CH 19

Seeing us face to face at a close distance made me feel strange. It was because his sharp and long eyes were pretty but also manly.

I shouldn’t call him a kid. After all, he was the male lead who would become the crown prince in a few years, overturn the nobles, and lead the imperial army. If it went like the original, these hands would blow my head off.

“Do this? What did I do?”

A subtle sense of anticipation rose within me. I wondered if this kid, no, Redian, could also see that I was doing my best to take care of him.

“Do you ask because you don’t know?”

Then, Redian, who was looking at his hand caught by me, replied. “You keep touching…”

Huh?

“Gave strange candy.”

What?

“Then suddenly appears at night.”

Who? Me? I tried to ask him, but I was discouraged when I looked into his eyes.

I felt like I knew why the author was obsessed with describing him using the words ‘subtly innocent impression.’ Before, I wondered what kind of innocence could be in someone who would become a murderer in the future, but now that I see it… Uh? I felt like I’d done the evilest thing in the world.

Wait a minute. But then, how did he know that I visited him at night?

“Were you awake then?” I asked in bewilderment. I was sure that he was sleeping deeply while I applied the ointment.  

I checked that he was sleeping deeply while applying the ointment.

“…Of course.”

In an instant, Redian’s expression became strange.

“Were you asleep?”

Oh my goodness. It crossed my mind that I had patted his hair. Did he pretend to be asleep while knowing everything? With that temper?

“Princess.”

Then Redian called me.

“Do you know what the people imprisoned here have done?”

“Pardon?”

“What have I done to deserve to be locked up here?”

“…”

“That night, what would have happened if I hadn’t put up with it?”

He talked with a dull tone which made it feel eerie.

“You can’t imagine it.”

“What do you mean?”

“What if I suddenly want to strangle Princess?”

“…”

“Are you still going to come into my room?”

“Ah.”

Of course, I knew. Right now, if Redian made up his mind, he could kill me within 5 minutes. Not only Redian but all Norma were like that.

I was always in a life-threatening situation, so there was nothing to be afraid of. However, until now, I could use my status as a weapon… But it was an exception for Norma, who moved solely on their power and instincts. My father is also good at killing someone, so killing someone like me shouldn’t be a big deal.

No matter what blood I was born with, I would be nothing more than a doll wrapped in lace. With Siani’s body, no matter how much I improved, I would be pushed back by their strength. I need another way to transcend power and status. Or else, at this rate, neither mice nor birds would know if I disappeared.

“Do you know what I’ve done since this morning?”

“…”

“I couldn’t help it. I’ve been in a very bad mood since morning.” I stared into Redian’s eyes and smiled.

It was an ordinary morning when the maid prepared the rose water after cleaning up the meals and desserts the maid brought to my bed. But what does he know?

“Think about it.”

I lowered my voice to his ears as if whispering a secret. “Why am I called a Red Witch who cursed Felicite?”

“What else—”

“Shh, you’ll get hurt if you know.”

Redian’s straight brows were distorted.

“I’ll leave it to your imagination. Whatever it is, it’s beyond your imagination.”

“…”

His reaction was unexpected every time, so it was new to me.

This poor nickname will be quite helpful in the future. No matter how much I was dying as a side character, I never forgot what I had learned in my N lives. If someone says that I’m crazy, I have to live up to their expectations.

“Besides, you could have killed me that night, but you didn’t.”

“…”

“You won’t have any problem if I enter your room, don’t you think so?”

There was a moment of silence.

“Because I can bear it,” replied Redian.

Can’t bear it? What? It seemed to mean that he couldn’t control his power.  Or perhaps it meant that even if I cursed him, he could still defeat me.

“But the others are different.”

He added.

“They don’t talk, don’t make eye contact, don’t touch me or stroke my hair like you do.”

“It’s all about sharing words—”

“No. It’s dangerous.”

It was weird to hear this from the most dangerous guy in this world.

“The more familiar someone is with the garbage dump, the more they will never forget the warmth they felt once. That’s why…”

With a faint smile on his face, Redian mumbled. “I will chase my master even to hell. It’s the nature and instinct of a dog like me.”

<I will follow you to hell, Siani Felicite.>

Huh? Has this line already come out? No, this line shouldn’t come out in this life.

“Anyway, I don’t care whether other Norma ends up in a dump or goes to hell.”

I skillfully put on a fake smile on my face.

“It’s inevitable that they would take an interest in me.”

“…”

Redian’s gaze became sharp at my response. Once again, I wondered what dissatisfaction could have caused such a reaction.

“Then, shall we go up now? The tailor will be waiting.”

As I tried to lead Redian, I realized something. I’ve been holding it. Only then did I realize that I kept holding his hand. And that Redian didn’t push my hand away.

“The more familiar someone is with the garbage dump, the more they will never forget the warmth they felt once.”

Suddenly, those words came to my mind. It has nothing to do with me… right?

* * *

“Oh my, Lady. W-who is this person?”

Daisy’s eyes seemed to pop out when she saw Redian standing behind me.

“I’m training him by myself, so please know that. Don’t make a fuss about it.”

“Gasp. Oh my god. T-then, N-Norma…”

Of course, you will be surprised. Redian, who stood under the chandelier, out of the darkness of the basement, wasn’t like a monster in the rumor. Rather, his whole body was screaming that he was the male lead of this novel.

He put on the hood, but he still looked like that. Even though he wore a hood to cover his face, it couldn’t hide his presence. What would he look like later when he wore the uniform for the prince in the future? I should stay alive to see it.

“What about the tailor?”

“Ah, ah, she’s waiting in the dressing room over there.”

Daisy glanced at Redian, curious about his face under the hood. I should quickly get rid of this crystal-like human, or else Daisy might forget how to breathe.

“Redian, let’s go to the dressing room.”

“…”

His gaze was strange as he obediently followed me. It was difficult to figure out what his blue eyes, half covered by the hood, were thinking.

“Princess, it’s an honor to serve you. Huh?”

As I entered the dressing room, the tailor who greeted me stiffened.

“Oho, from what family is the person next to you coming?”

“Um, he’s the one who will be my escort knight. I would like to fit one training glove for him.”

“…Yes? Knight?”

The face of the tailor sharpened. “Eii, Princess. Even if you wrap it in a black envelope, the diamond is bound to stand out.”

The tailor whispered so that only I could hear it. “I’ve seen all the young masters in the capital, but I don’t think this person is an ordinary person.”

Like the tailor said, he still stands out no matter how many robes he puts on.

“Who is he? Please be honest with me.”

The crown prince. It was the most honest answer, but I couldn’t say that.

“He’s an escort knight who will be by my side. Of course, I have a taste, so I couldn’t keep just anyone next to me.”

“Hmm, still—”

“If he was truly impressive enough to earn your admiration, why don’t you do your job?”

I deliberately replied firmly, not wanting to entertain any unnecessary tail-chasing.

“Ah, of course. It’s an honor.”

The tailor, who took out the tape measure, approached Redian excitedly.

“Since I’ve brought the catalog, Princess, feel free to take a look and relax. I’ll proceed with measuring his hand size.”

Leaning on the soft sofa, I opened the catalog. Finally, I could take a breather. Well, that’s what I’m saying. My eyes were fixed on the catalog, but my head began to organize my thoughts. Thinking about the letter, the emperor seemed to attend Ash’s welcoming ceremony.

[Let’s have a close conversation, Landlord.]

Besides, he thought that I would go to that ceremony… The question arose here.

1.    Why would the emperor personally come to the grand prince’s welcoming ceremony, who wasn’t even the grand duke?

2.    If the guest list was listed by the grand duke’s family, how come the emperor didn’t know I wouldn’t be attending?

Could it be that the grand duke’s family put me on the list of guests who would attend? And the emperor agreed to attend it after seeing that list?  

“What if the emperor really comes to see me?”

I didn’t have a strong stomach enough to come to my ex-fiancé’s party. But if the emperor pretended to be close to me there… It would be my comeback show, not Ash, right?

The situation had changed.