Chapter 11
The Crown Prince Cassian, whom I met in the drawing room, looked far too splendid for someone who was supposedly visiting in secret.
His bright golden hair and clear blue eyes — the very picture of a fairytale prince.
Even his white uniform made him stand out; he practically screamed “I’m someone important!” to anyone who saw him.
“And this is what he calls a secret visit?”
No doubt, everyone he passed had whispered about his identity.
The Crown Prince’s appearance was so well-known that someone in the kingdom must have already realized he’d come to Erel.
“You’ve come a long way, Your Highness. What brings you here?”
“Indeed, Erel is quite far. It’s my first time being this distant from the capital.”
Cassian looked around curiously.
Though the drawing room of the Erel manor was well-kept, it was humble compared to the royal palace or Oberon Castle.
“It must be difficult for the Ivrea Oberon to live in such a remote place.”
Normally, the old Ivrea would have thought so.
She had been the epitome of noble refinement, after all.
Anyone could have said the same thing upon seeing her here — but not Cassian.
Not if he had a shred of conscience.
“She’s in Erel because of you, you bastard.”
Not that I was trying to justify Ivrea’s misdeeds, but if anyone was to blame, it was definitely the Crown Prince.
If he had been faithful to his fiancée, she’d never have been consumed by jealousy and resorted to plotting against someone.
“It’s a better place than I expected. Everyone’s quite kind.”
“Northern people, kind? Ah, well, Oberon’s roots are in the North, after all. I suppose they might treat you kindly.”
“Then what brings a southerner like you all the way out here, Your Highness?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I came to see you.”
Cassian smiled at me — that effortlessly charming smile that probably melted hearts left and right.
“Right. Ivrea fell for that smile of his.”
She’d always been weak to it.
Every time he smiled and coaxed her, she gave in so easily.
A villainess tossed about by her love for a man — how very cliché.
But that smile did absolutely nothing for me.
“Because while I might have Ivrea’s shell, I’m someone completely different inside.”
I glanced at Harry, who was circling Cassian in his fluffy white dog form, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Still, if we’re talking looks, my Harry’s definitely the more handsome one.”
Why I felt a surge of pride over that was anyone’s guess, but I straightened my back proudly and asked Cassian,
“You came to see me? Why?”
At my detached tone, Cassian’s smile faltered ever so slightly.
But, like a true protagonist, he quickly recovered it — dazzling and radiant as ever.
“I thought you might be heartbroken after the annulment. I came to comfort you.”
…Did he really just say that? The nerve of this man.
“There’s no need. I’m not particularly upset. Engagements get broken off all the time — such things happen.”
In this conservative world, a broken engagement was a serious blemish — for ordinary women.
But Ivrea was no ordinary woman. She was the daughter of the powerful House of Oberon.
For someone of her standing, a broken engagement was a trivial matter.
“You don’t have to pretend to be fine, Iv.”
His voice softened unnervingly as he stood up.
I almost spat out my tea at the sudden use of a nickname.
“Iv”? Since when were we on that level?
He must have misread my stunned silence, because his smile grew even warmer.
“Iv, I never thought I could love anyone. So I believed it didn’t matter who I married — that’s why I got engaged to you.”
“Uh-huh. I see.”
“But then Catherine appeared. And after that, I couldn’t even imagine marrying anyone else.”
I had only one thought at that moment: And what exactly am I supposed to do with that information?
“Why are you telling me this? Should I congratulate you for finding true love?”
He brightened up as if he’d been waiting for me to say that.
“Yes, Ivrea. I’d like you to congratulate me — me and Catherine, on our future together.”
“…What?”
What in the world did this lunatic just say?
“You’ll bless us, won’t you?”
Does he get this confidence as a main character perk or something?
I stared at him in disbelief as he slowly approached me.
I didn’t move — I wanted to see just how far this nonsense would go.
But instead of speaking, he reached out and caressed my cheek.
“Your father has withdrawn his support for the mining project. It’s put me in a very difficult position, Iv.”
My eyes narrowed.
Ah. So that’s what this is about.
In the kingdom’s northeastern region lay an undeveloped mana crystal mine — potentially vast, but risky.
The cost and expertise required to develop it were immense, and failure would mean financial ruin.
No one dared take the gamble.
Except the Crown Prince and his faction.
They planned to develop it to gain an edge over the First Prince.
And the biggest investor had been House Oberon.
“Of course Father pulled out. He only agreed to fund the project because he thought I’d be joining the royal family. Now that the engagement’s off, there’s no reason to waste money.”
And since the annulment hadn’t been amicable, the Oberons’ pride was deeply wounded — withdrawing support was natural.
“If the project succeeds, we’ll earn it back severalfold. It’s not wasted money.”
“But success isn’t guaranteed. And shouldn’t you be discussing this with my father directly?”
“I did. He refused to listen. But I know you can persuade him.”
“Me?”
“He cherishes you, doesn’t he? That’s why he hid you away here, out of the public eye.”
The Duke of Oberon… cherishing his daughter?
I thought back to his cold expression when he ordered Ivrea to leave for Erel.
Didn’t seem particularly loving to me.
But that’s not even the point here.
Even if the Duke did dote on her — why should I feed a fish that’s already swum off to someone else’s pond?
“And why should I do that, Your Highness?”
“Because you love me, of course.”
His hand slid from my cheek down my neck, making me flinch.
Cassian smirked and leaned closer until our eyes met — my startled reflection glimmering in his clear blue irises.
“If you help me, I can give you this much in return.”
He leaned in, closer and closer.
“I can’t make you queen, but I can keep you close — give you what you want.”
So that’s what this is about.
He doesn’t want to marry me, but he still wants the Oberons’ power.
And in return, he’s offering… his affection.
Because he assumes I’m still hopelessly in love with him.
What absolute garbage.
This was the kingdom’s crown prince?
Why had Ivrea ever loved this man?
In the original novel, Cassian Jerreint was ambitious and calculating, yes — but never this sleazy.
I started to push him away, but Harry was faster.
[You bastard! What do you think you’re doing to my contractor?!]
“Ugh!”
Cassian let out a strangled cry as he was thrown to the floor.
[Hey, contractor! You’re just gonna sit there while he spouts that nonsense?!]
Cassian was too stunned to process what had happened.
Honestly, so was I.
But there was only one possible explanation.
[Harry, was that you?]
[Yeah! I didn’t mean to, it just— I got so pissed I lost control for a sec!]
Cassian blinked at me, bewildered.
“Did you just… throw me? Me?”
I tilted my head innocently.
“No, Your Highness. You saw me sitting here the whole time, didn’t you?”
Completely true.
Harry had done it, not me.
“How could a fragile woman like me throw a strong man such as yourself?”
“…Right. Of course.”
He rubbed the back of his head in confusion. “Then who grabbed me…?”
“Anyway, shall we continue our conversation?”
He stood and straightened his wrinkled clothes, coughing awkwardly.
“You used to beg me, remember? To hold your hand, to embrace you, to kiss you. I’m merely offering what you once wanted. Not a bad deal, is it?”
Even while saying such ridiculous things, Cassian looked utterly composed.
Ivrea must’ve loved him a lot for him to feel this confident.
He was using her desperate, one-sided love as leverage, pretending he still held all the power.
Well, time to show him how wrong he was.
“Your Highness,” I said sweetly, “did you really think I’d be happy with that offer?”
“Isn’t it a fair deal? You used to demand a kiss as a reward for favors, didn’t you?”
You did WHAT, Ivrea?!
My smile cracked for a moment.
The novel had never mentioned that.
Of course not — side stories of a villainess didn’t matter when she was just there to torment the heroine.
Right. We’re the side branches of the story — trimmed away for efficiency.
No wonder Cassian was so confident.
He thought the same deal still applied.
But that was then. Things have changed.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to decline, Your Highness.”
“What?”
“I said, I’m declining your offer.”
“Why? Isn’t the reward enough?”
“Because it doesn’t appeal to me.”
Cassian froze, clearly not expecting that.
He stared at me for a long moment before letting out a nervous laugh.
“So you’ve gotten better at bargaining. What do you want instead? A mistress’s title?”
“No.”
“Then you still want to be my wife? I already told you, that’s impossible.”
“Perfect. Because I don’t want it either.”
“…I don’t understand. What do you want, then?”
“It’s simple. You’ll turn around, walk straight out of here, keep walking all the way back to the capital — and never see me again. Easy, right?”
I said it in the tone one uses with small children — gentle and patient.
If he still didn’t get it, he was truly hopeless.
“You’re saying… no deal?”
“Wow, you got it! Finally.”
Guess he’s not completely brainless.
I waved cheerfully.
“Now go on. Turn, walk, and don’t stop till you reach the capital.”
But he didn’t move.
He looked genuinely confused, even pained.
“Why… why won’t you make a deal with me?”
“Because that’s how deals work, isn’t it? You offer something I want, I offer something you want. But unfortunately, what you’re offering doesn’t interest me.”
“But you… you love me! You always begged for my attention!”
“I used to. Not anymore.”
“How can you say that? Feelings can’t just— change like that!”
“Sure they can. You did, didn’t you? You fell in love with someone else in an instant. So why can’t the opposite happen — falling out of love, just as quickly? That’s how hearts work. They change.”
Cassian looked truly shaken.
He probably couldn’t fathom a world where Ivrea Oberon didn’t love him.
Well, if I hadn’t become her, that would’ve been true.
But now?
I’m not that Ivrea.
“So there’s no deal, Your Highness. You can’t give me what I want — I already have it.”
What I wanted was a comfortable life, and as the Duke’s daughter, I already had everything I needed.
No one could offer me more.
“If you still want what I have, then you’ll have to beg for it.”
“…Beg?”
“That’s right. You want something I have, but you can’t offer anything in return. So your only option is to appeal to my mercy. That’s called begging.”
I laughed lightly, watching his fists clench.
“But of course, a noble Crown Prince wouldn’t stoop to something so low, would he?”
Cassian had been adored and flattered since childhood.
This was probably the first real insult of his life.
“Lady Oberon. Do you understand the gravity of insulting the royal family?”
“Why? Planning to charge me with lèse-majesté? That would really sever ties with the Oberons. Can you afford that?”
Of course he couldn’t.
His faction needed the Oberons too much to risk alienating them.
“And besides,” I added, “there are no witnesses. Even a prince can’t accuse a duke’s daughter without proof.”
He had dismissed everyone before this “private” talk — the two guards outside couldn’t hear a thing.
“Oh, but since no one’s watching, maybe you should beg. Who knows? I might even change my mind. People’s hearts change so easily, after all.”
A direct jab at his little love affair with Catherine.
If he were truly stupid, it would’ve flown over his head — but unfortunately, he wasn’t that stupid.
His face went rigid.
“…Perhaps today isn’t a good day for conversation. I’ll take my leave.”
“Of course. I won’t see you off.”
I curtsied lightly.
Cassian pressed his lips together and turned away sharply.
The guards straightened as he stormed out.
[Harry.]
I called, watching his retreating back.
Harry perked up instantly, tail wagging.
[So we’re killing him now, right? Please say yes!]
[Harry, must you always think about killing people?]
[I’m a demon! That’s literally what I’m supposed to do!]
[…Fair point.]
[Come on, just let me do it. He’s annoying. We’ll both feel better.]
[As tempting as that sounds, killing him would just make things messy. Just… trip him. Hard.]
[Only that? You’re no fun. Wouldn’t blood make this so much more satisfying—]
[Harry, my wish is for you to—]
[Ugh! Fine! I’m doing it!]
Before I could finish, Harry screamed and unleashed his power.
A faint light shot forward, striking Cassian behind the knees.
It hit so hard I could see his legs buckle.
“Urgh!”
Cassian crumpled, sprawling face-first on the floor.
The crash startled not only his guards but also Emma, who had been waiting outside — all of them froze, mouths open.
Cassian lay there, dazed, with no idea what had just happened.
“Y-Your Highness…?” one of the knights stammered, rushing to help him up.
Cassian staggered to his feet, still out of it, his pristine white clothes now rumpled and dirty — a pitiful sight.
“Oh, Your Highness!”
I ran out, feigning alarm.
“You must be exhausted. You collapsed in there too, and now again out here—”
I shook my head with exaggerated concern.
“With such weak legs, you must have a lot to worry about. When you return to the capital, do take some medicine for that. Something good for… lower-body strength.”
[…Wow. You’re savage.]
