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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The Princess's Test
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Ella and Eric met when they were teenagers.
At fourteen, Eric's skill with the sword was already renowned.
Hearing the rumors, the Royal Knights had encouraged him early on to formally take the entrance exam.
A family of ducal rank would normally use all sorts of tricks to prevent their only son from taking such an exam.
The Royal Knights was not a place for the eldest son and heir of a high-ranking noble. And while he could have intentionally failed the exam, Eric took it earnestly and became a Royal Knight.
Thanks to this, Eric was assigned to escort Ella on her visit to the Northern Grand Duke's domain. And midway through their journey, Ella's carriage overturned.
As the first in line for the throne since childhood, Ella had endured numerous assassination attempts, and because of this, she rarely lost her composure, no matter the situation.
It was the same then.
‘If you’re going to kill me, just do it cleanly and be on your way. That is, if my brother or His Majesty the King bought you.’
‘What nonsense are you talking about.’
Dangling precariously from the edge of a cliff, Ella could never forget the indifferent tone of Eric's voice as he reached out for her.
What nonsense are you talking about.
With those words, devoid of any emotion, Eric pulled Ella up.
She would later learn that the carriage accident had been orchestrated by the Northern Grand Duke.
Eric, who had become her guard, had also been approached by the Grand Duke but had easily rebuffed him.
‘Why? Siding with the Grand Duke would have been quite advantageous for House Orleans, wouldn't it?’
‘My vow to protect you, Princess, came first.’
‘And if the Grand Duke had bought you first?’
‘I would have kept my word to him.’
‘…Is that something you should be saying to my face?’
"Ugh… what a dull man."
Ella shuddered as she looked at Eric across from her.
Of course, that very dullness was precisely why she worked with him.
"You know, it's about time you opened your eyes to the affections between men and women. I could understand it when you were in the Royal Knights, bound by a vow of celibacy for religious reasons, but you've left that behind now."
The princess spoke, sweeping aside the beaded curtain of the private room, which radiated a strange atmosphere.
Beyond it, nobles could be seen engaged in something that was neither dance nor simple movement, accompanied by the sultry song of an opera singer. Eric averted his gaze, shuddering.
Seeing Eric subtly make the sign of the cross, Ella shook her head.
"Honestly… you old man…"
Unfazed by the princess's chiding, Eric took something out from his coat.
It was a document. The princess's eyes narrowed at the sight of it.
"You actually brought it."
The princess looked back and forth between Eric and Lily, who stood beside him, as if intrigued. Taking the document, she asked Eric.
"The heir to Orleans, stealing documents from his own house? How am I supposed to take this?"
Eric replied succinctly to the princess's question.
"I swore an oath of loyalty to you, Princess. I was merely following your command."
For months, Princess Ella had ordered Eric to collect documents related to the assets of noble families.
This was due to rumors that her brother, Robert, was colluding with noble houses on a business venture—by embezzling royal funds, of course.
And among the noble houses that had earned Ella's suspicion was House Orleans.
Yet, Ella did not exclude Eric from the task of investigating his own family. On the contrary, she gave him a special order to pretend to leave the knighthood to inherit the dukedom and infiltrate his own house.
It was a situation ripe for betraying the princess. The reason Ella had entrusted him with this task, however, was simple.
"So. Did you open it?"
At the princess's words, Eric's hand, which had been reaching for his teacup, froze.
Eric was the kind of man who would drink black tea alone in a dimly lit ballroom.
The princess watched the change in Eric's expression intently.
"I did not."
"How could you know what was inside?"
Eric hesitated for a moment at her words, Imeline's voice echoing in his mind.
*Ignorance is also a sin…*
*Is there truly something I don't know?*
But distrust was as much a sin as ignorance.
And as far as Eric knew, the Duke of Orleans, his father, was not a man who kept secrets from him.
Eric said calmly.
"My father is also a man who has sworn his loyalty to you, Princess."
The Duke of Orleans was one of the few central nobles from the capital who had voted in the council to name a woman as the royal heir.
The princess scoffed.
"Not everyone is like you…"
The princess opened the envelope.
Just as the princess's expression shifted slightly while she scanned the papers inside, Eric spotted a woman beyond the open curtain.
Red hair, a yellow dress—
Eric's brow furrowed.
"Hmm… nothing special here. House Orleans… for a family that owns such vast territory, this is surprisingly clean."
The princess set the documents down, looking disappointed. Eric, whose attention had been captured by the scene outside, finally turned his head and took them.
"Is that so?"
Eric examined the papers.
There was truly nothing there.
His time as a knight commander had made him familiar with reading ledgers. Even after his meticulous inspection, the ducal accounting documents seemed to have no major issues.
Eric spoke, his expression visibly relieved.
"There really is nothing here."
"Yes. What a shaaaame."
"Were you hoping to find something?"
When Eric asked in disbelief, the princess nodded as if it were obvious.
"Of course. House Orleans would be a big catch. If I could hook one of the Duke's secrets, I could use it to secure his family's loyalty, and if things go well, I could even make you mine, seeing as you don't have a fiancée yet."
At the princess's blatant words, Lily cleared her throat. But Eric, knowing there was no personal desire behind such a statement, simply frowned and stepped back, as if afraid even a single strand of her hair might touch him.
"Marriage is sacred. It can only happen when a man and a woman trust and truly love one another."
The princess let out a small laugh at Eric's words.
She clicked her tongue, chiding the man who sat before a cup of black tea.
"You are soooo stuffy. What will you do when your family arranges a marriage for you? What guarantee is there that your wife won't be someone who frequents these nightly galas, just like me? It would be much easier on your heart to just become mine. I may have many consorts, but I promise I'll dote on you."
Even as she said it, the princess believed that a man like Eric Orleans would genuinely trust and love even a partner from a political marriage.
Just as his father, the Duke, had.
*'A dull father and son.'*
To the princess, Eric was merely a tedious man, but most of the young ladies in high society would likely find him 'romantic.'
*'He'd make a good husband. Though it would be a dreadfully dull marriage.'*
While the princess was lost in thought, Eric put the documents away as if he hadn't heard a word she said.
But just as he was about to rise, Eric stopped and asked the princess.
"Here… what exactly do all the people who come here… do?"
Eric's voice faltered. He had a general idea based on the behavior of some nobles he'd seen upon entering, but he held onto a sliver of hope that there was a line they wouldn't cross.
*'Imeline Wedgwood.'*
*With the wedding only three days away, what on earth is that strange woman planning to do here?*
The princess laughed, bewildered by Eric's question, which was so serious it was almost tragic.
"Young Lord, do you truly have no idea what's on the upper floors of this grand building?"
Eric looked up at the ceiling the princess was pointing to, his brow furrowed.
"What is…"
His eyes met the princess's, his expression clearly asking, *what is it used for?*
Ella suddenly felt like a wicked aunt teasing an innocent boy. She cleared her throat and turned away.
"Um… a place with four walls… and a soft bed? A place the Young Lord will likely never have reason to visit, but…"
The moment he heard those words, Eric's face contorted. But it was only for an instant; he quickly masked his expression and left the private room.
*'Sorry for shattering your innocence…'*
Ella thought to herself.
As soon as Eric left the room, she gestured to Lily.
"Those documents just now, can we really trust them?"
Lily nodded at the princess's words.
"Yes. I confirmed that the Young Lord retrieved them from a secret safe in the Duke's office."
At that, Ella let out a small laugh and nodded.
"Is that so… Then what's the possibility that the Duke is deceiving even his own son?"
Lily shook her head at the princess's question.
"The father and son have quite a good relationship."
"You can't know that just from appearances. Keep watching them."
The princess pouted at Lily's words. Lily bowed her head, saying, "As you command."
*Such a dull father and son… Like father, like son? Or will there be some interesting twist?*
The princess pondered for a moment before gesturing to Lily.
"You may go now. I intend to enjoy the rest of my night."
It seemed her curiosity wouldn't be satisfied by a single document, after all.
