Chapter 20
The Emperor acted as if he didn’t care in the least about any future chaos.
‘In any case, I shall bestow the throne as a prize to whichever one I like best. Until then, do your best to grovel before me’—that was his attitude.
The Empress did not lower herself to blindly curry favor with the Emperor now as the Imperial Consort did, nor did she openly compete with her for his affection.
She simply took a step back and watched the situation unfold. Prince Adrian’s stance was much the same.
They refused to jump into the bloody struggle as the Emperor wished, rolling in the mud with inferiors just to beg for his selection.
In one sense, they were keeping their heads down just to preserve a shred of pride, but in another, it was so they could at least maintain that pride in this situation.
Even if the arrogant Imperial Consort Cleo and Prince Brian seemed to be riding high on the Emperor’s favor for now, they only needed to strike at their weakness at the most critical moment.
The one who wins in the end is the victor. That was their fundamental approach.
One could tell just by looking at how Prince Adrian was still perfectly concealing his clever mind and his sword skills, which were at least better than Brian’s.
“How is the tea?”
So naturally, a troublemaker princess belonging to the sickly Second Imperial Consort, someone who couldn’t even compete for favor, would never have caught their eyes.
Until now.
“It’s bitter.”
“Really? I told them to put in plenty of sugar…”
Adrian’s fine brow furrowed slightly.
“Since you invited me as a guest only to probe me with a gaze as sharp as a needle, the tea is so bitter I find it hard to swallow my words.”
“……”
There was no need to keep playing dumb here.
Adrian’s picture-perfect, handsome face stiffened slightly.
“Surely you aren’t going to say something stupid like… you heard I was sick but are glad to see I’m healthier than expected, or that you regret the misfortunes I’ve suffered, or that you’ll be a kind orabuni from now on… right, Prince Adrian-nim?”
“……”
Adrian gave a bitter smile, as if he truly hadn’t expected her to go that far.
“Titania, I thought you were just a child…”
“To be precise, I was clearly a pawn being manipulated by Imperial Consort Cleo, so you didn’t want to risk touching me. Am I wrong?”
“…You certainly have a sharp tongue, don’t you?”
Adrian scratched his cheek sheepishly. He had a bashful look on his face, but I wasn’t fooled.
In the original work, this man was described as a ‘snake.’
A man who hid what he possessed until the very last moment, waited for his opponent to grow careless and make a mistake, and finally, at the irreversible moment, slit their throat and emerged the victor.
“Imperial Consort Cleo-nim seemed to be in a very good mood.”
“I imagine she was.”
“I was surprised that you suddenly offered to go to the Dedication Festival yourself. It won’t be a very pleasant occasion. …Won’t it be dangerous? You don’t even have proper escort knights yet. And the Second Imperial Consort mama… won’t be going with you.”
“Then, is the Second Prince-nim planning to go with me?”
“If you request it.”
“Do I look so foolish that you think I would openly antagonize Imperial Consort Cleo and take your side?”
A twisted laugh kept leaking out of me.
Titania, you really have no luck with people.
Because of that dinner earlier, the Empress and the Prince had changed their perception of me.
From a ‘stupid brat who can’t be used for anything’ to a ‘sensible brat who isn’t just being played by Imperial Consort Cleo and is looking out for her own interests.’
Adrian’s words sounded like a kind orabuni’s concern on the surface, but…
If I took those words at face value, I would be openly making an enemy of Imperial Consort Cleo.
And would the Empress or Prince Adrian protect me against her?
Not a chance.
This was a situation where I had requested to go alone in front of the Emperor to be of help to everyone.
If I were to drag Adrian into it now, claiming I was scared to death, he could subtly slip into the Dedication Festival—an event he had never been able to attend because the Imperial Consort had always blocked him.
At the same time, he could claim he was simply helping his pitiful younger sister and wouldn’t have to take any responsibility.
And above all, Titania would earn the resentment of Imperial Consort Cleo.
You have no intention of taking me completely onto your side and protecting me, yet you try such a hollow trick? And by ‘pretending to care,’ no less?
“I heard how many people came to visit me while I was hovering between life and death.”
Adrian’s light green eyes darkened. I dropped a cube of sugar into my milk tea with a plop.
“It turns out there was no one.”
“……Titania.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit late to act like a concerned orabuni just because your thoughtless younger sister is going far away?”
“……”
Adrian remained silent, seemingly having nothing to say.
“Or should I be grateful that you’re reaching out a hand now, since I’m just the worthless youngest princess with nothing to my name and nothing I can do? Especially since the one reaching out is the son of Her Majesty the Empress?”
“…Titania. We are siblings, after all…”
“Just as you don’t consider Prince Brian a brother, you didn’t consider me a younger sister until now.”
If there were any members of the imperial family who knew the meaning of shame, it was the Empress and the Second Prince.
However, that mere sense of shame was never exercised toward the youngest princess, who was useless, insignificant, and possessed a reckless personality.
It was a rational choice. It was so obvious that Imperial Consort Cleo was prodding things along that there was no need for them to provoke a fight by involving me. I wasn’t worth it.
It was uncertain whether I could successfully become the mistress of the House of Castline, and my relationship with my fiancé was poor.
The end was obvious.
It was ironic.
Titania had been ruined like that because no one reached out a hand to her. But now that she seemed like she might be of some use, they were reaching out immediately.
When Titania was a child so starved for affection.
A child whose heart had rotted to the point where she had to cling to the foolish fantasy that a fiancé who clearly hated her actually liked her.
If they had reached out just a little bit sooner, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.
“You showed no interest when I was a profligate youngest princess and didn’t care even when I faced death. Now that you think I’m a useful card, do you finally feel a sense of pity?”
“…I’m sorry, Titania.”
Adrian bowed his head. That much was surprising—the boldness to bow and apologize without hesitation to a younger sister who was a head shorter than him.
Because until now, no one had ever sincerely apologized to the Titania who had nearly died.
“As you said, it’s true that I only became interested in you after seeing your recent actions and your behavior just now. It must be ridiculous for someone like that… to claim to be an orabuni.”
“……”
“However, even if my circumstances are better than yours, I can’t say that my current situation or my mother’s situation is all that good. …I suppose that’s just an excuse to you.”
“……”
“And I pride myself on being a better choice for you than Imperial Consort Cleo-nim or Brian, who openly tried to use you.”
He wasn’t wrong.
If Imperial Consort Cleo or Prince Brian weren’t such irredeemable scum, I wouldn’t have had a reason to come all the way here and drink tea.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the saying goes.
“Considering the intelligence you showed today, I don’t think you intend to make an enemy of me entirely either, do you?”
“……”
I pondered for a moment.
The problem was that I had few options.
I couldn’t side with Imperial Consort Cleo—who had tried to kill me and then used me and openly gaslit me—and her out-of-his-mind son. There was a limit to how long I could deceive them by playing dumb while acting differently.
It wasn’t easy for a princess with no power to openly fight the Emperor’s favorite consort within the palace.
That was why I had tried to get the help—or rather, not-help—of the Duchy of Castline…
…Fine. If it’s between people who aren’t even human versus people who at least know human shame, the latter is overwhelmingly the only answer.
I swallowed a sigh and spoke.
“…Let’s call it a temporary secret alliance. We help each other to the extent that it doesn’t cause significant harm to the other party.”
Prince Adrian grinned confidently. He really was an opponent with quick wits and god-like conduct.
“As expected! A decision you’ll never regret, little sister.”
“Don’t act like we’re close, Prince-nim.”
“Ah, sorry. I’m really sorry. I’ll be a diligent oppa from now on. I mean it.”
“Don’t bring flimsy blood ties into a bilateral cooperative relationship.”
Despite my cold words, Prince Adrian smiled nonchalantly and began calling his close attendants to bring out various things, asking if I wanted to play a card game or if there was something else I’d like.
He was like a Golden Retriever excited to have found a playmate…
I told myself it was an unavoidable choice, but I hoped I hadn’t chosen the wrong person. I lamented deep within my heart.
