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NMBTD 43

NMBTD

Chapter 43

“I assisted with the bath.”

“The bath? You, Your Highness the Second Princess?”

“Yes. I do it occasionally.”

Alesia smiled faintly as she glanced at the bathtub next to the bed.

Fortunately, most of the ice in the tub had melted. To someone unaware, it would simply appear as though she had just finished a normal bath.

Crayton raised one eyebrow. After a brief moment of contemplation, he pouted his lower lip.

“I was quite inconsiderate. How rude of me to barge into a newlywed couple’s room.”

“Was it something urgent?”

“Not particularly… Ah, but this works out well. It’s something I intended to tell you anyway, Your Highness.”

Crayton responded smoothly, then broke into a broad smile. He leaned in slightly to whisper.

“I wouldn’t want to disturb Franz’s sleep, so shall we step out?”

Alesia nodded and gestured toward the door. As she pointed, Crayton obediently walked ahead.

The moment he turned his back, Alesia slid a dagger under the cushion of the sofa. Then, she tightened her robe and took a deep breath.


* * *

Alesia walked through the garden of the Second Prince’s palace with Crayton.

The fountain in the front yard poured out cool water. Perhaps because it was night, the sound of splashing water seemed especially loud.

She brushed aside her windblown hair and looked up at the fountain.

Since arriving at the Second Prince’s palace, not once had this fountain ceased to flow. Not even on a cold day like today.

“This fountain belongs to you, doesn’t it?”

As Alesia looked at the fountain, she turned her head. Crayton, with his signature friendly smile, was looking at her. She responded with a smile of her own.

“Yes. His Highness the Second Prince gave it to me as a gift.”

“That doesn’t sound like something he would do.”

Crayton let out a low whistle. Judging by his demeanor, Crayton and Franz seemed more like close, informal brothers than royal siblings.

“Please treat me kindly.”

Alesia lowered her gaze as she spoke.

Praising Franz made her throat feel tight.

But Crayton seemed to misunderstand her gesture, thinking she was just shy. With a proud expression, he looked at her warmly.

“It’s good to see Franz changing for the better. He used to be a cold-hearted fellow.”

“…So, what did you want to speak to me about?”

Alesia cautiously asked, turning her eyes toward him. Crayton raised an eyebrow at her question.

“Oh, right. I almost forgot.”

Crayton chuckled lightly, as if realizing too late that the conversation had gone astray.

“This always happens to me. I talk too much. Glenna always points it out, but I can’t seem to fix it.”

He gave an embarrassed laugh and continued.

“My birthday ball is next month. Are you aware?”

“Yes, I am. I know it well.”

Alesia answered politely and gave a graceful curtsy.

“Happy early birthday, Your Highness the First Prince.”

“Oh my, I didn’t bring it up expecting congratulations. Still, thank you.”

Crayton’s hearty laughter mixed with the sound of the fountain.

“The truth is… I was thinking of sending an invitation to the Ambrose family. I hope Caleb can attend.”

Crayton smoothed the collar of his robe as he spoke.

“I’ve tried inviting him several times in the past, but it never worked out. He firmly refused, saying he couldn’t leave the Ambrose estate because of his sister.”

At his explanation, Alesia’s expression darkened.

Even after succeeding the barony, Caleb rarely attended balls. He knew that every time he left, Patricia would find an excuse to torment Alesia.

Of course, if Alesia attended the ball with him, that problem could be solved.

But it wasn’t that simple.

Unlike Caleb, who only needed to put on a clean uniform, she had to prepare thoroughly every time she went out.

Dress, shoes, fan, accessories, even jewelry.

Each ball meant considerable expenses. And while it might seem excessive, it was part of the basic etiquette expected of a noble lady.

Failing to meet these expectations might reveal the family’s financial troubles to society.

That was Patricia’s greatest fear.

If rumors spread that the Ambrose family was poor, they wouldn’t be able to sell Alesia into a high-priced marriage.

So ever since her debut, Alesia hadn’t attended any balls. Or more accurately, she couldn’t.

But she didn’t feel much regret about it.

She wasn’t the type who enjoyed dancing or mingling with people, and her debut had left no pleasant memories.

“Who would’ve thought that someone like me would become royalty—the center of the social scene?”

She crossed her arms and thought bitterly.

No one knows what the future holds, but in her case, nothing ever went as expected.

In the spring of her twentieth year, she had gone to the Narot villa, never imagining she’d become the Second Princess.

She had gone simply to debut in society.

A lady from a prestigious family would have had a grand party, but the Ambrose family made no such investment.

Instead, they arranged a modest introduction.

After all, the main point of a debut was to introduce oneself to refined noblewomen with a graceful wave of the fan.

So Alesia followed Caleb to Narot.

At the time, she was incredibly nervous.

It was her first time outside the Ambrose estate and her first encounter with the dazzlingly adorned nobles.

There, she realized how small and shabby she was.

She couldn’t greet others with elegance like the other ladies, nor did she float across the floor like a butterfly.

Frozen stiff, all she could do was bow as Caleb introduced her around.

Even that overwhelmed her so much that she ended up with a fever, lying sick in a corner room during the entire hunting event.

After returning home, Patricia scolded her relentlessly.

She had secretly hoped Alesia would land a fine husband at the event hosted by the powerful Roshanak family.

But all Alesia had done was flash a pretty face and hear a few empty compliments.

It was enough to make Patricia fume with rage.

For a long time afterward, she continued to berate Alesia over it.

“That spring hunt gathered all the Empire’s eligible bachelors. Even the Second Prince was there. I bet you were the only one who returned without a single proposal. Since you’ve wasted a golden opportunity, I’ll choose your future husband myself.”

Words meant to belittle her poured out without rest.

All Alesia could do was accept it in silence.

Since then, she had come to detest balls.

The expense was one thing—but she couldn’t endure the emotional backlash that came after.

Because of her situation, Caleb naturally avoided attending such events too.

And that had always weighed heavily on her heart.

Even though Caleb was a close friend of the First Prince, he didn’t attend palace balls either.

That fact made her feel truly ashamed.

“I actually received Glenna’s permission to invite Caleb recently. So I sent an invitation to the Ambrose family.”

Alesia said this politely and smiled.

“I never expected Your Highness to remember my brother. Thank you, on his behalf.”

“Hahaha, being thanked just for inviting a friend to my birthday—it feels a little strange.”

Crayton let out a cheerful laugh and looked at her warmly.

“Still, I appreciate it. Thank you, Your Highness the Second Princess.”

Alesia returned a radiant smile.

Though she had come into conflict with Glenna, she needed to keep Crayton close. He would be a vital ally in bringing down Franz.

“Since he and Caleb were academy classmates, this works out perfectly.”

Her eyes sparkled.

If she could deepen the connection through Caleb, all the better.

Alesia looked up at the fountain, her expression refreshed.

Franz’s unpredictability had been frustrating, but talking about Caleb made her feel as though a blockage had cleared.

“Please be kind to Glenna. She may seem prickly on the outside, but she’s warm-hearted.”

“I will do my utmost to serve her well.”

Alesia smiled sweetly. Crayton nodded in satisfaction at her response.

Their conversation was coming to a close.

Alesia exchanged a glance with Crayton and turned away from the fountain, heading back toward the palace.

But just as she reached the entrance, his voice called her back.

“Oh, by the way. Lady Roshanak will also be attending my birthday ball. I hope the three of you can grow closer.”

The unexpected name brought her to an abrupt stop.

Slowly, Alesia turned around to look at Crayton. Her fingertips turned icy.

 

It felt as if winter had suddenly arrived.

At Novelish Universe, we deeply respect the hard work of original authors and publishers. Our platform exists to share stories with global readers, and we are open and ready to partner with rights holders to ensure creators are supported and fairly recognized. All of our translations are done by professional translators at the request of our readers, and the majority of revenue goes directly to supporting these translators for their dedication and commitment to quality.
A Night More Brutal Than Death

A Night More Brutal Than Death

죽음보다 지독한 밤
Score 9.4
Status: Ongoing Type: Author: , Artist: , Released: 2022 Native Language: Korean
Summary An impatient woman. A woman shameless enough to sneak into a man’s bedroom. A disgrace to the imperial family. These were the words used to describe Alaisia, wife of the perfect and beautiful Second Prince, Franz. Even while enduring her husband’s coldness and affairs, Alaisia loved him— But Franz killed her. Just before her death, Alaisia cursed him… and woke up in the past. In her new life, everything is the same—except for Franz. “I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about myself. If I lose you, I’ll go insane.” Did the curse go wrong? She tried to live as if she didn’t exist—just as Franz had wanted in her previous life— But now, he keeps clinging to her.   “There’s no other woman but you for me. So don’t even think about hoping otherwise.”

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