Secrets with Crown Prince 23

I only said I’d pray to the gods because I wondered how I transmigrated to this world.

I would understand if I fell asleep and died instantly in a car accident. However, I still couldn’t figure out what happened even after moving to this world.

Life is said to be about living and dying without knowing the reason. My situation fits it too perfectly.

“Will you be engaged to Lord Roadwald?”

Armand, who had come for a stroll with me in the bustling capital, asked.

After the Alpine newspaper incident, I refrained from going out to crowded places as much as possible.

Not that I wasn’t already eye-catching, but now I had become a well-known figure throughout the empire.

However, today was an exception. It was a special outing with Armand!

I sidetracked the passers-by and shook my head.

“No, actually, I don’t want to.”

I had always believed that marrying Argan was impossible and had no idea if our families intended to call it off.

So, I needed a way to survive and avoid it for now. That was one of the reasons I wanted to go to university.

“I’m already burdened with so many responsibilities, and on top of that, an engagement? It’s overwhelming. For now, I want to focus on entering Alpine University.”

Armand nodded as she clasped her hands together.

“Indeed, Ena, we get along so well.”

Armand had a great desire to study.

Despite her shouts proclaiming she had no interest in an arranged marriage, she couldn’t avoid getting engaged due to her prestigious family background.

“The man you got engaged to, he’s the eldest son of the Tove family, right?”

In response to my question, Armand nodded with a gloomy expression.

“I haven’t seen his face yet.”

“Aren’t you engaged? How is it possible that you haven’t seen his face?”

“Count Tove went to study in the Nayden Kingdom, and since he seemed to be in a hurry, he suggested getting engaged first…”

Armand said with a frustrated expression, pulling at her hair.

Armand, walking briskly, suddenly stopped, causing the people behind her to curse and walk around her.

It was inevitable in such a densely populated capital. I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Armand.

“I envy you. You’re not engaged. Besides, you have His Highness, Reynold.”

“His Highness Reynold? Are you trying to say he’s a better choice than Lord Roadwald?”

“No, it’s not that. As long as His Highness Reynold is accompanying you, no other engagement proposals will come. If you don’t want to get engaged before the entrance to Alpine University, he can buy you some time.”

Listening to Armand’s rambling explanation, tears started to well up.

Even in Korea, it’s said that children of conglomerate families have no choice but to enter strategic marriages. Regardless of what world you’re in, marriages like these are everywhere.

“Yes, for now, I don’t want to think about getting engaged.”

Armand laughed heartily at my words and linked her arm through mine.

“That’s right. Let’s just enjoy shopping for now.”

Seeing her lovely smile, I laughed along.

Besides the attention from people we encountered on the street, going out with Armand was truly enjoyable.

“I wish there were more magic item stores in the capital.”

Armand murmured with a disappointed expression as she glanced at several stores.

While quietly watching her, a particular store came to mind, so I took her hand and pulled her along.

“Where are we going?”

“I know a magic item store. I’ll take you.”

Armand’s face lit up with anticipation at my words.

As Armand walked alongside me, her shoulders slightly hunched with concern as we entered a sparsely populated alley, she looked worried.

“Is there really such a store?”

We arrived in front of the store as soon as Armand was done asking questions.

The worn wooden sign of the store was hanging for dear life, with the marks of time all over it.

Armand gasped as she unbuttoned her jacket and looked at the old wooden door.

A glimpse of faded color could be seen between the cracks of the old wooden door and, underneath it, some dust.

“Wow. How did the colors fade like this?”

While Armand clicked her tongue, I opened the door to the store.

Entering through the creaking wooden door, clearly marked with signs of age, one could see the stark difference from the store’s outdoor appearance: the inside was incredibly vibrant and resplendent.

“Oh my.”

Following behind, Armand marveled at the antique atmosphere and looked around.

“Oh, miss, you’ve come? Oh, and you’ve brought a friend today, too.”

Upon seeing me, a woman with light blue hair greeted me warmly as she moved the chairs around.

Melissa, introduced to me by my savior Erin, was a magician.

When Erin heard that I would enter the Lubiche family as their adopted daughter, she kindly provided me with the address. She told me to come here if I needed any help, mentioning that she had a friend in the Alpine Empire named Melissa.

I have known Melissa for about four years now.

“Oh, Melissa, this is the daughter of the Ovidus Marquis family.”

Armand, who had been curiously looking around, politely held the hem of her dress modestly and greeted her.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Armand Audrey Ovidus.”

Melissa, surprised by Armand’s elegant greeting, awkwardly bowed her head.

“Nice to meet you too, Miss Ovidus?”

“Oh, this is Melissa Agnes. She’s my friend.”

Upon my introduction, Melissa exaggeratedly clasped her hands to her chest and had a touched expression on her face.

“Oh my, Miss. Friends, you say! How dare I…!”

I shook my head vigorously. Melissa was just as unconventional as Erin.

Armand was already not paying attention to our conversation, her attention captured by the magical items.

“He has left safely.”

Melissa whispered to me in a low voice. It was clear she was referring to Mr. Eleanor, the journalist.

“Thank you.”

She responded to my gratitude with a twinkle in her eyes. Running the magic item store seemed like a front for Melissa, and she had a main profession aside from it.

Actually, I was sure of it. Melissa might be involved in something big.

For instance, she could be secretly assisting Do-hyun from behind the scenes.

“Between us, there’s something…”

I chuckled in response to Melissa’s vague comment and, together with Armand, admired the displayed magic items in the store.

“Achoo!”

Suddenly, Armand sneezed violently, startling me. When I turned to look at her, her eyes were reddened, and she used a handkerchief to wipe her nose.

“Why did that happen all of a sudden?”

I asked, and Armand sneezed once again, shaking her head.

“I have allergies to dog fur, you see.”

Hearing that, I turned to look at Melissa.

“Melissa, do you have a dog?”

In response to my question, Melissa looked at Armand with a surprised expression.

“I do have one, but it’s not here at the store right now. I left it at a friend’s house.”

“It’s okay. I’ll just step out for a moment.”

Armand sneezed twice in a row and immediately rushed out of the store.

I glanced at the closed door while hearing Melissa mumbling that she should clean more often. Will she be alright?

“I’m really fine, so please take a look around.”

Worried that I would follow her, Armand spoke with reddened eyes.

Isn’t this something that should be taken seriously?

“It’s okay! It happens often. It’ll be gone soon!”

In the end, I decided to quietly explore the store and wait, as she suggested.

“Wow, this is amazing.”

As I looked at the items, I came across a communication orb that allows video calls and stared at it, fascinated.

“This is a newly developed product. I heard even the Count Lubiche family purchased one.”

After hearing Melissa’s words, I finally remembered the transparent bead-like object in my room.

My adoptive father had recently bought it and boasted about it. Still, I didn’t pay attention to it since I was studying.

Moreover, he and Rioel were almost devoid of magic power, so even if there were magical items, they wouldn’t be much use.

“Oh, Melissa. By the way, where do you get these items delivered from?”

In response to my question, she brushed off the dust from the items and looked at me, puzzled.

“What does it matter to a noble lady like you?”

“I’m curious. Am I not allowed to be curious?”

She laughed.

“It’s not strange to be curious about such things. Magical items are usually obtained from magical suppliers.”

“Which magical supplier do you primarily use, Melissa?”

“Well, I mainly use Entuan. It’s one of the affiliated organizations of the tower.”

I’ve heard that Entuan is where many of Alpine University’s Department of Magic graduates are employed.

Since I can’t enter the tower, I should consider working at Entuan later.

I picked up a small vial as I looked at the displayed items.

“Melissa, please let me know how much this would cost.”

“Oh, that’s a Memory Restoration Potion. It’s quite expensive.”

I smiled and opened my wallet.

“I have plenty of money.”

It’s not my money, though.

I bought the Memory Restoration Potion and immediately left the store. I was getting worried about Armand.

                                                  **********

I heard that Armand eventually fell ill. I shouldn’t have brought her to Melissa’s store.

With those thoughts in mind, I looked at the letters stacked on my desk.

There were many letters inquiring about hiring new maids for the Empress’s chambers at the Lubiche Manor.

I had no idea why they would send inquiry letters to me regarding the recruitment of maids for the Empress’s chambers.

Whether the Empress had power or not, becoming a maid at her quarters was a great honor for noble ladies and their daughters.

I folded the letter and opened the next one.

“Lady Lubiche, we have quite a friendly relationship, don’t we? You attended my tea party last time. I am writing about the position of a maid in the Empress’s chambers…”

I folded the letter again this time.

This Lady had invited me to a tea party once before, and now she’s acting like we’re well acquainted.

“It seems like there’s a big fuss going on.”

As Rioel entered my room, he clicked his tongue while looking at the pile of letters on my desk.

“What’s the matter?”

In response to my question, he took a letter from his jacket pocket and handed it to me.

“I was asked to deliver this letter to you.”

I received the letter from him. It had the emblem of the Ovidus Viscount family engraved on it.

Why didn’t Armand send it to me directly? Why did it have to be so complicated?

“Ovidus Viscount asked me to deliver it to you. The letter was sent by Lady Ovidus. If they just sent it to the mansion, it would have been buried among the other letters or something.”

Rioel replied, scratching the back of his head.

I looked at him with a somewhat sad gaze. He used to bring Argan’s letters directly to me every time…

Now that I think about it, is Rioel not a knight but a messenger?

“Are you going to meet Lady Ovidus?”

Rioel cautiously asked me.

He’s rarely at the Lubiche Manor. He only looks for me when he’s delivering me letters.

“Are you close with Lady Ovidus?”

My question left a grim impression on Rioel.

“We’re not close.”

“Then why did you run an errand for her?”

“Who said I ran an errand?!”

I shook the letter from Lady Ovidus in Rioel’s direction. His face turned red.

“We had a kind of deal.”

“What kind of deal?”

“You don’t have to know.”

“Then can I throw this letter away?”

“What? Hey! Don’t you have any manners?”

As I held the letter over the trash bin, Rioel jumped up.

“What kind of deal was it?”

And once again, he obediently answered my question. Rioel is truly simple-minded.

“That brat… did it.”

I stared at Rioel with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

I couldn’t hear what he was saying at all.

It wasn’t because I couldn’t hear, but because he wasn’t speaking clearly and was mumbling.

“What? I can’t hear you. Let’s focus on eating our food and not our words.”

In response, Rioel’s face turned red, full of anger, and he bit his lower lip.

“That damn brat stole my portrait.”

Frustrated, Rioel answered while messing up his own hair. I managed to maintain a calm demeanor for a moment.

Men who carry their own portraits exist?

“You have plenty of portraits. If you lost it, just get another one drawn. Is it worth damaging your self-esteem over something like that? Is it?”

Surprised, I asked, and Rioel’s expression now seemed almost on the verge of tears as he frowned.

“It’s not my portrait.”

Did Rioel have a fiancée?

I don’t remember him having one.

Did he have a woman he liked? I don’t think he does.

“Whose portrait is it?”

Curious, I asked, and Rioel glared at me with an irritated face, then screamed.

“Why do you keep prying? I’ve already told you enough!”

Well, there’s no need to get that angry, right?

It couldn’t possibly be my portrait… Hm? 

Wait, it can’t be.