TRETTHD 07

Chapter 7. The Establishment of a Contract

Khalid was genuinely curious about what would come out of those small lips.

Perhaps that’s why—

He waited in silence until she spoke, something that didn’t quite suit him.

He had surrendered the lead in the conversation, but somehow, every word she said pleased him.

Perhaps it was because of the way she spoke of Raul with hostility.

Or maybe…

“Please give me a reason to reject Prince Raul’s marriage proposal.”

Or maybe it was because of those sparkling violet eyes as she uttered such an audacious request.

“So that’s why you chose me?”

Rejecting a prince’s proposal would require a solid excuse.

Assuming she really did know the location of the gold mine…

Keeping that valuable information hidden until now must have been to keep Raul from taking more interest in her.

Besides—

Sending the anonymous letter was likely her way of testing whether the much-rumored Second Prince was someone worth trusting.

To dare gauge the intentions of an imperial prince—

“Ha, this is either ridiculous or entertaining…”

He should be angry about it, yet—

Strangely, he found himself chuckling.

With a sigh of amusement, Khalid slouched onto the sofa. Belia sat across from him, silently watching.

“You’re quick to catch on.”

Belia liked him too.

Having spoken with him properly, she realized that Second Prince Khalid was far more useful than she had expected.

Her determination to bring him to her side solidified even more.

“Of course, I’m not asking for help for nothing. As I said in the letter, in return, I’ll give you the exact location of the gold mine.”

In other words—she was proposing a deal.

Belia said this with a sweet smile.

“Heh…”

She spoke so confidently despite having no proof to offer.

But when someone talks this boldly, even with outrageous claims, you can’t help but want to test them.

Khalid found himself laughing involuntarily.

A little offended by his sudden laughter, Belia asked,

“Why are you laughing?”

“Ah… It’s just unexpected. Raul’s going to be pretty insulted.”

Belia declared her position once more, firmly.

“I absolutely do not want to marry Prince Raul.”

Her voice was full of unshakable resolve, prompting Khalid to ask,

“Do you have a plan?”

“Will you date me?”

She responded instantly, as if she’d been waiting for that question.

At her unexpected answer, Khalid didn’t bother hiding his disbelief.

“Ha. So Raul is a no-go, but I’m okay? You have peculiar tastes. Most people would choose him.”

Raul—the Emperor’s favored son.

The one most likely to become the next Emperor.

No matter how you framed it, it didn’t make sense for her to reject Raul.

“It’s not a real relationship. I just want to pretend we’re dating so that he’ll give up on proposing to me.”

But both Belia and Khalid knew it wouldn’t just be pretend.

Even pretending to date wasn’t a simple matter.

“Ha… So that’s why you offered the location of the gold mine. This won’t just be a scandal—it could completely trap you.”

Khalid muttered with a cynical laugh.

They weren’t nobles who could quietly end a fleeting relationship.

A princess of a kingdom and an imperial prince?

Even a fake romance would be engulfed in scandal.

“Besides…”

A scandal between the woman Raul proposed to and the Second Prince?

While it might cling to Khalid like idle gossip, to Belia—who was constantly in the public eye—it would be fatal.

Those envious of her would surely twist the rumors into something vile.

“You’ll have a harder time handling it than I will. Rejecting Raul’s proposal won’t come without a price.”

Belia, the beautiful princess of the Kingdom of Ronica, often spoken of in rumors.

In person, she was even more stunning than the stories said.

Silvery hair tinged with pale blue, and violet eyes.

A delicate figure and an aura that evoked a desire to protect her.

Khalid, who had little interest in appearances, had to admit she was worthy of the attention.

A woman like that refusing Raul and turning to the infamously rude and arrogant Khalid?

“If you’re not careful, this fake relationship might turn into a real marriage.”

Khalid warned her.

As if to remind her how foolish the idea was.

But Belia bit her lip and replied as though it didn’t matter.

“If it’s a choice between marrying Raul or you, I’d rather marry you.”

Khalid stared at her with an unreadable gaze, falling silent.

“Which is why your decision matters more than mine. Like you said—this might really end in marriage.”

At that, Khalid let out a soft chuckle.

“You just want Raul to give up on proposing to you, right?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“And?”

His gaze sharpened, as if to probe deeper.

“There’s no way that’s all. What’s your real motive?”

Belia needed to secure Khalid.

There was no one more perfectly suited to her needs.

If there were more imperial princes, maybe she’d consider someone else—but only Khalid could rival Raul.

Still—

“We haven’t built trust between us yet, right? Would you agree with that?”

Khalid nodded.

“So I can’t tell you everything right now.”

If she told him her true intentions and he turned on her…

“If this deal goes smoothly, then we can talk again later.”

She decided to leave the door open.

“…Princess.”

Khalid began slowly.

“Frankly, your offer brings me no benefit.”

He already knew there was no gold mine in the area the current investigation team was exploring.

Besides—

“How can I trust that you know where the gold mine is? There’s no substance to your offer—it holds no appeal.”

Nothing she said so far was verifiable.

“I came hoping for an interesting conversation, but if this is all there is, I’m disappointed.”

“If you discover the mine before Raul does, your status in the empire will skyrocket. And in return, you get a little scandal to stop my marriage to Raul. Isn’t that actually a good deal for you?”

Belia explained what he stood to gain.

“You can prevent Raul from marrying someone who could become a powerful ally. You also get to exploit a romance with the woman who rejected him.”

In other words, she was offering him full freedom to use her name and reputation however he pleased.

Khalid’s eyes glinted with renewed interest.

“Even if this all leads to our marriage, it wouldn’t be a loss for you. Royalty usually marries for political reasons anyway, and marrying a princess of Ronica is a good deal. Unless… do you already have someone you love?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Then there’s no problem.”

With that, Belia tilted her head slightly and gave a dazzling smile.

“Hmm. Is there anything else you want?”

“…Honestly, this is ridiculous.”

No one dared say these things to an imperial prince.

“You must have thought so.”

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it was.

Right after saying he gained nothing from the mine, she turned around and offered her public image—perhaps even her future—for a deal.

“That a princess from Ronica, the one Raul’s desperately pursuing, would say this…”

Everyone else would kill for a chance to be Raul’s bride.

“And she chose me to reject him…”

Is she bad at calculating outcomes?

But looking at her sparkling eyes agreeing with his words—she didn’t seem foolish.

Khalid no longer hid the amusement in his expression as he looked straight at her.

“…You said dating?”

“Marriage would be even better.”

“Bold.”

With that, Khalid smiled dangerously.

“You won’t get what you want if you’re not at least this bold.”

Belia didn’t back down.

Khalid crossed his legs arrogantly and sneered.

“Honestly, having a princess as a wife is a tempting condition. I doubt there’s a better choice among the candidates.”

He now understood why Raul was putting in so much effort.

“And I’d get to see Raul’s reaction? There’s nothing more entertaining than that.”

Khalid leaned in toward her.

“So… shall I grant your wish and marry you, Princess?”

He mocked her, as if expecting her to withdraw.

“But think carefully. If you regret this later, there’s no turning back.”

At his low, warning whisper, Belia smiled even brighter.

“…Maybe he’s right.”

Suddenly, she remembered what Close had said.

She’d brushed it off as a joke, but maybe it wasn’t.

He had already done the math—this deal benefited him—yet he still gave her multiple warnings.

“Maybe he’s kinder than I thought…”

A truly bad man would just say sweet things to lure her in.

But Khalid warned her. Gave her a chance to walk away.

Belia looked him in the eye and spoke clearly.

“Let’s get married.”

At her words, Khalid’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Then he laughed, clearly finding it even more entertaining.

“This marriage will give us both what we want. There’s no reason to object.”

“You won’t regret it?”

“Of course not.”

Belia didn’t hesitate.

“I look forward to working with you, Prince Khalid.”

Khalid frowned slightly at her words.

“If that’s the case, don’t call me ‘Prince’ anymore. From this moment on, we’re lovers.”

“…Lovers?”

The word felt unfamiliar.

Saying it aloud made it even stranger.

Each syllable felt rough on her tongue.

“The more convincing the act, the better the show.”

In truth, Khalid disliked unpredictability.

He liked controlling every detail.

But Belia had barged into his life in an unpredictable way—and strangely, he liked it.

“Alright. Then the contract is established.”

Belia held out her hand for a handshake.

It was a mutually beneficial deal.

Belia had secured someone who could be her sword.

Khalid had gained a surprisingly good match.

“When you next visit the palace, I hope you greet me like I’m the only one who matters in your world.”

Khalid clasped her hand.

Then, with a languid smile, he spoke her name.

“Belia.”

And from his lips—

Her name sounded oddly sweet.