AWWEWNR Chapter 28

When Hanaella glared at her, Rosaryn unfurled the fan in her hand and covered her mouth, scanning Hanaella from top to bottom with an unpleasant gaze.

 

“Isn’t it possible that you don’t know? If I had the good fortune to meet His Highness separately, I might be his woman now.”

 

‘Hah, look at that…?’ 

 

“Don’t you think so, Lady Hanaella?”

 

‘What are you saying, you’re better than me, is that what you’re trying to say?’

 

“Well, there aren’t any redheads to our ‘Ren’s‘ taste. Oh, ‘Ren’ is His Highness the Crown Prince’s nickname, in case you didn’t know, though of course you wouldn’t recognize it if you did.”

 

The sarcasm in Hanaella’s tone brought a smile to Rosaryn’s face.

 

“Is that so? His Highness must not have gotten a good look at me, because if he had, red hair could be his ‘favorite’ color.”

 

“Oh, do you really think so, Lady Rosaryn?”

 

“Of course. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you arrange it for me?”

 

‘What, you’re asking me to build you a bridge with the Crown Prince, and if he sees you, he’ll fall for you?’ 

 

He hasn’t in the past, and where the hell does that confidence come from, for someone pretty, I’d admit, but doesn’t have even half a drop of House Thearine’s blood… ah— 

 

‘Tharrott. Oh, and by the way, there was Duke Delioffe.’

 

“I will, when I get the chance.”

 

“You’re not going to destroy any chance that might arise for fear of losing him to me, are you?”

 

Rosaryn unfurled her fan and covered her mouth, smiling brightly. 

 

Annoyance flared in Hanaella’s eyes, but she forced a smile and replied, “Of course not.”

 

“Well, since we’re in the dressing salon, I guess I’ll have to pick out an Imperial dress, as well. I’m really looking forward to meeting His Highness the Crown Prince.”

 

As soon as Rosaryn said that and walked away with her maid, Hanaella furrowed her brow and laughed.

 

“What kind of confidence does Lady Rosaryn have to say such a thing? She’s not even prettier than my Lady, and she even looks shallow.”

 

“Belle. I know you’re trying to take my side, but there are many listening ears, so stop it.”

 

Hanaella said to Belle, glancing at the staff in the dress shop. 

 

Belle covered her mouth with her hands in apology. 

 

Hanaella stole a glance at the back of Rosaryn’s head as she picked out a dress. She knew she had provoked her on purpose.

 

She knew there were other ways for her to meet the Crown Prince besides through her, but still, asking her to meet him must have been a declaration of war.

 

‘You’re so confident that you can charm a Crown Prince into falling for you.’ 

 

In a way, I envy you for having that kind of confidence, which was probably why you had me married to Tharrott in the first place, but it pisses me off. 

 

‘She thinks I’m somehow lesser than her, now? That wretched woman. Well, go ahead and try. I’m pretty sure I can do better than messing with the Duke of Delioffe.’ 

 

Hanaella thought of Edward, who had once been married to Rosaryn.

 

‘I wonder if he loved her…?’ 

 

Well, it doesn’t matter now. It’s not like love has sprouted in his heart yet.

 

If she was going to target her fake lover, the Crown Prince, she could just as easily target her future husband, the Duke of Delioffe. 

 

If she remembered correctly, the Duke of Delioffe was as interested in House Ariel and the Knights as she was, so it shouldn’t be difficult to win his favor with the Knights.

 

‘But first, I suppose we should discuss this with the Crown Prince?’

 

Hanaella thought she should tell Lloyd everything that had happened today, and tell him that Rosaryn was trying to seduce him. 

 

She was going to seduce Edward, so that he would be less likely to fall for her, overtly trying to entice him.

 

Besides, she didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding about her meeting with Edward. 

 

No matter how pretentious, Hanaella felt that while they were lovers, they had to be polite to each other.

 

“This will do.”

 

“Yes, my lady. I’ll send it home with your dress.”

 

Nodding at the tailor’s words, Hanaella glanced at Belle.

 

“Belle, let’s go to the jeweler.”

 

As Hanaella left the dressing room with her maid, Rosaryn glared after her.

 

‘A girl with nothing to show except her family name… destined to be nothing more than an unloved shell of a wife to Tharrott. Let’s see how long she can keep playing that game.’ 

 

Rosaryn bit her lower lip hard as she watched Hanaella’s back.

 

💫

 

After finishing her practice in the training hall, Shia wiped the sweat from his cheeks with the back of his hand as he organized the wooden swords the Legionnaires had left behind. 

 

The Legionnaires’ dangerous harassment of him had ceased after Hanaella had come to the training grounds and confirmed with black magic that he was the next Captain of the Legion. 

 

Some legionnaires had even expressed curiosity about what kind of person Hanaella was.

 

Being naturally soft-spoken and unsociable, he was uncomfortable dealing with those who approached him in such a manner. 

 

So whenever he was asked about Hanaella, he would give a short, cold answer, and after a few times, the Legionnaires stopped approaching him.

 

The Knights themselves are a life-and-death organization, and it was the policy of the Knights’ Legionnaires, who commanded battles with their lives, not to form deep bonds with their legionnaires. 

 

Unnecessary bonds weaken the heart, and a weakened heart could lead to the loss of a battle. 

 

The older commanders of the Knights did not form any more bonds with their legionnaires than necessary, and the legionnaires trusted them and wanted nothing more than to follow them.

 

Add to that the fact that ever since the current leader had named him the next Legionnaire, the Legionnaire had ordered him to stand at the very end of the line in battle, at the end of the fifth legion. He was not to use his strength. 

 

Shia had come to be perceived by the Legionnaires as a weakling, a coward, and a drain on the Knights’ black magic. 

 

All of these misconceptions, coupled with his unsociable personality, led to him being bullied by the Legionnaires, even though he had been named the next leader.

 

In the end, the next Lord would come along and fix it, but he would still be a loner, a lonely one at that.

 

After putting the wooden swords away, Shia stepped into the shower and wiped away the dampness from the mirror with one hand, noticing his lips in the reflection. 

 

Reaching up, he touched his lips. Ever since she’d kissed Hanaella, he had been playing with his lips this way often.

 

It was his first kiss since birth. 

 

From the time he’d awakened his ability to absorb black magic as a child and joined Ariel’s Knights Division. 

 

Through his apprenticeship and into the Legion, the only women he’d ever known were the servants and guests he’d met in the taverns he’d followed after battles. 

 

So it was no wonder that Hanaella’s sudden touch and kiss had been so shocking and fresh in his mind.

 

—’ We’ll talk about the contract when I’ve had a chance to look it over.’

 

After that, Hanaella had been busy and hadn’t visited the Knights.

 

‘I hope she’s doing well…’ 

 

Shia wiped his face with two wet hands. His water-soaked face shone unusually bright.

 

💫

 

The Empress’s quick turnaround had been frustrating Lloyd, but when he saw Hanaella in the Crown Prince’s palace, he giggled like a child. 

 

Jarez and Tran exchanged meaningful glances. 

 

When Hanaella reached the front of the table, Lloyd gestured to Jarez, Tran, and the other maids.

 

“I present to you the Crown Prince, the little sun of the Empire.”

 

“Enough formality, between us.”

 

“What is between us, if others hear it, they will misunderstand.”

 

Hanaella said in a low voice as she sat down across from Lloyd.

 

“Weren’t we supposed to be lovers?”

 

“Put ‘fake’ in front of it, Your Highness.”

 

Conscious of her surroundings from earlier, Hanaella spoke in a low voice, so only Lloyd could hear her. Lloyd smirked at her.

 

“How could you just say that out loud?”

 

“Because that lie is only for my father and the Thearine siblings.”

 

“If you’re going to fool them, you’ll have to fool everyone.”

 

“I don’t think I’ll have to fool them for very long, so it’s okay.”

 

At her words, Lloyd took a sip of his tea, and then looked up at Hanaella, the smirk wiped from his face.

 

“I wasn’t kidding when I said that you and I should make our relationship official.”

 

“…”