Bucks finds it hard to tell Alan is that it was him who reached out to Olivia when Alan¡¯s progress was too slow and paperwork started to pile up. She sorted the documents and took care of the ones that her status as the Crown Princess appropriately allowed to handle. All that was left to Alan were the small amount of paperworks  which was not particularly complicated. How can he tell that to Alan who normally took a considerable amount of time just to process a few documents? He can¡¯t possibly say that he went crying for the Crown Princess¡¯s help when the Crown Prince was too slow with his work. His head would be parted from his shoulders if he hurt Alan¡¯s pride by telling him that.


    ¡°Olivia did!?¡±


    He must have been very surprised as Alan got up from his desk when he said that.


    He stood up so fast that he also knocked down the piled up documents in the process.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense! That woman can¡¯t possibly help with something like this! She¡¯s incompetent enough the she neglected the princess education you know!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡±


    Bucks was troubled. He wanted to say that the incompetent one was you but naturally, he can¡¯t say that.


    For some reason, Alan as well as most of the servants at the castle think of Olivia as a fool. But that is ridiculous. Including Bucks, the people who were troubled by Alan¡¯s efficiency revered Olivia like a goddess. Because she was there for them, they managed to handle their work until now.


    When Bucks was pondering how he should explain this to his master, Alan suddenly claps his hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That Olivia, she must have hired some smart guys to help her! That must be it!¡±


    How did he come to that conclusion?


    Bucks wanted to hold his head. For what reason would Olivia go out of her way to hire someone to help with Alan¡¯s work in secret? If that was an option then he would have suggested Alan to hire more help in the first place. First of all, only a limited number of people can approve the documents that were sent to Alan. It¡¯s not something that just anyone can do. Even if he hires a random person to help him, that person wouldn¡¯t have the authority to approve the documents. Rather, it would be a problem in and of itself if a random person laid their eyes on those documents.


    ¡°Bucks! Bring the person that Olivia hired to me right now!¡±


    Since there¡¯s no such person, what Alan is ordering him to do is impossible.


    Drenched in sweat, Bucks nervously answers Alan in a roundabout way.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid that these documents can only be approved by Your Highness, Your Highness¡¯s fiancee, His Majesty, or Her Majesty¡­¡­..


    ¡°¡­¡­.that¡¯s true.¡±


    It seems that he does have some [Common Sense]. Bucks stroked his chest in relief but his eyes opened wide at what Alan said next.


    ¡°I got it! I will have Tiana help me.¡±


    Please no! Bucks was about to scream but he desperately held his mouth to prevent his voice from escaping.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Count Lemone froze.


    The place is a meeting room with an oval desk placed at its center.


    The King seated himself at the top most seat and Duke Atoir, the Prime Minister, is sitting next to him.


    Count Lemone is today¡¯s meeting¡¯s facilitator. He is the only one who¡¯s standing and is currently in the middle of reading today¡¯s agenda.


    The meeting is going smoothly and except for the fact that Prime Minister Atoir was glaring at him the whole time, this meeting is about to come to an end without any problems.


    However, at that moment.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    With a scream-like voice, the heavy door of the meeting room swung open.


    Count Lemone tried to rebuke the intruder for interrupting the meeting but his mouth hung open the moment he realized the intruder¡¯s identity. The person who rudely barged into the meeting room was his own daughter.


    The daughter of Count Lemone, and the current fiancee of Prince Alan, Tiana Lemone entered the meeting room with her face bright red as though she¡¯s agitated by something.


    Count Lemone¡¯s mind stopped working for a moment and who knows what Tiana was thinking, she ran up to the King¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Ti, Tia¡ª¡±


    Unable to understand what his daughter is trying to do, the Count tried to call his daughter in a quivering voice but he couldn¡¯t finish his word.


    While all the ministers in the meeting were stunned at Tiana¡¯s action, the King alone remained smiling. With the King still smiling, no one dared to speak and the room was wrapped in an awkward silence.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Please grant me a request!¡±


    Perhaps she didn¡¯t understand what she had done, Tiana continued rushing toward the King.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    With the smile still on his face, the King asked in return.


    Seeing that the King was not offended, Count Lemone was relieved for the time being.


    Then, Tiana vigorously continues.


    ¡°His Highness Alan told me to help with his paperwork!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, with your status as the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee, assisting him in his work is only natural. Is something wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Of course, I understand that. However, I am currently busy with my princess education. I do not have enough time to assist His Highness at the moment.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°However, His Highness seems to be very busy so it would be difficult for him to finish his work alone!¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    The King nods with a smile on his face. Next to him, Duke Atoir¡¯s expression has turned into one that looks like he is suppressing his urge to click his tongue. Not only the Prime Minister but all the aristocrats in the meeting room except for Count Lemon consider Tiana¡¯s actions to be very rude. She barged into the room in the middle of the meeting and addressed the King without permission. Not only that, she also started saying something that would bring questions to the Crown Prince¡¯s ability. Or rather, what were the guards outside doing, letting her barge in like this? Why did they not stop her before she intruded their meeting?


    No one rebuked her because the King was still smiling but everyone else¡¯s expression was one that conveyed anger.


    Unaware of the cold atmosphere inside the meeting room, Tiana continued with her request.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, please give all the work that His Highness placed on me to Olivia-sama instead!¡±


    ¡°Quit it already!¡±


    Finally, Duke Atoir snapped. The woman in front of him is asking for his daughter to do her job when she just deprived his daughter of the status of the Crown Princess.


    Tiana turned her gaze to Duke Atoir and cocked her head to the side, unable to understand why the Duke was angry with her.


    ¡°Why are you angry? If it¡¯s a job that Olivia-sama has been doing until now then it must be that it¡¯s a job that [Even Olivia Can Do] right?¡±


    ¡°You little¡ª¨C¡±


    ¡°Prime Minister.¡±


    When Duke Atoir was so angry that he was about to drag Tiana out of the meeting room himself, the King stopped him with a quiet but compelling voice.


    He then speaks to Tiana with the same smile he has since she came in.


    ¡°So be it. It is indeed true that such a job is suitable for [Olivia]. However, Olivia can¡¯t be the one who does that job forever. That¡¯s why for one month¡ª¨Cfor one month only, I will personally ask Olivia for her help. But once this one month is over, the job will be yours. Is this good enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. In a month, I will surely grow [accustomed] to the princess education. A work that even Olivia can do, I will master it in no time.¡±


    ¡°How reliable.¡±


    The king smiled in a good mood before turning his eyes to the ministers at the table..


    ¡°You all should send the documents that need the Crown Prince¡¯s approval to Olivia as well. However, do write down what kind of document as well as how many that you send her way and report to me.¡±


    The ministers looked at each other and then nodded at the King¡¯s order with a doubtful look.


    Finally, the King turned to face Duke Atoir and spoke to him with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Duke. I will borrow your Olivia for a while.¡±


    After the Duke glared at Tiana with annoyance, he shrugged and accepted the King¡¯s words.

 CH 5

    The next day¡ª


    Olivia heaved a heavy sigh the moment she entered her newly assigned room inside the castle.


    The room is wide.


    The furnishing also seems to be quite high class. Its appearance might even be more luxurious than the room that was given to her when she was Prince Alan¡¯s fiancee.


    However, there¡¯s something that she can¡¯t simply ignore set on the desk located by the window! It¡¯s the piles after piles of documents that are in no way fit into this beautiful room.


    ¡°His work has piled up again hasn¡¯t it¡­¡­¡±


    It was yesterday that the King asked her to process the documents that were assigned to the Crown Prince. However, Olivia is no longer Alan¡¯s fiancee. That¡¯s why she should not have the authority to approve such documents. When she protested so, the King only happily smiled at her and said [It¡¯s okay, I will take the responsibility].


    For Olivia, this is nothing but trouble but in return, she was granted permission to visit the castle library as much as she wanted during her free time¡ª¨Cso, she ended up agreeing to do it. The castle¡¯s library is not an easy place to visit. She was free to come and go as the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee but right now she is only a daughter of the Duke. To visit the library, Olivia would have to apply for and obtain permission first.


    ¡°Seriously, there should be a limit to how irresponsible they are! Isn¡¯t this something that His Highness and Lady Lemone are supposed to take care of!?¡±


    Taylor who accompanied Olivia to take care of her needs here angrily complained while preparing tea.


    Olivia bitterly smiled at Taylor. Certainly, these documents should be out of Olivia¡¯s hands already but it¡¯s not really that tough for her since she was the one who took care of them until recently. On the other hand, if she quickly gets this done and uses her free time to enjoy herself at the library then it¡¯s actually a pretty good deal for her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine right, His Majesty said that it will only be for a month after all.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will finish these documents soon anyway so Taylor can take your time enjoying the sweets here okay.¡±


    Saying so, Olivia sat down at the desk before reaching for the first pile of documents and started working in silence.


    ¡°Look at this, Atoir. The work is already done.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Your Majesty. Please stop using my daughter like she¡¯s yours.¡±


    Upon receiving the completion reports from the ministers that assigned paperwork to Olivia, the King looked at his Prime Minister and smirked.


    Duke Atoir, the Prime Minister¡¯s expression looked like he just had a can of worms for lunch as he looked down at the report in the King¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Seriously, what were you thinking, Your Majesty? Assigning most of the work to Olivia like that¡­¡­.at least the Crown Prince should be taking care of half of them himself.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it right. Most ministers already know how long it will take if they assign it to him after all.¡±


    The word [Incompetence] almost came out of Duke Atoir¡¯s mouth but he still managed to barely stop himself. He doesn¡¯t know what the King is planning but to the Duke, Olivia is his cute little daughter. He was furious about the engagement annulment but he decided not to raise any complaints because he knows how hard it will be for Olivia after she married the prince. Even so, the King is still using her even though she is no longer the Crown Princess. This is something that he can not allow to go on.


    Even though Olivia is his daughter, he can say it unbiasedly that she is a smart child.


    She¡¯s the kind of person that loves learning new things but she doesn¡¯t boast her knowledge because she doesn¡¯t like standing out. That¡¯s why the Duke does hold a grudge against the idiots who simply believe the Crown Prince that [Olivia is a fool] and make light of his daughter. He doesn¡¯t find this situation where Olivia has to act as Tiana¡¯s shadow warrior amusing either.


    In the first place, does Tiana truly believe that ¡®being busy with the princess education¡¯ is a good reason for her to push her work to Olivia?


    For a start, the fact that Olivia did not receive the princess education was because of the Crown Prince when he dismissed the teachers that were supposed to teach her. Naturally, the Duke hired the teachers Olivia wanted to study under and gave her plenty of education at home. One could say that her education is as good as the one that the castle provides,¡ª¡ª¨Cno, even better than that. Olivia may seem like she is always leisurely reading books but she was in fact very busy. With all her lessons, she shouldn¡¯t even have any time to play but it was due to her talent and diligence that she created free time for herself.


    After studying so much, Olivia deserves to be evaluated properly.


    ¡°Your Majesty. Please make sure to keep your promise. I will only lend Olivia to you for a month. I will not allow any extension.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Does he really understand?


    Ever since the Crown Prince broke off his engagement with Olivia, the King seems to be strangely happy. Duke Atoir, who has known the King for a long time, knows that when he looks like this, he must be planning something nasty.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t involve my daughter any more than this.¡±


    Recalling it now, it was like this as well when Olivia was engaged to Crown Prince Alan.


    Duke Atoir wanted his daughter to have as much freedom to choose her marriage partner as possible. Political marriage is rather common in an aristocratic society but Duke Atoir married his wife out of love. That¡¯s why he wanted to allow his daughter the same freedom. And yet, the King noticed his daughter when she was only 6 years old and persuaded him to allow her to become the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee.


    On the other hand, the King carefully stored the reports he received from the ministers into his desk drawer and replied to him with a grin.


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise that.¡±


    Knowing that it¡¯s rude, Duke Atoir still loudly clicked his tongue.


    TLN: I have to apologize for something in advance. I forgot that the renewal date of this site is coming up soon and I¡¯m hesitating to pay the renewal fee so I¡¯m planning to transfer the content here to my main site.


    Yep, I¡¯m migrating it¡­.

 CH 6

    ¡°You are the best, Father.¡±


    Hearing that Olivia would be visiting the castle almost every day at the King¡¯s request for a month, Cyrus was elated since his position as a prince doesn¡¯t allow him to leave the castle much.


    It appeared that Olivia will be handling a portion of the Crown Prince¡¯s paperwork instead of Tiana who the Crown Prince had relegated the work to originally.


    ¡°This time I think I will have to thank Tiana¡¯s incompetence huh.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..please, don¡¯t say such a thing out loud, Your Highness.¡±


    Colin, Cyrus¡¯s escort said with a bitter smile.


    Cyrus is now walking down the corridor on his way to meet Olivia. There¡¯s no one around them currently but it would still be troublesome in case someone close to Tiana or the Crown Prince overheard his comment.


    With a book he intends to give to Olivia as a gift in hand, Cyrus knocked on the door to her assigned room and he was immediately greeted by Taylor, Olivia¡¯s maid.


    When he told Taylor that he wishes to meet Olivia, she went back inside the room to inform her lady.


    After a short wait, Cyrus was guided into the room and was surprised by the tidied up desk which he expected to be covered in mountains of documents.


    ¡°Are you busy?¡±


    When he asked her just in case, Olivia stood up from the couch to greet Cyrus and shook her head.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve just finished the work¡±


    ¡°¡­.Heee.¡±


    ¡®So she finished it already huh¡­..¡¯ Cyrus was surprised at her fast work but he put a smile on his face and presented his gift to Olivia.


    Receiving the book, Olivia was speechless for a moment.


    ¡°This¡­..is this not the complete manuscript of the [Record of Majesty]¡­¡­..!?¡±


    The Record of Majesty is a war record depicting the 11 years of the civil war that occurred in the Kingdom of Brior around 600 years ago to 589 years ago. The era of the 11 years war was a chaotic era filled with conflict when the Kingdom of Brior was divided into 4 countries. In each of these 4 small nations, a prince/princess stood as [Ruler], in other words, it was a war for the right of succession.


    The civil war that started with the king¡¯s demise caused much damage throughout the Kingdom.


    Then why was such a record named [the Record of Majesty]? The answer for that is the winner of the current royal family has descended from the line of the Second Prince who survived that war¡ª-in other words, it¡¯s the history of the present royal family.


    However, the Record of Majesty was written by someone who was very close to the Second Prince. Because of that, there were many details that are difficult to make public as it describes the ugly side of the royal family as well. With that being the case, only some excerpts from the Record of Majesty are available to the general public and aristocrats. The complete version was kept under the strict protection of the Royal Castle. It is the book that Olivia had no way to get her hand on.


    Olivia¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement but since she knew why it was not available in the first place, she looked at Cyrus to see if it¡¯s really okay for her to read it.


    ¡°I¡¯m lending it to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­..is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I already asked permission from Father just in case. Also, since you will become my princess in the future, I don¡¯t see any problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Again, I still haven¡¯t responded to your proposal yet you know?¡±


    ¡°I know. But I told you right. I¡¯m going to persuade you.¡±


    Olivia still wants to say something back but she can not fight the temptation of the book in front of her. That¡¯s why she chose to not say anything more and trace its cover like it was something fragile before opening it.


    ¡°Uwah¡­¡­¡±


    Cyrus smiled at Olivia whose face brightened up like a child.


    ¡®So cute¡­¡­.¡¯


    Olivia isn¡¯t expressionless. She¡¯s the type of woman that doesn¡¯t like expressing herself too much so she always has a calm atmosphere around her. That Olivia is now flipping through the pages of the book with her eyes sparkled with excitement.


    ¡®My favorability, I guess I just got myself a level higher huh.¡¯


    He tried giving Olivia a rose bouquet twice but she didn¡¯t show any reaction at all so Cyrus thought that he should try giving her a book she liked. It appears he got it correct this time.


    In truth, he wanted to invite Olivia out to the theater or go shopping with her but for Olivia, Cyrus is just a small bird that just flew into her view. She has no particular feeling toward him. Still, she was surely surprised by his proposal. That¡¯s all he has. If he doesn¡¯t at least improve his standing from some random bird into a bird she actually likes to meet then even if he invites her out for a date, she would just refuse him.


    ¡°I understand that you want to read that book but why don¡¯t you leave it for later and go to the library with me? Actually, I have the key to the forbidden section with me today.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s face shook when Cyrus showed her a golden key. With the key dangling in front of her, her eyes move following its movement¡­¡­¡­.she¡¯s too cute.


    ¡®Even if it¡¯s a little unfair, I¡¯m going to use everything I can.¡¯


    Since Olivia has no interest in anything aside from books, she will definitely bite the bait.


    And sure enough, Olivia put the Record of Majesty in the drawer of her desk and locked it before replying to him with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ?


    ?


    ¡°As expected of Tiana, it seems she¡¯s already finished the work I gave her.¡±


    During his break, Alan muttered as he took a stroll in the garden.


    Bucks, Alan¡¯s aide, who is walking a step behind him immediately realized that Alan was talking about the paperwork and nervously opened his mouth.


    ¡°About that, Your Highness¡­¡­.the one who processed those documents was not Miss Lemone but Olivia-sama.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Alan stopped his feet and looked back at Bucks.


    ¡°Olivia did? Don¡¯t be stupid. Olivia couldn¡¯t possibly handle it alone in the first place. Moreover, I assigned those documents to Tiana right.¡±


    ¡°Actually, it seems that Miss Lemone went to speak with His Majesty regarding her assignment.¡±


    ¡°Ha? Directly?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She requested for the work to be relegated to Olivia-sama for a month so that she can get herself used to the princess education.¡±


    Alan¡¯s eyes went round but he immediately nodded.


    ¡°Right. The princess education must be tough after all. It couldn¡¯t be helped if she doesn¡¯t have time to do the work I gave her. Olivia¡¯s always out playing so she probably has someone processed those documents for her. I guess leaving her with that work for a month would be fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­. Your Highness. Olivia-sama did not have anyone else do it for her. All the documents were truly signed and processed by Olivia-sama.¡±


    ¡°Quit it with the joke.¡±


    ¡°This is no joke, Your Highness. My apology but Olivia-sama has been the one who did everything until now. Everyone who worked with her all says that she¡¯s always precise and efficient with her work.¡±


    Alan frowned in suspicion.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossi¨C¡­..¡±


    -ble, Alan wanted to say that but from a distance, he suddenly heard someone shout [YOUR HIGHNESS!] so he stopped mid-sentence and turned to look. There, he found Wattle, the educator in charge of Tina¡¯s princess education, sprinting toward him.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Wattle seems to be irritated about something. When he arrived at Alan¡¯s side, he pushed up his monocle and quickly said his piece in a loud voice.


    ¡°Your Highness. I may be in charge of the princess education of Miss Lemone but I would like to request for another educator to give her the general education as well.¡±


    ¡°Why. Tiana is already 17. Her general education should already¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that she still hasn¡¯t mastered that, Your Highness. If I am allowed to be frank, I do not think that she has enough education to be taught by me yet.¡±


    ¡°Wattle, even if it¡¯s you, that earlier was too rude you know.¡±


    ¡°If Your Highness disagrees then Your Highness should see it for yourself. For example, let alone the names of the previous kings of our kingdom, she can¡¯t even perform basic arithmetic.¡±


    ¡°That is ridiculous. If it¡¯s like that for her then Olivia must have been much worse¡ª-¡±


    ¡°My apology but I did not have the opportunity to teach Lady Olivia Atoir myself.¡±


    ¡°Right, she didn¡¯t even have any motivation to le¡ª¡±


    ¡°She was so well-educated and knowledgeable that I don¡¯t have anything to teach her after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­what?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness might be under some kind of misunderstanding so allow me to correct it. Olivia-sama is a genius. Tiana-sama can¡¯t even reach her feet with how she is right now. If you will excuse me.¡±


    Wattle left after he finished what he was here to say, leaving Alan staring at his back in astonishment.


    When he looked back at his aide in puzzlement, Bucks sighed and said so.


    ¡°¡­¡­.I¡¯m afraid that I am of the same opinion, Your Highness.¡±


    Hearing that, Alan was silent.


    TLN: Is he about to wise up?


    Edit: Finally done moving all the chapters here, new chapters coming up soon.

 CH 7

    In reply to the comment, yep, I binged the first arc too. The neighboring prince appeared very wise, we will see if he will turn out to be an antagonist later¡­¡­.hehehehehe.


    -Mr.Graverobber


    PS. He will show up in a few chapters


    The forbidden section of the library was like a treasure trove for Olivia.


    There are mountains of precious books that can not be found at general bookstores inside. The old books that are too fragile to be handled normally were put in a showcase and there are rows after rows of such showcases in the center of the room. The books on the shelves along the wall also have a unique scent of old books.


    ¡®Fuwahhhhh¡¯


    Olivia felt like she could break into a dance.


    This place is usually locked away and the only key is being managed by the King himself. The full manuscript of the [Record of Majesty] was probably stored here as well.


    Cyrus must have taken it out from here before lending it to her.


    After they entered the forbidden section, Cyrus locked the door from the inside with a smile as this place can not be allowed to be accessed freely.


    ¡°I have permission to use this place until the evening so you can read as much as you like here. The reading space is behind that door in the back. It¡¯s not very large but you should be able to see the rose garden in the courtyard from the window so it has quite a view.¡±


    Cyrus explained so but it seemed that Olivia¡¯s attention was barely on him. She rushed to the bookshelf with fleeting steps and began examining the books on the shelf to see what she can read in the limited time she has here.


    As to not disturb her, Cyrus heads to the bookshelf on the other side of the room and pulls out a couple of books from it.


    While he was in the middle of that, he smiled as he glanced at Olivia who is pulling out one book after another from the shelf. With already seven books in her arms, it seems that she is troubled because she can¡¯t carry anymore.


    ¡°Here, I will help you carry them. They must be heavy right?¡±


    When he took the books from Olivia¡¯s hand, Olivia thanked him with a big smile before pulling out three more books from the shelf.


    On the other hand, Cyrus carried the books he received from her and headed to the reading room in the back.


    Inside the small room in the back of the forbidden section, a dark brown rectangular desk was placed by the window with 4 chairs placed around it.


    The rose garden is visible from the lattice window, showcasing its colorful roses in full bloom.


    The roses were so beautiful that anyone would sigh in admiration at the sight but Olivia, who had already set her eyes on the books in front of her, immediately sat down and started reading them.


    On her opposite seat, Cyrus sat down while pretending to read his book and peek at Olivia¡¯s face.


    Looking at her, Olivia is like a young child that was given a rare toy.


    Perhaps because the books she took out were pretty old, Olivia is turning the pages a little more carefully than usual.


    In that room where the only sound audible was the flipping of the book pages, time had slowed down for Cyrus and he felt almost intoxicated by the atmosphere.


    He is now alone with the girl he likes in a small isolated room. He clearly felt that his heart was beating faster than usual but unfortunately, his presence is almost completely absent in Olivia¡¯s mind.


    Feeling a little discontent by that, Cyrus decided to open his mouth.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in such a hurry. I can bring you back here again you know.¡±


    Hearing that, Olivia immediately looked up and she smile at him like a rose in full bloom.


    ¡°Is that true!?¡±


    Cyrus was dissatisfied a little as it seems that she is giving more importance to the book rather than him but if he can see that smile then he felt like this is good enough for him for the time being.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    While vowing that one day he will tilt that scale to his favor, Cyrus happily nodded to Olivia.


    ¡°¡­¡­she smiled.¡±


    Alan stood still with his eyes wide open.


    After being told about the state of Tiana¡¯s education, Alan continued his stroll while trying to make sense of it all. Then, when he was strolling near the library, he spotted Olivia from its window.


    When Wattle suddenly told him that Olivia is a genius, Alan was left to wonder why he has that impression of her.


    Olivia has always been the type that doesn¡¯t show much on her face. She was not expressionless by any means but he has never seen her expressing herself much before either. Certainly, he has seen a faint smile on her before but Alan has never known her to be someone who would show a big smile to others.


    However, right now, in front of him, Olivia is smiling like a flower.


    Seeing his master looking so confused, Alan¡¯s aide, Bucks tilted his head.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with Olivia-sama, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°Something wrong? Don¡¯t you see? She¡¯s smiling! Look! There!¡±


    ¡°I can see her just fine, Your Highness¡­¡­.I simply do not understand why it is so strange for Olivia-sama to smile.¡±


    ¡°Why? It¡¯s the fact that she¡¯s smiling, that¡¯s why!¡±


    Still, it appears that Bucks does not share Alan¡¯s surprise as he continues to confusedly cocking his head.


    ¡®She¡¯s smiling! That Olivia is smiling! ¡­¡­..this is the first time I see her like this¡­¡­..¡¯


    If it was a fake smile then he¡¯s sure that he has seen it many times before. Since she was his fiancee, she always accompanied Alan to welcome parties for foreign dignitaries. Olivia has a good outward appearance so she was well-liked by them. He remembered seeing her fake smile a lot during those parties. However, this is the first time he saw a sincere smile from her like this.


    ¡°¡­¡­that woman, she can smile after all¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, is that not a little too rude¡­¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You¡¯d never understand my feelings!¡±


    Olivia has never acted irreverently toward Alan. Rather, he thought that she was quite obedient as his fiancee. However, he still can not remember any moment that she would smile at him so naturally like that.


    For some reason, deep inside, Alan felt irritated.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that room in the forbidden section?¡±


    ¡°It would appear so.¡±


    Bucks nods.


    ¡°It appears so? That place shouldn¡¯t be accessible without the key right!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps His Highness Cyrus asked for permission for her?¡±


    ¡°Why would he go out of his way to¨C¡­..¡±


    Alan stopped mid-sentence. In the past, he remembers that Olivia once asked him for permission to enter the library¡¯s forbidden section. At the time, Alan simply laughed it off and ignored her saying ¡®What would you do in a place that only has books that you can¡¯t even understand?¡¯.


    ¡°¡­..she¡¯s reading the books there?¡±


    It is not clear from where he is standing but it looks like Olivia has a book in her hands. No, he doesn¡¯t even need to think more about it. If she can¡¯t understand the content of the books inside the forbidden section, why would she request access to it in the first place? It was because she wanted to read them that she asked for his permission.


    Once again, Wattle¡¯s words came to his mind.


    ¡°Olivia is¨C¡­¡­.¡±


    Alan almost put it to his mouth but before he finished saying it, he turned back and walked away at a fast pace.


    ¡°Your Highness?¡±


    He felt Bucks¡¯s presence chasing behind him but Alan did not look back.


    Correction¡ª¡ª¡ªHe couldn¡¯t.

 CH 8

    It was a few days after Olivia began helping out at the castle.


    ¡°Her Majesty is calling for me?¡±


    When she was done with a portion of today¡¯s work and was taking a short break, a maid in the queen¡¯s service visited her room to deliver an invitation.


    Like others, the queen¡¯s maid also seems to believe the widespread rumor in the castle that [Olivia is a fool] and is taking a condescending attitude toward her.


    While noticing that Taylor is frowning and contemplating whether to kick the maid out, Olivia asks the maid with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Why is Her Majesty calling for me?¡±


    ¡°That I do not know. Perhaps Her Majesty simply felt pity when His Highness the Crown Prince broke off his engagement with you? Her Majesty is a kind person after all.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª.¡±


    While stopping Taylor who was about to call out the maid for her rudeness with her hand, Olivia calmly acknowledged the invitation.


    ¡°Understood. What time should I visit Her Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Her Majesty said that she will hold a private tea party with you alone at noon tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I see. Can you tell Her Majesty that I accept her invitation?¡±


    The queen¡¯s maid acknowledged her request with her chin before bowing and leaving the room.


    When the door was shut behind her, Taylor immediately threw a cushion at the door.


    ¡°No matter what she¡¯s thinking, that maid was too rude, My Lady!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It will only tire you out if you confront them about it every time you know? Besides, it¡¯s the same as usual isn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°You are being too lax on them again, My Lady!¡±


    Taylor is angry but Olivia no longer cares about that kind of irreverent attitude. When she was still the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee, she thought that she would have to correct them someday since she will eventually become their queen but right now Olivia no longer has that obligation. That¡¯s why she¡¯s letting them say whatever they want. There¡¯s not much actual harm done in the first place after all.


    Thinking so, Olivia reached for the cookie plate on the table.


    ¡°Here, eat some sweets and calm down. These cookies are delicious you know?¡±


    ¡°Cookies? Ahh, the one that His Highness Cyrus brought.¡±


    Accepting Olivia¡¯s invitation, Taylor sits next to her and tries the cookie.


    Olivia also picked up one. It¡¯s a light-tasting cookie with plenty of crushed almonds mixed in.


    ¡°Olivia-sama loves almond cookies after all. As expected of His Highness Cyrus.¡±


    Taylor¡¯s opinion of Cyrus is high. Rather, she thinks of him so highly that there¡¯s always this silent pressure on Olivia to get together with him.


    Olivia herself doesn¡¯t hate Cyrus either. However, she was so surprised at his sudden proposal that she can¡¯t make a decision yet. As a noble lady, she knows that she must get married someday. That being said, as she was abandoned by the Crown Prince, Cyrus is simply too good for her.


    That¡¯s why she would have no hesitation to accept his proposal if her father, elder brother, or even Cyrus himself [Ordered] her to. A marriage for aristocrats is always political. After all, it is for the good of their house.


    Olivia has already resolved herself for that but conversely, she also has nothing besides that resolve. That¡¯s the reason why she was so confused by Cyrus who¡¯s trying to [Persuade] her into this marriage. Just what could he possibly mean by that? What does it mean to be persuaded and what kind of decision should she make?


    As long as Cyrus decided to go through with his persuasion, he would never accept her response if the reason behind it is [For the sake of her house]. In other words, unless Olivia is [Persuaded] and [Decided to choose] him herself, this marriage will not happen.


    Cyrus told her that he would make her fall for him but Olivia seriously wondered if she would ever feel that way toward him. Ever since she was a child, Olivia has already separated the idea of marriage and love from each other. She doesn¡¯t even know what romance is. In the first place, things that a duke¡¯s daughter like herself are free to choose for herself are extremely limited. It¡¯s supposed to be like that.


    (Why didn¡¯t Father say anything about this¡­¡­.?)


    As though he is saying that it¡¯s okay for Olivia to turn down Cyrus¡¯s proposal, her father remains silent to this day.


    It felt like she was solving an abstract puzzle.


    Olivia is the type that always tries to choose the right answer to any given situation. But, what kind of answer would be the [Right] one in a situation like this?


    (No good, I don¡¯t get it at all¡­¡­)


    As Olivia chewed on the almond cookies, she started thinking of how to deal with this [Difficulty] that she has not felt for a while.


    ¡°Mother invited Olivia to a private tea party?¡±


    At the report from his aide, Colin, Cyrus involuntarily clicked his tongue.


    He thought that his mother would make her move at some point but he didn¡¯t expect it to be this fast.


    (So she already heard that Olivia is helping with Aniue¡¯s work already huh¡­..)


    As he was about to leave his room, Cyrus looked back at Colin.


    ¡°Did Tiana come to the castle today?¡±


    Olivia was greeted with a smile when she visited the queen in her room.


    She had been engaged to Alan for a long time but as far as she remembers, outside the formal parties, she doesn¡¯t recall meeting the queen privately for a tea party like this.


    She is a little concerned by the queen¡¯s maids¡¯ frosty gazes but the moment she sat down on the couch, the queen immediately dismissed them.


    There was already a tea set and a plate with colorful sweets on the table but there was something aside from those that got her attention.


    (¡­..a chessboard?)


    A chessboard was set in the middle of the table. Is the queen a chess player? It¡¯s not that there are no women who play chess but there should only be very few women who do in this country.


    ¡°First of all, I must apologize for the Crown Prince¡¯s rudeness. On his behalf, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The queen said that in a dignified voice and elegantly lowered her head.


    Seeing that, Olivia hurriedly corrected her sitting posture and shook her head.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t lower your head, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°No, I must set this right. Even if I was not aware of his intention, the Crown Prince¡¯s action was simply too disrespectful¡­¡­..His Majesty as well, I wonder why he allowed him to do such a thing.¡±


    The queen slightly creased her eyebrows before lightly sighing.


    Then, when she saw that Olivia stiffened up because of her, she immediately relaxed her expression.


    ¡°This is the first time we have a tea party together like this isn¡¯t it. I¡¯d like you to relax and enjoy this. Today¡¯s tea was made from the leaves from my brother¡¯s territory. They are quite a delicacy you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Being urged to try the tea, Olivia put the teacup to her mouth. The tea was both fragrant and sweet, certainly a delicious tea.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I heard that you are helping with the Crown Prince¡¯s work right now right. Is that true?¡±


    The queen also puts the teacup to her mouth before gently asking her a question. Contrary to her voice, her almond-shaped eyes don¡¯t seem to be so relaxed.


    Olivia jumped for a moment.


    Perhaps, the queen has called her here today to find fault with her? Certainly, Olivia is no longer the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee. She has no right to help with his work.


    Still, that was an order from the King.


    Olivia erased her expression and tried to guess at the queen¡¯s intention but since she can not afford to lie, she obediently answered.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m currently assisting His Highness with a small portion of his work.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so humble you know. I¡¯ve already heard from the ministers that you are taking care of most of his work after all.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t know which minister told her that but they sure said something unnecessary.


    Olivia wanted to click her tongue.


    ¡°According to what I heard, it seems that you¡¯ve done most of that child work until now, correct?¡±


    ¡°¡­..yes.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡­.I doubted my ears when I first heard of this but it seems that it was true after all.¡±


    After finishing her tea, the queen set aside her empty teacup and suddenly presented Olivia with a box of chess pieces.


    ¡°Do you play?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Yes, I¡¯m aware of the rules but¡­..¡±


    ¡°Is that so, then how about a match with me? Of course, you don¡¯t have to hold back.¡±


    At this moment, Olivia has absolutely no idea what the queen is thinking.


    TLN: A bit long but we will be with the king and queen for a few more chapters.

 CH 9

    ¡°Checkmate.¡±


    The queen happily smiled as Olivia nervously took her king.


    ¡°Ara Ara, I lost. You are quite strong aren¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty as well¡­¡­¡±


    That was her honest thought. The queen was terrifyingly strong in chess. She was cornered so many times that she was forced to come up with new strategies. At first, Olivia intended to hold back and intentionally lose to the queen but before she realized it, she was so absorbed by the match that she got serious.


    (¡­¡­.this is the first time I couldn¡¯t control the match at all.)


    Olivia learned to play chess because Alan forced her to play with him. Since Alan can¡¯t handle losing well, she had to learn how to play it so well that she could fake a defeat without him noticing. As a result, Olivia was obsessed with chess for a while. Thanks to that, she became so skilled that she can lose so naturally without Alan noticing that she was holding back.¡ª¨CHowever, the queen was too strong.


    That being said, why did the queen suddenly invite Olivia to a chess match? Rather, why is she so happy to lose to her?


    Olivia hid her puzzlement inside while putting away her white pieces.


    Then, as the queen was putting away her black pieces, she raised a new topic.


    ¡°What kind of person does the Crown Prince look like to you?¡±


    Once again, the queen suddenly dropped a hard-to-answer question. It appears that she dislikes beating around the bush.


    The conversation shifted all of a sudden since her question came out of nowhere. However, Olivia can¡¯t help but feel that each move the queen made is leading her somewhere.


    (¡­..it might be better if I don¡¯t give her a simple answer here.)


    Olivia still doesn¡¯t know why the queen has called for her today. However, there is one thing that she learned from the development so far. The queen is trying to test Olivia for [something]. She still doesn¡¯t know what that something is so she doesn¡¯t know whether she should pass or fail this test either.


    But first, the queen¡¯s question. What kind of person does the Crown Prince look like to her? Should she be honest here, or perhaps she sho¨C


    ¡°I want to hear your honest opinion of him.¡±


    As though she read Olivia¡¯s thoughts, the queen continued.


    After she said that, the queen picked up a scone and split it in two before applying clotted cream on it. Olivia tries to discern what the queen¡¯s intention is from her action but all she can see is how casual she is. It is as if this is really just small talk at a tea party. Until the end, the queen¡¯s casual attitude never breaks.


    Thus, Olivia gave up.


    ¡°¡­¡­..I think he is a very prideful person.¡±


    ¡°Is that so. Continue.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Umm, if he takes his pride in the right direction then I think that it will be quite beneficial for him but if he takes it in the wrong direction, Umm¡­.., things might turn troublesome because of his position as the crown prince. I think that His Highness does not have that many people who can cautious him in the unlikely case where His Highness did something wrong.¡±


    ¡°Can you elaborate more about this wrong direction?¡±


    Olivia let out a deep sigh as she had no choice but to continue.


    ¡°At times, His Highness might mistake his pride for selfishness. Also, it will be a problem if His Highness can not recognize his fault or the limit of his ability.¡±


    While Olivia was nervously peeking to see if the queen was angry at her for her answer or not, she found that the queen was still happily smiling.


    When the queen finished eating her scone, she wiped her mouth and hands with a napkin.


    ¡°But be it the King or the Crown Prince, they are still human beings right. We all have our shortcomings. To make up for those shortcomings, what do you think they should do?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, they need someone at their side to compensate for those shortcomings?¡±


    ¡°Right. What they need is [Someone that can compensate for their shortcomings].¡±


    The queen said that with her biggest smile so far.


    Seeing that smile, cold sweat ran down Olivia¡¯s spine.


    (¡­¡­I made a [mistake].)


    That is what her intuition is saying.


    The answer she gave the queen was a [mistake]. If she doesn¡¯t change the topic and immediately leaves this place, it will be very bad for her. However, the queen is someone that can [make Olivia commit a mistake]. Will she easily let Olivia run away even if she tries?


    (This is bad¡­.)


    ¡®Think¡¯ Olivia tells herself.


    However, the more she tries to find a way out, the more she feels like a butterfly caught in a spider web. Perhaps from the beginning¡ª¡ªthat¡¯s right, since she won against the queen in the chess match, she has been dancing on top of her palm. This person is [Dangerous].


    At that moment¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±


    Along with the voice of the guard standing outside the room and a loud bang, the door was suddenly opened and Olivia¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise.


    Looking at the door, Miss Tiana Lemone is standing there with a flushed face. Behind her, two guards who were standing in front of the queen¡¯s room were looking inside with an extremely pale expression. Their hands extended to the empty air as though they were trying to stop Tiana but they couldn¡¯t make it in time.


    As expected, even the queen herself was also taken aback by her sudden appearance. She erased the joyful smile she was wearing until now and her eyes went round in surprise.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    However, as expected of the queen, she immediately replaced her astonished expression with a faint smile and addressed her sudden visitor with a calm voice.


    On the other hand, Tiana screamed back with a bright red face.


    ¡°Why did you invite Olivia-sama to a tea party, Your Majesty! Olivia-sama is no longer His Highness¡¯s fiancee! His current fiancee is me!¡±


    Olivia was at a loss for words. What was Tiana thinking? Instead of apologizing for intruding on the queen¡¯s room, she suddenly started complaining.


    Although the queen slightly narrowed her eyes at Tiana, her reply was calm and polite.


    ¡°¡­¡­I see. I understand what you are trying to say. It can¡¯t be helped. Olivia, let¡¯s leave it at this for today¡­¡­.an uninvited butterfly has just flown into the room after all.¡±


    Olivia nodded to the queen¡¯s words. She doesn¡¯t really understand what is going on but it seems that she is safe for the time being. While stroking her chest, she left the queen¡¯s room.

 CH 10

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Shortly after Olivia returned to her room in the castle, she was visited by Cyrus.


    After Taylor prepared tea and left them alone, Cyrus asked her that with an anxious look.


    Then, something came to Olivia.


    ¡°Perhaps, the one who brought Miss Tiana to Her Majesty¡¯s room was¡ª¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring her there. I only gave her the information that my mother and Olivia were having a private tea party.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I was panicking.¡±


    (Panicking?)


    Olivia cocked her head in puzzlement.


    On the other hand, Cyrus picked up a scone, split it in two, and applied some cream to them. As expected of a parent and child, even the method he eats them is the same as the queen.


    ¡°I will be frank. [What] did you think about Mother?¡±


    ¡°I think that Her Majesty is a smart person.¡±


    ¡°And what do you truly think of her?¡±


    ¡°¡­..a person that I can never fathom what she¡¯s thinking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You are exactly right!¡±


    Cyrus snapped his finger.


    ¡°Mother is a cunning fox you see. Ever since a long time ago. Moreover, she always dotes on my brother.¡±


    ¡°Dote?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Cyrus chewed the scone and started pouting.


    ¡°See, My mother will not allow the foundation of my brother¡¯s future to be shaken even a little. In other words, she doesn¡¯t find this engagement annulment or my brother¡¯s relationship with Miss Lemone amusing at all.¡±


    ¡°Uhh, meaning?¡±


    ¡°If possible, she wants to get you engaged with my brother again.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­..¡±


    That¡¯s ridiculous. A prince does not simply break off his engagement just to re-engage himself with the same woman without a good reason. With the annulment, people started to criticize the Crown Prince. If he tries to push for a re-engagement with Olivia in this situation, the parliament will not have it. Handling this poorly might even result in him losing the position of the crown prince.


    However, as Cyrus said, the queen will not allow the foundation of my brother¡¯s future to be shaken even a little. It¡¯s possible that she has found a way to avoid Alan getting dismissed from the crown prince position.


    Cyrus shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°If you pretended to be a fool in front of Mother then things may have been different but¡­¡­..since I think you won¡¯t be able to do that, I sent Miss Lemone to get you away from her.¡±


    Yes. The right choice back then was for Olivia to pretend to be a [Fool]. She should have just failed the queen¡¯s test¡­¡­..since she was clueless about the queen¡¯s intention, she made the wrong choice.


    (I¡¯ve always played a [Fool] but to think that I failed to do that when it matters most¡­¡­.)


    The queen was testing her earlier. When she answered that [the Crown Prince needs someone to compensate for his shortcomings], the queen intended to make her the one who does that job.


    On the other hand, Cyrus tightly bites down his lips and grasps Olivia¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Engage with me.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°I was planning to wait but if I take my time, everything will be taken away by Mother.¡±


    Cyrus¡¯s expression distorted. Is the queen that much of a troublesome opponent?


    If Cyrus seriously proposes to her, Olivia can¡¯t refuse. After all, you won¡¯t be able to turn down a proposal from a prince so easily.


    However, Olivia still can¡¯t understand why he did not do that in the first place. Political marriage is common for aristocrats. For a ducal house, there¡¯s no marriage that¡¯s better than this. Since Prince Alan rejected her, then¡ª-


    ¡°Wait right there.¡±


    When Olivia was about to agree, the door was quietly opened and a low voice rang out.


    Seeing the person that entered her room with a smile, Olivia stopped breathing for a moment.


    ¡°¡­..Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Cyrus. You can¡¯t be forceful like that right.¡±


    Seeing the King who calmly entered the room, Cyrus¡¯s expression turned bitter.


    Olivia stands up and uses a bell to call Taylor in to prepare tea for the King.


    The King sat down next to the bitter Cyrus and poked his son¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Did you forget about your bet with me? Seriously.¡±


    ¡°¡­.a bet?¡±


    Olivia tilted her head and the king began to explain with a grin.


    ¡°First of all, didn¡¯t you wonder why I allowed Alan to break off his engagement with you?¡±


    The king gracefully carried the teacup to his mouth before saying that with a mischievous expression.


    ¡°Well, yes¡­¡­¡±


    A prince annulling his engagement, thinking about it normally, that can only spell scandal. She was also a little curious why the king allowed such a thing to happen. Olivia did pretend to be a fool but she did not make any big mistakes in her time as the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee. In other words, there was no justification for Alan to break off his engagement with her.


    Breaking off such an engagement without a good reason is obviously bad. In the first place, the excuse he brought up to break it off was pretty strange if you just take your time and think about it.


    (Rather, the whole content was strange. I wonder if it was His Highness or Tiana that came up with it.)


    Referring to Olivia using the wrong pronoun, or having her own father call her [well-educated]. Many of the ministers that were present back then were probably doing their best not to burst out laughing. Certainly, there were not that many ministers presented back then but at least the core members of the parliament were there. In other words, no one said anything because the King didn¡¯t. Conversely, if the King even uttered a single word, the room would have been filled with jeers back then. They were that ridiculous.


    That¡¯s why the King who saw that ridiculous act and did nothing must have been [Planning something]. Still, Olivia did not intend to ask him about it as she thought that it had nothing to do with her.


    (Since he brought this up, does this mean that it involves me¡­¡­.?)


    Without her knowledge, it seems that the King has involved her in something troublesome. What a pain.


    ¡°Before we get to that, let me tell you about my conflict with the queen.¡±


    ¡°Conflict?¡±


    Although it should be something unpleasant, the King said that with a smile.


    Seeing his father like that, Cyrus tiredly sighed.


    ¡°Even if he dubbed it a conflict, it¡¯s only some ridiculous couple quarrel though. To put it simply, my parents are betting against each other. They both love gambling you see.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call it ridiculous. This will affect the future of this country you know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly because you two put such an important thing on the line that it¡¯s ridiculous right.¡±


    Cyrus is not speaking with his position as a prince but as a son to his father. Normally, he would never stop using polite language when he addresses the King in public. In other words, there¡¯s a public conversation and a non-public one. So, this should not be the kind of tone that they should use in front of her. Or that¡¯s supposed to be.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. So, Olivia, to put this briefly, the queen wants Alan to be crowned king while I want it to be Cyrus instead.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..eh.¡±


    That¡¯s not something that you should say with the same tone as [Today¡¯s weather is nice isn¡¯t it] right?


    Olivia was stunned.


    ¡°But, as you may already know, Alan [Alone] is not suitable to be king. At least as he is right now. On the other hand, there was Cyrus who didn¡¯t want to be king. Since Cyrus was like that, I gave up because the queen would have won. But you see, things have changed.¡±


    ¡°Was it because His Highness Alan broke off his engagement with me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    So that¡¯s it. This means that the King [Purposely] allowed the Crown Prince to cancel the engagement. As a result, the bet he had already given up was reset. But that alone would not give the King an advantage. After all, Cyrus still doesn¡¯t want to become king. In other words, no matter how much Alan is labeled as someone who¡¯s unsuitable for the throne, the King will never win as long as Cyrus refuses to be king.


    When Olivia asked him about that, the King replied with a grin.


    ¡°You would think so right? Still, the goddess of victory smiled at me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.what goddess of victory.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It was you who brought up this bet with me right.¡±


    Bet again. Olivia was tired of hearing that word but she urged Cyrus to continue.


    After staring at the King, Cyrus reluctantly opened his mouth.


    ¡°I told Father that if a certain condition is met, I will agree to be king. That¡¯s how I got my permission to propose to you back then.¡±


    ¡°A certain condition¡­¡­¡±


    Olivia slowly opened her eyes thinking [No way]¡ª¨C


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If I can marry you, I would agree to become king. But I can not forcefully make you agree to the marriage. I must make you willing to marry me out of your own free will.¡±


    Olivia turned bright red.


    And seeing that, Cyrus smiled.


    ¡°I told you right. [No matter what I have to do, I will definitely make you mine]. If I can get you then I couldn¡¯t care less about my future.¡±

 CH 11

    After leaving Olivia¡¯s room, Cyrus was walking back with the King.


    The bet that they told Olivia about. There is actually more to it.


    (As expected, I can¡¯t tell her that the other condition is for Aniue to step down from his position as the Crown Prince huh¡­¡­)


    Even if Cyrus is willing to become king, things won¡¯t be so easy for him since the queen is still there. Since the Queen intends to make his brother, Alan, ascend the throne, Cyrus¡¯s willingness alone will not be enough. He needs to make his brother give up as well.


    Naturally, if he only has to think about Olivia then he could have told his father to deal with his elder brother himself. However, his father told him that the only woman he sees fit to become the next queen of this country is Olivia. This is to say, even if Cyrus fails, he doesn¡¯t mind making her become Alan¡¯s queen. With that being the case, Cyrus has no other choice but to become king himself. After all, if he can not get that position, even if he can obtain her heart, he will not be able to be with her.


    Cyrus also realizes that this is a test that his father has given him to see if he has the qualities of a king. It may be a bet between father and son but it also serves as a trial for him as well.


    (If Mother is a cunning fox then Father is one as well huh. It would be nice if they can keep their game between themselves.¡±


    While thinking so, Cyrus also realizes that he is like a donkey chasing a carrot that his father is dangling in front of him. He knows that he is dancing to their tunes but he will not be able to obtain Olivia if he doesn¡¯t.


    Even so, for the time being, his father is still his best ally. He made Olivia help out at the castle for a month to help Cyrus get close to her. Now it¡¯s up to him to take advantage of this chance and do everything he can.


    The queen is especially fond of his brother but it isn¡¯t like she¡¯s pathetic to Cyrus either. But it¡¯s just that. She probably thinks of him as a cute and foolish son. Anyway, he knows that his mother will never give up trying to make Alan king and she is not the type that would choose her means to achieve that.


    Moreover, with the fool charade done and over with, his mother finally noticed Olivia¡¯s talent. She caught his mother¡¯s eyes. Things couldn¡¯t be more troublesome than it is right now. In other words, the current battle is one for Olivia.


    Fortunately, his brother is still unaware of Olivia¡¯s value. By the time he noticed, his brother should have already fallen for Tiana(probably). That¡¯s why he shouldn¡¯t be actively trying to get Olivia back. Then again, he will need to finish things as quickly as he can before his brother notices Olivia¡¯s charm.


    (It was a mistake that I didn¡¯t tell Olivia about how dangerous Mother can be¡­¡­)


    He was elated when he knew that he will be able to meet Olivia every day as she will be at the castle for a month. He was so busy thinking of how to get close to her that he forgot about his most dangerous opponent.


    ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t look so glum. It¡¯s not like you were backed into a corner yet right?¡±


    The King said with a happy smile.


    After glancing at his father who¡¯s walking at his side, he constructed the expression of a [Prince] and answers.


    ¡°Of course, Father.¡±


    Tiana was groaning with a pile of books in front of her.


    It¡¯s been a week since she started her princess education.


    When she was glad that Wattle¡¯s lesson where she couldn¡¯t understand what he was trying to teach her at all was finally over, she was instead faced with an enormous amount of textbooks and new instructors.


    (Why do I have to study this hard.)


    She has to come all the way to the castle every day and take her lessons from morning until evening. The amount of lessons is just maddening. She tried to complain to Prince Alan but he couldn¡¯t do anything and told her that it¡¯s necessary for her education.


    (WHY! Even though Olivia could play around every day, why do I have to put up with this ridiculous amount of lessons?)


    Since Olivia was able to fulfill her obligations as Alan¡¯s fiancee, there¡¯s no way that someone [Smarter] like her can¡¯t do it as well. In the first place, she doesn¡¯t understand why she has to take all these lessons. After all, she is supposed to already be well-educated as she is right now. She shouldn¡¯t have any problem as the crown princess.


    ¡°Tiana-sama, your hands stopped again.¡±


    The low voice of her history teacher indicated that he has reached the limit of his patience.


    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well.¡±


    Tiana replied while turning her chin away. Seeing that, the teacher tiredly sighed.


    ¡°Did you not say the same thing yesterday?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well these days.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should call you a doctor.¡±


    ¡°That will not be necessary. I will be fine if I can take a walk.¡±


    Without heeding the teacher who tried to stop her, Tiana stood up and quickly left the room.


    Left behind, the teacher looked up to the ceiling while holding his forehead.


    Seriously, this is ridiculous.


    Why does Tiana have to be put through a hard time like this?


    She is supposed to be someone that was recognized by Prince Alan for her talent and became his fiancee.


    (Even Prince Alan said that I¡¯m wonderful right.)


    It was at a party 6 months ago that she had her first conversation with Alan.


    It was a dance party held at a Marquis¡¯s residence just before the end of last year¡¯s social season. Crown Prince Alan always attends such parties with Olivia but at that party, Olvia was sick so she was resting in a separate room.


    Without tending to her, Alan was greeting the guests at the party alone.


    (Just like the painting, he¡¯s truly beautiful¡­¡­)


    Alan¡¯s younger brother, Cyrus was said to be a delicately beautiful prince but Alan has this fearless atmosphere to him that differs his charm from his brother¡¯s. If she has to describe it, he has the charm of an elaborately made plaster statue.


    Tiana has been obsessed with Alan for years but with an eyesore like Olivia around, she couldn¡¯t get close to him. She had tried to embarrass Olivia to make Alan disillusioned with her but for some reason, she still failed at every corner.


    For Tiana, that party was her greatest opportunity. With no Olivia beside him, there were naturally many ladies who wanted to approach Prince Alan. They swarmed him like butterflies to a flower but tearing them off of him was easy for her. After all, Tiana is more beautiful.


    The dark pink chiffon dress that she chose for the party also fully complements her charm.


    Sticking her chest up, she walked straight to Alan with the confidence that the prince would naturally be attracted to her.


    ¡°Greeting, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°You are¡­¡­if I recall, you should be Count Lemone¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Your Highness remembered? I¡¯m honored!¡±


    See, as she thought, the prince is conscious of her. After all, he recognized Tiana with only a glance.


    With a smile, Tiana pretended to tumble and lean gently against Alan.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was a little dizzy¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no good. Why don¡¯t you rest up in the break room? I was just about to go there myself, let me escort you.¡±


    Olivia is in the break room. She wasn¡¯t amused by the idea that Alan was about to go check on his fiancee but she couldn¡¯t afford to abandon her chance to get close to him.


    Tiana and Alan head to the break room on the second floor of the Marquis¡¯s resident together.


    Worried about her condition, he was also being gentle and slowly matching his pace with Tiana¡¯s.


    ¡°Is Olivia-sama feeling unwell?¡±


    When she pretended to care and asked him about Olivia, Alan shrugged and answered.


    ¡°I wonder about that. Maybe she¡¯s just pretending. Olivia can¡¯t deal with people at the party properly after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­..¡±


    When Tiana pretended to be surprised, Alan smiled at her.


    ¡°She¡¯s not really well-educated you see. I think she doesn¡¯t like studying that much. Thanks to that I¡¯m always troubled by her.¡±


    ¡°I can understand your pain. Even though studying should be an aristocratic obligation¡­¡­¡­.let alone being Your Highness¡¯s fiancee¡­¡­.at the very least, she should educate herself on the same level as me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I heard that you are quite an excellent young lady, Miss Tiana. I¡¯ve heard a lot of good things about you from Count Lemone you know.¡±


    ¡°How embarrassing. I¡¯m not¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so humble. I can only wish that Olivia can be as diligent as you, Miss Tiana.¡±


    Alan let out an exaggerated sigh and enters the break room with Tiana. Inside, Olivia was lying all alone on the sofa with her eyes shut. It seems that she¡¯s sleeping.


    ¡°¡­¡­it seems that she¡¯s really feeling unwell.¡±


    Looking at Olivia¡¯s sleeping complexion, a slight frown formed on Alan¡¯s face.


    ¡°My apology, Miss Tiana. I have to escort Olivia home. Will you be fine on your own?¡±


    ¡°Y, Yes¡­¡­of course.¡±


    As expected, she couldn¡¯t give any other reply to Alan who said that he would escort his fiancee home. With a lonely look on her face, Tiana looked down and teared up a little. Alan must have been mesmerized by her ephemeral beauty as he continued his words.


    ¡°I will be back after I send Olivia to her mansion. It might be a little lonely but can you wait here until then?¡±


    Hearing that, Tiana internally cheered.

 CH 12

    Since the party they had their first conversation, Alan and Tiana have frequently met up.


    While pretending to be sympathetic to Alan¡¯s dissatisfaction with Olivia, Tiana casually shows how [excellen] she is to him and Alan gradually grows interested in her.


    Through the help of her father, Count Lemone, who kept promoting his daughter to Alan, Tiana finally managed to draw something out from Alan¡¯s mouth.


    ¡ª¡ª¨CI wish you were my fiancee instead.¡±


    And the rest was easy.


    In the first place, Alan never had any good feelings toward Olivia. Rather, he wasn¡¯t really interested in her. It was easy for Tiana to squeeze herself between that gap and make him think that the [Excellent Tiana] is more suitable to be the next queen than the [Foolish Olivia].


    After that, all she had to do was have her father read the condemnation she wrote and kick Olivia off the position of the prince¡¯s fiancee.


    Everything went her way up to that point¡ª¡ªbut she never expected such hardships to be waiting for her after she got to be Alan¡¯s fiancee.


    (Why do I have to take something like a princess education. I am supposed to be an excellent lady right!)


    Surely, this must be some kind of bullying from her nasty educator, Wattle. After asking such incomprehensible questions at their first lesson, he must have used his position as the head educator to increase her lessons as a form of harassment. After all, such lessons are not necessary for Tiana.


    As she was walking through the courtyard, Tiana suddenly spotted Olivia and stopped her feet.


    It seems that Olivia is playing around again. She must be going to the library as usual. Oh, how nice it is to have such an easy position.


    (She must have pushed the work His Highness gave her to someone else. Just because she¡¯s the daughter of the Duke, she¡¯s doing whatever she wants! Just look at her!)


    All Tiana¡¯s hardships right now must be due to the [Incompetency] of Olivia who is Alan¡¯s ex-fiancee. Her instructors must be taking out all their frustration on her because of Olivia. Even though she¡¯s no longer Prince Alan¡¯s fiancee, she¡¯s still found a way to be a hindrance to Tiana.


    (In the first place, why did Her Majesty invite Olivia to that private tea party! She still hasn¡¯t invited me even once right!)


    The queen must have felt sorry for Olivia whose engagement was broken off so she tried to care for her¡­¡­..still, it¡¯s unforgivable.


    (Cyrus-sama too! Just what did he see in that woman!)


    Certainly, Olivia¡¯s appearance is a [Little] beautiful. However, her head should be empty. She doesn¡¯t deserve to be someone engaged to a prince.


    Olivia entered the library. After a while, Cyrus also entered it as though he was following her and they both disappeared inside.


    When Tiana stopped by the library window and peeked inside, she saw them reading a book at the same desk.


    Seeing that, Tiana grit her teeth but suddenly, she smiled.


    ¡°I came up with a good idea.¡±


    In another two weeks, Prince Edward from the neighboring country will visit them. According to Alan, Olivia will also be attending the welcome party for Prince Edward. At that party, she should make Olivia embarrass herself in front of everyone. Then surely, even Prince Cyrus will be disillusioned with her. Olivia will become a laughing stock.


    (Ufufu, I¡¯m a genius!)


    Since Tiana has to suffer so many hardships because of Olivia¡¯s [Fault], it¡¯s only fair for her to take a little revenge. Moreover, if she reminds everyone how much of a fool Olivia is, Tiana¡¯s genius should look even more prominent. Then, everyone will see that she doesn¡¯t need something like a princess education.


    Unlike her gloomy steps before, Tiana walked back the way she came with light footsteps while humming to herself.


    The prince of the neighboring country, Edward, is a seemingly gentle young man with light wavy honey-colored hair.


    However, in truth, has a very shrewd personality. The type that can corner you in a conversation with a smile. In her mind, Olivia has been secretly calling him a [Snake].


    Prince Edward visits Brior once every one or two years so naturally, Olivia is acquainted with him.


    Still, she hasn¡¯t had many conversations with Prince Edward because she was trying her best to be inconspicuous next to Alan. However, despite being the Crown Prince, Alan is the type that can¡¯t read if a person is good or bad, or sense what kind of ulterior motive they might have. Each time he talked with Edward, it was as if he was coiled by a snake without even noticing. It wasn¡¯t once or twice that he was inadvertently made to make a promise that is detrimental to Brior and Olivia had to rescue him without dropping her act.


    (¡­¡­..will he be okay at today¡¯s party, I wonder?)


    Olivia is no longer Alan¡¯s fiancee. He¡¯s someone who broke off his engagement with her for some ridiculous reason so even if he asked, she wouldn¡¯t be willing to help him. Still, she hopes that he wouldn¡¯t get sweet-talked by Prince Edward and surrender one-third of Brior¡¯s territory.


    ¡°You are frowning, are you worried about something?¡±


    Asked Cyrus who is sitting across from her in the carriage.


    Olivia was on her way to the castle with Cyrus who came to pick her up at the Duke¡¯s residence.


    Cyrus is wearing a light gray jacket on top of a black shirt today. The blue tie and the red rose on his chest also accentuate his white skin.


    On the other hand, Olivia is wearing a blue dress that matches his tie color. Her platinum blonde hair is braided to the side and tied together. She also has a red rose, the same as Cyrus. By matching their colors, everyone should be able to tell that Cyrus¡¯s partner for the party is Olivia.


    This was born of Cyrus¡¯s consideration for Olivia since some curious guests might hurt Olivia with their careless remarks.


    Asked by Cyrus, Olivia shook her head in a hurry.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then that¡¯s fine. Since you don¡¯t have to behave like [Usual] today, I want you to enjoy it.¡±


    As [Usual]. Olivia was a little surprised at Cyrus¡¯s words. It was as if Cyrus noticed that Olivia had been keeping an eye on Alan¡¯s movement in such parties in the past.


    (¡­¡­.no way.)


    No one should notice that Olivia was secretly supporting Alan.


    ¡°Still, is this fine with you, Your Highness? If you walk around the party with me, it might be unpleasant¡ª¨C¡±


    Most of the aristocrats who attend the party regard, Olivia, as a [Foolish] and [Lazy] girl who refused to properly take the princess education. A girl that was abandoned by the Crown Prince because she¡¯s always lazily playing around. If he walks around with Olivia, even Cyrus might be subjected to ridiculing eyes.


    In response, Cyrus laughed as though he found her words funny.


    ¡°I think that people will know how wonderful you are eventually though! On the contrary, I feel quite grateful for the current situation you know? I don¡¯t have to worry about some strange insects approaching you after all.¡±


    Saying so, Cyrus gently takes Olivia¡¯s small hand and drops a feather-light kiss on it.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, for the party today, I want you to only look at me.¡±


    What could Cyrus¡¯s words really mean? Olivia doesn¡¯t think that he is trying to tease her or anything but with her chest throbbing, she looked down to hide her red face.

 CH 13

    The members of the Royal Family usually have their own reserved seats but today, Cyrus is not heading to his. Instead, he¡¯s spending his time with Olivia in the party hall.


    Since Alan and Tiana are most likely at the reserved seats, he is probably being considerate to Olivia to not make her feel uncomfortable from being near them.


    In the first place, after the first dance led by Alan and Tiana, followed by Prince Edward and his fiancee, Elizabeth, they would go their separate ways to enjoy the party on their own.


    For aristocrats, a party like this is a place where they are expected to socialize but as Cyrus said, he wanted Olivia to enjoy the party without having to worry about anything.


    Her father, Duke Atoir is also attending the party but it appears that she doesn¡¯t need to accompany him to greet the other guests today. Although this is supposed to be a big welcome party for Prince Edward, this is the easiest party Olivia has ever attended.


    After Cyrus invited her to the dance floor, they danced to a couple of songs and headed to the balcony together to get away from the people¡¯s eyes.


    It was a little cold on the balcony but since she drank a glass of champagne before the dance she still felt a pleasant heat on her cheeks.


    Together with Cyrus, they look down on the moonlit garden from the balcony. Then while she was enjoying a light conversation with him, she was called from behind.


    When she turned to look, she found Tiana standing there together with Alan.


    As though it was natural, Cyrus stepped up as if to shield Olivia. When she looked at Alan from behind Cyrus, Alan has an unamused expression on his face for some reason.


    ¡°Olivia-sama, I have been looking for you!¡±


    Tiana said with a big smile.


    Olivia was suspicious of her attitude. At least in Tiana¡¯s mind, Olivia should have been her enemy. Why would she go out of her way to look for her?¡±


    ¡°Olivia-sama, His Highness Edward said that he wanted to meet you. Now, let¡¯s go to him!¡±


    Hearing that, Olivia instinctively looked at Cyrus. She is certainly acquainted with Prince Edward but they are by no means close. Why would he want to see Olivia here?


    ¡°Aniue, do you know what kind of business Prince Edward has with Olivia?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was chatting with the Marquises until just now. It was Tiana who told me that Prince Edward wanted to see Olivia.¡±


    Even though she previously asked Alan not to call like that anymore, it seems that he still intends to continue calling her by her name. It¡¯s a pain to correct him now so Olivia turned to Cyrus and told him that if Prince Edward is looking for her then it can¡¯t be helped. Thus, they head to where Prince Edward is.


    Prince Edward was chatting with the King and the Queen together with his fiancee Elizabeth.


    As Olivia¡¯s group approached, Prince Edward smiled at them.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time Miss Atoir.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time, Your Highnesses.


    Next to Edward, Elizabeth also greeted her with a smile. They both should have been aware that Olivia¡¯s engagement with Alan was annulled but it seems that they have no intention to touch on the subject so Olivia is a little relieved. After all, if they asked her about the circumstances behind it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to answer.


    Then, while entwining her arm around Alan¡¯s, Tiana starts a conversation with them.


    ¡°Your Highness, do you remember the thing we talked about earlier? If It¡¯s Olivia-sama then I¡¯m sure that she can come up with a good idea to solve your problem!¡±


    ¡°Ahh, right.¡±


    When Tiana brought that up, Prince Edward nodded.


    After that Prince Edward asked Olivia¡¯s group to change location. It appears that the [Thing they talked about earlier] is not something that can easily be mentioned around other people.


    Parting ways with the King and the Queen, Olivia and the others move to the break room reserved for the royalty on the second floor.


    After Alan had a waiter serve some light meals and drinks, Prince Edward started talking while bringing a glass of white wine to his mouth.


    ¡°Actually, this is about a town near our border that¡¯s connected with Brior. In recent years, the tax we collected from there has lowered significantly. People in the town told the lord there that they were having a streak of bad harvest. The count who is governing that town is the prime example of an aristocrat. He tried to collect the taxes at the rate that¡¯s supposed to match his territory¡¯s productivity but he could only bring in around one-third of the usual amount even after he squeezed up everything. I can¡¯t afford to hurt a Count house that has such a long history but I can¡¯t seem to find why the harvest in his territory is so poor in recent years either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s truly a shame!¡±


    Said Tiana with a lively voice that it doesn¡¯t feel like anything but lip service.


    While being amazed at Tiana¡¯s attitude, Olivia took a bite of a cracker with marmalade jam and asked the prince more about his problem.


    ¡°If you can not find the cause of the poor harvest then does that mean there was no change in the weather or any factor that might affect it at all? For example, there was no sudden hail or outbreak of grasshoppers?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t heard about anything along that line at all.¡±


    ¡°How about the soil? Was there any sudden change in its quality?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Olivia-sama! His Highness Edward should have done that much investigation already right!¡±


    ¡°As Miss Tiana said, I¡¯ve investigated the area but there were no particular changes there too.¡±


    Prince Edward answers with a gentle tone.


    Hearing that Olivia put her hand on her narrow chin and lowered her gaze.


    There are two points that are on her mind. One is the reason why the prince couldn¡¯t identify the [cause of the poor harvest] and another is¡ª¨C


    (Why did he bother to tell us about this? He should have no reason to bring this up to either His Highness Alan or Tiana. This problem should have nothing to do with Brior after all¡­¡­.wait.)


    After glancing at Alan and Tiana, Olivia deliberately asked Prince Edward a question in Philarush, his local language instead of Brior¡¯s common one.


    [[Is the same thing also happening on Brior¡¯s side of the border?]]


    Perhaps surprised that Olivia suddenly spoke in a foreign language, Alan and Tiana were startled.


    Next to Olivia, Cyrus, who apparently understands Philarush as well, also has a surprised expression on his face. However, perhaps he noticed the meaning behind her question, his surprise did not come from the fact that Olivia speaks a foreign language but the content of her words.


    Putting down his wine glass, Prince Edward gives her a brief reply.


    [[I heard that they have been enjoying quite a good harvest lately.]]


    [[¡­¡­¡­.thank you very much]]


    Olivia turned silent and her expression became severe.


    ¡°Ahh! Why are you being all secretive now Olivia-sam!?¡±


    Unamused for being completely ignored, Tiana raised her voice.


    (¡­¡­I wish I can be carefree like you Tiana.)


    Olivia wanted to sigh. Next to her, Cyrus also has a severe expression.


    ¡°So, could you tell the cause, Olivia?¡±


    Alan asked with a probing expression.


    However, Olivia couldn¡¯t answer. Right now, the only thing that crossed her mind was only a possibility. At the very least, it¡¯s not something that she wants to say in front of Prince Edward.


    ¡°Yes, Olivia-sama, please don¡¯t keep it to yourself. You already know the answer right? Fufufu, even I can see it after all.¡±


    Tiana said that with no care to the heavy atmosphere.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s causing the poor harvest?¡±


    When Alan asked Tiana with a surprised expression, she proudly answered.


    ¡°Of course! It is simple! The people of that town are hiding their harvested crops so that they can have everything to themselves!¡±


    Olivia did not say anything to Tiana¡¯s answer.


    On the other hand, Prince Edward made a small smile and said [I see, I guess that is also possible] with a nod.


    While listening to Tiana¡¯s joyful laughter, an unpleasant premonition formed in Olivia¡¯s mind.

 CH 14

    ¡°Your Highness.¡±


    Around the end of the party, Olivia called out to Prince Edward who went to cool himself off at the balcony.


    Princess Elizabeth seems to be chatting with Tiana and her friends at the moment at the royal family reserved seat.


    Cyrus was also called away by Alan earlier so he¡¯s not with Olivia for the time being.


    This is Olivia¡¯s only chance to talk alone with Edward.


    When Olivia approached him, Edward looked back as if he was waiting for her to call him out.


    [[I thought that you would come to talk to me when I¡¯m alone.]]


    Edward replies in Philarush¡¯s language. Perhaps thinking that it would be better to discuss this topic discreetly, Olivia also switched to his language.


    [[Regarding the problem Your Highness mentioned earlier, could Your Highness tell me where this town is specifically?]]


    There are several towns that dot around the border between Brior and Philarush. For her to look into this problem, she needs to know specifically where it is.


    [[It¡¯s Winbal.]]


    [[Winbal¡­¡­]]


    Hearing that, Olivia drew up a map in her mind.


    However, when she was doing that, Edward suddenly changed the topic.


    [[So, why was your engagement with Prince Alan got annulled?]]


    She thought that Edward was being considerate since he didn¡¯t mention it earlier but with no other choice, Olivia looked up and answered.


    [[I believe that it would be better if Your Highness asks His Highness Alan himself about this.]]


    [[What. I thought that you finally dumped him but judging from your reply, it seems like I got it wrong huh.]]


    [[Yes, well.]]


    [[I see¡­¡­..does Prince Alan want to ruin himself I wonder.]]


    Edward muttered in a small voice but Olivia decided to not linger on the topic.


    After all, rather than small talk, she has a more important matter to discuss with the prince.


    [[Your Highness Edward. I understand that this is a selfish request but could you please leave this Winbal matter to me?]]


    [[Oh, and why should I leave my nation¡¯s problem in the hand of the former fiancee of another country¡¯s crown prince?]]


    Olivia was immediately flustered by Edward¡¯s malicious question.


    [[I¡¯m kidding. Personally, I don¡¯t want this problem to be blown out of proportion. It wouldn¡¯t benefit my country and will only add more to the hassle after all. If you can take care of it for me then it would be helpful.]]


    Edward said so and tried to leave but he turned around as though he just remembered something.


    [[Ah, that¡¯s right. I don¡¯t really get it but when I approached His Highness Alan about this problem and his new fiancee, Miss Tiana, said that you might be able to come up with a good solution, I don¡¯t think she said that out of good faith you know. It seems like you already have it hard as it is now but you should probably be more careful about people¡¯s malicious intent. You seem like a smart person but you are slightly dense after all.]]


    After Edward walked away, Cyrus returned to Olivia¡¯s side as though he was switching places with him.


    ¡°What did you two talk about?¡±


    Cyrus asked worriedly with a slightly cloudy expression but Olivia only slowly shook her head sideways as a reply.


    ¡°Olivia.¡±


    When she was on her way to the library.


    Olivia who was walking down the stairs was stopped by Alan¡¯s voice coming from behind her and she had to look back with a slightly surprised expression.


    Since he broke off their engagement, Alan did not speak to Olivia even once outside the party.


    While she was wondering what he wanted, Alan walked down the stairs to Olivia and asks her a question.


    ¡°Uhh, well. Are you done with the documents?¡±


    The documents in question are probably the portion of Alan¡¯s work that he assigned to Tiana which subsequently became her responsibility.


    ¡°Yes, earlier.¡±


    ¡°I, I see¡­¡­¡±


    Alan seemed a little flustered at her reply.


    Did he come all the way here to ask her about that? Or perhaps he called her out to see if she is skipping work? Olivia thought so but since she has already finished it he shouldn¡¯t have any more business with her.


    However, for some reason, Alan followed her down the stairs, through the garden, and to the library.


    ¡°Your Highness, do you still have some kind of business with me? I am heading to the library so it might be boring for you there.¡±


    ¡°N, No. Can I go to the library with you?¡±


    ¡°To the library?¡±


    When Olivia¡¯s eyes went round in surprise, Alan nodded in reply as his eyes kept wandering around suspiciously.


    ¡°The library is not my private property so I believe that Your Highness should be free to visit it though.¡±


    Hearing that, Alan smiled in relief.


    He then walks next to Olivia and fidgety opens his mouth.


    ¡°Uhh, Olivia, you speak Philarush huh.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°W, When did you learn it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember exactly when but¡­¡­I believe it was around when I was 10 years old? I don¡¯t use it much and I often forget some of it so I still have a tutor coming to visit me once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Is, is that so¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­.well, Olivia sure likes the library huh.¡±


    Alan suddenly changed the topic again.


    Olivia was suspicious because she can¡¯t tell what he wanted but she decided to reply to his question for the time being.


    ¡°I like books. Besides, in three days, I won¡¯t be able to easily visit the castle library anymore after all.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I can freely use the library only when I am taking care of the documents on Miss Lemone¡¯s behalf. After three days, I will not have any reason to come to the castle anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡±


    Olivia opened the library¡¯s heavy door and headed for the book she was looking for.


    After taking the book to her window seat, Alan nervously followed her there with a book of his own. Even though there were many seats available, he still came to the same table as Olivia.


    ¡°N, Nice weather today isn¡¯t it!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡­¡­yes, I think so.¡±


    Olivia raised her face to look at the sunshine that shone through the window and replied. It¡¯s not like the sky is totally cloudless but it¡¯s still nice weather nonetheless.


    Olivia turns her gaze back to the book but Alan continues to bring up new topics to talk to her. The fact that he didn¡¯t turn a single page of his book so far made her doubt his intention to read it in the first place.


    Annoyed, Olivia set down her book and looked Alan in the eyes.


    ¡°Your Highness, you have been looking like you are hesitating to say something for a while now. If you want to say something then please say it.¡±


    Flustered by her words, Alan immediately says what he¡¯s thinking.


    ¡°If, If you don¡¯t come to the castle anymore¡­.well, I just thought that it would be lonely.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Olivia thought that her ears have somehow malfunctioned but after seeing Alan¡¯s bright red face, she immediately nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Your Highness you must have a fever. It¡¯s better to take a rest when you are sick you know.¡±


    As his words were thought of as some silly words from a feverish man, Alan sulkily turned away from Olivia.


    ¡°Hey, has someone ever told you that you can be so dense sometimes?¡±


    Even so, Olivia still couldn¡¯t quite understand what Alan wanted to say.

 CH 15

    Olivia arrived at Cyrus¡¯s room


    When she stepped through the door, she was met with Cyrus and his escort, Colin. On the low table between the sofas are multiple documents bundled with strings piled up like a mountain. They were prepared by Cyrus at Olivia¡¯s request.


    ¡°I am so sorry for the trouble.¡±


    ¡°No, this is a matter that I can¡¯t overlook as a prince after all.¡±


    Answered Cyrus with a gentle expression. The documents he prepared were from the nobles who manage the territories near the Brior-Philarush border, specifically the area near Winbal.


    A noble managing a territory is obligated to report their revenue to the central government every month. This is due to the fact that the central government will collect a certain percentage of the territory¡¯s income as taxes. In other words, the country will calculate the amount of tax each territory is required to pay from these reports.


    After sitting down on the sofa, Olivia immediately picked up one of them.


    ¡°Just like you requested, these are the account books from the past 10 years.¡±


    Originally, these books should be accessible only to the members of the royal family, the Minister of Taxation, and the officials working in the department. Naturally, Olivia has no right to read them, that¡¯s why she asked Cyrus to get special permission from the King to access them.


    As Olivia started examining them, Cyrus also picked up one and started doing the same.


    Since these documents can not be allowed to be seen by outsiders, Colin asked the maids to prepare some tea for them before clearing the room and serving them himself.


    In addition, after he finished serving the tea, he seated himself a little distance away from Cyrus and Olivia so as to not accidentally see the contents of the documents.


    The only sound in the room was the sound of paper being flipped.


    Then after Olivia and Cyrus finished examining the books from 10 years ago to those from recent years, they breathe out a sigh.


    ¡°Your Highness, have you spotted any [Strange Items]?¡±


    ¡°No, none at all.¡±


    ¡°I see. The ones I checked all have the same level of tax revenue with some minor differences as well.¡±


    After moistening her parching throat with her already cold tea, she continued with a grin.


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s [Strange] isn¡¯t it.¡±


    From a little distance away, Colin tilted his head in puzzlement at why the documents with no abnormality would be considered strange.


    Tiana was stunned.


    What piled up in front of her were documents on top of documents on top of more documents!


    Just what is the meaning of this?


    She was told that this avalanche of documents on her desk was something that Tiana¡¯s supposed to handle.


    (Just what is all this!?)


    She¡¯s supposed to read and sign them all? That¡¯s obviously impossible right!


    She tried picking up one of the documents and took a look at its content but she couldn¡¯t tell what it was about at all.


    Was Olivia truly handling these documents until yesterday? Seriously?


    (There¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible! I mean, if I can¡¯t understand them then there¡¯s no chance Olivia would be able to!)


    Surely, the officials knew that Tiana would be the one to handle them after one month and just sent her all the difficult documents that have accumulated to her today.


    While thinking about what to do with this mountain of documents, Tiana unconsciously bites down on her nail.


    Thinking about it normally, this amount of documents shouldn¡¯t be possible for Tiana to handle alone. No, with this amount, they probably only expected her to just [Sign Them]. That¡¯s it. All she has to do is sign. Since they submitted the documents, it¡¯s obvious that they want them to be signed after all. There¡¯s no need for her to take a look at each and every one of them here.


    (I see, that must be it! Even Olivia-sama can at least sign a document after all. What, this is super easy isn¡¯t it.)


    Since Tiana is smart, it¡¯s clear that she has been [Overthinking]. If all she has to do is sign them then this is just a walk in the park.


    Sitting down in her chair, Tiana immediately put her signature onto the documents. Thanks to this assignment, her study time was cut in half.


    If she had known that she wouldn¡¯t have to see her teachers¡¯ irritable faces, she should have taken on this job from the beginning. She thought.


    After continuing to sign the document while humming to herself, her assignment was done in no time.


    ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m done! But I get it now! If she just signed the documents then it¡¯s no wonder why Olivia-sama always has time to go to the library in the afternoon.¡±


    After handing the piles of documents to the official who came to pick them up, Tiana calls for her maid to prepare tea and sweets.


    (I only have a one-hour lesson in the evening today. Let¡¯s see, what should I do?)


    After finishing her one-month assignment, Olivia decided to go on a [Trip] with permission from her father, the Duke.


    Her destination is a town called Deborah located near the Brior-Philarush border. It is also a town located right across the river from the town of Winbal.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go with me you know, Your Highness.¡±


    Olivia said with a bitter smile as she was rocked by the shaky carriage.


    Sitting across from her was Cyrus. When he heard that Olivia was going to ask her father for permission to travel to Deborah, he decided to ask the King for permission to accompany her.


    Worried that it might be dangerous for Olivia to travel alone in a carriage, her father, the Duke agreed only with the condition that she travels with Cyrus. After all, if Cyrus goes, there will be soldiers accompanying them, and Colin, his escort will be there as well.


    ¡°It would be bad if something were to happen to you after all.¡±


    That¡¯s what Cyrus said but it¡¯s not like Deborah is a dangerous town. There¡¯s no problem in the diplomatic relations between Brior and Philarush so it¡¯s not like they are going to visit a conflict zone. There¡¯s no strict border patrol that would arrest them with no question for approaching the border either. There shouldn¡¯t be anything that¡¯s worth worrying about.


    ¡°Besides, rather than an inn, staying at the royal villa would be more comfortable right?¡±


    ¡°That is certainly true but¡­¡±


    That¡¯s right, about 2 hours away from Deborah, there¡¯s a large villa belonging to the royal family. Staying there would be undoubtedly more comfortable than renting a room at a local inn.


    On a side note, Taylor, who¡¯s riding on another carriage, was elated when she heard that Cyrus would be coming as well. It appears that her maid absolutely wants them to get together.


    ¡°Also, if you want to find proof then my presence there would be helpful right?¡±


    There is no doubt about that.


    ¡°And lastly, I just wanted to come with you. Traveling alone with just the two of us should be fun isn¡¯t it?¡±


    To be precise, they are technically not alone with all their servants and escorts and it¡¯s not like they are going there to play either. Still, Olivia unintentionally smiles when Cyrus says that.


    It¡¯s been roughly a month since Cyrus proposed to her. Since then, he did not act particularly forcefully toward her. Perhaps that¡¯s why Olivia started to feel more comfortable being around Cyrus. In truth, she¡¯s glad that he came with her.


    (¡­¡­¡­.even his proposal, it¡¯s not like I hate the idea of accepting it in the first place though.)


    She has been thinking about it and marrying Cyrus is still her [Best] option considering her circumstances. She could even say that there¡¯s no better option than this. That¡¯s why she has no reason to decline. Still, if she accepts his proposal with such a reason, she feels that it would be rude to him instead.


    It seems that Cyrus wants Olivia to agree to marry him out of her own [Will]. Not for the benefit of her house but her own willingness to accept him.


    She doesn¡¯t hate Cyrus. Over the past month, she could already tell that he is a gentle young man. She also thinks that he¡¯s a person that is fun to be around. However, that¡¯s still [No good]. After all, that is not the answer he wants from her.


    Then, Olivia suddenly remembered what Taylor said to her.


    ¡ª¨COlivia-sama, sometimes it is important to take advantage of the momentum you know.


    What is this momentum she was talking about though? As far as she can remember, she has never been the type to act impulsively.


    Perhaps this [momentum] is the key to her answer.


    As Olivia picked up a book from her carriage seat and opened it, she wondered if she would be able to find her answer during this trip.


    (It would be nice if I can¡­¡­..)


    It is not long before Olivia realizes that the fact that she is thinking this way already signified the small change in her.

 CH 16

    With a sudden desire to see Olivia¡¯s face, Alan went to the Atoir manor only to find that she went on a trip.


    His younger brother, Cyrus also went on a trip at the same time so it¡¯s natural to think that they are traveling together.


    While still unable to understand why that is a shock to him, Alan returned to the castle with frustration.


    (Cyrus certainly proposed to Olivia but I don¡¯t remember Olivia accepting his proposal. Just why are they on a trip together now?)


    In the first place, Alan did not find Cyrus¡¯s proposal to Olivia amusing at all. Olivia was supposed to belong to Alan. What was he thinking proposing to Olivia when he just broke off his engagement with her. Such an action is not funny even as a joke.


    After he returned to the castle, he found Tiana standing in front of his room. It appears that she has some business with him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you out here? You should have waited inside.¡±


    Hearing that, Tiana cast her gaze at the guards in front of his room and sulkily explained.


    ¡°But these people didn¡¯t let me in.¡±


    Right. Alan¡¯s room is filled with important documents. It¡¯s understandable why the guards do not let anyone in when he was absent.


    ¡°I see. You guys, even when I¡¯m away, you can let Tiana inside. Tiana, come on.¡±


    When Alan opened the door, Tiana happily followed after him.


    ¡°Come to think of it, what happened to the paperwork I left in your care? If they are too difficult then¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahh! That! It¡¯s okay! There¡¯s no problem at all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I guess¡­¡­.¡±


    Alan was a little doubtful but he nodded along since the person said it herself.


    Then, Tiana starts chatting with him while eating the cake prepared by the maid. But, why? Listening to Tiana like this, Alan doesn¡¯t think that it is as fun as it used to be.


    After Tiana was satisfied with her chat, she was informed that her teachers have been looking for her and Tiana reluctantly returns to her room.


    When Tiana left, Alan sank his back into the sofa.


    ¡°¡­¡­.if it¡¯s Olivia then-¡±


    He thought suddenly.


    Olivia was not very talkative. She always has a nice tone, a nice tempo and is the type that always speaks quietly. It¡¯s only been a month but he terribly misses that.


    Of course, it¡¯s also true that he thought of those times as boring.


    She never talked about herself and when Alan talked to her, she would only give him a bland reply.


    She doesn¡¯t even get angry when Alan calls her a fool around her and her eyebrows don¡¯t even flinch when others jeer at her.


    Sometimes Olivia was so quiet that he seriously doubted that she was an emotionless doll.


    ¡°¡­¡­.a fool, huh.¡±


    He tried saying it out loud.


    Alan had always thought of Olivia as a fool. He thought that she didn¡¯t receive any education at all. But the person in charge of the princess education, Wattle, as well as Alan¡¯s aide, Bucks, all says that Olivia is a genius.


    At first, Alan doubted their words but from the recent exchange with Prince Edward of Philarush, he began to think that what they said might be the case.


    If so, why did Olivia pretend to be a fool?


    Alan closed his eyes and thought back.


    Then, he suddenly stood up with his eyes wide.


    There is only one incident that came to his mind.


    That¡¯s right¡ª¨Cit was probably around a year or so after he got engaged to Olivia. One time, Alan disappointed his teacher and was compared to Olivia so he said¨C


    ¡ª¨CPeople would think that I¡¯m a fool when I¡¯m standing next to you so you just pretend to be an idiot from now on. Don¡¯t you go learn anything now alright!


    Come to think of it, it was since then. That was the moment Olivia began to act strange.


    Without thinking, he tried to keep Wattle who was in charge of Olivia¡¯s education away from her. However, that was only meant to be a harmless prank. When he went away, he thought that Wattle would just begin his lesson for Olivia like usual and didn¡¯t think much about it.


    Perhaps because of that, Olivia did end up not receiving Wattle¡¯s lessons. On the other hand, Alan himself completely forgot about what he said to Olivia and decided on his own that his fiancee¡¯s a fool who always lazes around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, Olivia had been taking what I said seriously all these times¡­¡­..¡±


    Alan covered his face with both hands.


    The fool here isn¡¯t Olivia¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨Cit was him.


    However, even if he notices it now, he can¡¯t do anything to fix the past. At that moment, Alan had no choice but to curse his own foolishness.


    The town of Deborah was a prosperous town.


    The place looked pretty much the same as she remembered it but when she saw it for the first time in a long time, the town was many times richer than she recalled it to be.


    The road was well-maintained with cobblestones. The market is lively. The houses were newly built and even the clothes the people here are wearing are indicating that they are quite well off.


    As far as he can see, there¡¯s nothing suspicious-looking here.


    The account books she looked at the castle said that the place is [Normal]. The town itself is also [Normal]. Thinking about it normally, there¡¯s nothing abnormal about this.


    There, Cyrus and Olivia decided to visit the town mayor for a greeting.


    The Count who manages this area is currently away from the territory at the capital. In other words, he did not know that Cyrus and Olivia were coming. She thought that it might be okay since the Count should think of Olivia as a [fool] as well but this is just in case.


    When Cyrus and Olivia visited the mayor¡¯s house, they were greeted by the nervous mayor. Since they did not notify them about their visit in advance, it must have been a surprise to him. After all, a prince suddenly paid him a visit.


    After a light exchange with the mayor, it doesn¡¯t seem that he¡¯s suspicious so they simply apologized for their abrupt visit.


    The reason they paid him a sudden visit was that they expect the mayor to act suspicious if he¡¯s guilty of something but perhaps it was unnecessary to surprise the poor man like that.


    After that, Olivia and Cyrus walked around the town before heading back to the royal villa.


    At the villa, Ritzberg, a subordinate of Cyrus who was sent to investigate the town in advance, was waiting for them.


    When the two entered the salon, Ritzberg stood up to greet them. He is a relative of Colin, Cyrus¡¯s personal escort so it appears that he¡¯s a trustworthy and capable man.


    They have asked Ritzberg to investigate the changes in the town people and the income and expenditures of the town itself, this also included the changes in the town industries.


    The documents he prepared were piled up on the desk.


    After this, Ritzberg was actually planning to cross over to Winbal immediately but Cyrus had a maid guide him to his room so that he can at least relax for a day.


    In the meantime, Olivia just read through the documents but suddenly, her hand stopped.


    ¡°¡­¡­.this might be even bigger than we expected.¡±


    Olivia passed the document to Cyrus who immediately frowned after he saw it.

 CH 17

    ¡°Your Majesty! I just heard that His Highness Cyrus and Miss Atoir have gone on a trip together, what is the meaning of this!¡±


    When Count Lemone came to visit the King with a bright red face, Duke Atoir, Olivia¡¯s father was there as well.


    As soon as the count spotted Duke Atoir, he immediately bit down his lips as though he¡¯s just seen a bitter enemy.


    ¡°What were you thinking, Duke! Don¡¯t you feel any shame? Sending your daughter away together with His Highness Cyrus right after His Highness the Crown Prince broke off his engagement like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like you to refrain from phrasing it as such a bad thing. You were there too when His Highness Cyrus proposed to my daughter. You wouldn¡¯t say that you do not remember it now do you?¡±


    Duke Atoir mockingly replied.


    ¡°Before Olivia and His Highness Cyrus went on this trip, they had already reported and received permission from both myself and His Majesty. Besides, they have no obligation to notify you of anything.¡±


    ¡°However, the place they are heading to is Deborah! That town is located within my territory. Shouldn¡¯t I have been informed about such a visit!?¡±


    ¡°They were heading to the royal villa. That place just happened to be nearby Deborah. Isn¡¯t that so, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what I heard as well.¡±


    The king grinned.


    ¡°Cyrus seems to be head over heels for Olivia so, as his father, I just want to support my hardworking son. Is there a problem with that, Count?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ve been saying, that place is my¡ª¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a simple trip, not a formal royal visit. If I told you beforehand about their visit then the atmosphere would be too stiff for them there so I gave them my permission. Or perhaps you have some reason that you don¡¯t want Cyrus and Olivia to visit the villa in your territory?¡±


    Count Lemone was silent. After glaring at the duke, he left the room with a bow.


    When Count Lemone was gone, the King groaned while stroking his chin.


    ¡°Hmm, maybe I said something unnecessary just now?¡±


    Hearing that, Duke Atoir replies.


    ¡°What, if something does happen and it turns out that His Highness Cyrus is not capable enough to protect my daughter, it will just be a matter of turning down his proposal, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Now that would be a problem!¡±


    The King happily laughs.


    Almost as soon as Ritzberg crossed over to Winbal, Olivia and Cyrus started their trip back to the capital.


    Like when they headed to Deborah, the trip will take about 10 days via carriage.


    A while after they left Count Lemone¡¯s territory, they reach a peaceful road lined with only vineyards and autumnal mountains in the background.


    As Olivia was gazing at those mountains from the window of her carriage, she started speaking in a depressed tone.


    ¡°¡­¡­this, I think it will be hard to report our findings to His Highness Edward.¡±


    This is Prince Edward they are talking about. He must have already had some suspicions before he came to visit them. That¡¯s why he deliberately brought it up to Prince Alan. And if their side didn¡¯t make any move, Prince Edward would have. In such a case where someone needs to bear the responsibility, the amount of compensation that he would request of Brior would be tremendous. It just happened that Olivia was called over and realized that something is going on. Thinking of it now, that was quite a close call. That being said, she doubts that Prince Edward realizes the true scale of the problem here.


    ¡°About that, once everything comes to light, I think that Father would be able to handle it. It will be okay. He¡¯s the expert when it comes to such theatrical stuff so it won¡¯t turn out that bad. I plan to do the best I can too.¡±


    When they talked to Prince Edward, it didn¡¯t seem like the prince wanted to make this matter into a big deal. Certainly, neither country will profit from a diplomatic problem from this kind of matter. That¡¯s why things should be relatively peaceful.


    Olivia shifts her gaze from the window to Cyrus.


    Cyrus did not dismiss Olivia¡¯s suspicion. Rather than interfering with her actions, he lets Olivia do whatever she wants and even lends her a hand.


    If it¡¯s together with this person then they might be able to support each other for life, thought Olivia.


    Is this her answer?


    Instead of for the benefit of her house, it will be a relationship where they both can respect each other. Is this a good enough reason to take his hand?


    (Is it¡­¡­¡­?)


    Is this a [appropriate] response to Cyrus¡¯s proposal? Will her answer be worthy enough of his proposal? As time went by, she started to think harder and harder about it. However, the more she thinks about it, the more she feels like she is getting farther away from the answer she needs.


    When her eyes turned toward him, Cyrus gently looked back with a gentle smile. His smile made Olivia¡¯s heart fluttered a bit, but what does this feeling mean?


    ¡°Your Highness¡ª¡ª-¡±


    It was when Olivia felt like calling his name for no apparent reason.


    That their carriage was greatly shaken accompanied by a high-pitch neigh of a horse.


    Olivia was thrown off her seat and was caught by Cyrus who stretched out his arms to protect her.


    ¡°WHAT¡¯S GOING ON!?¡±


    When Cyrus shouted so while still hugging Olivia, Colin tensely shouted back from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°BANDITS, SIR!¡±


    Inside Cyrus¡¯s arms, Olivia lightly gasped. The security in this area should be good and there was no significant change in the damage caused by bandits in the last few years.


    ¡°Your Highness¡ª¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We have Colin and the other soldiers with us, even I can decently use a sword. You don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±


    Cyrus strokes Olivia¡¯s back to calm her down. However, the screams and loud noises outside were anything but reassuring so Olivia tightly clung to Cyrus.


    This is the first time in her life that she felt so scared.


    Cyrus stroked Olivia¡¯s platinum blond hair and sat her down in her seat before grabbing his sword.


    After checking the situation outside through the window, he lightly clicked his tongue.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of them. Olivia, lock the door behind me once I jump out okay. Also, I want you to stay as close to the center of the carriage as possible.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes opened in surprise. Does Cyrus plan to go outside in a situation like this?


    Cyrus still wore his usual smile but feeling something tightly gripped down on her heart, Olivia reflexively reached her hand out and grabbed his sleeve.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Saying so, Cyrus opens the carriage door and jumps out.


    ¡°Your Highness!¡±


    ¡°Lock it!¡±


    Biting down on her lips, Olivia locked the door as she was told.


    (What should I do¡ª¨C)


    Her heart is beating noisily in her chest. What if something happens to Cyrus? How many bandits are there? Is everyone safe? What about Taylor? Colin and the soldiers, are they injured? They might¡ª-


    After shaking her head to dispel the bad thoughts, Olivia tightly shut her eyes.


    How long has it been¡ª¨C


    The noises from outside began to grow quiet and eventually, a knock came from the carriage door.


    When she looked out through the window, she was greeted by Cyrus¡¯s smile.


    With a sigh of relief, she unlocked the door and her eyes widened in surprise.


    Cyrus¡¯s left sleeve was torn and it was dyed bright red.


    ¡°Your Highness! Your blood¡­..!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not as bad as it looks. It¡¯s just a small graze.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true but it¡¯s going to be bad if it gets infected isn¡¯t it. Olivia-sama, my apology but may I trouble you to tend to His Highness¡¯s wound in the carriage? I need to clean this up after all.¡±


    Said Colin who appeared behind Cyrus who listened to his words with a bitter expression.


    After handing Olivia a bandage and medicine, he pushed Cyrus inside the carriage and closed the door.


    ¡°About half of them escaped. We should be stuck here for a while since we have to deal with the one we captured and calm down our horses. I¡¯ve already sent a messenger to a nearby town but I think it will be some time before they can send a carriage to pick us up too.¡±


    Cyrus explained the situation but Olivia didn¡¯t pay attention to it.


    After she carefully took off Cyrus¡¯s shirt, she furrowed her eyebrows at the wound on his left arm. It certainly is not deep but it is still a big wound.


    (It should hurt but¡­¡­.why is he smiling?)


    Whether when Olivia disinfects the wound, applies the medicine, or wraps the bandage on his wound, Cyrus only frowns occasionally while looking completely calm.


    After the treatment was finished, Cyrus took out a new shirt from the trunk and changed his clothes. After that, he asks Olivia who¡¯s cleaning up the gauze she used to disinfect his wound.


    ¡°Are you injured anywhere?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    That¡¯s a matter of course. Olivia was inside the carriage the whole time. When Cyrus was risking his life, she was just trembling inside this carriage.


    (Unbelievable. Rather than me, His Highness¡¯s well-being should be more¡ª¡­.)


    Olivia stopped her hands.


    She doesn¡¯t understand. She doesn¡¯t really understand it but tears well up in her eyes.


    When she felt a mild pain on the back of her nose, the tears that welled up began to spill.


    ¡°Eh! Olivia? You are hurt!?¡±


    It¡¯s probably because Olivia suddenly started crying that Cyrus got panicked and grabbed her shoulders and arms to make sure that she¡¯s okay.


    ¡°You¡¯re, unbelievable¡­¡­¡±


    Olivia put her thoughts into words.


    It was Cyrus who got injured but he was still worried about Olivia who has only been protected.


    If something went wrong then he might have died.


    Unable to think anymore, Olivia leaped at Cyrus and hugged him.


    Cyrus was stiffened for a moment but he soon wrapped his right arm behind Olivia¡¯s back.


    ¡°Olivia¡­¡­were you scared?¡±


    Perhaps she was scared. No, she was scared. She was scared that Cyrus would be gone. When she saw his injury, she realized that such a thing was possible. It could happen. It was so scary that her vision turned pitch black.


    She doesn¡¯t want Cyrus to disappear. Just the thought that he might disappear from her life terrifies her.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-Olivia-sama, sometimes it is important to take advantage of the momentum you know.


    Ahh, that¡¯s it. This might be what Taylor was talking about. Finally, she felt like she understood the meaning behind her words.


    Olivia doesn¡¯t want to lose Cyrus. She wants him to be with her, always.


    ¡°Your Highness, I¡ª-, I, like, you.¡±


    In the end, it amounts to those words.

 CH 18

    December 24, 2021 graverobber.kun


    The news that Olivia and Cyrus¡¯s carriage was attacked by a band of bandits reached the capital.


    Alan¡¯s face immediately paled after he heard about it.


    According to the report, Cyrus was injured but Olivia seems to be safe. However, this news is still deeply upsetting for Alan.


    ¡°Is Olivia safe?¡±


    The fact that she¡¯s safe didn¡¯t settle in even after the messenger repeated his report twice.


    In the end, the messenger had to loudly and firmly repeat it again.


    ¡°Miss Atoir is safe and they will be back here in three days, sir!¡±


    After that, the messenger quickly left the room before Alan could stop him.


    Left behind in his room, Alan paces around the room like a caged beast.


    ¡°Please calm yourself down a little, Your Highness.¡±


    His aide, Bucks cautioned him in a tired voice.


    ¡°Both Olivia-sama and His Highness Cyrus are safe, sir. There¡¯s no need to worry anymore.¡±


    ¡°I got that already!¡±


    No, you don¡¯t get it at all¡ª¡ª-Bucks sighs.


    Thinking that he should leave Alan alone for the time being, Bucks tried to exit the room but he halted his steps when he opened the door.


    ¡°¡­..Ahh, Your Highness.¡±


    Bucks found Tiana in front of him. It appears that he opened the door when she was about to ask permission to enter.


    ¡°What!¡±


    When Alan shouted back in frustration and found Tiana standing behind Bucks, his eyes were tinted with a little puzzlement.


    ¡°Umm, Your Highness Alan¡­¡­.¡±


    Tiana seemed to be a little frightened at Alan¡¯s appearance and her voice seemed quieter than usual.


    ¡°Did something happen¡­¡­.?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry about me. More importantly, do you need something?¡±


    Tiana¡¯s head jerked back at Alan¡¯s frosty tone that she¡¯s never been subjected to before.


    ¡°N, No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Is that so. I¡¯m a little worked up right now. Sorry, but can you leave me alone for a while?¡±


    Receiving such cold treatment from Alan, Tiana was stunned but Bucks used that chance to half-push her out the door and shut it behind him.


    Seeing Tiana still staring blankly at the shut door, Bucks speaks to her with a little apologetic tone.


    ¡°My apology. I think that someone will notify Tiana-sama soon but in short, we¡¯ve just received the news that Olivia-sama¡¯s carriage was attacked by bandits¡ª¡ªah, of course, Olivia-sama wasn¡¯t injured but as you can see, the news is still quite upsetting to His Highness.¡±


    Tiana dejectedly headed back to her room in the castle.


    When she returns to her room, the paperwork which she thought that she has already taken care of had piled up again so her mood soured even more.


    She was told that she¡¯s free until her evening lesson and thought that she could spend her time chatting with Alan but she found him in a bad mood. Moreover, the cause of his bad mood was Olivia¡ª¡ª-this is the worst.


    (No matter what happens to Olivia-sama, it shouldn¡¯t concern His Highness Alan anymore right! He has me after all. No one would care if Olivia-sama died anyway.)


    And it¡¯s not just today either, Alan has been acting strange of late.


    Recently, it felt like Alan has gotten more and more interested in the matter concerning Olivia.


    A while before, she heard from a maid that Alan was alone with Olivia in the library. The LIBRARY. Leaving Olivia aside, Alan was in the LIBRARY? Alan who has never been the type of person that cares about books?


    No matter how she thinks about it, that was no coincidence. It was natural to think that he was there to see Olivia.


    (Why! Even after I embarrassed her in front of Prince Edward! His Highness should have been disappointed in her back then right? Why does he still care about her!?)


    Alan should already realize how much of a fool Olivia is compared to the smart Tiana. Even the paperwork he gave her was taken care of in no time. The princess education might not even be necessary for her in the first place. After all, that abominable teacher, Wattle, has completely disappeared from her sight. Isn¡¯t that proof that Tiana is already well-educated enough?


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, it¡¯s still not enough?¡±


    Tiana bites her nail.


    Perhaps, she still hasn¡¯t sufficiently proven Olivia¡¯s foolishness to everyone yet.


    Certainly, she was surprised when Olivia suddenly spoke Prince Alan¡¯s native language at the party but that was surely just a [fluke]. Something like that, if Tiana put a little effort into it, she should be able to do the same in no time.


    Then how can she sink Olivia¡¯s reputation more than this? Surely, if she can prove that Olivia is a fool that is beyond saving then Alan would stop caring about her.


    After thinking up a plan while biting her nail, a grin appears on Tiana¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a good idea now. As I thought, I really am a genius.¡±


    After returning from Deborah, Olivia intended to go inform the king of what they found but she was surprised when she was instead escorted straight to the audience room.


    When she entered the audience room with Cyrus, she was met with the King, the Queen, the Ministers including Count Lemone, along with Prince Alan, Tiana, and her father Duke Atoir.


    The people present here made her think of the time when her engagement was annulled. What¡¯s different this time was the presence of Cyrus next to her.


    Holding Olivia¡¯s hand, Cyrus looked up at his father who¡¯s sitting on the throne.


    ¡°What is going on, Father.¡±


    Hearing that, the King deliberately shrugged.


    ¡°Fumu. I haven¡¯t been told the full detail yet but according to Miss Lemone, it seems that we have a serious diplomatic issue to discuss today, isn¡¯t that so?¡±


    The King glanced at Tiana.


    Tiana pushes her chest out and directs a triumphant smile at them. Alan who¡¯s standing next to her on the other hand seems to be confused. It appears that he wasn¡¯t told the specifics either.


    This time Cyrus shifts his gaze to Tiana.


    ¡°Miss Lemone. We¡¯re tired because we have just returned from our trip. Since you called us here immediately after we got back, you must have a good reason for it right?¡±


    Cyrus¡¯s tone was harsh.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    However, Tiana replied with a grin on her face.


    ¡°Since the other days, when Prince Edward visited us, it has always been on my mind. Do you remember? The thing he said about the tax revenue of the town near our border.¡±


    Hearing that, Olivia involuntarily locked eyes with Cyrus.


    Olivia and Cyrus headed to Deborah to investigate that very matter. However, they have to wonder what Tiana [found out] from that [smile] of hers. At the very least, this is not a matter where she should be smiling about.


    Olivia glanced at the king. As usual, she couldn¡¯t tell what he¡¯s thinking as the King stayed silent with a faint smile on his face. Next to him, the queen also has the same faint smile. It made her think that the two are very similar as a person.


    ¡°So, may I ask what you found?¡±


    After Cyrus asks her to explain with the intention to hear her out first, Tiana enthusiastically answers.


    ¡°Yes! At that time, I was thinking that it¡¯s strange. Do you remember, Your Highness Cyrus? Back then, Olivia-sama spoke using the language of Philarush. Why did she do that? It¡¯s simple, Olivia-sama is the culprit behind the tax-siphoning of the town in question! Since it would be inconvenient if we find out, she was making an excuse to Prince Edward in a language that we don¡®t understand!¡±


    Hearing Tiana triumphantly says that, Olivia was completely stunned. Even Alan has an awkward expression to Tiana¡¯s extreme leap of logic.


    The King and the Queen were still smiling but the ministers all looked confused¡ª¡ªexcept for one.


    ¡°Allow me to say this, I do have some understanding of Philarushean language and there was nothing suspicious about Olivia¡¯s conversation with Prince Edward at that time.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Cyrus-sama! So you are going to protect Olivia-sama!?¡±


    Tiana deliberately said that in a loud voice.


    When Olivia and Cyrus looked at each other again, the King joyfully opened his mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said, Olivia. Do you have anything to say?¡±


    Looking back at the King who now has an evil smile on his face, Olivia instinctively wanted to sigh.


    And she was intending to discreetly [talk] about this matter with the King in private first too¡ª¨C


    (Really, I didn¡¯t intend to denounce him in front of such a large crowd though¡­¡­..)


    But with the situation being what it is, there¡¯s probably no other choice.


    Giving up, Olivia opens her mouth.

 CH 19

    ¡°First, regarding Miss Lemone¡¯s accusation, I would have to deny all charge since I do not remember myself doing any of it at all.¡±


    ¡°What is that! This is still too thick-skinned even for you!¡±


    ¡°Miss Lemone, do you mind quieting down a little? I am talking to Olivia right now.¡±


    After the King calmly cautioned Tiana, Olivia immediately continued.


    ¡°Please allow me to explain the matter step by step. The town Prince Edward mentioned that is having problems with its tax revenues is the town of Winbal¡ª¡ª, and Deborah, the town on our side of the border. In regards to these two towns in question, we have checked the reports from the past decade and did not find any major changes in their climate nor were there any abnormalities such as worsening water quality or damage from insects in their vicinity. In fact, there have been no major changes in Deborah¡¯s agricultural production while the town in our neighboring country, Winbal, which is supposed to share the same climate, geology, and water quality, is significantly suffering in its tax revenues. Because of such disparity, I and His Highness Cyrus went to Deborah to investigate this matter.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª-¡±


    The King silences Count Lemone who tried to open his mouth with his eyes.


    ¡°Continue.¡±


    Prompted by the King, Olivia nodded before continuing.


    ¡°We did not discover any particular change in agricultural production in our investigation. However, there was one thing that the submitted data to the national tax revenue report failed to mention.¡±


    ¡°Count Lemone?¡±


    The King turned his gaze to Count Lemone who is the one in charge of managing the area where the town of Deborah is situated. Following the King¡¯s gaze, the ministers as well as Prince Alan and the Queen direct their eyes at him as well. The only exception is Tiana, who perhaps still doesn¡¯t understand the situation and has a stunned expression on her face.


    ¡°I, it¡¯s not true! This is a false accusation, Your Majesty!¡±


    Count Lemone screamed with saliva flying out of his mouth.


    Then, Cyrus ordered Colin to bring in the documents he had prepared.


    When Colin handed the documents to Prime Minister Atoir, he immediately presented them to the King.


    ¡°As Your Majesty can see, there is a gold processing factory located just a little distance away from Deborah. Its outer appearance may look like a private house but there¡¯s no doubt about it.¡±


    ¡°Hou¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°However, there was no report of any discovery of gold deposits in Deborah or anywhere within Count Lemone¡¯s territory. We could not find any from our investigation either.¡±


    ¡°I see, that is certainly strange.¡±


    The King finished reading the report and silently returned it to Prime Minister Atoir.


    Seeing that, Olivia nodded to Colin to signal him to hand Duke Atoir another set of documents.


    ¡°Even so, with a gold processing factory there, there must also be a source where the gold came from. Regarding this, let us look at Winbal, the town where Prince Edward said that its tax revenues have fallen over the last few years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the report?¡±


    The King flipped over the next report once he received it from the Prime Minister and immediately frowned.


    ¡°¡­¡­..is this true?¡±


    Olivia nodded.


    The faint smile that was on the King¡¯s face until now was replaced with a severe expression.


    ¡°Yes, it is all true, Your Majesty. A gold deposit was discovered in the mountains near Winbal but it was never reported to Philarush. Even the lord who is governing Winbal is not aware of its existence. The gold mined from there has been brought across the border into Deborah. We have actually spoken to a person who has been secretly mining gold from Winbal. He said that the job was offered to him a few years ago. He was also told that if he digs the gold in Winbal and delivers it to Deborah, he would be able to earn three times as much as he did working in the field.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..gold smuggling, huh.¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is the reason tax revenues have been suffering in Winbal. The farmers can not sell the gold they mined there. They would have to go through the local lord first and when they get the money, 50 percent would be taken as national taxes. That¡¯s why the farmers stopped working in the field and chose to dig gold. After all, their pockets wouldn¡¯t be so full otherwise. Rather, if they go through the proper channel then farming might actually be more profitable for them in some cases. However, that is a completely different story if they bring the gold to Deborah. It¡¯s natural that the farmers would stop their farmwork to mine gold with such a clear cut in benefit. They wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the taxes since they will be paid in secret if they sell the gold in Deborah after all.¡±


    The King was silent for a while before slowly turning to Count Lemone.


    ¡°Is it true?¡±


    Count Lemone¡¯s face immediately paled as he desperately shook his head.


    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know anything about this! I didn¡¯t do anything! This is just a false accusation born of spite! Miss Atoir is trying to destroy me as retaliation because my daughter took her place as His Highness Alan¡¯s fiancee!¡±


    ¡°What? Did you hear that Your Highness Alan? Olivia-sama is¡ª¡ª-¡±


    Perhaps still unable to understand the situation, Tiana immediately accepted her father¡¯s words and started pleading to Prince Alan who¡¯s standing next to her. However, Alan¡¯s response was a tired sigh.


    ¡°¡­¡­.you, you really don¡¯t understand the situation do you.¡±


    Hearing Alan muttering that in a small voice, Tiana cocked her head.


    However, before Tiana could say anything more, Olivia continued.


    ¡°Count, we¡¯ve already got the evidence to back this up. Despite the fact that there hasn¡¯t been any significant change in tax revenues of your territory, a large amount of money has been circulating there over the last few years. For example, your purchase of multiple new villas, and the different dresses and jewelry that your wife and your daughter wear at each party as though they simply throw the old ones away after they wore them once. Moreover, your territory is not that large and the tax revenues it produces are not very high. From what I can see in the reports, it doesn¡¯t seem likely that you would have that much money to throw around. Count, you have sold the processed gold to Levanor haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°So you found out that much huh.¡±


    The King¡¯s eyes open wide.


    Then, Olivia shifted her gaze up to the King.


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s nothing strange when residents of neighboring towns interact with each other but when it comes to exports, no matter how much you try to hide it, there would still be a trace. We have talked to the merchants from Levanor and examined their transaction documents. They said that they did not aware that they were smuggling gold but I believe that the Levanor side will look into this more themselves.¡±


    As though to suppress a headache, the King shut his eyes and tightly held his temples.


    ¡°¡­¡­.Lemone, do you have any excuse?¡±


    Perhaps knowing from the King¡¯s tone that he can¡¯t get out of this anymore, Count Lemone hangs his head.


    The King then orders the guards to detain Count Lemone and shifts his gaze to Tiana.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. Miss Lemone, I¡¯m sorry but the engagement between you and the Crown Prince will have to be annulled. You should return to your home and refrain from doing anything until the sentence is decided.¡±


    Tiana was puzzled.


    ¡°Why! Why is my father being taken away? Olivia-sama, what did you do! This is too much of a harassment, you know!¡±


    ¡°Tiana, you really still don¡¯t understand huh? Or are you only pretending?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness Alan, what are you saying!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.to put it simply, the royal family cannot afford to associate with your house. I can¡¯t marry you.¡±


    Tiana stopped breathing for a moment before glaring at Olivia.


    As though she was shot by an arrow, Olivia¡¯s shoulders stiffen and she put more strength into her hand which is still holding onto Cyrus¡¯s. Cyrus and Olivia¡¯s hands were linked through the whole ordeal.


    And feeling the warmth of his hand, Olivia exhales.


    ¡°Your Highness! You chose me as your fiancee because I am worthy enough to be queen right? Then, why¡­¡­don¡¯t tell me, you intend to get engaged with Olivia-sama again? If you take a fool like Olivia-sama to be the queen of this country, it will be a disaster, you know.¡±


    Tiana spoke in a high-pitch voice.


    Hearing her voice, one has to wonder how many sighed at its content.


    One of the ministers who had been silently listening until now finally opened his mouth out of frustration.


    ¡°Your Majesty, permission to speak?¡±


    ¡°Permission granted.¡±


    With the King¡¯s reply, the minister steps forward.


    ¡°Lady Lemone, I originally did not want to say this here but I can not bear to listen anymore. It appears that you have misunderstood something. Miss Olivia¡ª¨Cno, Lady Olivia of house Atoir is not a fool like you say.¡±


    ¡°Wh, what are you talking about.¡±


    ¡°If I have to explain this in a manner that you would be able to understand then let us talk about the documents we entrusted to you and Olivia-sama. The ones that we received back from Olivia-sama were impeccably done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done the same right!¡±


    ¡°I see. Certainly, you have signed the documents. Yes, you sent them all back to us with every single one [Approved].¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that.¡±


    ¡°So you still do not understand. Allow me to paint a picture for you then. Let¡¯s say, you have 10 gold coins. You need to buy something based on that budget but the total cost of the thing you need to buy is 20 gold coins. What would you do in such a situation?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just prepare the missing amount then? If I ask Father then he will surely prepare the money right away.¡±


    Hearing her reply, the minister sighed.


    ¡°A country doesn¡¯t work like that. If you don¡¯t have enough budget, you have to adjust it so the cost stays within it. For example, you can set priority on what to buy and make a list of what you need and what you actually don¡¯t. Do you understand me now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. This is why you do not deserve to be our Crown Princess.¡±


    Tiana¡¯s face turned bright red. She still tried to say something more but the King ordered the guard to take her out of here.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this! Your Highness, please say something! Did you not say that I am a splendid lady!?¡±


    Tiana shouted as she was dragged away by the guards but Alan simply shut his eyes and didn¡¯t say anything. He probably has his own opinions about all this but right now there¡¯s nothing he can do that can protect Tiana.


    With Tiana gone, the King cleared his throat and deliberately spoke in a brighter tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the abrupt meeting, gentlemen. Regarding this case, I would like to discuss it in more detail at another meeting. This has turned out to be an international matter after all.¡±


    As the King says, this matter must be discussed and investigated thoroughly as it does not only concern Brior alone.


    For the time being, the King concluded the meeting and the ministers left their seats. However, when Olivia was about to leave as well, she was stopped by the King.


    ¡°Olivia. Alan and Cyrus too, I want you to stay with me a little longer. Of course, you too, Queen.¡±


    Hearing that, the Queen who had been silently watching everything unfold showed a light smile.

 CH 20

    Short, SHORT chapter


    -Mr.Graverobber


    Alan gazed at Olivia¡¯s hand and slowly closed his eyes.


    Since the moment she entered the room, her fingers have been tightly entwined with Cyrus¡¯s.


    (¡­¡­.I¡¯m, a fool.)


    It¡¯s already too late, for everything.


    The pain that spread inside his chest was unbearable¡ª¡ª-so he gave up.


    For the first time in his life, Alan, who has done whatever he wanted until now, has given up.


    As the Ministers left the room, the King¡¯s gaze first turned to Alan.


    Quietly looking up, Alan met eyes with the King and made a somewhat tired smile.


    ¡°I will take care of the formal procedure later but I think I should say it here. I wish to take full responsibility and waive my right to the throne. Breaking off my engagement with Olivia and taking Miss Lemone as my new fiancee was entirely my decision. I almost take in an unworthy bloodline into the royal family. I apologize for my mistake, Your Majesties. Olivia¡ªno, Miss Atoir, and Cyrus as well, I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience I caused.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes went round. Alan has just apologized. That self-righteous Alan who would never admit that he¡¯s wrong.


    On the other hand, the King gives Alan a small nod and turns to the Queen.


    Meeting her husband¡¯s eyes, the Queen smiles in response.


    ¡°I will not allow you to waive your succession right.¡±


    ¡°Mother¡ª¡±


    ¡°This time you were merely involved. There is no need for you to apologize. Remember, the ones who stand above others must now bow their heads so easily.¡±


    The Queen then glanced at Cyrus and Olivia with a smile. To be more specific, her gaze was on their intertwined hands.


    ¡°Cyrus doesn¡¯t want to succeed the throne too right. If Alan gives up on the throne then who would succeed it? Do you plan to bring the children of your cousins into this too, Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Barbara, in a case like that, Cyrus can just become king right¡ª¡ª-¡±


    Called by her name, the Queen put her hand on her cheek and tilted her head.


    ¡°Ara, is that so. Why?¡±


    Cyrus¡¯s body stiffened as he knew that the question was directed at himself. He then squeezes Olivia¡¯s hand and looks back at the Queen.


    ¡°Why did you suddenly decide to become king? Why are you willing to take the throne now?¡±


    Asked by the Queen, Cyrus opened his mouth but he immediately shut it.


    Seeing that, the Queen sighed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really want to become a king right? You only want Olivia so you were just being led around by the nose by His Majesty weren¡¯t you? How terrible of you, Your Majesty.¡±


    The Queen throws a blaming glance at the King before returning her eyes to Cyrus.


    ¡°I am not being mean to you here. Of course, it¡¯s not like I hate you either. Don¡¯t misunderstand me, my child. You simply have no interest in the throne since a long time ago while Alan has the will to succeed it. That¡¯s all. It¡¯s true that you might be able to do a better job as a king but I do not want to bind my son to something like a throne against his will. If a king is lacking in some ways then it¡¯s just a matter of finding someone to support him. That¡¯s why I want Alan to take the throne. He may be lacking but his will to succeed the throne is the real thing after all.¡±


    Both Cyrus and Alan took a breath before staring at the Queen.


    Hearing the Queen¡¯s reason why she wants Alan on the throne, Olivia was convinced. She agrees that no one is perfect and they can simply find someone that can compensate for their shortcomings.


    ¡°Of course, I will not stop Alan if he wants to take responsibility here. Still, do not give up on the throne. If you must, you can step down from the position of a crown prince for the time being.¡±


    Saying so, the Queen got up from her seat. She then proceeded to leave but as though she remembered something, she turned back.


    ¡°Also, Cyrus. Do you think of your mother as some kind of demon? I am not going to get in between you and Olivia you know. If Olivia chooses you in the end then that¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to interrupt me whenever I¡¯m with Olivia okay. Whether she chooses you or Alan, Olivia would still become my daughter-in-law after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Cyrus guiltily diverts his eyes from his mother.


    The Queen then touched the door and smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is, Your Majesty. It seems that our bet will have to continue for a while.¡±


    ¡°Muh.¡±


    Hearing that, the King groaned with an expression that somewhat resembled a pouting child.

 CH 21

    Hot.


    So very hot.


    Summer in Brior has always been quite rich in sunshine but it is a completely different story when it comes to the underground ruins in its southern region.


    Most of the ruins from the era of the ancient dynasty are buried underground and one of such archeological sites was located here in the south with excavation work underway for several years already.


    That being said, excavation work is still excavation work. Although most of the buildings buried are made of stone, they have become brittle over the course of hundreds upon hundreds of years. Even if the job description is to dig up an ancient ruin, due to how dangerous excavating such ruins are, the job requires a high degree of caution. It¡¯s a job only a few are willing to do and the country can not afford to spend an enormous portion of its national budget paying high salaries for workers for decades of work.


    That¡¯s why most of the workers undertaking this kind of excavation job were prisoners.


    (Why do I have to do something like this!)


    And one of them is the former Lady Tiana of the Lemone house.


    Her life as the Crown Prince¡¯s fiancee crumbled to dust within only a few months. She was also deprived of her status as a noble lady and sentenced to forced labor.


    ¡°This is all Olivia-sama¡¯s fault!¡±


    Her father who was found guilty of smuggling and attempted murder of the royal family is not here with her. Since his crime was much more severe, he was sent to another place. Her mother was also sent off somewhere else and Tiana was alone here.


    The image of her being the butterfly of the parties wearing the latest gorgeous dresses is nowhere to be seen. All she has are dirty trousers and a shirt with long work boots that cover up to her knees. Her cheeks and hair were dirty with dust and soil from all the digging while her beautiful nails were trimmed short and her soft white hands have turned rough.


    This is not her, Tiana thought.


    Living gracefully like a queen, that¡¯s what suits her most. Why does she have to suffer doing hard labor like this¡ª¡ª-, her displeasure about her situation is endless.


    (I will definitely escape from here!)


    Thinking so, Tiana kicked the nearby dirt wall with the tip of her boot.

 CH 22

    On the second floor of the castle.


    At the window of the room assigned to Olivia, two opera glasses are reflecting the sunlight.


    One is Olivia¡¯s, another is Cyrus¡¯s. The two are standing side by side and staring at the gazebo in the garden.


    The roof of the gazebo which is made for the people at the castle to enjoy tea in the garden is of a pentagonal cone shape. It has no walls and there are five white pillars carved with ivy patterns that match the corner of its roof. Surrounding the gazebo are shrubs and bushes cut into various animal shapes.


    A man and a woman are in that gazebo.


    One is Cyrus¡¯s older brother Alan the First Prince. The other is Florencia, the Third Princess of Levanor who has just arrived at the castle yesterday.


    Florencia is a 16 years old petite princess with light pink shaded golden hair. On her small face is a pair of big bluish-purple eyes. However, her appearance right now seems like that of a trembling wild rabbit being cornered by a wolf.


    ¡°Perhaps Aniue is scaring her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe so.¡±


    Hearing Cyrus¡¯s words, Olivia shook her head. Alan usually acts gently around women. He wouldn¡¯t act in a way that would scare a foreign princess that visits their country for the first time.


    ¡°Rather, it looks like His Highness Alan is troubled though.¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡±


    Cyrus shifted his opera glasses slightly to the right.


    Looking closely at the magnified image of his elder brother, it seems that Alan has plastered a smile on his face but the corners of his eyebrows are slightly lowered. He certainly looked like he¡¯s troubled.


    ¡°What on earth are they talking about I wonder.¡±


    ¡°Even I¡¯ve never learned to read lips after all.¡±


    While they were doing that, Cyrus¡¯s escort was staring at them with a bitter smile at a distance.


    Princess Florencia of Levanor arrived here yesterday and she will be staying for a month.


    And the purpose of her visit is to meet Alan.


    ¡°How many points would you rate their meeting today?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see their lips moving much so I don¡¯t think that the atmosphere is that good?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never known Aniue to be a poor talker though.¡±


    ¡°Since he is a little older than her, perhaps he just couldn¡¯t find the right topic?¡±


    ¡°I see. They are 6 years apart huh. Leaving that difference aside, it would be hard for a 16 years old princess to talk with a 6 years older Ojisan after all.¡±


    (TLN: Ojisan = Uncle, Old man)


    ¡°Ojisan¡­..¡±


    Olivia smiles bitterly at his words with the opera glasses in hand. Calling the 22 years old Alan an [Ojisan] is hardly appropriate. If that gets to his ears then he will certainly get upset.


    ¡°There¡¯s no tea or sweets served at the table at all huh.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a failure today then.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s report to Father that [It¡¯s going well].¡±


    Said Cyrus as he put away the opera glasses.


    Following him, Olivia also puts away her glasses in the drawer. After the two moved to the couch, Taylor began preparing tea for them.


    As though it¡¯s only natural, Olivia sits down at Cyrus¡¯s side and sips on the freshly brewed tea.


    However, as the two were enjoying their afternoon tea time leisurely, the other side of the door turned noisy.


    It¡¯s a series of loud footsteps.


    While Olivia was wondering what¡¯s going on, the door to her room swung open with a bang.


    ¡°You two! What are you trying to pull by spying on me!¡±


    The one who leapt into the room was the out-of-breath Alan who was entertaining the princess in the garden earlier.

 CH 23

    There¡¯s a reason why Olivia and Cyrus were spying on Alan and Princess Florencia.


    It was 5 days ago. Before Princess Florencia arrived in Brior.


    Olivia and Cyrus were summoned to the King¡¯s office.


    Though she heard that it is going smoothly, the discussions on the gold smuggling which involved the three countries is not yet concluded so Olivia felt uneasy about the abrupt summon.


    ¡®Perhaps some complications have come up?¡¯ She thought.


    Alan has stepped down from his position as a crown prince while Olivia and Cyrus¡¯s engagement is still on hold because they do not want to give the country any more confusion so she¡¯s been given a room at the castle as the would-be fiancee until the matter concerning the gold smuggling is cleared up.


    Due to the work that Cyrus and Alan now share, Olivia has been visiting the castle every day to assist them. That¡¯s why she was immediately able to respond to the King¡¯s summon¡ª¡ª¨Cstill, she was stunned the moment she stepped into the King¡¯s office with Cyrus.


    This place is supposed to be an office.


    A place where the King takes care of all his state affairs.


    Unlike the conference room, this place should be where he mainly takes care of his paperwork.


    (¡­..did I mistakenly enter a sweets store?)


    Certainly, there are piles of documents on the King¡¯s desk. The ones that were taken care of were placed on the left while the unsettled ones are on the right. However, as far as she can see, the pile on the left is significantly shorter. It¡¯s only almost noon but that amount is still too few. Or rather, there are only about 5 finished documents. Perhaps someone has already picked up the finished ones before she arrived? No, that still can not explain the huge pile of unfinished documents.


    (¡­¡­..Did His Majesty call us here because he has trouble processing these documents?)


    She couldn¡¯t imagine the King asking their help for that. That¡¯s why what was placed on the low table in front of the sofa stood out more to her. It¡¯s a pile of sweets but, what is this about?


    Firstly, there are colorful macarons lined up in the three-tier tray at the center. Surrounding it is a box of chocolates, a plate filled with several kinds of cookies, scone cookies, with caramel and other candies.


    She doesn¡¯t recall the King to be a sweet tooth.


    ¡°Well, have a seat.¡±


    While standing up from behind his desk, the King urged them to sit on the sofa where the sweets are.


    He then rang a bell which signaled the maid to bring in a tea set. Two cups of black tea with slices of lemon were served in front of Olivia and Cyrus while the King is having a cup of coffee imported from a far south country through Philarush.


    ¡°Well, eat whatever you like.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Olivia replied but Cyrus gazed at the pile of sweets as though he was repulsed by it.


    ¡°What are you planning this time, Father?¡±


    Olivia, who was reaching for the mint-colored macaron, stopped her hand. [Planning] is quite a disturbing word. Retracting her hand, Olivia sets it back on her lap and stares exploringly at the King. She felt that if she had touched the sweets then she would surely get roped into something extremely troubling.


    The King¡¯s expression seems like he was hurt by the words of his son but, it also looked like it was a deliberately made-up one. If he was an actor in a play then he would have been fired immediately. His performance was that stiff.


    When Cyrus started to glare at him, the King intentionally cleared his throat.


    ¡°Actually, I have a request for you two.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t touch anything¡¯ Olivia immediately thought. Since he tried to mellow her out with sweets, it¡¯s probably some kind of ridiculous [Request].


    ¡°No.¡±


    Cyrus immediately answered.


    But the King did not give up.


    ¡°This one is also concerning you, you know. If things go poorly, your marriage might even¡ª¨C¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Cyrus¡¯s attitude instantly changed.


    The King narrowed his eyes at him before clearing his throat again.


    Olivia was a little worried to see Cyrus jump on board the King¡¯s pace but it probably isn¡¯t too late to turn the King down after hearing him out first. She doesn¡¯t reach for the sweets because she wants to keep her escape route secured but she decided to listen for the time being.


    ¡°Actually, the Third Princess of Levanor is coming to visit us.¡±


    ¡°The Third Princess?¡±


    Cyrus cocked his head. It¡¯s not a rare occurrence. Levanor and Brior have a strong diplomatic tie and their princes and princesses often act as diplomats. However, Levanor¡¯s Third Princess has never visited Brior before, even when Cyrus went over to Levanor, he only recalled having a casual greeting with her. He only remembers her to be a terribly shy and timid princess with the image of a newborn rabbit.


    That¡¯s why he felt that it¡¯s strange for that shy princess to make a diplomatic visit. He doesn¡¯t expect their First Princess to come because she¡¯s already been married to another country but their Second Princess should still be available since she is only engaged at the moment.


    Seeing his confusion, the King nodded with an awkward expression.


    ¡°The thing is, King Otwar wants his Third Princess to marry either Alan or Cyrus¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°Please let Aniue marry her by all means.¡±


    Once again, Cyrus gave an immediate reply.


    However, the King¡¯s reply was [I can¡¯t do that]. Cyrus¡¯s mood immediately worsened. Olivia gently wrapped her hand around Cyrus¡¯s. Noticing that, he glanced at her and his eyes softened a little.


    ¡°Please tell me why.¡±


    Cyrus asked the King with the attitude that indicated that he wouldn¡¯t sit still if it¡¯s some ridiculous reason.


    The King sipped on his coffee and perhaps it was too bitter, he slightly frowned and poured milk and sugar into it.


    ¡°If a Levanorian Princess marries Alan, the crown prince position will return to him. It would be one thing if you have already established your position as the next king but the King of Levanor¡¯s intention is to make his daughter into a queen. With that being the case, Alan can not step down from his position. With that matter still ongoing, I don¡¯t want to create more international disputes right now. You understand right?¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s all good, isn¡¯t it. Aniue can be the Crown Prince. He can have the Levanor¡¯s Princess, and I can marry Olivia. It all fits right.¡±


    ¡°YOU THINK I AM GOING TO JUST LAY DOWN AND ACCEPT MY DEFEAT!¡±


    Cyrus began to take interest in the king position due to various reasons but since he was originally the type of person that doesn¡¯t feel any attachment to power, he did not want to become a king at all. Alan has recently polished himself and grown up as a human being so the King is holding his head at Cyrus who is willing to give up the throne if he can marry Olivia.


    ¡°If Alan becomes king then I will lose the bet with the Queen!¡±


    ¡°That again?¡±


    Cyrus replied in a deeply disappointed voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine already isn¡¯t it. Mother is already 40 you know? It would be physically demanding for her to give birth to another child, isn¡¯t it? Maybe it¡¯s time that you should give up.¡±


    ¡°No way. I don¡¯t want to lose to her in the first place.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.your bets usually end up with your loss though.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Cyrus sighed at the King who started to act like a child.


    ¡°Anyway, if it¡¯s about an engagement then please bring it up to Aniue. I already have Olivia so if you suddenly tell me that I can¡¯t engage myself with her I will seriously get angry you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that.¡±


    ¡°¡­..no way, you want me to have both?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    Olivia was relieved at the King¡¯s immediate reply. In the past, it¡¯s not like there were no kings who had a lover but engaging a foreign princess to a prince who already has a lover is still a really bad idea. Even Olivia herself doesn¡¯t want to be called Cyrus¡¯s lover either. Rather, she doesn¡¯t want to see Cyrus marry another woman.


    Cyrus cast a doubtful gaze at the King.


    ¡°¡­¡­what are you planning?¡±


    In the end, the question circled back to the first one.


    The King grinned.


    ¡°The Princess is only coming here for a face-to-face meeting this time. The engagement has not been decided yet. I want you to get in Alan¡¯s way and make her hate him. Well, it¡¯s awkward for us if we are the one who turns it down but we just have to convince the other side that they don¡¯t want this marriage. Of course, you won¡¯t be doing this for free. If things go well, I¡¯m willing to grant you one wish.¡±


    Hearing that, Olivia and Cyrus were stunned.

 CH 24

    The out of breath Alan who entered Olivia¡¯s room is now standing in front of Olivia and Cyrus.


    ¡°So, what were you two doing with the opera glasses at the window earlier?¡±


    ¡°Aniue, I never knew your eyes were that good.¡±


    ¡°If it glitters that much in the sun then anyone would spot it!¡±


    Saying so, Alan tiredly sat down on the sofa while Olivia asked Taylor to prepare tea for him.


    Then, after sitting directly across from Cyrus, Alan continues with a sigh.


    ¡°Is it that fun to see me in a bind?¡±


    Olivia and Cyrus looked at each other. It¡¯s not like they were spying on him just to see his troubled expression but it appears that Alan interpreted it that way.


    (We were just watching to see if you two are compatible with each other though¡­¡­)


    She was wondering what to do if Alan and Florencia actually hit it off. The King wanted them to get in the way of their relationship but if they actually seem to like each other then she wouldn¡¯t be able to bring herself to intervene. That¡¯s why she personally only observed them to see how they are with each other. Teasing him was never her intention.


    ¡°That must have been hard.¡±


    Hearing that, Alan glanced at Olivia and nodded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell what that princess is thinking at all. No matter what topic I bring up, the conversation just doesn¡¯t last. She always looks down and it feels like I was bullying a child instead¡­¡­..Do I really have to marry her?¡±


    It seems that his first impression of her is not that good.


    Olivia wasn¡¯t very talkative when she was engaged to Alan either. However, thanks to Alan being a good conversationalist, they could have conversations with each other just fine. The fact that even Alan can¡¯t properly have a conversation with her means that the outlook is pretty grim.


    (Maybe, this might not go well even if His Majesty doesn¡¯t do anything¡­..?)


    Of course, since it is difficult for this side to turn down the engagement, if Princess Florencia wishes to marry Alan then things would proceed in that direction as is. They still can¡¯t tell how it will play out. Perhaps she¡¯s just a terribly shy person and actually thinks of Alan favorably so she just finds it difficult to talk to him because of her nervousness.


    If that¡¯s the case then Alan is a little pitiful. At first, Olivia felt bad for getting in the way of Alan and Florencia¡¯s potential engagement but at this rate, intervening might be doing Alan a favor here.


    (Still, His Majesty said that he wants us to make Princess Florencia hate His Highness Alan but¡­¡­.how do I do that?)


    She doesn¡¯t think that Alan would behave rudely toward a princess from another country. Especially when he thinks of her like a [Child]. He will surely be polite and treat her very kindly. That would make it difficult to make the princess dislike Alan.


    ¡°So, what were you two trying to do?¡±


    ¡°We were just enjoying the view of the garden, you know?¡±


    Cyrus replied. Well, that certainly is not a lie since Princess Florencia and Alan were technically talking at the gazebo in the garden.


    Hearing that, Alan narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°Then why the opera glasses?¡±


    ¡°To take a good look of course.¡±


    ¡°Is there something in the garden that you would need opera glasses to look at though?¡±


    ¡°There were some.¡±


    ¡°Haa, fine, whatever.¡±


    Alan must be tired. He¡¯s putting more sugar in his tea than usual.


    ¡°Olivia, if you are in my position then what would you do?¡±


    Suddenly being asked such a question, Olivia put her hand on her cheek and pondered. Alan is probably not asking her how to make the engagement happen, rather, he¡¯s asking her how to actively avoid it.


    ¡°Well, to avoid getting engaged¡­¡­.I believe that you need to convince Her Majesty first.¡±


    Hearing that, Alan¡¯s gaze floats to the ceiling.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Mother huh.¡±


    Looking at him, there¡¯s no chance that he would be able to convince the Queen. Olivia was convinced so.


    TLN: Remember, right now it¡¯s [Short ¨C Short ¨C Long ¨C Short ¨C Short ¨C Long]. That seems to be the trend anyway¡­¡­¡­


    Also, who¡¯s wanna bet that the princess is going to go after Cyrus?

 CH 25

    When the woman felt the strong grip on her trembling hand, her anxious eyes started to quiver.


    On her hand, the tall man gently placed his other hand on top.


    ¡°It will be okay. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    ¡°It is going to be alright, isn¡¯t it¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I will definitely protect you.¡±


    The woman looks up at the man¡¯s face before casting her eyes down with her long eyelashes still trembling.


    ¡°But if we lose this chance, I¡­¡­..¡±


    As though to block her words, the man hugged her small body.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    It was three days ago that the Queen said that she would hold a tea party.


    Since then, Alan and Princess Florencia have met each other many times and even have dinner together every day but there seems to be no particular progress.


    Perhaps it¡¯s mentally exhausting when he has to deal with Princess Florencia, Olivia¡¯s room is now Alan¡¯s only sanctuary in the castle. Once again, Alan who has been escorting Princess Florencia in the morning has come to her room in the afternoon.


    For Olivia, she wanted to tell him to go back to his office and work but when she saw the tired expression on Alan¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t really bring herself to complain. However, with the matter with Princess Florencia taking up his time, Bucks, Alan¡¯s aide, is also making a difficult face as Alan¡¯s work is steadily piling up.


    ¡°Come to think of it, are you ready for my mother¡¯s tea party?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well¡­¡­¡±


    After he finished his complaints about his day, Alan suddenly brought that up as though he just remembered it. In response, Olivia bitterly smiled.


    It seems that the Queen wants to take in Princess Florencia. She planned to invite both young noble daughters and Ladies for the tea party at the castle. This move might be in consideration of Princess Florencia whose face is not that well-known in the country so that she will have an easier time after she married into the family. Since Olivia is unofficially engaged to Cyrus at the moment, she will be acting as the host along with the Queen for this party. Honestly speaking, this is a little troublesome for her.


    The Queen personally invited about 30 guests. This included the wives of the ministers, the wives, and daughters of the dukes, the marquises, and counts with a good reputation in Brior¡¯s social circle. If she has to be honest, Olivia is better at dealing with older noble ladies rather than those of the same age so she¡¯s now looking into the latest fashion trends. Unlike when she¡¯s an invited guest, she will have to be active in conversation as a host.


    With her many years as Alan¡¯s fiancee, Olivia already has the names and faces of the noble ladies along with their hobbies and specialties registered in her head. That being said, she won¡¯t be able to survive with that alone this time.


    At this party, she will have to engage with people and act as a bridge between Princess Florencia and the noble ladies while making sure everyone has a good time. It¡¯s certainly not an impossible job but she still needs some careful preparation to do this.


    ¡°We have 7 types of tea prepared, and the coffee that has become popular recently. The snacks and sweets will be taken care of by the chef at the castle so I believe there will be no problem in that regard. The rest is to introduce Princess Florencia to the other ladies so I plan to prepare some Levanor¡¯s specialty like table runners and sweets from that country.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­isn¡¯t that almost everything?¡±


    Seeing Alan¡¯s amazement, Cyrus shrugged.


    ¡°Mother said that it¡¯s a good chance for Olivia to get some practice since she will have to host a lot of tea parties in the future as the future queen of this country.¡±


    ¡°I see, that does sound like what Mother would say.¡±


    Alan directs a sympathetic gaze toward Olivia.


    Then, Bucks¡¯s voice could be heard from a distance.


    ¡°YOUR HIGHNESS¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness Alan, it seems that Bucks-sama is looking for you.¡±


    Alan was immediately dejected.

 CH 26

    The tea party is being held in the rear garden of the castle.


    Unlike the dignified and elegant front garden that is adorned with well-maintained lawn and shrubs, the rear garden has many colorful flowers such as roses and the like which give it more of a gorgeous impression.


    Six round tables are set up here with seven seats surrounding each one. The total number of invitees is 31 but they have set up extra seats in case some guests might want to move around for socializing.


    At the table in the center, bite-sized sweets are arranged on a big three-tiered tray.


    Aside from those, there are also tables with name cards on them set a distance away. There are sweets and food along with the maids that are on standby nearby.


    The weather turned out nice on the day of the party and the blue sky was nice to see but to be honest, the clear sky made the venue quite hot. That¡¯s why clothes were hung between the trees and the tables were set nearby to lessen the heat.


    After taking the temperature into account, it was decided that the party will be held in the morning. After all, they can¡¯t allow the guests to suffer heat stroke for attending.


    For this summer, chiffon dresses, which are made by layering thin breezy fabrics are in fashion. Although the design seems a little too young to suit women of the Queen¡¯s age, Olivia and the young noble ladies are all wearing these chiffon dresses.


    This is natural considering that someone like Olivia, who is soon to become a member of the royal family, can not afford to fall behind on the latest fashion.


    She¡¯s now wearing a cool mint green chiffon dress and a wide brim white hat. Most of the guests are wearing some kind of hat as well because they have notified them in advance that the party will be held outside.


    In truth, this white hat was designed by Olivia herself in consultation with her tailor. Since she is unofficially engaged to a prince, she can not only be in fashion but be someone who sets the trend as well. It may sound bothersome but since she has reflected on her negligence when she was engaged to Alan, she decided to do it seriously from now on.


    She used to wear a small hat with a narrow brim that couldn¡¯t cover her entire head but she thinks that wearing a hat like that is like not wearing one at all. That¡¯s why she decided to design a hat with a wide brim to combat the heat¡ª¡ª¡ªand a cute design that would attract young ladies.


    The white hat that she is wearing has a slightly thin brim. She had many prototypes made to make sure that the brim doesn¡¯t just bend out of shape. With a brim made of a thin fabric, it allows some light to pass through that prevents the brim from casting a dark shadow on the wearer¡¯s face. The design also incorporated a thin and light ribbon wrapping around the hat.


    With all other ladies wearing the small brim hats which are in fashion right now, Olivia¡¯s hat really stood out but to combat this, she has asked the queen to wear one of the same designs but in a different color. The queen¡¯s hat has aquamarine color and is attracting a lot of attention from the ladies both young and old because of its unusual design and soon everyone started talking about the hat.


    Princess Florencia is also wearing a hat designed by Olivia. Hers is a bright sunflower-colored hat with mint green and navy blue ribbons adorning it. This design choice that matches the color of her ribbons to the Queen and Olivia¡¯s hats is to show that the princess is welcome in Brior.


    Princess Florencia was so nervous about socializing that she immediately took a seat at Olivia¡¯s side.


    Then while pulling down the brim of her hat, she anxiously shifts her gaze toward her right. When Olivia followed her gaze, she saw a tall man standing in the distance. That man is the leader of Princess Florencia¡¯s escort knights, if she recalls correctly, his name should be Legion.


    Legion was young for a knight. He should only still be in his mid-twenties. According to the princess, he is her exclusive escort knight and has been around since before she was ten so it seems that he was knighted in his teens. Since that is quite an early age for someone to be entering knighthood, he must be quite skilled.


    Princess Florencia may have many escort knights aside from Legion but the one who always stays at her side is only him. The other escort knights are currently relaxing in the rooms assigned to them in the castle. Since they mainly act as her escort in her travels, it is almost like a vacation for them during her stay at the castle.


    She seems to have placed a lot of trust in Legion as she always looks at him whenever she feels uneasy. However, even if she is bad at this, Olivia still needs her to go through with this tea party. After all, if she truly ends up marrying Alan, this will be required of her as the future queen of Brior.


    (¡­¡­I was told to get in the way of that though.)


    Olivia internally sighed to herself.


    She was requested by the King to get in the way of Florencia and Alan¡¯s relationship but at the same time, she was also instructed by the Queen to help the princess get used to this country. But what should she do?


    From what she saw, it seems that Princess Florencia isn¡¯t all too excited about marrying Alan either. If so, going through with the King¡¯s request would benefit the two of them as well but things would be more troublesome in terms of international relationships. From Olivia¡¯s perspective, considering Brior¡¯s relationship with Levanor, letting their marriage happen would be better for the country overall. Of course, she can say this because she doesn¡¯t particularly care for the title of the queen herself but due to the unwanted expectations that were placed on her, Olivia doesn¡¯t know what to do with Princess Florencia either.


    There were 5 other ladies at Olivia and Florencia¡¯s table. Olivia remembers all of their faces and names but she still needs to somehow introduce them to Florencia.


    As Olivia called and introduced them one by one, each of them gave a friendly smile to Princess Florencia. The ladies here all came from reputable ducal and marquis houses. Naturally, there¡¯s no way to tell what they are actually thinking inside but she¡¯s glad that Florencia was not subjected to open malice. As expected of the queen candidates. They know how to act in this kind of situation.


    ¡°I prepared Levanorian table cloths for today¡¯s party. I think that its pattern is really beautiful and to be honest, I take quite a liking to it.¡±


    Following Olivia¡¯s words, the ladies¡¯ eyes all turn to the tablecloths. In turn, Princess Florencia gently speaks up.


    ¡°Since these are hand weaved by our weavers, although they may look similar, there¡¯s actually none that are the exact same. I¡¯m glad that you like them Olivia-sama.¡±


    As expected of a princess. Even though she is scared of socializing, she still manages to hold proper conversations. Her voice may be a little too quiet but she does promote the appeals of her country which seem to pique the ladies¡¯ interest.


    ¡°How wonderful. It feels so smooth to touch.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the fabric thickness is different for the ones that are meant for summer and winter as well. The thin ones for summer are smooth to touch while the richer winter ones give off a warm feeling. Even the type of the threads and the weaving methods are different too.¡±


    When Olivia added that little trivia, Princess Florencia seemed surprised.


    ¡°It is exactly as you say, Olivia-sama. You are quite knowledgeable about this.¡±


    ¡°I heard them from the store owner when I was out choosing the fabric. I¡¯m glad that I got it right.¡±


    Hearing that, one of the ladies immediately jumped on the topic.


    ¡°My, Olivia-sama. May I ask where this store is? I heard that Levanorian fabrics are quite hard to find and there aren¡¯t that many places that sell them.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a new store recently opened near the castle. It may be a little presumptuous but my house offered some help to the owner when he set up his shop so I was able to get preferential treatment for my purchase. I will relay the location and name of the place to your maid then.¡±


    Saying so, Olivia used a table bell to summon Taylor. After she told Taylor to give the store information to the lady¡¯s maid that came with her, Taylor nodded with a smile. Seeing that, the other ladies joined in, and eventually, the store information was distributed to all of their maids. It seems that she successfully promoted one of Levanor¡¯s commodities.


    Incidentally, she also urged the other ladies to try the Levanorian sweets which were included among the sweets on the three-tiered tray at the center table. It looks like a kind of pie with plenty of pistachios which is leaning toward the sweeter side. It goes quite well with the bitter taste of coffee so Olivia took quite a liking to it when she tried it for the first time.


    Coffee is actually in trend right now so three of the ladies came back with a cup of coffee in their hands. They also added a lot of sugar and milk to theirs since it seems that women are not particularly fond of black coffee. And as Olivia expected, the Levanorian sweets were quite popular among the coffee enjoyers. As for Princess Florencia, although she doesn¡¯t say much about herself, she¡¯s actually having conversations with the other ladies perhaps because she finds it easier to talk when the topic involves Levanor.


    After she was mostly finished with melting the ice between Princess Florencia and the ladies at her table, Olivia and Florencia were called by the Queen. When they left their seats and headed to the Queen¡¯s table, two ladies stood up and gave up their seats to them.


    Olivia thanked them and took a seat.


    ¡°How did it go? Are you enjoying the party?¡±


    The Queen asked Princess Florencia with a smile. In return, Florencia lightly smiles and gives a positive reply in a quiet voice.


    Hearing that, the Queen smiles satisfactorily and introduces the princess to the ladies at her table.


    After Olivia greets them, she politely stands up and excuses herself, saying that it wouldn¡¯t be good for the hosts to all concentrate on one table. Then, she felt her sleeve being pulled. When she looked down, she saw Princess Florencia anxiously looking up at her while grabbing her sleeve.


    (Maybe she¡¯s not good with this kind of environment¡­¡­..?)


    Certainly, unlike the group of young ladies earlier, these ladies are quite eager to get acquainted with Princess Florencia since she¡¯s a candidate for the future queen of this country. However, this is quite suffocating for the princess.


    Noticing that, Olivia takes the princess with her saying that she has to introduce her to the ladies at the other tables.


    Princess Florencia smiled in relief and followed Olivia. As the rumors say, it seems that she is indeed quite a shy princess.


    When they moved on to the next table, Olivia noticed that the princess¡¯s eyes were attracted to the flowers on the table. The flowers adorning the sweets table are the colorful roses picked from the garden. For this table in specific, the name of the rose is La Porte, a species of rose commonly bred in Levanor. It is a middle-sized rose with petals that gradation from light green to pink color. The inside of the petals is green as it turns into a darker shade of pink toward the outside. The origin of its name seems to be taken from its original breeder, Countess Porte. It seems that her name was Laibel Porte so the rose was subsequently named La Porte.


    ¡°Do you like this rose?¡±


    When Olivia asked, the princess bashfully smiled in return. For the first time, the princess who has been so tense all this time is finally showing a natural smile.


    (La Porte huh. Let¡¯s tell this to His Highness Alan later¡­¡­.he probably won¡¯t find her one though. Let¡¯s give up.)


    Alan seems to have his qualm against engaging himself with Princess Florencia. However, since the Queen wishes for it and the Levanor side also wish for the same thing, there is a high possibility that things would proceed against his will.


    (I didn¡¯t want to get in their way but, should I go with His Majesty¡¯s request here?)


    Political marriages often ignore the involved parties¡¯ feelings but it would be cruel to force two people who don¡¯t want to marry each other into one. Alan must have a lot of his own feelings to process about Tiana so he¡¯s probably depressed and the shy Princess Florencia probably can¡¯t voice her feelings properly.


    Thinking so, Olivia suddenly feels a gaze on her back. When she turned to look, she found a queen staring at her with a smile.


    (That face¡­¡­.does she know what I am thinking right now?)


    Guessing that she will be summoned by her later, Olivia let out another sigh internally,

 CH 27

    Somehow it was expected.


    The day after the tea party, Olivia was summoned by the Queen.


    When she entered the Queen¡¯s private chamber, there were various kinds of sweets set on the table in front of the sofa. To this familiar scene, Olivia could only make a bitter smile internally while she sat down when the Queen urged her with a smile. The Queen also urged her to try the sweets but they are obviously a bribe. As it would be a hassle to later if she obediently ate them, Olivia politely thanked the Queen before reaching for a teacup.


    Seeing that she intentionally ignored the sweets, the Queen put her finger to her mouth with a joyful look.


    ¡°His Majesty told you to help him out right? I already know.¡±


    Olivia could only smile bitterly at that fastball.


    In response, the Queen leaned forward toward her.


    ¡°Hey, Olivia, I want you to think carefully. If Alan and Princess Florencia get engaged, Alan¡¯s position will remain as the Crown Prince. That should be quite convenient for you, right? If Alan is crowned king, Cyrus intends to become his assistant, you know. If that¡¯s the case then you can push the national affairs to Alan and Cyrus while you enjoy reading books in the library as much as you want. Don¡¯t you think that is quite a good deal?¡±


    Indeed, it is certainly a good deal. Olivia wavered a little.


    Olivia always thought that she would one day become queen of Brior because she was engaged to Alan since she was young. But it¡¯s not like she herself wants to become a queen. If she has to be honest, rather than being a queen, the library option is much more attractive.


    Perhaps knowing that Olivia is wavering, the Queen continued.


    ¡°Also, Olivia. Since you are also a woman, you must understand, right? I am already forty. Giving birth and raising another child would be difficult at my age. His Majesty just doesn¡¯t understand that.¡±


    Olivia can understand the Queen¡¯s feelings a little. Even she herself would probably hesitate to give birth to another child after she¡¯s done raising 2 sons.


    (No, wait a minute. If Her Majesty doesn¡¯t want to do that then she should just call off the bet though¡­¡­?)


    Olivia was about to get fooled by the Queen¡¯s sad expression but she managed to stop herself when she noticed that. The fact that the bet is still on is because the two choose to continue it. If the Queen doesn¡¯t even intend to stop the bet then she has no sympathy for that. This is a bet that the King and the Queen started themselves. Rather, it is a pain since they are dragging people around them into their bet. Even if someone told them to stop, either side would refuse to back down.


    (In the end, Her Majesty just wants to beat His Majesty doesn¡¯t she.)


    Alan is also pitiful since he was caught in the middle of their bet. Moreover, even after she said that Alan needs someone who can compensate for his faults, she still chose the shy Princess Florencia who is unsuited for diplomacy because of the backing from Levanor and the fact that Alan can stay in his position. It¡¯s clear when she said that Cyrus intends to be Alan¡¯s assistant that she intends to make Cyrus one anyway. With that being the case, Olivia who¡¯s planning to marry Cyrus will also get involved. Reading as many books as she likes? That¡¯s absolutely impossible.


    (That was dangerous, I was about to fall for Her Majesty¡¯s trick.)


    After sipping her tea, Olivia smiles back at the Queen before giving her the safest answer she can think of.


    ¡°If His Highness Alan and Princess Florencia are willing to engage with each other then you have my full cooperation, Your Majesty.¡±


    snap, the smile immediately disappeared from the Queen¡¯s face. Olivia¡¯s smile turns into a bitter one as she watches the Queen pointing at her mouth with an unamused expression.

 CH 28

    After her talk with the queen, Olivia was heading to the library in the rear garden.


    The paperwork that was assigned to her was finished in the morning and she has already planned to read something in the library in the afternoon.


    Cyrus has sword practice in the afternoon and it seems that he will join her once he¡¯s finished. Cyrus isn¡¯t as good as Alan with his sword but ever since the incident where their carriage got attacked a while ago, he has been taking his sword practice more seriously. According to Colin, his escort, it seems that he wants to be able to protect Olivia in case something happens. Personally, Olivia doesn¡¯t care about the cool aspect of the sword-wielding Cyrus so as long as he doesn¡¯t get hurt in the process she¡¯s fine with it¡ª¡ª-even so, hearing the reason behind his effort is still making her blush a little.


    After reaching the garden, Olivia takes out a parasol. The reason she made sure to have it with her is that whenever she tried to walk outside without one Taylor would always get noisy saying [What are you going to do if you get a sunburn, My Lady!]


    Since it is a little windy today, the pleasant scent of the rose garden wafted to her nose as she approached the library. When she turned herself in the direction of the rose garden to catch more of the scent, her feet stopped as she spotted someone there.


    It appears that Princess Florencia likes the roses here. She looked very gentle as she stared at the flowers.


    When Olivia greets her, the princess slowly turns around and gives her a small bow.


    ¡°Good morning Olivia-sama. Did you come to see the roses as well?¡±


    ¡°No, I was heading to the library¡­¡­.¡±


    Shifting her gaze from the rose garden to the nearby library, Princess Florencia shows a soft smile.


    ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s right. Olivia-sama loves books after all. I¡¯ve seen you reading in the library with His Highness Cyrus before. The two of you are about to get engaged, aren¡¯t you? You get along so well.¡±


    Hearing about her relationship with Cyrus, Olivia¡¯s cheeks immediately reddened. She doesn¡¯t affirm nor deny it but her bashfulness says it all. Why her gaze wanders as she tries to come up with a reply, Princess Florencia who has been staring at the library continues in a small voice.


    ¡°¡­¡­.how envious.¡±


    Olivia cocked her head. Does Princess Florencia also like books?


    She can¡¯t invite her there since she herself also needs permission to enter it but she should be able to obtain permission for the princess if she asks Alan or Cyrus.


    When Olivia offered to do so, the princess¡¯s eyes widened a little then she showed a bitter smile.


    ¡°Right¡­¡­..if the opportunity arises then.¡±


    It was quite an evasive answer.


    After that, since the princess says that she wants to look at the flowers in the garden more, Olivia bids her goodbye and heads to the library.


    After entering the forbidden section with the key she got from Cyrus, she took the book she was reading last time and headed to the reading space.


    From the window there, she can see Princess Florencia.


    ¡°She really likes roses huh.¡±


    Olivia doesn¡¯t dislike them either but she doesn¡¯t like them enough to be able to pass her time just by staring at them.


    Cyrus also noticed that so he stopped giving her any more flowers after giving her a bouquet every time he came to see her at first.


    ¡°¡­.it¡¯s not like I want a bouquet but, once in a while I also want him to give me one too¡­¡­¡­is this what being selfish feels like?¡±


    ¡°Selfish?¡±


    When she muttered to herself as she stared at Princess Florencia, the voice from behind her made her shoulders jump.


    Turning back, she saw Cyrus entering the room. It seems that his sword practice has ended earlier than she expected.


    Olivia¡¯s face then turned crimson.


    ¡°It, It¡¯s nothing¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°I only heard the part where you say you want something once in a while, care to clue me in on what this something is?¡±


    Seating himself next to Olivia, Cyrus asked as he stared into her eyes. He then pecked Olvia¡¯s red cheek before smiling mischievously at her.


    ¡°You were looking at the rose garden, right? Do you want roses?¡±


    ¡°No, well, uhh¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°A single word from you and I would give it to you any time you want you know.¡±


    With every thought in her head vanished, Olivia realized that there¡¯s no use trying to deceive him so she shyly nodded.


    Seeing that, Cyrus pulls out a white rose from the vase on the table, carefully plucks off the thorns, and wipes it with his handkerchief before putting it on Olivia¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Put up with only this for today okay.¡±


    Olivia was unable to form a coherent reply as her face heated up as though she was about to breathe fire. Seemingly enjoying seeing her blushed face, Cyrus continues his offense.


    When Olivia covered her face with both hands, Cyrus hugged her with a smile.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I teased you too much again huh.¡±


    Cyrus who said that with a smile doesn¡¯t seem like he has reflected on his actions at all.


    From the gaps between her fingers, Olivia glared at him.


    Then, as though to soothe the sulky Olivia, he placed a kiss on her head.


    ¡°So, why did you suddenly want a rose?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s not like I want one¡­¡­.it¡¯s just, I was looking at the roses and remembered that Your Highness gave me rose bouquets before¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°So you started to want one now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s not like ¡ª-¡±


    ¡°You want one right?¡±


    It seems that Cyrus wants her to say that [She wants one] so when Olivia replied with [Yes¡­..] in a small voice, he immediately smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°This time I will get the one with a bunch bright red roses¡ª¨C¡±


    ¡°J, Just one is enough! Please¡­..!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Olivia herself knows that she likes books more than flowers and she doesn¡¯t seem as feminine as Princess Florencia. The figure of the princess staring happily at the roses just made her recall the ones she received from Cyrus in the past. That¡¯s why she only wanted some flowers from him. She doesn¡¯t need a whole bouquet. One is enough for her. That¡¯s why she¡¯s already satisfied with the one white rose he put on her ear.


    ¡°This is, plenty enough.¡±


    While touching the rose on her ear, Olivia shyly said that with a smile. Seeing that, Cyrus let out a sigh as he hugged her.


    ¡°Just a word from you and I would give you whatever you want. You really don¡¯t have that much desire for anything, Olivia.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true you know¡­¡­?¡±


    Even Olivia has a desire of her own. However, since she already received permission to enter the library and access to the forbidden section by Cyrus, she¡¯s already happy enough. Right now, Olivia is already very satisfied with what she¡¯s got.


    As Cyrus hugged Olivia, he suddenly lifted his head as though he just remembered something.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve got a message from Father.¡±


    ¡°From His Majesty¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. 5 days from now, Princess Florencia will head south to visit the ruins but it seems that we will have to accompany her there too. Aniue was ordered by Mother to accompany the princess so Father wants us to act as a third wheel.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty¡­¡­..¡±


    The King seems to want to get in the way of Alan and the princess¡¯s relationship no matter what. Even if he doesn¡¯t act that desperate, the relationship between the two isn¡¯t going to go anywhere in the first place though. Perhaps he wants to make it a clear cut.


    (Still, the south huh¡­¡­.)


    The ruins in the south probably mean the ones near the border between Brior and Karzol. Recalling the map in her head, Olivia¡¯s expression turned cloudy. Frankly speaking, the relationship between Brior and Karzol is pretty delicate right now. Since there was a skirmish near the border only some ten odd years ago, a high wall has been built on the border between the two countries with soldiers always standing guard. It¡¯s not like they are at a boiling point but the relationship is certainly not a friendly one so it¡¯s doubtful why such a place is the destination of Princess Florencia¡¯s visit.


    Perhaps noticing what Olivia is thinking, Cyrus made a small bitter smile.


    ¡°It seems that Princess Florencia wishes to go there herself. She wants to see the ruins from the old dynasty or so I heard.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡±


    During the rule of the ancient dynasty, Brior, Levanor, and Philarush were once a single country. The royal palace of the said dynasty was located to the south of Brior near the Karzol border. However, the location of the royal palace of the ancient dynasty has changed several times and the one near Karzol is the royal palace from the middle era of the ancient dynasty. It is at least a thousand years old and its state is far from its heyday since it was destroyed in the war that triggered the collapse of the dynasty. Most of its ruins are currently buried underground so excavation work is currently underway. Such excavation work often is hard labor so most of the work is being carried out by convicted criminals. It¡¯s not like the town in the area has bad public security but since the whole area is under a lot of surveillance in caution of escapees. Still, even if the princess herself wished to go there, it¡¯s hardly a place that Brior would allow such a VIP to visit.


    (But, an archaeological site huh¡­¡­)


    Despite her worry about Princess Florencia, Olivia couldn¡¯t calm her racing heart. She¡¯s learned a lot about the ancient dynasty from the books but she has never visited such ruins. When she expressed her wish to visit the digging sites, her father, the Duke objected to it. Olivia was Alan¡¯s fiancee at the time so she was told that the Crown Princess should not visit such a place where her life might be at risk. Still, with an order from the King, her father wouldn¡¯t object to it this time.


    (I heard that there¡¯s also a museum that has the excavated objects from the ruins, there might even be some new discoveries that are not yet recorded in any books¡­¡­..!)


    She was itching to go. At the excavation site, the researchers in the field should be there as well. Will she be able to ask them about their work? Can she get a copy of their research? Are they going to show it to her? The middle era of the ancient dynasty was when paper was first invented. Maybe there are some interesting findings there? If it¡¯s the ancient language then she can read it to some extent.


    ¡°Rather than roses, it seems you prefer the ruins more huh, Olivia.¡±


    When Cyrus looked down on Olivia¡¯s face and pointed out that her eyes are sparkling, Olivia immediately covered her cheeks.


    ¡°If you are like this then I guess you don¡¯t hate the idea of accompanying the princess¡¯s visit huh. I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    Cyrus strokes Olivia¡¯s head.


    ¡°¡­..well, we wouldn¡¯t meet that person anyway. I guess it¡¯s fine huh.¡±


    Cyrus muttered so but his words went unheard by Olivia who was on cloud nine to see the ruins.

 CH 29

    Southern Brior.


    Near the Brior-Karzol border was the territory governed by Count Zackfil.


    Even without the title of Margrave, Count Zackfil was authorized to mobilize the army at his discretion in case of Karzolean invasion.


    Still, since the last skirmish a few decades ago, there has been no active conflict between Brior and Karzol. That¡¯s why the border defense right now is solely being handled by Count Zackfil¡¯s personal army.


    The fastest way to travel from Brior¡¯s royal capital to the Zackfil territory is by taking a train and switching to a ship. Brior¡¯s railroad service is being spearheaded by Baron Dorua whose territory is located to the southeast of the royal capital. The technology is not yet that widespread but there is a railroad running from the Dorua territory to the territory of Count Realis in the south. From the capital, they will take a horse-drawn carriage to the Dorua territory then take the train to the Realis territory before traveling on another carriage for about half a day to reach the port where they will sail through the Edival canal. With this, they should arrive in Count Zackfil¡¯s territory in 3 to 4 days.


    With Alan, Cyrus, and Princess Florencia on this trip, the number of maids and guards accompanying them is naturally high. That¡¯s why Olivia decided to take the same carriage with Alan and Cyrus in order to reduce the number of carriages and guards as much as possible. Princess Florencia will travel in her own carriage with the maid that accompanied her from Levanor while Olivia¡¯s servants are in another separate carriage.


    ¡°This is our first time since the opening ceremony that we get to use the train huh.¡±


    Alan said while looking out the window.


    The railway opened its service a year and a half ago. The opening ceremony was attended by the King, Alan, and Olivia who was Alan¡¯s fiancee at the time and she hasn¡¯t boarded a train since then either.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you seemed unusually panicked back then right.¡±


    Said Alan with a chuckle.


    On the other hand, Olivia makes up an excuse.


    ¡°I, I was just surprised by how loud the engine was¡­¡­¡­when it actually started moving, we were traveling so fast too, it was scary¡­¡­.¡±


    Back then, the train suddenly made a deafening whistle-like noise and accelerated. Olivia was scared when she saw the scenery outside the window changing in a blink of an eye. That being said, unlike Olivia whose face turned blue out of fear the entire trip, Alan looked like he was fully enjoying himself.


    ¡°Olivia, are you still scared of it?¡±


    Cyrus looked at her and asked with a worried voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s my second time so, I think I will be fine.¡±


    ¡°You can cling to me if you get scared okay.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When she answered so with a smile, Alan deliberately let out a sigh.


    ¡°Can you not flirt inside this tiny carriage? I will not know where to look otherwise.¡±


    Hearing that, Olivia¡¯s cheeks instantly reddened.


    ¡°W, We are not fli¡ª¨C.¡±


    ¡°Too bad, Aniue. We are always like this you know.¡±


    ¡°Your Highness Cyrus!?¡±


    Olivia panicked when Cyrus said that instead of denying it but he just calmly pulled Olivia closer to him by her shoulder.


    After glaring at his younger brother a little, Alan shut his eyes and crossed his arms as though he gave up.


    ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m taking a nap.¡±


    It seems that Alan¡¯s mood has soured.


    (It¡¯s because His Highness Cyrus is fooling around!)


    Olivia felt sorry for Alan but unlike his elder brother, Cyrus is in a good mood. Perhaps it¡¯s fortunate that Alan shut his eyes, Cyrus placed a kiss on Olivia¡¯s head.


    Anxious for the problem between the two in the future, Olivia let out a sigh.

 CH 30

    By the time they arrived in the Dorua territory, the sky had already darkened.


    Olivia¡¯s party decided to stop at an inn in a town located just before the town where the train terminal station is as the train is scheduled to depart tomorrow afternoon.


    Perhaps tired from the long trip, Princess Florencia seems to be exhausted. Seeing how she¡¯s being supported by her escort knight, Legion, it would be best if she can quickly get some rest.


    Alan also seemed to notice the princess¡¯s state so he instructed Bucks, his aide, to deliver food to each of their rooms instead of having dinner together.


    Since this inn is aimed at the upper class, the proprietress smoothly accepted Bucks¡¯s request.


    Olivia parted ways with Cyrus in front of her room but she can¡¯t help but worry about Princess Florencia who¡¯s being helped into her room by Legion. The princess has 2 maids accompanying her so usually the normal thing to do would be to stop in front of her room and entrust the princess in the care of the maids. Still, seeing from how Legion, who¡¯s Florencia¡¯s escort knight, naturally entered the room with her, it seems that the princess indeed always has Legion by her side.


    (I thought it might be the case at the party but it seems that Her Highness trusts him a lot huh.)


    Even though he is her escort, Legion is still a man. This would mean that there needs to be an appropriate amount of distance between them. After all, even with him being her escort, if he¡¯s too close to her then people might start negative rumors about their relationship. On that point, the distance between Princess Florencia and Legion is a little too close right now.


    That being said, if the princess herself seems to not mind it, it¡¯s not something that Olivia should bring up.


    Deciding to mind her own business, Olivia entered her room and changed out of her dress with the help of Taylor. Then, a short while after that, the meals were brought in. While they slowly enjoyed their meal, Taylor asked the staff to prepare hot water in the bathroom.


    After finishing her meal, Olivia soaked herself in the warm bath and let out a long sigh. She may not be as exhausted as the princess but she¡¯s certainly tired. Her body grew numb from sitting in the carriage the whole day so she felt drowsy as the hot water helped loosen her muscles.


    (The train is tomorrow¡­¡­¡­it¡¯s okay, It¡¯s already my second time after all. I¡¯m not scared.)


    She told Cyrus that she is going to be okay but it would be a lie if she says that she is not anxious about the ride at all. After all, the train is many times faster than a carriage and the noise it makes is super loud. She can¡¯t help but get scared when she thinks about what would happen if the wheels came off.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m okay.¡±


    The more she tried to tell herself that, the more anxious she became.


    While submerging herself down to her shoulders, Olivia looked up at the steamy ceiling of the bathroom and let out another sigh.

 CH 31

    It was cloudy the next day.


    It¡¯s not raining but the air does feel a little damp.


    It¡¯s time for breakfast. The meal was served at the restaurant on the first floor of the inn this time but it seems that Princess Florencia is doing fine now. Seeing the princess taking her meal normally, Olivia was relieved that she¡¯s in good health.


    As expected, Legion was not at the breakfast table with her but his figure could still be seen watching over the princess from a distance as her knight.


    Princess Florencia would occasionally take her eyes off the meal to look for Legion and she would always softly smile if her eyes met with his.


    (Hmm, as I thought, their closeness can certainly invite some misunderstandings¡­¡­..)


    It¡¯s not a bad thing that they get along but the sense of distance that they show in front of others¡¯ eyes is still important. The princess has come to Brior to marry. Leaving if the marriage will happen aside, she should still avoid such a misunderstanding.


    On the other hand, Alan seems to be completely absorbed into eating his ham steak and doesn¡¯t even look at Princess Florencia. It¡¯s understandable since Alan isn¡¯t happy with this marriage arrangement but he should still be a little more concerned about the princess. What would he do if he offended her?


    ¡°Did you manage to have a good rest yesterday, Florencia-sama?¡±


    Olivia decides to start the conversation herself as the meal would definitely end in silence if she leaves this to Alan.


    In response, the princess smiles and replies.


    ¡°Yes. Thank you for your concern.¡±


    ¡°Is that so, I¡¯m glad. We will board the train today and we will rest at the town of the terminal station to board the ship tomorrow. We should arrive at Zackfil territory by tomorrow evening so we should be on our way to Hilbal town where the ruin is located the day after tomorrow. What do you hope to see at the ruin, Princess Florencia?¡±


    ¡°What I hope to see, is it?¡±


    The princess¡¯s eyes repeatedly blinked as though she did not expect to be asked such a question.


    Seeing that, Olivia tilted her head.


    (Huh? We are going there because she¡¯s interested in the ruins right¡­¡­?)


    Olivia feels a slight sense of discomfort from the princess¡¯s reaction. It was Princess Florencia who said that she wanted to see the ruins but she doesn¡¯t seem to hold any interest in them at all. Why?


    Thinking that she somehow asked the wrong question, Olivia rephrased.


    ¡°Personally, I¡¯m looking forward to the excavated literature. If there was any, I want to see what was written in it. Also, I¡¯ve read that there were murals drawn into the wall of the inner palace during the ancient dynasty so I¡¯m quite interested in that. It seems that the full extent of the ancient royal palace¡¯s architecture still hasn¡¯t been mapped out yet but apparently, they have a miniature model of what they speculated to be the closest to it exhibiting inside the museum. They said that the architectural style of the middle era of the ancient dynasty is mainly in a circular style and that there were many rounded and streamlined buildings in that age so I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what they look like¡­¡­.¡±


    As she continues to speak, she gets more and more heated up and Olivia unknowingly leans closer and closer to the princess.


    The princess was stunned while Cyrus who¡¯s sitting next to her is making a bitter smile.


    ¡°Olivia, I¡¯m glad that you are looking forward to it but you are scaring the princess you know.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­..¡±


    Realizing what she¡¯s done, Olivia hurriedly corrects herself.


    ¡°My apology, I got too excited¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°So you are interested in the ancient dynasty huh, Olivia?¡±


    Probably because of how she fervently went on about the ancient dynasty earlier, Alan who was busy eating his breakfast stopped his hands and turned to Olivia with a curious expression.


    At that question, Olivia got a little bashful and replied in a small voice.


    ¡°Y, Yes. I¡¯ve only read about it in the books so I really wanted to see the real thing in person¡­¡­.Also, I¡¯m interested in what life was like in the old days.¡±


    When Olivia replied so, Alan¡¯s expression suddenly turned to one that is a mixture between regret and pain. Thinking that Alan must be feeling bad about how he did not face her properly when they were engaged, Olivia quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to rain today, will the train be alright on a day like this?¡±


    Olivia somehow managed to come up with a new topic but she immediately regretted it. After all, the topic itself is making her anxious about their ride today. At that speed, even a carriage might slip off the road on rainy days. What if the rain makes the train derail?


    With her face turned blue, Olivia clumsily poured honey into her rose tea. Noticing that, Cyrus snatches the glass honey jar from Olivia¡¯s hand with a smile while saying [If you put in that much then it will only taste like honey you know.]


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Even if it rains, the train is not going to slip off its rail.¡±


    ¡°Is, is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. it seems that they do suspend their services on snowy days but well, even in winter this place is not going to have that much snow anyway so they pretty much operate in any weather you know.¡±


    When Olivia stroked her chest in relief, Alan¡¯s brows knitted in worry.


    ¡°Olivia, as I thought, you are still scared of¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m not!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, really!¡±


    Seeing Olivia panicking, Princess Florencia smiles.


    ¡°Everyone sure gets along.¡±


    At the princess¡¯s comment, the expressions of the ex-fiance and his little brother who are not particularly on good terms with each other turned awkward.

 CH 32

    The Dorua territory, the first-ever rail station of Brior, the Tempol station is filled with people.


    In the summer, which is a season for vacation, many people are going back to their hometown for the holidays. The northeastern part of the Zackfil territory which is connected by the rail from the Dorua territory also holds summer resorts that boast cool climates even in summer due to being geographically high in altitude. This is why a lot of people are gathering here.


    The train¡¯s cabin ranges from first to third-class and Olivia¡¯s party will be traveling in the first-class cabin. The first-class section is completely exclusive to its passengers with its own private restaurant.


    Due to the fact that this is a four-hour trip and that they have to board the train before noon, it was scheduled for them to have their lunch on the train.


    Immediately after they got on board, Olivia¡¯s party put away their luggage in their own rooms before heading to the restaurant compartment. It was about 10 minutes after that that the train started warming its engine.


    Perhaps because the entire place is reserved for first-class guests, the floor was shiny and polished. The aisle is put in the middle with chaise lounges lined up on both sides facing each other and tables between them. The chaise lounge¡¯s seat and backrest seem fluffy and the wooden table is decorated with sunflowers.


    While Cyrus sat on the window seat, Olivia seated herself on the aisle side because she is too scared to sit by the window, and Alan and Princess Florencia are sitting face to face with them respectively. Also, Legion, the princess¡¯s escort was just a little distance away from them.


    While Olivia and the others took their seats, the caterer came to receive their order. Olivia and Princess Florencia order herbal tea while Alan and Cyrus order red wine. By the time the flower-shaped sugar confectionery and cheese were served as side dishes to the tea and red wine respectively, Olivia already seemed quite tense. After all, it is about time for the train to depart.


    Cyrus gently clasped Olivia¡¯s hand under the table. Even if they are on a trip, she¡¯s accompanying Princess Florencia so she still needs to act appropriately in public. Feeling the temperature of Cyrus¡¯s hand through her silk gloves, Olivia¡¯s shoulders relaxed a little.


    (Nothing happened at the opening ceremony and I have His Highness Cyrus with me too. I will be okay.)


    When Olivia raised her face, she was met with his smile. Olivia was about to smile back but suddenly, the train slightly shakes so she let out a small scream.


    Seeing that, Cyrus took his hand off hers and pulled her close by the shoulder.


    It was only shaking in the beginning and although it still makes rattling noises, the train moves forward with a smooth movement.


    The scenery outside the window started to move faster and faster.


    Olivia managed to regain her composure because of Cyrus¡¯s warmth. Since this is already her second time on a train, it seems that she may have developed a kind of tolerance for it. It¡¯s not that she¡¯s completely calm but she¡¯s now less tense than before.


    Looking at Princess Florencia who¡¯s leisurely drinking her herbal tea, it appears that she doesn¡¯t find the ride particularly scary. On the other hand, Alan worriedly looks at Olivia.


    Seeing that, Olivia covered her face with both hands from embarrassment because even though she told him that she would be fine, she still screamed when the train started moving.


    ¡°Good thing it¡¯s not raining isn¡¯t it. Here, you like blue cheese right?¡±


    After putting honey on the blue cheese, Cyrus offered it to Olivia. Seeing that, she nodded and took the cheese from him. She was truly glad that it didn¡¯t rain since it would be way scarier for her that way.


    Shortly after the train departed, the caterer brought them the menu for lunch. At the opening ceremony, she didn¡¯t have any meal on board since she was only traveling one station. That¡¯s why it was unexpected for her to see that the dishes listed here are very solid. The course meal has 5 dishes ranging from appetizers to desserts. It seems that they can choose what they want for the main dish and dessert and the caterer is explaining each dish one by one. Olivia and Cyrus asked for fish dishes while Alan and Florencia asked for meat. For the dessert, they can choose between cheesecake, chocolate cake, and pudding. In the end, Olivia and the princess chose chocolate cake with a pudding for Cyrus and a cheesecake for Alan.


    The appetizer consisted of small spinach quiches and salad served with tomato, basil, and cottage cheese with light white wine for the drink.


    After the meal started, Olivia got used to the slight shaking of the train and her anxiety gradually subsided. Once she got used to it, she was able to enjoy the scenery outside which flowed by at a speed incomparable to what she used to on a carriage.


    When they finished their lunch, everyone returned to their own room and Olivia decided to read a book until they arrived at their destination.


    Since the first-class guest room is completely private, there¡¯s almost no noise except for the noise of the wheels rattling underneath and some voices that echo from the corridor from time to time.


    The book Olivia¡¯s reading is about King Adrian, a king whose reign was in the middle era of the ancient dynasty. King Adrian was the one who built the royal palace located in the present Zackfil territory.


    According to his biography, this royal palace was nicknamed the [Palace of White Rose]from its intricate layers of white walls. It was designed to keep enemy forces from reaching the King as the palace itself felt like a maze to those not used to its structure. Judging from this, it appears that King Adrian was both cautious and paranoid at the same time.


    Other than its maze-like structure, it seems that there were various gimmicks installed in this palace as there seem to be secret passages that serve as escape routes for the royal family hidden everywhere inside as well.


    (I wonder what kind of traps and secret passages it has¡­¡­.)


    While slowly flipping through the pages, Olivia started imagining what it was like in the time of King Adrian which is said to be one of the most glorious eras of the ancient dynasty¡¯s long history.


    TLN: I smell secret passages shenanigans with Tiana already¡­¡­

 CH 33

    After getting off the train the group stayed overnight in the Realis territory where the terminal station is located before continuing on their way the next day.


    At the moment, Olivia and others are on board a ship sailing down the Edival canal which flows from the southwestern part of the Realis territory to Zackfil.


    The ruins in Count Zackfil¡¯s territory are famous tourist destinations. Even though the place shares its border with Karzol, things have been calm around that area ever since the wall was built along the border. For years, there have been no major conflicts between Brior and Karzol which increased the number of tourists gradually as time passed. Currently, it is regarded as a rapidly developing area. For that reason, there are now commercial cruise lines that travel there with private rooms and entertainment corners onboard the ship.


    Since they will be staying in Zackfil for a while, they have sent a notice to Count Zackfil to inform him in advance. Since the Count was sick and wouldn¡¯t return to his territory for the holiday season, the letter was sent to the Count¡¯s resident in the royal capital.


    The Count is a kind old gentleman who¡¯s already in the middle of his sixties. He has no children with his first wife who passed away and his son who was born of his second wife is currently only 10 so he still has to continue his work for a while before his son comes of age. Because of that, although he can¡¯t push himself to accompany them, he wished them a happy stay in his territory.


    When they arrived in Zackfil after a two-hour voyage, Olivia and the others board a carriage to the town of Beymar where the ruins are located.


    After checking in at the luxurious inn where the count has arranged for them in Beymar, Olivia decided to take a tour of the town with Cyrus. It was scheduled for them to visit the ruins tomorrow.


    ¡°Olivia, look. They have the White Rose Palace cookie too.¡±


    In Beymar which pushes its ruins tourism as its forefront industry, there are many ruins-related merchandises. Cyrus smiles when he happens to find a rose-shaped cookie displayed in front of a bakery. After all, although it was named White Rose Cookie, it still looks like a simple rose-shaped cookie.


    ¡°Ah, look, it says that they are selling King Adrian¡¯s favorite rose tea over there. Did King Adrian prefer rose tea though?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ve read in his biography that he had more than 40 kinds of roses planted in his palace though.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why there are so many rose-related things here. Interesting. Let¡¯s buy them later as souvenirs before we return.¡±


    Beymar is a well-planned town with its design emphasized on being a tourist destination so there¡¯s a lot of people walking its street. With their hands joined together in order to not get separated, the two walked down the street and leisurely window shopping until they stopped in front of an incense store.


    Perhaps due to its distance to Karzol, it seems that the culture here is influenced by Karzolean culture as there are Karzolean traditional jars lined up in the store. There are gorgeous white porcelain jars drawn with intricate patterns. When Olivia looks at those jars, Cyrus asks her if she wants to buy one.


    ¡°You want it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­is it okay if I take a look?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you want something then tell me. I will buy it for you.¡±


    When she entered the store many jars of various sizes greeted her from the shelf. The smaller ones are about the size of her palm while the larger ones are so big that she could wrap her arms around one.


    Olivia picked up a palm-sized white jar with a small red rose drawn on it. Its rounded design made it look very cute.


    ¡°You like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    While Olivia was wondering if she should buy it, Cyrus picked it up from Olivia¡¯s hand and gave it to the shopkeeper.


    ¡°We will have this one, also, can you show us some of your incense?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s, I can pa¨C¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Nope. You need to let a man show off at a time like this you know.¡±


    Saying so, Cyrus patted Olivia¡¯s cheek with the back of his hand while winking at her. When Olivia turned bright red in response, the shopkeeper who still seems to be in her 20s giggled at the scene.


    ¡°You two sure get along.¡±


    Perhaps the thought that he¡¯s a prince is not even in her mind, the shopkeeper who¡¯s already used to welcoming nobles who came to sightsee is quite easygoing.


    The shopkeeper then takes out some incense and arranges them on a small table.


    ¡°This incense jar doesn¡¯t use fire so it suits to be used with fragrant wood or potpourri.¡±


    It seems that there are two types of incense burner here. Ones that use fire and ones that don¡¯t. The one Olivia picked is of the latter. It appears that the larger ones are what you call incense burners.


    ¡°The type that uses fire can fill your room with the scent immediately but the non-fire type lets you gradually enjoy the subtle scent. For this one, I recommend that you place it at your bedside.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s for bedside then do you have any relaxing scent?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then please try this one.¡±


    The shopkeeper took out three potpourris. Each of them is a blend of several scents. All three of them smell nice but the one that Olivia especially took a liking to was the one blended with the scent of jasmine that gives a refreshingly sweet scent.


    Cyrus purchased the potpourri and the jar as a gift for her. And after Olivia carefully put them into her bag, they left the store.


    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Calling me [Your Highness] would make us stand out here so can you call me Cyrus instead.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.Thank you, Cyrus-sama.¡±


    When Olivia rephrased herself, Cyrus nodded satisfactorily and started walking down the street while holding her hand.


    After they walked around window shopping for a while, they got tired and decided to rest at a cafe facing the main street. The reason they chose a place that¡¯s close to the main street is that it¡¯s easier for their escorts who have been following them from a distance to watch over them. As Olivia sat in the open space outside the cafe and drank the spiced tea which is common around here, she spotted Princess Florencia on the main street.


    It seems that Cyrus also spotted her as his eyes turned in the direction of the princess.


    The princess is laughing happily with her escort knight, Legion.


    ¡°This has been on my mind for a while but those two are a little too close aren¡¯t they.¡±


    ¡°I think so too¡­¡­.¡±


    It seems like there¡¯s something that¡¯s more than trust going on between those two.


    (¡­¡­maybe the princess is¡­¡­¡­¡­..)


    While looking at the princess¡¯s happy expression from a distance, Olivia immediately vanquished the suspicion from her mind.


    It¡¯s not something that she should speculate about.


    While putting the cinnamon cookie into her mouth, Olivia averts her eyes from the two.


    TLN: Anyone knowledgeable about these incense burners? I¡¯ve never used one in my life.

 CH 34

    After taking an hour via horse-drawn carriage from Beymar, the White Rose Palace Excavation Site finally became visible.


    The dome-shaped museum is located a little away from the excavation site itself and most of the tourists have gathered there.


    The excavation site itself is basically off-limits to anyone other than those involved so there are rope barriers and people standing guard outside to prevent the entry of unauthorized personnel.


    Olivia and the others were allowed to enter the site so they headed to the nearby building which is the base for the overseer and soldiers here. There is another building in the back for the prisoners¡¯ use.


    The excavation work here is being taken care of by the prisoners who committed mild to moderate crimes.


    The reason they forbid the normal tourists from approaching is to prevent the prisoners from escaping.


    When Olivia¡¯s group headed to the overseer building, Dr. Wybal, who¡¯s in charge of the site, came out to welcome them. Dr. Wybal was a thin middle-aged man wearing small round glasses. His skin is tanned probably from doing the excavation work outdoors for a long time.


    Guided by Dr. Wybal, Olivia and the others enter the building. In addition to the living space of the researchers and the soldiers, the building seems to also have storage to temporarily house the excavated artifacts. After being guided to the reception room, the doctor showed Olivia something that seems to be a hand-drawn sketch.


    ¡°This is a sketch of the White Rose Palace that we managed to speculate from the knowledge we currently have.¡±


    The sketch seems to be made by Dr. Wybal himself. It appears that it only describes the known parts of the palace since there are many blank areas but it is still more detailed than what Olivia has seen in a book.


    According to Dr. Wybal¡¯s sketch, the White Rose Palace only has one floor above ground with several more underneath. It is said that it is because of this reason that most of its ruins are buried underground.


    (Rather than a rose, it looks more like a snail huh.)


    Looking at the floor plan, the place looks more like layers upon layers of circular structures with dead ends here and there. It would be really difficult to reach the central area where the royal family lived. After all, it almost looked like a maze to her.


    As Olivia was engrossed by the floor plan of the ground floor, a low voice suddenly rang out.


    ¡°Is this an underground passage?¡±


    Looking up, she saw Legion who¡¯s standing next to Princess Florencia examining the floor plan of the basement level.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. This is an underground passage that extended from under the royal quarter to the area around Lake Akkai which I believe is now a part of Karzol. However, during the skirmish with Karzol, it was sealed at the border so you can not reach that place anymore.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Legion seriously listened to the doctor¡¯s explanation. Perhaps he¡¯s interested in the ruins. Although Princess Florencia expressed the wish to visit this place, it seems that her escort knight is much more interested in it than her.


    After they were finished with the sketch, this time they were guided to the museum by the doctor. It seems that they will be guided inside the ruin once the prisoners leave after their shift.


    The air inside of the museum was cool. There are many tourists but the museum itself is so large that the place doesn¡¯t feel crowded at all.


    After passing through the exhibition space where the excavated artifacts from the ruins were put on display, they headed to the place where a miniature model of the ruin is being exhibited.


    Since they have seen the sketch beforehand, it¡¯s very easy for them to understand the structure of the 3-dimensional miniature model.


    ¡°When looking at a three-dimensional model like this, it really sets in that this palace is truly a maze isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Cyrus said as he observed the model. Olivia was also impressed at the fact that people managed to live in such a place without getting lost. After all, the place is so complicated and filled with mysteries.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of dead ends even in the basement huh.¡±


    ¡°It seems so. Besides, it looks like you can¡¯t access the royal quarter from underground too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. The basement of the royal quarter was completely sealed from the outside.¡±


    ¡°When looking at this, it really makes you think that King Adrian was truly paranoid isn¡¯t it.¡±


    In the model, the underground passages were all cut off before they reached the basement of the royal quarter. In the unlikely event, the invaders would not be able to easily reach the royal quarter. On the other hand, it also indicates that the royal family doesn¡¯t care even if they alone manage to escape. Tales about royal families using their vassals as decoys to escape in an emergency are quite common but for a palace to be built with that very idea from the beginning is something else.


    After looking at the model, Olivia and the others took a look at the exhibit showing the restored costumes and day-to-day items of the ancient dynasty before returning to the overseer building near the ruins. It seems that it¡¯s almost time for the prisoners to take a break.


    They were guided around the ruins except for the dangerous places that might collapse on them and today¡¯s tour finally came to an end. Tomorrow, they will be guided around to see the actual excavation work. The place that the doctor will guide them to tomorrow is the place where the researchers work instead of the prisoners but Olivia was told that they will get to see the excavation process as well.


    After thanking the researchers, Olivia was about to board her carriage but she suddenly felt a gaze on her.


    (¡­¡­.?)


    However, when she looked back, there was no one there.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Olivia.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing ¡­¡­..¡±


    It must¡¯ve been her imagination. Thinking so, Olivia boarded the carriage.


    TLN: Ruins tourism and a Sus knight¡­¡­

 CH 35

    That night, Tiana was fuming.


    The place is the worker house constructed for the prisoners near the excavation site.


    Each prisoner is assigned their own room but the room is only big enough to fit a small bed. To prevent them from escaping, the window was built into the ceiling which only allowed a small amount of light to enter from above. They even have to clean the narrow and dirty shared toilet and bath themselves. For Tiana who¡¯s formerly a noble lady from a count house, this humiliating environment is unbearable.


    Lighting the small oil lamp, Tiana gazes down at her hands which have become rough, and frowned. Her neatly trimmed nails have been cut short and dirty. The back of her hand is also rough and ridden with small scratches from the excavation work. The most unforgivable thing though is the sunburn. Her smooth pure white skin has become the shade of earthenware pottery.


    (Even though I have to endure all this¡­¡­..!)


    It was only a coincidence.


    At lunch break today, Tiana was resting in the shade of a tree when she saw a familiar woman from a distance. When she focused her eyes, she found that it was Olivia with unblemished white skin and a beautiful dress accompanied by Cyrus and Alan.


    That was unforgivable. That place is supposed to be hers. Yet, thanks to Olivia, she was forced to live in this terrible environment and dig through the dirt all day.


    (Absolutely unforgivable.)


    Tiana got up from her bed and left her room with the oil lamp. However, she was immediately stopped by one of the guards.


    ¡°No.214, where are you going.¡±


    Tiana grit her teeth at the way he called her. This place doesn¡¯t even use her name. Each prisoner is called by the assigned number which is written on the door to their room.


    Enduring the humiliation, Tiana turned away in a soured mood.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going for a walk. It¡¯s fine right, it¡¯s not even bedtime yet.¡±


    ¡°Be quick about it.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡±


    After replying so in a harsh tone, Tiana ignored the guard who was about to say something more and left.


    The wind outside is a little cold. There is only a small window in her room so it¡¯s usually hot in there.


    With her back turned against the building, Tiana sat down on a pile of stacked logs. She then looked up to the starry sky. She hates the life here but if there¡¯s one thing she¡¯s like it¡¯s the night sky. Compared to the night sky of the royal capital, the starry sky here is much more beautiful.


    When she let out a sigh as she gazed into the night sky, she suddenly heard a noise. It originated from the forest nearby. Thinking that it¡¯s probably just some guards on patrol, Tiana ignored the rattling noise but she jumped in surprise when a man emerged from the thicket.


    ¡°S¡ª¡ª.¡±


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    The man instantly closed in on Tiana and covered her mouth with his palm.


    Tiana¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise as she looked up at the man¡¯s face.


    Illuminated by the moonlight, Tiana could tell that the man is in his mid-twenties. He has a tall and firm build. The palm that he used to cover her mouth was both thick and rough. His hair is black and his eyes are bluish-gray. She has never seen him before. At the very least, she thinks that he¡¯s not one of the guards patrolling this area.


    ¡°If you promise to not make any noise then I will take my hand off.¡±


    Hearing that, Tiana gives the man a small nod. If it¡¯s this man then he would be able to break her neck faster than she could call for help. Moreover, if the man intends to kidnap her then she would gladly comply. Rather than keep digging this place for the rest of her life, being sold off somewhere is much better. Since she¡¯s cute, she should be able to live a good life even if she¡¯s sold.


    Thinking so, Tiana thought that the idea wasn¡¯t so bad. At this rate, even some rich old man is fine. If she can get a better life then she will gladly go along. It¡¯s also possible that she might get bought by a good nature gentleman too.


    When the man took his hand off her mouth, Tiana extended her hand for him with a grin on her face.


    ¡°I will be in your care okay.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.Ha?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you can take me away.¡±


    The man cast a suspicious gaze at her.


    Seeing that, Tiana cocked her head and says [you don¡¯t get it?]


    ¡°You want to take me away right? I¡¯m cute so I¡¯m sure that I will fetch a high price you know. Find a good man for me okay. You won¡¯t get a deficit from this I guarantee you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­what are you talking about?¡±


    The man confusedly asked while repeatedly blinking.


    Seeing that, Tiana snapped.


    ¡°Come one, just make up your mind already!¡±


    ¡°About what¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°I am saying that I am giving your permission to sell me off you know! I was supposed to be the queen of this country okay! Whatever, just take me away from this place and sell me to someone rich!¡±


    The man¡¯s thoughts processor was fried and his face stiffened.


    In response, Tiana puts her hands on her hips and stands up before urging the man to quickly take her away.


    Still confused, the man put his hand on his chin and thinks.


    Tiana was impatient. If they take their time here then the guards might find them. What a dull man. He¡¯s not qualified as a kidnapper at all.


    Then, a possibility dawned on Tiana. Perhaps this man is unaware of her beauty. Tiana is wearing a shabby prisoner uniform. Her hair lost its luster and her skin has become tanned and rough. The man might be thinking of her as some poor commoner girl. Thinking so, Tiana was unamused.


    ¡°You may not notice it because I am dressed like this but I am the daughter of Count Lemone you know! I¡¯ve never gone to a party where a man doesn¡¯t try to court me okay. Even His Highness the Crown Prince had his eyes set on me. If I dress up then even you will fall for me!¡±


    ¡°¡­..you want to get away from this place?¡±


    Eventually, the man asked in a tired voice.


    ¡°Obviously! Who would willingly stay in a place like this.¡±


    ¡°Is that so.¡±


    The man nodded while listening to the sound from their surroundings.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s about time some patrol arrives huh.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you to hurry it up didn¡¯t I!¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you misunderstood something. I¡¯m not a kidnapper, and I have no intention of taking you out of here.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª.¡±


    Tiana broke down and collapsed on the spot. When she thought that she could finally get away from this place, it seems that her joy was short-lived. Just what on earth did this man come here for then? How useless.


    The man looked down at Tiana and let out a small smile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take you out of this place right now but if you want to escape then I¡¯m willing to help you know.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡±


    Tiana¡¯s face immediately snapped up.


    Then, as though he¡¯s telling her a secret, the man put his index finger in front of his lips.


    ¡°Actually, this ruin has a secret.¡±


    Tiana gulped and listened to the man¡¯s story.


    TLN: I wonder who¡¯s this man¡­¡­¡­¡­.I have no idea at all¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..AT ALL¡­¡­

 CH 36

    The next day, Olivia, Alan, along with Cyrus headed to the ruins again.


    They were informed that Princess Florencia was sick and she will not be accompanying them today.


    Once the group arrived at the ruins, Dr. Wybal offered to guide them to the underground ruins that are being excavated himself.


    The place that they were guided to was just outside of the ruin of the White Rose Palace. It seems to be the site of an old underground temple.


    The underground ruins are liable to collapse but the area around the underground temple has already collapsed completely and is now looking like a hollow hole so they will not have to worry about the ceiling caving in on them.


    ¡°The central part of the White Rose Palace, namely the basement area of the royal quarter is quite fragile and dangerous so I¡¯m currently suspending the excavation work there at the moment.¡±


    It seems that they are trying to find the safest method to excavate that area so once they can come up with one, the work there will continue.


    ¡°Here is the altar, we also managed to excavate a part of the mural here, Your Highnesses.¡±


    Dr. Wybal guided them to a wall that seems to have a part of a faded mural painting on it.


    ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s depicting?¡±


    Alan asked. The mural depicts a cat-like animal with the head and wings of a bird.


    ¡°It¡¯s the image of heaven, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°The image of heaven?¡±


    Alan tilted his head.


    ¡°During the ancient dynasty, I heard that there was the worship of the Sun God named Cestia. Is it related to that?¡±


    Olivia asked while looking at the mural. There are multiple religions that worship the Sun God, each religion has a different name for their god but Cestia was the one who was worshiped during the ancient dynasty. This god was linked with the two opposite concepts of Prosperity and Destruction. Among all the Sun Gods Olivia knows of, only Cestia has the authority over Destruction.


    Hearing her question, Dr. Wybal nodded.


    ¡°Yes. I believe that this mural depicts a human being chosen by Cestia to ascend to heaven. I can¡¯t say for sure because there were many damaged parts but this cat-like creature with the head and wings of a bird is said to be the gatekeeper who guarded the door to heaven called Fischlbaia. That¡¯s why I believe that the mural is depicting the human who has been deemed worthy by Cestia being guided to heaven.¡±


    ¡°Deemed worthy? What happened to the people that weren¡¯t deemed worthy then?


    ¡°If I recall correctly, I¡¯ve read that they will fall into the abyss of the underworld filled only with darkness and wait for the time for them to be regenerated into the world again.¡±


    Cyrus answers Alan¡¯s question.


    Hearing that, Alan was stunned for a moment.


    ¡°You, why did you read something like that?¡±


    ¡°I read it from a book recently added to the castle¡¯s library you know.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I want to read that too!¡±


    Olivia didn¡¯t know about that book. Seeing her eyes sparkling when she heard of a new book, Cyrus can only smile at her.


    ¡°I will tell you which one it is once we get back okay.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much!¡±


    ¡°So, what does this regeneration mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something like being reborn into a new person or animal I think.¡±


    Dr. Wybal nodded at Cyrus¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Yes. Those deemed worthy by Cestia shall live happily forever in heaven while those who were not chosen will be dropped into the underworld where they will be reborn as new beings and returned to our world.¡±


    ¡°What kind of criteria are there for a person to be deemed worthy?¡±


    Is it how many good deeds a person performed while they were alive? When Olivia asked that while tilting her head, Dr. Wybal replied with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s the loyalty to their King, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Olivia was surprised at the unexpected answer.


    ¡°So, the belief of the Sun God during the ancient dynasty was one that was made at the convenience of the king huh.¡±


    Alan reached that conclusion and nodded to himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a belief made up by the king at the time to help control their vassals. It¡¯s not that rare of a story after all.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, I also heard a familiar story from somewhere else before. Some countries even have the belief that their king¡¯s bloodline has descended from divinity after all.¡±


    It¡¯s just like what Alan and Cyrus said, that is certainly often the case. However, when she heard that, the mural in front of her seemed to fade even more. In the olden days, natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, and thunder were all interpreted as the wrath of god so it is understandable that some might make use of people¡¯s gullibility and make up a faith that suits their convenience. Still, it¡¯s a little boring.


    ¡°Then, if a coup happened and the king changed to someone else, will all those who pledged their allegiance to the former king be sent to the underworld?¡±


    Thinking that it¡¯s too cruel, Olivia asked that question. And as though it was a surprise, Dr. Wybal snapped his face up and looked at her.


    ¡°I see, that would be the case isn¡¯t it! This is interesting! It is said that the time to judge whether the human is to ascend to heaven or to be plunged down into the underworld is when they were given a burial rite. If we compare the time of their death and the political change of the time, it might lead to new discoveries in our history, My Lady!¡±


    Apparently, her question triggered his researcher¡¯s instinct. He looked so excited that he might end up digging up the graves. Perhaps she said something unnecessary earlier.


    ¡°Look Olivia, there¡¯s this big incense-burner-like thing over here.¡±


    When she headed over to Cyrus, there was an unglazed incense pot that was as tall as an adult¡¯s knee. Although it¡¯s slightly chipped, it remains in almost perfect condition.


    ¡°Actually, they used incense when they wanted to pray to the god.¡±


    Said Dr. Wybal.


    ¡°Do you know what kind of incense they used, Doctor?¡±


    Olivia asked while looking inside the incense burner.


    ¡°It was said that they mostly used the one that provides hallucinogenic effects. They also used ones that have the effect of clouding or dulling people¡¯s minds, My Lady.¡±


    Hearing his answer, Olivia stiffened.


    ¡°T, they used such dangerous things?¡±


    ¡°They were probably used to deify the king and priest here. I believe that using a mild hallucination effect on the people should be able to make people in awe of the god and subsequently the king. These dangerous scents are currently banned in Brior but it seems that they are quite common as medicinal incense in Karzol though.¡±


    Afraid that such ancient dangerous incense might drift from the incense burner, Olivia unconsciously stepped away from it.


    TLN: I guess some kind of ruins exploration is coming then.

 CH 37

    The sun was about to set.


    Olivia who has returned to the inn in Beymar after her trip to the excavation site is now enjoying tea together with Cyrus and Alan to kill time until dinner.


    It appears that Princess Florencia hasn¡¯t felt better yet as she¡¯s still resting in her room.


    When Olivia was sharing her excitement about their trip today with the group inside the cafe on the first floor of the inn, Colin, Cyrus¡¯s escort, rushed to their side with a pale face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Since Colin along with the other escorts has accompanied them all day, they are supposed to be resting and having their meal at this time. They also said that they will be eating out so he and the other escorts left the inn just a while ago.


    Colin is breathing heavily, perhaps he ran all the way back here in a hurry.


    ¡°Just now, one of the soldiers in charge of watching the prisoners working at the excavation site contacted us that one of the prisoners has escaped, Your Highness¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Alan¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    The prisoners in charge of the excavation work were those that are guilty of mild to moderate crime so the chance that they will try to escape is low. Furthermore, since a good work attitude can lead to a reduction in their sentence, many of them do take the work seriously. Therefore, unlike a regular prison, the place was not surrounded by a high fence but there were still guards and soldiers monitoring them. The excavation site itself is also located far away from the town and with walls at the border, the escapee would be found immediately even if they managed to leave the site.


    ¡°The person who escaped, what kind of person are they?¡±


    If a prisoner escaped from the excavation site then it¡¯s highly likely that they might be lurking around this area. When Alan hurriedly stood up to arrange a manhunt, Colin¡¯s expression immediately turned complicated.


    ¡°About that¡­¡­¡±


    He¡¯s being strangely evasive.


    Seeing Colin like that, Olivia cocked her head to the side in puzzlement while Alan visibly frowned.


    ¡°Is it someone problematic?¡±


    Colin¡¯s shoulders dropped down at Cyrus¡¯s question.


    ¡°She¡¯s certainly problematic but we can also say that she¡¯s not at the same time though.¡±


    ¡°Just make it clear already!¡±


    When Alan raised his voice in frustration, Colin answered while holding down his temples.


    ¡°It¡¯s the former lady Lemone, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Ha?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°What did you say!?¡±


    ¡°As I said¡­¡­it¡¯s Your Highness Alan¡¯s former fiancee, former lady Lemone, sir.¡±


    Olivia and the others immediately looked at each other.


    Olivia wasn¡¯t even aware that Tiana was working at the excavation site. After all, she can¡¯t even imagine that Tiana would just obediently do that kind of hard labor.


    On the other hand, Alan turned silent with a bitter expression on his face while Cyrus simply shrugged.


    ¡°I knew that Tiana was sent here but¡­¡­..she escaped huh.¡±


    ¡°This is no time to be impressed, Your Highness.¡±


    ¡°Right, Colin. Quickly notify the town guards. Also, can you ask the Zackfil house to let us borrow their soldiers too? She shouldn¡¯t be able to cross the border but if things get out of hand then this might become a headache later.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, sir.¡±


    ¡°I want to hear what happened in detail so I will head to the ruins after this. What about you, Aniue?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.I will too, obviously.¡±


    ¡°I will go too.¡±


    When Olivia said that, Cyrus slowly shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s already dark so you can¡¯t, Olivia. We will be back as soon as we know what happened over there, you can come with us in the morning.¡±


    Although they can use a carriage to get there, traveling at night is still dangerous. That¡¯s why Cyrus refused to let her come with them with no intention to back down.


    Olivia reluctantly gave up and returned to her room after seeing Alan and Cyrus off.


    When she arrived at her room and told Taylor what happened, she was stunned.


    ¡°¡­¡­that person always does whatever she wants after all. Rather, she always causes problems wherever she goes doesn¡¯t she.¡±


    Olivia could only smile bitterly at her words.


    TLN: just 13 more chapters and we would catch up

 CH 38

    It seems that it was late into the night when Cyrus and Alan returned to the inn.


    Since it was late, they were only talking to the person in charge of monitoring the prisoners about the search range and ordered the security to be tightened in the area before they came back. Still, since it takes a certain amount of time just to travel between the inn and the ruins, it was already midnight when they arrived back at the inn.


    Olivia planned to stay up and wait for Cyrus¡¯s return but it seems she fell asleep while reading a book on her bed.


    By the time she woke up, the sky had already begun to brighten.


    Naturally, no cafes or restaurants are open this early in the morning. Even Taylor still hasn¡¯t woken up yet and Cyrus and the others who went out last night are probably still sleeping as well.


    When she opened the curtain and looked down at the main street, there were only a few people walking around.


    After lighting a small fireplace to boil water for her chamomile tea, Olivia decided to kill some time by reading a book.


    The book she¡¯s reading is an incense-related one she purchased at a bookstore here. Since Cyrus bought her a small incense burner and with Dr. Wybal¡¯s explanation about the use of incense in the ancient temple, her interest was piqued so she wanted to know more about the subject.


    As she had expected, this book does not describe the incense used during the ancient dynasty but it does describe various kinds of incense sold in Karzol. As Dr. Wybal explained, incense is sometimes used for medicinal purposes in Karzol and it was said here in the book that incense with paralyzing and hypnotic effects are often used in medical practice there.


    (If I remember correctly, I heard that there were people called sorcerers in Karzol huh.)


    From what she heard, these sorcerers are people who not only can tell the future but can also cast curses to kill people and it seems that such incense is being used by them as well.


    Since Olivia was completely uninterested in these terrifying incense, she simply skipped over the part describing them to the chapter that describes incense that gives a relaxing and beauty-related effect. Among them were the ones Cyrus bought her the other day.


    When Olivia was entranced by the book, Taylor finally woke up and let out a long sigh the moment she found Olivia reading a book first thing in the morning.


    ¡°Ojou-sama, you turned in so late last night, what are you doing being up so early.¡±


    ¡°I just woke up though.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, you will be heading to the ruins again today because of that matter right? What would you do if you collapsed because you pushed your body?¡±


    ¡®That matter¡¯ in this case is about Tiana¡¯s escape last night.


    Since she wasn¡¯t allowed to follow Cyrus and Alan to the ruins last night, she intends to go with them today. She doesn¡¯t want to be the only one left out of the loop after all.


    After that, the two had a small talk while Taylor helped Olivia get ready for today¡¯s trip.


    When Olivia headed down to the restaurant downstairs for breakfast, Cyrus and Alan were already there. Perhaps they couldn¡¯t get enough sleep last night, both of them looked sleepy.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    When Olivia sits down at the table, Cyrus, who was drinking coffee, calls a waiter to the table. It seems that the two didn¡¯t order their meal before Olivia came down.


    Taylor is eating with Colin and his colleague at a different table so Cyrus ordered breakfast for three before stifling a small yawn.


    ¡°Did you come back late yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t plan to come back so late but traveling in the night took us longer compared to daytime you see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked them to tighten the security around the area but we probably can¡¯t conduct a full-scale search until Count Zackfil¡¯s soldiers are here too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to make a big deal out of it but there¡¯s no way around it I guess.¡±


    While they were talking among themselves, the waiters served their breakfast. The set meal consists of croissants, broad bean pottages, scrambled eggs, and cut fruits for dessert. This amount of food is more than enough for Olivia but it doesn¡¯t seem to be enough for the two princes who couldn¡¯t get back here until late last night so Alan asked the waiter for an additional serving of mashed potatoes and hamburg steak while Cyrus asked for a sandwich.


    ¡°Is Princess Florencia still feeling unwell?¡±


    Princess Florencia and Legion are nowhere to be seen. She has been sick since yesterday so if she still hasn¡¯t felt better now then they might have to call a doctor to examine her.


    ¡°It seems so. I invited her to join us for breakfast but I was told that she¡¯s still feeling unwell so she will be eating in her room.¡±


    Alan shrugged. From a standpoint, Princess Florencia is Alan¡¯s potential fiancee. Alan himself wants to avoid this engagement but he can¡¯t just ignore her. Besides, his mother, Queen Barbara is quite enthusiastic about this engagement so Alan seems to have to deepen his friendship with the princess regardless of his will. He probably has a complicated feeling about the whole situation since he has to care even though he wants to just leave her alone.


    ¡°Should we arrange a doctor for her, Your Highness?¡±


    ¡°I was told that she will be okay since Legion is with her.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.does that person have medical knowledge?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? He probably has.¡±


    Alan disinterestedly answered before biting into his hamburg steak.


    ¡°Aniue, wouldn¡¯t it be bad to leave her alone? If something happens to the princess then¡­.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do since the person herself doesn¡¯t want our help though.¡±


    What Cyrus said is right but it is as Alan said. They can¡¯t just arrange a doctor for her without her consent.


    Alan seemed a little frustrated by the situation. After all, with his ex-fiancee who escaped from the excavation site lurking around and Princess Florencia who was forced onto him, he just can¡¯t help it.


    ¡°If the princess still hasn¡¯t felt better after we return from the ruins today then I will go check on her for you, Your Highness.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for the two princes to enter the room where Princess Florencia is sleeping in so with her being of the same sex, it should be okay for Olivia to visit her.


    When Olivia proposed so, Alan gave her his consent.


    ¡°Right. Sorry but I¡¯m counting on you. We have another matter to worry about right now so if the situation worsens it might be better if we return to the capital early.¡±


    Rather, with everything that is going on, Alan actually wants to just tell the princess to go back to her country.


    If they can¡¯t quickly resolve Tiana¡¯s case, Alan¡¯s irritation might actually explode after all.


    (His quick temper still hasn¡¯t changed it seems¡­¡­)


    Thinking so, Olivia dispiritedly dropped her shoulders.

 CH 39

    After breakfast, Olivia and the others set out for the ruins.


    With Tiana¡¯s escape, the area around the ruins is now off-limits to the general public.


    When they got off their carriage at the ruins, they saw a man rushing their way.


    ¡°Who is that?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Nice the superintendent here.¡±


    (TLN: Nice pronounces as Niece, it¡¯s French I think.)


    Cyrus answered Olivia in a whisper.


    Nice was a thin man who¡¯s around mid-thirty. He has brown hair which is common among the people here. He probably couldn¡¯t sleep last night as they can all see the dark circles below his eyes.


    ¡°Nice, how are things going since last night?¡±


    When Alan asked so as their representative, Nice simply haggardly shook his head.


    After that, Nice guided them to the guard garrison building next to the prisoner¡¯s building and urged them inside a small reception room with wooden tables and chairs set up inside.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent out the guards to where the prisoner is likely to escape to but there¡¯s still no sign of her, Your Highness¡­¡­.¡±


    Olivia also looked at the map. If the guards were dispatched to the area circled in this map then Tiana should be found already. The fact that she¡¯s still missing means that she might have escaped the area before the checkpoints were erected but it¡¯s unlikely for a woman to go that far with all the trees surrounding this place.


    Even if she did escape the area, a woman in a prisoner uniform should have been spotted immediately since there¡¯s a high wall along the Karzol border in the south and soldiers patrolling the town since last night.


    ¡°¡­¡­.can you show me the sketch of the buildings in this area including the ruins and museum?¡±


    Nice was puzzled at Olivia¡¯s request.


    ¡°For the buildings and the ruins here, My Lady?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you still can¡¯t find her after setting up this many checkpoints then I think it¡¯s possible that she might be hiding here somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, that might be the case.¡±


    ¡°Tiana is not all that strong after all. She shouldn¡¯t be able to get far.¡±


    Cyrus and Alan agreed with her opinion.


    After Nice instructed his subordinates to bring them the sketch, Olivia then looked at the map and asked Nice for more details.


    ¡°Do you know when Tiana was last seen?¡±


    ¡°The last time our guard saw her she was spotted heading to her assigned work area after the lunch break, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°So she was seen entering the ruins, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Can you point me to the place Tiana was assigned to on this sketch?¡±


    ¡°It was to the left of the entrance so¡­¡­I believe it is around this area.¡±


    ¡°Can I mark it down on this sketch?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Nice answered so before handing her a bottle of ink and a pen. The bottled ink was mixed with red pigment.


    After she circled the excavation area where Tiana was assigned to on the sketch, Olivia stood up.


    ¡°Please show me to Tiana¡¯s room.¡±


    Now not only Nice but also Cyrus and Alan were surprised.


    ¡°Olivia, that¡¯s a building that houses the prisoners you know? It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Olivia. We can¡¯t let you¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°By this time, I think that all the prisoners should already be out on the excavation site so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any problem going there now though¡­¡­¡±


    Just because Tiana has escaped it doesn¡¯t mean that the excavation work was put to stop. Nice still frowned at her request but when she said that she will only be taking a short look inside, he reluctantly agreed.


    ¡°You really are too curious for your own good. Ordinary ladies wouldn¡¯t even want to step into a place like that and they would never dream of seeing a room a prisoner lives in you know.¡±


    Alan sighs.


    ¡°But I still want to see it.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Aniue, we need to quickly find Tiana so it¡¯s fine isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Said Cyrus with a bitter smile.


    The prisoner¡¯s building Nice guided them to was cleaner than they had expected. Naturally, the place doesn¡¯t have any kind of decorations and it¡¯s a relatively small building but it appears that they are quite strict about the hygiene here.


    Tina¡¯s room is room [214] located on the second floor. Albeit small, each prisoner was allocated a personal room. It seems that it was a policy to avoid needless conflict between prisoners.


    The only thing that resembles the furniture inside the room was a small bed and a small shelf next to it. The small box near the door was probably a trash can.


    After seeing the room, they simply can¡¯t imagine a fancy young lady like Tiana living in a place like this at all.


    There were no unusual signs on her bed or the shelf so Olivia decided to take a look inside the trash can. Then, when she saw what was inside, her eyes immediately went round.


    ¡°Are the prisoners here usually provided with pen and paper?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We did not give them much but we did provide some so that they can write something back to their families.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡­Even so, this room is quite dark isn¡¯t it. Even if you got a pen and paper, it would be difficult to write something in here right.¡±


    Although there¡¯s a small window in the ceiling, there¡¯s not that much light in the room even in the daytime. The prisoners usually have to work during the day so the only time they can write a letter should be only at night. That being said, it should be too dark for anyone to write in here.


    ¡°We also provide them with a portable oil lamp.¡±


    ¡°An oil lamp is it?¡±


    That way it should be possible to write in here during the night. Olivia looked around the room to find the lamp but she couldn¡¯t find anything that even remotely resembled one at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s not here, isn¡¯t it.¡±


    The moment he realized that the lamp was missing, Nice also cocked his head.


    ¡°Is it that strange for the lamp to be missing?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I mean, I don¡¯t think anyone would carry the lamp in their room to the excavation site.¡±


    When Olivia answered so, Cyrus put his hand on his chin.


    ¡°Right. If that¡¯s the case then it means Tiana came back here before she escaped huh¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Or that she took the oil lamp from her room and hid it somewhere inside the ruins beforehand.¡±


    ¡°She would stand out if she did something like that right.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why it¡¯s strange.¡±


    Saying so, Olivia casually put her hand into the trash can and pulled out one trash after another.


    ¡°Olivia¡­¡­.you are digging through the trash now?¡±


    Alan tiredly asked.


    ¡°Just a little¡­¡­.¡±


    While replying so, Olivia took a crumpled piece of paper out from the trash can.


    ¡°Tiana¡¯s whole family was arrested. Moreover, knowing her, I don¡¯t think that she¡¯s the type that would write letters to her relatives. Then, what and to whom did she write to¡­¡­are you not curious about that?¡±


    TLN: This remind me so much of another story¡­.that one has real magic though.

 CH 40

    After taking the items they found in the trash can in Tiana¡¯s room, Olivia and the others headed back to the guard barrack.


    The crumpled papers were spread on the table of the reception room of the barrack. They found 3 sheets of paper crumpled inside Tiana¡¯s trash can and all of them appear to be the map of the White Rose Palace ruins hand-drawn by Tiana herself.


    All of them appear very similar with one difference. Each of them has some kind of number written on them.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what these numbers could be?¡±


    When Olivia asked Nice for input, he rubbed his chin and pondered on it a little before muttering [It can¡¯t be¡­¡­.] and hurried out of the room.


    When he returned, he brought with him a small book. He then opened it and compared the number written inside with the one on Tiana¡¯s maps before saying [I¡¯ve got it] and nodded to himself.


    ¡°These are the excavation sites and the number of prisoners and guards assigned to each area. We normally rotate 4 areas in a single workday though.¡±


    ¡°Can I take a look?¡±


    The booklet Nice brought did not have maps drawn on them, it only had the number of prisoners and guards. It also describes when and where the group will relocate to each day. They seem to change the rotation every two weeks and the numbers written on Tiana¡¯s hand-drawn maps matched the recent number in this book. The strange thing here is that there are only three maps found inside Tiana¡¯s trash can even though they have to rotate 4 locations each day. Which means one of the maps is missing.


    ¡°¡­¡­It might be my mistake since I¡¯ve only taken a quick look but if that¡¯s the case, one of the maps¡­¡­the one for the evening shift is missing isn¡¯t it?¡±


    From the book, it seems that the four shifts were divided into two in the morning and two in the afternoon. However, the maps they have now seem to only describe the locations and the number of prisoners matching the first two shifts in the morning and one shift in the afternoon of the current rotation.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, it¡¯s as you said, My Lady. The map depicting the last shift is missing.¡±


    ¡°Tiana¡¯s prisoner No. was 214 correct? If that¡¯s the case then she should have been assigned to site No.8 on this shift¡­¡­..am I correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be the case.¡±


    ¡°It seems that the guards were stationed quite a distance from that place weren¡¯t they.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We focused our manpower on the exit to prevent the prisoners from escaping. For this site, this route is the only one that can lead to the exit, the other one would lead you right to the center of the ruins but there is no exit there, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡±


    As Nice says, site No.8 where Tiana was last assigned only has one route that leads to the exit. The other route there will lead her straight to the royal quarter where the royal family used to live. Originally, it seemed that there used to be a wall obstructing the passage there but it recently collapsed and you can now take that route straight toward the center of the ruins.


    ¡°The place Tiana was assigned to on the morning shift was site No.7, right next door correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes. we only allow short breaks for the morning shifts so we made the next assigned area close by for ease of mobility.¡±


    ¡°How short is this break?¡±


    ¡°Around 20 minutes I believe.¡±


    ¡°During that time, are the prisoners allowed to leave the ruins?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Most of them usually leave during the break.¡±


    The break time is 20 minutes. During that short time, Tiana can¡¯t possibly escape outside under the watchful eyes of the guards. However, the fact that she was nowhere to be found when the final shift was over makes it reasonable for them to assume that she either escaped during the break time or when she relocated to site No.8.


    ¡°Can you take me to this site No.8?¡±


    When Olivia voiced her request, Nice immediately panicked and began looking at Alan and Cyrus for help.


    ¡°Umm¡­..the prisoners are working there at this time so¡­¡­.¡±


    Perhaps they don¡¯t want to let a noble lady like her go anywhere near the convicts here. Even Alan and Cyrus also seem to be troubled.


    ¡°It has to be now. Also, if possible, I¡¯d like to speak with the people who were working at site No.7 and No.8 with Tiana as well.¡±


    ¡°You wish to speak to the prisoners, My Lady!?¡±


    Nice¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    At the same time, Alan holds his temples while gazing at the ceiling while Cyrus simply grins at the situation.


    ¡°Olivia always has the weirdest kind of courage after all, how troubling.¡±


    Said Cyrus as he peeked at Tiana¡¯s hand-drawn maps in Olivia¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Like Olivia pointed out, it is certainly worth looking into¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t back down no matter what we say anyway right. Nice, sorry but can you pick out the prisoners who were working with Tiana for us? Just the ones with good conduct if possible. Also, Olivia, you are not allowed to ask unrelated questions to those prisoners okay. It¡¯s you we are talking about after all. If they bring up the topic of some rare items they have excavated then you would forget all about what we came here to do after all.¡±


    She was a little offended when Alan put it like that. However, she definitely can¡¯t deny that she might get absorbed into talking about such topics.


    ¡°Olivia, the only prisoners you are allowed to speak to will be only the ones Nice pick out for us okay. You absolutely can¡¯t go talk to the other prisoners. Understood?¡±


    Even Cyrus is treating her like a child.


    Olivia still couldn¡¯t accept all their conditions but since it would be bad if they forbid her from going with them, she obediently agreed.

 CH 41

    With Nice leading the way, the group makes their way inside the excavation site with the prisoners casting suspicious gaze on them.


    Usually, the areas where the prisoners are working are off-limits so it is rare for them to see outsiders even though they are being accompanied by the guards.


    ¡°Everyone, excuse the interruption.¡±


    Each and every time Olivia¡¯s eyes would meet with the prisoners¡¯, she would apologize for interrupting their work.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that every time, My Lady.¡±


    Nice said that but it was still awkward for her to just walk silently past them.


    When they arrived at site No. 8 with Nice who was holding his head all the way here, Olivia took a short look around the narrow excavation site and let out a sigh of admiration.


    The place is covered with fragments of broken walls and dug-out soils. When she started to reach out to something that looked like a broken shard from a jar, Cyrus grabbed Olivia¡¯s hand and tightly squeezed it.


    ¡°Olivia, I told you not to wander off right?¡±


    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry¡­..it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°Seriously. Cyrus, just hold her hand like that. Who knows when she will wander off if we take our eyes off. It would be a headache if we have to send out a search party for her too after all.¡±


    That¡¯s too far. Olivia thought so but since Cyrus doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of letting go of her hand, it seems that he shares his brother¡¯s opinion.


    With no other choice, Olivia gave up on investigating the place for ancient artifacts and started comparing the place with the map she brought with her.


    ¡°Hmmm, so this way would lead us to the center of the White Rose Palace¡­¡­?¡±


    The royal quarter located at the center of the White Rose Palace originally should not be able to be accessed from this place but a part of the wall on their right is broken, creating a route where they can bypass the original structure. That being said, there¡¯s a rope barring the hole in the broken wall and it seems that it was forbidden to go past it.


    ¡°Why is that rope there?¡±


    When Olivia asked so, Nice pointed to an area in the map in Olivia¡¯s hand before answering.


    ¡°From this point onward the ruins¡¯ structure has become quite fragile so there¡¯s a risk that the wall might collapse down on the prisoners during the excavation. That¡¯s why we don¡¯t let them go further beyond here.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, I was told that the underground pathway has already collapsed in the middle too, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We believe that it collapsed during the construction of the wall at the border. It seems they dug up a lot of soil and cut a lot of stone in the area when they built that after all.¡±


    Olivia peeked beyond the hole where the rope is obstructing the way. The rope is certainly in the way since it¡¯s hanging in the middle but you can easily get past it. It seems that since there¡¯s no way out in there, the prisoners also don¡¯t want to try using it to escape either.


    (I don¡¯t know what it is but it¡¯s strange¡­¡­¡­.)


    Tina was stripped of her status and is no longer an aristocrat. Immediately after she became Prince Alan¡¯s fiancee and became the center of attention from the high society, she was sentenced to this place. Even if she finished serving her time here and is taken in by her relatives and managed to return to being an aristocrat, she probably would not be able to lead the glamorous life she used to. In the first place, with how high Tiana¡¯s pride is, she won¡¯t accept a status quo where her standing is lower than someone who she used to ridicule. In other words, even if she¡¯s done with the labor here, as long as she lives in this country, she still would have to live in shame.


    If that¡¯s the case, one has to wonder where she plans to go in this country after she escaped. Her relatives would never shelter an escaped convict and they would know full well when her sentence is supposed to be over. Besides, Tiana cares very much about how others look at her so it¡¯s unthinkable that she would struggle through the dirt and try to live on her own.


    (Even if she runs away, there¡¯s no merit at all for Tiana right¡­¡­..)


    On the other hand, it is possible that she chose to escape because she thinks she found her way to a better life. But if that¡¯s how it is then what might that be?


    As Olivia was pondering on that, two men arrived with one of the guards. They were the prisoners who were working in the same area as Tiana.


    When Olivia greeted them, the two men looked at each other before making a puzzled expression.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡­the one who called us here is¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, that would be me.¡±


    When Olivia answered so, the two men looked even more puzzled.


    During that exchange, Cyrus and Alan stepped forward to shield Olivia but the atmosphere of the two men was so calm that it made them wonder if they were really prisoners. Perhaps it¡¯s because Nice picked them out, the two men don¡¯t even rudely stare at them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I made you two came all this way here. Umm, I¡¯d like to ask you two about Tiana¡­¡­.No, No.214, if that is alright with you?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, that young lady.¡±


    Perhaps because they were sharing the same work area, the two realized who Olivia was talking about immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know what No.214-san was doing yesterday. Umm¡­.like during the afternoon break.¡±


    ¡°The break? Ahh, come to think of it, that girl didn¡¯t come with us yesterday huh.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°We invited her to get some water together but she said that she wanted to keep digging here. She always gets in a bad mood and complains about how digging made her all dirty so we also thought that it was strange of her too. Maybe she found something interesting when she was digging?¡±


    ¡°Even if she did find something good, she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to take it back home though.¡±


    ¡°She used to tell us that everything in this country was supposed to be hers and some exaggerated stories about herself too. That young lady certainly has a dream, doesn¡¯t she.¡±


    Apparently, the two don¡¯t know that Tiana was in fact a former young lady from a count house and how she was once engaged to Alan.


    With an awkward smile on her face, Olivia continued.


    ¡°Was No.214-san here when you two came back from the break?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? ¡­¡­.actually, thinking of it now, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her when I came back huh¡­¡­.did you see her?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I didn¡¯t see her either.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Nice raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t No.214 supposed to be at site No.8 yesterday?¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t really looking for her so we can¡¯t say it for sure but, I don¡¯t remember seeing her after the break.¡±


    ¡°¡­..in other words, she disappeared during the break? No, but¡­¡­.¡±


    It¡¯s no wonder that Nice is confused. Even during the break, there were guards stationed at the entrance. The outside area is also littered with many prisoners and guards. It¡¯s impossible for her to escape unseen.


    (¡­¡­don¡¯t tell me.)


    Olivia thought so and looked at the hole in the wall.


    The portable oil lamp was missing from Tiana¡¯s room. Tiana was nowhere to be seen after the break. The guards never left their post at the entrance. Tiana has nowhere to go even if she escaped¡­..if so then what would Tiana do?


    Olivia looked up.


    ¡°I think I might know where Tiana went.¡±


    TLN: Into the Ruins?

 CH 42

    ¡°You are saying that Tiana went into the restricted area?¡±


    Alan asked with a doubtful expression as he looked at the blueprint sketch of the entire White Rose Palace which was spread on the table inside the reception room in the guard barrack.


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡±


    Even Cyrus has a puzzled expression on his face.


    ¡°This is only a guess but well, Nice-san, the prisoners also have access to this blueprint sketch, correct?¡±


    ¡°Y, yes. We do not want them to get lost during the excavation work so we put this sketch up here and there so that everyone can see¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°And this is the only version of this blueprint right.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Then, please take a look here. This area at the center of the White Rose Palace¡ª- and the underground passage leading outside the royal quarter, the sketch of these two places can be accessed by anyone as well, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I understand now. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Oi, Olivia, don¡¯t just keep it to yourself, tell us what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Frustrated, Alan started tapping the table with his finger.


    Acknowledging that, Olivia nodded and pointed to the central area on the blueprint.


    ¡°The reason I thought that Tiana might have gone into the central area is that she doesn¡¯t have anywhere to go within the country. All her relatives have been captured and deprived of their status, of course, her house¡¯s assets were all confiscated as well. Even if she makes contact with a distant relative, I don¡¯t think that they would be willing to hide her after her escape. In other words, she has no one she can turn to. Certainly, there¡¯s a possibility that she might try to survive on her own in this country but knowing her personality, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an option for her.¡±


    ¡°Well, your logic certainly sounds. I can¡¯t even imagine that Tiana would be prepared to live a life without luxurious meals and the latest trendy dresses until she dies after all.¡±


    ¡°But even with all that I don¡¯t see why you would think that she has gone in there though?¡±


    Alan agrees with her reason while Cyrus asks for her to elaborate.


    ¡°If it¡¯s no good within the country then leaving the country might be better¡ª¡ªif it¡¯s Tiana then I think she may have that kind of idea.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Unable to wrap his head around that, Alan holds down his temples.


    ¡°Why does she need to head inside the White Rose Palace to escape the country? There¡¯s not even an exit in there right.¡±


    ¡°No. The underground passage still exists.¡±


    ¡°Olivia, that underground passage has already collapsed and it¡¯s impassable now you know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡­.¡±


    Saying so, Olivia pointed at the underground passage drawn on the blueprint sketch.


    ¡°This sketch doesn¡¯t provide that information. It didn¡¯t say that the passage had already collapsed midway through, but it did have [Underground Passage to Karzol] written on it. If she has only this sketch as her reference then she would have no idea that the passage has already collapsed and there¡¯s no way to get through. Nice-san, do the prisoners here know about the passage¡¯s collapse?¡±


    ¡°I believe that anyone who has been working here for more than half a year should already be aware but¡­¡­..since the center area was off-limits in the first place and no prisoners in their right mind would try to get inside, we didn¡¯t think that it would be necessary to tell them about it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It has only been recently that Tiana arrived here. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if she doesn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    ¡°I see, Tiana didn¡¯t know that the passage had already collapsed in the middle so she thought that she might be able to use it to escape to Karzol, is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s one more thing that¡¯s on my mind¡­¡­.if Tiana thought about escaping from this place, did she truly escape alone?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Even if she flees to Karzol, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that Tiana is still penniless. Due to our relationship with Karzol, I¡¯m sure that at least she can avoid getting recaptured there. Even so, it should be difficult for her to get by on her own. Was Tiana really someone who would choose such a life?¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s escaped because someone guaranteed her a better life?¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say. However, it¡¯s possible that we might have a third party at play here.¡±


    ¡°But if that¡¯s the case then that someone may have recruited Tiana as a guide to go to that collapsed passage?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t say for certain.¡±


    Olivia closed her mouth with a difficult expression.


    Meanwhile, Cyrus stood up with the blueprint sketch in hand.


    ¡°Anyway, we can just ask Tiana herself once we found her right. It¡¯s Tiana we are talking about after all, maybe she didn¡¯t think that far ahead and went inside thinking that she can escape you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­that does sound possible too.¡±


    As Tiana¡¯s former fiance, Alan let out a sigh and called the soldiers outside into the room.


    ¡°We will organize a search party just in case. Also, Nice, sorry but can you make all the prisoners leave the ruins for the time being? It would be hard to properly look around with them inside.¡±


    ¡°Y, Yes, Your Highness! I will immediately arrange it!¡±


    Nice practically tune out of the conversation midway through since he couldn¡¯t keep up but his mind immediately snapped back at Alan¡¯s order and leaped out of the room.


    After Nice gave his order and returned to them, the party accompanied by the soldiers headed for the center of the White Rose Palace.


    TLN: Tiana¡­¡­..

 CH 43

    ¡°Olivia and Cyrus should stay here. It¡¯s a hazard area beyond this point after all. It would be dangerous if you two come with me and it collapses.¡±


    Alan told Olivia and Cyrus to stay back at site No.8.


    It seems he plans to lead the soldiers inside by himself.


    Seeing Olivia didn¡¯t protest and only stares at Alan¡¯s back as he leaves, Cyrus smiles bitterly at her.


    ¡°Do you want to go with him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Tiana¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all right.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I, I also wanted to take a little look inside.¡±


    Of course, she meant it when she said that she¡¯s worrying about Tiana but if she has to be completely honest, she also wanted to see the royal quarter of the White Rose Palace. Since the excavation work hasn¡¯t begun there yet because of the danger of collapsing, it made her think that the place might be filled with new discoveries.


    ¡°Even though you are always well behaved, your curiosity can get the best of you sometimes after all.¡±


    While saying something that sounds like she might wander off on her own somewhere if he left her alone, Diaroze grabs Olivia¡¯s hand. On the other hand, Olivia started to get embarrassed at how she was being treated like a child.


    ¡°I won¡¯t just suddenly wander off you know¡­¡­.?¡±


    For their security, they also have some soldiers with them. Naturally, being Cyrus¡¯s personal escort, Colin is also present. It was embarrassing for her to be seen holding hands with Cyrus like this so Olivia tried to shake her hand off but Cyrus¡¯s grip was firm.


    ¡°Aniue has been with us the entire trip right. It¡¯s been a while since we were last alone with each other you know.¡±


    ¡°W, we are not alone though?¡±


    Even though Colin and the soldiers are here, what¡¯s Cyrus saying.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, they can pretend not to see us after all.¡±


    When Cyrus tried to casually hug her with a smile, Olivia blushed and tried to get away but her hand was already in his so she was easily caught.


    ¡°Y, Your Highness, it¡¯s hot in here you know¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Just a little bit is fine. Let me replenish my Olivinium.¡±


    ¡°Olivinium¡­¡­.!¡±


    While her gaze wandered around as she was caught in Cyrus¡¯s tight embrace, Olivia spotted Colin bitterly smiling.


    (He¡¯s not even pretending isn¡¯t he¡­¡­!)


    ¡°What are you thinking, flirting at a time like this.¡±


    When she was wondering how to escape from Cyrus¡¯s arms, she jumped a little at Alan¡¯s angry voice.


    When she looked up, Alan was walking back toward them alone.


    ¡°Eh, that was fast, Aniue.¡±


    ¡°When we reached the passage, they told me that it¡¯s too dangerous so they sent me back. The soldiers are investigating the passage now.¡±


    ¡°What a shame. It would have been fine if you looked around a little longer, you know.¡±


    Saying so, Cyrus reluctantly released Olivia.


    With her embarrassing figure being seen by both Colin and Alan, Olivia could only keep her head down from embarrassment.


    ¡°Let me go!¡±


    At that moment, a high-pitched voice could be heard from inside the restricted area.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­.it seems that your theory is on point, Olivia.¡±


    Alan held his forehead as he let out a long sigh at Tiana¡¯s noise.


    TLN: Short one

 CH 44

    As Olivia speculated, Tiana indeed went to the underground passage.


    However, no matter how much they questioned her, Tiana¡¯s lips didn¡¯t loosen up and she only says that she went there because she was sick of the work.


    For the time being, Tiana was told to stay quietly in the room with guards assigned to watch her. It appears that the guard will cross-examine her later but with her stubbornness, it¡¯s unlikely that she will talk.


    For now, Olivia and the others decided to leave Tiana to the soldiers and the guards at the site and return to their inn. After all, they only happened to be involved in the search for Tiana but the reason they are here in the first place is to accompany Princess Florencia.


    Because they were covered in dust from walking around inside the ruins, the group decided to take a bath before dinner.


    After having her hair done by Taylor, Olivia asked her how the princess is doing since she stayed back at the inn.


    ¡°Is the princess doing better?¡±


    ¡°I can not say for certain but when I checked in with her guard before lunch, I was told that Her Highness will be eating in her room again because she isn¡¯t feeling well yet. They also told me that the princess would like to keep resting after lunch as well so I headed outside together with Her Highness¡¯s waiting ladies.¡±


    ¡°Did you go shopping?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they were told by Princess Florencia to go out and enjoy themselves so they invited me to go with them. I managed to find a good rose tea so I bought it as a souvenir. I will have you try it later, My Lady.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Fufu, this town is really filled with roses isn¡¯t it.¡±


    The soaps the inn prepared for them were rose scented. The perfume oil in the bath also contains a mixture of rose and the inn is even selling these items as their feature products.


    After getting out of the bath and drying her hair, Olivia changes into a dress. Her platinum blond hair is now glossier than usual because of the perfume oil and since she will be going to bed right after dinner, Taylor only applied that to her hair without using any other products.


    When they headed to the dining room downstairs, Cyrus and Alan were already waiting for her. However, Princess Florencia is still nowhere to be seen. They waited for her for a while but it doesn¡¯t seem like she is going to join them perhaps because she¡¯s still feeling unwell.


    ¡°Maybe we really should arrange a doctor for her?¡±


    Cyrus says that they should go to see how the princess¡¯s doing later and proposes they call a doctor. If her condition really is that bad, it might be better if they wrap up this trip and return to the capital.


    ¡°I will go see her after dinner then.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, thanks. Let us know how she¡¯s doing later.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Alan asked the waiter to bring the menu to Princess Florencia and ordered a lamb stew with red wine for his main course. On the other hand, Olivia and Cyrus ordered grilled chicken. Aside from the main course, the other menus are the same and the waiter soon served them white wine and vegetable salad as appetizers.


    ¡°Today is exhausting isn¡¯t it.¡±


    After gulping down the white wine, Alan sighed and said so.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink too much when you are tired you know.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Even while he says that, Alan still reached for the decanter. It was then Alan refilled his wine glass.


    That the waiter Alan asked to deliver the menu to the princess¡¯s room returned with a deep blue face.


    ¡°My apology for interrupting, Your Highness. May I trouble Your Highness for some of your time? It¡¯s about your companion.¡±


    Seeing the waiter¡¯s panicked look, Alan stood up with a suspicious expression. Olivia and Cyrus also tried to stand but Alan shook his head and headed off with the waiter.


    ¡°I wonder what happened. He seemed upset.¡±


    As expected, they couldn¡¯t muster up their appetize after that so both Olivia and Cyrus put down the tableware. After a while, instead of Alan, one of the escorts rushed into the dining room.


    ¡°His Highness Cyrus, Olivia-sama, His Highness Alan said that you should hurry to the princess¡¯s room, sir¡­¡­¡±


    Did something really happen?


    Olivia and Cyrus looked at each other before following the escort to the corridor on the second floor where Alan was waiting for them.


    The corridor on the second floor was crowded and they could see several of the inn¡¯s staff. There.


    When they headed upstairs, they noticed that the door to the princess¡¯s room was left open.


    A slightly sweet scent drifted from inside the room.


    ¡°Aniue, what happened? Where¡¯s the princess¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to find her right now. We can¡¯t talk here, come to my room.¡±


    When Olivia entered Alan¡¯s room following Cyrus, Alan closed the door and clicked his tongue. He was in such an incredibly bad mood that Olivia was surprised.


    ¡°Aniue, you are scaring Olivia.¡±


    When Cyrus pointed that out, Alan apologized in a small voice and sat down on the sofa.


    When Cyrus asks him what¡¯s going on, Alan lets out a sigh and gives them a brief answer.


    ¡°Princess Florencia has disappeared.¡±


    Hearing that, Olivia gasped.


    TLN: *GASP*

 CH 45

    ¡°Disappeared?¡­¡­¡­what do you mean?¡±


    Cyrus asked with a difficult expression.


    In response, Alan swept up his bang with his hand and shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any specific details. The waiter told me that the princess won¡¯t respond no matter how much he tried to call her for dinner. He thought it was strange that she didn¡¯t respond at all so we had one of the female staff checks on her. She found the princess¡¯s escorts and maids collapsed inside.


    ¡°What¡­¡­.!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. They were still breathing and there was no serious injury on them. I have them moved to another room for the time being. It seems that they still haven¡¯t regained consciousness. The inn staff already called a doctor so one should be here soon. We won¡¯t get anything concrete until they wake up, what we know right now is that the princess is gone and her chief escort, Legion, is nowhere to be seen.¡±


    Cyrus¡¯s face stiffened.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡­they are not involved in something right.¡±


    ¡°As I said, we are still clueless.¡±


    Alan let out another sigh while shaking his knee.


    The situation is very bad. A foreign princess might have gotten caught up in something dangerous and is now missing. There¡¯s also the matter of gold smuggling so no matter how friendly Levanor is, they absolutely want to avoid making waves right now.


    (¡­¡­..but why.)


    Olivia¡¯s hands were drenched with sweat probably because of her nervousness.


    Leaving international affairs aside, Princess Florencia is quite a timid person. If she was certainly got caught up in some incident then she must be feeling very distressed.


    (It won¡¯t turn out for the worst right¡­¡­?)


    With no information at all, Olivia started thinking of the worst-case scenario.


    Alan and Cyrus¡¯s men are currently searching the princess¡¯s room for clues. Until they finished, they will have to wait in Alan¡¯s room. The staff know that Olivia left before she could finish her dinner so they brought a light meal to the room but as expected, she doesn¡¯t feel like eating right now.


    After a while, Colin entered the room. It seems that he was searching the princess¡¯s room together with the other guards. He then report on their behalf that there was nothing suspicious in the room.


    ¡°We picked up no trace of lockpicking or any sign of struggles inside. The room is pretty much clean, sir.¡±


    ¡°Then how did the princess¡¯s escorts and maids collapse?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say. The doctor is here to look over them but it seems none of them have woken up yet. They did not receive any serious wounds and their breathing is also calm so I believe that they have fainted. I was told that they might have been subjected to some kind of sleeping agent.¡±


    ¡°Like sleeping pills? Did you find any in the room?¡±


    Colin shook his head at Cyrus¡¯s question.


    ¡°No, sir. Nothing of the sort was found at all.¡±


    That¡¯s simply too strange. It¡¯s unthinkable that the maids and escorts suddenly lose consciousness at the same time without reason.


    (the thing that bothers me the most is how Legion disappeared along with Princess Florencia. It¡¯s possible that the princess was attacked by a group of kidnappers but there was no sign of struggle¡­¡­¡­.the escorts would step in if that was the case and the kidnappers wouldn¡¯t show any mercy so there must be some sign of that left¡­..)


    Something is bugging her. Right now this inn is the most guarded place in the whole town so it would be difficult for an outsider to sneak in. Moreover, the princess¡¯s escorts were always present in her room. To top it off, the maids all collapsed inside the room but none of them screamed or made any noise at all.


    ¡°¡­¡­.may I take a look inside Princess Florencia¡¯s room?¡±


    Hearing Olivia¡¯s request, Cyrus and Alan cocked their heads.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I want to see the room for myself.¡±


    ¡°Colin, there¡¯s nothing dangerous in the room right?¡±


    Colin gives Cyrus a small nod.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve checked the closet as well as under the bed there was nothing suspicious at all, sir.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what he said. Are you fine with this, Aniue?¡±


    Hearing that, Alan let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Olivia¡¯s curiosity again huh. Alright.¡±


    Thinking that she wouldn¡¯t listen even if he tried to stop her, Alan reluctantly agreed.


    TLN: only 5-6 chapters left until we caught up¡­..

 CH 46

    A sweet, vanilla-like scent lingers in the princess¡¯s room.


    Just like Colin reported earlier, there was no sign of struggles inside this wide room.


    There¡¯s nothing strange inside the bathroom nor did the balcony and bed look almost too neat. However, Olivia can¡¯t help but get a feeling of discomfort from this.


    (¡­.if the princess was sick and was resting here all day then the bed she slept in shouldn¡¯t be this tidy.)


    If someone was sleeping on it then the sheets should be all wrinkled. Certainly, it¡¯s not completely well-kept but it¡¯s still too neat. On top of that, only the part of the sheet at the foot of the bed was more wrinkled than the others like something heavy or someone was on it.


    ¡°It smells strangely sweet in here isn¡¯t it. I feel like I¡¯m getting sick.¡±


    Said Alan as he walked to the window that is connected to the balcony to vent the room.


    (sweet scent¡­.., but the hallway also smells the same though.)


    The strange sweet scent suddenly caught Olivia¡¯s interest. The scent seems to have come from the incense burner on the shelf beside the bed. It only has some residue left inside but when she brings her nose closer, she gets slightly dizzy probably due to how excessively sweet it smells.


    (Did the princess put it here? It¡¯s too sweet so I don¡¯t like it but maybe Princess Florencia prefers this kind of scent? But if she¡¯s already sick then doesn¡¯t this kind of smell make her condition even wors¨C¡­¡­Nn?)


    Olivia opens the lid and examines the burnt residue inside. What she found was fine ash that looked like burnt dry leaves instead of the remains of fragrant tree sticks.


    Seeing that, Olivia immediately lifted her face up and leaped out of the princess¡¯s room.


    ¡°Olivia?¡±


    Surprised by her sudden movement, Cyrus and Alan hurriedly followed her.


    Olivia rushed into her room and picked up the book she¡¯s been reading and quickly flipped through its pages. It¡¯s the book about incense that she has picked up recently.


    Following her, Cyrus and Alan who entered the room cocked their heads at her.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Did you notice something?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not sure but¡­¡­, here it is.¡±


    When Olivia finds the page she was looking for, she stops her hand and places the book on the table so that Alan and Cyrus can see.


    ¡°The scent in Princess Florencia¡¯s room, maybe this is it?¡±


    Cyrus and Alan looked at the page she pointed to and frowned.


    The incense described on the page was the kind that¡¯s used by the group of people called sorcerers in Karzol. It is called the Earl Wyrm, a kind of incense that gives off a scent with a strong sleeping effect which can dull your senses through smelling it alone. They weren¡¯t affected probably because it has already burnt out so there was not much scent left but if it could make them feel sick like that, they don¡¯t want to imagine what kind of effect it would have on the people who were subjected to it directly in a closed room.


    ¡°In other words, the maids and the escorts all collapsed because they inhaled this?¡±


    ¡°I think so. Can we examine the burnt residue inside the burner to confirm this? If it is indeed Earl Wyrm then there should be no doubt about it.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I will have someone do that right away. Can I borrow the book?¡±


    Alan received the book from Olivia before hurriedly leaving the room.


    ¡°Good work, Olivia.¡±


    ¡°I just happened to start reading about it recently¡­¡­.still, if that was truly Earl Wyrm then this case just got even more mysterious.¡±


    The fact that the incense was there means that someone prepared it. After all, it wouldn¡¯t just start burning on its own. But who was it that prepared such a thing?


    (¡­..this kind of incense should not be available at your ordinary stores. In other words, someone knows about it and deliberately went out of their way to procure it.)


    The room itself doesn¡¯t look out of the ordinary. There was no sign of struggle either. Rather, the place was too clean and the lock wasn¡¯t broken either.


    (The incense would be less effective if not used in a closed room. To make everyone inside collapse, the room would have to be sealed when the incense was burned. Moreover, we had to unlock the room to get in and no one spotted any suspicious person at all. It¡¯s as if¡­¡­)


    Only two people, Princess Florencia and Legion have disappeared. Thinking of the possibility, Olivia bites her lips.


    Since such a possibility came to her, Alan and Cyrus should also realize it soon.


    (¡­..maybe, it was Legion who kidnapped Princess Florencia.)


    That¡¯s the most reasonable explanation. But they still don¡¯t know why. Princess Florencia seemed to have placed a lot of trust in Legion and Legion also seemed to cherish the princess very much. It¡¯s just unimaginable for him to hurt the princess.


    (I can¡¯t jump to conclusions¡­¡­..I have to find out a little more first.)


    However, they can¡¯t take their time either. If Legion truly intends to harm the princess, the situation will only worsen as time passes.


    When Olivia decided to go look inside the princess¡¯s room again, she was then informed that the princess¡¯s maids and escorts had woken up.

 CH 47

    ¡°The princess¡¯s jewelry is gone?¡±


    When the maids regained consciousness and were asked to look inside the room to see if anything is missing, one of the 3 maids, Ponini, a maid who has served the princess for a long time said that the jewelry they brought as accessories for the princess is gone.


    When asked about what happened when they fainted, they all say that they don¡¯t know anything. It appears the only thing they remember was the sweet scent from the incense.


    However, when they questioned what the maids remember before they fainted, the maids said that the princess and Legion went out to the balcony to get some air.


    ¡°The incense? Yes, I lit it myself since Her Highness asked me too¡­¡­¡±


    Ponini answered so while tilting her head. It seems she doesn¡¯t know that the incense she was asked to lit was Earl Wyrm.


    (But it¡¯s strange. The princess was the one who asked the maid to light that incense herself¡­¡­.? Maybe she doesn¡¯t know about its effect? Still, she should know that something was going on and make some noise when she saw her maids collapse right? Moreover, her accessories are all gone too.)


    Everything leads to one possibility but Olivia denies it. The room doesn¡¯t look like anyone rummaged through it. And the missing items were specifically the princess¡¯s valuable jewelry. The Levanorian gold coins the princess brought all remain intact. If it was thievery then the thief would take that too but for some reason, it was left here as is.


    ¡°What kind of accessories did the princess bring?¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡­I believe there were rubies, sapphires, diamonds¡­.., pearls, and gold.¡±


    ¡°Her Highness¡¯s brought a lot to this trip hasn¡¯t she.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Her Highness is not normally a person that would dress extravagantly but this time Her Highness said that since this will be a long trip and that she has to dress properly in front of Prince Alan, we brought a lot to this trip.¡±


    ¡°Is that so.¡±


    (The princess has never worn many accessories though?)


    Both during the trip and after they arrived at this town, she has never seen the princess dressed that flashily before.


    (The two disappeared together, her jewelry is gone. And the princess herself was the one who asked the maid to light the incense¡­¡­just what is going on?)


    Should they proceed by seeking information about their sightings and how the princess got her hands on the Earl Wyrm first?


    ¡°Can you think of anything else that seemed off? Anything at all.¡±


    Hearing that, Ponini rubbed her chin and started pondering.


    ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t believe it is related but I think that Her Highness¡¯s pressed flower is gone as well.¡±


    ¡°Pressed flower?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a bookmark made from pressed flowers. I remember that Her Highness cherished it very much. She always puts it at her bedside and looks at it even while she¡¯s not reading any book¡­¡­it was placed on the side table there since we arrived here but now it¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what it looks like?¡±


    ¡°It was made of rose. To be specific, I believe it was made from a rose called La Porte.¡±


    ¡°La Porte¡­¡­¡±


    Thinking about it now, the princess did say at the tea party that she liked a rose called La Porte.


    (¡­..La Porte.)


    Why is that bookmark gone? Such a thing shouldn¡¯t have much value.


    ¡°¡­..thank you very much. Please let me know if you remember anything.¡±


    Olivia thanked Ponini and left the princess¡¯s room. Perhaps she¡¯s thinking too deeply about it but for now, she decided to investigate this La Porte rose.

 CH 48

    ¡°The incense lit in the princess room was Earl Wyrm, no doubt about it.¡±


    The next morning.


    While they were having breakfast in Cyrus¡¯s room, Alan informed them of the result of the investigation into the incense burner found in the princess¡¯s room.


    Although Count Zackfil¡¯s soldiers have arrived and are currently conducting a search for Princess Florencia since last night, they still receive no new information.


    (Earl Wyrm, La Porte pressed flower, the missing jewelry, and the room that¡¯s too clean¡­¡­.¡±


    Something is up.


    According to Alan¡¯s investigation, it seems that there was only one place in this town that sells Earl Wyrm. Moreover, it¡¯s a shady one located in the back alley. Obviously, Alan, and Cyrus who are royalty, and Olivia who¡¯s the only daughter of a duke can not even go anywhere near such a place so Alan has sent someone to visit it to see if there¡¯s anyone who recently purchased an Earl Wyrm.


    ¡°Your Highness Cyrus, you are familiar with roses, yes?¡±


    ¡°Roses? Well, I do know some¡­..but why do you bring it up so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, there¡¯s just something I¡¯m curious about¡­¡­it¡¯s the La Porte rose, I only know that it was bred by Countess Laibel Porte of Levanor so I¡¯d like to know if there¡¯s anything more to it.¡±


    ¡°La Porte? Right¡­..well, from what I know, it is called the [flower of love]. In the language of flowers, I think it means ¡®you are the only one for me forever¡¯. Countess Porte was a very passionate person and it seems that her husband, the Count, overcame their difference in status to be with her. That¡¯s how it got its meaning I think¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°A flower of love¡­¡­, is it?¡±


    Princess Florencia cherished this La Porte very much. She said at the party that she loves it and there was also La Porte blooming in the garden in the courtyard where she was at.


    (Flower of love¡­¡­unwavering love, only one forever¡­¡­.different in status, Love?)


    Olivia¡¯s eyes slowly widened.


    Perhaps the princess was in love with someone? She began to think that way, then¡ª¨C


    ¡°Your Highness Cyrus, Your Highness Alan, I have something I¡¯d like Your Highness to investigate, may I trouble you?¡±


    ¡°Something you want to investigate?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a guess but¡­¡­..maybe the princess may have left at her own will.¡±


    ¡°Booking information of the inns in this and the surrounding towns, real estate transactions, the train¡¯s passenger list, recent customers of clothing stores, and people who recently wished to sell their jewelry?¡±


    Hearing that Princess Florencia may have left willingly, Alan and Cyrus were surprised but when they heard the things that Olivia wants them to investigate, they tilted their heads in confusion.


    ¡°Yes. I think that Princess Florencia and Legion might be acting together. It¡¯s 50-50 but¡­¡­I think that Her Highness may be in love with Legion, or that Legion cooperated with her because he knows that the princess has someone she loves.¡±


    ¡°Ha?¡±


    ¡°W, Wait a minute, Olivia¡­..can you explain it to us from the start? What do you mean by in love?¡±


    Alan and Cyrus are both confused.


    Olivia nodded. There were a lot of points that supported her theory. The princess¡¯s cherished bookmark, the clean state of the room, how the jewelry all went missing but the Levanorian gold coins were left intact, and the fact that the princess and Legion alone were at the balcony when the Earl Wyrm was lit.


    ¡°The first thing I thought was strange was how clean the room was. There were no traces of anyone rummaging through it and despite the fact that Princess Florencia said that she was sleeping there because she was sick, the bed almost didn¡¯t have any creases at all. Yesterday afternoon, Taylor told me that she went shopping with the princess¡¯s maids who were told that they should take the day off and enjoy themselves. With all the female attendants gone, the male attendants couldn¡¯t enter her room since they were told that the princess was resting. If she truly was resting then the bed was too neat,¡­..she wouldn¡¯t have slept on the couch when she already had a proper bed. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.that might be the case but is it that suspicious? Maybe she was tired of sleeping all day so she got up?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then wouldn¡¯t it be better for her to leave a maid with her so that she has someone to talk to? At least for me, I¡¯d ask Taylor to stay.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Alan cocked his head and is still unconvinced but there¡¯s more to it. When you are ill, there should be someone who stays by your side to see if your condition worsens just in case. For the princess, if she had a fever and got sweaty, she would want to change her clothes and she¡¯d want a drink if she¡¯s thirsty. It would be difficult to do that by yourself when you are ill. Not to mention that the person in question is a princess. Someone who should have all her needs taken care of by others since birth.


    ¡°Moreover, the princess was on the balcony with Legion when the incense was lit. Since the maids told us that the princess herself ordered them to, this means that the princess went to the balcony willingly after giving that order. If she was the one who ordered them to light the incense, wouldn¡¯t she have wanted to enjoy its scent in the first place? On that point, I think that the princess knew what it was and was aware of the incense¡¯s effects.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you are saying that the princess intentionally made her attendants faint?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I denied that thought at first since I couldn¡¯t see why Princess Florencia would do that. But with La Porte, I¡¯m convinced. Just like Your Highness Alan, the princess was also reluctant about this marriage. It made me wonder whether Princess Florencia already has someone she¡¯s in love with¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°And she wanted to throw everything she has away to be with that person? Isn¡¯t that too reckless? Can a sheltered princess like her live by herself? Besides, if she suddenly disappeared, we would of course send out a massive search party.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps so. However, what if she wasn¡¯t alone? What if Legion knows what she¡¯s thinking and is willing to assist her to escape to somewhere no one could chase after her?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Karzol?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Perhaps this is the reason the princess wished to come here in the first place? If she can cross over to Karzol, no one would be able to look for her there.¡±


    Cyrus¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°So, she planned this from the start?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s highly likely. After all, she was the one who ordered her maids to bring a huge amount of jewelry so that she can dress up for her potential fiance, but Your Highness Alan, have you ever seen Princess Florencia dressed flashily in front of you?¡±


    ¡°¡­..Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Right? Isn¡¯t it more likely that she brought it to sell them off to fund her escape?¡±


    Alan nodded.


    ¡°I see now. That¡¯s a good theory but why do you want to look into real estate transactions too? If she wanted to cross the border then she should have gone there immediately right.¡±


    Hearing that, Olivia smiles a little.


    ¡°About that¡­¡­.It¡¯s what I¡¯d do in her shoes.¡±


    Alan and Cyrus looked at each other before cocking their heads.


    ¡°Haa?¡±


    TLN: Her logics are all over the place lately don¡¯t you think¡­¡­maybe the second arc need more polish for the LN¡­.

 CH 49

    When a foreign princess goes missing in your country, it¡¯s natural that they need to inform the king as soon as possible.


    While Alan was writing a letter to his father, Olivia spread a map of the area on the table and drew circles on it with a pen.


    At the moment, Cyrus took Colin and the guards out to search the area.


    From the reports so far, the description of the man who purchased the Earl Wyrm matched with the man who sold a large amount of jewelry to a jeweler. That man¡¯s description also matches that of Legion.


    After circling several places on the map, Olivia stood up.


    ¡°Ojou-sama, where are you going?¡±


    Olivia smiles.


    ¡°Just a bit¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°A real estate agent who manages buying and selling of houses in this area?¡±


    After leaving the room, Olivia called out to one of the inn¡¯s staff who was walking nearby.


    ¡°For that, I believe the most famous one would be a man named Gaspana who has an office on the outskirts of the town¡­¡­..However, why would you want to buy a house in such a rural place like this, My Lady? There¡¯s nothing but fields around here you know.¡±


    The staff was confused by Olivia¡¯s question but Olivia didn¡¯t say anything more and headed downstairs.


    When she had someone looking for a person that matches Legion¡¯s description at a nearby real estate agent she didn¡¯t find anything. However, according to her theory, Legion should visit one.


    (If the princess only has two days to prepare since she started complaining about her poor health then she shouldn¡¯t be able to go far. Moreover, if her destination is Karzol then she can¡¯t leave this area¡­¡­¡­if they knocked out the maids and escaped during that time, this area should be our best shot.)


    The princess¡¯s illness is probably a lie to earn them time. And¨C


    (Tiana is probably¡­¡­..)


    The possibility that Tina was only used came to her mind.


    Tina said that she was tempted to escape by a man. While she cursed the fact that the underground passage in the royal quarter couldn¡¯t lead her to Karzol, she also said that a man told her that he would help her escape. He said that he would guarantee her a better life after she fled to Karzol. Olivia personally doubted if anyone would believe something that dubious but if it was Tiana then she might actually believe it. After all, Tiana often chooses to believe things that are convenient to her.


    If that man was Legion then it¡¯s possible that he might have used Tiana¡¯s escape to lure Olivia and the others away from the inn to make the time for his and the princess¡¯s escape.


    (The person Princess Florencia is in love with, it¡¯s him after all right?)


    This has always been on her mind since the relationship between the two of them seemed to go beyond that of a master and a servant. The princess seemed to be overly reliant on Legion and when she thinks about it now, the gaze Legion directed at the princess was also unusual.


    If the two truly intended to elope then it might be better to leave them alone. Still, if they do that, a crack will form between the relationship between Levanor and Brior. The princess should be aware of her importance. There¡¯s no reason why Brior should overlook their elopement and let them go while risking their international relationship.


    (If she intended to elope then I wish she did it in her own country. Well, I guess they chose to do it now because that¡¯s impossible though¡­¡­.)


    Olivia felt sorry for them but she¡¯s the daughter of one of the most important ministers in this country and a fiancee of a prince. She can¡¯t allow this incident to damage their country.


    Thinking so, Olivia asked the guards to prepare a carriage for her to head to Gaspana¡¯s office in the outskirts of the town.


    As she waited for the carriage in front of the inn, she spotted Cyrus¡¯s group who had just returned from his search.


    ¡°Olivia, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see a real estate agent on the outskirts of the town. Did Your Highness find anything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. but if you are going to visit a real estate agent then I¡¯m going too. Let¡¯s talk in the carriage.


    Olivia nodded and boarded the carriage with Cyrus.


    According to him, a man that matches Legion¡¯s description offered to buy a carriage and horses from an old man who runs a carriage service in the town. He refused the offer at first since he won¡¯t be able to continue his business without his carriage but he changed his mind when he was offered an exorbitant amount of money. In the end, he sold it off thinking that he could finally replace his carriage and his aging horses.


    ¡°A carriage¡­..I see. I didn¡¯t think of that. I thought that they would just hire a coach to move around¡­¡­¡±


    If that¡¯s the case then it¡¯s possible that they might have gone farther than she expected. ¡ª¨Cno, the carriage services in the town only use a small carriage with two horses. If they want to travel far then they will have to stop at an inn on the way and that will make them more noticeable. As expected, they can¡¯t get far.


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect to find a clue like this so easily though. I wonder why Legion didn¡¯t hide his face.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t think that anyone would recognize him? Either that or he thinks that he might be more noticeable if he hid his face? If he visits the place normally then the shopkeepers wouldn¡¯t think that he¡¯s suspicious, no? Unless we asked around with his specific description, no shopkeepers would mention him after all.¡±


    ¡°I see, I guess you can look at it that way.¡±


    ¡°It would probably be pretty noticable if the princess walks around in her dress but if it¡¯s Legion he should be able to pass as a normal traveler if he changes his clothes.¡±


    ¡°Heee.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Your Highness would stand out no matter what you wear so there¡¯s no use trying it you know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any plan to escape though. Still, why do you think so?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s how you act. Even if the other party won¡¯t recognize you as a prince, they would immediately notice that you are highborn. Legion seems to be an aristocrat as well but since he¡¯s so used to his escort duty, I think that he can blend in pretty well. Colin is the same after all.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Cyrus clapped his hand and agreed.


    No escort tasked with protecting a person would openly stand next to their protectee. There are often times when they have to protect a person from a distance as well. That¡¯s why a skill to blend in is required of them.


    While they were talking to each other, they arrived in front of Gaspana¡¯s office.


    Gaspana is not that big of a real estate agent but the man who greeted Olivia and Cyrus the moment they entered the office looked very gaudy. He wears flashy jewelry that doesn¡¯t seem suitable for his small office. The man cast a doubtful gaze at his visitors before smiling and approaching them while rubbing his hands together.


    His amiability is probably because of Olivia and Cyrus¡¯s appearance. Both of them are wearing somewhat simple clothes because they are on a journey but it¡¯s easy for anyone to see that the fabric is expensive. From the shopkeeper¡¯s point of view, it probably looked like a pair of good customers just walked into his place.


    ¡°Did anyone come in with a bulk of cash and buy a house from you in the last few days?¡±


    When Olivia raised her question, the man¡¯s expression reverted to a doubtful one.


    ¡°Why are you asking that young lady? We are conducting business here so we can¡¯t possibly disclose the information of our customer.¡±


    (So there was one huh.)


    After hearing Gaspana¡¯s answer, Olivia was convinced. At least there was a man who bought a house from him that matched the description she just gave. If there was none then he would just answer with [I don¡¯t know]. The fact that he gave the answer earlier means that he has someone in mind.


    That being said, from the look of him, it doesn¡¯t seem like he will talk so easily. When Olivia was wondering how to ask, Cyrus put his hand into his pocket and pulled out some gold coins before placing it on the table.


    ¡°We are in a hurry.¡±


    The gold coins were super effective.


    Gaspana, who has just said that he can¡¯t disclose his customer¡¯s information, simply sweeps the coins to his side and answers in a good mood.


    ¡°Hmm, yes, there was one. He bought a vacant house in Eppika¡ª-this area here. The money was good. Since the number of elderly people around here has increased, the number of vacant houses has increased too so I¡¯ve been troubled because of the falling land price but he purchased the place from me with double the selling price. I don¡¯t know what he wanted with a rural place like this but he was a nice customer.¡±


    ¡°Did he pay you that much money in exchange for something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. I was asked to furnish the house because he said he wanted to move in soon and he doesn¡¯t mind if the furniture is old either so I put something I have on hand there. I mean, they are just furniture so selling it at double the price is still good business for me you see.¡±


    Olivia and Cyrus looked at each other and nodded before thanking the shopkeeper and leaving the office.


    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly inform His Highness Alan of this.¡±


    If Legion knew that they were sniffing around this place then he might go on the move.


    Thinking so, Olivia and Cyrus hurried back to the inn to consult Alan.


    TLN: Approaching the latest chapter now¡­¡­I guess we will catch up next week¡­¡­

 CH 50

    After 30 minutes on a carriage traveling away from the ruins in Beymar.


    Was Eppika, a rural peaceful village surrounded by small hills.


    Just as Gaspana said, there are only fields as far as the eye can see. Houses are scattered around here and there and it would be quite a lot of walk if you want to visit your neighbors. On that point, leading a life here seemed to be quite inconvenient.


    Conversely, it can be said that it¡¯s perfect if you want to live away from the public eye.


    ¡°Is Princess Florencia really hiding in a place like this?¡±


    It¡¯s normal for Alan to be skeptical. After all, the place is too unsuitable for a princess to live in. Plus, he doesn¡¯t think that Princess Florencia, who has been sheltered in the castle all her life, would be able to bear it here.


    Since there hasn¡¯t been any response from King Jule yet, Olivia, Cyrus, and Alan have taken their guards and borrowed some soldiers from Count Zackfil to secure the princess and Legion in Eppika.


    The road became unpaved after they left the town so the carriage started shaking violently and Alan has been in a bad mood for a while now. The cause, since Cyrus has been firmly holding Olivia ever since the carriage started shaking. He told them [If you think that it might get dangerous then you should have just left her at the inn!].


    ¡°That being said, I never thought that they would buy a house in a place like this¡­¡­.how did you know, Olivia.¡±


    Ignoring Alan, Cyrus asked Olivia who was in his arms.


    While not as bitter as Alan, Olivia wondered if Cyrus really needed to hold her this tight as well. Olivia nodded with a bashful expression before replying.


    ¡°I started thinking about what I would do in the princess¡¯s shoes. After all, if I immediately try to cross the border, it¡¯s obvious that the security would be tight and I would be easily spotted right? If it was me, I think that I would hide in a place no one can find for the time being. Just like His Highness Alan said, no one would be looking for a princess in this kind of village after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly true.¡±


    ¡°If you think about it normally, if you found the princess¡¯s maids collapsed in the room, you would naturally suspect that the princess was kidnapped. If that¡¯s the case then we wouldn¡¯t think that the kidnapper would be loitering around in a rural area just a stone¡¯s throw away from Beymar right.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­well, we wouldn¡¯t have noticed the Earl Wyrm without you. If it was only us then our theory would be that the princess was kidnapped or involved with something dangerous so we would focus the search on Betmar¡­¡­¡­.That aside, it¡¯s not that shaky anymore right, how long do you two plan to flirt with each other like that!¡±


    ¡°F, flirt¡­¡­.¡±


    Olivia turned bright red.


    The road is still unpaved but the carriage no longer sways that much anymore. It appears that they have slowed down so they might already be close to their destination. All houses looked the same around here so even with a map, they still have to slow down and check each house one by one.


    Cyrus reluctantly let Olivia out of his embrace and looked out the carriage¡¯s window.


    Before they arrived, they had already sent soldiers to the house where they suspect the princess is staying. They also told the soldiers not to enter the house on their own but in the worst case that the princess and Legion noticed their approach, they could move in to secure them. Legion seems to be quite a good fighter so the soldiers want them to join up with them as soon as possible though.


    ¡°It seems we are here.¡±


    A dozen seconds after Cyrus said that, the carriage slowed down and stopped.


    The carriage can not go beyond this point. A small house can be seen on a gentle slope up ahead and a zigzag narrow path where people could barely pass each other led to the house.


    ¡°Olivia, wait for us in the carriage.¡±


    Cyrus and Alan got off and told Colin to stay with Olivia before going up the slope following the soldiers.


    A while after the two went up, a soldier ran down toward them.


    Apparently, they have managed to secure both Princess Florencia and Legion in the house.


    Stroking her chest in relief, Olivia waited for Cyrus and Alan¡¯s return.

 CH 51

    ¡°It is all my doing. Her Highness shares no blame in this.¡±


    After returning to the inn that was the first thing Legion said as he shielded the crying Princess Florencia behind him.


    Olivia thought of his attitude like an animal protecting its child. She could sense how stressed he is and how he was threatening them with his whole body.


    Right now Legion is at Alan¡¯s room with the soldiers standing guard in front of the door and outside the room. Just in case, Legion¡¯s hands are tied behind his back. It¡¯s not that they think that he would try to escape but they are cautious of what he would do if they pressed him too much.


    ¡°It¡¯s become a big deal isn¡¯t it.¡±


    After locking the princess and Legion in separate rooms with guards watching over them, Olivia returns to her room, and Taylor comments so as she serves her a cup of sweetened milk tea.


    ¡°Yes, I never thought something like this would happen.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, however, it¡¯s great that we found Her Highness Florencia so quickly.¡±


    ¡°¡­..yeah.¡±


    Olivia made a small nod while sipping the milk tea.


    Seeing her lady doesn¡¯t look all that happy, Taylor cocked her head.


    ¡°Is something troubling you, My Lady?¡±


    Olivia downed the entire cup of sweet milk tea before laying down on the couch.


    ¡°¡­¡­somehow, it has a bad aftertaste you know. I¡¯m not sure if what I did was right or wrong.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°I think from the perspective of Brior, securing the princess was the correct choice but¡­¡­¡­this will surely ruin their happiness right?¡±


    After all, It is what it is. From now on, Princess Florencia¡¯s freedom will become even more limited and the talk about her and Alan engaging will be canceled. Plus, it¡¯s more than likely that the king of Levanor will want to prevent this from ever happening again by marrying her off to a noble in his own country. Naturally, Legion will be stripped of his status and thrown in prison. He probably won¡¯t receive a death sentence from this but his punishment will surely be heavy. That would mean the two will not ever achieve their happiness.


    Thinking so, Olivia felt heavy. As a daughter of a Briorian Duke, and a fiancee to Cyrus, what she did is not wrong. The fault lies with the two who tried to escape and this is the result of their failed attempt. However, if it¡¯s about the future then that¡¯s a different story.


    Princess Florencia was staring longingly at La Porte in the castle¡¯s rose garden. Olivia doesn¡¯t know what Legion¡¯s standing was in Levanor but he probably was not allowed to marry the princess. The only way they can be together was probably elopement.


    Olivia let out a heavy sigh.


    But suddenly.


    The door was gently knocked on. Taylor went to see who it was and found Ponini, Princess Florencia¡¯s maid, standing in the hallway.


    ¡°Ponini-san, is something the matter?¡±


    Ponini is supposed to be at Princess Florencia¡¯s side. As Taylor asked so with her eyes widened in surprise, Ponini turned her gaze to Olivia with a weak expression.


    ¡°My apology. Her Highness said that she wants to see Olivia-sama no matter what¡­¡­.Her Highness was crying but she has calmed down a little. I know that this will trouble you but can you please at least let Her Highness see your face¡­¡­.¡±


    In other words, she doesn¡¯t want to deny the princess¡¯s wish of seeing Olivia as she might start crying again.


    ¡°Ojou-sama¡­¡­.¡±


    Taylor worriedly looked back at her.


    Princess Florencia wants to meet Olivia but she can¡¯t imagine what she wants with her. Perhaps she wants to let out her resentment? It¡¯s a little scary to meet her when she thinks about it but that doesn¡¯t mean she can ignore the princess¡¯s wish.


    Since Olivia has gotten in the way of her happiness, it¡¯s not surprising the princess would hold a grudge against her.


    Olivia reassures Taylor with a smile before standing up from the couch.


    Seeing the princess¡¯s red eyes, Olivia wondered how much she cried.


    As Olivia entered her room, the princess tightly bit her lips before lowering her head as though she was trying to endure something.


    ¡°¡­..I¡¯m sorry for all the inconveniences I put you through.¡±


    As if the princess tried to kill her emotions, her voice was very quiet.


    Without saying anything in reply, Olivia seats herself across from the princess. She knows that no matter what she says, it wouldn¡¯t do any good with the princess¡¯s emotions in this state.


    Obviously, Olivia didn¡¯t think that the princess called for her just to offer her apology.


    After a while of waiting, Princess Florencia turned her gaze down and clenched the hem of her skirt before continuing.


    ¡°I know, that I am in no position to ask anything from you. But¡­..please know that I was not forced into this. At least, can you please let Legion escape? If he returned to Levanor like this, he would¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.¡±


    She understands what the princess wanted to do but it¡¯s not something that Olivia can do anything about.


    Princess Florencia raised her head and stared straight at Olivia with her swollen eyes.


    ¡°It was all my fault! I was being selfish! Legion didn¡¯t do anything wrong at all¡­..it was all me, he only went along with my selfishness, so please¡­¡­¡±


    Tears swell in the princess¡¯s eyes. But as they were about to spill, she quickly wiped them with her cuff.


    ¡°It was my plan. I wanted to be with Legion. I know that it was naive of me but if I don¡¯t do this I can not be with him. Legion is the second son of Count Heinlibe so he is not qualified as my marriage partner. But¡­..I don¡¯t want to be with anyone but him! That¡¯s why I¡­¡­.I forced Legion to go along with my plan!¡±


    ¡°Count Heinlibe¡­¡­.¡±


    Certainly, even the eldest son of a count family wouldn¡¯t qualify as someone worthy for the princess, let alone the second son. At least you need to be the eldest son¡ª-of a house that has a peerage of marquis or higher. If you cleared at least that then you might be able to obtain permission if you do your best. However, in the case of Legion, their statuses are simply too unbalanced. Still¡ª


    (Count Heinlibe, where have I heard that name before¡­..)


    Remembering something, Olivia put her hand on her chin. Count Heinlive is a name she¡¯s heard somewhere before. She has the name of all Brior¡¯s aristocratic houses in her head but her knowledge doesn¡¯t extend to Levanor¡¯s noble houses. However, since the name still lingers in her memory, she must have heard it before.


    The name was on her mind but rather than that, she thinks that she needs to focus on the princess for now.


    Olivia took the hand of Princess Florencia.


    She has no ability to grant the princess¡¯s wish but she still can¡¯t nonchalantly say that there¡¯s nothing she can do.


    ¡°I will¡­¡­try to help as much as I can. However, I¡¯m sorry to say this but I can not allow Legion to escape.¡±


    The princess¡¯s face was dyed in despair before she broke into tears.

 CH 52

    ¡°Count Heinlibe?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think I¡¯ve heard that name somewhere before but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve met a count by that name when I took a diplomatic trip to Levanor with His Highness Alan 2 years ago either. Still, I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ve heard the name before but I just can¡¯t remember when¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Noon of the next day.


    Olivia and the others left for the royal capital.


    Alan and Cyrus are on the same carriage as her while Princess Florencia is on another carriage. They¡¯ve also borrowed some soldiers from House Zackfil to prevent the princess and Legion from escaping again as the number of their escorts is not enough.


    Shortly after the carriage started to move, she tried mentioning the name [Count Heinlibe] which has been on her mind since yesterday.


    In response, Alan replies while cocking his head.


    ¡°Right, I don¡¯t remember any Count Heinlibe from that trip 2 years ago either. Personally, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard the name before though¡­¡­.maybe you just imagined it?¡±


    ¡°Is, that so¡­¡­.I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ve heard it somewhere before though.¡±


    Cyrus thought about her words for a while before suddenly snapping his face toward her.


    ¡°If Olivia thinks that she¡¯s heard the name before then it might be a count house that has some kind of relations with our country right?¡±


    With that reply from Cyrus, Olivia raised her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I remembered now! A while ago, I was looking through the names of houses that the royal family is currently managing, it must have been mentioned there!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall any house called Heinlibe being involved with my family though.¡±


    Alan doubts her but Olivia shakes her head.


    ¡°No, not directly. Well, I think it was related to House Verdil!¡±


    ¡°The marquis house? That house didn¡¯t have any heir and was already gone 30 years ago right?¡±


    Although he planned to relinquish his title of Crown Prince soon, he seems to have knowledge of the names of the noble houses and recalled the name immediately. As expected of someone who¡¯s been in the crown prince position for so long.


    House Verdil is a marquis house that was placed in the care of the royal family because their lineage ended 30 years ago and there was no relative to succeed the house. In Brior, to succeed a noble house, the candidate must be within the 6th degree of kinship from the previous head and there was no such person in the country 30 years ago.


    ¡°What¡¯s the connection between House Verdil and House Heinlibe in Levanor?¡±


    ¡°I believe the elder sister of the father of the last head of House Verdil married into House Heinlibe.¡±


    When Olivia gave her answer immediately, Alan¡¯s expression turned a little complicated.


    ¡°You¡­..you are even interested in something like that huh¡­¡­¡±


    Alan was completely taken aback while Cyrus bitterly smiled at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Olivia after all. If she wants to know she will just go look it up right.¡±


    ¡°Why are you interested in that topic in the first place?¡±


    ¡°It, it¡¯s just a coincidence¡­¡­.the predecessor of the last head¡ª¨CI mean, the last head¡¯s father was, well, he was studying febrile disease so while I was looking into that, I just happened to look into his family as well¡­¡­.¡±


    The information about the marquis house may be in her head but since it wasn¡¯t what she was interested in, she couldn¡¯t remember it until now.


    ¡°So, what if House Heinlibe is connected to House Verdil, what are you going to do with that information?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure until I look at the family tree but¡­¡­there¡¯s a possibility that Legion might be within the 6th degree of kinship of the last head.¡±


    ¡°I see, so?¡±


    ¡°In case Legion could succeed the title of Marquis Verdil¡­¡­can we not support his marriage with Princess Florencia?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..Haa.¡±


    Alan let out a long sigh.


    On the other hand, Cyrus smiles and strokes Olivia¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I kind of expected this but, as I thought, she can¡¯t just leave them alone after all. Right, Aniue.¡±


    Hearing that, Alan leaned back on his seat.


    ¡°Even if you say that, this is still way out of there¡­¡­..let me say this first, it will be real difficult to convince Father and King Levanor you know.¡±


    TLN: Next one is the epilogue of the second arc and we will catch up with the raw¡­¡­it¡¯s been a ride¡­¡­..

 Epilogue

    In the end, Alan decided to step down from the crown prince position. There are still formal procedures that need to be done but the official announcement should happen soon. With this, the seat of the crown prince will be vacant for a while until either Cyrus or Alan take it again.


    Of course, it would take an extraordinary effort from Alan for him to take back the position. Thinking about it normally, such a thing is pretty much impossible but recently, Alan seems like an entirely different person. He has been taking his work seriously and even looked quite enthusiastic about pursuing the education in the area that he is lacking.


    According to the Queen, Cyrus also changed a little as well. Olivia doesn¡¯t see such a change herself but it appears that Cyrus has begun taking up his studies of national affairs, the subject which he had never been interested in before. When she asked what could cause such a change, the Queen smilingly said [That child must be thinking about a lot of things in his own ways. Perhaps it is all thanks to you?]


    Thus, this bet between the King and the Queen will have to continue until it is clear which one of them will be the next king.


    Meanwhile, Tiana¡¯s engagement with Alan was broken and House Lemone was crushed. The problematic Lemone territory that was the center of this incident was transferred to Duke Atoir. The monetary damage from Count Lemone¡¯s illegal gold smuggling is being paid off using the asset seized from the Lemone family while the country has to pay the excess while former Count Lemone and his family were sentenced to hard labor.


    On the other hand, Olivia is¡ª¡ª¨C


    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s given to me again. Is this really okay?¡±


    The room which once confiscated from her due to the broken engagement¡ª¡ª¨Cin other words, Olivia¡¯s old room was given back to her.


    After Olivia left, the room was used by Tiana and was filled to the brim with her personal belongings until just two days ago. However, they were removed and the room is now empty.


    The King plans to put new furniture in here but it seems that it still hasn¡¯t arrived yet.


    While looking around the now empty room, Olivia has to wonder if it has always been this large. Meanwhile, Taylor who has just finished changing the curtain nodded to the result of her work with satisfaction.


    ¡°Of course, this room was originally prepared for Olivia-sama after all.¡±


    The last remaining piece of furniture belonging to Tiana was a flashy rose-pink curtain. With it removed, an olive-green curtain that gives off a calm feeling replaced it at Olivia¡¯s request. That alone made it finally feel like this is her own room.


    Olivia plans to engage herself with Cyrus but with all the turmoil going on from the international problem Count Lemone caused and Alan annulling his engagement again, it will be announced later once things calm down.


    For the time being, the Queen and the King appeared to have a discussion with each other and decided that the crown prince¡¯s work will be divided between Cyrus and Alan. Because of that, Olivia expected that some of it would flow to her again.


    ¡°Considering the amount of paperwork, I wonder if this desk is big enough for it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Olivia-sama, you made it sound like it will definitely come your way even though there hasn¡¯t been any request though.¡±


    ¡°Rather than just two people, it would be faster if the three of us take care of it, right?¡±


    ¡°Is that really the point you should focus on though¡­¡­¡±


    Taylor sighs as though she gave up.


    Unable to understand the tired expression on Taylor¡¯s face, Olivia tilted her head. Perhaps because she has been taking care of them for so many years, such paperwork is not really that much of a pain to Olivia. Besides, with her room in the castle, she can visit the library whenever she wants. The sooner she finishes her work the more free time she can enjoy.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I heard that they have prepared a princess education course for you¡­¡­I don¡¯t believe that it is necessary though.¡±


    ¡°It is. I think there are a lot of things I can learn from Wattle-sama you know.¡±


    Yes, whether Olivia becomes a queen or not depends entirely on Cyrus so it¡¯s not like the education is absolutely necessary. However, Olivia decided to redo her princess education out of her own will. Of course, she herself wants to learn more, but this is also for the sake of Cyrus and herself.


    Olivia has been dubbed as a fool who hasn¡¯t even received the princess education. With such an impression established, it wouldn¡¯t be so easily changed. With that being the case, the simplest and easiest way to do that is to make her effort visible. She can¡¯t afford to let others make fun of Cyrus because of her. Moreover, if she does become a queen in the future, it will be difficult to get involved with national affairs if people make light of her as a fool.


    In Alan¡¯s case, since she acted like that at Alan¡¯s own request, she felt that it is only right if he has to deal with the aftermath himself. In the end, the only one troubled will be Alan¡ª¡ªshe used to have shallow thoughts like that but thinking about it now, her [Don¡¯t care] attitude was also at fault. If she had properly confronted Alan at some point in time, things might have turned out very differently.


    (¡­¡­.I was also at fault for acting like I couldn¡¯t care less about my reputation.)


    Is it because of Alan as well that she began thinking this way?


    A little after Count Lemone was arrested, Alan came to see her alone. As soon as he saw Olivia, he deeply bowed and apologized again for the attitude he took toward her. Back then, Olivia was stunned as she never thought Alan to be someone who would lower his head to her like that.


    Then, with a smile that felt as though he was laughing at himself, he continues¡ª-


    ¡ª¡ª¡ªWatch me. I will show you that even I can change. Someday I will make you say that you see me in a new light.


    Olivia personally thinks that such a day is not so far off.


    Alan¡¯s high pride made him seem like an overbearing person but it doesn¡¯t mean that he is a foolish prince who is beyond saving. If he¡¯s a big enough fool that could ruin a country, Alan wouldn¡¯t have been given the position of crown prince in the first place. He has plenty of things that he needs to fix about himself but if he¡¯s motivated, he is someone that can definitely turn out for the better.


    ¡°Olivia, so this is where you are?¡±


    While Olivia was thinking about various things in the empty room, a voice called out to her from behind.


    When she slowly turned around, she found Cyrus, who should have been taking his lesson on national laws until a moment ago, standing there with a smile. The amount of lessons he¡¯s taking has increased but she couldn¡¯t spot a sense of fatigue from his expression. Rather, he looks like he¡¯s enjoying himself.


    ¡°I have an hour of free time so do you want to go to the library together?¡±


    Said Cyrus as he flashed the key to the forbidden section in front of her. It appeared that he borrowed it from the King again.


    Of course, Olivia gave an immediate reply.


    After telling Taylor that she will be back in an hour, she heads to the library located in the garden with Cyrus, hand in hand.


    As she enters the forbidden section, Olivia approaches the bookshelf with skipping steps.


    After picking up some books, she headed to the reading room in the back where the beautiful rose garden is visible from the window with Cyrus.


    There, instead of sitting across from each other, they sit side by side.


    Olivia then tried to open her book immediately but her hand was stopped by Cyrus.


    Wondering why he stopped her, Olivia looked up and tried to ask him what he¡¯s doing but¨C.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¨C!¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes opened wide as when she was about to open her mouth, a kiss was placed on her lips.


    ¡°Once you focus on the book, you won¡¯t take your eyes off it after all.¡±


    ¡°B, but¡­¡­.being surprised like this is¨C¡±


    Cyrus satisfactorily smiled at Olivia¡¯s bright red face.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t take you by surprise, you would run away right?¡±


    ¡°Uu¡­¡­.¡±


    Olivia isn¡¯t used to this kind of physical contact yet so she would turn away if Cyrus let her know that he¡¯s coming for a kiss.


    Knowing that, Cyrus dropped a surprise kiss on her so that she doesn¡¯t have time to prepare herself.


    Because it¡¯s bad for her heart, she asked him to stop but he refused so Olivia has to wonder if her only choice is to get used to it.


    (¡­¡­.how can I focus on the books after that.)


    Her heart started to beat loudly and when she opened the book, its content didn¡¯t register in her head.


    When she looked up at Cyrus with a pout, he only smiled as if he thought that it¡¯s funny.


    ¡°Right. It seems if I kiss you then you can¡¯t concentrate on your books huh.¡±


    ¡°Pl, please don¡¯t tease me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not teasing you though. I¡¯m just happy.¡±


    Saying so, Cyrus started playfully pecking at Olivia¡¯s cheek.


    In response, Olivia turned to the window to hide her red face.


    Then, she saw the Queen and the King walking together in the garden. When her expression turned strange at the sight, Cyrus bitterly smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like those two are on bad terms or anything you know. Rather, I think that they are quite close.¡±


    ¡°Is that the case?¡±


    Olivia was confident that the King¡¯s relationship with his wife is a strained one. However, if that¡¯s not the case then why did they make such a bet against each other? Things should work out as long as they talk to one another. In the first place, what will the winner get out of this kind of bet? Just what is at stake here?


    ¡°A child.¡±


    ¡°¡­..eh?¡±


    Cyrus said as though he read her mind.


    ¡°Those two are betting which one between me and Aniue would be the next king but the prize¡ª¡ª-putting it like that sounds a little terrible huh, well, in short, the stake they are betting on is a child.¡±


    ¡°A child?¡±


    ¡°To put it simply, my father wants another child but my mother is already tired of raising children so she doesn¡¯t want to give birth to another. That¡¯s why they placed a bet and the loser would have to listen to the winner. When my brother became crown prince, Mother declared her victory but Father told her to wait and see first. In the end, the bet continues to this day. ¡­¡­..Father probably already gave up on having another child though. There¡¯s my mother¡¯s age to consider after all.¡±


    Even if he says that, the Queen should be only 40. It¡¯s not like she can¡¯t give birth if she tries. Cyrus may think that his father has already given up but with the King being, what¡¯s the word? a schemer? tenacious? a sore loser? anyway, with how he is, he still probably hasn¡¯t given up completely yet.


    Just thinking about it already tired Olivia out. It¡¯s such a big bet so she was wondering what kind of amazing prize is at stake here but it¡¯s only about having another child. If it¡¯s just this then it would be nice if they can just talk it out with each other.


    ¡°Olivia, you might think that all this is just absurd but if you don¡¯t take this seriously then the next victim will be you and me you know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, if Father finally realized that Mother won¡¯t give him another child then, the next best thing for him would be¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°N, No way¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°A grandchild¡­¡­..I mean, my father has always wanted a girl after all.¡±


    Olivia wanted to hold her head.


    She very much wants to avoid a future where the King asks [Where¡¯s my grandchild] every time he sees her.


    ¡°Well, they should be entertained enough with the bet between them for a while so I think we will be fine for now though.¡±


    Fine or not, Olivia and Cyrus still haven¡¯t married each other. Even their engagement is still in the future. If the King started pestering them for a [Grandchild] in a situation like this then she would be troubled. If it¡¯s going to turn out like that, she needs to prolong this bet of theirs as much as possible and lure their attention away from her.


    While Olivia was strategizing a survival plan, Cyrus reached out and touched her cheek.


    ¡°Deep in thoughts again? If you are going to think about something then it would be nice if you think about me though.¡±


    When she turned at him in surprise, Olivia saw Cyrus making a sullen expression.


    When she smiled at him pouting, Cyrus sulkily pinched her nose.


    ¡°If you laugh too much then I will kiss you again you know.¡±


    Hearing that, Olivia¡¯s face turned bright red again as she started to fidget.


    Before she could escape, Cyrus trapped Olivia within his arms and kissed her cheek before nodding satisfactorily at her red face and placing her on his lap.


    ¡°Hugging you like this really soothes me so should we stay like this until the break is over?¡±


    Hearing that, Olvia doesn¡¯t know what to do.


    In the end, Cyrus kept hugging Olivia until Colin came to call him. With Olivia¡¯s face still bright red, he took her hand and left the library with satisfaction.


    When Olivia returned to her room with a blushed face, Taylor greeted her with [Ara Ara].


    Since then, the figure of Olivia blushing while her hand is locked with Cyrus was witnessed many times by the people in the castle, some even started to secretly call her [Princess Apple]. It will be a little later until the person herself becomes aware that she has such a nickname.


    A hundred plus several tens of years later, the names [Princess Apple] and [Olivia the Wise] were recorded in the history of Brior. The story of [Princess Apple] whose face always turned bright red whenever she walked the castle hand in hand with her husband became a famous story even among little children.