CHAPTER 98………………………………………
“Really? A real princess? There are two princesses in the Kingdom of Kopés?”
“Ah, many people mistakenly think the King of Kopés has only one daughter. That’s because the second daughter has been excessively veiled from public view. Since childhood, she’s been reluctant to appear outside and started studying abroad at an early age.”
“Then why did she return to the kingdom?”
“She was impressed after hearing Duke Seymour’s speech, so she ended her studies abroad and came back. The rumor that the Imperial Ambassador of Cobentin has stage fright spread elsewhere too. Seeing him overcome his illness for the Empire, she wanted to fulfill her duty as a royal and contribute to the kingdom—or so she said.”
So in the end… the ball I launched, huh?
Because I helped Peredil prepare for his speech, it’s entirely my doing that she’s looking at him with those sparkling eyes. It wasn’t something Theo orchestrated—it was all Chase’s pure interest in Peredil that led to this encounter.
“Why? Jealous or something?”
Theo teased as if watching something entertaining. I clenched my teeth to keep from showing the boiling anger inside.
“I asked you to handle this, so why would I be jealous? Anyway, what’s your plan?”
“That’s obvious. The princess will seduce the duke.”
Peredil wouldn’t just ignore me. He snorted and mocked.
“Do you think that will actually work?”
“No, I did a little background check on the princess. There’s more than one way in which she and Duke Seymour match. Kind of like soulmates.”
“Ha! Soulmates, in this world?”
“Listen. Miss Chase, like the duke, is a workaholic who doesn’t follow the latest trends among young people. She prefers not to socialize much, so she has few friends, and both of them majored in political diplomacy at the academy. They dislike sweet flavors, eat lightly, and enjoy reading when bored.”
“If that’s enough to call someone a soulmate, then I probably have 5,000 soulmates.”
I spoke plainly to shut down Theo’s nonsense. That seemed to provoke him, because he looked at me with blazing eyes.
“I’ll show you.”
Show what? I carefully watched Theo’s next move as he clapped to draw attention.
“I think we’ve seen enough of the palace. How about having a drink together?”
Chase responded with a faint, mechanical smile.
“Very well.”
At the hastily arranged drinking table, Theo was the only one smiling brightly. Following his instructions, the palace staff produced a surprisingly decent setup for an impromptu drink.
“Which do you prefer: strong whiskey or sweet champagne?”
She answered immediately, without hesitation.
“Whiskey, please. I’m not much for sweet drinks.”
Seeing her glass filled with whiskey, Theo looked at me and smiled, a teasing expression that seemed to say, “See, I was right.”
“The princess enjoys her strong drinks, it seems.”
“It’s not so much enjoyment as it is a sleeping aid.”
“A sleeping aid?”
“Sometimes my thoughts are too heavy to fall asleep on my own. In those cases, I rely on the strength of a strong drink to get thoroughly drunk and finally sleep.”
“I used to have that habit too. Quite an effective method, though not good for the body, of course.”
Peredil and Chase continued a light conversation as if only the two of them existed. Seeing Peredil smoothly converse after finding common ground made me seethe. If he hadn’t met me, their conversation would have been awkward and fragmented. My stomach twisted strangely.
“Miss Joyce, could you recommend some landmarks in the Cobentin Empire?”
Caught off guard by the direct question, she blinked slightly. Pale-faced like Peredil, she met my gaze and patiently awaited my answer.
“I recommend visiting the beaches of Mathias, Your Highness. The fragrant, refreshing seawater is calming for the mind.”
“A beach, huh…”
Trailing off, she was interrupted by Peredil.
“If you like, I can add it to your schedule.”
“No, thank you. I appreciate the recommendation, but I prefer constructed works over nature. I fail to see why I would go to nature when humans have invested so much time and effort in architecture.”
Wait… that sounds eerily familiar. It’s exactly like Peredil’s reaction when I took him to Mathias!
“I also don’t particularly enjoy the charms of nature.”
“Seems Duke Seymour and I share similar tastes.”
Oh, their little world, huh? What bothered me wasn’t Chase smiling at Peredil, but that Peredil didn’t avert his eyes from her. Or maybe it was Chase that bothered me more? My stomach twisted even worse than before.
“No gathering is complete without interesting stories, right? I’ll suggest a few discussion topics for you to talk about.”
What scheme is he up to now? Theo’s eyes sparkled as he led the flow of the drinking party. Seeing him so gleeful made my irritation rise. My friend and comrade, who used to be in sync with me, was gone, replaced by this man radiating uncontainable excitement.
“Discussing topics at a drinking table—Cobentin’s drinking culture is quite refined.”
The princess, intrigued, focused on Theo.
“What is your stance on sharing sorrow with others?”
“Sharing sorrow with others?”
She started to ponder the question seriously, as if it were very important. What baffled me was that Peredil was also genuinely thinking about it.
“Sharing sorrow just means two people are sad. It’s not very efficient.”
“Excuse me?”
I couldn’t help letting my astonishment show audibly as soon as she answered. Looking incredulously at Peredil, he smiled and chimed in—not helping me, but helping Chase.
“It’s simple arithmetic. One plus one equals two.”
Wait… am I the only abnormal one here?
“No! Sharing with others means the sorrow is halved!”
“Miss Joyce, here we need to think in addition, not division. It seems the emperor twisted the problem so the answer wouldn’t be too obvious.”
This wasn’t a problem with a predetermined answer to begin with! I looked at him, silently asking him to explain the intent behind the question, but he just quietly laughed to himself. Not an ally, after all.
Feeling dazed, I stayed silent. Theo, enjoying himself, raised another question.
“Another question: If your lover said they were depressed and combed their hair, what would you say?”
“Where?”
“Where you heard it isn’t important. It could be in person or via letter.”
“No, Your Highness. I’d answer, ‘Where?’ I have no experience with romance, so I’m not confident in my answer to this question.”
That seemed to shock Theo as well; his mouth fell open. Seeing me, already defeated, remain silent, Peredil spoke.
“If I were inexperienced in love in the past, I would have answered the same way.”
He smiled at me beautifully. Seeing his smile, all the resentment I had felt melted away—what a hopeless case I was.
“Now, however, I would answer completely differently.”
All eyes turned to him expectantly. Chase, especially, prepared to clap. No matter what he said, it seemed she would respond with admiration.
Shyly, she asked Peredil,
“Would you please tell me the answer, Duke Seymour?”
