Chapter 7

Twisted Engagement (7)

Rowena, who had returned from the palace to the temple and then from the temple to the count, drooped her shoulders. Cecil was just teasing and didn’t write the contract.

“As expected, he must have lied to me!”

She wondered what the advantage of the crown prince’s marriage to her would be like, but she was uneasy about not writing the contract. On the contrary, it seemed that he did not write a contract because he simply liked to tease Rowena.

Seeing that he was looking at her and smiling.

Oops.

“I haven’t talked about Kian at all!”

She was surprised by the prince’s nonsense and completely forgot about Kian. Rowena was embarrassed to realize it only after she had arrived at the temple.

From what they had talked about today, she didn’t think they had to worry about Kian.

All Cecil cared about was Rowena, not Kian or Marquis Wenson. The fact made Rowena feel strange.

You’re gonna make me like you in a year? Is a person’s heart that easy? You’ll see…

Rowena gritted her teeth inside, but it was even more upsetting because her heart was strangely pounding when she thought of Cecil’s face.

“Still, never! I won’t fall for it!”

Her maid looked at Rowena, who was angry with her fist on the cushion.

* * *

It was the Marquis of Wenson, who was angry at the crown prince’s notice that he would cover up his decision to hold the Marquis accountable. The crown prince said in passing words, “Lady Wenson has a good friend.”

The Marquis was taken aback by how he seemed quite pleased.

His daughter, Lyria, had few friends. In the first place, she didn’t allow herself to go out much, so it was natural.

“Did Rowena Adelia visit the crown prince?”

He knew Rowena was doing some things for Lyria, but the Marquis saw it as if it was a maid’s business and that he didn’t need to care.

In the first place, the Marquis allowed Rowena to hang out with her. Therefore, it was unexpected that Rowena would move independently and explain to Lyria.

“What a stupid thing!”

The Marquis sensed the prince’s rare response. Lyria, this dull girl has lost her place to the shrewd lady.

It was heart-rending.

The Marquis of Wenson wanted to stop it somehow, but he couldn’t think of a way. Cecil, the crown prince, was a tough character.

It was all the more so in that he didn’t have to find a family that could help him but only chose from a family that suited him properly while looking for the crown prince.

I haven’t made up my mind yet, have I?

Before it happened, he thought he would get rid of Rowena. It was frustrating to lose his daughter’s position over prominent candidates to the countess’ girl.

* * *

“My dear, Rowena.”

Rowena was horrified by the friendly call she had never had before. However, she maintained a friendly attitude because she could have been slapped if he spoke incorrectly.

“Did you call me, father?”

“My dear, this… Something like this came.”

Paul, Count of Adelaide, looked like he was going to bow to Rowena. Rowena sensed what was in the thick envelope with his trembling hands.

“It has the royal seal on it, Rowena, what did you do?”

Louis, who appeared from the side, snatched the envelope from Paul’s hand. For a moment, Paul gave a thunderous cry.

“Louis! How dare you take what’s meant for Rowena, your sister! What do you think you are doing?!”

“F-father…”

Her younger brother Louis, who had ignored Rowena in his father’s tacit acquiescence, looked at Paul in embarrassment. His hand had already taken out the contents of the envelope.

Paul glared at Louis with a scary face, then took the contents from his hand and changed his expression. Rowena smiled awkwardly at the sight of her father holding out the letter with a friendly face.

“Read it.”

Rowena picked it up with both hands and read it step by step. It was a polite proposal asking for permission to marry Lady Adelia Rowena. It had the royal seal on it!

“I knew you’d make it! Lady Wenson, the crown princess’s seat was not fair to that stupid girl! Our Rowena, the time has come for you to finally shine for the family!”

Paul’s reaction seemed to suggest Rowena stole his heart by gloating near the crown prince under the pretext of Lyria.

The situation was just right to misunderstand like that. Lyria’s lover was Rowena’s escort, and Rowena met the crown prince to talk about Lyria.

But fortunately, neither Marquis Wenson nor Paul knew about Kian.

“I’ll have to send you right away! No, it’s not! Sending it too fast may seem like our family is clinging to the imperial family! If you’re going to get it right somehow…”

Already, Paul was full of dreams of marrying Rowena into the royal family. Only after Rowena read the proposal did his intentions come unmasked.

Rowena lost her words because his reaction was too much to expect.

Louis, who was surprised by his father’s changed attitude, also pricked up his ears at the word imperial.

“You’re the crown princess? You, really?!”

“Louis! I told you to stop talking like that!”

Louis pouted disapprovingly at Paul’s sharp response. His attitude was learned from his father and brothers, so he would be dissatisfied with having to show a different attitude.

Rowena left her seat with the proposal on the table next to the sofa. No one cared about Rowena leaving because she was not interested either.

You really sent me a proposal, didn’t you? How do I explain it to Lyria…?

It was Rowena, who was persuaded by the crown prince and agreed to marry him, but Lyria would be worried at the temper of the Marquis of Wenson, she didn’t think he’d like it if he knew that the crown prince had sent a proposal to Rowena.

* * *