The Villainous Noble Lady, who looks like a Young Girl, is in the Arms of the Fearsomely Cute Crown Prince - Chapter 8

“Is this true, Riane?”

“Yes.”

The following day, I was summoned to the audience chamber in the imperial castle. Seated in a grand chair, Prince Folkharte had me sitting on his lap.

At the large, intricately carved white marble table sat His Majesty the Emperor and the Second Prince, Etgar.

After hearing my account, His Majesty let out a deep sigh, his expression troubled.

“Unbelievable… Etgar, to think you would lie.”

Sitting on Prince Folkharte’s lap was undeniably embarrassing, but I kept reminding myself: I am four years old!

Besides, my ankle was still swollen, and I couldn’t walk on my own. Enzo, being of lower status, wasn’t permitted to enter the audience chamber.

I had no choice! I kept repeating that excuse in my head.

“She’s the liar!”

Etgar, his face flushed red with anger, glared at me from across the table.

The temperature in the room dropped noticeably. I knew it wasn’t just my imagination.

“…Even the attendant witnessed it.”

Prince Folkharte’s voice was cold, like an impending snowstorm despite the early summer weather.

Yet, at the same time, his warmth against my back was reassuring.

“Brother, you believe a servant over me?”

“……”

“Besides, isn’t a four-year-old fiancée nothing more than a political hostage? Why does it even matter?!”

Even His Majesty widened his eyes at that statement.

“Etgar!”

“That’s what everyone says!”

It wasn’t surprising that a young prince would naively accept the words of those around him.

However, the way he justified his actions and twisted falsehoods into his own truth was something I recognized all too well.

A certain arrogant marquis’s daughter came to mind, and my irritation flared.

People like them revel in their lies, turning them into fabricated truths, and then bask in the righteousness of the false justice they wield.

(To think I’d encounter the same kind of person here…)

I let out an involuntary hum of discontent.

Prince Folkharte leaned in and whispered at my ear.

“Ria, you’re letting your thoughts slip out loud.”

“Ah.”

Taking a deep breath, I met Etgar’s gaze directly and spoke.

“You claim that I was disrespectful to Your Highness?”

“That’s right!”

“I am four years old.”

“So what?!”

“Is it customary for an imperial prince to charge a four-year-old with treason?”

“…!”

I let my eyes glisten with unshed tears.

Holding back yawns for so long was finally paying off.

“I was taken from my homeland and brought to a foreign country, separated from my family.”

The entire room fell silent.

“If taking my life will satisfy Your Highness, then do as you wish. I am prepared to die.”

“Riane! No one is going to kill you!”

His Majesty slammed his fist against the table with a loud bang!

Like father, like son.

“I thought there might be some legitimate reason behind this absurd accusation, but to think it was nothing more than childish selfishness… How utterly disgraceful.”

“Father! That’s not—”

“Not what? Treason? What of it? It is your duty to act in a manner worthy of respect! The fact that you do not even feel ashamed is the real disgrace here!”

For once, it was Etgar who was left speechless.

“And to make matters worse, after causing an injury, you try to cover it up? How pathetic. I have indulged you for far too long. From this moment on, you will be placed under the care of the Northern Knights.”

“What?!”

“It is a harsh land, both in climate and discipline. Make the most of it.”

His Majesty then turned to me, his aquamarine eyes softened with warmth.

“Riane, will you be able to forgive him?”

“There is nothing to forgive, Your Majesty. I only wish to observe how His Highness’s future unfolds.”

“I see… I had thought Etgar was the more suitable match in terms of age, but…”

(Absolutely not! This foolish prince is no different from the one back home! No way! Never!)

“I want to be with Prince Folkharte!”

“Ria!”

From behind, Prince Folkharte pulled me into a tight embrace.

It was a little suffocating.

I could see His Majesty smirking knowingly.

Time to change the subject.

“More importantly, Your Highness, doesn’t something about that statement bother you?”

“Ria?”

“The part where he said, ‘That’s what everyone says.’ Could it mean there are people who do not welcome me here?”

Tilting my head slightly, I looked up at Prince Folkharte.

He did not loosen his embrace. Instead, his response was downright ominous.

“Once I find them, I’ll freeze them all.”

◆

After the questioning ended, Prince Folkharte stubbornly refused to let me go and carried me all the way back to my room.

He even placed me directly onto the bed, an act of kindness that left me feeling a little flustered.

With a reluctant expression, he cooled my ankle one last time before finally leaving for his official duties.

I watched him go, following him with my eyes until the door shut behind him.

Enzo, who had been waiting by the bedside, immediately made a grim face.

“What’s wrong, Enzo?”

“The Second Prince… He was sent to the Northern Knights, right?”

“Exiled… Well, I suppose you could put it that way.”

“Yeah, that’s not gonna work.”

“Huh? It’s not?”

Scratching his head, Enzo looked hesitant to continue.

“Tell me, Enzo.”

“Alright. This is actually part of a scenario where the empire faces its downfall.”

“What?!”

I remembered Enzo once explaining that my situation—being sent to the empire as a four-year-old—was not part of the original storyline but an alternate path written by enthusiastic readers.

“Since it was written by amateurs, the world-building has some gaps. I wasn’t sure where things would diverge, but now it makes sense.”

“You mean you didn’t know Etgar would be exiled?”

“Nope. But the main plot has a strong pull… Etgar ends up resenting the Crown Prince so much that he dedicates himself to the sword, swearing to claim the throne. Then, ten-odd years later, he leads an invasion of the imperial castle.”

“How unoriginal.”

“Phew! That’s some sharp tongue you got there!”

“I mean, really? He’d hold a grudge over this for over a decade?”

I was genuinely exasperated.

“No matter the circumstances, people are influenced by those they meet and the environment they grow up in.”

“That would be true for someone like you, Lady Ria, who actually thinks things through. But Etgar? He’s incredibly easy to manipulate.”

“Easy to manipulate?”

“He doesn’t think deeply about anything. He blindly absorbs praise and only hears what he wants to. Makes him an easy puppet.”

That was an extremely accurate description. He really was simple-minded.

“Besides, Prince Folkharte isn’t just feared as the Ice Prince—he’s a master swordsman, a brilliant tactician, and knowledgeable in both politics and economics. That’s a lot of inferiority complex fuel. If someone wanted to provoke Etgar, it’d be effortless.”

“But you said he has a natural charm, didn’t you?”

Academics and physical skills could be improved with effort, but personality and charm were much harder to change.

“If he were influenced in the right direction, things might be different. But the North and the imperial center don’t exactly get along. It’s like the rivalry between city elites and frontier warriors.”

“I see… Despite both being highly capable, they don’t respect each other.”

“That’s about right.”

With that realization, I made up my mind.

“We need to stop it.”

“Huh?”

“The exile.”

“Wait… Seriously?! Ahh, well… It might just create a different kind of problem, but I’m all for breaking the current script.”

At that moment, I had no idea what kind of “new problem” Enzo was referring to.