Chapter 04
Standing before the entrance to the banquet hall, Kaylen fastened the buttons of his crimson dress uniform jacket and let out a quiet sigh. A long exhale left his lips, and he put a practiced smile on his face.
By now, he didn’t even need a mirror—his fake smile came easily.
Kaylen stepped into the banquet hall. All at once, the eyes of those enjoying the event turned toward him.
He was used to these stares.
With a friendly smile—as if showing off—Kaylen walked toward the star of the night, the Crown Prince.
When Kaylen approached, Ferdinand slightly nodded. At that gesture, the surrounding nobles quietly dispersed.
“I never thought a rat would be living in the palace.”
“Indeed. It seems we need to do a proper cleaning.”
At Kaylen’s smooth reply, Ferdinand’s lip twisted.
“Right. A filthy rat of unknown origin. We ought to catch it.”
A filthy rat of unknown origin…
The beautiful golden-haired woman the Emperor had brought back from the battlefield—no one knew where she came from. She became the Emperor’s concubine, and after a year of receiving his affection, she bore him a son.
A prince born from a foreign woman of unknown background—that was Kaylen Liveredan.
Kaylen called over a passing servant. Taking a champagne glass from the tray, he lifted it to his lips and said,
“Be careful, Your Highness. Even a rat will bite when cornered.”
“So that’s why you spent so long chatting with Duke Hernia on the first day of the banquet.”
Ferdinand let out a mocking chuckle.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Enjoy the night.”
The Crown Prince turned away, resuming his conversation with the Empress’s younger brother, Duke Highmore.
Kaylen hid his face behind the champagne glass. Behind the rim, his expression cooled.
Then his eyes caught a familiar woman.
fit
Kaylen let out a small breath of laughter, like air escaping.
Downing the remaining champagne in one go, he strode forward.
As he approached, the nobles parted like the Red Sea.
There, in the deepest corner of the banquet hall—so far back there wasn’t even a floral decoration—she stood. She had found a perfect spot away from prying eyes.
But the brownish-blonde hair sticking out from behind a pillar betrayed her.
Kaylen walked toward the pillar.
The woman, her head hung like a child caught misbehaving, slowly lifted her face—then flinched. She began to shuffle sideways in a poor attempt to escape.
Just then, the orchestra began to play.
Seeing her recognize him and attempt to flee, Kaylen impulsively reached out his hand.
“May I have this dance?”
The woman narrowed her brows and stared blankly at the hand extended toward her. Then she raised her head and glanced around.
“Will you dance with me?” he asked again—this time slower, clearer.
Only then did she lift her eyes and look directly at him.
You should take it quickly.
Kaylen smiled gently. Her slender throat bobbed as she swallowed.
Almost entranced, the woman placed her hand in his. Kaylen seized the opportunity and led her to the center of the hall.
After the customary bow, he lifted his head and saw her face stiff with tension.
No need to frighten her.
No… Even if he smiled sweetly in front of her, who knew what expression she would make behind his back.
Even this timid woman—who knew how she might change if the situation shifted?
“Um…”
As she stepped closer to begin the dance, she opened her mouth hesitantly. Her voice was so soft he couldn’t hear.
He took her right hand. His left hand moved to her waist. She awkwardly rested her hand on his arm.
The distance between them shrank.
“Um, I… I’m not very good at dan—”
Before she finished, Kaylen moved his feet to the rhythm.
“Ugh.”
A short groan escaped him.
“S-sorry!”
Before the apology even left her mouth, she stepped on his other foot.
What is this woman?
Kaylen tried to lean in and whisper in her ear—he meant to ask what she’d seen last night.
If she stupidly promised she wouldn’t tell anyone, he planned to murmur in a low voice:
No—you can’t tell anyone, because you saw nothing.
He was going to frighten her properly.
But with her heels stabbing his feet again and again, he couldn’t get a single sentence out.
Is she doing this on purpose?
He briefly wondered. But the sweat beading on her nervous face made it clear she wasn’t.
When the song finally ended, Kaylen stared down at his throbbing, abused feet.
Taking advantage of the moment, the woman bowed hastily and fled the banquet hall.
Only then did he realize what she had been trying to say earlier.
He let out a short, incredulous laugh.
After greeting a few more nobles, he left the banquet at a reasonable time. Back in his office, the first thing Kaylen did was fling off his shoes.
“K-Kaylen, sir!”
Dylan panicked at the sight of his bruised feet and immediately tried to summon a physician.
“Enough. Don’t make a fuss.”
“Wh-who would do such a thing to you?!”
As Dylan inspected the foot that was definitely going to bruise, Kaylen spoke.
“Find someone.”
“Pardon?”
“A woman. About chest-height on me. Brownish-blonde hair, brown eyes, pale face. She’s quite pretty. I danced with her today—she’ll be the talk of the nobles.”
Running a hand roughly through his hair, Kaylen messed up the neat styling he had earlier. His green eyes darkened as he looked at his reddened, scraped feet.
My plan had completely fallen apart.
I spent several nights thinking about what to do next.
Fighting against the drooping weight of exhaustion, I stared at the now-familiar ceiling and rolled onto my side.
“I can’t sleep at all…”
Dust danced in the sunbeam sneaking through a gap in the curtains. I sighed.
Ever since witnessing that forbidden scene, I couldn’t sleep properly.
Why did the male lead set that fire? Why did he run into me? Why did he ask me to dance? I spent every night thinking and thinking, but I couldn’t understand.
“Did everything start going wrong the moment I transmigrated?”
I tried rational reasoning, but there was no way to know. This was far earlier than when the two main characters should meet. Since I couldn’t remember such an incident, maybe the arson wasn’t even important in the original story.
I could only speculate; I wasn’t the author.
I flopped onto my back again.
Kaylen’s annoyed face floated above the ceiling. The way he flinched every time I stepped on his foot…
“I’m doomed…”
I punched my soft pillow. Dust rose with my sigh.
Several days had passed since I ruthlessly stomped on the male lead’s foot.
My once-peaceful daily life had changed.
First, my mother bombarded me with so many questions I worried my ears might start bleeding.
She was endlessly curious why—why!—Prince Kaylen had asked me to dance. She always emphasized the “why!”
A hopeless romantic, my mother immediately decided Kaylen and I were tragic lovers overcoming our difference in status.
I had to fetch her glasses of cold water multiple times to bring her back to reality.
Then, several tea party invitations started arriving at the Rudd residence every day.
I spent each day dodging my mother’s questions with vague answers and writing polite refusal letters.
And every day, I checked the newspaper.
Maybe the male lead had been arrested as the arsonist? I combed through every paper available.
But not a single mention appeared—perhaps the imperial family was suppressing the news.
“Ha…”
Rubbing my aching temples from sleep deprivation, I heard a knock.
“Come in.”
The door cracked open and Mia, her freckles sprinkled across her nose, peeked inside.
“My lady. You didn’t sleep again? A letter arrived… will you look at it?”
I sat up, pushing my hair back. I nodded. Sleep was impossible now—might as well write another rejection letter.
Mia entered the room, set the letter down, and glanced around.
“If you’re not going to sleep, shall I open the curtains?”
“Yeah. Please.”
When she pulled the curtains aside, sunlight from the high, bright sky flooded the room.
I squinted at the sudden brightness, then slipped out of bed and into my soft slippers.
“Who sent it?”
I asked as Mia adjusted the curtains.
“It’s from House Hernia.”
I froze mid-step.
