Chapter 9
9.
What the Empress had thrown was a wanted poster for the coachman who had abetted the carriage accident and fled without taking responsibility.
The charge was simple flight, but the bounty was far higher than what was usually offered for such petty criminals.
It was a sign that Marquis Bennett was actively searching for the culprit who had put his daughter in danger.
“You couldn’t even handle one girl, and you let things get to this point?”
Carola shrieked, throwing a book she had grabbed.
Public opinion was filled with sympathy for the young lady who had nearly died in a terrible accident, while at the same time, conspiracy theories blossomed suggesting it wasn’t a mere mishap.
The plan to keep Ian from expanding his influence had instead returned as a shackle.
‘One girl, she says… easier said than done.’
Count Wighill pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away a cold sweat.
He had plenty he wanted to say as well.
To suddenly be ordered to assassinate a Marquis’s daughter—was that even reasonable?
Unlike the Empress, who merely sat and gave orders, it was an utter nightmare for him, the one who actually had to take action.
Nevertheless, the plan he had devised wasn’t bad for something so rushed.
A poor young lady who passed away in an unfortunate carriage accident.
If not for an unexpected variable, it would surely have succeeded.
“Of all things, for the Crown Prince to be passing by and save that girl—does that even make sense?!”
The problem was simply that the variable, Crown Prince Ian Heriet, had been too fatal.
To be precise, it was Lobelin who had saved Cornelia.
However, because Ian’s presence afterward had been more striking, the spy had reported that the Crown Prince had resolved the matter.
“What if that fox-like Crown Prince digs into this?!”
Faced with the Empress’s fiery wrath, the Count had nothing to say and could only bow his head.
Carola, unable to contain her rage, was slamming both fists onto her desk.
She had hoped that if the Marquis’s daughter were at least severely injured, the engagement would fall through.
Instead, by saving her, Ian had only strengthened their bond.
‘Ian Heriet! That loathsome wretch!’
She had even cruelly severed her own past to finally place the Empress’s crown upon her head.
Yet, from the moment they first met, Ian had been a massive mountain blocking her ambitions.
It was fine when he was still young. She thought there would be plenty of opportunities.
‘But there’s no more time. His Majesty has grown old.’
In contrast, the child Ian had suddenly grown into a young man.
Once he married, he would be treated as the respectable next Emperor.
‘I cannot simply hand over the throne to Ian like this.’
Carola knew exactly what kind of gaze Ian directed at her and Maximilian.
Once Ian Heriet became Emperor, her son would surely…
“Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince has arrived.”
“Mother!”
Maximilian entered the Empress’s office with his tutor at just the right time.
Carola’s face, which had been deeply wrinkled with a scowl, brightened instantly.
“Oh, Maxim. My child. Have you finished your lessons?”
As if she had never been in a fiery rage, Carola returned to the face of an infinitely kind mother.
‘Phew.’
Seeing this, Count Wighill let out a silent sigh of relief.
He thought it was a good idea to have told the tutor to bring the Prince to the Empress’s Palace immediately after his lessons.
However, the effect did not last long.
“Yes, Mother. I practiced the violin today. Would you like to hear it?”
“Hmm? The violin?”
Upon hearing Maximilian’s words, the Empress looked at the tutor who had entered with him with an absurd expression.
“Isn’t today the day for political science?”
“Ah, that is… His Highness insisted on playing for Her Majesty today.”
“Hehehe.”
Unlike Maximilian, who was grinning foolishly, Carola’s face contorted.
Of course, it wasn’t the tutor’s fault.
The education of a Prince, as opposed to a Crown Prince, was conducted relatively loosely.
“By the Prince’s age, the Crown Prince had already mastered the study of kingship!”
But for Carola, this was utterly unacceptable.
Maximilian had to be superior to Ian in every way.
His mother was working herself to death like this.
And yet, he was giggling over a mere violin!
“I don’t want to see it, so take it out.”
“M-Mother.”
“Right now!”
In the end, the Prince hung his head dejectedly and left the room.
And Count Wighill had to endure the Empress’s venting for a long time.
“Bell, how can I ever repay this debt? You’re my savior.”
Three days later, Lobelin and Cornelia were walking together through a bustling street.
It was a meeting to deliver thank-you gifts from the Marquis’s estate to Lobelin.
Lobelin had flatly refused, surprised by the gifts that filled two entire carriages, but after seeing the heartfelt letter from the Marquis and his wife, she decided to accept them.
‘Ah, there’s one here too.’
Lobelin guided Cornelia’s gaze toward herself so that she wouldn’t see the wanted poster.
It was a consideration for Cornelia, who might still be traumatized by the accident.
Lobelin’s own heart grew heavy whenever she saw these posters, wondering who the mastermind behind the incident was.
“Say, Bell. How was His Highness?”
“Hmm? What do you mean, how was he?”
Contrary to Lobelin’s worries, however, Cornelia fortunately didn’t seem to have any lingering trauma.
She continued the conversation in a bright voice, no different than before the accident.
“He saved you that day and even took you home! Isn’t that literally like something out of a fairy tale?”
At Cornelia’s words, Lobelin shook her head inwardly.
‘Fairy tale, my foot. Just think of the crimes that man committed at my house.’
First, there was theft. The theft of a portrait.
Because she had been caught in such a scene yesterday, it felt too embarrassing to ask Brian to get the painting back.
‘In the end, I didn’t even hear who it was that was targeting Cornelia.’
No, do such people even exist in the first place?
It wasn’t as if she could trust Ian.
Lobelin shook her head inwardly.
In any case, in the aftermath of the accident, the Marquis and his wife had strengthened their daughter’s security.
Even now, agile knights would be watching from a distance.
‘She’ll be safe for now, but she has to be careful in the future.’
And the greatest danger to Connie would surely be Ian Heriet.
Having finished her thoughts, Lobelin stopped walking.
She then turned to Cornelia with a serious expression.
“Connie.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t trust His Highness too much.”
Because he’s the absolute worst of the worst.
Lobelin began to vent her grievances about Ian to Cornelia, whose eyes widened in confusion.
Of course, she couldn’t speak specifically about what had happened.
So, she focused on describing his personality—how petty and narrow-minded he was.
With this, she hoped and prayed that Cornelia would never choose Ian.
“…So, he’s the most! Pathetic! Man in the Empire.”
“It’s an honor that you think so highly of me.”
Suddenly, at the voice coming from behind her, Lobelin felt a chill run down her spine.
“The evaluation is much more generous than I expected.”
‘Oh, please!’
Lobelin squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could deny reality.
“I greet His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Ah, I am traveling incognito today, so please save the greetings, my lady. It becomes tiresome if people recognize me like last time.”
However, seeing Cornelia hurriedly showing her respects, Lobelin could no longer pretend not to notice.
She turned around with her head bowed low.
“I-I greet Your Highness.”
“Are you deaf? I said I’m incognito.”
A cocky tone, different from when he spoke to Cornelia, reached her ears.
Lobelin gritted her teeth and stood up.
“Ahaha, I am also a loyal subject of the Imperial Family, so how could I possibly—”
“I didn’t see any such loyalty just a moment ago.”
“…….”
Struck by the truth, Lobelin was left speechless.
After all, hadn’t she been caught red-handed badmouthing him?
But to admit it now would be the crime of insulting royalty.
So, she had to insist it wasn’t true even if it killed her.
“I-It’s a misunderstanding. We were talking about a novel.”
“A novel? What’s the title?”
“Uh, that, well…”
Ian tilted his head and looked down at Lobelin.
His attitude said, ‘Go ahead, try to make an excuse.’
At that, cold sweat broke out on Lobelin’s back.
“It’s a titleless novel floating around the streets, Your Highness.”
Agonized, Lobelin looked sideways with startled eyes.
Cornelia was calmly making up a story.
“I said I wanted to read it, but Lady Dines was stopping me, saying the content was inappropriate. She said that even if it’s a fictional setting, making the Imperial Family the villains is too blasphemous. Isn’t that right, Bell?”
On top of that, she was even subtly humbling herself to protect Lobelin!
When Lobelin looked over, Cornelia gave her a wink.
In that moment, Lobelin felt as if she could see a halo behind Cornelia’s head.
“Hmm.”
Since the daughter of a Marquis put it that way, Ian couldn’t press the matter any further.
Ian narrowed his eyes and looked down at Lobelin.
First Duke Raven, and today Lady Bennett.
‘Is it a talent to have friends come to the rescue in every moment of crisis?’
In that case, he would have to separate her from her friends.
Having finished his thought, Ian reached out.
Until then, Lobelin had been looking at Cornelia with eyes full of gratitude.
“Huh?”
Suddenly grabbed by the scruff of her neck, Lobelin looked bewildered.
But as she felt herself being lifted, she began to struggle in surprise.
“W-What are you doing?!”
“You, follow me.”
“What? Me? Why?”
Lobelin cried out urgently.
Cornelia, not knowing what to do, could only look back and forth between Lobelin and Ian.
“My lady, if you’ll excuse me, may I take this woman with me?”
“Pardon? Oh, if Your Highness needs her.”
“Thank you. Then, excuse us.”
Still holding Lobelin’s clothes, Ian strode away.
With her feet nearly off the ground, Lobelin had no choice but to scurry along beside him as if she were flying.
“Co-Connie!”
Leaving behind only a solitary scream.
‘My goodness.’
Watching the two of them grow distant, Cornelia covered her mouth with both hands.
She felt her heart racing despite herself.
To just snatch Bell away like that without a second thought!
‘His Highness must have fallen for Bell!’
It was clear that the recent accident had been the catalyst.
Come to think of it, it had been strange from the moment he offered to take her home first.
Finding herself witnessing such a situation, Cornelia stomped her feet and let out a silent internal scream.
‘To fall in love with the Crown Prince through a chance accident. It’s so romantic!’
