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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: I Thought I Was the Protagonist
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Imperial Consort Isabel, who had been smiling contentedly at my declaration, froze.
I could see Prince Luciano lifting his head in surprise.
Everyone gasped in confusion. In the distance, I spotted my parents on the verge of fainting.
The atmosphere had turned icy cold, pressing in on me from all sides.
But I pretended to be oblivious and flashed a bright smile.
*What can you do? They say I'm too young to read the room.*
"Um, so could we perhaps learn the name of our sweet young lady?"
As if the stiffness had never happened, Imperial Consort Isabel was smiling again.
It looked so benevolent it was downright terrifying. She was no one to take lightly.
"I'm Espin Samuel. Count Benjamin Samuel is my father."
Imperial Consort Isabel let out a strange sound of admiration and glanced toward my parents.
*Did they raise her to be this clueless?* Her eyes probably shot them a warning look like that.
Seeing my parents' faces drain of color at the glance, I felt a twinge of guilt.
"So you're the daughter of Count Samuel. A pleasure to meet you, Espin. How old are you now?"
"It's an honor to meet you too. I'll be eight this year."
"Eight years old—still so young. That must be why you're so kind and brave."
Imperial Consort Isabel's voice was gentle enough.
But the implication hidden within was, *What you just did was foolish and stupid.*
I beamed innocently under the Crown Prince's piercing gaze.
"Thank you for the praise."
At my sunny demeanor, a faint furrow creased Imperial Consort Isabel's brow.
*What's with this clueless girl?* Her stare seemed to say.
Then, as if deciding I was just slow because of my age, she added more.
"Everyone else is staying quiet, yet you step up to be friends with the lonely Prince Luciano. Impressive. You're very kind, probably because you're still young."
Everyone else is quiet, so you should be too.
*The prince isn't lonely for no reason.*
That's what her words implied. So I shouted brightly.
"Yes! I'm very, very kind!"
Her face stiffened again at my sunny reply, as if I hadn't caught a single hint.
Ignoring my father's horrified expression and Prince Luciano's unchildlike stare, I smiled even wider.
Kids aren't completely oblivious.
They can't make perfectly calculated judgments like adults.
But they instinctively sense if a reaction is positive or negative.
That's why the other children avoided Prince Luciano following the adults' decisions.
Noble children are even shrewder. Especially gauging the moods of those higher in status—it's drilled into them from childhood.
So someone as oblivious as me must be a first even for Imperial Consort Isabel.
Her patience seemed to be reaching its limit, her lips twitching.
"Hm, so Espin wants to be Prince Luciano's friend?"
"Yes. That's what I said earlier."
I ignored the signal begging me to back out now.
And widened my eyes innocently, as if I had no idea what the problem was.
After glaring at me murderously for a moment, Imperial Consort Isabel glanced at Prince Luciano and changed her question.
"Why do you want to be Prince Luciano's friend, Espin?"
*Because this is a novel world, I'm a possessed protagonist, and he's a future love interest candidate.*
...I couldn't say that, so I clamped my mouth shut.
Seeming to read my hesitation, Imperial Consort Isabel smiled loosely.
"You stepped up to be Prince Luciano's friend, so there must be a reason. Is it pity?"
"Pardon?"
"Pity for poor Prince Luciano with no friends, so our kind Espin wants to be his friend?"
Her blunt words left me speechless for a moment.
Imperial Consort Isabel had two intentions in using such direct language.
First, to warn me to face reality about Prince Luciano's situation.
Second, to make Prince Luciano distrust me.
I glanced at Prince Luciano—his red eyes had gone cold.
I hadn't even answered, yet he glared as if I'd called him pitiable myself. It was ridiculous.
The wedge seemed to have driven in perfectly.
What cracked me up more was everyone around, too busy watching Imperial Consort Isabel to speak up.
"Your words are weird, Your Imperial Consortship."
"What's weird about them?"
Imperial Consort Isabel, observing Prince Luciano, softened her voice, thinking the wedge had worked.
"I was taught to get along with kids my age. Does being friends need a reason? Didn't everyone else learn that?"
I tilted my head like I genuinely didn't get it.
Then I slowly met the adults' eyes.
*Grown-ups, you should feel ashamed.*
The intent was to make them feel guilty for ganging up to ostracize one child—and it hit home.
They all looked flustered and averted their gazes.
"I'm not a baby anymore—I'm an eight-year-old big sister now, so I'll get along with everyone!"
I added it brightly so it wouldn't sound like a scolding.
Even the nobles weren't completely thoughtless; they hung their heads in shame.
Imperial Consort Isabel glared at me sharply.
Feeling the pressure, I averted my eyes slightly—and locked gazes with Prince Luciano.
He was giving me a strange look.
In that moment, I knew.
This was the moment he started to notice me.
Everything had gone exactly as planned. I felt proud.
*Now I'll be Prince Luciano's childhood friend, right?*
That would check off the childhood friend cliché for the male lead in this romance possession novel.
One step closer to making Prince Luciano my man.
"So Espin is determined to be friends with Prince Luciano?"
Imperial Consort Isabel's patience snapped, her voice turning sharp.
She seemed too emotional to realize her own mistake.
The other adults murmured awkwardly in embarrassment.
But their refusal to intervene with Imperial Consort Isabel disgusted me.
Not wanting to show it, I widened my eyes in feigned shock.
"Your Imperial Consortship, that question is even weirder!"
"...What's weird about it?"
Only then did she seem to recall she'd lost control of her emotions, steadying her voice.
"Well, earlier you said you were worried because Prince Luciano was alone. You asked if anyone would be his friend. So I stepped up, but your last question sounds like you don't want me to be friends with him."
"That's..."
I caught the flicker of realization in Imperial Consort Isabel's belated awareness of her slip.
I pressed the attack before her confusion cleared.
"Surely Your Imperial Consortship wouldn't mind Prince Luciano making a friend."
"Of, of course not."
"Then what's the reason? Oh, is it because I'm not good enough?"
"What?"
"Is a count's child too lacking to be the prince's friend?"
On the last words, I squeezed out tears by glaring hard.
Crying outright would be too obvious.
The key was just enough to pool at the corners of my eyes.
With teary eyes, I crafted the look of a heartbroken child.
"Hm..."
"This looks bad..."
"It's like she's being bullied..."
An awkward air spread among the nobles.
Just as someone murmured, it looked like innocent little me was being oppressed by Imperial Consort Isabel.
She must have sensed it too.
As her glare intensified, I quickly buried my face in my hands and let out a pitiful voice.
"I'm sorry. I'm so lacking and clueless. A count's kid who doesn't know when to butt in!"
I added fake sobs—*sob sob*—and the nobles' murmurs grew louder. Imperial Consort Isabel had no choice but to defuse the situation.
"That's not what I meant. You must have misunderstood, Espin. Of course you can play with Prince Luciano."
"Really? So I qualify as Prince Luciano's friend?"
At her soothing words, I snapped my head up with a delighted voice.
Seeing no tears on my face, Imperial Consort Isabel's expression twisted.
A murmur of *Huh?* rippled through the crowd.
But I ignored it, smiling innocently and forcing her answer.
"Your Imperial Consortship, can I be friends with Prince Luciano?"
She couldn't say no now.
"...Yes, of course. Please get along well with Prince Luciano, Espin."
"Yes! I will!"
I responded enthusiastically to her grudging words.
Her grip tightened so hard her fan trembled.
I jumped up and stood before Prince Luciano.
"Prince Luciano, let's be good friends, just like Her Imperial Consortship said!"
Prince Luciano stared at my smiling face.
He looked at me like I was some curiosity, which was a bit much, but I kept smiling.
Finally, he nodded slowly.
*This must be the protagonist buff!*
Things had gone so smoothly I was thrilled.
I puffed up with confidence. Now I just had to stick to his side like glue and wait for him to fall for me.
With the protagonist buff, he'd fall for me eventually.
Yes, up until then, I firmly believed I'd become Prince Luciano's childhood friend.
I Thought I Was the Protagonist
