Chapter 3 – 【 His Princess 】 (Part 3)

As soon as he heard from Evelyn, he excused himself from the delegation and rushed out. Although he was the one who arranged the marriage, he still felt guilty towards Yuria.

Yuria’s marriage was an unavoidable choice. The royal finances were strained, and high-ranking nobles, including Duke Spencer, formed a coalition to threaten the royal authority. A republic had been established in the neighboring kingdom, and the king of a long-time ally had been beheaded by revolutionaries.

In a situation where there was nowhere to turn, Cedric, who had both ability and honor despite his resentment towards Duke Spencer, was a lifeline for Lahen. And Yuria was the shackle to keep Cedric tied to the royal family.

So even if Yuria’s marriage was criticized, Lahen felt no shame. However, the mistake came afterward. Afraid that the gentle and unassertive Yuria would refuse to adapt to Ritano after meeting Cedric and suddenly crying that she didn’t want to marry, Lahen cut off all contact between Yuria and her family.

He blocked not only letters from their mother but also visits from Yuria’s former maids. He thought Yuria, not being strong, would soon grow lonely and lean on Cedric, resigning herself to live in submission.

But the news that came back was of Yuria’s infidelity. Lahen was shocked. That timid girl, having an affair! How lonely and distressed must she have been to do that? Lahen never anticipated that Yuria would be that miserable.

This incident caused Lahen to lose some trust from his family. Even his wife, who always took his side, declared that this was Lahen’s fault. She said he was too harsh to his sister, who had been sent away to a distant land without any relatives because of an unwanted marriage.

Lahen had no choice but to admit his mistake in this matter. So, he intended to sincerely apologize and resolve any hard feelings if Yuria attended this banquet. But to his surprise, Yuria looked too healthy to be someone who had suffered emotionally.

She looked plumper than before, adorned in expensive fabrics and jewels, to the point where she could be mistaken for a queen of a small kingdom. Her chubby cheeks were lively, and the glances exchanged with Cedric were filled with affection.

It wasn’t an act. Even if Yuria could fake it, Cedric wasn’t the type to pull off such a performance. So, they really were on good terms. He wondered if they had reconciled just before the banquet, as they say, marital fights are like cutting water with a knife, or were the rumors of Yuria’s affair really just nonsense. Because if so, he wondered why he was criticized by his family for being harsh.

“Don’t worry about the rumors, Yuria. Everyone will soon realize they’re baseless and they’ll die down quickly.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Yuria replied without even meeting Lahen’s eyes.

“And the delegation won’t find anything to nitpick about either.”

“That… I’m sorry about that too.”

I thought you wouldn’t come if I told you.

“Could you find some time to visit the palace? I have things to discuss with you.”

“Well, I don’t know.”

How could he say in front of Cedric that he hoped Yuria would resign herself and accept Cedric as her husband? That would be an insult to Cedric.

However, Yuria didn’t seem inclined to make time for Lahen.

“Mother scolded me a lot. She said I was too harsh on you.”

“Mother, really?”

“It’s true. She missed you very much.”

Mentioning their mother made the soft-hearted Yuria waver. Just a little more and she might say she would visit the palace. But Cedric, who had been silently standing by, cleared his throat to draw Lahen’s attention.

Cedric gestured towards the banquet hall. Lahen knew what was happening without turning around. The smell of alcohol followed the wind, and the desperate voice of a servant calling for Varen echoed in his ears.

I told him to go home.

Lahen couldn’t hide his annoyance.

“What right do you have to tell Yuria what to do, brother?”

Varen, who had staggered over, immediately directed his sharp words at Lahen.

“Take your drunken antics elsewhere.”

“Is everything I do that displeases you just drunken antics?”

“You’d better walk away quietly before I have you dragged out.”

“People are watching, brother.”

Yuria whispered, holding onto Lahen’s sleeve. Whether Varen had caused a commotion in the banquet hall or not, curious glances began to gather in the previously quiet garden. The Crown Prince suppressed his rising voice, but the drunken man had lost control.

“Everyone knows the marriage proposal was originally for Yuria.”

“I’m already married, what marriage proposal are you talking about, brother?”

Not wanting the situation to escalate into a big fight, Yuria tried to calm Varen down.

“It was a marriage proposal discussed long before your wedding. Know what you’re talking about.”

The Kingdom of Amal had specifically sent a marriage proposal for Yuria, but Lahen had sent her to Cedric instead, hiding the original proposal… His slurred speech was hard to follow, but everyone understood what he was saying.

“Varen, can’t you drink more gracefully?”

Lahen rubbed his face with his palm and discreetly signaled a servant to call for palace guards.

“Yuria should know the truth. She was sold off to secure your position!”

Even in his drunken state, Varen seemed aware of Cedric, waving his hand at him.

“Ah, Count Roark, I didn’t mean to criticize you.”

Cedric, struggling to hold back his anger, replied briefly. This was almost breaking up a family, not just causing a domestic dispute.

“Take him out quickly.”

“Yes.”

The servant called two palace guards who grabbed Varen by the arms. A few more guards stood nearby in case of further trouble.

“Your Highness, we’ll escort you.”

“The banquet is in full swing, where are you taking me?”

Varen shook off the guard’s arm roughly. One guard, who couldn’t firmly grasp the prince’s arm, stumbled and caused Varen and the guard next to him to lose their balance. They tangled together and fell into the pond.

“Oh, brother!”

“Varen!”

Although some people underestimated it, the pond was deeper than it looked. The heavily intoxicated Varen struggled, barely managing to keep his face above water.

“Cedric, what are you doing! Save Varen!”

Yuria slowly turned her neck, frozen in shock at Lahen’s shout. Even before he ordered, Cedric was already running towards the pond, but that wasn’t the issue.

“Brother.”

At the sound of Yuria’s voice, which was colder than before, Lahen turned his gaze away from the pond. Her expression was even colder than her voice. Lahen had never seen Yuria make such a face in his life.

Would she actually hit me? Is she angry because of what Varen said? Is she going to ask if it’s true? Damn, I can’t even lie about this.

His brow furrowed in frustration. He directed his resentment towards Varen.

I shouldn’t have told Cedric to save him. I should have just let him drown.

“Is Cedric a servant?”

“What?”

“Wasn’t it you, brother, who granted my husband his title?”

What? Is she mad because I told her husband to go into the pond? This was truly baffling.

“Varen has his attendants there, and there are palace guards too. Why would you order Cedric as if he were a servant?”

Indeed, Yuria was quite displeased. Would Lahen have done the same if Cedric weren’t an illegitimate child but the eldest son of a noble count? The answer was ‘No.’ This was clearly an act of disrespect towards Cedric.

Over there, Varen was still floundering in the pond, but that was no longer Yuria’s concern. Cedric had gone to help, so she trusted he would manage.

“You know that Count Roark and I are like close friends, right?”

“Do you treat your friends like servants, brother? That excuse is quite displeasing too.”

I heard you two don’t get along. They say you cheated on Cedric. But now, it seems like you’re inseparable.

Despite the chaotic situation, Yuria’s point was valid, and Lahen raised his hands in surrender.

“…Alright, I apologize.”

“Please apologize to Cedric, not me.”

While Lahen was at a loss for words, Cedric pulled Varen and the palace guard out of the pond and climbed out himself. He pushed his wet hair back and dropped his soaked vest.

The thin shirt and pants he wore, which no sailor would ever wear, clung to his body. His well-toned muscles were clearly visible through the almost transparent shirt, and the wet pants stuck to his log-like thighs.

“Oh my, goodness.”

“Oh dear, oh dear.”

Yuria, who was about to run to Cedric with a handkerchief, stopped at the murmurs of the people. If they had only murmured, Yuria would have run out. But the crowd that had gathered due to the commotion began to click their tongues, and their reactions changed to admiration as soon as Cedric emerged.

The admiration was directed at Cedric’s physique. His solid muscles, his frame, and his… there. The fabric clinging to his thighs revealed the silhouette of his enormous manhood without any filter.

“The Count has quite an impressive physique.”

“I understand why the Princess hasn’t visited the capital for three years.”

“Oh my, no wonder they are so affectionate.”

Yuria closed her eyes tightly at the high-level comments slipping through the fans and lace gloves covering their mouths.

“Those rumors were indeed baseless.”

“Why would anyone cheat on a husband like that?”

The whispers meant to be heard only among themselves sounded like shouts to Yuria. She felt like she had suddenly become a woman who had forgotten her homeland because she was too busy lusting after her husband’s penis. She stood there, frozen like a statue, clutching Cedric’s jacket tightly.