Chapter 9

I ended up marrying the prince just to keep up appearances.

What lies ahead... is undoubtedly a divorce.

I have no intention of clinging to the position of the prince’s consort. It’s going to be quite a challenge, after all.

So, I’m prepared to agree to a divorce as soon as a new candidate for consort is found.

But, it wouldn’t be too bad to think that I want to get a lot of alimony, right?

To proceed with the divorce negotiations smoothly, it seems I need to build a somewhat friendly relationship with the prince.

After much consideration, I decided to try to increase the prince’s favor by offering gifts.

Throughout history and across cultures, it’s widely believed that gifts are the most effective way to please someone.

Of course, I have to do it subtly so the prince doesn’t catch on!

“I heard that His Highness was here, so I baked a cake. Please, everyone, do try it.”

This time, I’m offering a carrot cake made with carrots from the garden.

I managed to fend off the maids who were chasing me, saying, “You need to focus more on your beauty!” and baked this cake with all my might, even shedding tears.

“I hope it meets your taste.”

I carefully cut and served the cake, and the prince seemed to be staring at it intently.

Oh, maybe he can only eat things made by his personal chef?

I thought he might refuse, but the prince picked up a fork and surprisingly ate the cake quite frankly.

“It’s a unique flavor. What kind of cake is this?”

“It’s a carrot cake.”

“Carrot... carrots!?”

The prince suddenly stood up, almost kicking his chair over, and I nearly got blown away.

As I panicked, a pale maid whispered to me.

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness...! I completely forgot, but the prince is extremely averse to carrots...!!”

I wish you had told me that earlier! But it’s too late now.

The prince is turning red and trembling.

Oh, this means I’m definitely going to be executed.

Goodbye, my short life. If I’m reborn, I want to be the daughter of a wealthy farmer. It’s okay to be contradictory.

“Is this... a carrot?”

“Yes, it’s a carrot I grew in the palace garden.”

Feeling desperate, I started explaining like a professional chef.

But the prince didn’t say, “Cut off this woman’s head!!” or anything like that.

Instead...

“Using carrots, you can make something this delicious...!”

He said this with shining eyes.

...Could it be that he likes the taste of common people? After all, this carrot cake is a super common recipe I learned directly from a neighbor. Elite chefs who work in the palace probably wouldn’t make such a rustic dish.

For someone who usually eats only refined, top-tier cuisine, this kind of common dish might feel quite novel.

...As I thought about this, the prince turned his gaze towards me.

I was startled, but his gaze was much gentler than I expected.

“...You are a truly unique girl, Carolina.”

He said this with a happy smile.

Maybe I was a bit flustered by his expression.

...As long as he didn’t get my name wrong.

Prince, I have some very unfortunate news, but my name is not Carolina; it’s Adelina.