Chapter 25

[ We already have more than enough evidence. ]

As expected, the Second Prince seemed intent on keeping things quiet, not wanting the situation to escalate.

[ First, allow me to apologize on behalf of my aide for his rudeness. I’ll make sure the compensation is generous, so tell me what you want. ]

[ Your Highness! ]

Ren, caught off guard by how easily the prince admitted fault, cried out in surprise, but the prince simply ignored him.

[ There’s nothing to be gained from making a scene, wouldn’t you agree? ]

[ How wise of you. ]

I nodded in agreement with the prince’s words and gestured to the knights to release Ren Reichstein. Even though he looked visibly relieved, he still shot me a subtle glare.

Regardless, I pressed on and got to the main point.

[ That man tried to forcibly drag away a child I had rightfully paid for. In my eyes, that’s no different from theft. ]

Although it felt a bit harsh to refer to Anna as a possession, sometimes you had to be blunt to make things clear.

[ I’ve heard that, in the kingdom, a thief’s wrist is cut off as punishment. If you carry out the sentence, I’ll consider the matter settled. ]

Both Ren and the Second Prince stared at me in shock.

[ Are you serious? ]

[ If not, I suppose gouging out his eyes or cutting out his tongue would suffice. ]

With my suggestion growing even more severe, Ren’s face turned deathly pale.

[ That would be rather problematic. ]

The Second Prince immediately cut me off, firmly shielding his aide from such demands.

[ As long as it doesn’t involve harming Ren, I’ll grant whatever you wish. ]

I pretended to ponder for a moment.

Given the circumstances, they would be forced to accept just about any request I made.

[ Very well. If you insist that much, I suppose I have no choice. ]

I stroked my chin thoughtfully, keeping up the act.

[ However, since I’d rather avoid any further unpleasantness, it would be best to have that man leave first. ]

With that convenient excuse, I requested to speak with the Second Prince in private.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

Alice was completely bewildered.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Just as Leonia had said, she’d returned after sending word to Louis, only to find the Second Prince himself in the fitting room. Even trying to get a sense of the situation was impossible, as the knights, presumably because of the prince, were posted at the entrance, refusing anyone entry.

As questions continued to swirl in her mind, the Second Prince was the first to step out of the fitting room.

[ …Alice? I thought you were upstairs… Good grief, just how far ahead did she plan all this? ]

Recognizing her immediately, the Second Prince muttered something cryptic under his breath. As Alice began to bow her head in greeting, he waved it off and got straight to the point.

[ I have something I’d like to ask you. By any chance, is your sister a genius as well? ]

[ …Pardon? ]

The question was so sudden, it nearly threw her off balance.

[ No, I’ve just come from meeting Lady Leonia, and I must say, she struck me as rather extraordinary. ]

[ She’s always been rather composed by nature, Your Highness. ]

[ That’s precisely why I’m asking. You never mentioned anything like this to me before. Didn’t you say your sister was ordinary? ]

[ …By my standards, I’d say that’s fairly ordinary. ]

Recently, she had pulled that stunt of suddenly announcing she would marry Louis, but in Alice’s eyes, Leonia was still quite ordinary.

[ Ha! This is why geniuses are impossible. ]

The Second Prince looked utterly exasperated by her response.

[ In any case, if Lady Leonia ever thinks of seeking asylum, do tell her she’ll always be welcome in Valentin. ]

[ I doubt it will ever come to that, but I’ll let her know. ]

[ I’m not joking. Do be sure to tell her. ]

After repeating his request several times, the Second Prince swept out of the fitting room with his knights and aide in tow, making quite a commotion as he left.

She immediately made her way inside, where she caught sight of Leonia and Anna.

“Leonia!”

“Sister?”

Leonia looked up, her face lighting up in greeting as Alice hurried over, quickly checking her from head to toe.

“No one laid a hand on you, did they?”

“If you mean that man from before, perhaps, but certainly not His Highness the Second Prince.”

Leonia replied calmly, then briefly explained what had happened while Alice was away. It was a situation that seemed plausible yet oddly complicated. However, after hearing it all, something still nagged at her.

“But are you sure about this? You know things could get troublesome if you make an enemy of that drug addict.”

Ren may have been the Second Prince’s aide, but he wasn’t truly the prince’s man. He belonged to his father, the king, and he also had ties to Diego. Leonia might not have known that Ren served King Valentin, but she was certainly aware of his connection to Diego.

“Is that so? Well, isn’t that something.”

Leonia lightly furrowed her brow, absentmindedly stroking her chin as if mulling something over.

“This could be a problem.”

Yet her expression didn’t look troubled in the slightest. Before Alice could question it, a trembling voice broke the silence.

“I-I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault! If only I hadn’t gotten involved…”

The voice belonged to Anna. Perhaps she thought it was her fault the Second Prince had to come by, and she bowed her head like a wrongdoer.

“There’s no need to apologize. I was the one who threw the catalogue at him, after all.”

“B-But still, l should take some responsibility…”

“If you want to take responsibility, let’s do it another way.”

Leonia added with a gentle smile.

“Didn’t you ask earlier if I needed a portrait?”