Chapter 6.12

“Julietta, look at this. It’s the cotton candy I told you about.”

“Cotton… candy?”

Dragged into the palace by the prince’s summons, Lisael finally understood Ivan’s unusual persistence when she saw who the mountain of fluffy cotton candy was for. 

The recipient was a young princess, likely around six or seven years old, with a sweet and innocent appearance. Her radiant smile upon seeing the cotton candy melted away any bitterness Lisael had felt, making her think she could buy the treat for the princess countless times. It was a rare moment of restored faith in humanity.

‘He’s quite a kind brother to his sister.’

Ivan, who had a significant age gap with the princess, displayed a mature demeanor that was unlike the sharp attitude he showed toward Lisael and his attendant. The princess giggled continuously as she took a bite of the cotton candy, marveling at its fluffy texture and how it disappeared as soon as it touched her tongue.

Her innocent and untainted laughter brought warm smiles to everyone present. Ivan was no exception. Even his usually stern face softened into a crescent-shaped smile. The siblings, with their smiling faces, resembled each other greatly.

As Lisael smiled along, her gaze accidentally met Ivan’s. The prince, who had been beaming moments earlier, immediately furrowed his brow as if he had never smiled at all.

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake!’

Did he think I was smiling at him? 

Lisael, feeling exasperated, quickly wiped the smile off her face. The prince was utterly difficult to please.

“Good work. Thanks to you, Julietta smiled for the first time in a while.”

The brief cotton candy party ended, followed by an equally brief word of praise from Ivan. The princess, it turned out, had been recovering from a severe cold that had left her with no appetite. Her lack of appetite had worried the entire royal family. 

Cotton candy, with its enticing appearance, texture, and flavor, was an irresistible treat for children. Thanks to it, the princess’s laughter and the palace’s peace had been restored. Lisael couldn’t help but feel a small sense of accomplishment.

“It was nothing. It was the least I could do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave.”

She had hoped to see Miguel in the palace, but it was a fruitless hope. The palace was larger than the lord’s castle, where Lisael still hadn’t memorized all the paths. Moreover, the route to the prince’s chambers didn’t overlap with Miguel’s, leaving no chance for a coincidental encounter.

“I can’t let you leave just like that… I heard the Young Earl of Dante came here to bid for a contract. If I petition my father, there won’t even be a need for bidding. My father adores Julietta, and granting a business license would be no trouble at all.”

Lisael’s eyebrow twitched at Ivan’s naive remark. If only the project itself could be canceled entirely, she might have been grateful. But granting Dante the construction rights was precisely what Lisael was determined to oppose.

“I appreciate your kind offer, Your Highness, but I believe national projects should be conducted with the utmost transparency. The Dante family is highly skilled in this area, so I’m confident they’ll secure the rights on their own.”

The lie felt awkward and unnatural on her tongue. It was the first time in her life she had said something so completely contrary to her true feelings.

“Such confidence.”

Ivan, clearly unimpressed, scoffed but didn’t press the issue. After all, the king wasn’t likely to hand over the construction rights just because a boy prince asked. Instead, Lisael made a different request to the now slightly annoyed Ivan.

“I’m simply glad to see the princess happy. On my way out, if you could lend me a carriage, I would ask for nothing more.”

It was a weak attempt at improvisation. Asking for compensation for something as trivial as fetching cotton candy felt shameless, even to Lisael. She neither expected nor wanted anything in return.

Ivan, however, seemed dissatisfied with her modesty. After silently pondering something, he smirked mischievously, looking every bit the troublemaker.

“I’ll escort you myself on your way out.”

Oh, no. 

Lisael suppressed a groan deep within her chest. Being escorted by a prince in the throes of adolescence was far from appealing, especially when that prince was Ivan, with his difficult temperament.

But in her world, rank always trumped age. With a grimace, Lisael followed Ivan, who seemed unusually cheerful, even humming a tune.

Lisael trailed behind Ivan as they walked down a long, straight corridor. The palace, a symbol of royal authority, was ostentatious even in its hallways, flaunting grandeur and opulence. The ceilings and sculptures, undoubtedly crafted by the finest artists of the era, lined the corridor.

Crystal chandeliers stretched endlessly, and marble walls were standard fare. What surprised Lisael wasn’t the palace’s splendor but the realization that Dante Castle’s opulence rivaled it.

She had always known that the Dante family’s wealth was among the greatest in the kingdom, but seeing firsthand that their resources could match the royal palace left her astonished. Did Ivan know? That a mere vassal in the southern regions owned a castle as luxurious as his own home?

“Ah, so they’re conducting the bidding there. How convenient that we’re passing by.”

Liar. 

Ivan’s acting skills were abysmal, a reflection of someone who had never needed to deceive anyone. He had clearly intended to come here all along.

Perhaps Lisael was just an excuse, and he had wanted to visit the bidding room anyway. After all, children his age often idolized adults. The sight of successful adults discussing serious and complex matters would naturally pique his interest.

“My husband must be there as well.”

Noticing Ivan’s sparkling eyes, Lisael couldn’t ignore them. Feigning reluctance, she suggested they enter, to which Ivan eagerly agreed.

The spacious room, large enough to host a tournament, was bustling with voices spilling out through its wide-open doors. Lisael’s attention was drawn entirely to the reception room, where the bidding seemed to be in full swing. Since she had come this far, she decided to look for Miguel.

‘This is much different from what I expected…’

The room was crowded with people. Entrepreneurs from all over the kingdom, meeting the minimum qualifications, had gathered to vie for the contract. It wasn’t an open auction as Lisael had imagined. Instead, a bureaucrat sat at a desk in the corner, looking bored, while people lined up to submit documents as if they were state secrets.

The room was split between those waiting in line and those still wandering, trying to finalize their bids. Lisael hadn’t realized so many people were vying for the forest. Her despair deepened. Even a miracle wouldn’t save the forest now.

Her resolve hardened. Among all these people, there was no reason Dante had to be the one to take on Cherlin Village’s burdens. Dante even had a choice. If only they would curb their boundless greed.

Ivan, meanwhile, had already forgotten Lisael’s presence, busy mingling with sycophants who recognized him. Lisael, now free to move, began searching for Miguel amidst the crowd.

It wasn’t difficult to spot him. Taller than most, with a commanding presence, Miguel stood by the window, relaxed and aloof, unlike the others who were anxiously vying for the construction rights.