Chapter 79
“I don’t know what I’ll do to you, sister. I could make it impossible for you to live in the capital, leave you with no one around you—it’s easy for me.”
For some reason, Hiana’s words kept echoing in Bella’s ears.
Her face turned pale as she muttered to herself.
“No one will believe me…”
And even if someone did, what if that young lady denied ever having done such a thing…?
A look of dismay settled across her face.
She had just been humiliated at the banquet and had almost been driven out, ending up in the sponsor’s area.
If anyone knew she’d spoken with Princess Longton, there was no way anyone would support her.
“They’ll think I’m crazy…”
She would become a laughingstock, having clashed not only with Princess Abner but now with Princess Longton as well.
Bella shivered for a long while in her seat.
Eventually, almost dragged along by the people who had come to fetch her, she reluctantly returned to the banquet hall.
“I heard there was some commotion.”
Inside the bustling banquet hall, someone spoke to her while she rested in a corner.
“Huh?”
Turning her head, she saw Tian looking down at her with a serious expression.
His breath was slightly rough, as if he’d hurried to get there.
“…It’s my fault. I should have escorted you to the palace.”
Tian murmured while observing her face.
But Bella, forgetting even to respond, stared at him in surprise.
Tian, whom she had met only a week ago, seemed different somehow.
‘Wait… he’s grown taller again?’
Tian was dressed splendidly for the banquet.
A crisp white silk shirt with a neat cravat, wearing a uniform of black mixed with crimson—it looked impressive.
‘Has he really grown in just over ten days? I haven’t changed at all…’
She found herself staring at Tian’s long, straight legs.
Ever since he had begun training under Logrio, they had been seeing each other more often.
Mostly it was after his training, just having a simple meal or taking a walk in the garden, but Tian seemed very pleased with that.
He was truly the crown prince with no friends but himself.
“Did you change that dress?” Tian asked, fiddling with her sleeve as if checking.
Judging by his mention of “that dress,” he seemed to have some idea of the situation.
“Yes. The previous one had glue on it.”
Tian’s expression darkened further.
He pressed his lips together, then spoke.
“Who?”
Without hesitation, she quickly answered.
“Bella Howell! She’s twelve, wearing a yellow dress.”
“Got it.”
As she gave Bella’s details, she could hear faint murmurs around her.
In fact, for a while now, many nobles had gathered near them.
Though they were pretending to chat among themselves, she knew everyone’s attention was on her and Tian.
Tian whispered, low enough that only she could hear.
“Stay with me at the next palace banquet.”
“Why?”
“Well…”
“Are you worried someone will bother Ria again?”
Tian’s eyes widened in surprise.
Bella tapped his arm lightly.
“I’m fine! I was a little upset earlier, but I’m not upset at all now!”
“But you were insulted.”
“Being insulted doesn’t mean my potion disappears, or that I become a commoner again—the duke said so.”
“….”
“The only sad part was thinking I had no friends, but now I remember, I do have friends.”
“Really? Who?”
“Arwin brother and Mikayo! Luloo and Tom are also my siblings.”
Tian raised his eyebrows slightly.
For some reason, he wasn’t blinking.
After a brief pause, he asked anxiously,
“Who else?”
“Well… Laura and Daisy, who came to Ria’s birthday party, are also friends of mine.”
“And more?”
Bella went silent and stared at Tian.
He now gazed at her lips intently.
Puzzled at first, he then seemed to realize something and clapped his hands.
“Even… Your Highness…!”
Tian, who had been stiff as a stone, finally blinked.
Bella took the chance to speak rapidly.
“Ria, Ria made friends at the Abner estate first!”
She had long abandoned any thought of “how dare I speak to the crown prince.”
No matter how cautious she tried to be, Tian always crossed the lines she set.
Even the necklace she wore to the banquet today had been given by him.
Technically, it was a relic of the late empress.
‘Tian and the empress… is this hereditary?’
He gave her her mother’s relic, and made her call him grandmother.
There was always an unpredictable side to him somewhere.
‘I didn’t expect us to become this close…’
But now, there was no choice.
As Owen had said, their relationship had been set from the very first step.
It wasn’t particularly uncomfortable, either.
Still a little cautious, she liked both Tian and the empress.
Having become Princess Abner, she had also let go of some of the worries about how to treat the two of them.
“Ria is happy because of Your Highness! I’m happy because I’m Your Highness’s friend!”
At last, Tian’s expression softened.
A sweet smile appeared on his lips as he answered,
“Me too. I’m really happy because of you.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. Being with you makes me so happy.”
Although it was the same thing she had said, the atmosphere felt different.
Tian muttered while staring at her.
“Ria, you’re my savior.”
“Eh…?”
“If it weren’t for you, I would have remained a discarded crown prince forever. I’d have lived my life very lonely, tied to the palace like an elephant, and died that way.”
Her mouth fell open.
Of course, in a past life, Tian’s words had actually come true.
Still, hearing it outright now was slightly embarrassing.
Tian smiled gently and lightly touched her cheek.
“So right now, I’m just really happy even as friends.”
Bella tilted her head.
“I’ve been at the bottom for a long time, so I know my place, Your Highness.”
“Huh?”
‘Knowing her place, crown prince’?
She frowned at the strange words, and Tian chuckled softly, continuing.
“Anyway, Ria, today several nobles from the Nemped region came to see me.”
“Nemped region…?”
“Yes. It’s Her Majesty’s hometown.”
Bella’s eyes widened.
The Nemped region was the birthplace of the late Empress Miraena.
It was also where the nobles, whose power had greatly diminished after her death, had gathered.
To Tian, it was practically his maternal homeland…
“Th-Those nobles came to see Your Highness?”
“Yes. Each one submitted a request for an audience, so I met them all one by one.”
They were now whispering almost as if sharing secrets.
As a result, Tian leaned toward her, bringing his face close.
She could see his handsome nose and well-shaped lips up close.
“For some, I told them to come up to the capital soon.”
Hearing this, Bella was truly, genuinely shocked.
“Duke Orgon will come too.”
Duke Orgon was Tian’s maternal grandfather.
His coming to the capital after hiding in the west following the death of the late empress was a clear sign that Tian’s power was being restored.
“Wow, Your Highness!”
She forgot to act like a child, fidgeting with excitement.
This was a tremendous opportunity, and more than anything, she was proud of Tian.
‘I thought he was busy with arms support to the Eastern continent, but when did he even meet the Nemped nobles?’
For them to have come and even requested an audience, Tian must have been communicating with them via letters or people from before.
‘He’s been steadily building his own power base.’
Meanwhile, he maintained ties with the Eastern continent and still came every week for training at the Abner estate.
She had heard that he even trained in swordsmanship daily at the palace.
‘Is this even possible?’
She couldn’t close her mouth.
Tian was not the incompetent, reckless crown prince she had seen in her previous life.
He was wise, intelligent, capable, and a worthy future emperor.
Yet Empress Karin had isolated him in the palace, abused him from childhood, and ultimately caused his death before he even reached adulthood…
Her heart felt heavy, almost tearful.
“Your Highness, really, truly…”
She wanted to praise Tian, but doing so would mean acknowledging that she understood everything.
Worried it might seem unchildlike, she hesitated, and Tian gently touched her hair.
“Don’t worry. I’ll introduce you later.”
“…Huh? Introduce me to who?”
“My maternal grandfather, Duke Orgon. He’s a good person. You’ll like him.”
She bit her lip and nodded quickly.
“Okay! Since I live in the capital now, I’ll go right away if Your Highness calls!”
Tian paused, then asked with surprised eyes,
“What do you mean, live in the capital?”
