Chapter 15
Watching Belia carefully choose her words so as not to offend the royal family, Alendo replied succinctly.
“Lady Doltan is also a candidate for the crown princess.”
Belia studied Alendo’s face.
Since Lady Doltan had long been designated as the crown princess, she thought he might show some reaction, but his face remained indifferent.
“Why? Do you dislike her?”
“Well, that’s….”
Belia barely swallowed the words she was about to say.
“Um, I…”
“You can speak honestly. I don’t have any feelings for her. You can tell me the real reason, too.”
“Pardon? What real reason…?”
“Because I’m the cursed crown prince.”
“Who is?”
“Me.”
“Ah…”
“Don’t worry too much. Lady Doltan and you aren’t the only candidates. These days, there are plenty of noble families lining up to offer their daughters as candidates. Back when I was being called cursed, they all avoided me—but now that I’m nearing the throne, they’re desperate to get their daughters into the palace.”
“I see…”
“Well, you’re a special case. You didn’t come here because your family pushed you, but because you were chosen as Lady of the Year.”
Alendo shrugged lightly.
Watching him, Belia hesitated for a moment.
‘The cursed crown prince.’
She, too, had been injured in the fire at the mansion when she was eight years old—a fire that had occurred on the crown prince’s birthday.
At the time, the mansion had been a gift from the previous emperor to Alendo upon his birth, filled with rare treasures from across the continent.
Nobles were eager to send their children there, and although it was near the Forest of Mist where magical beasts had once appeared, no one thought anything would happen—it had been decades since the last incident.
But that day, a magical beast appeared again in the Forest of Mist, and the mansion caught fire, burning for hours.
The royal attendants focused solely on protecting the crown prince, and many noble children were injured.
The event led to serious tensions between the royal family and the nobility, and Alendo, only ten years old, was branded with the nickname “the cursed crown prince.”
“I should apologize for personally inviting you to the crown prince’s palace instead of the main palace.”
“Pardon?”
Belia, lost in thought, quickly looked up.
“I still haven’t managed to shake off the label of being cursed. My mother, Her Highness, judged that if we sent a formal invitation to the Arphedi Marquisate, they might use the fire incident as an excuse to decline the dinner. So I sent the invitation personally instead. This might stir up a bit of fuss in high society.”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
Belia waved her hand.
She could already imagine people comparing her to Lady Doltan, but she didn’t care.
“Really? Why’s that?”
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t seem bothered at all eating dinner alone with the cursed crown prince. Doesn’t it trouble you?”
“What would I have to be troubled about?”
“I heard you were badly injured and received holy healing from a priest. Doesn’t being here trigger any trauma?”
“Oh, it’s been so long.”
Belia scratched her cheek.
So much had happened surrounding that fire when she was eight, but she had never once associated it with the crown prince.
She didn’t even remember it clearly, and it’s not like he started the fire himself. What reason was there to resent him?
“You were hurt because of me…”
The crown prince glanced at her, testing the waters.
“Oh, Your Highness didn’t hurt me. It was just an accident.”
Belia said this while slicing into her chicken.
“You didn’t start the fire. Why would anyone blame you? I was just unlucky.”
She shrugged casually.
“Do you really think so?”
Alendo pouted slightly.
“Yes, there’s no reason not to. Are there really people who still blame the fire on you? That ‘cursed’ nickname…”
She flinched mid-sentence.
“Ah, I didn’t mean… I mean, the nobles all know it wasn’t Your Highness’s fault. They only bring it up for… personal advantage, maybe? But they all know, deep down, that you’re not carrying some kind of evil aura.”
She understood well what it felt like to be burdened with an unwanted title.
She hadn’t helped kidnap Rene. She hadn’t infiltrated the marquisate. Yet people still called her a fake.
Belia glanced sideways at Alendo and then looked down again.
She’d never thought to associate him with the fire incident, but now that she did, he seemed a little pitiful.
How horrible must it be to carry a label you never wanted—cursed prince?
“Anyway, I’m really fine.”
Alendo leaned his chin on his hand and stared at Belia.
Noble daughters who came to him at their fathers’ insistence all trembled like the curse would rub off on them.
He hated having the servants see that, so he always dismissed them and dined alone.
Belia was completely different from the other girls he’d invited to such dinners.
And she clearly enjoyed her food. The way her utensils moved with such ease despite her calm demeanor was amusing to watch.
He’d mentioned the curse to test her, curious since Carlton seemed interested in her—and he was pleased with her reaction.
It was still a traumatic incident, but it was a perfect filter for people.
Alendo nodded, satisfied.
She had sound judgment, and a healthy appetite, which he liked.
‘Is this why Carlton reacted to her? That stoic man?’
“You’re interesting, Lady Belia.”
“Pardon?”
“The count’s daughter who was named Lady of the Year last year cried the moment I brought up the curse.”
“Cried? Isn’t that a bit…”
“You’re just unusual. Most girls cry or go pale. Maybe that’s why Carlton’s interested.”
“Carlton?”
Belia raised her head.
“Carlton. Don’t you remember? You met him at that banquet.”
“What…?”
“Take a closer look. You’ll remember. I’m not someone easily forgotten.”
At Alendo’s teasing tone, Belia narrowed her eyes.
His playful manner felt familiar.
And then, over his striking features, she imagined a black mask—and her eyes flew wide.
“No way! That intruder!”
Belia jumped to her feet and instinctively pointed at Alendo.
“‘Intruder’? I was in disguise, but I thought I looked decent.”
“Ack, sorry.”
Realizing her mistake, Belia hurriedly sat back down.
“I’ve never seen Carlton show interest in a woman before.”
“You mean the Tower Master? You’re close with him?”
She finally set down her utensils.
Alendo looked intrigued.
“Not super close. Just a little.”
Carlton might not feel the same, but to friendless Alendo, this counted as friendship.
“Then… could I ask…”
“What? Want to meet him?”
“Pardon?”
“I know you sent a request to the imperial palace to contact the Magic Tower. Any official action taken by a crown princess candidate is reported to me.”
Belia flinched, and Alendo shook his head.
“I don’t look into unofficial matters. As I said, only official ones are reported. The imperial family isn’t monitoring your every move, so don’t worry.”
“Ah, okay.”
Belia nodded, feeling a bit uneasy.
“Anyway, I know you sent a request about the Magic Tower. I assume you want to meet Carlton. Right?”
“Yes.”
“You do? Why?”
“Well, I have a reason I need to see him.”
“Do you like him?”
“What?”
“The atmosphere on the balcony that night seemed…”
“No! It’s not like that!”
“Really? That’s boring. Then what is it? If you tell me the reason, I’ll arrange a meeting.”
“A meeting?”
“Even if the palace accepts your request and contacts the Tower, you probably won’t get to meet him. You expected that, right?”
He was right.
She’d sent that letter in desperation. Even if it reached the Tower, there was no guarantee Carlton would hear about it.
“So why do you want to meet him?”
“It’s just that…”
Telling him, “I see strange hallucinations when I look at him,” would sound insane.
When she hesitated, Alendo just shrugged.
Carlton hadn’t told him why he was interested in her either.
But if his guess was right, it was probably related to that person—the one Carlton called Master.
Carlton’s entire life revolved around finding that Master.
He wouldn’t have asked Alendo to do something so troublesome otherwise.
“Can I ask just one thing?”
Alendo gazed at Belia, recalling a report he’d read a few days ago.
“About the accident when you were eight… Is it true that you don’t remember anything?”
Belia nodded, her expression asking, Why are you asking that?
