Chapter 535: My Business Is None Of Your Business

"The two of you really made a scene back there," Ian said as they rode a carriage that would bring them to the Whispering Wind Tavern. "Was that really necessary, Princess?"

Princess Sidonie, who was currently resting her head on William's shoulder, smiled sweetly at Ian.

"Of course it is necessary," Princess Sidonie replied. "I need to make sure that those nobles know that Will is my lover. This way, it will deter those who intend to lay their hands on him. Isn't that right, Will?"

"Mmm." William hummed as he agreed to his lover's words. 

Right now, he had his hands full with the Princess and Ashe. Adding a dozen pretty noble girls to the list of his lovers was not part of the reason why he came to the Kraetor Empire.

Although what Princess Sidonie did was very bold, and unexpected, it was also very effective. When the news of their public display of affection spread inside the academy, the noble ladies would probably back off, in fear of angering her.

Chiffon, who was holding William's left hand, licked the lollipop in her hand in silence. She didn't join in the conversation and merely listened. For her, being around the Half-Elf was enough. 

Since William had declared that he would be her caretaker, the little girl decided to stick close to him to avoid the stares of ridicule and contempt that were always sent in her direction, whenever she walked around the academy.

A few minutes later, the carriage finally arrived at their destination.

A very enthusiastic staff greeted Princess Sidonie and personally guided her, and her entourage towards the top floor, where the luxurious accommodations for the high ranking nobles of the Empire were waiting for them. 

"Today seems to be a special day, Your Highness," the staff said with a smile. "Aside from your presence, the other Princes' and Princesses' of the Empire are also here."

Princess Sidonie smiled as she told the staff that today was indeed a special day. However, she didn't divulge any details and acted mysterious. 

The staff member knew better than to seek information from the Royal Family, so he didn't pry any further.

"Please, enjoy your stay, Your Highness," the staff member said as he opened a luxurious door.

As soon as the door was opened, the sound of laughter and merry-making reached their ears. Only when Princess Sidonie stepped inside the room did people start to notice her presence.

The staff led the Princess to an empty table near the balcony where a scenic view of the city could be seen. 

William played his part and pulled the chair out to allow the princess to sit. He did the same for Chiffon, while Ian pulled a chair out for him to sit on.

Right now, Ian played the role of the retainer. Since she had plenty of experience serving Est in the Hellan Kingdom, her actions were very natural.

The nobles that were being rowdy earlier quieted down a bit as they chatted while paying attention to the beautiful Princess and her lover, who was currently the Top Ranker of the entire Academy.

Princess Sidonie and William didn't pay them any attention and gave the waiter their order. After the waiter left, the place returned to its lively atmosphere, but everyone still perked their ears for any juicy gossip that Princess Sidonie and William might spill as they chatted inside the Tavern.

Prince Jason clenched his fist from under the table as he stared at William. 

Princess Vanessa who always had her eyes on her Prince followed his gaze. That was when she saw William and Princess Sidonie talking casually to each other. 

As a member of the Royal Family,s he had known about the Half-Elf that had traveled to their Empire as part of Princess Sidonie's entourage. She was also aware that the collar that the beautiful Princess wore came from William as well.

Although the Half-Elf was indeed handsome, Princess Vanessa only had Prince Jason in her heart. The Princess also felt slightly jealous of Princess Sidonie. She couldn't count how many times she had dreamed that her beloved cousin would attach a collar on her neck, and claim her as his wife.

Unfortunately, she didn't have the courage to tell anyone about this dream, in fear that they would laugh at her for aiming for the moon.

"Cousin, can you tell me more about that young man, William?" Prince Maximilian asked Prince Jason, who was looking at William with a calm expression on his face. 

"Him? He's nothing more than a shepherd who tended goats and sheep in the countryside," Prince Jason replied. "There's nothing special about him."

"Really? You call someone who managed to gain over six million Merit Points nothing special?" Prince Maximilian chuckled. "If there's nothing special about him then both of us are just pebbles on the ground. Dear Cousin, I think your judgement is clouded by jealousy right now."

Prince Jason forcefully tore his gaze from William and shifted it to the First Prince of the Kraetor Empire. He knew that Prince Maximilian was just provoking him, so he decided to show him that he was not someone that the latter could step on lightly.

"What do you mean by that, Cousin?" Prince Jason asked.

Prince Maximilian smiled as he met his cousin's gaze straight on. "You are in love with our cousin, Princess Sidonie, are you going to deny it?"

Vanessa felt her chest tighten when she heard Prince Maximilian's words. Although this possibility had crossed her mind in the past, she tossed it aside completely.

Why?

It was because of the collar on Princess Sidonie's neck. 

The Kraetor Royal Family had a custom that any member of the Royal Family that had been given a collar, would become the life-long lover of the person that gave it to them. 

One could even say that it was the unwritten law of the Royal Family, and no one had challenged this tradition since the Empire had been established.

Because of this, Princess Vanessa managed to curb her jealousy because she knew that her beautiful cousin was already taken by another man. However, this idea she had tossed aside was now brought back to the surface by Prince Maximilian who had a confident smile on his face.

"My business is none of your business," Prince Jason replied. "Instead of minding my affairs, you should focus on your own, Dear Cousin."

"Oh my, it seems that I hit a sore spot. Well, it's fine if you don't want to admit it." Prince Maximilian chuckled. "It's already written on your face."

Prince Jason snorted before drinking the wine in his cup. He then made a gesture for the waiter assigned on their table to fill it up again.

Princess Vanessa's hand under the table trembled. Even though her beloved cousin didn't answer Prince Maximilian's question, his actions already spoke volumes.

'No. this can't be…' Princess Vanessa felt an ache on her chest as her unique ability confirmed her suspicion. 'He's in love with her.'

Princess Vanessa had the unique ability to know if people were telling the truth or not. Her parents had strictly forbidden her from sharing this secret with anyone because this was a trump card that they could use during critical moments.

Since people could lie anytime they wanted, they needed someone with the ability to discern the truth from what was false. This ability had already helped Princess Vanessa's parents secure some merit for the Kingdom, and made Emperor Leonidas very pleased.

"What's wrong, Vanessa?" Princess Amanda asked. "Your face is very pale. Did something happen?"

"I-I think I drank too much wine, Big Sister," Princess Vanessa stuttered. 

Although Princess Amanda and Princess Hannah were not her blood related sisters, Vanessa had always referred to them as Big Sisters, and the two Princesses' treated her like their own. 

Princess Vanessa's twin brother, Prince Rainier, looked at his sister with worry. 

"Vanessa, do you want to return to the Academy?" Prince Rainier inquired. "I can take you back if you're not feeling well."

"Sorry, everyone," Princess Vanessa lowered her head. "I think I will return to the Academy. I'm not feeling well."

Princess Amanda patted the younger Princess' head. "I knew that it might be a bit early for you to drink wine, but I still allowed it because today was a day for celebration. I shouldn't have forced you earlier. I'm sorry, Vanessa."

"I-It's fine, Big Sister," Princess Vanessa stuttered. "As a member of the Royal Family, I have to get used to it sooner or later."

Prince Rainier had already stood up from his seat and walked towards his twin sister. He was quite worried about her condition, so he immediately suggested that they return to the Academy in order to allow her to rest.

The twins left the tavern, accompanied by their retainers. Their sudden departure didn't decrease the liveliness of the surroundings, because Princess Vanessa and Prince Rainier had always kept a low profile.

They were not like Prince Maximilian or Prince Jason that the younger generation looked up to because of the accomplishments that they had achieved in their age. For them, the twins were only part of the Kraetor Royal Family and nothing else.

"Instead of looking at what you can't get, why not look at the one who only has eyes for you?" Prince Maximilian muttered. 

Although he seemed to be just saying random things, Prince Jason understood that the First Prince's words were targeted at him.

Prince Jason pretended not to hear Prince Maximilian's words and stood up from the table. He then made his way towards William's and Princess Sidonie's table, while carrying a wine cup in his hand.

Clearly, he was not satisfied with the way the two were chatting with each other, and he intended to put a stop to it; by force if he had to.