Chapter 4
I didn’t even have to ask the reason.
The Third Prince was so adorably beautiful it was almost pitiful!
I’d seen a fair number of children over the course of my many lives, but never — never — one as lovely as him.
He looked like a little forest fairy who’d lost his way and wandered into the human world by mistake.
It was clear that everyone in the hall was fighting the same inner urge — to reach out and pat that round, chestnut-like head.
Of course, no one actually dared to do it.
Anyone who gave in to such a momentary impulse would probably be dragged away for committing blasphemy.
After staring hard at the floor for a while, the Third Prince finally gathered his courage and lifted his head.
And then, as if by some fateful coincidence, our eyes met.
Just like the other children before him, his big round eyes grew even wider—
“Y-Your Highness! Are you all right?!”
—and he fell backward in shock.
…What’s with this kid?
Wasn’t he supposed to be the brightest and most gifted child in the empire?
Were all those compliments just lies?
I suddenly wanted to track down Countess Lurupel, who used to endlessly praise the Third Prince, and grill her about how true those rumors were.
Sure, I might look intimidating, but isn’t it a bit much to react like that just from seeing me?
Even my well-trained adult heart took a bit of damage from that one.
The fairy-like prince looked embarrassed about losing his dignity like that.
His ears flushed red as he slowly got up again, squirming like a little chick.
He was undeniably cute. Like a newborn chick still learning to stand.
Maybe not as clever as the rumors claimed, but his looks were definitely genuine.
The slightly dazed Third Prince didn’t cry — he just dusted himself off and stood tall again. How admirable.
Then he scurried across the hall to his spot and began his formal greeting.
“Nice to meet you all. I am Saphirus Detemir, the Third Prince of the great Letitia Empire. By the glorious command of His Imperial Majesty, I have come to Rudbeckia to pay my respects.”
He recited his prepared speech with clear, precise diction.
His voice was bright and crystal-clear — like jade beads rolling on a silver plate.
“Though I am still young and lacking in many ways, I ask that you follow me faithfully as loyal citizens of the Empire.”
He wrapped up his elegant little speech with that, and the nobles, momentarily dazed, began to clap.
Yes, the boy certainly had presence.
After his introduction, the ball proceeded as planned.
Since the prince was too young to dance, the Count and Countess of Lurupel took the first turn on the floor.
Meanwhile, I stayed by the refreshment table, quietly nibbling sweets and watching the prince.
Contrary to his clumsy first impression, he handled the nobles with surprising poise.
But whenever our eyes met, he froze like a broken automaton.
At this point, I almost felt bad for him.
‘Well, I guess a kid might find my appearance a little scary… maybe even nightmare-fuel scary.’
Anna had been right.
In any case, I’d secured the upper hand over the Third Prince — though, admittedly, not in quite the way Anna had intended.
What mattered was that I was no longer afraid of him.
Who could be scared of a chirpy, chick-like child who seemed to peep every time he walked?
‘…Anyway, when does this banquet end? It’s for children, so surely it won’t go too late, right?’
The charming little prince was entertaining enough to watch, but even that had its limits.
Standing still and emptying a plate of cookies wasn’t exactly thrilling.
And I couldn’t go out and dance, either — not because I didn’t know how.
In fact, in my previous life, I’d practiced dancing so much that I was sick of it.
Preparing for a debutante ball at sixteen meant starting lessons at fifteen, after all.
The problem was that no one here knew that.
If an eight-year-old girl suddenly performed a perfect waltz, it would cause quite a stir.
They’d start calling me a prodigy or a genius of the century or something.
And Harriella — the me of this life — was already too pretty to draw more attention.
A real problem, that.
“…Um, Miss Lurupel!”
Just as I was debating between a chocolate chip muffin and a lemon scone, someone called out to me.
Turning my head, I saw the platinum-haired boy I’d locked eyes with earlier.
“Hello. And you are…?”
“Ah! I’m sorry! My name is Levin!”
“I see. …And which family are you from?”
“Ah! I—I actually serve in the clergy, so I don’t have a family name!”
“Oh, a priest then…”
Now that he mentioned it, his white hair did have a sort of holy glow to it.
But honestly, he gave off more of a cute bunny vibe than a saintly one.
Not as cute as the Third Prince, maybe, but still pretty adorable.
Like a snow rabbit who’d come down from the mountains to visit the human village.
On the cuteness scale, I’d give him 120 out of 100.
This country’s future was looking bright.
“…So, what did you need from me?”
Still, that was that.
He’d looked horrified when he first saw me — so why come up acting friendly now?
Keeping my expression gentle and my thoughts hidden like a true professional adult, I asked politely.
“Ah, um… it’s just that…”
He squirmed shyly, then suddenly took my hand.
“I can feel a familiar energy from you, Lady Lurupel!”
“…What?”
“A special aura that only those blessed by the Divine One, Ra, possess!”
“…What? Ra Corporation?”
Wait — was he a rich heir from this world’s version of a conglomerate family?
“No, no! The Divine Ra!”
Oh, great. One of those.
A missionary. A cultist.
Why do these novels always have one of those?
I instinctively took a step back, my guard up.
My mother had always told me to stay away from people like that.
The boy looked devastated by my reaction, as if he’d never been treated with such suspicion before.
His eyes welled up as he pleaded his innocence.
“I—I’m not a strange person! I truly am a servant of the Divine Ra! I know it’s hard to believe, but…”
His voice wavered, almost tearful, though I barely caught what he was saying.
Still, he looked so earnest that my heart melted a little despite myself.
Everyone loves cute things — it’s just human nature.
“…Sniff… Those blessed by Ra radiate a special light. Surely you’ve already experienced a miracle, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, sure, something like that.”
Right — your face is this country’s miracle, kid. And that prince’s face? Probably this world’s miracle.
I nodded absentmindedly, focusing more on what my eyes were seeing than what my ears were hearing.
“…Um, you are listening, right?”
He tilted his head, tears clinging to his lashes.
“Of course, my dear little Levvitt.”
“It’s Levin.”
“Yes, yes, Levan.”
He sighed — tired already, poor thing.
Fair enough; with my “divine glow” (thanks, Anna), staring at me probably was exhausting.
“Anyway, as a fellow who has experienced Ra’s miracles, I’d love to talk more privately with you…”
He clung to my hand like a lifeline, trying to guide me toward the terrace.
Oh no. Here it comes.
The “You have such a blessed aura — if you offer a small donation, your fortune will bloom” scam.
Ugh. This was going to be tedious.
Should I just humor him for a while? He was cute, after all…
But before I could decide, an unexpected person approached.
“You there, priest.”
“Eh? M-me? Oh! Your Highness!”
It was the Third Prince!
Just moments ago, he’d been chatting with nobles, but somehow he’d snuck over to my side.
He strode right up and gently pulled my hand free from Levin’s grasp.
“It’s not polite to grab a lady’s hand without permission.”
And then, from that tiny, cherubic mouth — came the cheesiest line imaginable.
Oh. My. God.
He was exactly like a side character from a third-rate romance novel!
A pint-sized playboy — unbearably cute and cringey at the same time.
I actually got goosebumps.
“Ah! I—I’m sorry, Lady Lurupel!”
The boy immediately backed off and bowed apologetically.
“I grew up only within the temple, so I’m a bit unskilled in etiquette. Please forgive me— Wait! Your Highness also carries the Divine Ra’s aura!”
He pivoted mid-sentence like a pro con artist, redirecting his pitch toward the prince.
Despite his innocent snow-bunny face, this kid’s brain was sharp — always scanning for the richest mark in the room.
Clever boy.
And since the scam wasn’t aimed at me anymore, it suddenly became entertaining.
I decided to just watch the show.
“Well, that’s not surprising,” the prince said smoothly. “Members of the royal family regularly receive blessings from the High Priest.”
“Ah! But this isn’t from the High Priest — it’s the Divine Ra’s true light!”
“I see. But you should still watch your words. What you just said could be taken as denying the High Priest’s faith.”
“Ah!”
The snow bunny’s eyes went wide as saucers.
He quickly slapped both hands over his mouth in horror.
“Now, if you’ll excuse us,” said the prince calmly. “There’s something I need to discuss with Lady Lurupel — privately.”
