The Villainous Noble Lady, who looks like a Young Girl, is in the Arms of the Fearsomely Cute Crown Prince - Chapter 10

“Spit it all out.”

“Hiiieee! Mercy, mercy~!”

Without giving him any chance to refuse, I had summoned Enzo, my fiancée’s personal attendant, to the imperial guard training grounds within the castle.

Right now, it was patrol time, meaning the area was deserted. If things got a little rough, no one would be around to witness it—which was precisely why I chose this location.

I pressed the tip of my rapier against Enzo’s nose, watching closely for any sign of fear or hesitation.

But much to my irritation, he remained completely unfazed.

I nearly sighed. As expected, he wasn’t an ordinary man.

“Enough with the foolishness.”

After Juliana’s confession, I confirmed that she had been transformed into a four-year-old through the magic of the Time Witch and sent in place of the princess to marry me.

If the Emperor found out, Chevrane’s diplomatic ties with the empire would be severed, and Juliana would likely be imprisoned.

It was difficult to believe that a small kingdom like Chevrane would take such a risk alone. There had to be a faction supporting this from the shadows—perhaps a group with a grudge against the imperial family, or one from a recently annexed territory still resisting imperial rule.

There were too many possibilities. I was already investigating the matter.

For now, there was no need to report this to His Majesty until I uncovered more details.

However, something else occupied my thoughts—this particular attendant.

“You wield dark magic—something that should not exist. What exactly are you?”

As far as magic theory was concerned, the structured system only included four elements: fire, water, wind, and earth.

And yet, this man possessed the power of darkness—something that only appeared in ancient grimoires.

A supposed disciple of the Time Witch, a hermit whose very existence was shrouded in mystery?

Logically, it made no sense.

“Didn’t expect His Highness to be so well-versed in magic theory~. My mistake.”

“Answer me. Have you… transcended death?”

I sharpened my killing intent and took a step closer, but all Enzo did was narrow his already thin eyes into crescent-shaped arcs.

A strange, unsettling grin.

“Hmm… To be honest, I have no idea.”

“No idea?”

“One day, I simply woke up in this world. Maybe I did die and got sent here, just like you said. But either way, here I am, alive and breathing.”

“A being from another world… That would explain why your magic follows a different system. But why darkness?”

There was something compelling about his words—whether it was his magic or sheer charisma, I wasn’t sure.

Juliana trusted him, but I remained wary.

Noticing my thoughts, Enzo’s grin widened even further in exaggeration.

“I don’t manipulate minds, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Words are easy to twist.”

“If I did, Lady Ria would be devastated. I’d never do anything to make her sad. I’d appreciate it if you believed in my loyalty, at least… I may not look it, but I’m actually a huge coward, you know? I was just a regular office worker before all this.”

“An… office worker?”

Before I could ask for clarification, Enzo suddenly bent at the waist, lowering his head in a deep bow.

It was such an unguarded posture that, had I drawn my blade, even the most skilled warrior would have been unable to avoid a fatal strike.

“Your Highness. Please take care of Lady Juliana.”

“Take care of her? What do you mean?”

I asked, and Enzo lifted his head, his usual carefree air dissipating for just a moment.

“She is noble and hardworking. But she has never been rewarded for it.”

It wasn’t difficult to imagine.

Someone as capable as her would have been seen as a threat in a small kingdom—pushed aside by those who felt she was too much.

Political power was often a matter of manipulation, and with the right connections, even the most formidable forces could be toppled.

Juliana had the status necessary to rise, but that alone had not been enough.

“There was no one willing to accept someone so intelligent. How unfortunate.”

“You understood that in an instant. You really are terrifying, Your Highness… But what would you do if Lady Ria turned out to be even more brilliant and powerful than you?”

If what would you do meant how would you respond, then the answer was obvious.

“I would welcome it. No kingdom can ever have too much talent.”

“Uhiiee!”

“An emperor does not need to be the most skilled among his people. He merely needs to know how to use those who are. If she surpasses me, then I will simply strive to surpass her in turn.”

At my words, Enzo’s face lit up with what could only be described as pure joy.

“Including you.”

“Wha—?!”

As I sheathed my rapier with a chink, Enzo’s eyes widened in shock.

“Oh? So your eyes are black as well.”

“Uh, yes, they are… Wait, me too?!”

“Not because you possess rare dark magic. But because Juliana trusts you completely. Your skills, your knowledge, your conduct—none of it is lacking. I would have you in my office if I could.”

“As a spy?”

“Of course, I would like to have you as one. But you would never act in the empire’s interest over Lady Juliana’s.”

“Uhiiee!”

With that, Enzo broke into a bizarre little hop-step and began bouncing around the training grounds.

I will be honest—watching that was deeply unsettling.

“…What exactly are you doing?”

“Ahh, I just got too excited! I feel like everything I’ve worked for is finally, finally paying off!”

“Paying off?”

From what I had heard, this attendant had met Juliana ten years ago and spent the last eight years by her side.

Those must have been years filled with unrelenting tension.

I had once exchanged greetings with the prince of Chevrane at a banquet attended by nobles from the eastern continent. The man was nothing but an empty shell, clinging to a flimsy sense of pride.

It wasn’t difficult to imagine how someone as capable as Juliana would have constantly found herself on the verge of being cast aside.

“I wanted to find Lady Ria a worthy partner, create the perfect romance, and lead her to a happy ending.”

“That makes no sense.”

Some phrase from another world, no doubt.

Not just the accent and phrasing, but the very words themselves were incomprehensible.

“Doesn’t matter. This is just for my own satisfaction. Like you said, maybe I really am dead. Maybe this is all just a dream. But even if that’s the case, I can’t let go of it. At the very least, I want to see Lady Ria happy with my own eyes.”

“What nonsense. You’re standing right here in front of me, alive.”

“…You think so?”

For the first time, Enzo’s expression wavered.

His usual self-assured demeanor crumbled, replaced by uncertainty.

I understood now.

If he truly believed he might already be dead, it would explain why he so easily accepted events that defied common sense.

This man was far more complicated than he seemed.

And so, I made a decision.

I extended my right hand—without a glove.

Enzo, predictably, was utterly flustered.

“Wha—?! Whoa, whoa, this is way too much for someone like me!”

“True. By all rights, someone of your status should never lay hands on royalty. But I’ll allow it.”

Enzo swallowed audibly—loud enough for me to hear—before hesitantly reaching out and taking my hand.

It was warm, calloused from years of wielding a blade, a testament to his dedication and effort.

“Let me say this plainly—I’m counting on you.”

For a moment, he stared at me in disbelief before hesitantly gripping my hand in return.

Then, as if to mask his embarrassment, he immediately reverted to his usual teasing.

“Wow, what an honor! To think I’d get to shake hands with the infamous, cold-hearted Crown Prince himself!”

“Oh?”

With a sharp glance from me, the air around us cracked with an ominous snap.

“Geh—!”

“So this is what you meant by ‘cold-hearted’?”

Before his very eyes, frost spread from his fingers up to his forearm.

“This is bad!”

Despite his words, Enzo didn’t actually seem too distressed.

In fact, I was curious to see how he would handle it—

“Your Highness!”

“Your Highness?!”

Before I could find out, however, the approaching voices of the imperial guards interrupted us.

They had returned from their patrol and were rushing toward me in a panic.

“Tch.”

“Phew, looks like I just dodged a bullet.”

“…Perhaps I’m the one who dodged it.”

Suppressing the odd sensation creeping up my spine, I exhaled sharply and released his hand.

With a subtle shake of my head, I dispelled the last of the unsettling feeling.

“It’s nothing. Stand down.”

“…Understood.”

The two knights, their faces pale, immediately halted in place.

I snapped my fingers, and the frost encasing Enzo’s arm melted away as if it had never been there.

By this afternoon, Juliana and Etgar were scheduled to have their usual study session in my office.

Before then, I needed to finish reviewing the reports from the surrounding territories.

“Don’t be late.”

“Understood!”

Enzo responded cheerfully, while the two knights stood stiffly at attention.

Turning my back to them, I walked away, only to overhear Enzo’s exaggerated explanation to the concerned guards.

“Ahh, this is all my fault. I told His Highness I’d never seen ice magic before, so he kindly demonstrated it for me~.”

“His Highness did?!”

Despite the ridiculousness of his excuse, the rumor quickly spread once more—

That the ruthless Crown Prince would freeze even his fiancée’s personal attendant without hesitation.

…Well, that worked in my favor.

The more fear and wariness surrounded me, the safer Juliana would be.

I would rather all enmity be directed toward me than allow any harm to come to her.

There were many intelligent and resilient individuals in the empire.

But a young duchess willing to throw herself into danger for the sake of her ideals?

That was a rarity.

She, who looked directly at me—when so many others turned away in fear—held a pride and dignity that was uniquely hers.

I wanted those amethyst-colored eyes to always remain on me.

I needed to have her.

“Heh. To think there would be a woman I desired this much.”

Her body may have been reverted to that of a child, but time would continue to pass.

In twelve years, she would make her debut in society.

“Twelve years, huh?”

Plenty of time.

More than enough to ensure that when the time came, she would belong to me—completely.

And as I walked away, a trail of frozen footprints formed behind me.