Chapter 5
“People really have wild imaginations.”
After I carried the princess back to the palace, a new rumor spread through the imperial palace—replacing the stories about the princess being crazy.
“Look at that. Her Highness has become so calm.”
“Oh my, that must be the power of love.”
A rumor spread that the princess had fallen for me.
And the person feeding that rumor was the princess sitting right in front of me.
“[Sister, that blank expression isn’t very obsessive–male-lead-like.]”
Unlike our dirty first meeting, she now held her teacup elegantly.
“[I told you. You’re the gentle type, so you need to work harder on the ‘obsessive psycho’ part.]”
Feeling awkward, I took a sip of coffee.
The bitterness hit my tongue, and I reached for sugar—
“[Obsessive male leads don’t put sugar in coffee.]”
Then maybe a sweet cookie—
“[Obsessive male leads don’t eat cookies either.]”
That’s just cruel.
“[Is there anything that an obsessive male lead is allowed to do?]”
I tried to keep a serious face, but I couldn’t hide my sigh.
“I roughly know what an obsessive male lead is, but…”
Is this really living? Drinking only bitter coffee and not eating cookies?
“[That’s why I prepared something.]”
Ignoring my complaints, the princess waved her handkerchief lightly.
Lady Roxon stepped forward, carrying a thin book.
“Thank you, my lady.”
The princess accepted the book with perfect manners. Lady Roxon’s cheeks turned red at her smile.
What did the princess even do during the past week?
“What is this, Your Highness?”
“It’s the foreign book you requested, Duke.”
A foreign book?
I never asked for one.
But as soon as I opened it, I understood.
Every page was filled with round, familiar Korean letters.
“[I worked really hard on this. See? Dark circles.]”
The princess shyly cupped her cheeks.
Her tone was polite, but her way of speaking was still casual and rough.
“[What is this? It looks handmade.]”
“[I wrote down a review of the original story.]”
Just as she said, it was a short but clear summary of the novel.
As I read, my expression stiffened.
“[Isn’t this basically a crime novel? No matter how I look at it, obsessive male leads are criminals.]”
Getting angry easily, threatening, forceful kissing, slamming walls, confinement…
“[You’re telling me to do this?]”
I stared at her in shock.
“[No. I’m not expecting that from you.]”
The princess calmly set down her cup.
I sighed in relief and closed the book.
“[With your personality, you couldn’t go that far anyway…]”
“[Don’t trail off like that. You’re making me nervous.]”
“[We’ll go with a mild version.]”
A mild version?
“[You like tteokbokki, right? When you order it, what spice level do you choose?]”
“[The spiciest.]”
Ah. She likes strong flavors.
The princess smiled slyly.
“[Don’t worry too much. Luckily, the novel is mostly told from Shabian’s point of view, so I know his tastes.]”
“[Which are?]”
“[Shabian…]”
She leaned forward across the table.
“[Worships strength. He admires powerful people.]”
Holding her teaspoon, she dropped sugar into her tea.
“[And then you sprinkle in obsession. What Shabian wants is blind love.]”
She drank the now-sweet tea and smiled dreamily.
“[That’s why you’re the perfect match. You’re the strongest in Hilen, and we’re literally risking the world to seduce Shabian. In terms of obsession, we’re not losing anymore.]”
“[I guess we’ll have to keep going until he’s crying and begging.]”
“[Exactly. That’s the essence of an obsessive male lead.]”
The princess covered her mouth and giggled.
“[Lessons once a week. You also need acting practice.]”
“[…Even that?]”
“[Of course. In return, you’ll also check my swordsmanship.]”
I raised my head at her sudden comment.
“[Swordsmanship?]”
“[Yes. If the moment comes where my head really might get chopped off, I want to at least struggle once. Or run away.]”
That made sense.
Teaching her swordsmanship wasn’t difficult for me.
“[But where will you practice? You said you’d dominate high society. If people see the princess wielding a sword, she’ll be practically expelled from it.]”
A sword and the flower of society didn’t mix well here.
“[Obviously, we practice in secret. I know a good place. His Majesty even told me about a secret passage.]”
She spoke confidently, then added—
“[I’m a transmigrator, remember? Don’t forget that, sister.]”
She winked.
That night.
Creeeak—
A door that hadn’t been opened in a long time slowly swung open.
“[It’s surprising that there’s a secret passage in the palace, but this place too…]”
I looked around the cold room.
Furniture covered with white cloth, thick dust, broken frames, creaking floors.
“[This is the abandoned palace where Shabian will stay later.]”
Here?
“[In five years, he’ll live here.]”
“[This feels wrong. Like trespassing…]”
“[Who cares? We’ll clean up before we leave.]”
The princess shrugged.
The fencing sword at her waist rattled.
“[Since you come from outside the palace, I prepared everything in advance.]”
She placed two swords on the floor.
“[You’ll teach me swordsmanship and seduce me at the same time.]”
Seduce her, just like that?
While I was frozen, her hand softly brushed my cheek.
“[Alright. Try it. What should you do in a situation like this?]”
W-what? Is this already starting?
“Do I… touch her cheek too?”
Thinking that, I reached for her face—
“[No. Grab my waist, not my cheek.]”
Her sharp gaze made me lower my hand to her waist.
“[Either grip it firmly or pull me into a tight hug. Like—‘I love you so much I can’t hold back.’]”
She tugged at my clothes impatiently.
“L-like this…?”
I awkwardly pulled her close and hugged her tightly.
But—
Why is this scary…?
She still looked dissatisfied, shaking her head as she looked up at me.
That look—she was like a tiger of a teacher.
“[No. Again.]”
That was our first lesson, under a small but very strict instructor.
Lewin and Rosaline didn’t know this, but—
“Please separate already!”
There was someone else in the room.
A shadow—one of Resius’s agents—had slipped into the abandoned palace.
While monitoring the palace, he noticed suspicious movement here and came to investigate.
“Now it’s my turn.”
After Lewin and Rosaline finally stepped apart—
“[Pick up your sword.]”
Lewin grabbed the blade on the floor with a dark voice.
Rosaline swallowed nervously and picked up her sword as well.
Clang—
For a long while, the sound of clashing blades echoed through the abandoned palace.
Most of it was—
“[Stop! Stop!]”
“[There’s no stopping in swordsmanship. Block it.]”
“[Are you really doing this to a fellow Korean?]”
“[That’s exactly why I have to teach you properly. And I’m being very gentle.]”
Their bickering continued.
Watching them, the shadow admired Lewin’s movements.
“He’s holding back a lot.”
As expected of a Sword Master.
Even while moving carefully to avoid hurting the princess, every motion was precise.
Because he was controlling his strength so carefully, Lewin’s brow creased slightly.
“And Her Highness is very enthusiastic.”
Though honestly, it was mostly just enthusiasm.
Rosaline’s arms trembled as she blocked with all her strength.
Clang—
Finally, her sword flew from her hand and fell to the floor.
“[Again!]”
She picked it up, frustration clear on her face.
Seeing his passionate student, a deep smile slowly appeared on Lewin’s lips.
“She really does have grit.”
Soon, the sound of swords filled the abandoned palace again.
And so the night passed.
At the end of that night,
Resius’s hand stopped in the middle of signing documents.
“…What did you say?”
At his question, the shadow standing before his desk spoke.
“Around 1 a.m., Her Highness used the secret passage to move to the abandoned palace. And the Duke as well…”
As the atmosphere grew colder, the shadow shrank and continued reporting.
The duke and the princess meeting through the secret passage.
Their close physical contact.
Who would have known?
That the gentle crown prince was colder and more ruthless than any emperor before him.
“Shall we keep watching them separately? If you give the order—”
“Enough.”
Resius turned his head slightly.
His face, half-lit by moonlight, was cold like a statue.
“And if Lewin notices? Will you take responsibility?”
Lewin was a Sword Master. If he paid attention, he would sense the shadow.
Resius smiled bitterly.
This was his love.
Something the world must never know.
Something the other person would despise if they knew.
“The Resius Lewin knows—”
“….”
“—would never do something so filthy. Spying on a friend.”
His feelings had to stay hidden, no matter how suffocating the jealousy and anger became.
Resius fully turned around.
“Because he’s innocent. Foolishly so.”
His green eyes flickered with rage in the moonlight.
“…So Lewin might become family.”
Clenching a smooth fountain pen, Resius ground his teeth.
My friend becoming my sister’s husband…
Lowering his gaze, he steadied his breathing.
After a long, slow breath, he put on his usual gentle smile.
“I don’t want to disappoint Lewin.”
To gain even the smallest scrap of your remaining affection, I’ll endure even this.
But—
Despite his calm voice, Resius’s grip tightened.
The fountain pen snapped in half in his reddened palm.
Black ink dripped down.
Like blood.
Thick. Dark. Vivid.
