A Trustworthy Schemer
“Now you can trust that I’m a schemer worth believing in, can’t you?”
In the art of persuasion, there must always be some form of benefit involved. Whether emotional or material, it made no difference.
Right now, she needed to persuade Raphael by offering him an emotional gain.
“When you say you require my trust, it must be because what comes next is something Your Highness needs from me.”
“As sharp as ever.”
Perhaps because she had already received one absurd compliment, this time it didn’t leave her quite as dumbfounded.
“And the fact that you’re telling me this means you’re also testing whether I can be trusted, isn’t it?”
“I swear there will be no loss for Lord Kedrey. If any harm comes to you because of what I ask, I intend to compensate you in any way I can.”
The position of imperial princess would serve as an excellent guarantee.
But Raphael still couldn’t understand Cayena’s ultimate goal. If she truly wanted to support Rezef as emperor, her current approach made no sense. It was far too inefficient.
Rather than targeting the Kedrey family, which had a poor relationship with the imperial house, it would be far more effective to win over other powerful noble houses.
Yet Cayena had chosen him. Did that mean this had nothing to do with the imperial succession? What could possibly be so important that the princess would go this far?
Seeing Cayena’s relaxed smile, it didn’t seem like she would reveal the reason just yet.
“Ah, but I was completely sincere when I said you would get along well with Olivia Grace.”
Another strange thing was how earnestly Cayena seemed to be pushing him toward Olivia.
“If what Your Highness says is true, the marriage talks will be canceled soon. In that case, there’s no need for me to meet anyone in particular, is there?”
He was right. If Cayena hadn’t known that the two of them were fated to be together, she would have simply told him to do as he pleased.
“I have no intention of forcing you. Still, if your mother continues to pressure you, I would recommend meeting Lady Olivia Grace.”
“I was under the impression that Your Highness disliked Lady Olivia Grace.”
Cayena readily admitted it. After all, it was true.
“Well, I did. But I’ve come to feel that all of that was meaningless.”
She didn’t elaborate, but the words carried an undertone of affection toward Raphael that he could easily guess at.
Is she serious?
Had she truly ended her long obsession and shaken him from her heart? Because of the many years he had suffered under Cayena’s harassment, Raphael found it difficult to believe her so easily.
But she had sworn that such things would never happen again.
It was a vow without witnesses. Still, it was the first time he had ever seen Cayena swear anything.
“It would be best to head back now. It wouldn’t do for us to stay together too long in a place like this.”
“Understood.”
Cayena took a deep breath and turned around. In truth, wearing heels made walking on the unpaved dirt path rather uncomfortable.
The trail was poorly maintained, overgrown with weeds and uneven. That was precisely why she had chosen this secluded path—there were no visitors. However, high heels and a cumbersome dress were completely unsuited to it.
“Ah!”
When Cayena stepped on a loose stone and stumbled, Raphael quickly caught her by the waist to steady her. For a moment, she ended up in his arms.
“Be careful, Your Highness.”
Cayena sprang away from him as if she had been burned.
Her overly wary attitude toward contact made one of Raphael’s eyebrows shoot up.
Oh no.
Knowing that he disliked physical contact with others, Cayena had been trying her best not to touch him.
I’ve only just begun repairing my image. I can’t afford to slide back into the negatives now.
Later, in order to create her fictitious husband, she would need Raphael’s full cooperation.
After all, I plan to act as the broker for incorporating a city-state into the western duchy.
She intended to invent a fictional person within that city-state—a wealthy, young, and handsome man who would become her husband.
“The path is rather rough. My apologies.”
Cayena added the excuse while meeting Raphael’s gaze. But his expression looked slightly strange.
…Is he already displeased just because he helped me?
However, Raphael was actually troubled for the exact opposite reason. He had noticed that the ground was uneven and that she was wearing heels.
Then why isn’t she asking for an escort?
Even now, it was the same.
She had once again gathered the hem of her dress herself instead of requesting his escort.
No one knew that he disliked physical contact with people. It was a symptom even his mother was unaware of—something only Jeremy, who had observed him the longest and closest, might have noticed.
Raphael knew very well that he had to suppress his discomfort in daily life. That was what normal people did. Enduring a brief moment of revulsion and goosebumps while escorting someone was something he could tolerate.
Raphael extended his hand without hesitation.
“Allow me to escort you, Your Highness.”
This was the sensible and ordinary thing to do. That was what he told himself. Yet a part of his mind wondered something else.
Am I really doing this because it’s the sensible thing?
For something that was supposedly just common courtesy, he hadn’t felt the slightest bit forced when offering to escort her just now.
Since Cayena had no desire to make him any more uncomfortable, she refused outright.
“There’s no need.”
At that response, Raphael became certain. The princess found him repulsive.
Didn’t she used to like me?
It wasn’t a delusion. In the Eldaim Empire, it would have been faster to count the people who didn’t know that Cayena had feelings for Raphael than those who did. How could such feelings disappear in an instant?
Now that he thought about it, it was strange.
The Cayena he had met in front of the emperor’s quarters after so long had felt like nothing more than an empty shell.
Have all her actions until now been an act?
If that were true, it would be terrifying.
The difference between the past her and the current her was too great. Her speech and behavior carried the calculated depth of a seasoned politician. It was as if she had lived several lifetimes.
…That’s impossible.
Raphael decided he was overthinking it.
Cayena, unaware of the subtle shift in Raphael’s expression, continued walking forward.
I should tell them to throw out all the high heels and replace them with low-heeled shoes.
She frowned at the uncomfortable footwear. Until now, she had only walked through beautifully landscaped flower gardens, so she hadn’t felt much discomfort from high heels. As a result, every pair of shoes Cayena owned had high heels.
Raphael noticed her slight frown as she looked down at the ground. Instead of offering his arm, he simply slowed his pace to match her stride.
With no conversation, their focus solely on walking, they reached the entrance in no time.
Cayena’s maids and Raphael’s attendants hurried toward them. Each carefully observed their master. The atmosphere between the two felt strangely off.
Why do they seem so awkward with each other?
When they had entered the path, hadn’t she been receiving his escort? Yet now they were keeping a clear distance from one another.
So the rumors were true after all?
The news that Cayena had rejected Raphael’s request for an audience five times had already spread quietly throughout the imperial palace and even into high society. Many cited that rumor as evidence that Cayena’s feelings for him had cooled. The fact that she had walked apart from him today, despite spending time together, would surely become another topic of gossip.
Cayena and Raphael continued toward the imperial palace, still maintaining that awkward distance.
Suddenly, Cayena spoke.
“Since our walk is over, I would like to offer you some tea, but I suppose I should let a busy man like you go.”
Normally, such a meeting would involve serving tea and refreshments, and quite possibly even a full dinner. Receiving tea leaves as a gift only to send him away without sharing any would be interpreted poorly.
But Cayena had told him to leave for his sake. Not only did she remember how he had once found her presence burdensome, but she also knew from the start that he wasn’t the type of person who enjoyed spending time this way.
I can’t tell if this is consideration or if she’s simply uncomfortable with me.
In truth, Raphael had cleared his entire schedule today because he had decided to meet Cayena. He had expected—based on how she used to behave—that he might be held until the afternoon tea and even through dinner.
Yet after a short walk, she was telling him to go.
“…I am fine, Your Highness.”
Even if he truly had urgent business, he should have answered that he was fine with the kindness offered by the princess. But now he wondered—had he said it out of courtesy, or did he truly mean it?
The villainess is a marionette.