Chapter 39: Men Understand Each Other
The Crown Prince was in a good mood today.
Actually, it had been like this for a while now.
Ever since he had rid the empire of the thorn-in-the-side courtiers by sending them all to Zulat Prison, the empire had been running rather smoothly.
To be honest, there was a time when he considered throwing it all away to live a carefree life, riding horses. But, as it turned out, good days followed the hard ones.
He had to admit, one person, in particular, had played a significant role in this.
Ascal Debrue.
The Crown Prince was grateful for his dedication to the empire and felt a sense of duty towards him.
'I must find a suitable partner for him.'
A remarkable talent deserves a fitting companion. As the Crown Prince, he had seen and judged many people. He prided himself on his ability to assess character.
His keen eyes began to scan the young ladies gathered at the Debrue family.
These ladies had come for the matchmaking. Each one was dressed in expensive gowns, their posture rigid with effort.
To a regular young noble, this would have been an enticing garden of flowers, but the Crown Prince knew that even flowers could be poisonous.
'Lady Emilia, eh? Rumor has it her father, the Viscount, is involved in shady loan businesses. Disqualified.'
Kain politely responded to Lady Emilia's greetings while mentally striking her off from the list of potential partners for Ascal.
Next, his gaze fell on Lady Iris.
'Oh dear. This young lady is known for scandals with numerous men and now decides to straighten up? Too late. Disqualified.'
No matter how beautiful a flower was, it needed to have deep roots. A flower that spreads its fragrance and thorns to everyone is not well regarded.
And then, she seemed more interested in him, the Crown Prince, than in Ascal, who had come for the matchmaking today.
"I'm sorry, I must go. I'm a bit busy."
"Ah... Your Highness!"
Kain coldly dismissed Lady Iris and began to worry.
None of these ladies caught his eye.
Most of the young women gathered here were unsuitable.
Could there really be a suitable partner for Ascal Debrue among these ladies?
Yes, there was.
A lady who hadn't once looked his way but was instead gazing elsewhere.
At this point, it piqued one's curiosity.
What kind of lady could she be, to treat the Crown Prince of a nation as if he were a mere pebble on the road?
Kain strode purposefully towards her.
"You've come a long way, it must have been hard. May I know your name, if you don't mind?"
Her hair was the color of violets, reminiscent of the flower itself.
A matching light purple dress adorned her.
She had such a unique aura that Kain wondered why he hadn't noticed her sooner.
Her strong-willed eyes silently looked up at the Crown Prince.
"I am Seri Lavione."
"Ah, Miss Lavione. And you must know I am..."
"Kain, the Crown Prince, I presume. Would you kindly step aside? You're in my way."
Twitch.
The Crown Prince's eyebrows flickered.
It was a rare experience for him, encountering someone's rudeness.
Almost refreshing, in fact.
What gave this lady the audacity to be so impudent? Was she some secret child of the Emperor?
The Crown Prince turned his head, determined to catch a glimpse of Lady Lavione's face as she continued to avoid him.
"Ser..."
"Shut your mouth. Brother."
-Press.
Serena's high heel pressed down on his foot.
Through that pain, the Crown Prince had an epiphany.
'Ah.'
There was something to believe in.
It wasn't hidden; it was blatantly obvious.
And she did makeup quite heavily.
'My sister.'
"Enjoy the show."
Watching his sibling disappear into the distance, the Crown Prince couldn't suppress a nagging question.
'But why are you even here?'
****
Serena sat down alone in the empty hallway of the mansion.
Simply put, everything irritated her.
Her brother showing up uninvited to the matchmaking, the ladies giggling and chatting about whatever pleased them, and her past self who participated without any plan.
'What were you thinking, Serena?'
Sometimes she found herself irresponsibly incomprehensible.
She understood not wanting to lose something to someone else. Then, she should have used her power as a princess to delay or sabotage the matchmaking.
But instead, she chose to participate in the matchmaking herself, not as Serena, but under the false identity of Seri Lavione.
Even if, by some chance, Seri was chosen by Ascal, what then? Reveal that she was actually the Second Princess Serena?
It was a ludicrous thought. She would become a laughingstock among the ladies for the rest of her life.
"Haa."
"It seems you are troubled."
For some reason, this voice brought a sense of relief.
The owner of this voice had short black hair and a rugged face that showed the years lived as a warrior.
He looked like Ascal Debrue, only older and with traces of intense physical activity.
Serena quickly guessed who he might be.
The man was Arthur Debrue, father of Ascal Debrue and the head of the Debrue family.
"My apologies. I am..."
"One of the young ladies here to see my son, I presume?"
"Yes, that's right."
Serena easily agreed. Explaining her false identity felt like chipping away at something inside her. It was more comfortable to have the other person brush it off.
"You don't seem to like this place much."
"Yes... You're right."
Arthur was direct, cutting through pretenses and niceties.
But this straightforwardness was somehow a relief to the weary Serena, prompting her to inadvertently reveal her true feelings.
"Do you like Ascal?"
"..."
This question, however, required more thought.
Did she truly like Ascal?
She was certainly interested in him.
But that interest, strictly speaking, was like that for a collectible jewel - something to envy and subtly show off at parties, a valuable and expensive accessory.
If she were to be really honest, his face did fit her type. If not, she wouldn't have persisted after being rejected.
But 'liking' him?
That was a different matter.
'The Prince of the Night.'
Since that day, the only person who had captured her 'liking' was him.
Ascal Debrue, he was just a little too late.
"No, I don't like him."
"Then that's settled. No need to waste precious time on someone you don't like, right?"
Serena stood up, dusting off her dress.
"Thank you. This has been helpful."
Her mind felt clearer now.
There was no longer a need to stay. Serena longed to return home, sink into a bath, and indulge in some delicious wine and cheese.
But a familiar face caught Serena's eye as she looked up to thank Arthur for resolving her dilemma.
'Yulia?'
What was she doing here?
Before her surprise could fade, Yulia glanced over nonchalantly and smirked before following Arthur like a dutiful daughter-in-law.
'Did she just... laugh at me?'
Serena could have sworn she heard it.
Her frustration began to simmer again.
'Always Yulia, always taking what I'm interested in!'
If it was anyone else, it would be bearable, but not with Yulia. Rather than being stolen away, Serena would rather let someone else take it away.
'Think you can take it from me again?'
Biting her lip, Serena headed back to the matchmaking event, and her resolve reignited.
****
The princess count had increased.
Kain was baffled upon seeing Yulia appear in the main hall of the mansion. Was this the Debrue residence or the royal palace?
Observing Yulia avoiding his gaze stirred a mix of emotions in him.
And poor Ascal, now unwittingly facing two princesses, garnered Kain's genuine sympathy.
'This isn't right. Participating in a matchmaking event without revealing their status. They're my sisters, but this crosses a line.'
Kain decided to inform Ascal first.
"Oh, there you are. Ascal."
"Your Highness..."
Ascal looked like a pig dragged to slaughter, utterly defeated.
'Tsk. How did a smart man end up like this?'
Kain was about to speak when...
Suddenly, Ascal shuddered, looking towards the disguised princesses as if he already knew the truth.
“Could it be that you already…”
Their eyes met.
Sometimes, men understand each other without words.
The unspoken hardship and struggle were exchanged in a direct understanding.
"Your Highness."
"Ascal."
Ascal spoke weakly.
"Please save me."
"Well, I'll do what I can..."
Kain said, glancing towards the mansion's exit.
Maybe running away is the best option?
