TCBUP 44

Chapter 44

Capture Possible.

The Empress never acts without reason.
Every word, every movement is for herself and her son, Withro.
If she chose me as Aiden’s opponent, there must be a worthy reason.

“But more importantly, it’s because I didn’t want to view you with suspicion.”

It was an absolute secret that he was Aiden.
And just the fact that I had found out was enough to make me a target under the scrutiny of Leon and his close aides.

So, I had no choice.

His favorability score was only 10%.
For someone who knows such a crucial secret, that number is dangerously low for him to just leave me alone.

Still, I didn’t think Leon would harm me.
The real danger lay with his aides, who might take action against me out of loyalty to Aiden.

“That’s why you should accept the engagement. It doesn’t matter if it’s not real. As long as we fool her and her world, that’s enough.”

“So it’s just for show, then.”

“Exactly. If you need time to think—”

“No, I’ll do it. Let’s get engaged.”

I replied immediately.

“I never intended to reveal Leon’s identity. After all he’s done for me, after how grateful I am, why would I ever cause you trouble?”

“……”

“So if I can earn your trust this way, then I’ll do it. I’ll get engaged to you.”

Besides, Leon—or rather, Prince Aiden—was more suited for the throne than Prince Withro.
Not just because I had been harmed by Withro’s faction.

Soaring inflation, rising unemployment—the shadows of hardship were creeping into even my own neighborhood.

There were even rumors that people were turning to cults as an escape from the difficult reality.

This was an imperial society where the Emperor’s rule had absolute power over the empire.
If Withro, backed by the power-hungry Empress and her faction, became Emperor, the Empire would only worsen.

At least Leon had wandered as a mercenary, experiencing the Empire’s reality firsthand.
He had built deep trust with even lowborns like Joshua. That alone showed his character was far better than Withro’s.

“……”

But Leon remained silent for a while.

He stared at me wordlessly, then let out a small hum before his expression turned complex.
When I tilted my head in confusion, he let out a deep sigh.

“It’s not that I didn’t trust you.”

“It’s okay. I understand. Given the situation, it makes sense to be cautious.”

Leon pulled away from the wall, straightening his upper body that had been pressing toward me.
He covered his mouth with one hand in thought, then smiled softly.

“Still, thank you. It might be dangerous, but you still accepted my proposal.”

“……”

“Even if you can’t be sure of my promise because of my current situation, I promise to do my best.”

And if there ever comes a time when I must break that promise—
Then I’ll let you go safely.

His low and determined vow echoed in my ears.

“I’ll trust you, Leon. Or rather, Your Highness.”

“Leon is enough. Aiden is fine, too. Just… not ‘Your Highness.’”

He gently pressed his lips to the back of my hand.

At the same time, a system window appeared.

[SYSTEM]
Leon’s PROFILE has been updated.

[PROFILE]
Name: Leon / Aiden
Age: 24
Occupation: Mercenary / Prince
Motto: I will build my own place.
Favorability: 10%
Your First Impression: Crazy woman.
Current Status: Can I dare to trust you?

[SYSTEM]
Restrictions on targeting the male lead Leon/Aiden have been lifted.
Difficulty has been slightly adjusted.
[Leon/Aiden’s Favorability 10% ⟶ 20%]

20%?

I had never seen a jump this big before.
Whether this would continue, I didn’t know yet—but for now, I couldn’t help but be shocked.

He lifted his lips from my hand and looked up at me, his eyes curving in a clear smile.

“Let’s go inside and talk. I have people to introduce you to.”

“Pardon? Oh, okay.”

I followed Leon, still dazed.
His change in attitude felt unfamiliar, just like the sudden jump in numbers. I kept sneaking glances at him.

“What?”

Then our eyes met unexpectedly—and Leon smiled brightly.

It wasn’t his usual teasing or sly grin—it was a warm, affectionate smile like one a man would give his precious fiancée. That threw me off more.

“It’s nothing. Just… surprising.”

“You figured it out the moment you saw me, and now you act like it’s something new.”

Ha… Haha. I laughed awkwardly, guilt stabbing at me.
Maybe he was reading too much into the fact that I had recognized him right away.

“By the way, who are you introducing me to?”

“My family.”

“You have other family?”

“We’re not related by blood, but it’s the same thing. Weren’t you curious about Eugene?”

Leon and Joshua had mentioned ‘Eugene’ before.
But aside from Joshua, I’d never gotten the chance to meet him. So I was secretly curious—and it seemed like today was the day.

“Looking forward to it?”

“Yes.”

“Just… don’t like him too much.”

Leon reached out and pushed open a shabby wooden door.

“Don’t forget—you’re my fiancée.”

He said it like a joke, but it felt more like a warning as he pushed open the entrance to the place called Atrox.

Joshua stood right behind the creaking door.

I hadn’t expected him to greet us so quickly.

Though my surprise lasted only a moment, he grinned meaningfully.

“Welcome, Miss Sienna.”

He stepped aside for us to enter, and I followed Leon inside, greeting him cheerfully.

Joshua had visited almost daily after I was injured in the salon, but once the bruises healed, he suddenly stopped coming—so I’d been feeling a bit neglected.

“Have you been well, Joshua?”

“Of course. You’re not hurt, I hope?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“What a shame. Now I’ve lost my excuse to visit.”

As Leon narrowed his eyes, Joshua scratched his head and laughed.

“Just kidding. This neighborhood isn’t usually dangerous, but of all days, you nearly got attacked your first time here. I’m sorry about that.”

How did he know?

I blinked, and Joshua leaned in, covering one side of his mouth and whispering near my ear.

“I saw everything from the second floor. When the captain suddenly dashed outside, I figured I should just stay put. I’m terrible at fighting, after all.”

“What about Eugene?”

Leon pulled Joshua away from me by his head.

Joshua groaned theatrically, but obediently led the way.

“He’s upstairs. Be ready for some nagging, Captain.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why? You suddenly ran off in the middle of an important conversation. He’s steaming.”

The building was run-down.
The paint on the stone walls was peeling in an unsightly way, and the wooden stairs creaked miserably with every step.

I looked down in concern, wondering if they’d collapse.

“Don’t worry. They may look like this, but they’re sturdy. Even heavier guys than me use them all the time.”

“Oh, really?”

The stairs were so narrow that just Leon seemed to fill the space. And there were heavier people than him using them?

Seeing my doubt, Leon added that the layout made it easy to fend off intruders—since enemies could only come up one by one, it was perfect for picking them off individually.

Following Joshua, we entered the room at the very end of the hall.

It looked like an old office, but with only a sofa and table, it didn’t feel like a workspace.

“Welcome, Miss Sienna Hargreaves.”

A man with dark chestnut hair, similar in length to Leon’s, gave a polite bow.

Unlike Joshua, his behavior and speech were formal—he seemed like a well-educated nobleman.

“This is Eugene, the one you’ve been curious about.”

“Hello.”

“Yes. Please have a seat. It’s humble, but make yourself comfortable.”

Joshua had been friendly from the start, so I’d found it easy to talk to him. But Eugene was different.

He was polite, but in the cold, noble kind of way—like he was drawing an invisible line I must not cross.

He wasn’t being hostile, but for some reason, his manner made me overly conscious of myself.

I sat on the sofa as he gestured, trying to act properly.