Chapter 18

Leonhardt's attendant, upon finding Cordelia and the others, had a very surprised look on his face.

The shock was quickly replaced by a flawless smile, but the gaze directed at them was painful.

(Well, of course.)

Their master, the prince, had brought a young lady in a tattered dress back from the forest.

The fact that they were not questioned out loud was a testament to the thorough education of Leonhardt's attendants.

After introducing herself to the attendants, Cordelia was led to a carriage at the edge of the forest.

The carriage was sturdy, pulled by two horses, but it did not bear the royal crest. It seemed to be a means of travel for incognito use.

After a while, the carriage began to sway.

The vibrations underfoot became regular, indicating they had entered a cobblestone road.

As they continued, the carriage eventually slowed and stopped.

Upon getting out of the carriage, there was a building that looked like the residence of a wealthy merchant.

It appeared to be Leonhardt's villa in the eastern district of the capital.

"Cordelia, can you wait in the room I've prepared until a replacement dress is ready?"

"Your Highness, I cannot impose on you to such an extent. I will send a messenger to my house to bring a change of clothes—"

"I'm afraid that's not possible. This is a hideaway, and I don't want its location to be known. I trust you, but..."

"...I understand. I'm sorry to trouble you."

Cordelia had no choice but to back down.

If she sent a messenger to her house, her father would likely find out.

Worse still, if her younger sister found out, there was no telling what might happen.

"Don't worry about it. I'll have a special dress prepared for you, so look forward to it."

With a cheerful tone, Leonhardt disappeared into the depths of the villa.

Following the lead of the villa's attendant, Cordelia headed to the guest room.

Once the attendant bowed and left, she felt a wave of fatigue wash over her.

(What a mess...)

She sank deeply into the long chair.

Up until the point where Leonhardt saved her, things were still manageable.

But then, she was told about his secret involving the royal family.

Even though she was forced into it, she ended up in a man's house alone and was even given a dress to wear.

(Am I getting deeper and deeper into this mess?)

It was not a laughing matter.

She had no intention of accepting Leonhardt's proposal, but this situation was not good.

(…...I won't be allowed to leave this villa, will I?)

The fear that came to mind could not be dismissed as a silly thought by Cordelia.

'I have no intention of letting you go, someone who can travel between worlds.'

While the words sounded like a ridiculous declaration, his eyes were serious.

The arm that grabbed her wrist, the predatory gaze.

As a prince, he could enforce his declaration not to let her go.

He could find some reason to keep her confined in this villa until she accepted his proposal.

And even if she didn't return, her parents and sister would not likely go against the prince to help her.

(If this is just me overthinking and worrying too much, that would be good...)

She was not being conceited, but his obsession with her was considerable.

Even the promise of a "special dress" made her fear what kind of extravagant dress he might bring.

Feeling uneasy, she was resting on the long chair when—

"Cordelia, I'm sorry to disturb you. The dress from His Highness has arrived."

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"Beautiful, Cordelia. That color really brings out your beauty."

Leonhardt, with a smooth delivery, said something that made her teeth grind.

The dress provided was a deep, rich vermillion, with an elegant and luxurious design.

The navy blue ribbon at the neckline and the white lace at the cuffs added a touch of cuteness to the otherwise sophisticated color scheme.

It was a beautiful dress that suited Cordelia's taste, but—

(It's better than I expected...)

The material used was only slightly better than what she usually wore.

She felt a sense of relief internally.

"What's wrong, Cordelia? Don't you like it?"

Leonhardt was observant.

"No, that's not it. I'm grateful for the beautiful dress you've provided."

"How about the design?"

"The color and material are to my liking, and I'm very happy."

"That's good. I was thinking it would be a waste for someone as beautiful as you."

His eyes narrowed, like a contented cat.

"At the ball and today, you wore light-colored dresses, didn't you? They were nice, but... I felt they were a bit lacking. You look more beautiful in deep colors like navy blue or vermillion."

It seems I wasn't mistaken, Leonhardt said, satisfied.

(Colors that suit me, huh...)

As a young woman, Cordelia had an interest in dresses.

However, the earl's family had no money.

Thanks to her younger sister's extravagant spending, Cordelia's clothing budget was minimal.

The dresses she wore in public were either hand-me-downs from her sister or old ones from her mother and grandmother.

Her sister preferred light colors like pink and light blue, with sweet designs.

The hand-me-downs from her mother and grandmother were mostly outdated and too dull for her.

The dress she was wearing now had modern lace at the cuffs and a lovely, swaying navy blue ribbon.

"Thank you, Your Highness..."

It was a sincere, albeit small, expression of gratitude.

Leonhardt whispered in response to her smile.

"Seeing that face makes me want to keep you locked up."

Cordelia's smile stiffened.

"Just a joke. Don't be so scared."

"Your Highness, your jokes are bad for my heart."

"Bad for your heart... What do you think of me?"

A man who treats people as if they can travel between worlds and is obsessed with them.

She couldn't say that, so Cordelia remained silent and averted her gaze.

"Haha, you're surprisingly easy to read. Does that mean you're starting to open up to me?"

"…...Is that so?"

Even as she answered, Cordelia had to admit his words.

She was aware that she was being drawn into Leonhardt's straightforward emotions and showing her own feelings.

He seemed to observe people's expressions well, so even a poor lie would be useless.

"That would make me happy. I'm starting to understand your thoughts a bit better, too."

"What do you mean?"

"When you received the dress, you were relieved inside, weren't you?"

"…...You noticed. I tried not to show it... Did you sense something from my changes, like a lion's instincts?"

"My special senses aren't that convenient."

Is that so?

Leonhardt didn't seem to be lying, but given his different senses, it was hard to fully trust and understand his words.

"Just a guess. You have a good sense of money, and you don't seem to want to accept my proposal. In that state, you must have been worried about accidentally being given an expensive dress."

"…...I'm sorry, but you're right. When you said 'special dress,' I was worried about what kind of extravagant dress would come..."

"It is a 'special' dress. I ordered a lot of fabric in colors that suit you, focused on the design to make it easy to move in, and made sure it wasn't too expensive."

...So this dress was indeed made specifically for Cordelia.

While she had suspected as much, hearing it explicitly made it feel heavy.

"I appreciate your consideration, but... Your Highness, we've only met for a few days. For the dress to be ready so quickly, didn't you ask the tailor to do something unreasonable?"

"…...That's not something you need to worry about. I said it's a 'special dress.' This dress, I'm sure you'll accept it, right?"

"Your Highness, I appreciate your feelings, but—"

"This is also a payment for your silence about my lion form. Will you accept it?"

With Leonhardt's confident tone,

"…...I will gratefully accept it."

Cordelia had no choice but to nod.

(Indeed, this is 'special.')

Not just the dress, but the way it was given and the timing as well.

If the dress had been as expensive as she had feared, she would have refused it outright, even if it was called a payment for silence.

But with a sophisticated design and a reasonable price, her reasons for refusal were weak.

Moreover, the dresses she had been wearing were in tatters.

She couldn't go out in those, so she couldn't refuse Leonhardt's kindness.

"Thank you, Your Highness. I will not reveal your lion form, so please rest assured."

"I trust you. If my lion form were to become public, you would understand the consequences, right?"

"…...It would cause a stir for the next heir to the throne."

The crown prince of Riolberne is Leonhardt's half-brother, Zaid.

In such a situation, if it were revealed that Leonhardt possessed the lion power of the royal family—

"I don't intend to become king, but my brother and the surrounding nobles don't seem to think so."

"Your Highness, are you not interested in the throne?"

"A cold throne is far less appealing to me than you."

"Please don't dodge the question."

With a resolve to be disrespectful, Cordelia pressed on.

She understood that as just an earl's daughter, she had no right to question the throne.

But as a noble with many vassals, she couldn't help but ask.

"Do you truly believe that Prince Zaid is fit for the throne, Your Highness?"

"…...My brother has served as crown prince for over ten years without any major issues."

"As crown prince, yes. But with all due respect... does Prince Zaid have the capacity to lead a nation as king?"

Cordelia was certain he did not.

While Zaid might be suited to following established procedures and conducting politics, he was arrogant, complacent, and prone to emotional outbursts, as she had seen in their brief encounter.

The thought of Zaid wearing the crown filled Cordelia with unease.

Thank you for reading.

The next chapter will be posted tomorrow, so I hope you will look forward to it.