PRKE 42

CHAPTER 42……………………………………………

It was only a matter of choice. Either he would take her as his wife, or he would marry her off to someone from the Lorenst lineage. Either way, the plan was to bring her into the family.

After all the time and effort he had devoted to her, how could he let another family take her?

Although it was said that the power of the clergy did not pass down through bloodlines, Hubert did not think so.

And indeed, hadn’t the royal family produced an unusual number of priests?

There was a reason why the king was desperate to prevent Princess Laratu, a priestess, from being joined with a barbarian from the desert.

Thinking of Princess Laratu and the desert prince, a certain person naturally came to mind.

“Igrain.”

A troubled light flickered in his usually cold, calculating eyes.

“Something’s off.”

He couldn’t put it into exact words, but it felt as though she was somehow trying to distance herself from him.

“It’s irritating.”

To win favor with the king, who had become sensitive over the Princess Laratu issue, and because he coveted the princess title to attach to the Lorenst name, he had put Igrain forward. Had that been a mistake?

After obtaining the princess title and going on dates with the prince, she seemed to have changed.

In fact, the shift had started earlier, but he first felt the alienation clearly when he saw her with the empire’s prince.

Even though they simply stood and conversed like anyone else, it was as if an invisible wall surrounded them.

Within that wall, Igrain looked calm, delighted, and vibrant.

She was completely different from the composed woman who quietly stayed in her place within the household.

It was incomprehensible. She loved him, yet she appeared more lively when with another man.

To be honest, she was incredibly captivating beside the prince. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Even her face, which he had always thought of as neat and proper, seemed different. More beautiful.

“Could it be… that she’s taken a liking to that barbarian?”

Hubert unconsciously clenched his fist.

Igrain had followed him faithfully since childhood.

When her nanny had died at the hands of assassins on his behalf, his proposal to Igrain as repayment for her sacrifice had been sincere.

If not for the king and the count opposing a union between a servant and a noblewoman, she would have become his wife.

But even if that hadn’t happened, it didn’t matter. They simply hadn’t been officially married.

Hubert had no intention of letting Igrain leave the household once she came of age.

While nobles sometimes arranged marriages for favored servants, for Hubert, there wasn’t even a choice.

He planned to keep Igrain by his side until her death.

He paid no mind to her wishes—after all, she would obey him if he desired it.

If he wanted a child, he was willing to provide that.

Having a child didn’t require them to be married, and if the child was born outside, it could simply be presented as part of the family.

“After all, no blood is shared, so it doesn’t matter.”

Though it was a morally questionable thought to consider with someone of the same family name, Hubert didn’t care.

As long as it didn’t become known outside, it was fine.

He sighed, releasing the tension in his hands.

“Perhaps I’m overreacting. Lately, things have been fine.”

Since showing her around the temple in the west, the atmosphere between them had been pleasant.

Thinking of her soft cheek against his lips, Hubert’s sharp gaze softened.

Perhaps she had just been upset because he had only focused on Aris.

Hubert had no complaints about the life he currently led.

The citizens respected him, the king trusted him, and in his household were the devoted Igrain and Aris, blessed by the gods.

The petty Lady Emern was slightly annoying, but as long as she could live in luxury, she remained quiet, so it wasn’t a big problem.

However, since the empire’s prince visited, something seemed subtly off.

“Perhaps it’s the influence of that cursed nation’s blood. Who knows, maybe it even caused the drought in the western lands.”

The thing that frustrated him most these days was the empire prince’s stay in the kingdom.

“I must pay special attention to Igrain for the time being, just in case.”

He couldn’t forget Aris either.

Her spirits had drooped as Igrain became the center of attention.

Thinking about caring for both women gave him a headache.

He couldn’t neglect either of them.

Hubert cared for them in different ways.

Aris was obvious—she was a priestess. That identity alone was reason enough to love her.

Igrain, though unremarkable, had a balanced personality for her noble background and was devoted to him.

Moreover, she was obedient enough to bear the petty grievances of Lady Emern and Aris.

Most importantly, she acted entirely for him, which pleased him most.

He had known of the unfair treatment she received and that she endured it because of him.

Seeing her consistently obedient and devoted put his mind at ease.

Even if the whole world turned against him, she alone would hold his hand.

How could he not cherish her?

If he had to choose between Aris and Igrain, he would pick Aris—there was no other choice.

For example, if someone had to be sacrificed to improve relations with the empire…

“…I had no choice but to send Igrain away.”

In terms of personal preference, Igrain came before Aris, but he could not give up Aris’s water powers.

Allowing the detestable Lady Emern to remain unpunished was also a repayment for guiding Aris, her ward, to this place.

“But that won’t happen anymore.”

The noisy issue of royal marriage seemed to have fizzled out.

If it came down to a choice, he would choose Aris, but Igrain was no one to be discarded. She was precious. Truly.

“The king’s attention to Igrain is temporary. Once the prince returns to the empire, it will all be resolved.”

Until then, he had to soothe Igrain’s heart.

With that in mind, Hubert firmly locked the warehouse door, ensuring no one could peek at the secret.

Princess Laratu’s tea party was held. Since Aris had received an invitation, it seemed to be quite a large gathering this time.

Honestly, I was too tired to attend, but I decided to go out of concern for what Aris might say in my absence.

While having Jenny do my hair and makeup, I stifled my yawns to fight off the sleepiness.

After days of searching for clues about Leo, managing household affairs, and preparing for the rain ritual, my body was exhausted and unable to sleep properly.

“You’ve been visiting the temples a lot lately, miss.”

Jenny said as she combed my hair.

“Is something worrying you?”

I shook my head with my eyes closed. I had been to every temple I knew in search of Leo, but still, there was no progress.

“It’s nothing. Just getting some fresh air.”

“Phew, that’s a relief! I thought something was wrong.”

Her words lifted some of my drowsiness. Opening my eyes, I saw Jenny chattering brightly in the mirror, like a little sparrow.

“Miss, I’ve been feeling so much more at ease lately.”

“……”

“When I thought you were going to marry the empire prince instead of Miss Aris, it felt like the sky was falling. But now I see, the prince isn’t some monstrous barbarian as they say. Well, he’s huge compared to regular people, but…”

‘He is a bit big.’

Compared to the small men of the kingdom, Giovanni’s shoulders were half a head broader. Most men looked like boys standing beside him.

“Anyway, he’s kind, and because of that, the king cherishes you.”

The king cherishes me? I let out a bitter laugh.

To Jenny, who had only seen me being mistreated in the family, it must have seemed like a touching situation.

“Plus, Princess Laratu sent a handwritten invitation—twice! Even Lady Emern can’t mistreat you nowadays.”

“Well, she seemed excited that our family’s status had risen.”

The scale of the parties she held grew daily, almost reaching the level of great nobility. Part of the cost came from my allowance from the royal family, of course.

But I didn’t hand over the money willingly. Naturally—I had no reason to waste my hard-earned money on a vanity-filled noble party.

‘Lady Emern’s jewels, though… well, that’s acceptable.’

Thinking of the treasures I had stored from her in my jewelry chest made my heart feel generous as the sea.

Lady Emern’s safe was filled with counterfeit jewels acquired from a fence.

Even I had to admit they were intricate enough that it would be hard to tell they were fake.

“Most importantly, I’m glad you’re not being scolded. I felt so upset every time someone at home said mean things when you pretended to be busy. And Miss Aris doesn’t say anything nasty either. That must be why Georgiana looks so deflated. Her proud nose has dropped so low.”

Jenny pressed her finger to her nose and laughed heartily.

‘She’s happiest when Georgiana suffers.’

Jenny, who had been ignored by Georgiana for serving a weak superior, hadn’t been this delighted in a long time.

‘Cute.’

I met Jenny’s gaze in the mirror and smiled. She smiled back.

I thought I wanted to protect that smile.

Princess Laratu’s tea party, though called a “tea party,” was so large it was practically a formal gathering.

‘I’m still not used to noble parties.’

“That woman…”

“Oh my, she looks better than I heard. Tall, quite beautiful too.”

“She must get support from the palace. She looked worse last time.”

They spoke quite openly, thinking I couldn’t hear them.

Should I pretend not to hear? Or smile and pretend they weren’t receiving any special treatment?

“I thought it was impossible since she received the princess’s handwritten invitation, but look—she’s still alone.”

“She’s still a wallflower. No need to bother.”

They were right. No one came up to talk to me, so I simply observed the supporters from a corner.

In terms of status, I was not inferior to the great nobles there. But no one needed to get close to me—they all knew what kind of princess I was.

Unlike me, Aris, finally invited to the tea party, was like a fish in water.