Michael’s voice, spoken low enough that Cedrion wouldn’t hear, sounded like that of a scumbag who, after assuming the woman who once only had eyes for him would never stray, suddenly became obsessed when she changed.

Of course, there had never been any affection between the two of them.

“I’m not sure what you mean all of a sudden…”

I tilted my head slightly with a smile, doing my best to mask my confusion. But perhaps that expression only provoked him further, as Michael’s delicate face twisted viciously, as if he were threatening me.

“What’s with that clueless tone? Are you pretending to be naive in front of my brother?”

“……”

“Do you think that by acting differently, I’ll reconsider you as a candidate for crown princess?”

Ah, damn.

I had been so preoccupied with not provoking Michael’s temper that I hadn’t properly acted like Odelia.

It couldn’t be helped. My only reference for Odelia was the written words of the original story.

Changing my approach now would only raise more suspicion…

The only option was to stick with the act I had been playing since yesterday. Once again, I put on the most pitiful expression I could muster, as if facing an unreasonable person.

“As I said, I just want to be a better person now…”

“Ha.”

Michael brushed his hair back and let out a cold laugh.

“…Truly disgusting, you woman.”

The one truly disgusted was me. Confronted with Michael’s raw malice, which he had never displayed so openly before, a chill ran down my spine.

That unsettling gaze hidden behind his bright smile had likely been due to this very malice.

“There’s no way a woman as arrogant and proud as you would throw away everything to seek refuge with another family unless it was for love. Odelia Lure, who has neither blood nor tears, in love? Even a stray cat would laugh.”

“Meow.”

As Michael listed off the traits of the Odelia he knew, the calico cat chimed in with a timely response.

The cat, which had fled from Cedrion’s menacing presence earlier, had somehow returned. It rubbed its cheek against my ankle, as if seeking attention. I wanted to pet it, but I hesitated, unsure if such an action fit Odelia’s established character.

Apparently, Michael already thought I was out of character.

“Right. Only a place like Norhart would be grand enough to satisfy your pride. I don’t know how you managed to charm my brother, but…”

Wasn’t that too harsh to say with me right in front of him?

But I let him keep talking. There was no point in stopping a fool from revealing his true thoughts. Besides, as the crown prince, etiquette dictated that I couldn’t interrupt him, and more importantly, his words were giving me valuable insight into his perspective.

‘At the very least, he seems to have accepted that Cedrion and I recently fell in love.’

On the other hand, it was strange that he hadn’t said anything about my defiance of the royal decree by fleeing from Meldorf. Did he truly not care because he knew I was terminally ill…?

As I pondered, Michael continued speaking.

“Even if you have my brother as your backing, the one who will inherit Arcadia is me.”

“……”

“No matter what you do, neither you nor my brother will ever have a claim to the throne.”

Ah, so he was bringing up the king now. It seemed that Michael’s hostility contained a layer of inferiority as well.

‘…So the king favored Odelia enough to keep her as the top candidate for crown princess. And Cedrion must have also taken a liking to her?’

Considering that Michael still harbored this much resentment despite the fall of the Lure family, his inferiority complex must run deep.

Cedrion, as another successor to the throne, must also have been a threat to his fragile sense of self-worth.

‘Whatever happened between Odelia and Michael… only the Marquis of Lure would know.’

But with the marquis sealed in the Coffin of Atonement, I couldn’t ask him. And in a few days, I would no longer have any reason to see Michael again…

Compiling the clues Michael had just let slip, I decided to adjust my approach.

Since he wasn’t just an arrogant nuisance but a tenacious one determined to torment me, the best course of action was to adapt accordingly.

My cheeks ached from maintaining a perpetual smile, so I gently pressed my face to relax it and let my lips lower.

‘Rather than trying to placate him, the best strategy is to avoid giving him any more ammunition.’

I stood up and, following royal etiquette, bowed politely.

“Very well. If that’s what you believe, then so be it.”

[“Very well. If that’s what you believe, then so be it.”]

A line Odelia would often say in Princess Flora Is Lovely whenever she was caught mistreating Flora by Michael.

A phrase that conveyed indifference to whatever nonsense he spouted while emphasizing that she had behaved properly in accordance with decorum. An infuriating response.

“Now that sounds more like you.”

Michael smirked in apparent satisfaction. It seemed he wanted me to remain just as he had always known me—so he wouldn’t have to feel guilty about how he had treated me.

“Cedrion?”

“Hm?”

“I feel tired after being outside for so long.”

Just in time, Cedrion, having finished watering the garden, rushed over to me in an instant. The watering can he had been holding clattered to the ground, but fortunately, it wasn’t my expensive and pretty one.

“Of course. You worked so hard yesterday; you should rest.”

“I have learned how important it is to care for every single life within my domain by observing your sense of responsibility in ruling Norhart.”

Saying this, I subtly glanced at Michael.

He was looking at me with an expression that made it clear he found my words to Cedrion utterly ridiculous.

No matter what I did, he would never let go of his suspicions about me. But that didn’t mean I could stop pretending to be a fiancée madly in love.

I had to get our engagement approved so that Michael would leave Norhart.

I stretched out my arms toward Cedrion and said,

“Will you carry me?”

“Of course.”

What I was asking for was the same “princess carry” as last time. Cedrion obediently lowered his head toward me but then suddenly halted and spoke in a gentle voice.

“Ah, but I haven’t washed my hands. Your dress will get dirty.”

“You can just buy me another one.”

“That’s true.”

As I wrapped my arms around Cedrion’s neck, the scent of a man who had been going back and forth between the well and the vegetable garden since morning filled my senses. The humid warmth mixed with the lingering fragrance of the oil he used.

Ah, this is dangerous again.

Before I knew it, Cedrion had lifted me, supporting my back and the crook of my knees, leaving me no choice but to bury my face in his neck.

If I didn’t, the bright morning sunlight would reveal just how red my face had become.

‘…If we were truly in love, this wouldn’t even faze me.’

Just then, Cedrion gave a respectful nod toward Michael before turning to leave the garden. Over Cedrion’s broad shoulders, I caught sight of Michael, his lips twisted into a strange grimace.

“Ah, my lady, I’m coming too!”

Mathias, who had hurriedly tidied up his spot, eagerly followed us.

Cedrion, no longer needing to match his pace to mine, took such long strides that Michael’s figure quickly faded into the distance.

***

“…Interesting.”

Odelia’s vegetable garden, now empty after her departure.

A calico cat, Raven, had climbed onto the seat where Odelia had been sitting and was staring intently at the backs of her departing group.

Sitting where Lady Lure had been made Raven feel good, and he purred instinctively.

“Could it be real love?”

“Meow.”

“I never imagined Odelia Lure could be the kind of person to like someone.”

Michael had known Odelia since they were very young.

She was the only daughter of the Marquis of Lure, a precious child whom his father, the king, had to respect as a political ally.

Their fathers had shared the belief that uniting the two children, who were only a year apart in age, would help restore the authority of the royal family.

And so, at the age of four, Odelia left her estate for the first time in her life and went to the royal palace—to become a playmate for Michael, the sole heir of the royal family.

Was it because she was a girl? Because she was slightly cleverer than Michael? Because she was a year younger and therefore cuter?

For some reason, the king found Odelia more endearing than Michael.

Michael only understood the real reason much later when he grew older.

Either way, it hadn’t taken long for Michael to start resenting Odelia.

“But she seems to be in better condition than I expected. Didn’t you say she didn’t have much time left?”

“Meow.”

“Stop that damn meowing…!”

Michael gritted his teeth and glared at Raven, but the cat simply looked back at him with his calm teal eyes, unfazed.

If someone happened to see Raven transform into his human form now, it would be quite a problem. And also…

“Why don’t you develop a spell that lets you transform with clothes on?”

“Meow!”

If he were in his original form, Raven could cast a spell to block both sight and sound. But for now, maintaining his feline appearance was the best he could do.

To use magic in the mortal realm, he needed to tap into his contractor’s mana.

‘How terribly inefficient.’

Raven shuddered slightly as he recalled how he had instinctively rubbed his cheek against Lady Lure earlier.

No matter how enticing her scent was, how could he act on instinct with his contractor right there?

‘But that scent was just too tempting…’

For some reason, it had been fainter than before, yet still just as intoxicating.

Ah, he really wanted to taste it just once.

Raven let out a long yawn.

“You said she’d be dead before summer arrived, didn’t you? But her face looks eerily unchanged. Not to mention, I deliberately dragged her around all day yesterday, and she didn’t even seem the slightest bit tired… Did you miscalculate something?”

Beside him, his contractor kept rambling nonsense about Lady Lure’s condition.

“Go and check for yourself.”

“Meow?”

“Go see how Odelia Lure is doing. Yourself.”

Raven stretched languidly as if reluctant.

‘It would be a problem if that baby interfered like last time. The holy energy she radiates… it hurts too much.’

Not to mention the Grand Duke of Norhart, whose magical prowess far surpassed that of Raven’s contractor.

Even in his cat form, he had been instantly subdued by magic—it was utterly humiliating.

He was a demon, after all.

A baby wielding holy energy, the Grand Duke of Norhart… Lady Lure’s surroundings were full of dangers to a cat like him.

But since the baby’s true nature was uncertain, he couldn’t argue with his contractor about it. His contractor would dismiss it as nonsense, and more than anything, Raven had his pride as a demon to consider.

“Meow.”

‘Fine, fine, I’ll go.’

With a light leap off the bench, Raven made his way toward the east wing, where Lady Lure was staying.

It was absolutely, positively not because her mana scent was addictive.