Noevian doubted his ears for a moment.
“Marry Adrienne Piretta, the legitimate daughter of the wealthy Duke of Piretta, the venerable Duke of Piretta.”
Ah.
Didn’t he mean that he would take her?
Speaking so firmly meant that Bernardino had already made all the calculations.
Noevian had never seen her face, but he didn’t really protest.
He had no intention of building his own power through marriage anyway.
If he had power, someone would be wary of him, and if that person became the Crown Prince or the Emperor, he would get tired.
His goal was not the throne, but the power behind it.
Now, he had reached the stage where he was focusing on how to continue his current life.
“But there is a condition.”
“What condition?”
“Marriage to my uncle is a pretense. When I say I must have her, I mean that I will have Adrienne Piretta. So even if you marry her, the Princess is mine.”
“...You have already decided to take the daughter of the West as your wife. What do you mean?”
“Doris is greedy and stupid, and easy to handle, so I decided to take her. I can’t abandon the East because of her.”
“...So? Later, you can take the Princess as your Empress.”
“Uncle, it will take too long for me to become the Emperor and take the Princess as my Empress. Princess Piretta is a good bride, even though she is weak, but there is no way the East will wait for me indefinitely.”
Noevian, who rarely got angry, furrowed his eyebrows for a while, not knowing what he meant this time.
“My uncle kept her while she was married, and then divorced her on the pretext of being sick. When I become the Emperor, I can mercifully take her as my Empress. There is no way the East would refuse to accept a Princess who was once divorced and weak as my Empress, right?”
“The West will not tolerate it.”
“Then let’s make her my mistress, right?”
The Crown Prince said without changing his expression.
In fact, Crown Prince Bardenaldo’s position was a bit precarious. This was because Empress Letina died and many of the once-solid powers were shaken.
“The government should be a married woman. My uncle originally had no intention of marrying. It would be easier if I thought of sharing a wife with you. Even in the East, they would welcome the position of Archduchess rather than a mediocre family.”
It meant that Bardenaldo would appease the East by giving Adrienne the position of Archduchess instead of the slippery position of Crown Princess and that he would make her his mistress behind the scenes. He was also very greedy.
However, there was no other way to prove loyalty to the suspicious Crown Prince than by sharing a wife, so Noevian simply kept his mouth shut.
However, there was one suspicious thing...
“Is there a reason you are doing that?”
Noevian asked casually since Bardenaldo was not moving for no reason. Looking closely, he saw Rhodnes outside the window that Bardenaldo had been looking out.
“Ah, Rhodnes. My beloved younger brother.”
A smile appeared on the Crown Prince’s clean and affectionate face.
“...”
“He has a crush on that Princess.”
Ah. I see.
Noevian understood everything with just one sentence: Rhodnes had a crush on Princess Piretta.
“He doesn’t know his place like my uncle. Isn’t it too bad that he’s so greedy for the woman who’s a candidate for the Crown Princess?”
This was because he was also aware of the inexplicable inferiority complex deep in Crown Prince Bardenaldo’s heart.
“He doesn’t know that he should spend his time on what he can have. If I were to teach him that coveting someone else’s things will inevitably result in punishment, wouldn’t I be able to call myself a true older brother?”
“...”
A moment of silence swept over them.
Noevian looked at the Crown Prince in front of him and wondered if his older brother, the current Emperor, had the same thoughts. For a moment, a fierce sense of rebellion rose in his heart, but it was short-lived. Soon, Noevian, who kept his mouth shut, nodded.
At the same time, his inexplicable anger was directed not at the Emperor or the Crown Prince, but at Rhodnes who was outside.
As a Noevian, the one who was more annoying was not the Crown Prince whom he had to serve anyway, but Rhodnes.
The second Prince, who was higher in the line of succession than himself and was the Crown Prince’s full brother.
Noevian raised his chin without realizing it.
Unlike himself, who was the outcast of the villa, Rhodnes had the potential to become the Emperor, but he had a fatal weakness.
‘Red eyes. Ominous bastard.’
It was a legend that had been passed down since ancient times. Red eyes ruin a country.
Despite having such a weakness...
Rhodnes, the second Prince, always lost to Crown Prince Bardenaldo. Bardenaldo, who was initially very proud, must have realized at some point.
Why was his younger brother, who was called a genius by his teachers, always losing to him, who was at best said to be smart?
Noevian snorted.
'That kind of leisure belongs to those who have it.'
A younger brother who gave everything up in hopes that his older brother would become Emperor. Moreover, his actions contained 'sincerity' unlike his own.
That twisted Noevian's heart without mercy.
'A child living in a fairy tale.'
After finishing their twisted thoughts, they turned their heads at the sound of a knock on the office door outside.
Soon after, a neat-looking young man came in, bowing so lowly that it seemed cowardly.
"Ah, you're here."
Bardenaldo took out a few crumpled letters from his bosom and handed them to Noevian.
"This is the person who will be the butler of the Grand Duchess of Trovica's residence, Uncle."
“Marry Adrienne Piretta, the legitimate daughter of the wealthy Duke of Piretta, the venerable Duke of Piretta.”
Ah.
Didn’t he mean that he would take her?
Speaking so firmly meant that Bernardino had already made all the calculations.
Noevian had never seen her face, but he didn’t really protest.
He had no intention of building his own power through marriage anyway.
If he had power, someone would be wary of him, and if that person became the Crown Prince or the Emperor, he would get tired.
His goal was not the throne, but the power behind it.
Now, he had reached the stage where he was focusing on how to continue his current life.
“But there is a condition.”
“What condition?”
“Marriage to my uncle is a pretense. When I say I must have her, I mean that I will have Adrienne Piretta. So even if you marry her, the Princess is mine.”
“...You have already decided to take the daughter of the West as your wife. What do you mean?”
“Doris is greedy and stupid, and easy to handle, so I decided to take her. I can’t abandon the East because of her.”
“...So? Later, you can take the Princess as your Empress.”
“Uncle, it will take too long for me to become the Emperor and take the Princess as my Empress. Princess Piretta is a good bride, even though she is weak, but there is no way the East will wait for me indefinitely.”
Noevian, who rarely got angry, furrowed his eyebrows for a while, not knowing what he meant this time.
“My uncle kept her while she was married, and then divorced her on the pretext of being sick. When I become the Emperor, I can mercifully take her as my Empress. There is no way the East would refuse to accept a Princess who was once divorced and weak as my Empress, right?”
“The West will not tolerate it.”
“Then let’s make her my mistress, right?”
The Crown Prince said without changing his expression.
In fact, Crown Prince Bardenaldo’s position was a bit precarious. This was because Empress Letina died and many of the once-solid powers were shaken.
“The government should be a married woman. My uncle originally had no intention of marrying. It would be easier if I thought of sharing a wife with you. Even in the East, they would welcome the position of Archduchess rather than a mediocre family.”
It meant that Bardenaldo would appease the East by giving Adrienne the position of Archduchess instead of the slippery position of Crown Princess and that he would make her his mistress behind the scenes. He was also very greedy.
However, there was no other way to prove loyalty to the suspicious Crown Prince than by sharing a wife, so Noevian simply kept his mouth shut.
However, there was one suspicious thing...
“Is there a reason you are doing that?”
Noevian asked casually since Bardenaldo was not moving for no reason. Looking closely, he saw Rhodnes outside the window that Bardenaldo had been looking out.
“Ah, Rhodnes. My beloved younger brother.”
A smile appeared on the Crown Prince’s clean and affectionate face.
“...”
“He has a crush on that Princess.”
Ah. I see.
Noevian understood everything with just one sentence: Rhodnes had a crush on Princess Piretta.
“He doesn’t know his place like my uncle. Isn’t it too bad that he’s so greedy for the woman who’s a candidate for the Crown Princess?”
This was because he was also aware of the inexplicable inferiority complex deep in Crown Prince Bardenaldo’s heart.
“He doesn’t know that he should spend his time on what he can have. If I were to teach him that coveting someone else’s things will inevitably result in punishment, wouldn’t I be able to call myself a true older brother?”
“...”
A moment of silence swept over them.
Noevian looked at the Crown Prince in front of him and wondered if his older brother, the current Emperor, had the same thoughts. For a moment, a fierce sense of rebellion rose in his heart, but it was short-lived. Soon, Noevian, who kept his mouth shut, nodded.
At the same time, his inexplicable anger was directed not at the Emperor or the Crown Prince, but at Rhodnes who was outside.
As a Noevian, the one who was more annoying was not the Crown Prince whom he had to serve anyway, but Rhodnes.
The second Prince, who was higher in the line of succession than himself and was the Crown Prince’s full brother.
Noevian raised his chin without realizing it.
Unlike himself, who was the outcast of the villa, Rhodnes had the potential to become the Emperor, but he had a fatal weakness.
‘Red eyes. Ominous bastard.’
It was a legend that had been passed down since ancient times. Red eyes ruin a country.
Despite having such a weakness...
Rhodnes, the second Prince, always lost to Crown Prince Bardenaldo. Bardenaldo, who was initially very proud, must have realized at some point.
Why was his younger brother, who was called a genius by his teachers, always losing to him, who was at best said to be smart?
Noevian snorted.
'That kind of leisure belongs to those who have it.'
A younger brother who gave everything up in hopes that his older brother would become Emperor. Moreover, his actions contained 'sincerity' unlike his own.
That twisted Noevian's heart without mercy.
'A child living in a fairy tale.'
After finishing their twisted thoughts, they turned their heads at the sound of a knock on the office door outside.
Soon after, a neat-looking young man came in, bowing so lowly that it seemed cowardly.
"Ah, you're here."
Bardenaldo took out a few crumpled letters from his bosom and handed them to Noevian.
"This is the person who will be the butler of the Grand Duchess of Trovica's residence, Uncle."
As soon as Bardenaldo finished speaking, the man who introduced himself as Gaspard bowed his head so low that it almost touched the ground.
Noevian stared at Bardenaldo, frozen stiff.
"A gift."
Bardenaldo smiled affectionately.
Noevian had to strain his face to control his expression. How could he be so much like his father?
Noevian stared at Bardenaldo, frozen stiff.
"A gift."
Bardenaldo smiled affectionately.
Noevian had to strain his face to control his expression. How could he be so much like his father?
Just as the Emperor had done when he was the Crown Prince, Bardenaldo had surrounded Noevian with his own people.
Just thinking about all the servants swarming around this huge and splendid ducal palace was suffocating.
Bardenaldo motioned for Gaspard to deliver the letter he had given him. Noevian complied silently.
“Follow the handwriting in the letter.”
“Yes.”
“And write a letter with the following content.”
Bardenaldo handed him a note he had roughly scribbled on the spot.
“Adrienne. Come to our little forest from the debutante. I have something to tell you.”
“Uh... Whose handwriting are you copying...?”
“Who is your new master?”
Noevian’s face crumpled at Bardenaldo’s completely unexpected remark.
Gaspard hurriedly left the office, saying he would write the letter.
“Whose handwriting is it?”
“Rhodnes. Now it’s my uncle’s handwriting.”
“Why did you have to make up such a letter?”
“The Princess also has feelings for Rhodnes.”
“...”
“Rhodnes, that naive bastard. He’s still in love without even showing me his face.”
Bardenaldo laughed, shaking his body.
“It’s not just the second Prince who likes her, but the two of you are already lovers?”
“Similar. But it doesn’t matter. The Princess doesn’t know Rhodnes’ face. He always wore a Royal Academy mask when she met him, and he never even spoke.”
Is there such a case?
Noevian, who had been planning to exchange proposals and have a loveless marriage, suddenly felt dizzy at the thought of having to imitate Rhodnes.
He had never been close to a woman and had no intention of doing so, so he looked at the Crown Prince with resentment at the thought of having to date someone he didn’t even know was in his destiny.
“Did you see what I wrote earlier? Let’s show our faces to the Princess at the debutante.”
Noevian opened his eyes and looked at Crown Prince Bardenaldo.
He was smiling so affectionately, but there was a slight twitch at the corner of the Crown Prince’s mouth, who was not yet fully grown up.
The more she listened, the more shocked she was. It might have been fortunate that Rhodnes was not here. If what Noevian said was true, it was not a truth that Rhodnes could endure.
“And after that... It’s just as you knew.”
Yes, I know the rest of the story better than Noevian.
Adrienne, who had left the Academy due to health reasons, was recuperating at the Piretta Mansion.
The East was beautiful and wealthy, but she did not have the stamina to enjoy such things.
After her short time at the Academy, Adrienne would often relieve her daily boredom by exchanging letters with the few friends she had made there.
She was especially excited when she received a letter from ‘An’. An was such a sweet boy that exchanging letters always warmed a corner of her heart.
Whenever Bianca, who felt something different from usual while looking at Adrienne like that, kept asking if she liked 'An', Adrienne would be embarrassed and just repeat that he was a very precious friend.
However, Bianca, who was quick-witted, could not help but notice the fresh, pink atmosphere between the boy and the girl. When Bianca assumed that what they were doing was 'love' and asked who the other person was, Adrienne could only say that he was a royal family. She didn't know if he was actually a royal family of Ronta or a royal family from another country who was allowed to stay in the palace.
He was a member of the Royal Academy who lived under a mask due to the risk of assassination.
Naturally, they had never seen each other's faces, and they only talked in writing or exchanged letters.
Compared to the time they spent together, the two of them had done very little together.
Adrienne was weak, and 'An' had a tight schedule at the Royal Academy.
"Adrienne. Come to our little forest at the debutante. I have something to tell you."
A letter was received before the debutante.
"Oh my! That 'An' must be confessing to you then! Before another man steals our Adrienne from the debutante!"
Bianca, who was reading next to her, was excited as if it were her own work and dressed Adrienne up extra.
Their first debutante was the New Year's masquerade ball held at the palace on the first day of each year.
Bianca immediately bought the most beautiful mask she could find at Piretta and gave it to Adrienne, looking satisfied.
'Is An really confessing to me? Lover... Or even getting engaged?'
She really liked An, but she felt incredibly embarrassed when she thought that they might get engaged.
After barely writing a reply and sending it, Adrienne spent her days anticipating the next day, and the day after that.
As the New Year’s masquerade approached, she would look out the window at the snow falling, and she would unconsciously think that she wanted to see An soon.
‘I think I actually like An a lot.’
She had never heard his voice or seen his face, but this kind of thing... Could it be called love?
Adrienne took out the letter she had received and took it out again.
He had something to say to her on the very day they became adults. She couldn’t be more nervous than that.
‘Now that I’m an adult, I guess I can see An’s face and hear his voice.’
As planned, Adrienne found An's mask in the Atilchard Hall she had entered while holding her brother, Gregory’s hand. There was even a single rose stuck in the handkerchief spot he had mentioned.
Just as he had boasted, An had grown a head taller than everyone else while she had not seen him, and even his gait seemed more adult than usual.
Just thinking about all the servants swarming around this huge and splendid ducal palace was suffocating.
Bardenaldo motioned for Gaspard to deliver the letter he had given him. Noevian complied silently.
“Follow the handwriting in the letter.”
“Yes.”
“And write a letter with the following content.”
Bardenaldo handed him a note he had roughly scribbled on the spot.
“Adrienne. Come to our little forest from the debutante. I have something to tell you.”
“Uh... Whose handwriting are you copying...?”
“Who is your new master?”
Noevian’s face crumpled at Bardenaldo’s completely unexpected remark.
Gaspard hurriedly left the office, saying he would write the letter.
“Whose handwriting is it?”
“Rhodnes. Now it’s my uncle’s handwriting.”
“Why did you have to make up such a letter?”
“The Princess also has feelings for Rhodnes.”
“...”
“Rhodnes, that naive bastard. He’s still in love without even showing me his face.”
Bardenaldo laughed, shaking his body.
“It’s not just the second Prince who likes her, but the two of you are already lovers?”
“Similar. But it doesn’t matter. The Princess doesn’t know Rhodnes’ face. He always wore a Royal Academy mask when she met him, and he never even spoke.”
Is there such a case?
Noevian, who had been planning to exchange proposals and have a loveless marriage, suddenly felt dizzy at the thought of having to imitate Rhodnes.
He had never been close to a woman and had no intention of doing so, so he looked at the Crown Prince with resentment at the thought of having to date someone he didn’t even know was in his destiny.
“Did you see what I wrote earlier? Let’s show our faces to the Princess at the debutante.”
Noevian opened his eyes and looked at Crown Prince Bardenaldo.
He was smiling so affectionately, but there was a slight twitch at the corner of the Crown Prince’s mouth, who was not yet fully grown up.
***
The more she listened, the more shocked she was. It might have been fortunate that Rhodnes was not here. If what Noevian said was true, it was not a truth that Rhodnes could endure.
“And after that... It’s just as you knew.”
Yes, I know the rest of the story better than Noevian.
***
Adrienne, who had left the Academy due to health reasons, was recuperating at the Piretta Mansion.
The East was beautiful and wealthy, but she did not have the stamina to enjoy such things.
After her short time at the Academy, Adrienne would often relieve her daily boredom by exchanging letters with the few friends she had made there.
She was especially excited when she received a letter from ‘An’. An was such a sweet boy that exchanging letters always warmed a corner of her heart.
Whenever Bianca, who felt something different from usual while looking at Adrienne like that, kept asking if she liked 'An', Adrienne would be embarrassed and just repeat that he was a very precious friend.
However, Bianca, who was quick-witted, could not help but notice the fresh, pink atmosphere between the boy and the girl. When Bianca assumed that what they were doing was 'love' and asked who the other person was, Adrienne could only say that he was a royal family. She didn't know if he was actually a royal family of Ronta or a royal family from another country who was allowed to stay in the palace.
He was a member of the Royal Academy who lived under a mask due to the risk of assassination.
Naturally, they had never seen each other's faces, and they only talked in writing or exchanged letters.
Compared to the time they spent together, the two of them had done very little together.
Adrienne was weak, and 'An' had a tight schedule at the Royal Academy.
"Adrienne. Come to our little forest at the debutante. I have something to tell you."
A letter was received before the debutante.
"Oh my! That 'An' must be confessing to you then! Before another man steals our Adrienne from the debutante!"
Bianca, who was reading next to her, was excited as if it were her own work and dressed Adrienne up extra.
Their first debutante was the New Year's masquerade ball held at the palace on the first day of each year.
Bianca immediately bought the most beautiful mask she could find at Piretta and gave it to Adrienne, looking satisfied.
'Is An really confessing to me? Lover... Or even getting engaged?'
She really liked An, but she felt incredibly embarrassed when she thought that they might get engaged.
After barely writing a reply and sending it, Adrienne spent her days anticipating the next day, and the day after that.
As the New Year’s masquerade approached, she would look out the window at the snow falling, and she would unconsciously think that she wanted to see An soon.
‘I think I actually like An a lot.’
She had never heard his voice or seen his face, but this kind of thing... Could it be called love?
Adrienne took out the letter she had received and took it out again.
He had something to say to her on the very day they became adults. She couldn’t be more nervous than that.
‘Now that I’m an adult, I guess I can see An’s face and hear his voice.’
As planned, Adrienne found An's mask in the Atilchard Hall she had entered while holding her brother, Gregory’s hand. There was even a single rose stuck in the handkerchief spot he had mentioned.
Just as he had boasted, An had grown a head taller than everyone else while she had not seen him, and even his gait seemed more adult than usual.
Adrienne waved at him cheerfully.
An looked around for a moment, then froze for a moment as she continued to wave, then left the Atilchard Hall as if telling her to follow him.
An looked around for a moment, then froze for a moment as she continued to wave, then left the Atilchard Hall as if telling her to follow him.
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