Chapter 1 (Part 3)

After cautiously looking around to ensure no one was in the wide corridor, Amelia approached the door, trying to minimize her footsteps.

As she placed her ear near the door, the Crown Prince’s voice grew louder, as if he was agitated, allowing her to hear the conversation inside.

“Tell the elders that I will eliminate any lady who is the same age as me. Just the fact that they are the same age as Lady Limerick gives me a sense of rejection.”

‘What?’

Although she didn’t know the previous conversation, it was just in time for her to hear about the Crown Prince’s criteria for the Crown Princess.

It seemed the Crown Prince was very angry at Lady Limerick’s escape. Because of this, he felt a sense of rejection towards any lady with even a slight similarity to her.

Unfortunately, Amelia was one year younger than the Crown Prince, so she was within his selection range. Considering the ages of the other young ladies, she realized that two of the five candidates were the same age as the Crown Prince.

They were Lady Waterford and Lady Portsmouth, which meant those two would soon be eliminated from the Crown Princess candidacy.

‘This is dangerous.’

Wondering if there were any other conditions, Amelia perked up her ears and listened closely to the Crown Prince’s words.

“Are there any other conditions you desire besides age?”

“I don’t want anyone who isn’t a virgin. How could I accept as Crown Princess a woman who has been touched by another man?”

‘A virgin?’

The moment she heard the next condition, Amelia’s eyes widened.

In the Nate Empire, free love was common, so there was no strict need to remain pure until marriage, but past Crown Princesses had married with their purity intact. This was because they had been betrothed to the Crown Prince at a young age and had no time to date other men.

However, given the special circumstances this time, demanding purity was out of the question. Bringing up past matters would be an insult to the new Crown Princess candidates.

The problem was that Amelia, who had never had a lover, also fell within the Crown Prince’s selection criteria.

“Consider the honor of the young ladies. How can you ask if they are virgins? Your Highness, could you concede this condition?”

“Can’t we use a magical tool? We could call them one by one, ask for their consent, and then check.”

“That may be so, but it could cause discomfort.”

The Chancellor also seemed reluctant to impose the virginity condition due to the special situation this time. However, seeing the Crown Prince speak as if it were a simple matter, it was clear he had no intention of accepting a non-virgin as the Crown Princess.

Amelia began to think about which of the remaining three candidates had past lovers.

She seemed to recall that Lady Telbeos had a lover. She also remembered that their relationship was deep.

Not many people knew about it. She knew because she was quite close to her. As for the last candidate, Lady Brooke, Amelia had never heard of her dating anyone, so the likelihood of her being a virgin was high.

‘Wait…. So, the only ones left are me and Lady Brooke?’

Realizing that only two candidates, including herself, met the Crown Prince’s conditions, Amelia’s face turned pale. This meant that her chances of being chosen as the Crown Princess had now become 1 in 2.

With the probability now halved, the situation was dangerous. If Lady Brooke wasn’t a virgin either, Amelia might be the only one left who met the conditions.

‘Even if I say I want to give up being the Crown Princess, they won’t listen to me, will they?’

At that moment, Amelia realized there was no need to meet with the Chancellor. They would first check if she met the Crown Prince’s conditions, so pleading to give up the position of Crown Princess seemed futile.

Amelia told the passing royal attendant to convey that she would postpone her meeting with the Chancellor and then left the palace.

Her heart pounded all the way to the carriage. Rather than feeling guilty for eavesdropping, she was relieved to have found a way to be excluded from the Crown Princess’s candidacy. The only problem was that the method was somewhat unsettling.

Losing her purity….

Her tutor had told her that it would be excruciatingly painful at first, but it would get better if she endured a little. If the compatibility was good, she might even feel pleasure that offset the initial pain.

‘Could that large thing really go inside?’

The image of a man’s penis, which she had vaguely seen in a dream before, came to her mind, making her face turn red and then pale repeatedly before she finally calmed down.

‘No, I just have to endure it once.’

Though the situation of having to lose her purity suddenly was absurd, she was willing to give it to anyone if it meant she wouldn’t become the Crown Princess. It was much better for her future.

‘If I had known this would happen, I would have gotten a boyfriend earlier….’

Regret washed over her, but it was useless. Thinking about the past wouldn’t change anything.

* * *

“Young Lady, what are you saying?”

Mary, hearing from Amelia that she would give her purity to just anyone, looked incredulous.

“Shh! Be quiet. What if someone hears?”

Amelia signaled Mary to lower her voice, fearing the repercussions if her parents found out.

“I’m sorry. I was so surprised that I raised my voice without realizing it.”

Only then did Mary lower her voice again.

“It’s fine as long as you don’t say anything important loudly.”

“That’s a relief. But, are you serious about what you just said?”

“Oh, about giving my first time to just anyone?”

“Yes. Why are you suddenly saying such things? It’s not like you’re giving up on life because you don’t want to be the Crown Princess.”

Mary interpreted Amelia’s statement about losing her purity as equivalent to giving up on life, her eyes filled with worry.

“Why would I give up on life? It’s quite the opposite. I’m willing to lose my purity to live the life I want.”

Mary was Amelia’s most trusted maid because she was discreet. So, Amelia told her about the conversation she had overheard at the palace.

“But why are you saying you’ll give your purity to just anyone?”

Even after hearing the entire situation, Mary’s eyes were still filled with confusion.

“As long as it’s not the Crown Prince, it doesn’t matter. I don’t literally mean just anyone. You know the masquerade ball that’s held at night?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Since I’m going to lose it anyway, I plan to spend the night with someone I like at the ball.”

In the Nate Empire, masquerade balls were often held for nobles who enjoyed a free-spirited sex life.

Usually, widowers, widows, and those with promiscuous lifestyles attended, but occasionally unmarried men attended as well, making it the perfect place to hide one’s identity and spend a night together.

“Are you saying you’ll give your purity to someone of questionable character?”

“It’s just one night anyway.”

“Oh my goodness.”

Mary slapped her forehead in disbelief.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Everyone there is a libertine, so how can you find someone pleasing? Wouldn’t it be better to seek help from someone around you?”

Mary opposed the idea because if it became known that Amelia attended the notorious masquerade ball, it would cause a scandal. Attendees knew this and covered their faces with masks.

People generally didn’t prefer those who had attended such balls as marriage partners. They were often stigmatized as promiscuous, causing a sense of rejection.

Considering such scenarios, asking for help from someone around her might be a better choice. However, Amelia excluded familiar people because there was no guarantee they wouldn’t spread rumors.

In the worst-case scenario, her proposal could be rejected, and her story might spread.

Thinking about such possibilities, Amelia felt it was cleaner to spend the night with a stranger at the masquerade ball than to ask a familiar nobleman.

“Do you expect me to suddenly ask someone I know to sleep with me? How can I do that?”

“Wouldn’t that be better than asking a promiscuous man?”

“No. If it’s someone around me, it would be awkward to see each other’s faces afterward. Besides, I can’t be sure they’ll keep quiet.”

Amelia’s face turned red instantly. She didn’t want to reveal her one-time mistake, something that could stain her life, to someone she knew.

“If you get involved with a strange man, it could lead to more trouble. So why not ask the person around you who is the most discreet?”

“Is that so?”

Upon reconsideration, Mary’s words weren’t wrong. Although it was said that men and women who mingled at the ball parted ways without issue, there was no certainty.

If she got entangled with a strange man, the fact that she attended the ball might come to light, making things worse.

She wondered if she should endure the embarrassment and ask someone she knew, or take the risk and find a man at the masquerade ball.