Episode 29
“Thank you for forgiving my rudeness.”
At Lishiana’s words, Eirin’s eyes curled slightly, though her demeanor remained cold.
Lishiana sensed it and her expression stiffened just a little.
“There’s no need for further apologies. I’ll look forward to the day we meet again.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
As Lishiana walked away with firm steps, Eirin’s gaze followed her silhouette.
“She certainly made quite a scene.”
Illiard still hadn’t relaxed his hardened expression.
“She’s young and rather thoughtless. I understand.”
Lishiana and Eirin were the same age.
Eirin sat down again, not realizing that her words had unintentionally sounded condescending.
“Hah… I apologize.”
Illiard rubbed his forehead irritably.
His eyes, visible between his fingers, were cold and sharp.
Although he had sent Lishiana away quickly, the anger clearly hadn’t subsided.
“Well, if everything’s been said, may I excuse myself now?”
Eirin quickly began preparing to leave.
The look in Illiard’s eyes made her feel like someone’s life could end at any moment.
—
Later…
“What was that all about?”
As soon as his meeting with Eirin ended, Illiard summoned Lishiana again and questioned her sternly.
Lishiana bowed respectfully in apology.
“I apologize for my presumptuous behavior.”
“So, you do know your place.”
Illiard scoffed and asked,
“Don’t tell me you actually expect me to believe that ridiculous excuse you gave earlier?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I can’t overlook the fact that you ruined tea time with an important guest.”
He would send word to the Duke’s house, demanding an official apology for ruining the meeting.
Lishiana wouldn’t escape punishment from her father.
That she acted this foolishly even knowing the consequences…
No—perhaps foolish wasn’t the right word.
‘There was a fire nearby, so the guards were dispatched there,’ they had said.
That was the additional excuse the palace guards gave when they failed to stop her from barging in.
They claimed it was difficult to catch her because she kept moving quickly.
Illiard let out a dry laugh in disbelief.
If Lishiana had caused the fire as a diversion, things were dangerous indeed.
He had been too busy to notice how much influence she had gained recently.
“You didn’t happen to be the one who put herbs in the guest’s tea, did you?”
The investigation into the incident had stalled, and they still hadn’t found the culprit.
Illiard had a hunch it might be Lishiana.
She wasn’t the kind of girl to foolishly disrupt a meeting with a foreign dignitary for no reason.
She must’ve had a goal in mind.
“Of course not, Your Highness.”
“For your sake, I hope that’s true.”
Illiard responded bluntly in a gruff tone.
To cover up the herbal incident, they even replaced Eirin’s morning tea with spoiled milk, claiming it had upset her stomach.
If Eirin were to find out that such a suspicious event had occurred in the Mersen imperial palace, it would become a problem.
Ironically, Mersen Empire had stricter food inspections than most countries.
The flaw was that smugglers had grown more clever and precise.
The herb Eirin ingested was common in the Mersen Empire, allowing it to pass inspection easily.
Thankfully, the sacred water she consumed later likely purified the remaining toxins.
Still, he couldn’t say he wasn’t worried.
“I have no idea what Your Highness is suggesting.”
Lishiana feigned ignorance and stared directly into Illiard’s eyes.
Few people dared to meet his gaze so directly.
Well—perhaps one more had just been added to that list.
The princess of the Porti Empire.
“Are you interested in the Porti princess?”
His golden eyes, which had been radiating coldness, dropped with arrogant disdain.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Of course.”
The reason Lishiana had insisted on meeting the princess was to confirm it with her own eyes.
What kind of relationship did the Porti princess and the Crown Prince of Mersen have?
To do that, she had to catch them in the same place at the same time.
Eirin’s stay in Mersen would be short.
And Illiard’s schedule, due to postwar duties, was packed with official matters.
If their initial meeting didn’t happen properly, Lishiana would aim for the next possible opportunity—her own audience time.
“I sincerely apologize once again for today’s intrusion.”
What had started as a gamble turned out just as Lishiana hoped.
She not only got to see Eirin but also had a justification for interrupting their tea.
“I was just upset because you canceled our meeting without explanation.”
And now she even had a partial excuse.
“If you’re going to keep spouting nonsense, then leave.”
The plan had been carefully arranged to avoid suspicion. There was no way she’d be caught for the herbal tampering.
Lishiana lifted her chin confidently.
Illiard seemed to have caught on, but only had circumstantial evidence.
“But if I go home, my father might punish me severely. Could Your Highness perhaps punish me yourself instead? Please, protect me.”
Her voice was deliberately soft, evoking pity—as if she had no choice.
“You cause all this trouble and then ask for protection? You brought this on yourself. I’ll make sure the Duke pays a fitting price for your behavior.”
Illiard sighed, giving her a crooked look.
A twisted smile played across his face, chillingly cold.
“If you ever lay a finger on the princess again, you’d better be ready to die.”
“……”
Illiard had never shown interest in any woman before.
Lishiana had believed she was the only one who’d caught his eye.
But the way he treated the foreign princess—it was shocking.
Was it a calculated move?
No, his gaze had been far too warm. Too intense.
“Agno Felingka was right…”
‘I suspect something between the two.’
At first, she thought Agno had misread the situation.
But now… things felt undeniably strange.
The Crown Prince wasn’t supposed to be capable of such emotion.
Yet the madness slowly filling his golden eyes was unmistakably obsession—obsession directed at a person.
The Princess of Porti.
But why?
Lishiana quickly lowered her head to hide her eyes, which were now filled with pure confusion.
“I understand, Your Highness.”
“If we want our deal to go smoothly, you’d better not cross any more lines.”
Their secret deal was simple:
Lishiana would spy on the Duke and leak information, and Illiard would help her inherit the ducal title.
“I’ll say it again. If your reckless actions ever harm a foreign guest again, I will take your head myself.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Lishiana didn’t bother to deny the suspicion.
“You may leave.”
Lishiana Mielon was essential to removing the Duke of Mielon.
She couldn’t be discarded just yet.
Illiard swallowed his frustration.
If he punished her directly, it would be trouble. But punishing her through the Duke would ensure she received her due consequences.
—
Meanwhile…
Eirin planned to stay in the Mersen Empire for a while, as there were many things to take care of.
Illiard had also permitted her extended stay without any protest.
While organizing documents, Eirin told her maids she wanted to look around the palace, then slipped out with Arthur under the pretense of needing an escort.
She was headed to the black market, as planned.
However, she didn’t have an imperial token that would allow her to freely move in and out of the palace.
So she intended to borrow Arthur’s token, which he had received as an official escort.
Arthur looked around with sharp vigilance.
He looked like a criminal up to no good.
Well—secretly taking the princess outside the palace was indeed a serious offense.
“We need to hurry. We have to return quickly.”
Thanks to Arthur’s token, they exited the palace without incident.
“No one’s following us, right? No surveillance?”
“None.”
Only after hearing that did Eirin relax and put on her magic orb.
It was to prevent any unwanted recognition.
In an instant, Eirin’s appearance transformed completely.
“W-Who are you?”
“Who do you think? I just passed the palace gate with you.”
“Is that really you, Your Highness?”
“I used the orb to change into a man. Do I look like one?”
Arthur replied in disbelief.
“You’re asking that after using a transformation orb, not makeup?”
Since magic was restricted within the palace, the orb hadn’t worked until they exited.
So she had disguised herself as a maid to get out, and then used the magic orb afterward.
“Where on earth did you get something like that?”
Arthur was amazed by the ring that changed her appearance.
She had gotten it through a broker she had long been trading with.
“If you want to know, you’ll get hurt, Sir Arthur.”
Eirin didn’t trust him fully yet, so she withheld details.
If word reached her father, Emperor Kaltus, it could become very troublesome.
Arthur handed her something thick and worn-looking.
“This is the kind of hat commoners usually wear. You don’t need it with the orb, but just in case.”
“A hat?”
It looked ragged and dirty.
Eirin narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Arthur.
“It’s a new hat made to look old. If you wear something too clean, you become a target.”
Arthur avoided her gaze as he explained his reasoning.
Eirin sniffed it.
“Really? The smell though…”
