BCOM 04

Chapter 4

Be Careful With Me

“If it were something that could break so easily, do you think I wouldn’t have broken it? From the start… didn’t you think that I simply had no intention of breaking it?”

He gave a sly smile.

At the sight of this smile, which she had never seen before, Agnes barely managed to stop herself from covering her mouth.

She wasn’t much different from an ordinary woman who admires a handsome man in such a moment; she almost shouted “He’s handsome!” right in front of him, holding back only just in time.

Perhaps noticing her slightly twitching expression from holding it back, his smile turned cold.

“Hmm, now I see… It seems the Lady of Riserne does not wish to marry me. How unfortunate. Whether you are Lady Riserne or Her Majesty, even if you say you don’t wish to marry me, I have no intention of accepting that.”

No, writer… didn’t you even once mention that Crown Prince Theowin was a pervert…?

He had been so sensitive about the news that a lady who was to marry him had arrived at the palace, and yet, now that he believes she doesn’t want to marry him, why is he acting so differently?

“…Do you mean to marry someone you dislike?”

“Since when was the personal feelings of those involved the most important in a political marriage? If it’s a union between houses, such emotions are irrelevant.”

“That is…”

Indeed. This was not the world she originally belonged to.

Even if the Emperor spoke to her with such an expression, there was no reason he would forgo the marriage. Even though the Crown Prince disliked it so much, and even if Agnes herself had no personal feelings about it… the marriage would still proceed.

“I have no intention of canceling this marriage, so this will be a fight you face alone. How unfortunate.”

Yes, just as the book had described. He was universally recognized as a psycho. Agnes was witnessing firsthand what people called the “mad Crown Prince.”

He calmly finished speaking, lifted his teacup, and took a sip. The fleeting smile he had shown earlier had long disappeared. In his languid expression, there was a hint of irritation, yet no discernible feeling at all.

Strange… Initially, he had not liked Agnes. That’s why, in the book, they had quarreled until the Emperor arranged the marriage.

In the original story, Agnes was a very careful and family-loving woman. She never intended to provoke the mad Crown Prince and accepted the marriage as nothing more than a political union.

She had not been easy to deal with from day one. And here I was, someone usually easygoing, thrown into such a harsh world… truly…

After that, she did not speak to him at all. Agnes was lost in thoughts, recalling the events of the story in her mind, and did not wish to provoke him unnecessarily.

It was impossible to predict how he would react, and thinking about it would only give her a headache.

Theowin, seeing this, did not speak either. He did not offer her tea, nor did he initiate conversation.

Agnes, waiting for him to let her go first, only realized when he finished his second cup that he wasn’t going to say she could leave.

“Phew.”

Her throbbing head made her sigh automatically. Agnes turned her gaze from somewhere else to look at the Crown Prince, not caring that she had sighed in front of him.

“Since you don’t seem to have anything else to say, I will take my leave.”

It would have been better to remain alone at the Riserne residence. She had come here because of the pretense of a political marriage needing time to develop goodwill, but now her curiosity about the man who would become her husband had stirred frustration.

This world she had fallen into was clearly not forgiving.

She missed the Marquis.

It was a strange feeling, knowing there was someone to lean on during difficult times. She could not tell him everything that had happened today, but just looking at him with the same eyes he had in the morning would warm her heart.

Thinking of the Marquis Riserne, she suddenly noticed a change in Theowin’s expression.

What’s with that look? Why is he staring at me so seriously? Did I get something on my face…? I didn’t even touch my face.

Without expression, merely observing, Theowin frowned deeply at her.

Since he neither forbade nor permitted her to leave, Agnes stood up.

Staying any longer would only complicate her feelings.

“We won’t meet again until our marriage, Your Highness. Until then, please take care of yourself.”

When exactly is the marriage? Has it even been set?

Bowing slightly in farewell, Agnes thought to herself that unless forming a relationship was necessary, she would not return to the palace just to see him again.

“I didn’t call you today. It was the Emperor.”

“I am aware.”

Agnes gave a light sigh, observing him persistently correcting her until the end.

“You don’t have to show it so obviously. I already know.”

She paused mid-turn, realizing for the first time that she had sighed in front of someone.

Technically, he hadn’t said anything wrong. She had no reason to oppose a marriage arranged by her parents, and following her suggestion would have strained the relationship between the two noble houses.

There was no reason to cancel the marriage. His attitude was a separate issue.

Standing, she bowed deeply to him.

“Sighing in front of someone, especially Your Highness, was an immense disrespect. Please forgive me.”

She raised her body after the bow. Though he seemed uncomfortable, furrowing his brow, Agnes paid no mind. It was either accepted, or it wasn’t. She was truly in the wrong.

Coolly acknowledging her mistake, she turned and left for outside.

Walking the corridor, recalling her memory to find the door and finally stepping outside, she remained tense throughout. Following the path calmly, she successfully reached the same door she had entered through earlier.

Leaning against the carriage window, she gazed outside. The bright sunlight scattered beautifully across the landscape.

There were many trees, no tall buildings. The surrounding buildings looked unfamiliar, and the people’s hair and eye colors varied greatly, yet she realized this was not a bad place to live.

Perhaps it was because it was the capital.

Simply watching the sights, Agnes let a tear slip.

It wasn’t nostalgia, but the day’s constant stress and headache-inducing thoughts now felt sorrowful. Crying under the dazzling midday sun, she felt fragile.

Long periods of loneliness had not made her stronger. No matter how much she resolved to survive bravely, there were moments she inevitably broke down.

“I’m not alone, so it’s okay. Before I go in there and become alone… I should spend as much time as possible with the Marquis.”

She didn’t know what would happen next in this timeline, but the Crown Prince’s wedding would likely be soon.

Until then, she intended to experience fully the existence of the father she now had.

“Next Mother’s memorial, I must ask him to go to the mountains with me. Today was too hectic to say anything.”

There was no one to hear her in the rattling carriage. So she quietly began speaking, revealing her current thoughts one by one.

She couldn’t hold back tears whenever her mother, the late Marquise, was mentioned. That was why the Marquis had gone to the mountains alone…

“Next time, we must go together.”

Having lived alone for so long, she often talked to herself. Muttering to herself while gazing out the window, she soon arrived at the Riserne residence.

“Well done.”

Taking the hand of the escorting driver as she got out, the carriage and horse quickly moved away behind her. Tarin hurried over to greet her as she entered.

“Miss!”

“Running like that, won’t you fall?”

Agnes asked kindly, recalling almost falling herself around the corner earlier.

“Thank you for worrying! I’ll be careful when running because I might fall.”

“It’s better not to run at all, if possible.”

As she replied calmly, her mind wandered to the Crown Prince’s hand that had caught her at the palace when she nearly fell.

How romantic, imagining it this way… yet in that moment, her heart had truly raced.

If only that touch, that gaze, had been real… wouldn’t it have been better? After all, if they had to live together, it would have been nicer to start with good feelings for each other.

“Come in. You seem tired even from a short trip to the palace. Shall I prepare dinner?”

Returning home, it seemed evening had already approached. Though she hadn’t eaten lunch, she didn’t feel hungry.

“Yes, please. Wait, when will Father return?”

“Master will arrive late at night.”

It would have been nice to have dinner together, but Agnes instinctively felt she wouldn’t be able to speak comfortably with him today, and her eyebrows drooped.