Chapter 3
“No! Of course not!”
I told the knight to untie him, so it should’ve been fine, right?
Wait—did Bastian actually plan to keep him tied up like that?
His sudden suspicion made me tense up immediately.
As expected, the Princess of Verona wasn’t an easy one.
The male lead had to make sure his sister didn’t kill her brother, and the sister had to play nice so her brother wouldn’t kill her.
“This is… a little exhausting.”
I sighed inwardly and tried to soothe him.
“It just looked uncomfortable, that’s all. Besides, he can’t even run with his leg like that. How could he possibly escape? Don’t worry, Your Highness.”
I’m on the villain’s side now.
Sorry, Daniel—but that’s how it has to be.
What I want isn’t love, but a long, peaceful life.
I refuse to let things play out like the original story.
And actually, the solution was simple enough.
“I just have to not fall for Daniel, right?”
One look at his face, though, and I could understand why Clara had faltered.
But I had no intention of doing the same.
Dying for love? No way. I’ll survive, no matter what.
I won’t even let Bastian order an assassination this time.
I quickly organized my thoughts and looked Bastian straight in the eyes.
Time to persuade this tyrant a little more effectively.
“Your Highness, the Emperor of the Empire will awaken soon.”
“What? How do you know that?”
Bastian’s eyes widened.
Well, because I read the novel, of course.
But I couldn’t say that—so I made something up.
“He’s not dead, merely bedridden from illness. I looked up the symptoms in medical texts—it’s a temporary comatose state. At most, he’ll wake up within a year.”
Of course, that was a complete lie.
In the original story, he was supposed to wake up in six months.
I decided to use that fact.
“When he awakens, he’ll demand to see Prince Daniel. Unlike the Crown Prince, he cherishes Daniel deeply. That’s why you should treat Daniel as an honored guest.”
“That old man could really wake up…?”
Even if the empire was crumbling, it seemed Bastian couldn’t ignore its ruler.
He responded gravely, and I nodded quickly.
“Yes. So when that time comes, propose a negotiation.”
“A negotiation?”
“Yes—like demanding ransom, or land. You can profit in exchange for returning the prince safely.”
Something glimmered in Bastian’s eyes, and he smirked in satisfaction.
“That’s not a bad idea.”
I’d just told him to use the male lead as a hostage.
Well, no turning back now.
But if this kind of deal happens, everyone will be at peace.
Daniel, me—everyone gets a happy ending.
I’ll just keep flattering Bastian and live a long, quiet life.
I was smiling along with him when his expression suddenly changed.
His smile vanished, and he looked at me with a strange gaze.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“Did you… eat something weird?”
Why is he asking so seriously?
I blinked at him.
“You just seem… like a different person all of a sudden.”
He muttered thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
He’d been suspicious ever since I came back, and now he was straight-up asking.
Well, he’s not wrong—I am a different person now.
So I came up with another excuse.
“I just realized I can’t keep living like I have been. You know what my position is in the palace, don’t you, Your Highness?”
Clara might’ve been born with a diamond spoon, but she was miserable—
and it wasn’t just because she was the tyrant’s sister.
I only learned the full reason after possessing her.
Bastian looked at me silently, as if he understood.
“It’s late, but I want to change, starting now. I want to be different.”
I smiled brightly after saying that.
Bastian’s eyes gleamed again—but this time, not because of Daniel.
It was me, Clara, that caught his interest.
Soon, he spoke with confidence.
“Fine. As you wish, I’ll treat him as an honored guest.”
It was the first time Clara’s request had ever been granted.
Bastian sent his royal physician to treat Daniel, even removing the restraints on his legs.
Still, Daniel didn’t seem satisfied.
“Feeling suffocated, aren’t you?”
I spoke to him as he stared out the narrow window—
so small that a person could never fit through it.
Through that tiny gap, he somehow managed to gaze at the blue sky.
Then he turned to look at me, his sky-colored eyes soft and gentle.
“Yes, a little. It’s hard not being able to go outside…”
Right. Bastian hadn’t granted him freedom of movement.
His entire world was confined to this prison cell.
“I asked him to treat Daniel like an honored guest, not like a caged one…”
I shook my head, and Daniel spoke again.
“The physician told me that you requested my treatment, Princess.”
“Ah, yes. I did.”
“Thank you, truly, Princess.”
He smiled so innocently that my heart felt purified—
like being absolved of sin by a priest.
“You also asked for my restraints to be removed, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but that was just common sense. You don’t need to thank me.”
“I see.”
Daniel smiled again.
That gentle expression melted my heart.
Then he spoke softly.
“Then… could I ask one more favor?”
Huh? Another one?
“What kind of favor?”
I blinked at him, and he chuckled quietly before pointing toward the window.
“I wish to go outside. Please allow me to move freely.”
“What?”
Daniel… was asking that?
It was one thing to unbind him—but this was impossible.
When I hesitated, he asked, “Is that a difficult request?”
“Well… leaving this place might be a little…”
His face fell.
Just as I’d read in the novel—he was so honest about his feelings.
Pain, sadness, disappointment—he showed it all without restraint.
He gazed up at the clear sky, his expression full of longing.
“So I’ll be here forever, staring at the sky through this window…”
His voice carried such quiet sorrow that my chest ached.
“He only needs to hold on for six months…”
But even then—six months locked up like this did seem cruel.
Daniel’s next words only made my heart twist more.
“The window’s too high. I can’t even see the flowers, or the people walking by… I suppose I’ll never see such things again.”
“Well, there aren’t any people outside my palace anyway…”
Maybe he hadn’t realized that when he was dragged here.
Then he looked back at me—those sorrowful, beautiful eyes fixed on mine.
God… even looking at him made my heart ache.
“I’ll have to ask His Majesty’s permission for something like that,” I said. “I can’t decide it on my own.”
“I understand.”
He nodded quietly.
“Phew, at least he understands.”
I sighed in relief—
but apparently, Daniel wasn’t done.
He spoke again, still gazing wistfully into the distance.
“Even though the restraints are gone, it feels like nothing has really changed.”
“Didn’t you just thank me a moment ago?”
I stared at him, flustered.
Then Daniel finally turned away from the window.
Had he given up? I watched carefully.
He turned fully, his back to the light—
and suddenly, his somber face curved into a smile.
The change was so abrupt that I felt something strange.
Despite the dim light, it was as if sunlight poured around him.
I squinted.
“What is that… a halo?”
Was it real or just my imagination?
Before I could figure it out, Daniel began walking toward me—
slowly, gracefully, smiling that dazzling smile.
He could’ve spoken from where he stood, but no—
step by step, he came closer, until he was right in front of me.
My heart pounded so hard I almost took a step back.
“No. He can’t do anything to me.”
I met his gaze squarely.
Before I knew it, he was right in front of me—
so close that I could feel his breath by my ear.
My heart dropped.
And then he whispered softly—
“Then… what if I just sneak out once?
If you promise not to tell anyone, Princess, I’m sure it would be fine.”
He straightened up again, his blue eyes gleaming with mischief.
He looked like a puppy begging for a walk.
“If that’s too much, then how about you come with me? Just the two of us.”
His easy smile made my heart race uncontrollably.
And now, I completely understood why Clara had fallen for him.
But no.
“Don’t even think about it.”
If I let my guard down for even a second, I’d fall under his spell.
“At this rate, I’ll end up helping him escape!”
Then Bastian would kill me—for aiding his prisoner!
No thanks. I have no desire to die like that.
His face might make me weak, but I had to be firm.
“Do. Not. Fall. For. Him.”
I forced a polite smile.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. We’ll have to wait for the king’s permission.”
“Sigh…”
His sigh of disappointment stabbed at my conscience again—
but this was for the best.
If we all wanted to live—me, Daniel, and my terrifying brother—
this was the only way.
Daniel, suppressing his longing, said calmly,
“Then at least… when you go to see His Majesty, please take me with you.”
“W–what?”
Trying to slip that in so casually?!
I stared at him in disbelief.
He just gave me a playful smile.
That shameless grin reminded me of the Daniel from the novel.
“Right… this is exactly how he was, wasn’t it?”
I told myself again and again:
Don’t get caught up in his pace. Never.
