Chapter 76
So, the situation has become complicated because of the dagger belonging to the Third Prince that was discovered earlier.
The item from the imperial family Sienna mentioned must have been the dagger engraved with the Third Prince’s name.
In the original story, they believed without much doubt that this man was the Third Prince, so why did they suddenly become suspicious and try to confirm his identity?
Alice’s head throbbed at the tangled situation, but she knew that if she didn’t act, things would only get worse.
It seemed the sweet scenario of the two falling in love was already out of reach… At the very least, she needed to ensure a proper meeting between Kylus and the Third Prince.
“Um, Sienna, what do you mean by an item from the imperial family?”
Alice glanced at Kylus, who was silently observing the situation.
“It’s this dagger we found earlier. It has… the Third Prince’s name engraved on it.”
As Sienna took out the dagger, Kylus’s gaze turned towards it.
For a moment, a glint flashed in his dark eyes.
“Give me back my property!”
The Third Prince shouted sharply and snatched the dagger.
Sienna’s face instantly crumpled.
It was the first time Alice had seen Sienna so openly display emotion towards someone.
At least she seemed to have intense feelings for the Third Prince.
The problem was that it was contempt rather than affection.
Well, anyway… I suppose it’s special in its own way.
Specially disliked…
As Alice sighed inwardly at the mess she’d made, Kylus spoke up.
“An item engraved with the Third Prince’s name that you claim as your own… Are you saying that you are the Third Prince of the Pentaum Empire?”
The Third Prince, who had been clutching the dagger tightly, hesitated.
A tense silence descended upon the corridor in response to Kylus’s direct question.
Alice turned her head towards Kylus, but he was staring intently at the Third Prince.
“That is the property of His Highness the Third Prince. Stealing from the imperial family is a serious crime, whether you’re a commoner or a noble. If you are not the Third Prince, you will be beheaded without trial for stealing from the royal family.”
It was Kylus’s chilling voice that broke the silence.
Kylus was staring fiercely at the Third Prince before him.
As if he would draw his sword the moment the man said he wasn’t the Third Prince.
The Third Prince’s jaw stiffened as he met Kylus’s cold, merciless eyes.
The atmosphere was becoming… dangerously tense.
Sienna, too, seemed to sense Kylus’s ominous aura, her crumpled face changing to one of bewilderment.
Quite different from what she had expected, she swallowed nervously at the precarious atmosphere.
“Your Grace, for now, we should…”
Just as Alice tried to defuse the rigid atmosphere, the Third Prince spoke.
“Alvin Pentium. I am… indeed the Third Prince of the Empire. This item is the only gift my mother left me. So I didn’t steal it. Is this proof enough for you?”
As the Third Prince finished speaking, his previously red eyes changed to an opal color.
Eyes that shimmered with various colors depending on the light.
These were eyes that only members of the Pentaum Imperial family could possess.
What could be more convincing proof than this?
Alice’s lips clamped shut like a clam at such clear evidence.
She hadn’t expected him to reveal his identity so quickly.
Moreover, he even revealed his original eye color that had been hidden by spirit magic.
Changing eye color meant possessing a special ability.
In the book, he hadn’t immediately revealed his identity or his spirit magic. He only revealed them after becoming close to Sienna, with firm resolve.
Of course, the current situation wasn’t one he could avoid, but… was this really the right way?
More importantly, what could be done about this relationship where they were at odds with each other?
Alice’s mind went blank at the situation that seemed to have gone seriously awry.
Just then, Sienna’s low muttering reached her ears.
“Opal…”
At the same time, Kylus lowered his body.
“I am honored to be in the presence of His Highness the Third Prince, the Star of the Empire.”
“…I am honored to be in the presence of His Highness the Third Prince, the Star of the Empire.”
Sienna followed Kylus in bowing, and Alice hurriedly offered her greetings.
“The Star of the Empire…”
“That’s enough. Please step aside. I don’t want to stay here a moment longer.”
But before she could fully bend her knees, the Third Prince spoke coldly.
As she straightened her half-lowered body, she saw the Third Prince’s face, his eyebrows deeply furrowed.
Somehow, it felt like things had gone even worse than when the Empress had changed from the original story.
“I sincerely apologize for not recognizing Your Highness the Third Prince and for our rudeness.”
“Sincere… Your face doesn’t look particularly sincere to me.”
The Third Prince sneered at Sienna’s apology.
Sienna slightly narrowed her brows in response.
Just as it seemed a second round was about to begin, Sienna’s lips moved quickly.
“…Of course, if Your Highness had properly revealed your identity from the beginning, such an unfortunate incident would not have occurred. When you tried to take the item without answering my questions, I had no choice but to protect the imperial property…”
“Sienna.”
But her sharp words were not allowed to finish completely.
Kylus’s low call interrupted Sienna’s speech.
Seeing Kylus’s stern gaze, Sienna took a deep breath and bowed her head to the Third Prince.
“Once again, I apologize for my rudeness, Your Highness.”
“It’s fine. I don’t particularly want to accept your apology, my lady.”
The Third Prince turned his head away from the bowing Sienna.
It was quite a childish action, like a sulking child.
Still, when reading the original story, Alice had thought the Third Prince, who put his life on the line for love, was cool.
She had high expectations for the Third Prince.
But what was this childish immaturity?
Alice lost her words and her lips twitched. At that moment, Kylus’s calm voice rang out.
“As the head of the Dearrut Duchy, I apologize, Your Highness.”
“…It’s not Your Grace’s fault, so you needn’t concern yourself.”
The Third Prince, unable to ignore Kylus, straightened his head and answered in a low voice.
The Third Prince tucked the dagger into his pocket. Then, turning his head, he looked straight at Alice.
“…In the alley, it was you, wasn’t it?”
“Ah, yes, Your Highness.”
“Did you bring me to the Dearrut Duchy, my lady?”
My lady?
As Alice hesitated at the unexpected form of address, Kylus answered.
“Not ‘my lady’, but the Duchess.”
The Third Prince’s eyes widened as he asked again.
“The Duchess? The Duchess of Dearrut?”
As if in disbelief, he looked back and forth between Alice and Kylus.
Is that really so surprising…?
Alice, who had been the Duchess since her possession and had been treated as such wherever she went, was rather taken aback by the Third Prince’s intense reaction.
This is the first time I’ve seen such a reaction.
“…That’s correct.”
Once again, it was Kylus who answered, not Alice.
His voice was even lower than before.
A voice that sounded quite displeased.
“Ah, I had heard rumors that the Duke of Dearrut had married, but the Duchess looks much younger than the rumors suggested… I apologize if I’ve offended you.”
Fortunately, the Third Prince seemed to be a perceptive person and quickly apologized. Unlike his behavior towards Sienna, he was calm and composed.
Seeing Kylus’s slightly raised eyebrow lower, Alice finally spoke.
“Your Highness, it’s a bit late, but thank you so much for saving me in the alley.”
“Me?”
The Third Prince tilted his head. He furrowed his brow as if trying to recall and said,
“As I remember, surely the Duchess…”
“I! At the critical moment, Your Highness threw yourself in. Thanks to that, the ruffian lost consciousness, and I was able to escape safely. Don’t you remember that incident?”
Alice hastily interrupted the Third Prince’s words.
The person who saved her in the alley had to be the Third Prince, no matter what.
As Alice gazed at him with a deep smile, the Third Prince’s expression became slightly sullen.
“That’s true, but… Did I really take down the thug?”
“Of course. You must be confused because you lost consciousness right after. But I saw it all. I saw Your Highness take down the ruffian.”
“…I see.”
Alice placed her hand gently on her chest and bowed her head, as if truly moved.
“I had no idea that the mysterious Third Prince was such a righteous and strong person. I sincerely thank you again.”
Alice deliberately enunciated each word clearly.
Hoping that the Third Prince’s virtues would be firmly implanted in Kylus’s ears.
“…No, I don’t think I did anything deserving of such gratitude…”
“But the fact that you saved me is true… I’d like to give Your Highness a small gift. May I visit you again?”
Today’s meeting seemed to have already gone awry, so she needed to seize the next opportunity.
Alice asked softly and carefully.
Smiling as kindly as she could.
She opened her golden eyes wide, the feature she was most confident about in her appearance.
The gaze that even Madam Quillian had fallen for.
Confidently blinking her eyes as she looked up at the Third Prince,
“No. I’d prefer not to meet again.”
A clean rejection without any hesitation came back.
“Ah…”
She hadn’t expected such an outright refusal.
Alice let out an awkward laugh, trying to hide her embarrassment.
“In case Your Highness misunderstands, let me clarify that I have no ulterior motives whatsoever. I simply wish to express my pure gratitude.”
“Then I’ll accept your feelings, Duchess.”
His defenses were almost at the level of an iron fortress.
“And… since you’ve brought me to the Duchy and treated my wounds, I’ve already received enough compensation. I don’t think further meetings would be good for either of us, so I’d like you to forget that you met me today and that you heard my name. That goes for the Duke and the young lady as well.”
The Third Prince drew a line with deeply sunken eyes.
And Alice couldn’t bring herself to cross that line abruptly.
Because she could sense deep wounds in the Third Prince’s sunken gaze.
Building thick walls against others… it must be to avoid getting hurt.
In the original story, Sienna had healed that…
Alice glanced at Sienna, but there was no significant change in her expression.
It didn’t seem like a suddenly warm atmosphere would form even if she pushed further here.
For today… she had no choice but to retreat.
