45. This Kiss is Business

 A rose that became second-hand goods in an instant.

So Daphne couldn’t be bothered to respond anymore. She just demonstratively hugged Celestian’s waist tightly and leaned further into his embrace. Oscar frowned deeply.

“Oh, is this your answer? Should I relay it as is?”

“I’d appreciate that. If an excuse is needed, well, tell them all the rose stems are broken so they can’t be sold~”

Daphne plainly signaled the end of the conversation. Oscar let out a hollow laugh. He gave Celestian another bow before heading down the stairs.

“Why does Amber Green’s rose business have anything to do with you?”

“That was talk of a marriage proposal.”

Celestian’s expression hardened.

“Do you know the prince?”

Daphne loosened her grip on Celestian’s waist and pulled back her upper body.

“Don’t know. I hear he’s the most handsome in their country.”

“A marriage proposal with someone whose face you don’t even know?”

“That’s how it is for noble girls born in this era. Whether we like it or not, for the sake of the family, for the greater cause, and so on. But my mother keeps doing this.”

“Your mother must have been a commoner severely mistreated by the powerful society in her past life.”

Celestian said in a casual tone after wetting his lips with his drink. Daphne started nodding but quickly shook her head.

“I don’t feel good.”

“I misspoke.”

Celestian quickly corrected himself. Daphne kept shaking her head as if that wasn’t it. She pouted her lips.

“The person Mother arranged the marriage with is the sixth prince. But last time she definitely said it was the crown prince.”

Celestian looked at Daphne with a puzzled expression. She crossed her arms and furrowed her brows as if displeased.

“Why did she suddenly change her mind?”

“I don’t understand.”

Celestian’s brows drew together.

“Are you displeased because Amber Green proposed marriage to a prince rather than the crown prince?”

“Cele, isn’t it obvious? If you’re going to do it, do it properly. Being a crown princess is more impressive than a prince’s consort.”

At Daphne’s response as if asking what was there to question, Celestian smiled faintly again.

“So that’s why you weren’t interested in becoming the crown princess.”

“Your Grace the Ghost Grand Duke of the eternal winter island, that’s just a manner of speaking.”

Daphne gracefully placed her hand on the center of her chest. She closed her eyes gently and smirked.

“I have no interest in positions that everyone looks up to. I have acrophobia, you see.”

Daphne suddenly thought.

‘But why am I sitting here comforting him? Why does he look so upset?’

Opening one eye to look at him, she found Celestian resting his chin on his hand propped on the sofa, staring straight at her.

“How about Grand Duchess?”

“Is that position vacant?”

“If you want it, I’ll make it happen.”

“Oh~ Grand Duchess of the Ghost Island.”

Daphne blinked rapidly. It felt like she’d just received an impromptu marriage proposal, and ‘Grand Duchess’ seemed quite an impressive title. But Daphne shrugged lightly.

“I’d rather just live as Daphne Beaucater.”

“……”

Celestian’s lower lip jutted out in a pout. Just as Daphne was about to tap it with her ring finger, commotion broke out upstairs. Along with it came the name ‘Miss Denver’.

Sure enough, Psyche was surveying the deck from the door connected to the VIP room.

All the royal family members who looked up at her momentarily froze in their movements. After all, Psyche was truly beautiful as she kept brushing her curly flowing hair behind her ears.

Her blue eyes, which had been darting around like lasers, found Daphne. Then with a notably brighter face, she quickly came down the stairs and walked, almost running, towards them.

Daphne shook her head, thinking ‘she’s hopeless,’ before straightening her back. As she was the crown princess, everyone below her should stand and bow — except Daphne of course.

When she looked back, Celestian was still sitting in that arrogant posture.

Psyche quickly approached Daphne and held both her cheeks with her hands. Her face flashed like a billboard saying ‘Daphne, why are you with these bastards? You should have come to me first!’

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes. As you can see.”

Celestian, who had patted Daphne’s thigh, stood up. A large shadow fell over Daphne.

“Psyche.”

He spoke.

Daphne pressed her lips together and looked at Psyche. Honestly, she felt awkward. After promising to visit her as soon as she boarded the ship, here she was fooling around with another man.

‘And with the man Psyche really hates, at that.’

Celestian extended his gloved hand to Psyche. Daphne momentarily froze at that action.

Though Psyche maintained an expressionless face, perhaps due to the surrounding gazes, she halfheartedly extended her hand. Only then did Celestian rise from his seat and made a gesture of kissing the back of his longtime crush’s hand.

‘Oh my.’

Daphne looked back and forth between the two golden-haired people. Though she always said only Romeo suited Psyche, seeing them together like this wasn’t so bad either.

‘They actually look good together.’

Celestian had a faint smile on his lips. Contrary to expectations that he would be obviously tense, he looked relaxed.

‘How long has it been since they met?’

It was completely unexpected. Daphne had thought Celestian would blush and even tremble.

Rather, Psyche was the one showing such reactions. She glanced at Daphne as if begging for help, then quickly lowered her blue eyes.

Daphne covered her mouth with her hand. Though her stomach twisted oddly, it was an interesting sight nonetheless.

“It’s been a while.”

“……”

Celestian released Psyche’s hand with the arrogant prince-like smile that Daphne so adored. It was as if a halo was shining behind him.

“Congratulations on your marriage. Things turned out just as you wanted.”

His words were full of thorns. Daphne’s eyes widened.

‘Right now, that line kind of sounds like ‘You think you’ll be happy after abandoning me?”

The two golden-haired people under the bright blue sky on the wind-swept deck. They truly looked like a scene from a novel more than anyone else. Suddenly, the middle of her throat became incredibly itchy.

Daphne looked down at her red hair once, then quickly pulled out the two ribbons Celestian had tied. Then she combed through her braided hair with her fingers like she was undoing it, and fixed her curly hair once more.

Psyche withdrew her hand from Celestian and took Daphne’s hand again.

“Daphne, are you going to the memorial party?”

Psyche looked desperate. There was also a strange pressure suggesting she might throw Daphne into the sea right now if she said yes. When Daphne shook her head, a smile spread across her face.

“You’ll come with me now, right?”

“Later, later. I brought a gift. It’s in my room.”

“What is it? Ah, it’s no fun if you tell me.”

Psyche imitated what Daphne often said, smiled brightly once more, then whispered her room number before quickly turning around. As she returned the way she came, before entering through the door, she removed her gloves and handed them to her maid.

‘Look at that personality.’

Daphne always liked seeing Psyche’s occasional bold actions, and found this amusing too. Then belatedly, she looked up at the man who still kept her in his shadow.

‘I can’t see his expression.’

Daphne also straightened her legs and stood up. Soon there would be a memorial party, and a bachelor party in the ship’s parking lot. Though she thought it would be gladiatorial combat since her brother was good at it, from what she’d overheard in passing, it was gambling.

‘To think Romeo the luck master would acknowledge it all.’

Gambling required money. Since it was the Royal Club, jewels and small territories would be converted into chips rather than currency.

‘There were several assets not tied up in trusts.’

This is why emergency funds that won’t be discovered must be set aside. If Mother knew, she would have demanded them immediately. After finishing her deliberation, Daphne extended her hand toward Celestian. It meant she wanted him to help her up.

Celestian extended his bare hand. As flesh met flesh, there was a slight static electricity. He pulled Daphne up with force. Her hair shone red as it caught the sunlight after emerging from the shadow.

“You didn’t like it?”

Celestian quietly asked as he watched Daphne’s hair swaying in the wind. Daphne pretended not to hear as she tossed her hair back and left first.

“Hmm.”

Celestian completely removed his gloves, tossed them on the table, and followed after Daphne. 

 * * *

 The conditions for entering the bachelor party were that the men must have lovers or wives, or be knights serving ladies.

In other words, ‘men who are truly loved’. And all the betting money to be used there must be prepared by the women.

As soon as she returned to her room, Daphne wrote down items she had collected to offer as tribute to the prince on a credit memo with her signature.

A small rural city with an abandoned mine but good for trade due to intersecting railways, ‘Tears of the Undead Mermaid’ received from the Empire’s largest merchant guild master, ‘Crown of Ilion’.

And national treasure-level gold and silver treasures that Daphne had claimed first through her past life memories.

After writing about fifteen items, Daphne clicked her tongue as she quickly scanned the list again. She could have made a deal with her uncle using things she had collected herself, not the gold mine her mother had passed down.

“Celestian.”

After putting down her pen, Daphne picked up her lipstick and reapplied it several times. When she wiggled her finger, Celestian immediately came over, slightly bending his waist. Seeing his innocent green eyes, guilt along with a sacrilegious tension ran down her spine.

“First, I’m sorry.”

Daphne mumbled an insincere apology as she grabbed his cheek and pulled him toward her, firmly pressing her lips to the mole above his eyebrow.

“……?”

Celestian looked at Daphne with notably confused eyes. Perhaps because there was only about fifteen centimeters of distance between them, only his eyes were visible.

“Business, business.”

Daphne added as if making an excuse. Celestian froze with his hands suspended in the air. Daphne chewed her lips once.

She had clearly resolved not to put any ulterior motives into this business. But judging by how she first kissed the mole that had constantly caught her eye, it was already ruined. Daphne raised her heels once more and pressed her lips to his cheek again.

“What… are you doing.”

As if quickly growing accustomed to Daphne’s sudden actions, his arms wrapped around her waist. She glanced back slightly. The arm firmly wrapped around her, parting her red hair, was very solid. Now that she looked, Celestian had removed both his gloves.

“The crown prince told you to go to the bachelor party.”

She was both afraid and curious about what Romeo would do after calling this man.

‘Will he just take it? Or will he provoke?’

Daphne couldn’t enter since she wasn’t a man. It was very unfortunate.

“This is your betting money. Even if you lose it all……”

Daphne tried to move toward the vanity, but he wouldn’t release his arms. She hadn’t felt this trapped until just now. When she tried to pull away, his arms tightened more.

Celestian’s languid face was right above Daphne’s. With about ten centimeters between their noses, she could almost feel his breath.

Too close!

“Your Highness, would you please let go?”

“I’ve been to bachelor parties many times.”

Though they were supposed to be fighting for succession, the princes enjoyed sports games like cricket or squash on Fridays or weekends. Daphne wasn’t unaware of this.

“They all appeared having received love from their wives or lovers. Though there was no penalty for arriving much later than scheduled, guests who ‘hadn’t’ became targets of pranks.”

Daphne immediately understood what this ‘receiving love’ meant. Her expression became subtle. It was because she wondered if that meant he had done the same.

“I wasn’t treated that way since I was a prince.”

He added lightly as if telling her not to worry. Only then did Daphne’s expression soften.

“But now I’m not, Daphne. You made it so.”

“Would you just get to the point? And please let……”

Celestian lowered his head and gently bumped his cheek against her lips again. Perhaps because it touched while she was speaking, an embarrassing ‘chu’ sound was heard.

“So this much isn’t enough.”