Chapter 51
“As you said, if you purchase all the tea sets on the first floor, you can go straight up to the fourth floor.”
When Layla said this to Lady Weimar, the lady removed the ring from her finger.
“I’ll take them all. And for payment, take this and deliver it to my family. They’ll give you the gold coins immediately.”
Receiving the heir’s ring from Lady Weimar, Layla bowed with a look of deep gratitude.
“Thank you so much, my lady.”
“Then I’ll escort you to the fourth floor.”
Before putting his mask back on, Rainier smiled faintly as he looked over Lady Weimar and her attendants.
There were six of them in total—all loyal to Lady Weimar.
When Rainier put his mask on again, they followed her upstairs, looking slightly disappointed.
“For reference, you can take the elevator to the VIP room from the first floor, my lady. You as well, young ladies.”
“No need for the elevator—there’s too much to enjoy for the eyes,” Lady Weimar replied.
Rainier beamed and guided them to the fourth floor.
Once they had gone up, Layla hurried down to the first floor.
She moved so quickly that her calves and thighs started to ache on the way down. Layla realized that even just descending stairs could hurt her knees, strain her back, and make her calves throb.
The white, spiraling staircase was beautiful, with elegant railings and a luxurious red tin-carpeted floor.
The problem was that she had dressed to impress today—her heels were high, her skirt was cumbersome and long, and her hair and earrings were heavy with ornamentation.
Her attention entirely on her legs, she suddenly—
“Kyaa!”
—twisted her ankle and stumbled forward.
“Oh dear.”
The one who caught her before she fell was—
“Your Highness!”
—Crown Prince Anasis.
“Quite a cute little ploy,” he remarked as he set her down.
“You’re lighter than I expected. Do you really starve yourself often from being sick?”
“What do you…?”
Crown Prince Anasis had seen many women fake a stumble just to fall into his arms. To him, Layla’s “trick” was just endearing.
He also found it amusing that she had dressed so lavishly for his visit—and curious that she was so light despite the weight of her dress.
“I’m so happy, Your Highness. You have no idea how relieved I am you came. Truly…”
Truly, I’m thrilled everything is going according to plan.
Layla swallowed the last part, covering her mouth. Seeing her emotional expression, the Crown Prince thought she seemed far more interested in the position of Crown Princess than in being the Marchioness of Bruce.
“You must be pleased—since I came,” he said.
“Yes, very much so.”
Layla greeted him with a bright smile. Before long, the young noblemen and noble ladies—close to the Empress—who had accompanied the Crown Prince entered behind him.
“Oh my.”
They gasped the moment they saw the national-treasure-level paintings.
“Where did you find such expensive works? The income of a mere count’s house couldn’t possibly cover them,” one young man said in awe.
“My business partner is quite wealthy,” Layla replied. She then tilted her head toward the Crown Prince, asking for his ear.
He chuckled at her rabbit-like gesture and leaned closer.
“I’ve placed that doctor on the fourth floor,” she whispered loyally.
The Crown Prince looked at her with a satisfied, almost proud expression.
“You really are adorable.”
In his good mood, he found everything about her pleasing. Stroking her hair as if she were a pet, he prompted approving remarks from the nobles around them.
“As expected of Your Highness’s discerning eye—quite remarkable.”
“Indeed, only Your Highness.”
“A place endorsed by Your Highness is bound to be the most splendid and luxurious in the capital.”
The Crown Prince, pleased, thought of killing Rainier soon and showing some generosity to the woman who would be his concubine.
“I’ll escort you to the fourth floor,” Layla said.
“You seemed to twist your ankle.”
“Yes. I was rushing to greet Your Highness.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie, so she smiled as she said it. The Crown Prince brushed her pink hair back behind her ear.
“There’s an elevator, isn’t there?”
“Yes, over there—Ah!”
In that moment, he swept her into his arms. No one else was surprised; after all, she was limping.
Even if the Crown Prince treated her kindly, everyone knew the truth: the seat of Crown Princess would go to someone strategic, and at best Layla might become a concubine. His actions had likely been approved by the Empress anyway.
“Could you please set me down?”
“With an injured ankle? Why bother?”
Layla broke into a cold sweat at his refusal. If she reached the fourth floor like this, Lady Weimar would see. But the Crown Prince carried her into the elevator regardless.
“To the VIP room on the fourth floor,” he told the staff.
The elevator rose slowly, then dinged and stopped on the fourth floor.
When the doors opened—
“Your Highness?”
“Ah, Lady Weimar.”
The Crown Prince smiled warmly at her, then set Layla down on a red sofa.
“From now on, watch where you’re going.”
“Yes, thank you.”
He chuckled, then looked around—his eyes landing on a man with striking red eyes and black hair, whose presence was unmistakable even behind a mask.
“Your Highness, this is my business partner,” Layla quickly introduced Rainier, reading the situation.
The Crown Prince gave her an approving look before turning to Rainier.
“Pleased to meet you.”
“It’s an honor to meet you,” Rainier replied smoothly, shaking the offered hand.
Lady Weimar’s gaze lingered on Layla, but Layla was more concerned about the Crown Prince’s interest in Rainier.
“Is your ankle very bad?” Lady Weimar asked as she approached.
Layla forced a smile and slightly lifted her skirt.
“Oh my.”
Seeing the swollen ankle and the ruined heel, Lady Weimar sighed, some of her irritation fading. Many women had feigned injury to be carried by the Crown Prince—but Layla’s ankle truly looked swollen, and her heel was in pieces.
Of course, Layla had broken the heel herself earlier, just in case she needed an excuse.
Judging from Lady Weimar’s expression, Layla felt relieved that she had made the right choice.
The fourth floor was spacious, but since it was a VIP area, each room could hold only twenty people. The guests split into two groups—the Crown Prince’s and Lady Weimar’s—each taking a separate room.
As the Crown Prince moved to his seat, he said,
“I heard the Crown Prince of Lutenberg is here. That must be you.”
Rainier only smiled without replying.
“Ah, so it was classified information. My apologies,” the Crown Prince continued awkwardly.
Rainier kept smiling, saying nothing.
Anasis was certain this was the hidden Prince Rainier—those rare red eyes, the jet-black hair just like the Emperor’s in his youth, the tall, broad build, and even through the mask, the supreme beauty.
“Still, my close friends are quite discreet,” the Crown Prince said.
In the nearby corridor, Lady Weimar’s right-hand woman, Lady Fenalden, was eavesdropping.
“Tell me—am I correct?”
In truth, it had been arranged to appear that the Lutenberg Crown Prince had disguised himself to come to the Sigmund Empire, but the real Crown Prince was secretly doing something else for his father. He hadn’t actually come to the Empire at all.
“Yes, you are correct.”
The Crown Prince knew the Empress was no simple opponent.
“I intend to use this place with my friends from now on. How about greeting us each time?”
This was not just an invitation—Rainier had been waiting for this moment.
“It would be my honor, Your Highness.”
