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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Bedfellow
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What could I do, no matter how unfair it felt? I was in no position to argue with the Crown Prince, let alone a god. A mere nobleman’s daughter couldn't possibly refuse a demand from the future emperor of the realm.
“...Rank is its own kind of tyranny.”
“Young Lady.”
“Yes! Is something the matter? Please, just say the word. I will have it brought to you immediately.”
I’d muttered that incredibly quietly. Surely he didn’t hear me?
“It doesn’t feel right, kicking the owner out to take her bed.”
…Is he telling me to come lie next to him?
“I don’t need a blanket, so you can take it.”
Ah, so that’s what he meant.
“And I will grant you a sufficient reward later. What do you like? Money?”
“No, not at all. It is an honor for my family that I can be of service to Your Highness.”
“The correct answer. But you do like money, don't you?”
“Well, if you’re offering, I won’t refuse.”
Raynerd’s half-closed eyes crinkled as he let out a soft chuckle.
“I didn’t know you had such a personality. You can’t judge someone by rumors alone. Ah, you must keep this a secret. The fact that the Crown Prince suffers from insomnia, and that he seems to be under a strange curse.”
“Of course!”
If that kind of information got out, it would be prime fodder for political disputes. Unless I had multiple lives to spare, my only choice was to keep my mouth shut.
“Then I’m counting on you.”
With those final words, the Crown Prince closed his eyes. I found myself staring blankly at his face for a moment.
His features were both strong and delicate, his hair like threads of gold. Could any description fit him better than the novel’s, ‘a sculpture molded from all the world's nobility’?
‘He’d be perfect if he didn’t spout nonsense about falling in love with me.’
With that trivial thought, I took the blanket and went to the sofa. If I tried to sleep in an empty room, the servants would surely find it strange wandering the halls.
Just imagining the chaos that would erupt if they discovered the Crown Prince sleeping in my room gave me a headache. Besides, Raynerd had asked me to keep it a secret.
After placing the blanket on the sofa, I checked the terrace window, just in case. It seemed he had locked it properly after coming in.
To so easily bypass the marquis’s security… he may be the second male lead, but he’s a male lead all the same. In the worst-case scenario, he could at least resort to thievery to keep the heroine from starving.
‘I’ll think about the comments and the curse tomorrow.’
I returned to the sofa and lay down. Drowsiness washed over me at once. I was just as exhausted.
Just as I was about to drift into a sweet slumber, I was forced to open my eyes again. Someone was shaking me by the shoulder.
That was the second time today. The second time I’d been forcibly woken up by someone else just as I was about to fall asleep.
“...Is something wrong?”
But since my counterpart was none other than the magnificent Crown Prince, I suppressed my irritation and asked kindly. His face, far more steeped in annoyance than mine, replied in a low voice.
“I can’t sleep. At first, I was certain I could finally rest… but strangely, the drowsiness vanished in an instant.”
“Perhaps my bed has nothing to do with Your Highness’s auditory hallucinations?”
I asked, filled with hope, but the man shook his head.
“Your face still keeps flashing before my eyes.”
We’re not even in love, so why the hell does my face keep flashing before his eyes?!
Suddenly, the Crown Prince shot a heated gaze at me.
“That sofa.”
“The s-sofa? What about it?”
“I covet it. Give it to me.”
“Pardon? Not the bed?”
“I don’t know why, but I’ve been wanting to lie on that sofa. The bed is no longer necessary, so you may sleep there. Let’s switch places.”
At his words, I returned to the bed. The Crown Prince crammed his body onto the sofa in what looked like a very uncomfortable position.
‘He’s so large that even the sofa looks small. It was just the right size when I was on it.’
In any case, if I could sleep comfortably in my bed, I was all for it. Now, to finally get some sleep.
‘But why did he suddenly switch from the bed to the sofa? Could it be…’
No, that’s impossible. I should stop thinking such useless thoughts and just sleep. I tried my best to doze off.
Perhaps because I was so tired, sleepiness washed over me the moment my head hit the pillow. But this time, too.
“Young Lady, wake up for a moment.”
“What is it now…”
An undeniable note of irritation began to creep into my voice. Waking me up just as I’m about to sleep, over and over. Was he doing this on purpose?
The Crown Prince seemed embarrassed as well, averting his gaze.
“I can’t sleep on the sofa either.”
“And so?”
“I feel like I have to sleep in the bed again. The sofa isn’t it.”
“Could it possibly be that…”
I finally voiced the question that had been weighing on my mind.
“You have to sleep with me?”
Raynerd was silent for a moment before nodding in compliance.
“I think so, too. It seems what I need isn’t simply your ‘bed,’ but the place where you fall asleep.”
“I think so, too.”
“……”
“……”
Now that I’d said it, the atmosphere became incredibly awkward. I regretted speaking.
Raynerd ran a hand over his face in frustration and let out a deep sigh. Was sharing a bed with me really that distasteful to him?
“There’s no other choice. Young Lady, would you lie down next to me?”
I didn’t have the courage to ignore the Crown Prince’s request.
Fortunately, Charlotte’s bed was large enough for two people with room to spare. As Raynerd climbed in next to me, he drew an imaginary line down the middle of the bed with his finger.
“Do not cross this line.”
My mood soured instantly. This was too much! Did he think I was some kind of pervert?
‘It’s not like I haven’t had *those* kinds of fantasies, but I’m not depraved enough to act on them!’
He was the one desperate enough to break into someone’s room in the middle of the night and ask to share a bed, yet he was the one with the insolent attitude. And he’d woken me up three times.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to protest this, I resolved, and opened my mouth.
“Your Highness… I assure you, I harbor no ill intentions toward you. If you would please understand this point…”
That was the most rebellious protest I could muster. But I had no choice.
Look at those bloodshot eyes. It was likely from lack of sleep, but he exuded a rather frightening aura.
The Crown Prince somehow managed to hear my whisper of a voice and looked troubled.
“Look, you seem to be misunderstanding something. I’m not telling you not to cross because I’m afraid you’ll pounce on me.”
“...Then why?”
“I have a habit of attacking reflexively if someone so much as touches me in my sleep. I’ve had many assassins after my life since I was young.”
The topic suddenly turned heavy.
“I’ll place my sword a little farther away, but I was telling you not to cross over because you could still be in danger.”
“Such a profound reason… I am simply moved by Your Highness’s consideration.”
Embarrassed by my own misunderstanding, I spouted whatever came to mind.
“I’m glad we cleared that up. I know how difficult this must be for you. An unmarried woman having to share a bed with a strange man must be uncomfortable and unnerving. Rest assured. I, too, have not the slightest ulterior motive toward you.”
I was afraid of losing my head, but I wasn’t anxious in *that* way. It’s said that all men are wolves, but that doesn’t apply to the male leads or second male leads of romance novels.
One of the basic qualifications of a male lead is treating any woman who isn’t the heroine like a rock. The male leads in faithfully followed this formula.
‘But…’
Hearing him so bluntly state he had no interest in me stung a little. And here I was, thinking about marrying you fictional characters!
“I will remember your trouble, so if there is anything else you desire besides money, feel free to ask.”
“Thank you. I’m a quiet sleeper, so you may rest without worry.”
“Good. You sleep well, too, Young Lady.”
The Crown Prince gave a faint smile, then lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. Wow, he was even more handsome up close. A face that made his narcissism completely understandable.
Now that we were under the same blanket, my heart was pounding. He was so close I could reach out and touch him. Of course, I had to be careful, lest I end up with my body not in one piece.
Just then, a question flashed through my mind.
‘Wait, but am I… actually a quiet sleeper?’
I had been. My original body, before I was possessed. But what about Charlotte? I had no idea. She had always slept alone, so there was no one to tell me.
I mumbled, very quietly.
“Your Highness, have you fallen asleep by any chance?”
“No, not yet.”
“This is a question born purely of personal curiosity, but may I ask what happened to the assassins who touched you in the past?”
“What an obvious question. You are quite unique, Young Lady. I didn’t think you’d be curious about something like that.”
“Haha, I’ve often been told I have a curious nature, even from a young age.”
“They all died on the spot.”
“...On the spot?”
“Logically, I know I should keep them alive to find out who’s behind them, but since I’m half-asleep, I can’t seem to control myself.”
“……”
“But don’t worry. You said you’re a quiet sleeper, right? Besides, my sword isn’t nearby. More importantly, it seems lying in the same bed as you was the right answer. I’m getting sleepy…”
He seemed to yawn, and his words trailed off. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.
I, on the other hand, was now wide awake. My heart began to pound for an entirely different reason.
‘If Charlotte’s sleeping habits are as bad as her temper, I’m dead.’
Look at that solid, muscular body, so evident even through his clothes. He might think it’s fine since his sword is gone, but at that level, his bare body was as good as a weapon.
My eyes were gritty with exhaustion, but one thing was certain. I would be spending this night with my eyes wide open.
