CH 172

A look of embarrassment spread across Leah’s face, who had been quarrelsome. Driven by that momentum, Damia immediately launched a counterattack.

“But it’s really intriguing. You even know the number of times I have visited the Crown Prince.”

“That— that… … .”

“On top of that, you are interrogating me about the conversation I shared with the Crown Prince. It’s a presumptuous question, but by any chance, Miss Leah, are you monitoring His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Damia tilted her head and casually set the bomb off. Leah’s face stiffened like lead.

Even though Heinrich was despised for being the cursed prince, he was like the sun rising above the clouds compared to this noble girl. It just meant that Leah didn’t have the power to use her mouth this way.

In the current situation, Leah was rather rudely committing the crime of contempt of the royal family. But Leah had always looked down on Damia as a peasant, so she didn’t think she would point that out.

“Although I am not from the capital, I have at least respect for the royal family. Therefore, I cannot divulge the orders the Crown Prince has given me to anyone. You don’t even know this?”

Damie questioned, smiling brightly like a flower. And she turned to a speechless Leah, and she nailed her with her final attack.

“Your name is… … Miss Leah Judith, right? The next time I visit the Crown Prince, I must report the conversation we had today.”

“… … !!”

Leah’s face eventually turned twisted with roaring thoughts.

Leah’s family was not very powerful and the Crown Prince will never turn a blind eye to her disrespect, as someone from the pro-temple faction.

She was just planning to intimidate Damia, but she never imagined things would turn out so big for her.

‘What do I do?’

Troubled Leah looked to Teresa, seeking her help. Instead, Teresa’s pretty face flashed a vexed expression.

‘Useless, can’t even intimidate a one single northern villager.’

Teresa sighed and stepped forward. And she bowed her head slightly to Damia, offering a pretentious apology.

“I’m sorry, Miss Damia. It seems that my friend Leah made a ‘mistake’ by worrying too much. It was all done for me with a friendly heart, so please blame me instead.”

Damia frowned inwardly without answering. Certainly, when Teresa stepped forward this way, it would be difficult for her to hold Leah accountable.

Not even Heinrich, the Crown Prince, could not now question Teresa for being recklessly or blame her for being rude. It was because behind her house, was the High Temple.

So Damia was forced to take a step back.

“… … I see, Miss Teresa has apologized, so I’ll just ignore Miss Leah’s mistake. It’s really nice to see ‘friendship’ in the capital.”

“Thank you for looking at me that way.”

At Damie’s soft voice, bearing her thorns, Teresa also responded with a smile. Teresa wisely realized that further comments about Heinrich would only be poison.

‘Cursed is the Crown Prince.’

A nuisance that even the slightest slip of the tongue would be an insult to the royal family. So Teresa decided to find a safer means of attack.

At least there was one suitable thing. Teresa, who blinked her seemingly innocent eyes, concealed her malice and asked naturally:

“By the way, Miss Damia, when you came to the capital, I heard you were accompanied by Sir Akkard? I heard that Lord Akkard visited your mansion several times. If it’s not rude, may I ask what kind of relationship you two have?”

“Oh no, I can’t. It is a rude question.”

Damia struck back with a shrewd smile.

After all, Teresa, backed by the High Temple, was her enemy; it was useless to try to look good to her.

‘If I leave the capital, I’ll never see you again anyways.’

Damia who had no intentions of staying here for long, had no qualms. Thanks to this, the other girls who fawned over Teresa were dumbfounded.

‘Oh my! How absurd! What nerve to talk to Teresa like that.’

‘I ignored her for being a peasant, but she’s no joke.’

But in spite of Damia’s attitude, Teresa smiled softly, without a sign of agitation.

“I see. Please forgive me if my question was rude. Since Miss Damia is from the North, I said this out of a woman’s concern that you might not know much about Sir Akkard.”

Oh, you must be really worried about me, Damia chuckled inside, but she asked, with her eyes wide open, as if outwardly shocked.

“Oh my goodness. What do you mean I don’t know?”

Teresa’s eyes twinkled like a viper at Damia’s reaction, which seemed to be very suspicious.