Chapter 7 …
Chloe’s Fiancé Kirif’s Irritation
Prince Kirif, the second prince of the Adanaani Kingdom, paced around his room without even trying to hide his irritation.
A few years ago, the engagement that had been decided unilaterally by his father had long been a source of resentment for Kirif.
However, now that it had been decided that his half-brother would become the crown prince, he needed to reconsider his position. The daughter of the influential noble, Marquis Mertigar, was certainly an ideal fiancée.
Moreover, Marquis Mertigar was also the commander of the knights.
Being able to bring under his own family the man who controlled the kingdom’s military power would be advantageous for Kirif, who would eventually have to become a vassal himself.
Even understanding all of that, he had disliked his dull and timid fiancée from the very beginning.
White hair like that of an old woman, and pale light-blue eyes. Because of those faint colors, her face left almost no impression at all.
If she were not the daughter of the Mertigar Marquis family, she would be a woman of no value whatsoever.
And yet, perhaps misunderstanding something, she kept clinging to him.
Most likely, she was desperate not to lose her position as the fiancée of royalty.
When a night banquet was held at the royal castle, Kirif attended with his lover, the baron’s daughter. That was when the woman who always wore a frightened expression—Chloe—clung to him desperately.
“Prince Kirif is my fiancé. Please don’t take him away!”
Being called out like that in front of so many people infuriated him, and he forcefully shook off her hand.
“I am not something that belongs to you. Know your place.”
When he spat those words in a cold voice, Chloe collapsed right there on the spot. The sight of her falling stirred a sadistic pleasure within him.
This woman desired him that much. Perhaps she would soon cling to his feet, crying and begging not to be abandoned.
What should he say to her then?
“I didn’t think you were that kind of woman. If you do not change your attitude, we will have no choice but to dissolve the engagement.”
Engagement annulment.
It should have been the most painful word for her.
And yet, for some reason, she suddenly wore a calm expression and looked around.
It was hard to believe she was the same woman who had been crying and screaming just moments ago.
(What?)
Suspicious, he leaned in to look—and Chloe somehow nodded with a bright smile.
“Yes, understood.”
Both her expression and her words were unbelievable.
But after saying that, Chloe immediately tried to leave the scene.
“Are you defying me!”
Anger flared up, and he shouted without thinking.
She had been an obedient, timid woman whose only trait was compliance.
If told the engagement would be dissolved, she should have been crying and begging him to take the words back.
And yet she was simply accepting it and trying to leave.
Hearing Kirif’s shout, Chloe stopped.
She tilted her head as if she could not understand his words at all.
“I will simply obey Your Highness’s words. If Your Highness wishes to dissolve the engagement, I will accept it.”
Having said that much, she turned on her heel and walked away.
“Wait! What do you think you’re doing!”
He tried to shout for someone to stop her—but for some reason, no sound came out of his voice.
(What? What is happening?)
Alarmed, he tried to force his voice out, but only a faint, ragged breath escaped. Not understanding what was happening, he panicked and thrashed about.
When he came to, he was lying in his room in the royal castle. He shot upright and confirmed that his voice had returned, letting out a relieved breath.
Thinking about it calmly, he realized he had seen this sensation before.
(…Cassandra?)
The kingdom’s princess and his half-sister, Cassandra, was a witch.
Unlike sorcerers who used spells to activate magic, she was a terrifying existence who made wishes come true simply by desiring them.
Ever since childhood, whenever she became angry, he would lose his voice or his legs would stop moving.
He did not know what had triggered it this time, but perhaps he had angered his sister again.
Cassandra, who could fulfill any wish without exception, had an extremely selfish personality. It was impossible to predict what might trigger her anger.
(Damn woman…)
He thought this, but her power was overwhelming, and she only obeyed their father, the king.
Still, he had never expected that his voice would disappear at the very moment he mentioned dissolving the engagement.
The poor timing made him sigh without thinking.
What had happened to his fiancée Chloe? Had she gone home in that state?
Thinking about it, perhaps the announcement of breaking off the engagement had been too heavy for her. So she had fled without knowing what to do.
(Whatever. I’ll forgive her this time if she apologizes.)
That was what he thought—but misfortune continued after that.
First, he was summoned by the king and reprimanded for attempting to cancel an engagement that had been issued as a royal decree on his own authority.
He was told that if he disliked the engagement so much, he should marry his lover, the baron’s daughter, instead—causing him to hurriedly deny it.
It was true that the baron’s daughter was beautiful, but her family held no political power whatsoever.
If he married such a woman, it was obvious he would struggle after his brother became king. In terms of marriage partner, even a plain noble lady like Chloe, the daughter of Marquis Mertigar, was far better.
However, Marquis Mertigar himself also seemed displeased that the engagement had been publicly annulled.
He apparently interpreted the incident not as an insult to Chloe, but as an insult to the Mertigar Marquis family.
As a form of retaliation, he was spreading rumors implying that even the second prince was unnecessary as long as someone from the royal family existed, which was also infuriating.
Due to a series of misunderstandings, when Kirif tried to call Chloe back, his voice disappeared. When he told his father it must be the work of his sister Cassandra, she flew into a rage, insisting she had done no such thing.
Worse still, she had been in a bad mood because her favorite royal knight had run away from her.
So, saying she would “do as he wished,” she sealed his voice.
Three days had already passed since then, and he still could not speak. It seemed she was still quite displeased.
However, this incident was clearly not some baseless accusation by Kirif.
Only Cassandra could do such a thing. She was the only witch in the kingdom.
On top of that, perhaps due to stress, he felt as though he was losing more hair than usual.
(Damn it. If only Chloe hadn’t run away back then…)
Completely forgetting that this outcome had been caused by his own declaration to end the engagement, Kirif paced around his room.
His voice still showed no sign of returning.
