I never expected first love to last forever. It had already been three years since Caleb proposed, and our relationship had changed since then.
However, I never imagined he would bring in a mistress so openly. It would have been one thing if he had introduced her in private, but to announce it in the palace square where officials and nobles frequent was another matter entirely.
Those quick to spread rumors were already whispering about Sina’s status, keeping a sharp eye on my reaction. I didn’t know what expression to make; my mind went blank as if I were in a vacuum. Rather than anger, I felt a deep sorrow—sad that the boy who had once confessed his love so sincerely had changed this much.
“……Um.”
As the nobles watched with great interest and I remained silent, Sina glanced at me tentatively.
“It is only natural for me, the future King, to have a mistress,” Caleb spoke first. “Is it not?”
I wanted to burst out of my seat and run away. I wanted to leave Caleb and never see him again. But for someone who had lived as the mistress of Obruxen for three years, even running away was not permitted. I had already come too far; too many people had entrusted their futures to me.
“You are right, Your Highness.”
Because I could neither show tears nor express anger, I simply agreed.
“What?”
“Producing an heir is the duty of the successor to the throne.”
Caleb was the one who had brought in a mistress to spite me, yet he was the one who looked as if he had been hurt.
“Does it not matter to you even if I have an heir with another woman?”
“……As you said, Your Highness, is it not only natural?”
If I were alone, it might be different, but I refused to break down while people were watching. I kept my back straight and answered in a calm voice.
“Now you’re even using formal speech with me,” Caleb muttered with a hollow laugh.
“Because it is only proper.”
Now that our promise was broken, the only thing left between us was a hollow engagement. I wanted to crawl under my covers and sob, but I didn’t even have time for that. I had too much work to do.
“Then, I shall see you next time, Your Highness.”
Having finished my greeting with a pale face, I turned my back. Caleb, his face also drained of color, glared at me as he prepared to leave. Just then, someone ran up and grabbed the hem of my dress tightly.
“Wait!”
Startled by her own sudden action, Sina quickly withdrew her hand. The nobles nearby let out mocking snickers at the breach of etiquette.
“Lady Eoret.”
I wanted to escape the gaze of the crowd as quickly as possible, but Sina continued to hold me back.
“I am sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“……Huh? Why are you speaking so formally to me?” Sina asked, her eyes wide.
Did she truly not know? Though we had held an engagement ceremony, I had not yet had a formal wedding, meaning I did not yet hold a royal title.
“I am simply observing proper etiquette.”
“Ah! I see. It’s because you haven’t had the wedding yet.” Sina blinked and muttered as if she had reached a realization on her own.
To me, it sounded incredibly insulting.
“Did you stop me just to say that?”
“Ah, well, you see……” Sina hesitated, fidgeting. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. I didn’t know Caleb would call me to his bed that night.”
“If this is a private matter, you do not need to speak of it.”
“But……” Sina still seemed to have more to say. “I feel like I’ve stolen your fiancé.”
“……”
“But Caleb is a Prince, so it couldn’t be helped, right?”
She said this with a bright smile. For the first time in my life, I felt utterly speechless at someone’s audacity.
Every King in the history of Obruxen had kept mistresses. Had I subconsciously expected Caleb to be different? I smiled bitterly to myself.
A King’s mistress didn’t just sit idle. While the Queen was responsible for state affairs, the mistress usually hosted palace parties—not the major national events, but the balls and themed parties. If there were no mistress, the Queen handled those too. In a palace short on hands, I tried to think positively: that I now had someone to help with the workload.
But I wanted to be clear: no matter how hard I tried, I could never like Sina.
“How can she act so contrary to etiquette?”
“Her lowly origins will always show, won’t they?”
Perhaps because of her status, Sina found it difficult to mingle with the nobles. However, it was different with Caleb. Even in the garden where people could see, she would sit on his lap to kiss him or feed him cake. While the maids following me ground their teeth in frustration, I tried to pass by quietly, pretending not to see.
“Lady Eoret!” Sina spotted me first and waved. “Since we’ve run into each other, shall we have some tea?”
No one likes having their private life become the subject of gossip. I wanted to let this matter fade quietly, but Sina kept creating scenes that the nobles found entertaining. She would call out to me in public or constantly ask to have tea. People were swarming around us, eager to see the mistress of the palace crumble.
“Your Highness.”
Just as we were having an uncomfortable encounter with Caleb, his aide called him away.
Thus, I ended up drinking tea alone with Sina. Only the two of us were drinking, but dozens of nobles were watching the scene. I intended to sit quietly, finish my tea, and leave. However, as soon as the maid set down the teapot and cups, Sina jumped up and started pouring tea for me.
“Pfft.”
“Did you see that?”
Her habit of serving tea had come out instinctively. Sina’s face turned beet red at the laughter of the onlookers. She glared resentfully at my maids, whose laughter was the loudest.
“You see, I’m not used to etiquette yet. I like Caleb, but palace life is so difficult,” Sina confessed. She was very blunt and expressed her emotions without hesitation. “I’ll have to learn etiquette, right? As you know, I’m an orphan and a former maid, so it will be hard, but……”
She was the exact opposite of me. Unlike me, who was quiet and reserved, Sina boldly spoke her mind.
“Still, I want to learn so I can stay by Caleb’s side. I love him more than anyone in the world.”
I didn’t expect her to reveal her weaknesses so readily in a place where one must be tight-lipped to survive. I was slightly taken aback by her honesty. On one hand, it was strange and enviable. When was the last time I had expressed my true feelings so openly?
“Oh! But a noble gentleman did come to visit me recently to be friendly.”
Though she was the only one talking, I listened quite carefully.
“Count Abrecht?”
“Yes! He said he was Count Abrecht. He gives me all sorts of advice on what food is good outside the palace and what places are cool.”
Sina answered with a beam, noticing my rare reaction. Count Abrecht was a member of the aristocratic faction. Currently, power in Obruxen was split two ways: the Royalist faction, who swore loyalty to the King, and the Aristocratic faction. The Escutere family had been Royalists for generations.
Recently, relations between Obruxen and Haiderk were very strained. The Obruxen dynasty found it unacceptable that Haiderk had declared itself an Empire. Even the ancient Obruxen had not done so; they wondered how a peripheral nation dared to claim the title. Consequently, the Aristocratic faction ignored the Royalists’ wish for an alliance and pushed for war—hoping to line their pockets by selling weapons, armor, and bombs. They were confident they could win. My father, Duke Escutere, criticized this as a dangerous policy, bringing conflict with the Aristocratic faction to its peak.
For Count Abrecht to approach her in this situation… Sina was naive. There was a high chance she was being manipulated by the Aristocratic faction and would eventually be discarded.
“Be careful.”
As our tea party ended, I gave Sina my first and last piece of advice.
“Huh? Careful of what?”
“You must not trust anyone in the palace.” I didn’t entirely dislike her honesty, but I worried her personality would invite danger. “Be wary of anyone who suddenly acts friendly and offers favors.”
“What? But Count Abrecht isn’t that kind of person.”
“That is all I can tell you.”
Sina looked very confused by the warning. “Are you… worried about me?”
I remained silent as I watched her blink with an innocent face. It’s hard to realize these things until you experience them yourself. Still, I didn’t want to see her become a sacrificial lamb in a political power struggle.
“I shall take my leave now.” I stood up instead of answering.
“I will serve you!”
Sina stood up as well and grabbed the back of my dress. It was what she used to do—holding the hem so it wouldn’t drag on the floor. But she didn’t have to do that anymore.
“Hahaha!”
“Pffft!”
The sight of the mistress not only pouring tea but even holding the hem of the dress caused the onlookers to burst into laughter.
“Lady Eoret, you are truly cruel!” Sina cried out, tears streaming down her red face.
“Excuse me?”
“I knew you wouldn’t actually worry about me. You only said those things to mock me, didn’t you? And to try and drive a wedge between Count Abrecht and me!”
Why did she have to interpret things so selfishly? I was about to say something back when someone stepped between Sina and me.
“So, this was your true nature all along.”
Caleb comforted Sina by patting her back. She sobbed sorrowfully, burying her face in his chest. It was a scene of lovers being cruelly sweet.
“Look, Io. Please don’t be as cold as a barren woman.”
“……”
“Just how much more are you going to break?”
Speechless, I stood as stiff as a dead tree. And then:
“Lady Eoret!”
The butler from the Escutere mansion rushed toward me, shouting.
“The Duke and Duchess have been taken into custody on charges of treason!”
My world collapsed.
