CH 178

Dietrich nodded unhappily at my request that he should never waste his money and got up from his seat, then immediately grabbed someone who looked like a rich young master.

“.......Who is it?”

I glanced at the man who had returned with Dietrich while he clutched the nape of his neck as if he were a thing. Dietrich’s grip strength may be strong, but the person looked to be frightened of the situation that he didn’t seem to think of running away.

“Notte.”

“Notte?”

It sounded like a name I’d heard before but it was the first time I saw the man.

‘Who was he again?’ 

I wondered if he was a character who appeared in ‘The Men’s War of Roses’, but I didn’t remember anything.

“The First Prince.”

“…….”

My jaw dropped in astonishment at Dietrich’s brief answer to satisfy my curiosity. 

“You’re telling me that person is His Highness, the first prince?” 

“That’s right.”

“That man hanging from your hand right now is the first prince?”

I shook my head wildly because I couldn't believe Dietrich’s words. He’d barely just put an end to the War of Roses with Euclid and now he intends to touch the royal family? 

“First, let His Highness go. He must be suffocating.”

I pointed at the first prince who was stamping his foot in the air as Dietrich grabbed him by his nape. He had already resigned and had a gentle slouch but he looked pale. 

Dietrich shoved Notte harshly into the seat next to me at my words. With a groan as he fell down, the Prince looked up at me with his whole body trembling poplar.

‘Why do I feel guilty when I’m not the one who brought him?’

I felt a little sorry for him so I hesitatingly told Dietrich off.

“Why did you bring the first prince?”

“If there’s anything you want, he’ll buy it.”

So it meant that the first prince was some kind of wallet.

Since I couldn't recognize the first prince's face, he and Dietrich wouldn't be very close and just looking at the first prince's tearful eyes, I didn’t think he was saying that he would buy it voluntarily.

“I told you I don’t want anything.”

I opened my mouth like a sigh and took a step closer to approach Prince Notte who was about to burst into tears.

Dietrich, who stopped me, turned my body around and pointed to the things that came up one after another in the auction house.

“Pins, crowns, teacups, tapestry.”

Among the dozens of auction items, each of the items he picked was something I only liked inside.

‘........He doesn’t even have Eredia’s ability so how did he know?’

For fear of wasting Lagrange’s wealth, I didn’t say anything was pretty and thought I had schooled my expression. 

“You want it.”

“N-No? I don’t want it at all.”

“Don’t lie.”

My eyes widened at Dietrich’s words filled with certainty. He glanced at my surprised face and spoke bluntly.

“I’m afraid I might miss out on what you want.” 

“How did you know?”

“Because I’m always looking at you.” 

Was he looking at me so carefully that he could recognize me if I was a little out of breath and my eyes stare out for a long time?

I blushed at Dietrich's indifferent words as if they were nothing. As he watched me awkwardly scratching my cheek, he tapped the shoulder of the first prince who sat down.

“You heard it.”

“P-Pardon?”

“Pins, crowns, teacups, tapestry.”

“…….”

“Pay the bill, Your Highness.” 

I wondered if he had forgotten that he was an imperial because he treated the first prince as if he was Yuric, but he didn't seem to have forgotten whether that was fortunate or unfortunate.

Dietrich forced the first prince to buy all the things I wanted while adding ‘Your Highness’ to his words. 

‘They're already auctioned off, so he’d have to pay more to buy them now.’

Though since he’s the first prince, there’s no way he wouldn’t have any money.

The prince, who had ordered his attendant to take out a pocket full of jewels, called Dietrich in a very timid voice.

“.....Duke, now that I've paid the price, can I go back to my seat?”

“No.”

“Why…..?”

“There may be more items that Anissa wants to buy.”

His determined words made the prince grimace miserably as if he had been sentenced to death.

“Duke, can't you just think about my face as a prince?”

His face turned red with shame because the nobles around him who recognized the first prince began whispering to each other.

Even my name appeared in their conversation, so I couldn’t help but interfere. I leaned close to Dietrich and whispered so softly that the prince couldn’t hear.

“Why are you like that to the prince?”

“That’s right. Why are you like this to me?”

Even though it was a small whisper, the prince agreed with me like he had a sharp hearing and raised his voice feeling falsely accused.

“The Duke also knows that it is my mother, Her Majesty Marguerite, was the one who decided to break neutrality in the War of the Roses.”

Prince Notte did not look so young that he could not comment on the imperial decision at all, but as he said, Her Majesty, the Emperor, Marguerite, was still alive.

‘Maybe that’s also the reason why the first prince who was already at that age didn’t even take the crown prince’s title yet.’ 

Dietrich, who was quietly listening to Prince Notte's pleas mixed with excuses, turned his gaze to him as he cupped his chin. 

The prince hurriedly shut his mouth at the cold stare that even I who was watching scared the living daylights out of me. 

‘Still, he’s quite sensible.’

“Your Highness.”

“.....Wh-Why are you calling me? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, you didn’t say anything wrong.”

Dietrich continued, tapping his fingertips on the armrest of the seat.

“But you seem to have forgotten who the subject of the proposal you dared to send to Euclid was.”

“......Th-That’s.” 

Dietrich's voice grew lower and lower as the conversation continued.

“I didn’t forget, I just turned a blind eye as the Emperor and Hermann Euclid colluded to hit me in the back of my head.”

Even in the eyes of the prince, who lacked Eredia's powers, he could see that Dietrich’s anger was slowly rising, so the prince hurriedly put his hands on his lap.

‘The imperial family is quite courteous.’

I let out a small sigh as I looked at Prince Notte, who seemed to be crumpled into a square box.

“Things were different back then, Duke.”

I nodded my head at the prince's added comment as if crawling slowly.

‘At that time, the sun that rested on Euclid was strong.’

I didn’t know if they already found out the fact that Hella wasn’t a god but there was no way the imperial family could not have discovered that the Duke of Euclid was no longer able to exercise the powers of the sun for whatever reason and was already in a situation where he would be an innocent bystander that would suffer in a fight.

‘It seems they also don’t know that the demons of the North have weakened.’ 

As if my prediction was right, the prince opened his mouth again like he was trying to persuade Dietrich who was silent.

“Even my mother regrets siding with Euclid hastily. The imperial family is going to show a different attitude now, so please forget about the past….”

Dietrich smiled picturesquely at the prince’s words. It was a beautiful smile like a famous painting, but the prince swept down his arms where goosebumps had risen like he was afraid of his smiling face.

“Duke, I understand your resentment. However.”

“There’s one thing you’re mistaken about.”

Dietrich, who cut off the prince’s words, had a cold face that had completely removed the smile from his lips.

“I had no expectations from Her Majesty and the imperial family so I have never been disappointed.”

“Then there is no reason for you to resent the imperial family.”

I glanced at Dietrich's side of the face which was cold enough to take my breath away, something he had never shown to me before.

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“I don’t resent the imperial family. But you have to pay the price of holding a rotten card and stubbornly insisting on it.” 

I wondered if that was the face he showed on the battlefield. The prince mumbled as he touched the bruise left on his eye. 

“Is the Duke not afraid of the people’s eyes? Finally, after a long conflict, the North and the South are about to be in harmony.”

At the Prince’s words, instead of looking at him, he raised his head and looked up at me. 

I guess it was because I was the reason he was holding back his temper tantrums since I cared about the reputation of the North. 

I didn't want people who didn't know Dietrich to point at him and label him as a devil, and I wanted to dispel the stigma that Lagrange was a family where only murderers were born.

‘But Dietrich said all he needed is me.’

Veronica, Yuric, and the triplets would also want to live their lives the way they wanted to rather than just be wary of people’s eyes.

“Harmony, you say.”

I cleared my throat as I poked my head between the Prince and Dietrich.

“That’s a matter for the imperial family.”

“What do you mean?”

When I suddenly cut in, the Prince asked me with a bewildered face. 

“It means that the responsibility of the imperial family for not properly maintaining neutrality in the confrontation between the South and the North is grave.”

However, I couldn't stand the fact that Lagrange, which I had dedicated all of my life to protect, would be despised or ridiculed again for no reason.

‘So you, who made a mistake, have to take care of it.’

I faced the bewildered prince and grinned.

“Your Highness, don't forget that there are many ways to achieve harmony.”

“.........”

“Isn’t the North devouring the South would be a kind of harmony?” 

The Prince became speechless.