Chapter 164
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164
“Me…”
Unable to hold back any longer, he sat up in bed.
The high-quality purple silk gown—a luxury reserved only for the most prominent guests of the Brillant Imperial Family—slid down his shoulders.
I was once scrawny and pathetic, nothing more than a toy for my half-brothers to beat upon. Look how much I’ve grown.
I survived because of you.
Did she know he wanted to scream those words?
Probably not.
She couldn't possibly know.
Did she know that, assuming the benefactor who sent Trini was some eccentric old woman who wanted his body and face, he had spent all his time obsessing over how to win the favor of old noblewomen and steal the hearts of ladies?
She wouldn't know.
She wouldn't know anything…
“Once this round is over, I’ll have to dance with the most handsome young lord here.”
The moment that lady said those words, Benjamin had found himself frantically scanning his surroundings. He was like an orphan desperate to be chosen for adoption.
But there were too many people, and Benjamin’s eyes kept drifting back to her.
Who was the "most handsome young lord" she was talking about?
Even while wagering an astronomical sum, even while making the amateur mistake of dropping her cards several times, she remained relaxed and acted a bit thoughtless.
Who was the man she had set her sights on with that characteristically triumphant gaze?
In that moment, when his heart was pounding with agonizing anxiety—
“Benjamin.”
His heart might have stopped for a moment then.
No, it felt like it stopped for quite a while.
By the time he regained his senses, the round was already over, and the precious lady was walking toward him with a smile.
She told him that because of the Duke, who had lost a fortune, the atmosphere wasn't right for a dance, but since they had made a deal, he should tell her what he wanted.
Benjamin’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.
“In that case, will you grant me the first dance at the victory banquet?”
He thought she would say yes.
She was a woman who carried herself with a unique confidence, someone who seized whatever she desired.
But contrary to his expectations, he was rejected.
“I’m sorry. I have a prior engagement with Her Majesty the Empress, so the first dance will be difficult.”
His heart thudded so loudly at her whispered voice that Benjamin reflexively took a step back.
But only for a moment.
“Then I would like at least the second dance.”
“Just a dance? Is that enough?”
It’s more than enough, Benjamin thought as he forced a smile.
“Will you permit it?”
“Alright, then.”
With that casual permission, the lady looked him over once more, a look of wonder on her face.
And then, she spoke the words that drove an arrow into his heart—one that would never be pulled out.
“You’ve grown a lot, haven't you? Prince Benjamin.”
Did she know that even his own father hadn't recognized him at first when he saw how much he’d grown while confined in the palace?
Did she have any idea that not a single person in the Sorsen Kingdom had recognized him?
She had saved him when he was a child, and now… just what kind of person was she?
That lady…
Benjamin wiped his face with both hands repeatedly.
A hot sigh escaped into the air, and he only managed to fall asleep once the sky visible through the gap in the window turned a soft pink.
* * *
“I knew it. Handsome guys must be handsome from the time they’re kids.”
For several days, I couldn't get Benjamin’s face out of my head.
I mean, sure, the illustrations in the game were dazzling.
But I thought that was just an artistic effect.
Can a real person actually sparkle like that?
“Did he literally weave his hair out of gold? I remember there was a goddess like that in Norse mythology. Is he her?”
Benjamin had grown into such a bewilderingly handsome man that I was having these ridiculous thoughts.
“I wonder if I can get a portrait of him…”
Honestly, I wanted to commission portraits of all the male leads and decorate a room in my house with them, but given Tulia’s social standing, that would definitely start some weird rumors.
“Wait, no. I’m a feudal lord.”
If I renovated Belus Castle to be more innovative and tightened the security, maybe I could start a "Handsome Man Collection"…?
Benjamin was so seriously beautiful that I kept entertaining such idle fantasies.
But why did he specifically ask me for a dance?
Analyzing it based on the character settings in The Milk Bread, Benjamin was rumored to be a slick playboy, but in reality, he was a male lead with great ambitions for the throne.
So, one could interpret his desire to dance with the favored granddaughter of the Frezier family as a way to "show off" his influence to the Sorsen Kingdom.
But…
He seemed genuinely nervous at the gambling hall that day.
Did he actually fall for me?
No way.
If that were the case, there should have been at least one or two scenes in The Milk Bread where he was smitten by Tulia’s looks, but there were none.
Or… does he know I’m Trini’s master?
Is that even possible?
I never established any point of contact.
Then again, the power Benjamin has built up behind the scenes is more formidable than one might think.
By now, it’s probably on par with his father, the King of Sorsen, and eventually, it will surpass him.
Is that why he wants the first dance? Because I’m someone he’s genuinely and simply interested in?
If that’s the case, well, it’s not bad.
Thanks to Benjamin, I had secured a massive sum of 500 billion gold, and since I was planning to lure and destroy the swarm of White Tulip Hyenas that had come crawling in, I considered Benjamin something of a benefactor myself.
Ramus Jeremiah was being very diligent.
After hitting the jackpot of a lifetime at the gambling hall, many people had—as expected—approached him secretly, wanting to smuggle White Tulip seeds.
Ramus was playing hard to get with them, expertly draining every cent they had.
Ramus Jeremiah’s skills were beyond question.
They would never know that I was the one standing behind him, sticking a straw into their spines and sucking them dry.
For.
E.
Ver.
The fact that things were going so smoothly was largely due to Benjamin’s role.
Should I consider this the reward for taking good care of him by sending Trini all those years?
But for some reason, my conscience pricked me. Why? Was it because Benjamin was a benefactor of sorts to me? If it weren't for him, the Luck Sub-Quest would have been a total failure.
Or is it just because he’s a pitiable child?
I suppose anyone would feel their heart ache seeing a scrawny little kid getting beaten up by his half-brothers.
It’s probably just because I’m a person with normal human empathy.
It was then. A voice broke through my thoughts.
“Lady Tulia.”
“Adel? What is it?”
Adel, who always had a kind smile, looked unusually uncomfortable today.
I instinctively realized that "something" had arrived and stood up.
“What’s wrong?”
“You have guests…”
“Guests?”
The fact that she used the plural suggested more than one person had arrived. And likely people who weren't good for me.
“Yes, Lady Tulia.”
Adel spoke in a voice that sounded extremely reluctant.
“Lady Sophia Frezier, along with Lady Aubrey and her relatives, have arrived in the Imperial Capital.”
* * *
“Mother. Why have you grown so thin? Have you not been eating well?”
At Sophia’s question, Aubrey forced a smile.
Normally, she would have grabbed Sophia and lamented about how pitiful her brother was or how much her husband was hounding her with letters.
But here in the Imperial Capital, her relatives from her maiden family were with her.
Even though they were her own kin, Aubrey had acted very haughty toward them when she married Lilius.
Even if he was the youngest son, she was marrying into the direct line of a Grand Ducal House, so no one dared move a muscle when Aubrey acted arrogant.
Of course, the current situation of Lilius and her son, Tedric, was now beyond pathetic, and her relatives surely knew everything about it.
Still, she couldn't bring herself to cling to her adopted daughter and whine in front of them. She had a minimum level of dignity to maintain.
“It’s just because I’ve been so worried about our daughter away at the Academy that I haven't been able to sleep well. I’m fine. It’s my fault for making the future Crown Princess worry.”
“Mother…!”
Sophia immediately furrowed her brow and began fanning herself with her hand.
Aubrey, as well as her relatives, all knew that Sophia detested the Crown Prince.
In fact, any noble with a decent amount of power in the Empire wouldn't want to marry their daughter or granddaughter off to that insignificant Crown Prince.
The relatives, sensing the mood between the two, spoke up tentatively.
“We’re among family, so I’ll say it—Sophia is too good for him. She’s so beautiful and lovely.”
“And I hear her grades at the Academy have been excellent lately?”
“Sophia, you know Luidi, right? Your maternal cousin. He attends the same Academy as you. He says it’s a total frenzy there because you’ve stolen the hearts of so many young lords.”
“Oh, Luidi really shouldn't go around saying such useless things!”
Sophia gave a bashful smile.
But her inner thoughts were different.
In truth, Sophia was seething with the desire to break off the engagement this very instant!