Chapter 3
How did things end up like this?
This was not my home, but a grand banquet hall inside the imperial palace.
In a quiet corner, the imperial musicians played a soft melody.
Dozens of attendants moved silently, placing food one after another on the long dining table.
Three people from the imperial family, four from my family.
Except for the emperor, who was busy, and my father, who could not come from our territory, there were seven people sitting at the table.
There was no need to say it.
Among those seven, the main characters of this meeting were Lionel and me…
“Kaien, try eating this.”
“I’m sorry. My stomach doesn’t feel well.”
“Don’t say that… Here, it’s your favorite potato soup. Just a little.”
But strangely, the center of the conversation was someone else.
Is this… really a meeting for our engagement?
The empress kept feeding spoonful after spoonful of soup to the First Prince, who had just become an adult.
The First Prince lazily poked the food on his plate with a fork.
His face was pale from illness, but as the male lead’s brother, he was still handsome—a fragile, sickly-looking boy.
What’s the use? His personality is terrible.
If he were truly sick, he should return to his room.
But since he stayed here on purpose, it was obvious.
He’s clearly causing trouble on purpose.
Was he upset because his younger brother was getting engaged first?
Then he should not have come at all.
I heard the empress favored him… but this feels worse than just favoritism.
I quietly turned my head and looked at the man I had finally met—the male lead, Lionel.
His hair shone like melted gold.
His shadowed eyes and straight nose still had a boyish feeling, yet he was so beautiful that it was hard to look away.
But it was not only his appearance.
His straight posture.
His controlled, unnecessary-free movements showed how strictly he trained his body.
With only a short glance and small gesture, he commanded attendants like someone born to rule.
And yet…
How can he be so expressionless?
In a situation like this, shouldn’t a person feel something?
Embarrassment, sadness, discomfort…
But Lionel, quietly cutting his steak, showed no emotion at all.
Like a doll that never learned feelings.
Is this the calm before a storm?
While uneasy memories of the novel crossed my mind, my mother placed a plate in front of me.
“My dear, try this. The beef is perfectly cooked.”
“Try this pie too. The cheese is rich.”
“Have some salad to refresh your mouth.”
“This bread is soft. Want cream? Butter? Strawberry jam?”
Because the empress cared only about the First Prince,
my family began clearly fussing only over me.
Soon my plate filled with food.
Meanwhile, Lionel only had what the attendants served him.
Between the noisy two families,
he looked like a lonely outsider.
Seeing this… I feel a little sorry for him.
Even if he looked calm, I felt that way.
Without thinking, I spoke.
“Your Highness, please peel these shrimp for me.”
All eyes turned to the plate of shrimp I slid toward Lionel.
Even the musicians stopped playing in shock.
My family looked the most surprised.
“Cecil, that’s rude to His Highness.”
“I’ll peel them for you—”
“No. I want His Highness to do it.”
I cut off my brother on purpose and looked straight at Lionel.
“Can’t you?”
“I understand.”
Despite everyone’s shock, Lionel calmly signaled an attendant.
But when the attendant tried to peel them, Lionel stopped him—
and began peeling them himself.
Still without any expression.
Using fork and knife gracefully,
he quickly peeled about ten shrimp and handed me the meat.
“Here it is.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.
And could you remove the bones from this sea bass too?”
“Cecil!”
“I understand.”
Again, he showed no anger or displeasure.
Is this nothing to him?
Or is he hiding everything inside?
While I wondered,
my brother coughed lightly.
“I’ll remove the bones for you. You know I’m good at it.”
“I know.
But I want to ask the man who will become my husband.
We’ll eat together forever after marriage,
so I want to see how well His Highness removes bones.”
“Cecil…”
“We’ll talk when we get home.”
I ignored my mother’s warning look and my sister’s whisper.
Even if this was the palace,
even if he was a prince,
I would act as boldly as I could.
At worst, I’ll just get scolded at home.
As long as the imperial family desired Roheim gold,
the empress could not touch me.
Trusting that,
I tried to hand Lionel another plate—
Screeech!
The First Prince deliberately scratched his plate with a fork,
forcing me to stop.
“Daughter of Duke Roheim…
Your name was Cecilia, right?”
He looked straight into my eyes.
He wasn’t checking my name—
he was asking if he could call me that.
“Yes. I am Cecilia Roheim.”
I emphasized Roheim.
He frowned.
“Very well… Cecilia.”
He didn’t understand at all.
“Your situation is pitiful.
Born into a rich family,
you became a victim of a political marriage.”
“Oh my, a political marriage?
This marriage was decided because I cried and begged for it.”
“Cried and begged… what?”
Not exactly a lie.
I did cry—because I didn’t want to marry.
“Even if it’s political, what’s wrong with that?
He kindly peels shrimp and removes fish bones.
And if I marry the Second Prince,
I will become the future empress.
What greater honor is there?
Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”
I smiled brightly at the empress.
“Of course…
there is no greater honor for a noble lady than engagement with the imperial family.”
“Exactly.
I have no complaints about this engagement.
I like it very, very much.”
I secretly glanced at Lionel—
but his face still showed no change.
I didn’t expect sweet words…
but does he have to react like it’s someone else’s story?
Is he really the obsessive male lead later?
Right now he looks completely emotionless.
While pouting to myself,
a loud sound of a chair scraping came from across the table.
The First Prince stood up,
his face red with anger.
What’s wrong with him now?
Honestly, I was dumbfounded.
Was he really offended just because I talked back once?
