The Villainous Noble Lady, who looks like a Young Girl, is in the Arms of the Fearsomely Cute Crown Prince - Chapter 1
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- The Villainous Noble Lady, who looks like a Young Girl, is in the Arms of the Fearsomely Cute Crown Prince
- Chapter 1 - A Sudden Engagement and the Attendant’s Secret
“You want me to become the fiancée of the imperial crown prince? In place of Her Highness, the princess?”
“Rather than ‘in place of,’ they want you to pose as Her Highness and marry into the empire.”
Summoned to my father’s office in the Rosier Ducal Estate, I—Juliana Rosier, daughter of Duke Rosier—widened my eyes in shock upon hearing his words.
Our kingdom, Chevrane, though small, possesses rare gemstone resources, which we export to maintain a prosperous livelihood.
However, the neighboring Balring Empire, growing ever more powerful in the west, has set its sights on these resources. Brandishing its overwhelming military strength, it has created an air of tension along our borders.
If the empire wished to seize them by force, a small nation like Chevrane would be trampled in an instant.
Yet, our kingdom has long been protected by an ancient belief:
“The treasures of the sea must only be guarded by those who carry the blood of the Sea God.”
Historical records show that whenever the kingdom faced the threat of destruction from foreign invasions, the Jewel Spring—a deep, crystal-clear spring where raw gemstones lie hidden—became clouded, making it impossible to harvest any gems. This phenomenon has helped uphold the kingdom’s status as an inviolable sanctuary.
Now, the empire has sent forth a demand—to wed the princess to their crown prince.
A demand, not a proposal. With such a vast difference in military power, it is no more than a veiled threat.
Our ducal house, though of royal lineage, carries only a faint trace of the bloodline. If the empire is truly seeking to integrate Chevrane’s royal blood, then I cannot imagine they would consider me a suitable candidate. They must want Her Highness, the princess herself.
“Her Highness is four years old. I am eighteen. There is no way I could possibly pass as her.”
“I understand that, Juliana.”
I studied my father, Duke Rosier, as he furrowed his brows. The violet eyes unique to our royal bloodline were a trait that my family also carried.
Her Highness, the princess, has golden hair. I, too, have golden hair and violet eyes. While our features bear a slight resemblance, we are nothing more than distant relatives. More importantly, there is no way to hide the massive age gap.
Just as I was thinking that, my father spoke words even more shocking than before.
“The Witch of Time, Castehelmi, will transform you into a four-year-old. The ritual is set for the next full moon at the Sea King’s Temple.”
“What?!”
Although my father did not specify whose orders these were, the fact that preparations were already underway made it clear—it was a direct command from His Majesty the King.
That meant there was no room for protest.
“I’m sorry. But when the reason given is to protect the kingdom… there is nothing I can do.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
I quickly calculated my options.
Handing over our kingdom’s resources to the empire was out of the question. If their goal was to assimilate the Sea God’s bloodline, then the best course of action was to offer them the weakest possible link in that lineage.
Even if we stalled for time, how long could we keep running? If our deception was uncovered, I would be executed on the spot.
But at this moment, there was no other choice.
“I… will become four years old?”
“Juliana, your mind and memories will remain completely intact. Only your physical appearance will change.”
“Honestly, it would be easier if my memories were erased along with it.”
“…They chose you because of your intelligence, Juliana.”
“That’s certainly a convenient way to put it.”
It was true—I was the only unmarried noblewoman with the same coloring as the princess.
But wouldn’t it be far simpler to alter the hair and eye color of an actual four-year-old noble girl, rather than rewind my entire existence?
“So this is just a convenient way to exile me from the kingdom. That’s how I see it.”
“T-that’s not…!”
But my father’s hesitation only confirmed my suspicion.
Frankly speaking, I was more politically adept than our sheltered prince, who had grown up pampered in our small kingdom. My diplomatic and social achievements even surpassed those of the marquis’s daughter—the very one engaged to the prince.
The salon I operated was renowned for gathering high-ranking noble heirs from both within and beyond the kingdom, which meant that I held considerable political influence.
I was well aware that my efforts to fortify the kingdom from within had not sat well with certain factions.
“Honestly. I’ve advised them time and again to focus on their education rather than wasting their efforts undermining me.”
“Juliana…”
“Ah, yes. So this is what they call a slip of the tongue. A disaster of my own making.”
The image of Ines, the marquis’s daughter with soft pink hair and emerald eyes, came to mind, and I felt a surge of irritation.
She would always cling to the prince’s arm, pressing her ample chest against him, all while pouting at me and barking incessantly.
Though my family outranked hers, she constantly flaunted her status as the prince’s fiancée, using it as a shield of superiority.
(How tiresome.)
Perhaps this was an opportunity. I shifted my mindset.
“Father, thank you for raising me all these years. For the sake of our kingdom’s resources, I shall offer myself.”
“Juliana… I’m sorry, but I must rely on you.”
I watched as my father lowered his brows in a look of apparent remorse.
But, unfortunately, I do not trust him.
This man is always calculating. Sacrificing his own daughter is nothing to him if it means securing an eternal debt from His Majesty.
And I am all too aware that I have inherited that same ruthless blood.
“Now then, if you’ll excuse me.”
After executing a perfect curtsy, I left the office and returned to my chambers.
The moment my maid opened the door, my attendant, Enzo, was already sorting through the letters that had arrived. Looking up, he greeted me with a teasing tone.
“Oh? Judging by that expression, I’d say you just got hit with some seriously bad news.”
“Enzo.”
With his long black hair loosely tied back, a few strands framing his face, and his ever-narrowed eyes, my thirty-year-old attendant appeared as composed as ever.
He is the only person in this house whom I trust.
“Hmm. Shall I prepare some tea?”
Enzo’s peculiar way of speaking hadn’t changed since I first met him over ten years ago in a corner of the royal capital. His odd intonations and distinctive sentence endings were unlike anything native to this country.
According to Enzo himself, he was an “otherworlder”—a person transported from a distant world called Japan. And, as he had explained to me before, this world is actually the setting of a “game.”
Moreover, I had apparently been assigned the role of the villainess, doomed to be convicted of a crime no matter what I did and ultimately put to death.
…What kind of absurd fate is that?
In reality, Enzo had once saved me from being killed by a group of thieves. Since then, everything had unfolded just as he had predicted—a sequence of events he called a “scenario.”
“Please.”
At my signal for a confidential discussion, I gestured for the maids to leave the room.
“Well then, I suppose I’ll brew a particularly strong Darjeeling today~.”
Enzo smirked as he watched me practically collapse onto the sofa in front of my father’s desk.
“You look exhausted.”
“…Tell me. In this ‘game scenario’ of yours, was there ever a storyline where I turned four years old and was sent to the empire as a bride?”
“…Hah?!”
Enzo, who had just lifted the teapot, froze mid-motion.
“That was from a contest where readers submitted alternate storylines. If I remember correctly, it was a complete mess of a plot.”
Then, as if realizing something, he muttered:
“Wait… if that’s the case, then Master is going to get involved, isn’t she?”
“A mess…? Well, apparently, the ritual is to be performed by the Witch of Time, Castehelmi.”
“Ugh, that’s right on the mark. I can’t believe events are actually following that scenario… Maybe I should’ve made sure every possible route leading to it was destroyed. I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing.”
Enzo spoke with complete certainty as he poured tea into a cup and handed me the saucer.
The rich aroma of tea leaves blended beautifully with the deep amber liquid—it looked absolutely delicious.
Enzo wasn’t just my personal attendant; he was also my bodyguard, trained in both magic and swordsmanship by the Witch of Time herself.
“And what exactly would be the ‘bad’ part of this?”
“If I don’t put everything I have into handling this, things are going to get very dangerous again.”
“I see.”
“Milady, do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
As the designated villainess, my life had been in jeopardy countless times. And each time, Enzo had saved me with his sharp instincts.
That was the greatest reason why I trusted him.
“You, on the other hand—won’t this put you in danger again? Please, don’t overdo it.”
Even after repeatedly risking his life to protect me, he simply laughed as if it were nothing.
“How many times do I have to say it? I’m your biggest fan, Lady Juliana. You’re too smart and too strong to meet a tragic fate—I won’t allow it.”
Apparently, Enzo had always been dissatisfied with the way Juliana’s story was written. It frustrated him that she—I—was destined for nothing but misfortune. And so, he had been doing everything in his power to change that fate.
“Thank you, Enzo.”
“Don’t mention it. Now, if I remember correctly, the imperial crown prince is… yeah, he’s a cold-blooded, merciless, utterly ruthless ice magic user. No matter how this plays out, you’re definitely walking straight into a death flag. Impressive, really.”
“…Excuse me? That is not reassuring.”
“Kekeke.”
Even in the face of yet another life-threatening crisis, I felt that with Enzo by my side, I might just be able to survive.
I took a sip of my tea, steeling myself for what was to come.
“Tell me everything you know about this ruthless crown prince.”
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