-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The Princess's Special Ability
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Margarita Princess.
In other words, the last of the royals and the wife of the Queensguard Count.
Cynthia wore the exact same clear smile etched in the duke's childhood memories.
The Queensguard Count whispered softly to the duke, who was staring blankly at Cynthia.
"Lucky, isn't it? That you're not the one being fooled."
"...Surprising."
A flicker of suspicion crossed his mind, but no matter how he thought about it, there was no reason to keep a royal descendant—who could be a huge boon in marriage politics—as a mere maid.
The duke composed his astonishment and offered a ceremonial smile.
"Lady Cynthia. May God's blessings grace your future."
"Thank you, Your Grace."
Cynthia had no idea that the duke knew her true identity.
Helen approached Cynthia, who had raised her champagne glass.
"Cindy, are you enjoying life in the capital?"
"Yeah."
Cynthia replied without any reservation, using informal speech.
Helen, still wearing a smiling expression, took hold of her hand.
"I'm thrilled we'll be living in the same city."
"Right? This is great. Your Grace, can I come visit my sister often?"
At Cynthia's innocent question, the duke nodded.
"Of course. Come anytime."
"Please take good care of my pretty sister. She looks like a haughty cat on the outside, but she's as soft as a mouse inside."
Helen's expression grew subtly strange as she listened.
'Why does this feel off? Am I being too sensitive?'
She couldn't tell if it was a backhanded insult or a compliment.
The artificially crafted family scene looked remarkably natural. Cynthia's effortlessly genuine behavior played a big part in that.
"Edford's nose has gotten even bigger, bro. Are you still growing?"
"That's rude...!"
Cynthia leaned in and whispered to Edford, whose face had flushed bright red.
"This is how real siblings act. Pay attention."
"Then why do you keep using informal speech with me?"
"I'm officially part of the family now, aren't I?"
"Ugh..."
The words 'you lowly maid' rose to the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them down. Saying them would mean death for everyone.
Cynthia knew that fact all too well. That's why she employed her signature brazen roasting tactic.
At that moment, Masera approached with a plate of cake and stood beside Cynthia.
Edford found himself unwittingly entranced by the man's sturdy build—which suited his uniform so well—and his striking looks.
"Thank you for coming. I hope you enjoy this reunion with your family after so long."
Cynthia hooked her arm through his, trapping him there before he could leave after his brief greeting.
"Honey, what kept you so long?"
Honey? Masera's lips pressed into a thin line for a split second before relaxing as he glanced around self-consciously.
It was because he recalled Cynthia's strict order: 'Act like you're hopelessly in love in front of the family.'
Of course, he had no intention of following her instructions. Not in the slightest.
Masera haughtily lifted his chin.
"I saw strawberry cake over here."
"Oh, my favorite! Did you bring it for me? You're so sweet."
He had no such intention at all, yet she twisted it that way.
Cynthia plucked a strawberry off Masera's cake and popped it into her mouth.
Masera silently stared down at his now strawberry-less cake.
'...Annoying.'
Despite committing the grave crime of stealing the strawberry from his cake without permission, she beamed innocently.
"Is it good?"
"Yes! It tastes even better because it's from you, Brigadier General."
Masera couldn't shake the feeling that she was leading him around by the nose.
But he was skilled at masking his expressions.
From the outside, he looked like a man inwardly doting on his fiancée.
"Cindy, have you two gotten that close already?"
It was Karos's voice.
Masera's gaze met Karos's, who was staring at them with a hardened expression.
He recalled the unpleasant rumor about Karos and the Cynthia siblings that Dalia had passed along.
It was baseless and one-sided, but people rarely cared about the truth.
Cynthia nodded and tightened her grip on the arm hooked through his.
"Of course. He fell for me at first sight."
'When did I ever?'
As Masera furrowed his brow instead of retorting, Cynthia looked up at him and added,
"Same for me. Love at first sight."
A shiver ran through his body the moment he heard her words. It felt like something had lodged deep in his chest.
'What a troublesome woman.'
Masera sighed and brushed back his bangs.
Meanwhile, sensing the subtle tension between them, the Queensguard Count inwardly clicked his tongue and shook his head.
'...Even Vicente Brigadier General is just a man in the end. To think he'd turn into a tamed dog like that in front of Cynthia.'
He'd already suspected she was no ordinary girl after seeing her wrap Karos and Edford around her finger.
On the other hand, the duke was also closely observing Masera and Cynthia while pretending otherwise.
'She changed him that much in such a short time?'
Having served in the military alongside him once, he knew Masera's ruthless nature well.
The Masera he knew would never yield the strawberry on his cake to anyone.
'Might be a shame to use her as a tool and discard her.'
The duke narrowed his eyes as he stared at Cynthia.
Imagining Masera falling for her, only to lose her and suffer endlessly—it didn't sound so bad.
As the banquet's atmosphere reached its peak, Cynthia poked Masera's arm while watching the men and women dancing in the hall.
Masera hid the fresh strawberry cake he'd fetched behind his back and looked down at her.
"Ask me to dance. The man asks first."
At her words, Masera tilted his head slightly.
Most nobles hid their true feelings and rarely made such bold requests.
"And if I refuse?"
"I'll dance with someone else. Eugene, maybe."
Eugene, who had been peeking at Cynthia, promptly hid behind Dalia the moment their eyes met.
Just then, someone approached and offered his hand to Cynthia.
"Vicente Brigadier General. Mind if I borrow Cindy for a moment?"
Karos extended his hand to her with a gentle smile.
Masera lowered his gaze and stared at him. Why was he picking these subtle fights all evening?
"You speak of her like an object."
Karos shook his head with an easy laugh.
"Nothing like that. She's my precious little sister. I just want to dance with her after so long."
Cynthia frowned as she watched the two men's battle of wills.
'What's Karos's deal? Did his brain freeze from the cold?'
According to her memories, Karos had always been cold to Cynthia, who craved his affection.
He only showed kindness sporadically, when she was on the verge of giving up.
'Guess I'll just go eat cookies with Eugene.'
The moment she took three steps toward Eugene across the room, a chill prickled the back of her neck.
And at the same time—
Crash!
A small chandelier hanging from the ceiling plummeted and shattered into pieces.
"Wh-what?!"
Screams erupted from the startled guests.
Cynthia realized the chandelier had fallen exactly where she'd been standing and swallowed hard.
Then her eyes met Masera's, who stood behind her.
The panic in his outstretched hand vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"Good thing you're unhurt."
Hey! At least pretend to care!
Cynthia gaped at him in disbelief.
Soon after, Karos rushed over, feigning concern.
"Cindy! Are you hurt anywhere?"
Fortunately, no one was injured, so after a brief cleanup, the banquet resumed.
A politician raised his champagne glass and called out.
"Haha, let's liven things up again. They say royal descendants have special abilities, right? If Lady Cynthia has something as unique as her appearance, why not show us?"
He was a commoner-born assemblyman opposed to the monarchy.
At his pointed suggestion, all eyes turned to her.
Edford stepped forward, intending to humiliate Cynthia.
"Of course, Assemblyman. Cynthia has a particularly special ability."
The Queensguard Count frowned and shot Cynthia a silent glance.
It meant they had to put on some kind of show now that things had come to this.
'Come to think of it, they said even those hostile to royals would attend.'
She had already assessed the guests thoroughly.
Cynthia quickly plastered on a smile.
"I'll show you."
She instructed a servant to fetch paper and a pen.
"I've been able to easily read people's thoughts since I was little. I don't know why, though."
Cynthia met the assemblyman's eyes as she held the paper and pen.
He felt strangely dominated by her red eyes.
Soon, her lowered voice echoed in his mind.
"It means I can read your thoughts."
The assemblyman's pupils trembled faintly.
'If you're staking your life on it, you need to be prepared to fool the whole world.'
A glint flashed in Cynthia's deepening red eyes.
