PRKE 01

CHAPTER 01.

Kingdom Daily, Breaking News!
Has the Loranst Count Proposed a Mésalliance With a Maid?
Word has it that Count Hubert Loranst has proposed to a maid of the Count’s household.
The maid is said to be the daughter of the Count’s former nanny.
The head of the influential Loranst family—strong allies of the royalist faction—is apparently planning to make the daughter of a commoner nanny his countess.
It is said the two grew up together in the same house and were close since childhood. Lovers who fell in love despite their difference in status!
Many eyes are on whether this romance of the century will come true.>

The news that had stirred the kingdom for some time was brought to a close a few days later by a follow-up article.

<Kingdom Daily, Breaking News!
His Majesty the King expresses disapproval of the Loranst family’s proposed mésalliance…>

“As expected.”

People snorted, saying it was only natural.
Young girls who had dreamed of a sweet romance lamented and pursed their lips in disappointment.

It should have ended as a simple, fleeting episode—but rumors spread wildly, like ivy climbing unchecked.

In a somewhat… strange direction.

“Of course. The Count is more of a gentleman than anyone.”

“My thoughts exactly. Saving the nanny’s daughter from an assassin is one thing, but making her the lady of the house? If it were me, I’d have given her a generous sum of money and been done with it. The man’s cut from a different cloth, a bigger one.”

“I hear the nanny’s daughter is neither pretty nor smart.”

“That’s not all. Her father lived by stealing, apparently! And her mother, guess what—they say she was a swindler!”

“How on earth did such a woman end up working as the Count’s nanny?”

“She was supposedly moved by the Count couple’s virtue and repented of her crimes. Especially, she loved the current Count as though he were her own son. That’s why she could sacrifice herself for him.”

“What a touching story.”

“In any case, they truly are a merciful family.”

Praise for the handsome and kind Count could be heard everywhere.

Most of the rumors were true—except for a few details.

“Help me, Igrain.”

Soft blond hair and fair skin. Hubert Loranst, a respected scholar who studied Marta, the god of water, was a very handsome man with a gentle air about him.

He was also my childhood friend.

I stared blankly at him as he clutched my hands. His hands were warm against my cold ones—strangely warm.

“That’s impossible.”

Hubert bowed his head with a tormented expression, and my chest tightened at the sight.

He was the one who used to share warm bread with me when my mother tormented me because I reminded her of my father.

‘I swore then that I would never steal from you.’

That vow grew over time until he became the very center of my life.

Hubert’s soft blond hair slipped forward.
His slightly long hair was tied back with a blue ribbon that didn’t quite suit him.

I hadn’t tied it. Someone else did—someone he trusted with his hair.

“The king cannot refuse the savage Empire’s orders. And I cannot refuse His Majesty’s….”

His anguished voice pleaded with me.

Don’t look at me like that. You’ll shake my heart.

“The family’s fate depends on you.”

I suppose… that should make me feel proud.

That the fate of a Count’s household rests on me, who was once a thief’s daughter.

“When the Imperial Prince arrives, go to his chamber at night.”

To be honest, his request did not shock me as much as it should have.

I was the daughter of a thief and a con artist.
Even though I had been adopted into the Count’s house and pretended to behave, my true identity remained that of a lowly thief.

I had always thought I would be used and then discarded for the sake of the family.

I had even made a rather admirable resolution—quite admirable for a thief—that when that day came, I would accept it willingly.

But why…?

Suddenly I felt like bursting into tears.

You didn’t expect I’d be used like this, did you.

If Hubert were falsely accused, I would have risked my life to steal the prison keys for him.
But I never imagined I would be expected to give my body to a barbarian.

The Empire, they said, had a custom of “offering a woman of the household” to esteemed guests.

The Imperial Crown Prince proposed a political marriage to the kingdom and, following ancient custom, demanded that the visiting Imperial Prince be offered such hospitality.

What the Crown Prince wanted was Princess Lalatou of the royal family.

Naturally, the palace was thrown into chaos.

The king was furious and decided to grant only half of the Crown Prince’s request.

He would not send the princess—he would send another woman instead.

And under the king’s orders, my childhood friend chose… me.

I don’t want to be used like this.

I could risk my life for a loaf of warm bread, but this…

“His Majesty didn’t order you to use your vassal’s family as entertainment for guests.”

At my words, Hubert jerked his head up. His green eyes turned sharp.

“Would you send Aris to the prince, then? She couldn’t endure the prince’s rough treatment. And she’s a priestess. How could I let such a thing happen to her?”

Then what about me?

I am the one you will send, instead of your lovely Aris, to that brutal prince?

Hubert lifted my hand and kissed the back of it.

“Just this once, help me, Igrain. For my sake, he won’t go too far. You don’t need to worry about anything else. I won’t abandon you. I’ll repay your dedication to me and my family for the rest of my life.”

If my heart swayed at the words for the rest of my life, would people throw stones at me?

The Amteins would call me a fool.

“Help me.”

His trembling green eyes made it impossible to answer.

I closed my eyes. But closing them solved nothing.

“Are you stupid? You’re actually going to do what that bastard says?”

Leo, a translucent, water-colored wolf spirit, jumped around me in circles.
His fury amused me so much I almost laughed.

“Stop running around. You’re making me dizzy. What am I supposed to do? If I don’t, the family will fall.”

“What kind of ridiculous good-child complex is this? You were shameless enough to steal me—how are you suddenly so soft-hearted? If you’re this weak, how did you ever steal me?”

“I told you. You were sparkling so much. Like a jewel. How could I walk past something like that?”

The stone I stole from the ancient temple had contained a spirit.

“You called me a thief and raged for days—why? Now you’re worried about me? Wasn’t it you who said being seen with me was disgraceful?”

I grinned, and Leo clicked his tongue sharply.

“Idiot!”

He jumped and cursed—though being a noble spirit, the worst insults he knew were “fool” and “dolt,” which didn’t even tickle my ears.

The next day, I was loaded into a carriage and sent to the royal palace.

If only Leo could have come with me.

“Imperial blood are the people of sun and fire. I cannot go to them in my current form.”

Remembering his gloomy face, I lifted my head.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the palace.
I was led to the room where the prince was resting.

“Who are you?”

The “savage Imperial prince” Hubert spoke of glanced at me coldly, clad in thin clothing.

His first impression: a man with a blank, oppressive expression.
Massive build, pitch-black eyes.
His sun-darkened skin gave off the scent of sunlight.

He was a man who carried the sun.

“Cat got your tongue?”

His presence chilled my spine. Surely he wouldn’t harm me for not pleasing his eye… would he?

Try anything, and I’ll steal your eyeballs.

I puffed up internally like a small animal pretending to be big in front of a predator.

“I am Igrain Loranst. I’ve come to attend you.”

Even though I was prepared, my heart pounded wildly.

Regret surged. No matter how much Hubert begged, wrong was wrong.

I should have jumped from the carriage when I had the chance.

But I hadn’t—because his face kept flashing before my eyes.

Am I actually supposed to sleep with this man? Tonight?

“Leave.”

As I imagined being crushed under his bulk, his blunt voice cut through my thoughts.

I snapped my head up.

“…Pardon?”

“I said leave.”

I stupidly replied,

“Leave to where?”

His eyebrow twitched slightly.
He seemed annoyed, and that alone made my body tense, ready to flee.

But what he said next was unexpectedly ordinary.

“Why did you come.”

“I was ordered to attend you.”

“Ordered….”

He murmured, then sighed softly.

“Then rest here or do as you please.”

Huh?

The rumored savage prince turned his broad back to me and walked to the sofa.

The situation, so different from what I expected, left me dazed.

Half relieved, half suspicious, I stood there awkwardly.
Fortunately, the prince left for another room and did not return.

By the time my calves began to ache, I went and sat on the bed.

The warmth left on the sheets, from where the prince had lain, felt strangely awkward.

What? Did the prince not know?

It was the Crown Prince who requested a woman.

[There may be something the Crown Prince is scheming. Be careful.]
[So the woman wasn’t for his brother?]
[Perhaps not. It might even be mockery. Rumor says the prince doesn’t like women.]

Could that be true?

Either way, it was fortunate for me.

Hubert should be satisfied now.

But after spending one night in the palace, my situation became worse than before.

Contrary to his promise not to abandon me, Hubert barely spoke to me afterward.

Meanwhile, he frequently shared tea time with Aris—his cherished Aris—and rumor had it he even spent the night in her room reading to her.

Still, I tried to force myself to understand him.

I had been adopted into the Count’s household but treated not as a daughter, only as a mouth to feed.
I hadn’t expected anything else.

But this—this was different.

Unable to contain my frustration, I sought him out.

“You don’t look well. Are you feeling all right?”

“I need to talk to you, Hubert.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing happened with the prince. Truly.”

Hubert’s face looked as though he found that hard to believe.
I felt anger flare.

“Do I look like I’m lying?”

“No. I believe you, Igrain. If I don’t believe you, who would I believe? If you say nothing happened, then nothing happened.”

His words said one thing.

But his eyes said another.

He was lying to me.