<CHAPTER 24>
A Lion Before the Hunt
“Damn it…”
The Crown Prince picked up the fallen dress and covered Evelyn’s body with it. Then, without her consent, he guided her arms through the sleeves and quickly fastened the buttons.
“…Your Highness?”
The designer looked at the Crown Prince with a puzzled expression as he emerged after removing the partition without taking any measurements.
Sensing something was wrong, the designer unconsciously tried to glance past Rexfail toward the Lady of the Winter Palace, but he was immediately grabbed by the collar by the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness!”
The officials watching rushed in, startled. However, instead of letting go, Rexfail held onto the man and took several steps away from Evelyn while still gripping his collar.
Then he issued a firm command.
The designer, who had been listening intently, nodded blankly, as if his mind had gone empty. The Crown Prince, now satisfied, turned his attention to the palace official.
“Bring the Imperial Protocol Book.”
The official anticipated that, for the same reason merchants were required to hire female staff to measure women, the protocols would soon be revised.
As he expected, not long after, a clause was added to palace etiquette and regulations stating that when measurements were required for tailoring clothing, they must be taken by someone of the same gender.
News of the amendment to a protocol that had not been revised for centuries spread quickly.
It spread alongside the merchants’ testimonies from being summoned for the banquet preparations.
“It seems the Crown Prince has finally moved on from the late Crown Princess.”
“Which noble lady is it? There were rumors she might not be a commoner.”
The Lady of the Winter Palace became the center of social gossip.
Countless people began trying to gain favor with the woman cherished by *that* Crown Prince.
Among them, two people were particularly unsettled: Ivy Ibton and Bane Acline.
“What exactly is His Highness thinking!”
On a rare day off, Fenril had been called to a friend’s residence and was not particularly in a good mood.
He had come expecting fine liquor, but instead was given water and subjected to constant complaining.
“Look at it more positively.”
Fenril picked up a bottle of wine from the cabinet and inspected it while offering advice.
“At least things seem calmer these days. No one’s dying.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that’s better, but still! Anyway!”
Unable to decide what to do, Bane kept grabbing his own hair in frustration. Fenril pointed it out.
“Calm down. You’ll regret it when you start losing hair.”
“Don’t talk about my hair! And don’t touch my drink!”
Bane rushed over and snatched the wine back, returning it to its original place. Only then did he call someone to prepare drinks.
“Hey, you said there’d be alcohol.”
“Is alcohol important right now?”
Bane tried to persuade Fenril.
“What if that mysterious woman really becomes His Highness’s consort?”
“Then so be it.”
Fenril remained unbothered.
In his view, Raven had suspicious aspects, but she did not seem like someone who would make a poor ruler.
Though she was an illegitimate child, she carried the bloodline of House Marshall, so support could be expected from that side if necessary.
The Marquis of Marshall’s attitude was a bit strange…
The family was not so small that they would pass up the chance to become related to the imperial family.
In his opinion, as long as House Embryo’s ambitions were blocked, there would be no issue.
If Lady Raven had any connection to House Embryo, that connection would need to be cut off somehow.
But in the current situation, Fenril had no intention of opposing her.
She’s close to the ideal Crown Princess. She has grace and elegance, and seems well-versed in imperial etiquette, so there shouldn’t be any problems going forward.
And above all.
His Highness has chosen her!
For that reason, Fenril had no intention of opposing her. If necessary, he was even willing to adopt Raven as his own daughter to help her meet the qualifications to become Rexfail’s consort.
Wait, how old is Lady Raven anyway?
While Fenril casually pondered her age, Bane was losing his composure.
Why is everyone so relaxed?!
Raven Marshall is suspicious.
Her interest in gathering information about the late Crown Princess was suspicious, and the fact that she had been raised under the care of Duke Embryo’s nanny was also suspicious.
Moreover, what were those strange testimonies claiming she had not been in her right mind until recently?
There was nothing about her that wasn’t suspicious.
And yet the Crown Prince and even the knight guarding him seemed satisfied with such a person at his side.
I have to stay sharp!
Though he resolved himself, Bane had no idea what he should actually do.
So he decided to start with the most urgent matter.
“You, tell me everything that happened at that hut.”
“Huh? Again?”
Fenril frowned as if tired of repeating himself. Bane had already asked him to recount everything, from the moment he first discovered Raven, to the incident where she spoke in Delfeo-style Pharantor, which resembled Evelyn and caused confusion among everyone.
However, from Fenril’s perspective, nothing Bane was concerned about seemed particularly suspicious.
Maybe their souls just switched. That would explain everything.
Fenril, who prided himself on not overthinking things, quietly munched on biscuits, a thought that would have infuriated his friend had he known.
Meanwhile, Bane’s thoughts drifted elsewhere.
“Surely His Highness hasn’t lost his mind, has he?”
After entertaining the absurd thought, he dismissed it and considered another possibility.
“Or maybe His Highness is simply drawn to women who speak Delfeo-style Pharantor well?”
“If that were the case, he would have favored the late Crown Princess Evelyn the most.”
“But he didn’t!”
No, he did.
Fenril said nothing and instead stuffed another biscuit into his mouth.
Though he didn’t tell Bane, there were times when Rexfail suffered from violent episodes caused by poison.
Sometimes these were symptoms of a toxin he had carried since childhood, and other times they were reactions triggered by ingesting an antidote.
The former could not be helped, but the latter had a straightforward solution.
A woman.
If he satisfied his desires and calmed his body heat, the attacks would subside.
That was what the physician had said.
But each time, His Highness would give Fenril a command.
“To the Crown Princess.”
Even while in severe pain, with veins visibly throbbing, he would only collapse after arriving before the Crown Princess.
He always looked unwilling, as if it were the greatest humiliation, but the expression he showed when collapsing into her arms was closer to relief.
That was why Fenril had feared the worst when the Crown Princess Evelyn passed away.
He had even feared that his lord might follow her in death.
Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
His lord had endured.
But many tried to shake him by presenting impostors. And in response, he drew his blade.
At some point, he said:
“I don’t remember.”
With a face that looked like he might cry, he said he could not remember the face of the Crown Princess.
Fenril had barely stopped Bane from digging up her grave, and then went to retrieve her portrait.
The shock of hearing that His Highness had left the palace in the meantime was immense.
Fenril had not let the knights who failed to protect their lord off easily. They were all severely punished and only recently returned to duty.
They won’t fail again.
There would be no such mistake now. The Crown Princess was in the palace.
That alone made Fenril quite content these days.
Unlike Bane.
However…
The identity of those who injured their lord outside the palace was still unknown.
According to His Highness, he had cut down two and defeated three after the battle.
But when Fenril later visited the site, there were no traces of a fight left behind.
That meant they were not ordinary bandits.
It meant they had known exactly who he was and had targeted him with intent to harm.
“…What’s with that look?”
Bane frowned in disgust upon noticing Fenril licking his lips with a hungry expression, like a lion before the hunt.
“Hm? No, nothing.”
Fenril changed his expression and reassured his friend. Though still suspicious, Bane let it go.
“Hey, get me more tea.”
“Go drink at your own house!”
“That’s harsh.”
As they bantered, Bane still had more tea prepared. Watching his friend, Fenril fell into thought.
Bane was also investigating the people behind the attack on His Highness. But Fenril wanted to find whoever had humiliated the knights first and settle the score.
