CH 32

I was a bit surprised that the Emperor was the host of the dinner1I’m sorry, it’s supposed to be dinner instead of a banquet., but being in a humble position, I ended up greeting him late.

I wore a cream-colored shirt with embroidered sleeves and trousers that were lightly cinched at the thighs but still comfortable to wear.

In addition, I wore thick-soled walkers and a green robe, giving me the appearance of a prince.

“It feels like it’s been a long time since I dressed up.”

Brushing my hair back, Marco nagged Elizabeth not to get any fur on the prince’s clothes.

Although she seemed unable to understand it, Elizabeth took a step back and obediently sat down, as if she liked the new clothes.

“I heard that Her Majesty the Empress couldn’t make it.”

“I did hear that she’s2For the record, I still don’t know if the Empress is a woman or not. pregnant, but is there something wrong?”

“It’s not that.”

Marco scratched his cheek and replied.

“Since His Majesty the Emperor has declared that he will carry her throughout the entire pregnancy, then she won’t take a single step. And thus, the two of them are arguing.”

The Emperor himself acknowledged his devotion as a husband, as did his spouse, and it was even said that his subjects knew about it.

He didn’t even bother hiding it.

There was no one daring enough to covet the Empress, but he enjoyed spreading rumors around the neighborhood, claiming that she was his.

“Hooh, Your Highness the Crown Prince seems to resemble His Majesty a lot.”

I made a face with a subtle look of concern.

Adrian is a bit affectionate, very kind, and on top of that, he was thirsty for love from an Omega lover, so that’s why.

His occasional possessiveness is just instinctual.

I smiled vaguely, and Marco shook his head in resignation.

“I’m only worried about you, Prince.”

At this rate, you might not be able to leave your room after the engagement ceremony, he said with an ominous tone, and suddenly Marco let out a startled scream.

“Prince. I forgot the belt decoration.”

Marco put down the comb and clapped his palms together.

“Can’t we just go without it?”

If I cover it with a cloak, no one would even see the belt.

“No, it won’t do. The belt is essential for formal attire. What if a disaster happens and your pants fall down in front of dignified people?”

Who would pull down the Prince’s pants?

Feigning surprise, I watched as Marco rushed out of the room.

His retreating figure looked so desperate, as if finding the belt was the mission of his life.

Hmm, it seems like I need to do some maintenance.

While Adrian and I have become physically intimate, he is not truly mine, so I wanted to tell him that if we ever got to the point where we were comfortable enough to give each other advice, it wouldn’t be practical to have a separate dressing room and bedroom.

Even for the sake of the servants who have to go a long way whenever they forget a single decoration.

Creak.

The door opened slightly not long after Marco left.

Elizabeth, who was by my side, perked up her ears, wary of the door.

It seemed like she wanted to argue with the person outside, perhaps intending to do what she couldn’t do to Adrian. I firmly held onto her leash and looked towards the door.

A little girl with golden eyes and dark skin was glaring at us.

“… Carl Lindbergh.”

This little guy just called an adult by name. Still, it was cute, so I let it slide.

With her fluffy hair parted on both sides, she resembled a character that was popular in my past.

“… Who are you?”

The girl slowly pushed the door open and entered, then closed it behind her. It was difficult to gauge her age, as she seemed to exist on the boundary between a girl and an adult. She looked at Elizabeth and smiled, but Elizabeth growled threateningly in response.

The girl, seemingly disappointed by Elizabeth’s guarded behavior, pursed her lips and introduced herself firmly.

“I’m Rashida Lulu. I’m a prophet.”

To think that I completely forgot about the existence of the prophet. The intensity of my first heat was so overwhelming that I had completely pushed it out of my mind.

“So, you’re the prophet.”

“While my appearance may be like this, the core inside me is older than you, so refrain from talking informally.”

She seemed to be around 500 years old or so.

Rashida, with her chin raised, crossed her arms and scrutinized me from top to bottom before snickering.

“Seems like Carl Lindbergh has changed into someone else, and it looks convincing. So, tell me, what kind of prank are you planning this time?”

Though Adrian, Leia, and Belfry didn’t explicitly say it, they all expressed that the changed me was playing a prank.

Has Carl Lindbergh met this girl before?

“A prank, you say?”

“While others may be fooled, I can’t be deceived. There can’t be anything I don’t know.”

It was bewildering to witness such open hostility and suspicion.

“Unfortunately, if there is a problem with me, it’s just that my memory has become a bit hazy.”

Lulu’s expression indicated that she had caught on to something.

“Ah, so it’s that ‘set-up,’ huh?”

With her arms crossed, Lulu snorted as if she didn’t buy it.

“If you really lost your memory, how do you know about Adrian Heineken’s existence and managed to come crawling all the way here? Our Highness never had any interest in you to begin with.”

That hit the mark.

“… By chance, only memories about Adrian remained.”

“Don’t pretend to be so close to him!”

Lulu shouted hysterically.

She was so agitated that I began to suspect if she loved Adrian or was a hidden ex-girlfriend.

“Do you know how much effort I’ve put in for His Highness’s happiness? I live to witness their last moments of happiness.”

She loves him is the most likely scenario.

“For the sake of his happiness, is there not the option of leaving him alone?”

After sleeping with a man who could potentially become my husband, I immediately encountered the annoying presence of his ex-girlfriend, and I couldn’t deny that it wasn’t unpleasant.

In fact, it was more of a discomfort that felt like being jolted from a very pleasant dream into reality.

Rashida Lulu didn’t hide her animosity.

“There’s no reason for him to have anything to do with you.”

“Since the moment you slapped his cheek, you’ve been nothing but an obstacle,” she said.

“Even now, you’re just causing trouble for him.”

Lulu pointed her finger accusingly.

She wasn’t wrong, but admitting it so obediently in front of her was hard to swallow.

“Well, that may be true, but your special someone seems to have taken a liking to me. What are you going to do about that?”

She was momentarily at a loss for words, then her expression turned venomous once again.

“Dare I speak as a prophet, in this world, everyone has their own place. Whether you’ve lost your memories or repented, your place is not by the side of His Highness.”

Why did it take me so long to remember the maid’s words about her choosing someone else to be the Crown Prince’s mate?

“Well then, where do you think is my place?”

It was a question that arose purely out of curiosity.

As I suddenly found myself in a novel, I couldn’t occupy the protagonist’s side and it was difficult to stand alone. So, where exactly was my place?

“If you’ve really come to your senses, then either save Lindbergh and stay hidden, or go set up a bakery in a town far away from here!”

Of course, a bakery.

Lulu paced back and forth, worrying about someone who would lose their place and be saddened because of me.

“There isn’t much time left until he becomes an omega. Why did you show up here?”

Wait, becoming an Omega?

“Who is becoming an Omega?”

Rashida chuckled.

“Well, well, who else? The person who only has eyes for the Crown Prince and occupies the closest position to him.”

The closest position.

To my knowledge, there was only one person who looked at Adrian with as much admiration as I did when I was by his side.

‘It’s strange that his foster brother is still a Beta.’

Leia’s words came to mind.

I had thought from the beginning that there was something unusual about his appearance.

Belfry had a face where the boundaries between handsome and beautiful were blurred.

He had a balanced physique and charming facial features that elicited favorable impressions from others.

Compared to Adrian, he was like a youthful and cute young man from my time.

He is a bold and confident young man who is the third son of a duke who holds power in politics, and he is not easily daunted even in the presence of the Crown Prince.

Belfry loved the Crown Prince for a long time.

He was soon to become an Omega, and I had interfered and ruined everything.

No wonder I felt miserable.

“… When will the day come when he becomes an Omega?”

Lulu’s eyes narrowed sharply in response to my question.

“Do you know? Are you planning to kill him before that?”

“Why would I kill him? I’m not the previous Carl Lindbergh.”

“How can I believe that?”

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. Right now, I have a pressing need for Heineken’s help.”

The person whom you dearly loved desired ‘Carl Lindbergh’ as an omega who would not only marry him but also bear his children.

“The Crown Prince needs me, but is that person also going to be a dominant Omega?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Ha…”

Come to think of it, she’s right.

We were attracted to each other as both with a trait, and the Crown Prince probably didn’t realize he only needed a dominant successor.

Lulu, who grumbled that I was curious about everything, still said that the compatibility between the two of them is the best.