13 - My Husband is My Favorite, But I Think I'm Going to Get Divorced
Chapter 13
To think he'd visit right after we talked about His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.
He was royalty, not just a noble, yet he clearly lacked manners.
I chuckled inwardly and asked coldly,
"You didn't even send word that you were coming, did you?"
Seeing Ann nod, I sighed and averted my gaze.
"Melissa. It seems he knows you rejected the marriage proposal, so you should go see him."
At this point, that was the only reason His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince would visit the Duke's residence.
Melissa also rose slowly from her seat with an uncomfortable expression.
However.
"Um, Miss."
Ann interjected with a troubled voice.
"His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince is not here to see Melissa."
"...What?"
An ominous premonition ran down my spine.
"He wishes to see you, Miss..."
No, damn it!
A curse burst out of me before I knew it.
Ann and Melissa flinched and glanced at me, probably because my expression clearly showed my displeasure.
I quickly relaxed my expression for the sake of the frightened pair. Then, I tried to think positively.
Honestly, he was someone I wanted to avoid if possible, but now that things had turned out this way, I thought it might be better to meet him once before the wedding, like Richard, and sort things out for sure.
After all, it was obvious that he wanted to meet me because Melissa had rejected the marriage proposal.
"O-Onni! Should I see His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince with you? I'll tell him directly that it was my decision, regardless of you."
Melissa spoke cautiously, as if she had the same thought as me.
She must be uncomfortable meeting the Crown Prince herself. She probably mustered her courage because it was obvious that I would be in trouble.
I gave Melissa a grateful smile and shook my head.
"No. I think it's better for me to go alone."
\ \ *
I headed straight to the drawing-room where His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince was.
Ann cautiously asked if I should change my dress after discovering a stain on it, but I didn't want to bother going to such lengths just to meet the Crown Prince.
Of course, I briefly had the spiteful thought of making a guest who had come without notice wait, but the desire to meet the Crown Prince and get him out of this mansion as quickly as possible was greater.
As soon as I burst open the drawing-room door and stepped inside, I regretted my choice a little.
"I didn't expect you to come so quickly. You must have missed me terribly?"
I never imagined I would hear such an obnoxious thing!
I was dumbfounded to see His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince lounging slovenly on the sofa in the Duke's drawing-room as if it were his own living room.
'Of course, he's the male lead for a reason.'
His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince Cayden Elios, befitting his reputation as a war hero, was a classic handsome man with a well-built and sturdy physique. His neatly styled red hair was swept back, revealing his smooth forehead and distinct features, giving him a cool yet sharp aura.
However.
'Evgenia, did you really like the Crown Prince?'
I expected Evgenia's emotions to overwhelm me as I came here.
In fact, I felt intense emotions surging as I faced the Crown Prince.
But those emotions... were not the feelings of falling in love, like a fluttering heart or a flushed body, as I had imagined.
Rather, a chill seeped into my bones, and a terrible pain filled my heart to the point of bursting.
It was closer to the hatred and anger I had felt when I met Richard and my family, or rather, more than all of them combined.
'Maybe love turned into resentment.'
If someone as proud as Evgenia was constantly rejected, it was plausible.
It was easier to understand if gouging out Richard's eyes was on the same line. Because the moment she faced eyes as red as the Crown Prince's, anger would have surged as if blood was rushing backwards.
Perhaps it was because I kept thinking calmly and steeling my heart.
Fortunately, I was able to act with less emotional sway than ever before.
"I greet His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince."
My mouth felt gritty as if I had chewed on sand, but I ignored it, lowered my eyes, and paid my respects. Cayden raised one eyebrow crookedly and let out a burst of laughter.
"I thought you had changed a little, but you're still the same. Nothing has changed."
...The inner core is a completely different person, though?
I wanted to retort sarcastically, but I held back, fearing that my life might become twisted as a result.
Now was the time to sort out the tangled relationships one by one.
I sighed inwardly and waited for Cayden to tell me to sit down.
Strictly speaking, I was the owner of the house, but because the uninvited guest happened to be royalty, I had to ask for permission to sit down.
It was a deplorable situation, I thought, when the Crown Prince suddenly rose from the sofa.
The imposing man stood before me, casting a shadow.
"I assume you know that I sent a marriage proposal to your cousin?"
How could I not know? I know you were rejected too.
For some reason, a sense of defiance and competitiveness arose, and as I nodded inwardly, Cayden let out a hollow laugh and asked.
"So, did you bash your head against the wall like an idiot?"
"..."
No, what's wrong with the Duke's security? At this rate, wouldn't it be rumored all over the neighborhood that the Princess had harmed herself?
I was flustered and raised my hand to my forehead, but the bandage had been removed a few days ago, and the wound had healed well without a scar, so there was nothing to feel.
'Could it be...'
"Sir Alexis told me."
I knew that guy had said it!
Why is Alexis's mouth so light compared to his size?
I clenched my trembling fists tightly and replied.
"It's nothing for Your Highness to worry about."
"Even though it's because of me?"
"..."
"Besides, I heard that your condition has become quite strange since you collapsed."
Unlike before, when it was difficult to argue and I kept my mouth shut, this time I had a lot to say.
"Strange condition? I'm perfectly fine. No, rather, I've come to my senses."
At that, Cayden twitched one eyebrow.
"Come to your senses...?"
"Yes. I've come to my senses and decided to cleanly give up my feelings for His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince. I won't bother His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince in the future, so don't worry."
I smiled refreshingly as I told Cayden what I had wanted to say all along. And I watched Cayden's reaction.
Because it was a statement that Evgenia would never have made, I expected him to show a surprised expression as if he had been caught off guard.
I might be narrow-minded, but from the moment I entered the drawing-room, his relaxed posture and the way he said I had obviously come running to see him were annoying, and I wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine.
However, contrary to expectations, the Crown Prince's face was filled with nothing but ridicule, let alone any sign of agitation.
"You've decided to give up your feelings for me?"
His reaction was not simply disbelief, but as if he had heard a ridiculous lie, which made me feel even worse.
The Crown Prince's lips, which were raised leisurely, were hateful, and I glared at him sharply and said in a serious voice.
"Yes. And I'm going to marry someone else."
At that moment, the smile disappeared from Cayden's face.
Before I could even feel the thrill at the Crown Prince's hardening expression, he suddenly bent down and grabbed my shoulders tightly.
"You're going to marry, leaving me behind? With someone else? Do you think I'll believe that?"
The air in the room instantly turned frigid as if it had dropped below zero.
My whole body tingled as if it had been cut by sharp blades from the murderous intent emitted by the Sword Master, but I didn't show it and answered with gritted teeth.
"Yes."
"Evgenia. You're giving up my side... the position of Crown Princess? Do you think I'll believe those words?"
If you don't want to believe it, then don't, why are you intimidating people!
I glared fiercely at Cayden, but in the end, I couldn't stand it and frowned.
I didn't want to show weakness, but my body was trembling from the pressure, and the parts that were being held were hurting, so I couldn't help it.
Cayden, who had paused, hurriedly took his hands off my shoulders.
No sooner had I felt relieved than.
"Well, it's fresher than screaming and pretending to die like before. But if you're going to lie, at least put some effort into it."
Another absurd remark poured out of the Crown Prince's mouth.
"I'm serious. I've already sent a marriage proposal..."
I was dumbfounded and looked straight at Cayden's face to retort, but suddenly my eyes widened.
'Huh? A bug?'
Did it follow me all the way from the greenhouse?
A creature that shouldn't be in the drawing-room was flying around His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince very diligently.
