Chapter 2 – Part 2

In the Crown Prince’s office.

Adrian, who had taken a brief nap and was now handling his morning paperwork, called his aide.

“Derek.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I tried your advice, but it had no effect at all.”

Derek paused and remembered.

He had told the Crown Prince yesterday to close his mouth and just show his face more, thinking his exterior was his strength and his interior his weakness.

Derek prostrated himself.

“I apologize, Your Highness!”

“After following your advice… she looked very distressed.”

“Please forgive me!”

“Enough, do you have any other suggestions?”

Derek racked his brain desperately.

‘Is there really someone who isn’t swayed by the Crown Prince’s looks?’

It was indeed astonishing.

But as Derek had heard, women generally had two types when it came to men.

One type focused on the face, and the other on the body.

The ones who focused on the face didn’t mind if the man was short or had a less-than-ideal physique as long as he had a handsome face.

On the other hand, those who focused on the body didn’t care much about the face if the man was tall and well-built.

‘Is it really possible for someone not to be moved by the Crown Prince’s face?’

But if the Crown Prince said so, it must be true.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince had both a great face and body.

Derek mustered his courage and offered his advice.

“If the face didn’t work, perhaps you should show off your physique?”

“…”

The Crown Prince frowned at Derek’s outrageous suggestion.

Terrified, Derek began to ramble.

“Uh, maybe the person doesn’t recognize the Crown Prince’s face because of face blindness?”

Adrian frowned even more deeply and glared at Derek. Derek was scared out of his mind.

Derek’s mouth continued to move on its own, beyond his control.

“But the Crown Prince has an amazing physique too! You should just show it off!”

***

Afternoon Tea Time After the Crown Prince’s Lunch.

Considering that His Highness hadn’t slept much, I prepared an iced flavored black tea.

“Your Highness, I have brought your tea.”

As I passed the guards and entered the office, I was so shocked that I gasped.

“…!”

A remarkable sight unfolded before me.

His Highness was dressed in the attire of a grand noble from the Southern Kingdom!

The Southern Kingdom, true to its name, is a hot country. People there, both men and women, wear clothes that barely cover their essential parts. They also wear loose strings of jewels to display their status and wealth.

It’s a message that they are so wealthy that they don’t care if the loosely draped jewels fall off.

Thus, in the Southern Kingdom, the higher one’s status and wealth, the less fabric they wear, the more splendid their jewels, and the more daring their attire.

His Highness, dressed like the youngest son of a Southern Duke, was holding a pen in one hand and eating a sandwich with the other.

I couldn’t close my gaping mouth.

‘Oh my…’

His beautiful face was complemented by a well-toned upper body on full display.

The shoulders, characteristic of someone trained in martial arts, were broad and strong. Between them, his thick pectoral muscles were impressive.

‘I doubt I could wrap my hand around those.’

What would it feel like to press my fingers into those colorful, glittering jewels?

And below that, his abs…

‘One, two, three, four chocolate squares…’

My gaze continued to drop lower. His Highness blushed.

I snapped back to reality, quickly closed my mouth, and wiped my lips with the back of my hand. Fortunately, nothing came off.

I tried to salvage the situation.

“Uh, Your Highness. This tea is, um, cranberry-flavored black tea.”

I explained what kind of tea it was, trying desperately to keep my gaze fixed on his face.

But my eyes kept wanting to wander lower on their own.

Although His Highness hadn’t said anything earlier, he seemed quite preoccupied.

If I made another mistake and looked at his chest, abs, or lower again, I’d be in big trouble.

‘I’ll definitely be fired!’

“Please enjoy it!”

I barely managed to say that before fleeing the office. The rapid rumbling of the trolley wheels echoed down the corridor.

I ran back to my base, the tea storage room, shut the door, and caught my breath.

How badly had I just embarrassed myself?

‘Even if His Highness fires me, I can’t argue!’

Feeling dizzy, I clutched my head and sat down.

Raising my head, I saw a teapot. It was the largest and heaviest silver teapot in the tea storage room.

‘Should I take this back to the office and hit His Highness on the head? Maybe he’ll get amnesia and forget what happened today?’

But there was someone else in the office besides His Highness.

‘There was a vaguely familiar guy, I think.’

Realizing that a perfect crime was impossible, I put down the silver teapot.

* * *

The tea maid had fled as if escaping.

A heavy silence descended on the office.

Although His Highness said nothing, Derek could understand.

‘So, she’s the one His Highness has a crush on!’

And the strategy of having His Highness strip and show off was effective.

There was hope. Derek cheerfully addressed his lord.

“Your Highness, it worked! It worked!”

Adrian looked at Derek with a bewildered face.

Derek was confused.

Everything seemed to be going well, so why that expression? Isn’t she the crush?

“By the way, Your Highness, is the lady you like the second daughter of the Count of Marnel?”

“…Yes.”

Adrian admitted it readily.

After all, Derek, being his only aide, would soon find out anyway.

Derek, even more excited, exclaimed,

“Then it’s a complete success!”

But Adrian looked troubled.

“Is this a success? Didn’t Erica run away?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“If my body was appealing, Erica wouldn’t have left in such a hurry.”

Derek didn’t know where to start correcting him.

‘Your Highness, have you never looked in a mirror?’

Come to think of it, Adrian really didn’t look in the mirror. Given his status, he had no reason to personally manage his appearance.

‘Is that why he doesn’t realize?’

Should he describe His Highness’s striking beauty, emphasizing that it extends not only to his face but also his physique?

Should he make an embarrassing speech about His Highness’s broad shoulders, slim waist, and perfectly proportioned legs until he is convinced?

In the middle of the day, in the office?

‘No, that’s a bit much…’

Derek decided to avoid it. He rubbed his face and changed the subject.

“Your Highness, are you already on a first-name basis with Lady Marnel?”

Adrian blinked a few times before replying.

“I am not one to call someone’s name without permission.”

“For someone who is on a first-name basis, you seem rather distant.”

“Erica seems to… have forgotten.”

“Then that is rude!”

Another wound appeared in Adrian’s heart.

“Anyway, your advice was useless again, Derek! I will change out of these shameful clothes.”

* * *

I sat in the tea storage room, staring blankly.

I tried to escape reality by continuing to read the book, but the words didn’t register.

The Crown Prince’s magnificent body, and the termination notice I might receive for admiring it too enthusiastically, kept flashing before my eyes.

How long had I been sitting like that?

Knock, knock. Someone was knocking on the tea storage room door.

‘Is this the termination notice? It must be the termination notice.’

Hesitating, I opened the door to see the same servant from earlier.

I preemptively asked,

“Is it a termination notice?”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“Getting it over with is better. Just give me the termination notice.”

The servant looked puzzled and replied,

“I have no such thing.”

Has the news of my termination not yet reached this servant?

Or maybe I hadn’t been fired after all.

‘Can I continue enjoying my high salary?’

A small hope rose in my heart.

The servant asked me,

“Did His Highness directly tell you that you were fired?”

“No, he didn’t, but…”

As a fellow sufferer under the Crown Prince who fires people left and right, the nameless servant kindly explained,

“When His Highness fires someone, it’s usually done face-to-face, with an immediate order to vacate.”

That reminded me of my predecessor.

A servant who, for the crime of serving bad tea, was chased by a knight down the corridor, hit by a vase, and dragged out unconscious.

So, terminations in the Crown Prince’s palace were indeed swift and decisive.

The nameless servant continued,

“But you’re still here, right? So you probably haven’t been fired.”

“Oh.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. The servant then stated his business.

“Anyway, His Highness is now having dinner.”

“Already? That’s much earlier than usual.”

I hadn’t even brought the afternoon snack yet, and already it was dinner.

Today, His Highness’s schedule must be seriously disrupted.

‘He stayed up all night yesterday, so maybe he wants to eat and sleep early today?’

So, what kind of tea would be appropriate?

As I pondered, the servant delivered startling news.

“The Empress has intruded— I mean, arrived at the dining room.”

“The E-Empress? Right now?”

“Yes. She mentioned wanting to taste the tea you serve. So, the kitchen is in an uproar.”

I see.

The Empress has intruded on the dining room of the Crown Prince’s palace.

‘And he specifically asked for me.’

My mind, already frayed by the visual shock of the Crown Prince and the fear of a termination notice, couldn’t handle the Empress’s intrusion.

I decided to focus solely on the tea.

‘What kind of tea does the Empress like?’

In the novel I was just reading, the Emperor preferred hibiscus tea.

It was said that the Emperor drank hibiscus tea while on a date with the protagonist as a child.

‘Would our Empress like that tea too?’