The day of the banquet was when Carynne was to be introduced as Crown Prince Gueuze’s mistress—
‘Is Crown Prince Gueuze out of his mind?’
The sight of Carynne standing beside Gueuze left everyone utterly shocked. At first, it was her beauty that stunned them, but ultimately, it was the immorality of Crown Prince Gueuze taking his forr lover’s daughter as his mistress.
‘Catherine’s daughter as his mistress?’
‘Isn’t this practically incest?’
‘How revolting…’
Many attendees at the banquet were individuals wielding power, each with their own skeletons in the closet. But even among such a crowd, the act of taking one’s lover’s daughter as a mistress was seen as a grotesque indulgence, an act only a true degenerate would commit. Even those shaless in nature would hesitate to commit such an act under the scrutinizing eyes of society. Yet Crown Prince Gueuze seed completely unfazed by such judgnt, and therein lay the problem.
“This is amusing, truly amusing.”
Crown Prince Gueuze reveled in the stares of the crowd. Others thought his actions were a bizarre spectacle, but compared to his true hobbies, this was nothing.
Holding a glass of wine, Gueuze slowly savored the stares and whispers of the onlookers. Among them was Isella Evans, pale with fear, standing out starkly.
“Isella?”
“C-C-Carynne…”
‘Why is that thing here.’
Gueuze’s mood darkened. His subordinates had failed him. He had ordered them to take care of Isella Evans, yet they had failed to execute his commands.
He couldn’t reprimand them now, as most of them were either dead or had vanished. Regardless of how insignificant the pests knowing his secrets might be, it was always better to minimize their numbers.
“Did you pull out that Evan girl’s eyes? Where are they? I told you to set aside her blue ones specifically.”
“Y-Your Highness… The ones sent to handle it have yet to return.”
That night, when his subordinates failed to return after being sent to deal with Isella Evans, Gueuze absentmindedly tapped his fingers as he identified portions of Verdic’s wealth that could be confiscated under the guise of dissent against the royal family.
He had refrained from confiscating Verdic’s assets thus far because of the man’s exceptional business acun, which could turn significant sums into even greater fortunes. Despite their relatively cordial relationship, family matters could complicate things in unpredictable ways.
Potential threats were best eliminated from the start. If Verdic hadn’t rushed in before the docunts bearing Crown Prince Gueuze’s seal were finalized, the issue would have already been resolved.
“Your Highness, my daughter has committed a grave offense against you. Please accept this small token and grant her your forgiveness.”
Verdic had brought a chest full of gold coins, bowing and groveling for rcy. Were it not for that, Crown Prince Gueuze would have turned the complete eradication of the Evans family into his latest and greatest amusent, all because of Isella Evans.
‘I spared her life, didn’t I? Then she should have had the sense to vanish quietly from my sight. Why has she appeared here?’
Crown Prince Gueuze found it distasteful to have his discarded ‘material’ flaunting itself before him. Unresolved matters always left him irritable. If she had been fortunate enough to be born as Verdic’s daughter, shouldn’t she have disappeared to the countryside, far away from his gaze?
And yet, how dare she, ungrateful for the life he spared, show up at the royal banquet so soon?
Gueuze looked over Isella’s pale face, a sinister smile forming on his lips. She might as well have been begging him to slit her throat.
“Isella, I’m glad to see that you’re well. What a relief.”
Contrary to Gueuze’s thoughts, Carynne greeted Isella with a smiling face.
Her radiant smile, as though genuinely celebrating their mutual survival, twisted Gueuze’s stomach. The sight of them so calm and content, knowing it could all shatter into screams of terror with a single blow, disgusted him.
“What exactly are you up to?”
“Up to? I’m just happy that Your Highness kept his promise.”
Carynne smiled sweetly, waving goodbye to Isella.
“It seems Isella has a rather tenacious hold on life. Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes for seeing her again.”
“……”
“It’s not that I thought Your Highness wouldn’t keep your word, of course.”
“Hah.”
Gueuze smirked, observing Carynne’s composed deanor. The fact that there was a survivor who had witnessed his covert hobbies was never a good thing for him. It was fortunate, however, that Isella’s father was none other than Verdic Evans—a man who was pragmatic and calculated when it ca to assessing gains and losses.
Yet the re fact that Isella was alive ant that a ticking ti bomb, ready to spill everything, was beyond Gueuze’s control. More concerning, however, was that Carynne Hare and Isella Evans seed to be well acquainted.
Crown Prince Gueuze watched them as if enjoying a fascinating play. But Carynne simply greeted the trembling Isella without taking any other noticeable action.
‘Why isn’t she asking for help?’
Gueuze found it puzzling. He had expected Carynne to whisper sothing to Isella, hand her sothing, or ask for her assistance, but they rely exchanged greetings and then drifted apart. Isella’s expression was far from natural, and the very fact that she had co here—despite what was undoubtedly a stern warning from Verdic—was incomprehensible.
“Isella.”
“…Sir Zion.”
Gueuze turned his attention to the young man standing beside Isella Evans.
“Hm.”
It made sense.
The man was a young, handso knight. Gueuze alternated his gaze between Carynne and Isella, sneering as he did so.
‘So they’re scheming, huh? Using the sa tricks as her mother.’
Gueuze had already decided to marry Carynne off to one of his subordinates. Unlike the mistake he made with Catherine, this ti, Carynne’s husband-to-be would be of far lower status, utterly devoid of charm, and completely unattractive.
One of his lackeys, soone who would be granted a title without land, was his chosen candidate. This way, he could secure loyalty while ensuring Carynne could never use the marriage to flee to her husband’s territory. A win-win. If the man happened to be violent, all the better.
“Who is that man?”
“…He is Sir Zion Electra, Your Highness.”
But the knight standing beside Isella was a far cry from Gueuze’s choice for Carynne. He was young, with clear skin and a well-built physique—not soone Gueuze had planned to give to Carynne. Searching his mory, Gueuze recalled the knight’s reputation—a favorite among the noblewon in high society.
“Carynne Hare, have you decided on the husband you want?”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
Unlike with Catherine, Gueuze planned to steer Carynne down a different path. Back then, he had selected a gentle, well-mannered man for Catherine, thinking of her well-being in his own twisted way. The man had even been decent-looking.
Yet Catherine had betrayed him and ran away with that man, Hare. This ti, Gueuze intended to pair Carynne with soone far more repugnant. If Carynne, like Catherine, dared to choose another man or attempted to flee, Gueuze’s dark grin deepened.
“I’ll respect your choice.”
In life, there are monts when one wonders what might have happened had they made a different choice. Gueuze sotis regretted not killing Catherine when she had betrayed him.
“Whoever you choose, I will grant permission for you to marry him.”
If Carynne were planning to choose that clean-cut knight and run away with him, just like Catherine, then it would only be fair for her to pay the price for her mother’s actions as well.
“Thank you for Your Highness’s grace.”
Carynne curtsied slightly in gratitude to Gueuze before scanning the banquet hall with a smile. Her gaze finally settled on Isella and Zion, and Gueuze did not miss it. But Carynne did not call out Zion Electra’s na.
“Bring Dullan Roid to .”
/subliminalwayfarer
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