No matter what era one lived in, there were always some things in life that one simply did not want to do, yet had to do.
If one constantly ran away just because they hated it, they would only end up sinking deeper in the end.
By the time they came to their senses, no matter how much they struggled, they would have already fallen into a sticky swamp, making it impossible to break free.
As the Crown Prince of the empire, Kane knew this better than anyone.
Who could imagine just how heavy a burden a young man who looked to be only in his twenties was carrying on his shoulders?
Fortunately, he had endured until now.
But humans were humans after all; everyone needed a moment to catch their breath.
Over the years, the Crown Prince had also figured out a few ways of his own to relax.
For instance, horse riding.
Or occasionally teasing the people around him in his spare time.
And today, as someone who had been through it all, Kane decided to teach Li An a supreme technique to escape this sea of suffering.
“Listen up, Li An. I'll teach you how to solve the crisis in front of you.”
“What method?”
Li An waited with anticipation for the Crown Prince to speak.
This was life experience personally passed down by the Crown Prince of the empire. Anyone else would probably have been filled with expectations.
Then, Kane said in all seriousness,
“Pee right here.”
“...”
Li An was stunned.
Has he gone mad?
“When I was a child, I had more than ten tutors. Every day, the moment I opened my eyes, it was class after class. One day, I really didn't want to attend history class. Guess what I did?”
“You... peed?”
“Exactly.”
Kane nodded with satisfaction.
“That time, the entire imperial palace was thrown into chaos. My tutors were directly cut down from more than ten to just five. Li An, remember this.”
He looked incredibly serious.
“Sometimes, messing things up is actually the correct answer.”
Li An fell silent for a moment.
He seriously pictured that scene in his mind.
Twelve noble ladies were waiting for him to make his appearance.
And as the male protagonist of this matchmaking event, under everyone's watchful eyes, he would suddenly relieve himself on the spot...
Perfect.
Matchmaking over.
His social life would be over too.
His legend would probably be passed down throughout the empire's aristocratic circle for generations.
“That won't work.”
“Is that so? I think it's a pretty good idea.”
Kane expressed quite some regret.
“But don't be too discouraged. I'll help you in my own way, so you should do your best too.”
After saying that, Kane patted Li An's shoulder and walked out alone.
The noble ladies in the hall instantly turned their gazes toward him.
Kane, being the Crown Prince, was already long accustomed to this level of attention.
Without showing even a hint of discomfort, he instead put on a warm smile.
“It is truly a pleasure to meet all of you beautiful ladies today. It seems tonight will be a long night. I wonder if any lady is willing to have a nice chat with me?”
In an instant,
the ladies' expressions changed.
They had originally come here for the matchmaking event.
They had been considering their compatibility, family background, and the benefits a union between their families could bring.
But with Kane joining the picture, the situation was completely different.
Li An versus Kane.
How many men in the empire currently possessed better qualifications than Li An?
Considering factors like their present, future, marriageable age, and physical appearance, they could probably be counted on one hand.
But what if the partner was the Crown Prince?
If an opportunity to turn from a common noble into a member of the imperial family in the blink of an eye was right before them, who could bear to let it slip away?
Even if the probability was low, it was worth a shot.
“Hahaha! Ladies, come over here!”
Kane laughed loudly and waved his hand.
And so, a crowd of noble ladies followed him over without the slightest hesitation.
Surrounded by a sea of noble ladies, Kane turned back one last time to give Li An a smile that said, 'I've done my best, good luck to you.'
...
Li An stared at the hall, which had quieted down once again, and fell into silence.
Most of the young ladies had been lured away by the Crown Prince.
The scene looked just like the Pied Piper of Hamelin from a fairy tale.
However, three ladies still remained behind.
Isha Sinus, played by Elizabeth Barba.
Celi Lavione, played by Serena Barba.
And...
who was the other one again?
Forget it.
Li An let out a long sigh of relief.
The pressure that had previously weighed on his shoulders like a mountain had at least shrunk into a large boulder now.
This matchmaking event could be considered completely ruined due to the sudden intervention of the royal family.
Next, he just had to find a way to get those two troublesome princesses back to the imperial palace safely.
“If you don't mind, why don't we have some tea together?”
At this moment, the one who took the initiative to step forward was not either of the two princesses, but another young lady.
The girl looked very ordinary.
Compared to the exquisite and luxurious gowns worn by the other noble ladies, the dress she wore was clearly much more simple and practical. Even the jewelry she wore barely managed to form a matching set.
Who on earth was she?
Li An suddenly felt a headache coming on.
...
Erin Asht was a young lady from a baron family, as well as an ambitious eighteen-year-old girl.
Although she was born a noble, the Asht family was so poor that she had done all sorts of work.
Serving as a maid, tutor, or study companion for other noble ladies—she had even had to cast aside her dignity in order to make money.
But no matter how impoverished her family background was, the hot blood of 'ambition' still flowed within her.
“A humble birth is no disgrace! Knowing when to bow and when to stand is the mark of a true noble!”
Whenever the night was deep and quiet, she would encourage herself with these words. It was also why she had never forgotten her dream.
One day, she would live a life worthy of her status and become a true high noble.
And when the news spread that the 'Light of the Empire,' Li An Adolf, was looking for a marriage partner,
Erin instantly realized that this was an opportunity she had to grasp.
She carefully took out a gown she was usually too reluctant to wear and put together a few borrowed pieces of jewelry to dress herself up.
With an excited heart, Erin boarded a rented carriage and rushed to the Adolf territory.
Until she arrived in the territory, she was full of confidence.
With her above-average looks and decent intellect, wouldn't marrying into a baron's family be a piece of cake?
But the moment she stepped through the door, she was dumbfounded.
“Is that... the daughter of Count Alya?”
“And the young lady from the Marquis Worcester family?”
Erin instantly felt like a shivering little octopus.
She never imagined that the daughters of prestigious Marquises and Counts would actually attend a matchmaking event for the eldest son of a Baron.
Immediately following that, Crown Prince Kane arrived in person.
Erin almost fainted on the spot.
“No, I have to calm down.”
She clenched her teeth.
“Erin, you can do this.”
However, when Erin watched the Crown Prince easily lead away a large group of noble ladies with her own eyes, hope flared up within her once more.
What kind of status did the Crown Prince have?
An existence so far out of reach was simply not something she could hope to reach for.
But Li An was different.
He was also from a Baron's family.
At least she still had a chance.
Erin tidied her dress once more and gathered the courage to walk forward.
At this moment, only three young ladies remained in the hall.
Which meant she had at least a one-third chance.
“The daughter of Viscount Sinus... and the daughter of Baron Lavione?”
Erin stealthily sized up the other two.
Although they were both beautiful noble ladies, compared to the daughters of Marquises and Counts who had just left, their family backgrounds were clearly much humbler.
As the daughter of a lower-ranked noble family herself, she might not be without a chance.
At the very least, in terms of social standing, she wasn't too far behind Isha and Celi.
So, she took a deep breath.
“If you don't mind, why don't we have some tea together?”
As her words fell,
everyone's gaze instantly locked onto her.
Erin wondered if she had said something wrong.
Just then, the lady of the Lavione family smiled.
“Good idea.”
She picked up her teacup and said flatly,
“I happen to be a bit thirsty. Let's sit down and have some tea.”
As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Isha of the Sinus family.
Her eyes were faintly terrifying.
“However, I don't want to sit with a woman who doesn't even know where she belongs yet stubbornly clings to others.”
She gave a soft laugh.
“If Li An's leg is uncomfortable, I wouldn't mind serving as his 'support.' As for those who lack the ability, wouldn't it be better if they obediently got out of the way?”
For some reason, Erin felt a terrifying pressure radiating from Celi. Was she really just the daughter of a Baron?
She couldn't help but swallow hard.
And what she had said... 'not even knowing where she belongs?'
Was... was that directed at her?
She suddenly felt like crying.
‘It's so scary here.’
‘Father... I want to go back to the countryside.’
...
Faced with Celi's words, Isha was in no hurry to respond. Instead, she unhurriedly picked up her teacup, gently dropped two sugar cubes into it, and thoughtfully handed it to Li An.
“Black tea with two sugar cubes. Li An, this is your preferred taste, right?”
“Thank you, but no.”
“You can only eat two pieces of pastry at most. Too much sweetness is bad for your health.”
Hearing this, Li An, whose hand had just reached for a pastry, immediately pulled it back. His 'Hamster Disguise, Eat Everything and Ignore Everything Plan' had declared bankruptcy before it could even begin.
Having completed this series of territorial claims, Isha lifted her beautiful, pale neck and looked at Celi provocatively.
Yes, even though Isha was participating in the matchmaking event today as the daughter of Viscount Sinus, she had taken the initiative to sit right next to Li An and assumed a posture of 'I understand him perfectly.'
Her purpose couldn't be any clearer.
She was targeting Celi Lavione.
She wanted to tell her:
I already know this man's preferences inside and out.
I even know what kind of tea he drinks.
What do you have to compete with me?
“Despicable.”
“What?”
“Nothing. You probably misheard.”
Celi forcefully suppressed her anger.
Her patience was never great to begin with.
At this point, she couldn't even stop herself from wanting to flip the table.
Isha usually pretended to be gentle, quiet, and intelligent.
But in front of her, she never hid her true character.
A long-standing grudge existed between the two.
“Do you still sleep hugging that doll?”
Celi suddenly spoke up.
“The one you snatched from me when you were eight.”
Isha's movements paused.
“Do you just really love stealing other people's things?”
“...I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“You don't know what I'm talking about?”
Celi narrowed her eyes slightly.
“What you truly don't know must be your own identity.”
“Do the people around you know you're usually like this?”
Isha immediately used mind magic to transmit her voice.
“—What are you trying to do? Want to expose your identity here?”
“—I'm actually quite curious. You've hidden yourself so deeply, yet it turns out you've been working in the Evaluation Department? And your superior doesn't seem to know who you really are, does he?”
How sharp was Celi's intuition?
With this single sentence, she poked right at Isha's sore spot.
Isha's face instantly darkened.
“—Wouldn't it be even more interesting if your identity got exposed?”
“—The Second Princess of the empire actually came to a place like this to participate in a matchmaking event...”
“—Do you dare say it?”
“—If you dare, so do I. Why don't we reveal our identities to everyone together? 'The Second Princess traveling in disguise' sounds a whole lot better than 'a princess pretending to go to work.'”
“—Is that so? Then how about we also tell everyone about Her Highness the Second Princess running off to the theater troupe every single day?”
“—...”
“—Hehe.”
“—How on earth did you find out?”
The interaction between them had completely turned into a war of threats without any gunfire.
Neither of them was willing to back down even half a step.
Li An keenly sensed this bizarre atmosphere.
He silently lifted his black tea and took a sip.
Completely tasteless.
He looked to the side.
The unknown noble lady's hands were trembling slightly.
For some reason, Li An felt a sudden surge of mutual sympathy.
A little shrimp sandwiched between two giant whales.
How tragic.
And the two princesses could no longer be bothered to speak.
They began to compete with each other through subtle, petty movements.
Purposely pushing the teacup further away from the other.
Grabbing a pastry a split second before the other's hand could reach it.
Even the most oblivious person could see that a bizarre war was being waged between the two of them.
And Erin could finally stand it no longer.
She felt that she had to do something.
Thus, she abruptly stood up.
“Everyone, please calm down!”
She forced a stiff smile.
“Today is the Holy Night Festival after all! On such a wonderful day, the atmosphere should be more lively, haha...”
Her ideals were full of hope, but the hem of her skirt suddenly caught on the corner of her chair.
“Huh?”
Erin tripped.
To maintain her balance, she subconsciously flailed her arms.
And then—
Thud!
The teapot was knocked over by her arm.
Because the table surface was somewhat slippery, the teapot actually spun in a full circle on the table.
Three hundred and sixty degrees.
Scolding hot tea instantly splashed in every direction.
“Ahhhhh!”
Erin let out a shriek.
Splash!
Everyone's clothes were instantly soaked in a large patch.
Including her own.
“...”
The hall fell into a dead silence.
Li An stared at the mess before him, then glanced at the two princesses who were momentarily speechless.
He realized his chance had come.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
“What on earth are you doing?”
Li An's face suddenly darkened.
“Today is the sacred Holy Night Festival!”
“To actually fight like this during a matchmaking event on such a day, are you not afraid of divine punishment?”
“I will go clean up.”
It had to be said that Li An's acting skills were quite excellent.
He angrily picked up a handkerchief, dramatically wiped his soaked clothes, and stood up to leave.
His movements were clean and decisive.
Without a shred of hesitation.
‘Thank you.’
‘Although I don't know your name, I will remember your kindness forever, anonymous lady.’
Thanks to this lady,
he had finally found a perfect excuse to escape.
Li An dashed away.
Almost the instant he left, Isha subconsciously followed him, not even bothering to wipe her clothes.
Celi remained seated, her chest heaving with anger.
Staring at Isha's hurrying back, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
‘That girl was so arrogant just a moment ago.’
‘Yet, the moment she saw that man leave, she immediately chased after him?’
‘Does she... actually like that man?’
The moment this thought surfaced, Serena's heart clenched inexplicably.
An indescribable feeling surged within her.
It felt as if she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn't follow them right now.
Celi shook her head violently.
No.
This must be an illusion.
She wasn't as foolish as Isha.
Men had always been led by the nose by her.
How could it be the other way around?
“I-I'm sorry! I'll clean it up right away! I am truly, deeply sorry!”
Erin clumsily tried to clean up the mess.
Only to accidentally step on her skirt hem once again.
“Ah!”
Celi let out a long sigh.
This day was truly an utter mess.
...
The Holy Night Festival.
A sky full of falling stars descended.
Li An had originally been thinking of how to shake off those two princesses, but the moment he raised his head and saw the night sky, his footsteps came to a halt involuntarily.
One of the few advantages of this era was that the sky was incredibly clean.
There were no high-rise buildings blocking the view, nor was there any industrial pollution.
Thus, whenever a shooting star streaked across the night sky, its starlight would appear exceptionally clear.
“Ah... Li An!”
“Isha.”
This was the first time Li An had ever seen Isha run in such a disheveled manner.
Her gown, which was already ill-suited for running, was soaked in a large patch. Panting, she ran to Li An's side.
“I'm sorry about just now...”
“It's fine.”
Li An waved his hand.
“I wasn't actually that angry anyway.”
The Holy Night Festival had a tradition.
When a shooting star streaked across the sky, one could only speak the truth.
Therefore, this statement was also true.
His previous reaction had merely been an act to escape the chaotic battlefield.
Li An wasn't angry in the slightest.
On the contrary,
he couldn't be happier.
“The stars tonight are really beautiful.”
“Yeah.”
The two stood side by side under the night sky.
A sky full of shooting stars streaked across the heavens.
It was so dazzling that one couldn't look away.
Isha... or rather, the real Elizabeth, took a deep breath.
Even though the starry sky before her was so gorgeous, she simply couldn't find the peace of mind to enjoy it.
Because there was one matter that had been sticking in her heart like a thorn.
Finally,
she gathered her courage.
“Li An.”
“Hmm?”
“There's something I want to tell you.”
“Tell me?”
Li An's heart suddenly leaped.
It was finally coming.
What was meant to happen would eventually happen.
The day of identity exposure could not be avoided, sooner or later.
It looked like his peaceful days were finally coming to an end.
Today, indeed, was the day of the ultimate showdown.
“Actually, my true identity is...”
Boom—!
Right at this moment,
a shooting star crashed down with a roar.
The deafening sound made their eardrums buzz.
Even Li An was startled.
“Are you all right?”
“I'm fine, just a bit startled.”
“It's cold at night. Let's head back first.”
As Li An spoke, he naturally turned around.
Isha nodded too.
Her gown was ill-suited for moving around at night in the first place, not to mention it was currently soaked with tea.
If she caught a cold because of this, it would be troublesome.
Thank goodness for that shooting star.
Thanks to it, his peaceful days were extended by another day.
Li An turned and walked back toward the manor.
Yet, just then, a soft but firm voice sounded from behind him.
“Actually, I am the Third Princess of the empire, Elizabeth Barba.”
“I am sorry for deceiving you all this time.”
Some things,
after all, could not be avoided.
Li An's footsteps halted.
He slowly turned his head.
Under the moonlight, Elizabeth kept her head lowered, her cheeks so red they looked as though they were about to bleed.
Clearly, she had no idea what would happen next.
“I know.”
“...Huh?”
Elizabeth abruptly raised her head.
“Y-you know?”
“Yes, I know.”
Li An's expression was calm.
There was no shock.
There was no astonishment.
It was as if he had known the answer all along.
Elizabeth was completely stupefied.
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.
When did he find out?
Was it back in the imperial palace?
Or when they were apart?
Or perhaps, after she came out of Zarat prison?
Li An raised his hand to touch his cheek.
Then, he simply said calmly,
“The wind is strong at night, you'll catch a cold.”
“Let's go inside first.”
At this moment,
Elizabeth gazed at his departing back, completely frozen in place.
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