Chapter 9

Growing Feelings (1)

Paul was more excited than ever. When he said he would be in-laws with the imperial family, most nobles refused to believe him. However, Paul said he would soon meet the crown prince and schedule an engagement ceremony.

This was beyond lying.

When he said this, even the suspicious nobles were half-suspicious and asked Paul about the situation. Although it had not been announced yet, there had been rumors that the crown prince had sent a proposal to the Marquis of Wenson.

When asked by the nobles, Paul said the proposal wasn’t a lie and it came to him. Paul, who couldn’t bring out the proposal because of the Wenson’s disgrace, could not hide his triumphant look.

The Marquis of Wenson could not hide his resentment when he heard the story across the street. He kept it a secret that his daughter had received a proposal until the crown prince formally announced it. That was the right attitude as a nobleman.

However, when he heard that his child’s seat was taken away by the daughter of that shallow and insignificant child, it seemed like a fire was brewing inside.

We must stop this marriage! Such a man and the royal family are in-laws!

It was unacceptable from the standpoint of a high aristocrat. Count Adelia was from a family that was not even nominated for the crown princess, so there was a voice of formidable dissatisfaction.

However, no one thought of going to the crown prince and pleading.

He was the crown prince who wielded a cruel iron fist after the emperor fell to poison. There was a hint of cruelty before that. This was reinforced by the work of the emperor.

It was revealed who poisoned the emperor under his direction, but the crown prince did not seem to believe it completely. He was still suspicious of the six dukes, so he looked at the high nobles with cold eyes.

That’s why the Daughter of the Marquis of Wenson was chosen as the Crown Princess, not the duchess’s maidships.

The nobles wanted Marquis Wenson to make the voice they couldn’t make. It was the families that suffered the injustice.

The Marquis of Wenson, unable to protest against the crown prince, was boiling inside.

“It’s obvious that girl Rowena had whispered things to the stupid Lyria!”

It was Lyria who was living a tight lifestyle back and forth. She never had the luxury of meeting a man. And yet, how can she have a lover?

She was a child who trembled at the sight of her father even when he tried to interrogate her. At the same time, he was frustrated because she was stubbornly silent.

Shall we claim that Lyria’s sweetheart is a set-up? It’s a lie from the wicked Adelia…

It was a thought that quickly left his heart. The crown prince was not a fool, and it was unlikely that Lyria would be nominated again as the crown princess, rather than for another family’s entertainment.

I will never let Rowena, the wicked girl, be the crown princess! Definitely not!

* * *

Compared to Rowena, who appeared with her two brothers, younger brother, and father; Cecil, the crown prince’s side, was simple.

His mother, who was a dancer, was executed for trying to run away with a man after giving birth to Cecil. After that, the emperor had two empresses and many concubines, but he loved Cecil.

It was because he had a face that resembled the emperor from an early age. He also locked the dancer in his palace and kept her only with him.

She was allowed to go out because she desperately wanted to go to her mother’s grave after giving birth to Cecil.

The old emperor fell, but the two queens remained and the twenty-six-year-old concubines remained. However, the royal family’s full power was held by Cecil, so they couldn’t make a ruckus.

The emperor wanted to raise his child as a lion. Therefore, he had been in power since he was young, and he also taught him how to wield power.

That was why he thoroughly trampled on the families of the two empresses who would interfere with Cecil. The concubines retreated on their own early on to wait their turn.

One of the queens lay in shock, and the other was gnashing her teeth, trapped in the palace.

The emperor believed that one of the empresses was involved in the escape of his beloved dancer. In that situation, the powerless dancer could not have delivered the news to the outside.

“Sit down.”

Cecil, who came out alone, was calm. It was Paul, Count of Adelaide, who showed even a slight sign of embarrassment. How many times had he faced the crown prince in his life?!

Although he greeted the royal banquet, he was with countless nobles. Paul was sure the crown prince didn’t even remember his name.

Paul glanced back at his sons. Everyone looked nervous.

Only when the crown prince had a good impression of him could he promise a future. The crown prince was a cold-blooded man, even if he was his relative, he might have given him a spot just because they were family.