No, that was me. But it looked strangely different from my original face; now it had a more Westernized feel. My original irises were a deep brown, but they had become much lighter, with a yellowish tint close to caramel. In addition, my nose bridge had become higher. It seemed like my face shape had gotten a bit longer. Moreover, I looked younger than my actual age.
"Wow, how old do I look?"
"Why are you asking me that? It is not appropriate for a gentleman to evaluate a lady's age."
"Wow, Your Highness!"
"You interrupting me is becoming a habit. Did you fall in love with your own face after seeing it in the mirror?"
"I have double eyelids now."
"What?"
"I heard that everyone does it these days, and they say that when you get older, your eyes droop, so I was considering whether or not to do it too. But actually, it doesn't really matter if I have it or not, so I didn't get the surgery. Wow, look at this. Whenever I blink, wrinkles appear on my eyelids. Wow, so this is what it feels like."
As I chatted away in front of the mirror, Kyle slowly walked back and sat down on a chair. With my feet tied, I couldn't go anywhere, so I just stood there and looked at Kyle through the mirror. Sitting on the red velvet chair behind me, he leisurely crossed his long legs. When our eyes met in the reflection, all sorts of ominous thoughts raced through my mind.
What a waste. If only I had a camera, I would take at least 100 pictures---no, 1,000.
'...Kyle is really handsome. He's innocent and sexy. I really like him. He's the best, and he's handsome. Being handsome is the best.'
Suddenly, Kyle raised his hands and covered his face.
Why is he doing that?
He slowly lowered his hands. His cheeks seemed slightly flushed. Hmm, hmm. He even coughed, making it seem like he was uncomfortable.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
"Repeat what you just said."
"What? 'Your Highness, what's wrong?' Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"No, not that. What you said before, 'Kyle is really handsome. He's innocent and sexy.' Wasn't the last sentence, 'Being handsome is the best?'"
"Did I actually say that out loud?"
"Then how would I have heard it?"
Anyway, this girl's mouth is really something. It doesn't follow the owner's will.
The mirror reflected my visibly red face.
"If that expression was fake, then you have excellent, praiseworthy acting skills."
"It was sincere."
Even though he had a rough expression, Kyle smiled slightly as he spoke. He gave me the side eye and folded his arms slowly.
"Even if it's true, it's hard to believe."
"You said I have a fiery personality, but it seems like Your Highness is the one who does."
"Ging Ging-ja must be fearless."
"Why do you keep calling me Ging Ging-ja...!"
At that moment, the voice of a maid echoed through the room.
"Your Highness, if you want to have breakfast, you must prepare now."
My eyes widened.
Breakfast? Could it be that breakfast?
I urgently turned my body towards Kyle and spoke.
"Prince Kyle. Please don't eat the garnish today."
"What are you talking about?"
Siena, the third princess, who was very possessive, always said that the throne belonged to her brother, Heron. She was a villainous character in the novel who often ignored our pretty Prince Kyle and wanted to kill the black-eyed prince that appeared later.
"I heard that whenever you go to the family gathering for breakfast, your stomach would be upset for a few days after having a few mouthfuls of food. Siena, that bitch...."
Kyle's face changed harshly.
"I don't know what you think of the royal family, but that remark just now was enough to get you killed."
Oh my god, this is a difficult situation.
If it was about Siena, then I could fill a whole sheet of paper with curses, but for now, I should probably apologize. I don't want to die.
"Uh, I made a little mistake in my words this once; ah, I've done it several times. Please forgive me again."
Before Kyle could say anything, I urgently spoke. If I didn't say it now, there wouldn't be enough time.
"...Princess Siena has ordered the chef to mess with your steak's garnish. It's a drug that can accumulate in your body and kill you if you keep eating it. Later, when another prince comes, he will notice and help you."
"Another prince?"
He asked in a wary tone, but I was more in a hurry to tell him what I knew.
"Yes, someone will come later. Anyway, that's how you two got closer. But before that, you have to go through a hard time with your family at breakfast. I've been so heartbroken. So don't eat garnish today. Okay? Prince Kyle?"
Worried about hearing another noise coming from the outside, I couldn't hold on any longer and just begged Kyle to heed my warning while hopping on my tied feet back and forth.
It was not until the middle of the first volume that the black-eyed prince entered the palace and ruined my imaginary scene of helping Kyle. However, I thought that my favorite character getting a comfortable meal was more important than keeping him listening to the story. Anyway, there were many scenes where Kyle and the black-eyed prince became friends other than this.
"Don't eat the garnish."
Hearing my anxious voice, Kyle frowned and tilted his head with an incomprehensible face.
If you bend your head so cutely, I might get a nosebleed.
Oh, my!
When I sniffed, the smell of pungent blood hit me.
"Are you having a runny nose?"
'No, it's just a nosebleed. The prince is just too cute.'
I thought that if I honestly answered, I might insult the royal family and get hanged.
"Well, yes. I tend to have a bit of a runny nose. Anyway, Your Highness, please do not eat the garnish. Just trust me this once. You can eat other foods, just not garnish! You won't be at a loss."
Kyle repeated opening and closing his mouth as if he wanted to say something to me, but held back.
"I already knew that Siena was plotting against me."
"...But why,"
"Because it's something I have to let go of, even if I know about it."
Oh, my!
I bit my tongue to stop myself from saying anything.
He's sentimental, innocent, sexy, and sad. It felt like my heart was being torn apart! ...It's too good.
I struggled to keep my cool. But I couldn't just let go of the fact that he knew about the garnish...
Kyle muttered something as he headed towards the door, interrupting what I had to say. Despite having a restless night, he moved lightly.
After instructing the maid that there was no need to clean the bedroom today, Kyle quickly got ready and headed to the dining room. It was a breakfast prepared for Heron's birthday.
If nothing unexpected happens, Heron will be the one to become emperor.
The only one who has not accepted this obvious fact is Kyle's mother, Empress Priscilla.
***************
Today, Priscilla was sitting on the throne, dressed in an ostentatious manner. Her long blonde hair flowed down her shoulders, and her blue eyes looked even cooler thanks to the neat makeup on her skin. She was always someone who confidently showed off everything she had.
"Kyle."
"Yes, mother."
"You're a little late. You shouldn't be later than the object of the celebration."
"I'm sorry... I apologize, Heron. I'm late because I overslept."
"It's okay, brother. You didn't have to come if you weren't feeling well."
He's pretending to be worried, but it was obvious that he meant he didn't need him to come.
Kyle tried to force a smile.
"But I still had to come; it's your special day."
"Brother is shining today too. Especially those clear eyes, they look like a deep lake."
Siena came over, smiling and talking. Doesn't she get tired of insulting him every time she makes eye contact? Kyle didn't get flustered as he smiled and looked away, just as he had practiced for many years.
Suddenly, he remembered the cheeky and confident voice that had been bothering him all night. The strange woman had a stiff expression as she flared her nostrils. Her voice, as she trembled and confessed her love but suddenly spoke in anger with swollen eyes, echoed in his ears.
"Siena, that bitch..."
Pfft.
"Brother?"
"...No, nothing. You're shining brightly today too. Your light pink dress really compliments your eyes."
"Yes, I purposely matched the colors, and I'm glad that my brother noticed it."
'I already recognize what you're trying to state, so say whatever you want.'
Kyle couldn't smile like earlier and only gave a bitter smile.
After exchanging greeting words, course dishes were put up one by one on the table. 'I don't know how that woman named Ging-ja knew, but her words were true'. Ever since attending breakfast some time ago, he has suffered for several days. Yet he couldn't even leave the palace in case bad rumors spread. Even though his throat was sore and his mouth burned every time, he just ignored it.
... How can he not know?
Kyle carefully sliced the steak and put it in his mouth. He somehow couldn't bring himself to touch the garnish.
"Oh my, brother, you're not eating properly today. Maybe your stomach is not feeling well?"
"Maybe, I couldn't sleep well last night, so I don't have an appetite."
"But it's Heron's birthday today, so please eat a little more."
At Siena's urging, Kyle smiled brightly and replied.
"I'm sorry; forgive my rudeness. I'll send Heron a separate gift later."
Without further persuasion, Siena just moved her head slightly and continued eating. The way she stabbed the meat with her fork gave the impression that she wasn't happy about something.
Today, his throat wasn't sore.
"Don't eat the garnish!"
Her tight bounds didn't discourage her, and her voice continued to shout without hesitation, ringing in his ears.
"Siena, that bitch..."
"I love you, Kyle."
It was a strange feeling.
To dare call out the name of someone from the royal family so casually.
Kyle, who was still tapping his tongue against the roof of his mouth, even after breakfast, carefully cleared his throat.
After finishing his liberal arts class, Kyle headed towards the training grounds. There was not a single thing in his busy schedule that could be missed. If he didn't do this much, he wouldn't even qualify as a prince, and he would be accused of being lazy.
No matter how brilliant his mind was, or how skilled he was at swordplay, Kyle was more famous for a nickname other than the first prince.
'The blue star of the Bildeon.'
People called the Bildeon royal family the "Sun.". Even though the name, "Blue Star" sounded beautiful at first glance, it also meant that he could never belong at the center of the royal family.
While clearing his mind of stray thoughts by swinging his heavy sword, Kyle saw Benji approaching from afar. But after reaching him, Benji hesitated for a long time before speaking.
"What is it?"
"Um, about..."
"Did you investigate Ging Ging-ja?"
"Your Majesty, no one seems to know who she might be."
"Does it make sense that no one knows? Did she fall from the sky all of a sudden?"
"Last night, the knights guarding Your Majesty's castle patrolled without any breaks, and no one in the castle knew a woman with silver hair."
"What about the entire capital?"
"I asked a source in the mercenary guild, but there is no assassin with silver hair at all."
"What's the probability of her coming from an ordinary family? A peasant or... a commoner?"
Kyle's spine chilled as he remembered Ging Ging-ja's face, who had laughed eerily, saying "Aren't we old enough to know?", and shouting that she wasn't from here.
"...She didn't seem like an ordinary woman."
"Just in case, I also investigated that, but there is no such woman inside the capital city. There were several women with silver hair, but all of them were people with proper identities. No one was missing or had a suspicious identity."
"What about the surveillance I ordered earlier? What was Ging Ging-ja doing in my room during the afternoon?"
"Um, about that..."
"It's okay, just tell me, did she cast any spells or did she secretly contact anyone outside?"
"...... It seemed like she was jumping around and exploring the prince's bedroom while still being tied up. She buried her face in the prince's pillow, drooled while looking at the prince's portrait, sat on the chair where the prince sits, and..."
".... Stop."
Kyle covered his eyes with his right hand. She was truly a woman of a kind that he had never encountered before.
