Materialistic Princess Episode 11
Chapter 3: The Crown Prince’s First Experience
When I went to the Starlight Room where I was staying, Madam Cladine and all the maids had come out and were waiting for me.
I had no complaints, so I entered the room with the maids. Madam Cladine ordered a change of clothes and bathwater to be prepared.
“I heard what happened. They say you were chased by reporters.”
“Ah, that’s……”
“And I heard the rumor that His Highness the Crown Prince felt emotion. ……
Through Your Ladyship’s special ability.”
She spoke while observing me with a somewhat cautious air. I nodded.
“That’s right.”
“……
How astonishing.”
Though she still seemed half in doubt even after my answer, she did not pry any further.
I stepped into the marble tub filled with warm water, dissolved fragrant bath salts, and received massages from the maids. With such attentive treatment, it felt as if the day’s fatigue melted away at once.
After the bath, the maids carefully dried my hair, while other maids wiped my body with lotion and applied cream.
‘It feels like they’re taking even better care of me than yesterday.’
It was not my imagination that their treatment of me had changed.
The next day, the number of maids who came to wake me had increased, and I could feel that they were putting far more care into helping me get ready in the morning.
And a kitchen servant personally pushed in a cart and brought me breakfast.
“These are dishes the chef prepared with great care, as an expression of gratitude.”
I swallowed as I watched seafood, roast pork, a salad of mashed boiled eggs mixed with citron dressing and greens, and bread cut into bite-sized pieces appear one after another.
“I apologize during your meal, but I believe you should see this.”
What Madam Cladine handed me was a newspaper.
On the front-page headline of the newspaper was written:
‘The Crown Prince Falls Passionately in Love with Princess Kaneff!’
‘The Princess Who Melted His Heart of Ice? A Heated Tryst in the Deserted Winter Hall!’
Beneath it, a photograph of us kissing had been printed as large as a front door.
Mm, the photo came out well.
I set the newspaper aside and resumed my meal.
“There are more than three times as many reporters gathered outside as yesterday. It would be best if you did not leave the palace today.”
She said only that, without asking why we had kissed.
A maid opened the door from outside and came in, then asked me respectfully.
“Your Ladyship, Duke Kaneff has arrived. What shall we do?”
“What was bound to come has come……”
I was a little concerned that Reiji would make a fuss, but for now, I told them to let him in.
There seemed to be a clattering noise outside, and then Reiji flung the door open and entered.
From his disheveled lavender hair, I could glimpse just how hurried he had been.
“Roze!”
“Oh, you’re here?”
I greeted him by raising a hand while peeling a plump shrimp.
Reiji ran toward me with a face on the verge of tears.
“What on earth is going on! You suddenly ran away from home, then I heard you saved His Majesty the Emperor, and now they say you’ve fallen in love with His Highness the Crown Prince? It’s a relief I had submitted an application to enter the palace in advance. Do you have any idea how shocked I was!”
The maids, thankfully, tactfully left the room.
“It was just a small happening that occurred during a product demonstration.”
“What does that even mean? Roze, you’ve publicly become known as His Highness the Crown Prince’s lover!”
“I know. Weren’t there talks of an engagement anyway?”
“Huh? How did you know that?”
“I have my ways. Anyway, how is Verdi? Is her ankle all right?”
At my carefree words, Reiji grabbed me as if he might burst into tears at any moment and shook me back and forth.
“Is that the issue right now? Roze, I’m saying you’re about to get married! How could a picture of you kissing be splashed across the newspaper?”
“I’m going to stop breathing, Brother.”
I reacted as if it were nothing serious, picked up a large shrimp lying neatly on a silver plate, and kindly explained.
“I did that on purpose.”
“My goodness!”
Reiji sprang to his feet and shrieked.
Thanks to that, I was so startled that I dropped the shrimp in my hand.
Ah, my shrimp……
“Then are you saying you decided to marry His Highness? How could you do that without saying a single word to me!”
“I was going to end up marrying someone anyway, so if that someone is His Highness the Crown Prince, the richest among the rich, that’s a good thing.”
“But he cannot feel emotion. He won’t be able to make you happy.”
“Ah, it’s fine. I can make His Highness feel emotions.”
“Huh?”
At first, Reiji stared at me blankly, as though he did not understand.
Then his mouth gradually opened wide, and he spoke to me loudly in disbelief.
“How? You’re not a witch!”
“Well, you could say it’s an elf ability only I was born with.”
He kept saying he could not believe it, unable to wipe the shock from his face.
To me, that was not an important matter.
I took out all the dignity-maintenance allowance I had saved, including today’s, and handed it to Reiji.
“Make sure you take this home safely. Buy what you need and be sure to keep the receipts. Got it?”
“Roze……”
After receiving the money, he looked at me proudly and stroked my head.
My hairstyle was getting messed up, but I endured it.
“When did you grow up this much? It’s truly amazing. Ever since the day you were terribly ill last time, it feels as though a lot has changed about you.”
At those words, I flinched inwardly.
Reiji was not simply a fool.
Feeling awkward, I had just placed salad on bread and taken a big bite when—
Knock, knock.
The sound of knuckles striking the door was heard, and soon the door opened slightly.
Serena was peeking her head in with a worried expression.
“Miss Kaneff, I was wondering if you were all right…… Oh my!”
Serena discovered Reiji, who looked exactly like me, and opened her eyes wide like a rabbit.
‘Ah, Reiji and Serena’s first meeting was definitely supposed to be at the ballroom.’
Because of me, the two of them had ended up meeting earlier than planned.
‘Will he still fall in love at first sight like in the novel?’
Reiji looked at Serena, who had suddenly visited, tilted his head, and then clapped his hands.
“Ah! Are you Viscount Floen?”
At his question, Serena entered the room and greeted him politely.
It was already a perfectly noble bearing, with flawless etiquette.
“My name is Serena Floen.”
“I am Reiji Kaneff. Roze’s older brother!”
It was a rather ordinary greeting.
I looked closely at Reiji’s profile, but he did not seem to have fallen in love at first sight.
“Oh my, I thought so! The two of you look so alike that I recognized it at once.”
Serena smiled brightly with a lively air.
Reiji seemed very pleased by Serena’s words and smiled shyly.
“Roselia and I are often told that we look like twins.”
Mm, that was an extremely displeasing thing to say.
“By the way, are you all right? I was so shocked to hear you were chased by reporters yesterday.”
“I’m fine. Please sit down for now.”
I offered her a seat, then, while everyone sat together, I alone comfortably resumed my meal.
The maid prepared tea and refreshments to match the number of guests who had suddenly barged in, then went back outside.
Perhaps because she worked in the imperial palace, she had good sense.
“The imperial palace is in an uproar over yesterday’s kissing incident. And there is another strange rumor going around……”
I looked at her while munching on bread generously spread with butter and jam, as if telling her to continue.
“That His Highness seems to have felt emotions……”
“That’s right.”
“As expected, Princess Kaneff, you are incredible!”
At her praise, I nodded and held out the plate with sandwiches on it.
“Please have some of this.”
“Hehe, thank you.”
When I took care of Serena, Reiji’s lips jutted out.
“Roze, why don’t you look after me that sweetly?”
“I think I’ve been treating you as kindly as I can……”
At any rate, before he could whine any further, I grabbed any plate and held it out to Reiji.
He soon wore a happy expression.
As expected, I thought it was a relief that he was an easy one.
“Excuse me.”
Madam Cladine, who had gone outside, entered the room and bowed her head toward me.
“Her Majesty the Empress has requested a private audience with Your Ladyship. She sent word that you are to come to Her Majesty’s quarters as soon as you are ready.”
At last, it was time to face the empress directly and discuss the engagement.
“Oh my, then I’ll go ahead to practice for the awards ceremony.”
Serena said so and left the room.
Before I departed for the empress’s quarters with Madam Cladine, Reiji asked me seriously.
“Roze, the reason Her Majesty is calling you now is surely because of the marriage talks between you and His Highness the Crown Prince. Although such an article has appeared in the daily paper, if you do not want this, you may refuse as much as you like.”
His words were realistically impossible.
With the existence of someone who could make the crown prince feel emotions standing right before her, there was no way the empress would remain still. By any means necessary, she would surely tie me to his side for the crown prince’s sake.
‘Then I should use that fact.’
In a society with a class system, how extravagant a thing a love marriage was.
In any case, I had no interest in such things.
‘Rather, this is the best marriage prospect.’
I smiled as if to tell him not to worry and patted his shoulder.
“Don’t worry. This is exactly what will make me happiest.”
***
Madam Cladine led me to a door lavishly painted with gold patterns.
Then she told me to wait a moment.
She entered the quarters first, and I had to wait outside for a while.
Soon, Madam Cladine came out from the empress’s quarters and said to me,
“Please enter.”
I stepped inside, treading on the floor covered with a soft carpet.
I went before the empress, whose figure was hidden by a screen, and prostrated myself.
“Roselia Kaneff greets Your great Majesty the Empress.”
“Raise your head.”
Empress Caroline spoke in a calm voice.
“I have heard something unbelievable.”
It seemed the maid had gone in first and reported the situation she had seen earlier.
Empress Caroline spoke calmly, but she could not completely hide the tremor in her voice.
“You, you truly can make the crown prince feel emotions?”
“That is correct, Your Majesty.”
“To think the existence I had searched for so desperately was so close at hand……”
Perhaps overwhelmed by regret over all that had passed, the empress said nothing for a moment.
She called a maid and had the screen removed.
Her beautiful appearance was revealed in full, effortlessly carrying a red dress lavishly embroidered with gold thread.
With her golden hair adorned with jewels and several layers of pearls wrapped around her neck, the empress gave off the presence of someone noble from birth.
“Not long ago, I summoned Duke Kaneff.”
The empress continued.
“It was because of the matter of a marriage proposal with the crown prince. Your brother is truly a warm-hearted and upright person. He said he would accept the marriage talks only if you consented.”
Arranged marriages like this proceeded based on interests, regardless of the person’s own wishes.
But Reiji was someone who wished for his younger sister’s happiness.
To him, that was the natural thing to do.
“How truly strange. There were certainly other alternatives besides you, Princess. However, if you are someone who possesses such power, then it is only right that I must hold on to you.”
My heart trembled.
The person seated in the highest position had said she would hold on to me.
This was an exceedingly good sign.
“Princess Roselia Kaneff. What must I do to capture your heart?”
My breath quickened. My heart trembled so violently it was practically pounding.
In such a situation, I must not answer rashly.
I bowed my head and said,
“How could I possibly ask anything of Your Majesty?”
The basics of negotiation: make the other side present their offer first.