Chapter 22 – The Truth of Stella
Translator: Lioness
Lawrence couldn’t hide the happiness; he was smiling widely, pleased with Alice’s response to Karus. He had to take her to Nakran Empire, so he might as well ingratiate himself with her.
Lawrence believed winning Alice’s heart would speed going to Nakran Empire as if the reap of all his efforts. However, Karus stared at her back as she disappeared from sight.
‘It was an insect-bitten expression.’
It was the same expression he had back when he was at the Academy during dungeon practice. It was also the class he almost failed. A survival test where he had to provide his own shelter, food, and clothing.
Lawrence spread a radiant smile at the same expression she had at the time when she had to run out of food and had to support himself. Alice noticed his expression and asked,
“Are you in a good mood?”
“Of course.”
“Are you on bad terms with the Duke of Shellington?”
“Haven’t you witnessed it?”
Lawrence’s eyes curled at Alice who asked her out of curiosity.
“Well, it seemed that way back then.”
“Back then?”
“At that jewelry store… Oops!”
“Jewelry Store?”
The first time he saw her was at the banquet which was because he was watching. And the place where their eyes met was on the first floor of the teahouse, the jewelry store.
“Was it planned?”
“No, absolutely not!”
“Then?”
At this moment, he doesn’t care if she did it unintentionally or not as long as he had confirmed that she was the missing Princess of the Empire Nakran. He had to take her back where she belongs.
“It’s not like that, the clerk really passed it onto me without knowing.”
Lawrence’s gaze, which had been thoroughly examining the bewildered face of Alice, went down. He glanced at her as he checked the necklace around her neck.
“Come to think of it, that necklace gave off a strange light?”
He had taken the necklace for verification but he pretended he didn’t know. He didn’t question her any further, and only a shallow sigh from her was heard, holding the pendant of the necklace.
“I kept walking around with it all along, but it was the first time something like that last time.”
“Did you keep walking around with it?”
“Yes.”
The conversation he had with the Crown Prince passed through his mind.
‘A fool was here.’
There was a person here who wore the crest representing the Imperial Family of another Empire. And no matter how simplified the crest was, a high nobleman would have known.
“A high-ranking nobleman?”
“Pardon?”
Lawrence’s eyes flashed. Come to think of it, the Marquess of Hamilton also belonged to a high-ranking aristocracy. It wasn’t as good as the Shellington duchy, but it was good enough to be second in the Erha Empire.
Wasn’t the reason why he was able to rise to the rank of Marquis because he made a huge donation to the royal family?
‘When was the first time the Hamilton family rose as a Marquess?’
In the first place, Hamilton was not a wealthy family. However, they suddenly stepped into commerce and worked hard. According to the obtained information, after Alice started to pursue the work, the wealth of the Marquis family increased exponentially.
Her talent was considerable, and she expanded their business here and there, all of which were successful. The Hamilton family suddenly emerged as a marquess, and more people tried to extort money from the Hamilton family.
‘What if the Marquis received money as a condition of hiding the princess? No, what if he had helped the kidnapped princess from the beginning?’
A puzzle was put together in Lawrence’s head. The princess who disappeared one day, and the Hamilton family who suddenly became rich, and the registered young lady.
‘I can catch the one who kidnapped the princess.’
His sunken, and dark eyes turned towards Alice, who was still looking at him with confusion. For a while, he carefully scanned her face.
‘Her eyes resemble His Majesty, and her mouth resembles the Crown Prince. Her hair belongs to Her Majesty.’
They all look so similar, why didn’t anyone notice?
Fortunately, she didn’t come out of the house, otherwise, someone would have really noticed and exposed her to danger.
“I’m glad you were always at home.”
“Yes?”
That surely was a relief. If it wasn’t for that, someone who noticed her could have informed Her Majesty in the Nakran Empire. If the Crown Prince was the first heir to the throne, then the princess was the second heir to the throne.
If that happens, the now empress’ biological son, the second prince, will be pushed out as the third heir to the throne. There was no way the empress, full of her lust for power, would let the situation go as it was.
‘They would have sent an assassin.’
Alice was dying of embarrassment at Lawrence’s silent gaze. She was nervous to see him talking about something to himself.
‘I wasn’t supposed to bring up the story of the jewelry store!’
It was too late to regret it, said Alice, looking at Lawrence. She still don’t know what he was thinking about.
“Duke.”
“…”
“Hey.”
“…”
“Lawrence Littenverk!”
When Alice called his full name, Lawrence’s eyes turned to her. Although he was startled by his serious gaze, which was different from before, Alice asked him.
“What?”
“Why?”
“I heard you said it was good that I stayed at home.”
“Ah, that.”
Lawrence who pulled her into a hug made her open her mouth awkwardly. His hot hand was on her waist, making her eyes waver by th sudden touch. As her red pupils swayed, the flames within them seemed to flicker.
Lawrence, who had been staring into her eyes for a moment as if possessed, lowered his lips to her ear.
“You’re so pretty I don’t know who will take you.”
“Yes?”
A low voice rang in her ears, whether it was conscious of the stare around her or it was a joke. Alice’s face blushed as the sounds of wonder from the servants lodged into her ears after words and words.
“Why is her face blushing at the words of the people around her rather than at my words?”
“Because I know the Duke was joking.”
“If it was not a joke?”
‘What is he saying now.’
Recently, he had just said that he was the one who ‘fell’ in love with her in order to take her to Nakran Empire. And it would be nonsense to say that his feelings had drastically changed during that time. She then whispered proudly.
“It was not.”
“What if my feelings were real?”
“I know it’s not.”
Saying not to talk nonsense, Alice walked away. Lawrence looked at her back as she quickly walked away. The tips of her ears were burning red.
****
A loud noise was heard, and the ladies-in-waiting busily cleaned the room. The ladies-in-waiting close to the Crown Princess were dying trying to match Stella’s changed personality these days. Words of her, who suddenly became demanding various things every day, were coming out.
It was like that today, too. Stella, who had been lavishly dressed since early morning, suddenly changed when her guest, who was supposed to come to the palace of the Crown Princess, unilaterally broke her promise. Furious at the tip of her head, she mercilessly threw things in her room.
“I had a prior agreement with him, where did he go?”
“T, to the Hamilton Marquess…”
The maid’s face turned pale after answering. Not once, or twice, but often lately. The maids who served her looked almost dejected.
“The Marquess of Hamilton. To the girl who embarrassed me? And that ygirl who threw me a cheap jewel and apologized? Did he go to her house?”
“Your Highness, please calm down…”
“Do I look calm now?”
Stella rolled her eyes and shoved the maid, so the maid fell to the ground with a thud. Her hand was bleeding from a shard of broken glass. Since Stella’s pride was more important that hurting the maid, she slammed the door and stormed out.
The sound of the crown princess’s maids yellig and chasing after her made her feel a little better. No matter what, she was the highest person in the palace and the soon-to-be empress of this country.
‘That Alice Hamilton!’
She was a girl hated by the gods of this world. Her plan to punish her for embarrassing Stella was going smoothly, but a problem arose. The problem was that Alice Hamilton did not come out of her house.
She wasn’t even showing her face at tea parties or shopping. She couldn’t work her plans because Alice didn’t come out. Each day that passes, she was nervous and when she was informed that Karus had cancelled his appointment with her and headed to Hamilton, she couldn’t hide her rising irritation.
“Why are you so angry?”
“Your Highness.”
“What do you mean ‘Your Highness’, you should call me by my name.”
She wanted to distance herself. Stella, who hadn’t called her name before, smiled shyly.
“Gail.”
Gail Erha. He was the crown prince of this country and a man who had no ability, but only a well-born bloodline. He had a smooth face, but even that face was a squid in front of Karus. For the progress of the original work, she seduced him with all her heart and soul, but all that remained was a wound.
Gail was just a stupid guy. A typical royal family who doesn’t even know how to understand a woman’s heart. He was the kind of man who wanted everything to fit him. He didn’t have charisma like Karus, and he didn’t have the resourcefulness.
“Look at you. How beautiful you are when you smile.”
“I was really upset.”
“What is the problem?”
Stella’s eyes sparkled at Gail’s question. He had the expectation that at least if he had the title of crown prince, he would be able to punish Alice.
“Alice Hamilton.”
“Who?”
“Miss Alice of the Marquess of Hamilton.”
“Oh, that woman.”
“She said I am greedy.”
“What?”
“She said it was the reason why I don’t suit as the Crown Princess… what should I do?”
Gail’s expression changed when he saw the tears welling up in Stella’s eyes.
(TN’s reaction: shrug, blushing, anger, anger, knife and kill!)
