Chapter 51
“Lady Haon?”
When she turned around, sure enough, Prince Di was standing behind her.
Haon awkwardly received his greeting.
“Hello, Prince Di. We meet again like this.”
As Haon returned the greeting, Prince Di’s expression brightened even more. He approached, visibly relieved.
“I almost didn’t recognize you because of your peculiar appearance. But your distinct black hair caught my eye, so I thought it might be you—and indeed, Lady Haon it was.”
“Haha, yes, my hair does stand out, doesn’t it?”
Haon brushed back her hair awkwardly. To her, Prince Di’s gleaming golden hair seemed far flashier, but in this world where people boasted every imaginable brilliant hair color, it was apparently Haon’s pitch-black hair that drew attention.
Prince Di smiled as he rolled his eyes up and down, sweeping a glance over Haon.
“That attire is…”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind.”
Prince Di smiled as he changed the subject.
But in that fleeting instant, Haon clearly caught his displeased grimace. A faint sense of unease began to creep in.
“So, what brings you to the imperial palace?”
“Well, I suppose you could say I came to the palace…”
Prince Di still mistook Haon for the daughter of some noble family.
Despite having encountered him multiple times in her maid’s uniform, he hadn’t recognized her at the tea party. Haon hadn’t bothered to clarify then—since if he didn’t recognize her, she figured she’d never meet him again in a dress anyway. In hindsight, that complacency was a mistake.
Perhaps even now, the only reason he recognized her was because she wore a simple one-piece dress instead of a maid’s outfit.
‘It’s true—a noble lady wouldn’t come to the palace dressed like this.’
While her outfit was one a young noblewoman might wear casually, the palace demanded formal dresses. In that light, his brief grimace made sense.
“Where is your attendant? Why are you wandering about alone?”
Prince Di looked around. But no matter how he searched, only he and Haon were present.
“Well, um, that’s because…”
Haon let out a clumsy laugh and quickly revealed her identity. Or perhaps not so quickly—she had delayed it long enough already. She had never intended to deceive him, so she felt it best to clarify the situation now.
“I’m a maid.”
“…What?”
“I’m a maid. My name is Haon, maid to Princess Phileone. It seems I’m only now introducing myself properly.”
Haon bowed formally in greeting.
Prince Di still looked bewildered.
“A maid, you say.”
He repeated the word with disbelief, and Haon forced a smile as she added:
“Actually, we’ve met before—at the palace, and even at the hunting competition. But since I was in my maid’s uniform and without makeup, you didn’t recognize me.”
Even after that explanation, Prince Di seemed unable to recall their past encounters. Haon had thought she stood out quite a bit for a maid, but clearly to a member of the royal family, mere maids were utterly beneath notice.
“I see. No wonder you never mentioned your family.”
Prince Di now looked rather displeased. His gentle tone quickly shifted into the curt, commanding style of royalty. His smile had long since disappeared.
“That Princess Phileone would bring a maid to a noble tea party…”
His eyes grew cloudy as he cast a sidelong glance at Haon. His lips pressed together, and she thought she heard him click his tongue.
Haon couldn’t help feeling hurt at how his expression and tone flipped so abruptly the moment she revealed she was a maid. Still, from his perspective, he might feel as though a servant had toyed with him. So she tried to consider his position.
“My apologies. I truly didn’t mean to deceive you, Prince. Things just ended up this way somehow.”
Haon gave a sheepish smile, hoping to smooth things over.
She knew all too well how dangerous it was to anger royalty—having nearly lost her head several times already. Her only hope was that Prince Di wouldn’t take offense.
“Wait…”
His sharp gaze suddenly changed. The displeasure faded, replaced by a flicker of interest that Haon couldn’t quite place.
“It seems Princess Phileone favors you quite a bit?”
When asked such a thing directly, it was hard to answer—too awkward to say yes, too disappointing to say no.
“Haha, well, when you put it that way…”
Haon laughed awkwardly, unable to give a clear reply. But to Prince Di, her embarrassed manner was answer enough.
He suddenly stepped closer. The swift movement made Haon freeze.
His golden hair brushed past her nose, carrying with it a soft, pleasant scent—sweet, almost fruity or floral, bright and refreshing.
Leaning close, Prince Di whispered in her ear. His voice, low and slender, slid in with a mesmerizing intonation.
“Be the bridge to Princess Phileone.”
“A… bridge?”
“Help me draw close to her naturally.”
Prince Di nodded as he added his request.
His proposal came suddenly, but for Haon, it wasn’t bad at all. After all, she had wanted Princess Phileone and Prince Di to come together from the start.
“That won’t be difficult.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
Prince Di grinned, as if he had predicted her answer.
“Of course, I’ll reward you handsomely.”
He snapped his fingers, his smile deepening strangely as he looked at her.
“If you had the favor of Princess Phileone enough to attend a noble tea party, then surely you must crave a higher status.”
…Completely mistaken, but sure.
Still, Haon dared not correct him, for he spoke with such certainty.
He continued, painting his secret offer in grand terms.
“On the authority of the Second Prince, I will be your patron as well.”
To have the second in line to the throne as her backing—an offer impossible for anyone to refuse.
For Haon, it was like a golden pumpkin rolling right into her lap.
Not only did he ask exactly what she already hoped for, but he offered rewards on top of it. And yet, she couldn’t accept too quickly, bothered by the odd, sticky unease clinging to the moment.
‘Was Prince Di… always like this?’
Haon stared at him.
He carried himself with confidence, his violet eyes gleaming mysteriously, his lips curved in a thin, rosy smile like painted tint.
A captivating smile indeed.
Perhaps too captivating—enough to make her wary.
“Prince Di, may I ask just one thing?”
“Anything.”
He accepted readily, as though he would answer whatever she asked. He waited, watching her intently.
“You… like Princess Phileone, don’t you?”
“Haha, is that all?”
Prince Di suddenly burst into hearty laughter. When he calmed, he lifted Haon’s chin gently with his fingertip.
He smirked.
“Of course.”
The smile of a beautiful man carried a quality that demanded belief.
Haon nodded, almost entranced by it.
“I’ll help you.”
“Good. I’ll send a contact soon.”
He withdrew his hand, glanced around the room, then strode away at a leisurely pace.
“So Prince Di does like Princess Phileone after all.”
Haon murmured as she watched his retreating back.
So far, so good. Everything was flowing according to plan.
“The problem now is our Princess Phileone.”
The question remained: how to lay a natural bridge between heroine and hero?
With the male lead’s earnest intentions confirmed, it was finally time for Haon to step up in earnest.
The next morning was peaceful, like any other.
Princess Phileone was as beautiful as always. Haon, however, felt oddly guilty after the secret proposal yesterday, and kept stealing glances at her.
“Princess, you have a visitor.”
It wasn’t unusual for someone to visit the detached palace.
“I’m a bit tired today…”
When the princess hinted at refusing, the attendant awkwardly added:
“It is the Fourth Prince, Your Highness.”
If the guest were a noble, refusal would be easy. But if royalty, Princess Phileone had no choice.
Haon, who had been attending her, widened her eyes at the news.
‘Prince Q?’
What business would Prince Q have with Princess Phileone? His visit was unexpected, and her curiosity flared.
“I’ll be down shortly. Escort the prince to the parlor.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After the attendant left, Princess Phileone, pressed by Anten’s insistence, sat before the vanity, checked her appearance, and then went down to the parlor.
The moment she opened the door, Prince Q leapt to his feet from the long sofa. Though small in stature, he carried himself with surprising dignity as he stepped forward.
“Princess Phileone.”
He immediately dropped to one knee and took her hand. Looking up at her with the bright voice of a lark, he declared:
“I am seeking a crown princess.”
