Chapter 4: The Crown Prince I’m Engaged To
Doing good deeds.
It sounded nice, but it was such a vague and unclear concept.
Where did good deeds begin, and where did they end?
What exactly did she need to do to be called a good person?
How do you even define a “good person”?
“This isn’t a philosophy class. Thinking too hard about it is useless.”
Leriel nodded, quickly brushing away those deep thoughts.
The important thing was to prove that she didn’t fit the Tenebris family.
And to do that, she needed people to start talking. She had to let the whole world know that Leriel Tenebris had become a kind person.
And the fastest way to do that was…
“When does the whole family usually eat dinner together?”
That’s how Han Gyeoul made up her mind—to become the kind version of Leriel Tenebris.
And she didn’t just think about it.
She acted.
And that action created quite a stir.
Like the saying goes—bad news travels fast.
Despite Anwem’s efforts to contain it, rumors spread like wildfire.
It wasn’t long before it even reached Leriel’s fiancé, the crown prince of the Trian Kingdom, Perik Trian.
“…What did you just say?”
“Um, it’s said that the Lady of House Tenebris has suddenly become kind…”
So even Perik Trian, her fiancé and the crown prince, heard about it not long after.
“That woman?”
Hearing the report, Perik let out a dry laugh and rubbed his chin.
Even the slight furrow in his brows made him look stunning.
No wonder the arrogant Saintess set her eyes on him.
He ran a hand through his slightly tousled blond hair and muttered,
“There’s no way that’s true…”
Leriel Tenebris has turned kind.
What a joke.
He sneered, his lips curling up lazily, though the deep red in his eyes didn’t soften one bit.
His mood turned foul.
Anything related to Leriel always left a bad taste in his mouth—unless it was news of her death.
“What are you plotting now, Leriel?”
He whispered to himself as if questioning her directly.
Leriel wasn’t the type to do anything without a reason.
Every action, word, even the expressions she made always had a purpose.
Perik knew this better than anyone else.
He’d understood that ever since their engagement had been forced upon him.
“Let it be known today that Leriel Tenebris and Perik Trian have pledged to spend their future together.”
That day, the royal family’s dignity had hit rock bottom.
To suppress the growing power of the noble houses, he was sold off like some commodity.
“At least you look good. That’s one thing I like.”
That cursed engagement day, Leriel said that with a pleased smile on her face.
Beautiful and cruel, and so shameless that he wanted to strangle her.
He could never forget that wicked smile.
Perik clenched his jaw. The sound echoed in his office.
“I need to see it with my own eyes.”
So he decided.
He would meet her in person.
He had to find out what she was really up to.
There had to be some reason behind her sudden change in behavior.
Luckily, there was a perfect excuse.
Perik turned to his aide.
“Miller.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“There’s a court banquet scheduled for next week, right?”
“Yes. Last month was canceled because of the engagement ceremony, so it’s been rescheduled for the last day of this month.”
Perik double-checked the date and gave a slight smile.
This time, even his eyes smiled along.
“And the Tenebris family confirmed their attendance, correct?”
“Eh…? Of course. It’s an event hosted by the royal family. There’s no way they’d skip it, especially after the engagement.”
Miller answered nervously, watching Perik’s expression carefully.
But Perik didn’t need to hear more.
He had the excuse he needed.
There was no way the Tenebris family would skip the banquet.
Now all Perik had to do was wait.
“Alright. That’s all. You may go.”
Just as he was about to wave Miller away, something shiny caught his eye.
It was the engagement ring on his fourth finger.
“The groom will now place the ring on the bride’s finger as a symbol of a sacred vow.”
He remembered holding Leriel’s hand that day.
Her touch held no love—only satisfaction and pride for getting what she wanted.
“Now the bride will do the same.”
When she placed the ring on his finger, Perik had to resist the urge to yank it off and throw it.
But Leriel didn’t even flinch.
She held his stiff hand and slipped on the ring with a sweet smile.
“Shh. Be good, alright? This is my engagement. If you ruin it, I won’t let it slide.”
That tone wasn’t something a bride would use with her fiancé.
It sounded more like she was scolding a disobedient dog.
Either way, it was a humiliating moment for Perik.
And now that same woman was pretending to be kind?
“Yeah right. She’s definitely planning something.”
Clenching the ringed hand tightly, Perik cut off the memory.
He didn’t know what she was thinking, but he had to find out.
It had been about a month since the engagement ceremony.
As that thought crossed his mind, Miller quietly closed the door, the soft thud sounding like it sealed his future.
But Perik had no intention of standing still.
If she dragged him down with her, he would pull her down as well.
“Whatever ambition you’re dreaming of, I’ll crush it, Leriel.”
Sure, the royal family had lost much of its power, but at least he could drag her down to his level.
His heart pounded—not with love, but anticipation.
He couldn’t wait to meet her again.
He wanted to watch her fake smile fall apart with his own eyes.
That was the only thing he truly wanted from Leriel.
* * *
Meanwhile…
Honestly, Han Gyeoul thought she’d be kicked out of the family after just a few days of acting nice.
In these types of stories, good protagonists were usually treated like pushovers.
The maids would bully them.
The parents would call them weak and useless.
Being “kind” usually meant being seen as a failure.
“But what is this…?”
She had completely underestimated the Tenebris family.
She forgot just how long Leriel had lived as a full-fledged villain.
No one changed their opinion of her just because she was nice for a few days.
Instead, her kindness was misunderstood—and twisted into another form of cruelty.
“I heard Lady Leriel has been nice to the servants lately?”
“She’s just managing her own people well. That’s how the Tenebris family works.
They treat loyal ones well, but show no mercy to the rest.”
“Oh my, how harsh.”
These kinds of rumors started spreading, and even Anwem and Lobrin, who were first shocked, quickly relaxed.
They even praised her directly.
“At first we were surprised… but I see you had a plan all along.”
“Of course. Bullying servants only makes you seem petty.
You’re smart to reward loyalty and ignore the rest.”
“…That’s not it, though.”
Even her younger brother, Heibl, looked at her with admiration.
It was so overwhelming that Leriel had to turn her head to avoid his gaze.
“As expected of you, Sister! You’re already preparing to rule not just our house, but the whole Trian Kingdom! Starting with training the lower class!”
“…I said that’s not it.”
Inspired by her, Heibl even started acting a little nicer to the servants himself.
The servants, confused by the sudden change in attitude, walked on eggshells.
As the dark circles under their eyes grew deeper each day, Leriel realized something important:
She would need to completely revise her plan.
