Chapter 30
“Why Aren’t You Afraid?”
“Gasp!”
Even though it was a whisper, Anette heard it clearly.
Covering her mouth with both hands, she glanced awkwardly at Mikhail, who was staring at her, and then subtly looked at Kardin. She thought he was just saying something random again.
And then—
“…!”
She noticed Kardin, who wasn’t holding Mikhail, using his free hand to rub her shoulder.
Yesterday’s events flashed quickly through her mind.
〈Your Grace, please put me down now.〉
〈By the way, Princess, did I tell you I safely returned from the temple?〉
〈Huh? No… wait, don’t change the subject. We’re almost at the garden entrance. Before anyone sees…〉
〈Once we go outside, I’ll show you the engagement certificate. You’re looking forward to it too, aren’t you, Princess?〉
〈Oh, really!〉
〈…Ugh!〉
Anette felt extremely annoyed that Kardin blatantly ignored her requests and changed the subject, so in a moment of frustration, she tapped his shoulder to make him put her down.
She didn’t intend to hurt him at all.
Still, Kardin groaned and bent his waist.
Anyway, Anette, now on the ground as she wished, looked at him with a surprised expression.
Ever since childhood, her nanny had always warned her that her strength was different from others, so she had learned to control it except when facing monsters.
But after her nanny left, she rarely had physical contact with anyone.
Even during work—exchanging reports or receiving meals during hunts—no one tried to touch her.
Of course, after coming to the Alkan Empire, the people who didn’t keep their distance overwhelmed her, but still… Anette never reached out first.
And yet, for the first time in her life, her hand—her fist, no less—had struck the Grand Duke Harzent.
She could remain completely unmoved by blatant teasing or insults, like those from Bridget or Laon, but she had never had someone playfully mess with her like this. She lost control of her strength for a moment.
Memories of occasionally breaking things in her sleep left her mind blank as she worried about Kardin.
He said he was fine, of course, but just looking at his frowning eyes made her feel sorry.
〈And now, he’s deliberately rubbing my shoulder again… is this a joke?〉
Anette squinted at Kardin, observing him carefully.
“Uncle, put me down.”
Mikhail, now on the floor, ran to her with quick steps.
“Princess, I have a question…”
Anette tilted her head slightly, noticing the anxious look on his face.
“As I suspected… the Grand Duke really did come here first.”
A voice, half in disbelief, half sighing, came from the doorway.
“Didn’t I say our conversation would be brief and we should go together? And yet you couldn’t wait… Ah! Get up, Anette.”
Anette bowed slightly to Charlotte as she entered the reception room and got up.
Through the conversation between Kardin—“A gentleman shouldn’t take up space while ladies are talking”—and Charlotte—“Is it gentlemanly to leave without escorting the lady?”—she roughly understood what had happened.
A visitor had come for Charlotte, who had left Mikhail in Anette’s care, saying she had something to discuss with Kardin.
“Oh… Audrey…”
Anette alternated her gaze between the small girl standing beside Charlotte and Mikhail, who had somehow hidden behind her.
The girl, whose name was called, stepped forward slowly, lifting her skirt slightly and bowing.
“Audrey of the House of Melin greets His Highness, the little sun, Crown Prince, and Princess of Hayworth.”
The calm and mature presence of the young marquis’s daughter, who was the same age as the Crown Prince, once again put Anette in an uncomfortable situation.
The reason was—
“Um, Your Highness…”
“Huh, hmmph.”
Even though Audrey, whom he adored, called out in a plaintive voice, Mikhail buried his face in Anette’s arm and whimpered instead.
‘Why is he sitting right next to me?’
There was Charlotte, whom he respected, and Kardin, his uncle—but Mikhail had insisted on her side.
Yet the small trembling hand holding hers made it impossible to question him.
Moreover—
‘Why is the marquis’s daughter sitting next to me…?’
Anette shifted her gaze left to right. Audrey, sulking at being ignored by Mikhail, was sitting next to her.
Of course, she might have felt more comfortable next to a guest rather than beside the Empress or Grand Duke, but sitting there despite being able to talk to Mikhail freely seemed oddly intentional.
Furthermore, whenever their eyes met, Audrey would smile faintly, showing no discomfort at all.
‘Even though she clearly knows who I am.’
When Audrey had greeted her as “Princess of Hayworth,” Anette was no longer surprised—Charlotte had already explained the situation.
‘Then why isn’t she afraid? Hasn’t she heard the rumors about me?’
No, if that were true, she probably wouldn’t have recognized her in the first place.
At that moment—
“Your Highness, if my presence here bothers you, I can leave.”
Audrey sighed deeply and hopped down from the sofa.
Mikhail, still holding Anette’s arm, flinched and said urgently,
“W-wait!”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
Hearing Audrey’s usual calm voice, Mikhail felt inexplicably relieved and asked, still whimpering,
“Audrey… you’re not disappointed in me?”
“Disappointed?”
“I… I acted foolishly yesterday.”
He had selfishly insisted on staying at the marquis’s house and abandoning his responsibilities as Crown Prince—a truly reckless and embarrassing act.
Even if it happened because he mistakenly thought Anette was his fiancée, the outcome had been selfish and inconsiderate toward Audrey.
And—
“Am I… isn’t my power scary?”
Fortunately, no serious accident had occurred, but he had experienced firsthand how dangerous it was to lack control over his power.
At first, when he awakened his power, Mikhail had been ecstatic. But the Emperor repeatedly cautioned him to control himself. He couldn’t understand it before—he even resented it. But now—
‘Abamama was right.’
His power was dangerous, and his inability to control it made him even more so.
From the moment he woke up this morning, that was his first thought.
Feeling guilt and shame, Mikhail wanted to ask Anette how he could become stronger, how he could control such a dangerous power, and then formally apologize—but he hadn’t expected to meet Audrey so soon.
‘She’s probably disappointed… and scared…’
“I’m not scared.”
Audrey spoke as if reading his thoughts and refuting them.
Mikhail’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I… I might accidentally hurt someone.”
“You’ll be careful not to hurt anyone.”
“But…”
“Even if you can’t control your power like yesterday, it’s okay.”
With the princess and the Grand Duke beside him.
Hearing this, Mikhail silently nodded.
Only then did Anette realize why Mikhail had insisted on sitting next to her.
This little Crown Prince believed that, should another accident occur like yesterday, she would protect him.
It was the first time Anette had seen such trust, and she made a peculiar expression. Then, her eyes met Kardin’s, who was sitting across from her, having lost his usual side seat to the little prince.
Kardin faintly smiled, his eyes softening, and Anette instinctively held her breath for a moment.
Meanwhile, the two children continued their conversation.
“I’m sorry, Audrey.”
“For what?”
“I have a monstrous power… that could hurt others…”
“Don’t say that. Your Highness, your power is never meant to hurt others!”
“R-really?”
How could she assert that after seeing such a dangerous and destructive power yesterday?
Both Mikhail and Anette, momentarily distracted by Kardin, looked at Audrey in astonishment.
“Of course. Soon, Your Highness, you’ll be strong like the princess and be able to protect what’s important. Right, Princess?”
Unexpectedly, Audrey looked directly at Anette.
Their eyes met, and the normally composed girl blushed and whispered softly,
“Yesterday, Princess, you were really, really amazing!”
“Y-yes!”
Mikhail, who had overheard, quickly agreed, raising his hand.
He asked Anette, face flushed with excitement,
“Can I also become strong like the princess and protect what’s important?”
“…What?”
How had such an important role suddenly been entrusted to her?
