“In any case, that’s why I have high expectations for you two, both brother and sister. And I wish to give my regards to Roen as well.”
“Huh? Haha… Well, my older brother is amazing, isn’t he? Um, of course. I’ll let him know.”
Cairn, who was not a knight of the imperial guard but a knight of his own family, laughed as he replied as such.
Everett belonged to the empire, so regardless of whether one was a knight for the imperial family or a knight for one’s own family, Rajaden thought of them all as the same. He laughed pleasantly back.
Inwardly, Violet commented with a scathing tone.
What a mess.
“And, Sir Aldin. Please forgive me for being able to converse with you like this only at a private place,” the crown prince said as he turned to the other knight. “It’s because of your presence that I was able to push forward with all this.”
“I am undeserving of your praise, Your Highness.”
“No, this is why I like you.”
At first glance, it was just a normal conversation. However, the underlying emotion present herein was terribly greed. One could even call it ‘possessiveness’.
Rajaden was not the kind of man who’d easily stake claim on someone as ‘his person’, but only a few people had taken notice of this.
Violet corrected her assessment of Rajaden.
He seemed to be filled with the qualities of this particular duality: a saint for his subjects, but a tyrant for his subordinates.
‘Come to think of it, I once heard a rumor saying that His Highness has a preference for men.’
Violet was fully aware that the subject of that rumor was not just the crown prince alone—he had been paired with her older brother, Roen. Well, she lightly shook off her thoughts.
There’s no reason to be interested in other people’s sexual orientation. They could just live their lives, while she’d live her own.
.
.
.
There was nothing else planned after that because as soon as they finished their meal, some knights rushed into the restaurant. They were the knights of the imperial guard, here to catch the runaway crown prince who had conducted a solo inspection without a single escort knight attached to him.
“It was a pleasure being with you all today. I hope to see you again soon.”
The crown prince, who was impossible to read, simply smiled. With such an innocent and pristine expression on his face, it made it seem like he was absolutely guiltless. His subordinates were the only ones to suffer due to this.
“And unfortunately, I was unable to secure a place next to you as your partner in the upcoming banquet, but I’ll be looking forward to next time.”
Leaving those parting words behind, the crown prince finally set off. Bewildered, Violet stared blankly towards the direction he disappeared to.
What exactly was the purpose of their meeting today.
Was it because he wanted to hang out with the man who’s to become the next knight commander?
Was it because he wanted to make fun of House Everett’s third son?
If the reason was neither this nor that, then was it because he wanted to meet her?
Completely ruling out the possibility that it was all for the sole purpose of asking her to be his partner, Violet mulled it over.
To note, the crown prince was not an easy person to meet, even after applying to seek his audience. Yet he appeared here, and disappeared just like that.
“I didn’t think you’d refuse.”
“Sir Aldin–?”
The smooth, baritone voice pulled Violet out of her reverie. When she turned to look at him, Aldin gave her a very faint smile.
“Ahh, someone else asked me already. Of course I’d refuse.”
“However, it’s His Highness the Crown Prince…”
“By any chance, do you feel like it’s a wasted chance? Do you think I shouldn’t have rejected His Highness like that?”
“N-Not at all! I, well, because it’s you, so…”
“Then, never mind. I’m really alright.”
“Thank you.”
Aldin smiled once again. The smile of the black-haired beauty lingered between the impression of a sweet boy or a lovely young man.
If Rajaden was a man who was like the sun, then Aldin was a man worthy to be likened to a melancholy night. And, personally, Violet much preferred someone like Aldin rather than Rajaden.
‘I bet you’re pretty when you cry.’
With such a terrible thought flitting through her mind, their outing ended in vain.
* * *
Roen made no secret of his discomfort at the fact that Violet had met the crown prince. Of course, his reaction was understandable. While the crown prince went off his merry way and disappeared, it was Roen who got burdened with all his abandoned responsibilities.
Throughout Roen’s lengthy rants and grievances, Violet and Cairn listened through one ear and out the next. Roen spoke eloquently, yet it was undeniable that he was cursing out the crown prince.
If this were to leak out, no one would be able to object if Roen were to be taken away for contempt against the imperial family.
“He lathered his words with all kinds of sugar when he asked me to be his aide until the current duke gives me the position, but… for him to blatantly hand over his duties to me while playing hooky…”
“Yees.”
“He must be a tyrant. If he’s not a tyrant, then he’s no better than a lunatic…”
At this point, he wasn’t pretending to be elegant any longer. As Violet agreed to the mention of ‘lunatic’, she sipped her cup of tea without responding outwardly.
There were no other males amongst the imperial descendants, so the empire would be overturned as soon as anything would happen to the crown prince.
So, considering the circumstances, it was amazing to see him go out and about without an escort knight like that. In Violet’s perspective—whether it’s Roen or the crown prince—a scumbag was a scumbag.
“Doesn’t the problem lie with you acceding to everything.”
After setting down her teacup, Violet said this to Roen as though she viewed him to be pathetic. In response, Roen covered his face with his hands and cried out.
“But if I don’t want to be taken away on the grounds of insubordination and treason against the imperial family, I have no choice but to do as I’m told.”
“Good grief.”
What a truly atrocious boss. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
