“Who are you?”

“…What?”

The unexpected words left the Crown Prince momentarily speechless. He was so shocked that he didn’t even register the fact that Lila had spoken to him informally.

“How dare you! Show proper respect to His Highness the Crown Prince!”

While the Crown Prince was too stunned to react, the knight supporting him let out a sharp reprimand.

“Oh. Is that not how I should have said it?”

Lila muttered to herself at the knight’s outburst, then calmly corrected herself. The honorifics she had practiced with Huon over the past few days flowed effortlessly from her lips.

“Who might you be?”

“You…”

The Crown Prince stood there, mouth opening and closing wordlessly. The searing rage that had clouded his mind just moments ago felt as if it had been doused with ice-cold water.

“You… don’t know who I am?”

He asked blankly, an indescribable emotion washing over him. Just moments ago, he had thought it no longer mattered whether she was a Raven. Yet now, as Lila acted as if she had no idea who he was, his chest tightened inexplicably.

“I do not.”

Lila lied without hesitation.

“You don’t know me?”

“No.”

“Liar!”

The Crown Prince shouted, unable to believe her. In contrast, Lila remained utterly composed. She found herself studying him with curiosity.

Just last night, when she saw him at the banquet, her heart had pounded in her chest. But now, she was astonishingly calm—even to herself.

“This is absurd.”

The Crown Prince couldn’t hide his confusion.

“No, that… that can’t be.”

Could she truly not be the Raven? His pale blue eyes wavered in uncertainty.

“No. That’s impossible.”

The Crown Prince, his face deathly pale, shook his head as he muttered to himself. Though they had only met a few times a year, he and the Raven were still blood siblings. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize her.

“She looks exactly the same…”

Drowning in confusion, the Crown Prince mumbled absentmindedly. Up close, Lila Knox was the Raven in every way—except for those gleaming golden eyes. Yet, the aura she exuded was completely different. The Raven he knew had always been cowering.

Had the Raven’s voice sounded like that? The Crown Prince desperately tried to find similarities between Lila Knox and the Raven. But he couldn’t remember what the Raven’s voice had been like.

Of course, he couldn’t. It had been a long time since he’d had anything resembling a real conversation with her.

“A wretched insect like you is only alive thanks to Father’s mercy!”

“You should have just died! Who would ever call you a princess of the Esteban Empire?”

Whenever he was in a foul mood, the Crown Prince would often summon the Raven just to mock and take out his anger on her. Those weren’t conversations; they were nothing but one-sided verbal assaults. Every time, the Raven would simply listen in silence, her eyes losing their light like shattered glass.

But the Lila Knox standing before him was different. She was neither cowering nor intimidated—she was poised, full of life. The golden eyes staring back at him were vibrant and unwavering.

“You…”

“Enough.”

Just as the Crown Prince reached out as if bewitched, Grand Duke Eustace stepped between them.

“You have met Dame Knox as you wished. Now, please leave.”

“What?”

Blocked by the Grand Duke, the Crown Prince scowled. He seemed about to argue but flinched at the ice-cold glare directed at him.

“I will not tolerate any further disturbances.”

Grand Duke Eustace narrowed his eyes, suppressing the urge to gouge out the Crown Prince’s for the way he stared at Lila. His voice remained polite, but his smile was frigidly sharp.

“Sh-show me the aura!”

The Crown Prince refused to back down easily. As the Grand Duke all but expelled him, he cried out urgently.

“If she shows me her aura’s color, I’ll leave.”

The royal guards exchanged puzzled glances, baffled by the Crown Prince’s insistence.

“Your Highness, please stop this.”

“Stay out of this!”

Annoyed, the Crown Prince snapped at the knight who tried to dissuade him. His face, contorted with impatience, twisted into something ugly.

“L-Lil… la Knox, Baroness.”

He clumsily forced her name out. Strangely, it felt awkward to say. Lila was also the Raven’s name, yet he had long forgotten even that.

If not for this situation, he likely would have continued to forget her existence entirely. Until just a few days ago, Lila’s name had meant nothing to him.

“Can you show me your aura?”

“Does Dame Knox have any obligation to do so?”

Before Lila could respond, Grand Duke Eustace cut in coldly. He glared at the Crown Prince, barely suppressing his rising anger. Under the weight of that piercing gaze, the Crown Prince involuntarily shrank back.

“I wasn’t speaking to you, Grand Duke. I was asking Dame Knox.”

“Hah.”

Grand Duke Eustace let out an incredulous laugh.

“If she has nothing to hide, then there should be no reason not to show it.”

The Crown Prince forced confidence into his voice, unwilling to show that he was intimidated by the Grand Duke.

“This is absurd.”

Grand Duke Eustace sighed in exasperation. He had a good idea of why the Crown Prince was demanding to see Lila’s aura.

The color of one’s aura or magical energy was innate—once set, it couldn’t be changed at will. The Crown Prince likely wanted to confirm whether Lila Knox’s aura matched that of the Raven, hoping to use it against her.

‘What should I do?’

Lila, reaching the same conclusion as the Grand Duke, bit her lower lip. Sensing her unease, the Grand Duke subtly turned his head toward her.

“It’s all right.”

His lips moved soundlessly, forming the words only she could see.

Lila’s eyes widened in surprise before she slowly nodded. If the Grand Duke said it would be fine, then it truly must be.

Seeing the newfound calmness in Lila’s expression, Grand Duke Eustace smiled. He was genuinely pleased that she trusted him.

“I will show you Dame Knox’s aura if you make one promise.”

Turning his head again, the Grand Duke stared at the Crown Prince with a cold expression, as though questioning when he had ever smiled.

“W-What is it?”

The Crown Prince stammered, feeling a chill run down his spine.

“Once you confirm Dame Knox’s aura, I ask that you never approach her again. I will no longer tolerate any unnecessary attention towards my people.”

The Grand Duke spoke firmly.

“If you swear on your heart with a magical oath, I will show it to you. How about it?”

“That’s nonsense!”

From behind the Crown Prince, a court mage shouted in disbelief.

“A magical oath! How far are you going to degrade the Crown Prince, Your Excellency?”

A magical oath, where part of the body is wagered and magic is used to swear, posed no problem if the oath was kept. However, if the vow were broken, it could even cost one’s life. The court mage, fully aware of the risks, growled in frustration.

“How could you even suggest something so dangerous?”

“Quiet. I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

“Grr!”

With a sharp flick of his finger, the Grand Duke caused a small light to flash. Immediately, the mage convulsed in agony, twisting in pain.

“Now, be quiet.”

Unable to bear the pain, the mage fainted, foaming at the mouth. The Grand Duke smiled in satisfaction. He gazed at the Crown Prince with a lazy smile.

“Well, Your Highness?”

To an outsider, his smile might have seemed almost entrancing, but to the Crown Prince and the guards, it appeared more like a devilish grin.

“Why is there no response? Are you unable to do it?”

The Crown Prince’s expression turned incredulous. Even so, he couldn’t risk his life over something as trivial as confirming the color of an aura.

“If you can’t do it, then leave.”

The Grand Duke issued another command for the Crown Prince to depart.

“Otherwise, I will have no choice but to use my power.”

As soon as the Grand Duke finished speaking, the air, which had settled, began to stir again. The Crown Prince swallowed hard, watching the swirling golden magical energy, which felt like a raging fire.

The terror he had felt moments ago, when his breathing had been stifled under the pressure of the magic, returned with full force. His body trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat poured down his back.

“Your Highness, it would be best to leave now.”

“It seems we should retreat for today.”

The knights tried to persuade the Crown Prince. Having seen the court mage faint without even attempting to resist the Grand Duke, they didn’t want to risk their lives in a fight they could not win.

“…I will leave.”

The Crown Prince, his lips twitching, finally managed to force the words out. Yesterday, he had at least managed to save face, but today, he was completely overpowered by force. Overcome by shame, he clenched his teeth.

‘I should have brought Uden’. The Crown Prince regretted his decision too late. If Uden had been here, he would have immediately recognized whether Lila Knox was the Raven based on her aura’s color. But it was already too late.

“You made the right decision.”

The Grand Duke smiled brightly, like a freshly bloomed evening primrose. In the end, just like yesterday, the Crown Prince gained nothing. He had to turn away, burdened by deep humiliation.