CHAPTER 05
“Did you just call my mom ‘Mom’?!”
“Well, I…”
Little Mia stormed up with dagger-like eyes. Then, without hesitation, she slapped Linaria across the cheek.
“Why is my mom your mom?! Are you trying to steal her just because you don’t have one?! You’re so mean!”
After shouting, Mia burst into tears, as if she were the one who had been slapped.
Meryl didn’t scold Mia.
Instead, she was too busy comforting her, completely ignoring Linaria.
“You’re a mature little lady, so you can understand, right? My child is still young. She’s always like a baby.”
Much later, Meryl finally came over to Linaria and spoke nonchalantly.
As if she hadn’t heard Linaria call her “Mom,” and as if Mia hadn’t just slapped Linaria.
“Mia and I are the same age… if Mia is young, doesn’t that make me young too?”
But Linaria didn’t voice her doubts. To Meryl, she had to be the “good little lady.”
She only nodded silently, afraid she’d be cast aside if she became a nuisance.
After that, Mia began calling Linaria a “thief.”
“Linaria. You tried to steal what’s mine! And you still are.”
Meryl only worked as a nanny.
But Linaria began to feel guilty, as if she really had stolen a mother’s affection from Mia.
“So you owe me an apology for the rest of your life. Got it?”
“…Yeah. I’m sorry.”
Her bedridden father was barely seen.
The only adult young Linaria could rely on was Meryl.
But even complaining, let alone hoping for anything, was not allowed.
Just daring to long for family earned her a burden of guilt.
“Honestly, even the Crown Prince would probably like me better. Oh, right—do you know what your nickname is among the nobles?”
Mia clapped her hands and laughed.
“They call you ‘the limping mutt!’ Isn’t that perfect?”
Smack!
Mia couldn’t finish her sentence.
Her head snapped to the side with the force of the slap. Her cheek stung.
“Did you just—?!”
“Say that again.”
Mia turned her head, stunned, and met Linaria’s icy gaze.
What just happened?
She was still in a daze when a low voice rang out again.
“I said say it again.”
Only then did rage flare in Mia’s eyes.
What the hell? Did she just slap me?! And then tell me what?!
“Did I say anything wrong? Honestly, who knows what your dead mom slept with, but the reason you don’t belong with nobles is—”
Smack!
“You little—!”
Smack!
“Stop—!”
Smack!
Each time Mia huffed and tried to speak, Linaria slapped her again, mercilessly.
“Waaaah! Mom!”
Mia finally clutched her flushed, stinging cheeks and wailed.
Then, craftily, she called for “Mom” and watched Linaria’s reaction.
But Linaria didn’t even blink.
“Did you know it was my birthday a few days ago? Anna congratulated me.”
“You mean that maid who follows you around? Of course she would, she was picked up off the street—she’s good at fetching and carrying.”
Usually, when Mia mentioned “Mom,” Linaria would get nervous and back off.
But strangely, today, none of that worked.
What’s going on with her? She’s supposed to crawl back like always!
Linaria didn’t seem in her right mind.
“Did you like the cake?”
“Cake? Oh, that was yours? Oops, I ate it all! So what? You gonna slap me again?!”
Afraid she actually might, Mia covered her cheeks with both hands and shouted furiously.
“Perfect.”
But Linaria calmly picked up a glass filled with red liquid.
Then—.
SPLASH!
“Aaah!”
She threw the juice at Mia.
“It should taste similar to cake.”
“…”
“Make sure you have plenty.”
It was raspberry juice Anna had made.
Anna had flattered the head chef recently and gotten fresh raspberries just for Linaria.
It was unlucky for Mia that the juice had been placed right next to Linaria.
“Are you crazy?! Do you think my mom will let this slide?!”
“Tell her not to.”
Linaria didn’t want to stay silent anymore while her “mother” was insulted just because she feared a mere nanny.
“You wanted to go to the Imperial Palace, right? Not gonna happen looking like that.”
Linaria held up a mirror for Mia.
Mia saw herself, soaked and sticky with juice.
Her cheeks were swollen—no one could even pretend she looked pretty.
“We have to leave now, but you’ll need to change your clothes first.”
Linaria passed by her indifferently.
Linaria and Dante entered the palace in separate carriages.
Dante, who even escorted her out of the carriage, looked quite worried.
“Father. If your condition worsens, call the palace physician immediately.”
Linaria, too, looked at him like he was a child left near water.
“…I will.”
After parting with Dante and arriving at the meeting spot, Linaria heard some unwelcome news.
“His Highness the Crown Prince has been unavoidably delayed. You’ll need to wait.”
“I’ll take a walk alone until he arrives.”
It wasn’t unexpected, so she dismissed her maids immediately.
She’d lived in the palace before and knew it like the back of her hand.
Old memories came flooding back.
There’s no such thing as an easy life as a royal bride—but she hadn’t just married into any house. She had become the Crown Princess.
Of course every day was hard.
Especially after Father passed away.
She remembered praying that tomorrow wouldn’t come. Each breath had felt like agony, and slowly, she withered away.
It struck her that she had no good memories here.
Linaria then realized she’d wandered too far. She was in a place where few people came.
If someone asks why I’m here, I’ll just say I got lost. But I don’t need to give them a reason to nitpick—let’s go back.
The Crown Prince might come looking soon.
She turned to leave—
Until she spotted a figure.
Linaria stopped.
It was the Crown Prince.
Judging from the maid’s earlier words, Maximilian must’ve had an important appointment.
He must’ve kept her waiting because he hadn’t finished it yet.
But now, he was napping—leisurely leaning against a tree.
Linaria approached the sleeping Maximilian.
He didn’t stir, even when she stood right in front of him.
As she looked at his relaxed face…
“If you had even half of Rusalka’s charm, I might’ve spared your father. But unfortunately…”
“Linaria Obell. From the moment I met you, you were never once lovable.”
And then…
“Do you miss your father that much? Then I’ll let you see him—forever.”
Horrible memories overwhelmed her, boiling her with rage.
Linaria reached out toward Maximilian.
Just a little more.
Just a bit closer.
She could wrap her hands around his vulnerable throat and squeeze.
No matter how royal he was, he was human. If he couldn’t breathe, he’d die.
Linaria’s crimson eyes turned ice-cold.
Just as she was about to grab his neck—
“…”
Maximilian opened his eyes.
Their eyes met.
He stared at Linaria in shock, startled to see her right in front of him.
He still seemed half-asleep, his gaze hazy.
Taking advantage of his confusion, Linaria slowly lowered her hand.
Linaria Obell. What were you just about to do?
Her mind went cold.
Killing him might’ve been easy. But what then?
Even without a witness, suspicion would fall on her. That would only bring trouble to her father too.
Linaria stepped back, lifted her dress slightly, placed her right foot behind her, and bowed at the waist.
“I greet the Empire’s light, the little sun.”
It was a flawless, graceful bow.
Maximilian, still dazed, stood up and looked at her.
“Is it that late already? I suppose Mother must be looking for me.”
He walked off leisurely, far too relaxed for someone who’d kept a guest waiting because he’d been napping.
You’d think he’d at least pretend to feel sorry.
But Linaria no longer expected much.
If he’d been capable of basic decency, that horrible future might never have come to pass.
“Keep it to yourself that I was here. This place is secluded—how did you even find it?”
Well, Linaria had also come here herself during hard times to find a moment’s peace.
“But I don’t recognize your face. Are you from the Empress’s palace?”
“…?”
Following behind quietly, Linaria froze at his question.
No way.
Did he think she was a maid?
She was so stunned she missed her chance to reply.
Maximilian misunderstood her silence as nervousness and kept talking.
“My mother’s quite difficult, isn’t she? It must be tough to serve her. You’d have a much easier time in my wing. Why not transfer?”
They had exchanged portraits for their arranged marriage.
But clearly, Maximilian hadn’t even bothered to look at hers.
“I don’t know what house you’re from, but being my maid would be far more honorable than serving my mother.”
He rambled on.
And he looked extremely…
Like a total idiot.
