Chapter 31
“It’s Because You’re Under a Love Spell!”
Anette was momentarily flustered and looked around, but Audrey, as well as the Empress and the Grand Duke, were all patiently waiting for her response.
Ultimately, Anette couldn’t resist the earnest and sparkling gaze of Mikhail and slowly nodded.
“Of course. I think His Highness the Crown Prince’s power is incredibly great and precious.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You’re just inexperienced now, but if you continue to grow, I’m sure you’ll be able to protect what’s important, just as you wish.”
Anette thought that strong power, like the swords she had heard about all her life, had two sides.
Depending on who wielded it, it could harm others or save them from danger.
And she felt certain that this young Crown Prince belonged to the latter.
Watching Mikhail happily promise, “Audrey, I’ll get strong and definitely protect you!” Anette regarded him with a proud look.
“But Princess, how can someone become so strong?”
Excited, Mikhail finally asked the question he had wanted to ask Anette all day.
Anette frowned slightly at having to give such an important answer again.
For Mikhail, who had already awakened his power, the real question wasn’t “how to become strong,” but “how to control it.”
Above all, she wanted to ask why he was asking this of her, someone who hadn’t even fully learned about powers herself.
Looking to Kardin, the one who truly possessed power, for help, Anette found that he said nothing. In fact, he seemed to be waiting for her answer.
Even so, Mikhail’s sparkling eyes continued to plead, and Anette couldn’t resist.
Though she knew her answer had little to do with controlling power, she replied seriously:
“Every day… without missing a single day, without rest, I gave it my all.”
She recalled the long-ago days when she was trapped in the villa and the only things she could do were stare out the window and swing dry branches.
“That was all I was allowed to do, so I trained and trained… and in the process, I became strong.”
After saying this, she felt embarrassed.
This probably wasn’t the answer Mikhail had expected.
As Anette looked apologetically at Mikhail, he suddenly said:
“C-cool!”
“……Your Highness?”
“You’re cool, Auntie!”
Mikhail’s eyes, even brighter and clearer than before, looked up at Anette.
She was surprised by his reaction, but even more by the title he used.
“You’re still calling me ‘Auntie’…”
“What’s the matter? You’ll be that soon anyway.”
The interjecting voice was, of course, Kardin, watching as if from across a river.
Even the Empress, whom she trusted, nodded with a smile, so Anette couldn’t argue and awkwardly cleared her throat, changing the topic.
“A-hem. Now that I think about it, young Lady Marquis, I have a question.”
“Yes? Yes! Please ask anything!”
Like Mikhail, Audrey nodded enthusiastically, clasping her hands and looking at Anette with admiration.
“How did you know my status in the garden yesterday?”
At the question, Audrey’s face flushed red.
She remembered briefly mistaking Anette for Mikhail’s fiancée in the garden.
“I was too excited back then. A girl my age appeared in the garden, and I got angry… I acted foolishly. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s alright. You already apologized, and I accepted it. I’m just curious.”
“Well…”
Audrey, glancing at Anette, finally spoke.
“Actually, your hair and eyes…”
“Ah…”
“They’re so beautiful that I was jealous and didn’t recognize you at first.”
“…Excuse me?”
Anette was momentarily dumbfounded at the absurdity of what she heard.
She looked at Audrey again, unsure if she had misunderstood, but Audrey’s eyes, sparkling like stars, were fixed on her face.
“I’d heard rumors about the princess, but I didn’t know someone could be this beautiful! But later, when I saw you using a sword, I realized immediately. There’s no one else in Hayworth who wields a sword so skillfully and has hair and eyes as rose-like and beautiful as yours—only the first princess!”
Anette felt speechless at Audrey’s admiration, as if the girl had met a hero from a fairy tale.
Hearing “hair and eyes,” she inwardly thought, so that explains it.
The taunts she had endured all her life about her cursed red hair and eyes seemed to echo in her ears.
And yet… she was called beautiful.
“Rose…?”
“Yes! Seeing you up close, you’re even more like a rose!”
Audrey said, slightly excited.
“I have dull black hair and grayish eyes, but yours are so beautiful!”
Anette froze, unsure how to respond.
“Dull? Audrey, your hair is the most beautiful!”
Even though she was technically the future aunt, Mikhail shouted, insisting she was the most beautiful in the world.
“Your hair is like cutting through the night sky. And your eyes! Looking at them, I feel like I could get pulled in. From head to toe, you sparkle!”
“That, that’s because His Highness the Crown Prince is under a love spell!”
Audrey blushed as she protested, but Mikhail said, “If this is a love spell, I’ll happily live under it forever!” Her face lit up with joy.
Charlotte, squinting at her son’s corny comment, was another matter entirely.
“…Puh, puhuh.”
At that moment, Anette burst into laughter.
After hearing she was beautiful for the first time and stiffening, the situation became so ridiculous and delightful that she couldn’t contain herself.
Her laugh was so bright it brought tears to her eyes, and she didn’t notice that Kardin, Charlotte, Mikhail, and Audrey were all staring at her, dumbfounded.
“I knew this would happen. Even in that short time, you’ve captured the hearts of these little ones…”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m just saying the princess is far too popular.”
Kardin’s cheeky remark left Anette dumbfounded.
She wondered how much he had laughed at the romantic antics of these precocious eight-year-olds.
After Audrey left the palace and Charlotte took Mikhail, Anette naturally remained alone with Kardin.
She had only accepted his offer to escort her back to her residence, yet she heard such absurd words.
Maybe I should have refused to go alone.
She regretted it, but it was too late.
She realized she had no excuse to reject the offer.
Unaware that she had no intention of refusing, Anette rolled the candy she held in her mouth.
Mikhail’s blue eyes twinkled mischievously at the sound.
“Princess, is it tasty?”
Anette leaned back slightly from his sudden approach and replied:
“…Yes.”
She couldn’t lie about the candy Mikhail had given her.
Reluctantly nodding, she subtly hid the snack pouch hanging from her wrist.
It contained Mikhail’s carefully saved treats: three candies and two chocolates for the day.
Although they would have cake or cookies after meals, it was obvious he treasured these particular snacks the most.
Even though Anette insisted on refusing, Mikhail wanted her to have them and pressed them into her hands.
Touched by his pure heart, Anette couldn’t refuse.
But…
I hope he’s not planning anything else…
Somehow, Kardin seemed to be eyeing the pouch.
Of course, he wasn’t after the candy itself.
Why is he so cute?
Anette, rolling her eyes suspiciously to protect the snacks, looked like a squirrel guarding an acorn.
If this continued, he might pick her up without permission again, so Kardin closed his eyes tightly and straightened up.
“……?”
Anette noticed him suddenly freezing, shoulders trembling, and stared at him curiously.
Even the only visible part of his face under the mask—his eyes—was covered, so she couldn’t tell why he was acting this way.
Watching him, she suddenly became curious about his expression.
Not his past charming face or his current monstrous one, but what expression is he making right now?
Unaware that she had been thinking about him whenever possible since yesterday, Anette stared intently.
Kardin suddenly lowered his hand and their eyes met.
Startled, Anette was about to recover her senses when a gentle touch brushed her cheek, and she felt her soft cheek stretch and then return to normal.
“……?!”
Even with her exceptional reflexes, Anette could do nothing.
Realizing what had happened a moment later, her face turned bright red as if on fire.
Embarrassment, anger, or both filled her completely.
