MFAWW 13

Chapter 13

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“Pa-Pavel…….”

Countess Ollet, at a loss for what to do, sent a pleading look to the Second Prince for help. But the prince was equally flustered. The two of them were accomplices, after all.

“When I return home, I’ll have a deep conversation with Grandfather and Father.”

I smiled brightly at the fidgeting Orange Hair and the stiffened Seaweed Head.

Gotcha.

“Subrina Young Lady! Please wait a moment, hear me out…….”

Countess Ollet approached me urgently with a desperate face. Where do you get off acting so familiar?

“Please address me properly, Countess Ollet. We’re not close friends, are we?”

Among nobles, formality could be dropped only when one was close enough to call each other by name, or when one was as famous as the Bright Young Lady—famous enough that everyone knew them without needing a title. Countess Ollet and I fell into neither category.

“S-Sorry. I was just anxious.”

When I pointed out her address with a displeased expression, Countess Ollet looked as if she’d realized her mistake.

“Anyway, please just listen to me, Subrina Viscount’s Young Lady!”

Countess Ollet couldn’t hide her anxiety. It was only natural—the adultery she’d tried to keep hidden was about to be exposed to the world.

“I’m sorry about earlier. But the rest is a misunderstanding. I mistook you for the Bright Young Lady…….”

“What’s a misunderstanding?”

“Pardon?”

“You said that if my twin sister had behaved better, His Highness the Second Prince wouldn’t have chosen you. That my sister had been coveting what was never hers?”

As I smiled brightly and threw her own words back at her, Countess Ollet’s face turned as withered as a moldy, rotten orange.

“No, that’s not it. I mean…….”

Stammering incoherently, Countess Ollet made a tearful face. Just then, the Second Prince, who had been standing there like a statue, stepped forward.

“That’s enough, Subrina Viscount’s Young Lady.”

Unlike Countess Ollet, the Second Prince was different. His tone was polite now, unlike before, but his attitude remained high-handed.

Even in this situation, that thick seaweed-like skin of his—bravo!

“I apologize for my rudeness earlier. However, I don’t believe it’s right to corner people like this.”

“When did I corner anyone?”

“As I said before, my breakup with Archel wasn’t because of Eris. It was because of Archel’s conduct.”

Ha, unbelievable. That adulterer bastard.

The Second Prince, showing not a trace of remorse, was so absurd I let out a hollow laugh. Of course, a person like that would cheat.

“But everything Countess Ollet said came from her own mouth, didn’t it?”

When I pushed back without backing down, the prince’s eyes twitched.

“So you’re saying Countess Ollet lied?”

Since it seemed the adulterer prince wouldn’t listen to reason, I asked Countess Ollet. At my question, she flinched. Unable to say anything, she trembled while clutching her skirt—a truly detestable sight.

“Speak up, Countess Ollet. Did you lie to me?”

“Well, I…….”

Just moments ago she’d been so confident, but now Countess Ollet only moved her lips like a person who’d lost her words. Her amber eyes, brimming with tears, lost focus and trembled.

To an outsider, she might have looked pitiful enough to evoke sympathy, but unfortunately, that didn’t work on me.

“Subrina Viscount’s Young Lady. Don’t you think I have a point?”

The prince raised his voice angrily at the sight of Countess Ollet, who looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.

“A mere country bumpkin viscount’s daughter, riding on the Bright family’s coattails and acting so high and mighty!”

“A mere viscount’s daughter? Are you sure you want to say that?”

That’s rich. Then why did you treat the Bright Young Lady that way? She was the daughter of a marquess, with a duke for a grandfather—someone of much higher status than you.

“Then why did His Highness, who’s supposed to be an imperial prince, cheat on his fiancée?”

“What?”

When I retorted with a sarcastic tone, the Second Prince’s face crumpled with indignation. He looked ready to lunge at me at any moment.

“How dare you be so insolent……!”

“Pavel.”

The Crown Prince, who had been quietly observing our exchange, stepped between me and the approaching prince with a sharp gaze.

“Arguing with a young lady in the middle of the street is quite unsightly.”

“Brother.”

Unlike the agitated Second Prince, the Crown Prince was calm. He smiled gently as he restrained his immature younger brother.

“Today, I am responsible for escorting the Subrina Viscount’s Young Lady. Your rudeness toward her is the same as being rude to me.”

“That’s not the case.”

The Crown Prince’s intervention slightly deflated the prince’s momentum.

“If you don’t want to be caught up in a scandal about an imperial prince causing a disturbance in broad daylight, it would be wise to return now.”

Without raising his voice or getting angry, the Crown Prince admonished his brother in a gentle, coaxing tone, as if soothing a child. Ah, how could anyone be so dignified?

“There are many eyes watching here.”

At the Crown Prince’s words, the Second Prince noticed the people glancing at us and clicked his tongue.

“Take Countess Ollet back, and you return to the palace as well.”

The Crown Prince’s voice was as soft and tender as cotton fluff, yet it carried an undeniable authority. A gentle charisma, one might say.

“……Understood.”

The prince, gnawing at his lips, withdrew with a resentful expression.

“Good. That’s a good boy.”

Having subdued the adulterer prince in an instant, the Crown Prince looked at me with an apologetic expression.

“I’m ashamed because of my inadequate younger brother. Please accept my apology on his behalf.”

“Your Highness has no need to apologize. There are others who should be apologizing to me.”

When I sniped at the prince while ignoring the hostile gaze fixed on me, the Crown Prince let out a small, helpless laugh.

“Then let’s go, Subrina Viscount’s Young Lady.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I moved my hand with a composed expression and linked arms with the Crown Prince.

“Wait, please wait……!”

Countess Ollet called out from behind in a flustered voice, but I pretended not to hear. Fortunately, unlike before, the two didn’t chase after us. Thanks to the Crown Prince acting as a shield.

“I’m truly sorry.”

Once we were out of the alley, the Crown Prince stopped walking and apologized to me again. With a dejected face, like a plant wilting in the heat, he continued.

“I never expected to encounter you like that here. This is entirely my oversight.”

“As I said before, this isn’t Your Highness’s fault.”

“Still…….”

The Crown Prince whined like a puppy dipped in dye. It was endearing, but I couldn’t let him keep blaming himself.

“Rather, I should be thanking you. Without Your Highness’s help, I’d still be suffering at their hands.”

Nobles value honor. What the Second Prince and Countess Ollet had done was no small matter.

Thanks to the Crown Prince, I got through today safely, but the Second Prince and Countess Ollet wouldn’t back down quietly. They’d try to silence me one way or another next time.

Of course, I had no intention of going down without a fight. I couldn’t stand the thought of adulterers living well and prospering.

“Thank you so much for your help, Your Highness.”

First, expressing gratitude to the Crown Prince was the priority. I bowed my head to him, who was still looking dejected.

“I haven’t done anything deserving of thanks…….”

At my greeting, the Crown Prince gave a bitter, embarrassed smile. Then he cautiously extended his hand.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Pardon?”

I widened my eyes in surprise at the sudden proximity. In that moment, the Crown Prince gently took my right hand, which had become sticky with orange juice from crushing the fruit earlier. Then, water droplets bubbled up from the air, and clear, cool water wrapped around my hand.

“It’s been bothering me for a while.”

The Crown Prince looked at my now-clean hand, the orange juice washed away, and lightly snapped his fingers.

*Snap.* Following the sound, a breeze rose and whisked away the remaining moisture on my hand. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

“Are you a spirit summoner?”

I looked back and forth between my refreshed hand and the Crown Prince with a surprised expression.

“I’ve never heard that His Highness the Crown Prince is a spirit summoner…….”

I tried to stay calm, but my voice kept trembling. It was that shocking a revelation.

Even if our territory was in the backwoods, as a noble I had to maintain certain standards. Information might come slowly, but news about the imperial family always found its way to us. Especially if the Crown Prince was a spirit summoner.

“I didn’t hide it deliberately.”

At my reaction, the Crown Prince wore a bitter expression. He added in a subdued voice.

“I had no choice—it was for survival.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, the Crown Prince was the son of the former Empress. The current Empress’s bloodline was the seaweed-haired prince I’d just seen. Even without hearing more, I could roughly guess the situation.

The empire was founded by a spirit summoner who commanded the legendary Great Spirit. However, spirit summoners were rarer than mages. Looking at the succession of emperors throughout history, there were more who weren’t spirit summoners than those who were.

Thus, being a spirit summoner as a member of the imperial family was both a blessing and a curse. With power, one could wield authority stronger than anyone; without it, one would have to live their entire life under surveillance and threats.

In fact, there were cases in history where collateral branches of the imperial family or illegitimate children were killed when discovered to be spirit summoners.

The Crown Prince was a somewhat special case. Since his mother, the former Empress, came from a humble family, the Crown Prince had practically no powerful maternal relatives to protect him. Thus, despite being the next ruler of the empire, his support base was weak, and he was constantly under pressure from the opposition faction led by the current Empress.

In a situation where his position was precarious due to lack of power, revealing that he was a spirit summoner would bring more harm than good. That was likely why the Crown Prince had hidden his abilities.

But was it really okay to show something he’d kept so carefully hidden so easily?

“What if I tell someone else…….”

“Hm? Are you going to?”

“Ah, no!”

I quickly waved my hands. The secrets of the imperial family were like poisoned chalices. Unless one was a powerful figure who could sway politics, someone like me—a mere viscount’s daughter—could lose my life tomorrow just to be silenced.

“Then it’s fine.”

“……Aren’t you trusting me too easily?”

“You’re fine.”

“Pardon?”

“I trust you because it’s you.”

“What do you mean…….”

Trusting me because it’s me? What does that even mean?

—

I stared at the Crown Prince with a bewildered face at his unexpected words. But he said nothing more. He just smiled softly.

What is this? We’ve only met twice, so why is he acting so familiar? Could it be that we’ve met before? No, there’s no way I could forget a face like that.

Suddenly feeling strange, I unconsciously avoided the Crown Prince’s gaze.

“Ahem, well, this is my first time seeing a spirit summoner.”

“Is that so?”

To avoid the awkward atmosphere, I cleared my throat and changed the subject, and the Crown Prince played along.

“I heard that only spirit summoners can see spirits…… Are there any here right now?”

Even though I knew I couldn’t see spirits, I couldn’t help but let my gaze wander. As I looked around aimlessly, the Crown Prince let out a soft chuckle.

“I’ll show you later.”

“……! Really?”

“Yes. Even if you’re not a spirit summoner, you can see them if the spirits permit it.”

“Wow!”

Alright! I hadn’t actually expected that—what luck! Excited, my voice rose without me realizing it.

“Thank you, Your Highness!”

“Vasil.”

“Pardon?”

“Outside, call me Vasil.”

“Oh, that’s a bit…….”

Nobles usually call each other by name only when they are family, lovers, or very close friends.

Even though I felt a sense of camaraderie with the Crown Prince, we weren’t yet close enough to address each other so informally. Sensing my discomfort, he spoke again.

“Don’t feel burdened. It’s because I’d be in trouble if my identity were discovered.”

“Ah, that’s true.”

Right. The Crown Prince was currently outside while hiding his identity. His appearance already drew attention; if it were known that he was the Crown Prince, it would certainly cause a commotion. It could even become dangerous.

“Understood. Then I’ll call you Vasil.”

“Mm.”

“Please call me Iris, too.”

“Is that really alright?”

“Yes. It would be strange if only I kept being called ‘Young Lady,’ wouldn’t it?”

“Alright, Iris.”

The Crown Prince answered readily, his eyes curving prettily. Perhaps because a beautiful person was saying it, my name suddenly sounded incredibly lovely.

“We’ve arrived.”

While we were chatting, we reached the café that was our meeting place.

“Here it is.”

“……It’s pretty.”

Café Rest. The cozy two-story café was unique, just as the rumors said it was run by a spirit summoner. The walls were overgrown with lush rose vines, and the small building situated within a garden blooming with colorful flowers stood in stark contrast to the dreary surroundings.

“Come in.”

The Crown Prince nonchalantly stepped inside the white fence and looked back at me. Surrounded by flowers, he looked like a painting of a beauty.

“Iris?”

Ah, I’d been spacing out without realizing it. At his call, I came to my senses and quickly wiped my mouth with my sleeve.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just for a moment…….”

Tch. I was drooling. What if he thinks I’m a pervert?

“Hurry and come in.”

Urged by the Crown Prince, I started to move inside, but I noticed a sign next to the fence that read “Closed.”

“It says it’s closed today. Is it really okay to just walk in?”

Isn’t this trespassing? I pointed at the sign and asked, but the Crown Prince spoke as if it were no problem at all.

“It’s fine. I had it cleared for you today.”

“Huh?”

For me? What does that mean?

As I blinked in confusion, he smiled shyly.

“I didn’t want anyone else to disturb us.”

So he cleared the café for me…… Wait, hold on. He said “cleared,” not “rented,” right? Surely not…….

Suddenly, Sophie’s words came to mind—that this café, run by a spirit summoner, was the most popular one these days.

“Um, by any chance, is the owner here…….”

“Yes. I’m the owner here.”

The Crown Prince nodded casually in response to my hesitant question, confirming it.

“Is it alright for a Crown Prince to run a private café?”

“Of course not. This is also a secret.”

Shh. The Crown Prince brought his index finger to his lips with a playful expression. Then he suddenly leaned his face in close.

“Now you’re an accomplice too.”

Gasp. Startled by the face that suddenly approached close enough for our breath to touch, I swallowed my breath.

“You’ll keep the secret, won’t you?”

The Crown Prince’s peach-colored lips moved as he playfully curved the corners of his eyes. His childishly crinkled eyes and lips that traced a soft, graceful arc were as sweet as a honey-drizzled green apple, and for a moment, my heart fluttered.

What is this, arrhythmia?

“I don’t have anyone to tell anyway.”

Excluding Orange and Seaweed, of course. Currently, the only people I know in the capital are the Bright family and the Crown Prince. My social circle is as narrow as a needle’s eye, so even if I wanted to spread rumors, I’d have no one to tell.

“I’ll trust you.”

Satisfied with my answer, the Crown Prince pulled back.

“This place is my sanctuary, so it’d be troublesome if it were discovered.”

“Sanctuary?”

“Yes. I made this place so I could rest freely and comfortably without having to mind anyone.”

Hearing the Crown Prince’s words reminded me of the protagonist of a fairy tale who gets mistreated by a stepmother and stepfather before turning their life around.

When did the former Empress pass away? It seemed he had grown up being quite mistreated by the current Empress.

I don’t know what kind of person the current Empress is, but you can tell one from ten—seeing how her child turned out, she probably isn’t a good person. At the very least, being the mother of an adulterer prince is already a demerit.

“When I’m at the palace, even when I rest, it doesn’t feel like resting.”

The Crown Prince added with a bitter expression. Poor Your Highness, how much had he had to walk on eggshells. Home should be a place where one can rest comfortably, but for the Crown Prince, the palace apparently wasn’t home.

Being the Crown Prince of the empire might be an enviable position for many, but it seems not everyone lives a happy life.

It felt like I had indirectly witnessed the ruthless, bloodless power struggles, and it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“It’s a relief you haven’t been discovered so far.”

“Hm?”

“Even if you’re careful, it’s not an easy thing to pull off.”

For someone like me—a rural noble or commoner—it might be different, but for the nobility living in the capital, they would all know the Crown Prince’s face. I couldn’t believe no one had found out until now.

“Ah, I leave it to someone else most of the time. Even if I want to visit often, I can only come three or four times a month.”

“Someone else?”

“Yes. There’s a spirit summoner I’ve known since childhood…… Normally, that person runs it.”

“I see. Still, when you’re at the shop, don’t you run into customers?”

That face isn’t just any face. Anyone who sees it once would never forget it. No matter how I thought about it, it was fortunate he hadn’t been caught.

“When I’m at the café, I cover my face with a hood as much as possible. And in dangerous moments, the spirits help.”

*Jingle.*

As if responding to the Crown Prince’s words, the small bell hanging on the door shook violently.

He looked at the bell, which was ringing merrily on its own despite not a breath of wind stirring, then lightly tapped the air. As if by magic, the ringing stopped.

My, what well-behaved spirits.

“Come in.”

The Crown Prince, opening the door with a practiced motion, gestured for me to come in. As I stepped inside the fence, a butterfly that had been fluttering among the flowers circled around me once, as if greeting me, then flew away.

“Excuse me…….”

As I cautiously walked through the open door, a rich floral scent welcomed me. The inside of the café was no different from the outside.

Scattered here and there were pots of various sizes, vases on every table, and even a small pond with blooming lotuses. It felt less like a café and more like a greenhouse or a flower garden.

“Iris.”

I had set down my basket at a nearby table and was admiring the pond where water was bubbling up, when the Crown Prince, who had disappeared for a moment, reappeared wearing an apron.

“Do you have a favorite tea?”

“……The apron suits you.”

“Hm? Haha. Thank you for the compliment.”

It wasn’t empty flattery—it really did suit him. Well, with that face, he’d look good even in rags.

“I have just about every kind of tea, so feel free to choose. Lavender? Chamomile? Or lemongrass?”

“Hmm…… I’m not much of a tea drinker, so as long as it’s not too bitter or astringent, anything is fine.”

“Then let’s go with chamomile tea. The scent and taste are both refreshing.”

“Are you making it yourself?”

“A precious guest has arrived, so as the owner, I should serve them.”

“Do you know how to brew tea?”

“Of course.”

The Crown Prince smiled confidently.

“Have a seat over here.”

As soon as I sat down, he began brewing the tea with practiced skill. Before long, a teacup with steaming hot tea was placed in front of me.

“It’s hot, so drink slowly.”

“Thank you.”

The scent passed inspection, but how would it taste? I carefully lifted the teacup and took a sip. A subtle, refreshing flavor filled my mouth.

“……! It’s delicious.”

Contrary to my concerns, the tea the Crown Prince had brewed was excellent.

“The crisp taste is superb.”

“I’m glad it suits your palate.”

He looked at me, still exclaiming in admiration, with a proud expression.

“I was worried because you seemed to dislike it so much last time.”

“That one last time…… The taste was truly atrocious.”

“Chamomile has stress-relieving and calming effects. How about it? Do you feel a little more at ease?”

As I was savoring the sweet apple-like aroma, the Crown Prince asked cautiously.

“Hmm…… Not yet.”

It’s an eternal truth that eating delicious food lifts one’s spirits, but thinking of Countess Ollet and the Second Prince brought back the irritation I had momentarily forgotten.

“Hey, Vasil.”

“Hm?”

“Last time, you said you personally felt sorry toward the Bright Young Lady. Was that because of His Highness the Second Prince?”

“……Yes.”

After a moment of silence at my blunt question, he slowly opened his mouth. I had suspected as much, but confirming the truth made my stomach churn.

“How could they hide something like that?”

The Bright family was one of the empire’s most prestigious houses. The current head was a duke and a national hero, and the heir was a marquess and the kingdom’s prime minister. Even the imperial family couldn’t go this far.

“Even if they look down on the Bright family, there’s a limit. This is absolutely outrageous!”

The more I spoke, the more my voice rose. I knew there were other truly bad people, but I was also angry at the Crown Prince. After all, he was also a member of the imperial family.