Chapter 54
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Chapter 54
I regarded Rujeep with a bewildered expression at his sudden shift in how he treated me.
With one layer of contempt peeled away, Rujeep now addressed me as though I were his youngest sister.
"Don't worry about what the Crown Prince says to me. You don't need to be concerned that I might be hurt by it."
As I shrugged and spoke, Kaiden, who had been resting his chin on his hand, patted my head as if impressed. Why was everyone doing this?
I drove the stone knife I'd been holding straight into the table with a sharp thunk.
"I don't need anyone's approval. If you keep bothering me, I'll just cut off your—!"
Kaiden glanced around nervously, then carefully extracted the stone knife and placed it back in my hand.
"Margaret really has become quite violent, hasn't she?"
At Kaiden's murmur, Rujeep, who had been keeping his distance from me with a frightened expression, nodded vigorously.
"Well, the Crown Prince is the same way. With such a terrible temperament, isn't that why he got divorced?"
Kaiden clicked his tongue and spoke ill of Asdal.
Even the otherwise perfect Asdal had one flaw—his "ex-wife."
"That's inappropriate to say, Kaiden. And isn't calling it a 'divorce' a bit of a stretch? You know what happened to his former wife."
At my words, Kaiden blinked with a confused expression.
"...I don't know. What happened to her?"
"...You really didn't know?"
She had been executed. On charges of attempted assassination of Crown Prince Asdal.
Asdal, like most royal and noble marriages, had entered into a loveless political union, but his former princess consort's lack of love was far more severe than that.
Her purpose in the marriage had been to assassinate Crown Prince Asdal.
It turned out she had been the lover of Asdal's half-brother. Asdal had married her knowing nothing of this.
"It was such a shocking incident that it made headlines throughout the Langrid Empire."
Rujeep murmured and let out a sigh. Kaiden then looked between the two of us in confusion.
"What? I'm the only one who didn't know?"
Apparently, after his hibernation, he had spent several years locked away in his laboratory and hadn't come out—so it seemed to be true.
"It's probably better that you don't know."
I nodded in agreement with Rujeep's words.
Now that I thought about it, Rujeep was clergy and had never married, while Kaiden, having endured much hardship, was a staunch bachelor. That choice was probably only possible because he was the second son of the Rohade Marquis Family. And on top of that, he was an Archmage.
"Except for the Crown Prince, none of us are married."
"That's right. I won't speak for this fool or myself, but the Crown Prince is rather pitiful. He spent all those years rotting away on the battlefield, and now that he can finally enjoy himself a bit, here he is?"
"Indeed."
I answered Kaiden's words with a melancholic expression.
Enoch had been conscripted as a military commander at a young age and spent a full five years on the battlefield.
After that, it took another two years to surpass all his brothers and ascend to the position of Crown Prince following his victory.
After struggling so hard to become Crown Prince, he was dragged to this Isolated Island without even a chance to enjoy the position.
All three men were well past marriageable age, yet each had their reasons for being without a woman. By novel standards, they were the very epitome of male lead material.
In any case, I understood why Rujeep treated me like a child. Though I was twenty-seven as Jin-ju Lee, Margaret was only twenty-two.
In the Langrid Empire, the marriageable age began at twenty, so Margaret was certainly of age.
A family of Margaret's standing would have already been betrothed long ago, but the reason she remained unmarried until now was because of Enoch. She had desperately wanted to become the Crown Prince's consort.
"Young Lady hasn't been betrothed yet either, has she? After all, Young Lady is the youngest among us, isn't she?"
Rujeep asked me a question, and I noticed a subtle hint of anticipation in his gaze—which caught me slightly off guard. What was he expecting?
I nodded somewhat reluctantly, offering my assent.
"I haven't been betrothed yet, but I'm still a noblewoman of marriageable age. I'd rather not be treated like a child."
Kaiden looked at me with surprise, apparently not expecting the phrase "marriageable age" to come from my lips.
"Right. I hadn't thought of that. Margaret, are you planning to get betrothed?"
"If I survive this, I suppose I'll have to eventually."
"Don't get betrothed. Just stay unmarried and live with me."
"I'll decide that for myself, so don't worry about it."
Kaiden smiled at me with an enchanting gaze, then tilted his head slightly in my direction.
"As expected, Margaret is resolute. That's what I like about you."
He whispered in a teasing tone, and I hastily covered my ears and retreated from him.
Again. He keeps displaying this ambiguous affection and meaningless physical contact. It's infuriating how he toys with people.
"Excuse me, both of you. I hope you haven't forgotten that I'm here as well."
Rujeep interrupted our conversation with a distinctly uncomfortable expression on his face.
"You could just leave. You have no sense of the moment."
"Why should I do that?"
Kaiden glared at him sharply. Here we go again with Tom and Jerry.
"Why don't we just finish preparing the meal?"
I placed the fish I'd brought onto a wooden board and began cleaning them. My appetite had vanished because of Asdal, but I had to eat something.
Rujeep and Kaiden bickered back and forth a few more times before quietly settling beside me and helping with the fish preparation.
Yuanna, who had been conversing with Diego in the distance, approached me with curiosity written all over her face.
"It's the first time I've seen a noblewoman clean fish so skillfully. How fascinating."
Diego, who had been clinging to Yuanna's side, cast a sidelong glance at the fish I was preparing. So he couldn't bear to watch cute animals being cleaned, but fish were apparently acceptable.
Yuanna, who had been resting one cheek in her palm while watching me, spoke with a smile.
"It seems you truly have the perfect ability to serve others, Young Lady."
"Shut up."
Though I answered rather harshly, she showed no sign of disturbance. As always, she was utterly unintimidated.
"I have no desire to become your subordinate, so if you keep spouting such nonsense..."
I paused mid-cleaning and drove the stone knife I was holding into the table, just as I had done before Asdal.
"I won't hold back."
"It seems difficult to break you, which only makes me more motivated. Young Lady, I think there would be real satisfaction in subduing you."
Kaiden reacted violently to Yuanna's absurd words.
"Listen here, Saint. If you keep talking like that, saint or not, I won't care."
"Saint, aren't you being far too presumptuous with Flone Young Lady?"
As Rujeep chimed in after Kaiden, Yuanna laughed as if amused.
"See? All those people are already in Young Lady's hands. So I just need to have Young Lady myself."
Her way of thinking was truly bizarre. In any case, it wasn't remotely sensible.
Then again, was there anyone here who was sensible?
"Saint, don't try to obtain people so easily."
"Is that so?"
"There's a way to win someone's body and heart without forcing them into submission, so why do you insist on choosing a method that makes everyone suffer?"
"I don't know the way. What is it?"
"Respect and consideration."
Even I, lacking in social graces, understand that much.
But since this Island seems to be populated solely by people even less socially adept than myself, I'll hold my tongue.
Yuanna's movements froze at my response. Her eyes widened as she looked at me.
"Respect and... consideration..."
She repeated my words under her breath before asking me back.
"How do you do respect and consideration?"
"Well, I don't know either. How do you do it?"
This time, even Kaiden chimed in.
No matter how I thought about it, Yuanna and Kaiden seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Rujeep must have shared my sentiment, as he swept Kaiden with a look of exasperation.
I finally threw up my hands.
"Since I don't know either, figure it out for yourselves. And please stop pestering me."
Just then, with perfect timing, Enoch walked into the Cabin.
I couldn't have been happier to see him. And remarkably, his hands held two baby ducklings.
Kaiden whistled at the sight of the ducks, and Rujeep visibly brightened as he rushed toward Enoch alongside me.
"Good heavens, ducklings."
And there was someone who rushed toward Enoch even faster than I did—Yuanna.
Just moments ago she seemed deeply contemplative about respect and consideration, but the instant she saw the ducklings, she forgot it all completely.
Well, given that she hadn't had a proper meal in some time, I understood her enthusiastic reaction.
She raised both hands in delight like a child upon seeing the ducklings in Enoch's grasp—much like a daughter overjoyed at the sight of fried chicken in her father's hands when he returns home from work.
Of course, I had no experience with such peace, but I could imagine this moment resembled it.
In the end, we all prepared the meal together, save for the sulking Crown Prince.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org