The Vicious Princess Who Landed a Fake Job — Episode 15

Why on earth is he here?

I stared blankly at Cain.

As far as I remembered, the western Crown Prince's palace where Cain resided sat at the exact opposite end from here—the eastern annex. In other words, this was nowhere near a distance one might cover on a passing stroll.

Which meant he had come to this annex garden on purpose.

So he's here to see Varkan, then?

I glanced toward the garden entrance. The Duke's knights who had been standing guard just moments ago were nowhere in sight.

They'd mentioned a shift change soon, and it seemed the Crown Prince had slipped in during their brief absence.

Whatever his reason, I did not appreciate being left alone with the original novel's male lead at this exact moment. Concealing my discomfort, I looked at Cain.

He doesn't seem to know who I am yet.

But as if to laugh at my expectations, Cain placed a hand over his chest and spoke as though he'd been waiting for exactly this.

"I had no intention of startling you. It is an honor to meet the distinguished guest from Delmar. I am Cain Castillo, Crown Prince of Castillo."

"......"

He already knew who I was.

Which meant he'd approached me knowing full well I was the mad princess from Delmar...

Why?

Questions piled up in my head, but I feigned surprise at meeting the Crown Prince, then let the look fade as I lightly gathered the hem of my dress.

"Ah, the Crown Prince of Castillo."

I gave a small bow.

"Ivelina Delmar, sixth princess of the Kingdom of Delmar, is honored to meet Castillo's first pride. Please forgive any discourtesy."

At that, the smile crinkling Cain's eyes deepened just a touch.

"Discourtesy? It was I who appeared without warning—I imagine I gave the princess more of a fright."

I nodded calmly.

"That is true."

Haha, Cain laughed lightly.

"Welcome to Castillo, Princess."

"Thank you for the welcome."

Once the formalities concluded, a brief silence settled between us. Then Cain spoke first.

"You know your flowers and trees well. I could tell from the way you recognized the plum tree."

"......"

A needless pang of guilt shot through me, but I gave nothing away and smoothly changed the subject with a composed face.

"Considering you brought them directly from the Eastern Continent, I take it gardening is a hobby of yours?"

Cain gently brushed a fingertip against one of the red blossoms blooming beside him as he replied.

"Is that so surprising? That the Crown Prince's hobby is tending a garden?"

I shook my head.

"No. It's unexpected, but not strange. If anything, I'm rather envious of such a pastime."

"The princess is free of prejudice, I see."

"I hear that often."

At my slightly preening tone, Cain chuckled softly.

"Some would call cultivating a garden nothing more than a decadent indulgence in beauty. But to me, this garden is another empire."

"An empire?"

"Yes. Through this small ecosystem, I learn the laws that govern life. Watching these living things grow in varied ways according to how I control and nurture them is quite a pleasure, you see. It is also proof—confirmation that my effort, my judgments and decisions, were not made in vain."

"......"

Suddenly comparing a garden to an empire, was he?

Well, it was certainly the sort of thinking befitting a future emperor—and the male lead of the original story.

Not that I understood Cain's reasoning. To me, a garden divided into exactly two categories: edible and not.

Empires and the laws of life had absolutely nothing to do with me. I couldn't care less.

And yet.

Why did those words of his rub me the wrong way?

Am I just being oversensitive?

It sounded like something a righteous, virtuous male lead might say—and yet at the same time, it also sounded like he took pleasure not in cherishing a garden, but in the process of controlling and dominating it to suit his own taste.

And especially—those eyes as he gazed over the garden. I couldn't shake the feeling that they held no awe at the blossoming of life.

Prickled by an inexplicable irritation, I tilted my head and said,

"An empire... now that you mention it, that does seem apt."

Then I turned my gaze to the flower Cain's fingers had touched and went on.

"This garden, so beautifully perfected, must have gone through a treacherous process—just like the founding of an empire. After all, countless branches must have been cut away, deemed either contrary to the plan or simply unpleasant to look at."

All those sacrifices, and this pretty garden was what they bought. Which, really, bore a striking resemblance to how an empire gets built.

Cain's fingertips froze on the petal. I watched him and beamed, the picture of harmlessness. Then, as if cheering him on, I raised a fist and gave it a little shake before his eyes.

"From Your Highness looking at this little garden and thinking of the empire, I could truly feel your resolve never to forget such sacrifices! How admirable you are!"

Confronted with my innocent encouragement, Cain quickly rearranged his expression. A faintly awkward smile touched the corners of his mouth.

"...So one could see it that way."

"Ah, of course, my interpretation might be entirely wrong. It would be quite absurd for someone like me to presume to fathom Your Highness the Crown Prince's profound depths."

Then, as if confessing some tremendous secret, I dropped my voice to a whisper.

"The truth is, I'm not exactly in a calm enough state of mind to listen to anyone's philosophy and feel deep sympathy with it."

Having said my piece, I stifled a giggle. Cain stared at me, visibly flustered.

It must have been the first time a princess had cheerfully declared I'm crazy! to his face.

So even if my words stung, what could he do? He'd simply have to brush it off as the ramblings of a mad princess.

Growing uncomfortable with further conversation, I took a step back.

"I've taken far too much of Your Highness's time. Thank you for the enlightening words. And it was a lovely tour of the garden."

"Princess."

I could feel him about to stop me. I dipped my head in a quick bow.

"I'll see you at the luncheon. Well then, goodbye!"

"......"

Take care! And I whisked myself out of the garden in a hurry.

I felt a sticky gaze land on the back of my head, but who cared.

Quickening my pace, I walked even faster.

At that same hour, in the antechamber of Varkan's bedchamber on the first floor of the annex.

From the moment he arrived at the imperial palace and unpacked until now, Varkan had not once let the documents leave his hands.

Even after his audience with the Emperor early that morning. He could well have retired to his bedchamber for a nap, yet instead he chose to sit on the antechamber sofa and pick up the papers again.

The spacious room was furnished with luxurious furniture and ornaments prepared for receiving guests—but the atmosphere inside might as well have been the bleak barracks of a warfront.

Documents brought from the ducal estate were stacked in layers across the antechamber table, and beside them his aide, Roan, was rapidly organizing the contents of each report.

"There's a report that this quarter's timber from the Serildino territory is drastically lower in quality than the price billed. Contact the merchant house immediately and have them audit the distribution route, then pull the delivery ledgers."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Confirm whether the goods were swapped in transit or whether the contracted shipment was wrong from the start. If anyone was tampering along the way, have them bound and brought up at once."

"It shall be done."

Varkan shifted his gaze to the next document.

"And... what became of the case of the illegally traded Osnis talons?"

At Varkan's frosty question, Roan, standing at his side, answered with a rigid expression as he flipped through the papers.

"We apprehended and interrogated the middle merchant, but the trail has gone cold for two years since. Because of the deadly venom the beast carries, its parts command extraordinary prices on the black market—it appears those at the higher levels of the trade cut the line entirely and have buried themselves deep."

At Roan's careful answer, Varkan's fingertip pressed slowly against the edge of the document.

"When monster materials are smuggled at bargain prices, it strikes a direct blow to the North's finances. Make it your top priority."

"Yes, Your Highness. I will not forget."

Only as the luncheon hour drew near did he finally set down the papers in his hand.

Varkan leaned back against the sofa and tilted his head toward the ceiling.

Letting out a long breath, he pressed his fingertips firmly against his aching brow and sighed low.

"...Endless."

Watching his weary figure, Roan spoke with a bitter look.

"Allocating a territory's budget and managing the goods flowing in and out of it has traditionally been the domain of the lady of the house—domestic affairs passed down through generations of duchesses. The seat of Grand Duchess has been empty for far too long."

"......"

That was indeed the truth of it.

From budgeting for the knight orders dispatched to subjugate monsters, to the grueling coordination of supplies with the merchant houses across the territory, to the management of the ducal household's employees and the distribution of vast quantities of monster byproducts—

By rights, all of it should have been led by the Grand Duchess, mistress of the North's household.

Yet from the day Varkan had ascended as head of the house until now, he had shouldered it all alone—standing on the brutal frontlines of monster subjugation while simultaneously running the vast internal affairs of the duchy.

He gave his utmost with superhuman stamina and ability, but the ceaseless tide of monster campaigns alone would have broken ten bodies, let alone one.

For him to plug every last financial leak inside the ducal household to perfection, a clear limit existed.

And so the Escarr Ducal House needed the presence of a Grand Duchess more firmly than any family in the land.

They wished for a capable and wise partner to seize the tangled household of the territory in a firm grip and take responsibility for it—so that Varkan could devote himself wholly to the monster campaigns.

But.

Sigh...

Roan swallowed a sigh inwardly.

The person the Emperor had thrown into that seat was a princess of an enemy nation.

Roaan bit his lip, heart sinking.

Then—

Knock, knock-knock, knock, knock—!

A bright, sprightly knock rang through the antechamber.

Varkan's and Roan's eyes turned toward the door.

And before anyone could ask who it was, a breezy voice popped through.

"Your Highness, it's me! The luncheon's about to start, so I came to get you!"

"......"

"......"

It was the princess.