“Darling, say ‘ah’...”
Li An reflexively opened his mouth and bit into the strawberry Serena had brought to his lips.
The sweet, fresh pulp instantly burst in his mouth.
After all, these were strawberries grown exclusively for the imperial family. Only the finest varieties were selected, planted in the most fertile soil, and it was said that even the farmers sang to them daily, praying for their healthy growth.
They were naturally the finest of the fine.
“There’s really no need to feed him yourself, is there?”
“Since we’re already acting like a couple in public, shouldn't the other women know to back off?”
Serena paid absolutely no attention to the gossip of the onlookers. Instead, she picked up another strawberry and popped it into Li An's mouth.
She had no intention of letting this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity go to waste.
Ever since she discovered that Li An was the Prince of the Night that day, Serena had taken the chance to steal his first kiss.
Up to this point, everything was going well.
But the problem was that immediately afterward, Serena fell completely ill.
The reason was exceedingly simple.
That night, she had messed around in the freezing wind for too long and ended up catching the worst cold of her life.
Even healing magic was ineffective.
For an entire week.
Serena could only lie in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling every day.
Only recently had she finally regained her mobility.
Even though the doctor had clearly instructed her that she still needed a period of quiet rest, the moment she heard Li An had arrived at the imperial palace, she leaped straight out of bed.
To make matters worse, she had caught wind of some news.
Recently, it seemed a fair number of sly cats had started buzzing around Li An.
When Serena first heard about this, she felt a surge of rage rush straight to her head.
But once she calmed down, she realized that this was actually a golden opportunity.
And the development of events had gone completely in the direction she had anticipated.
“To be honest, we’ve already kissed, haven't we?”
Serena asked with a smile.
“...”
“You stole that from me,”
Li An replied expressionlessly.
“Oh?”
Serena tilted her head.
“That was your first kiss, right?”
“Come to think of it, I believe it was my first kiss too.”
“But you and Elizabeth haven’t progressed to that stage yet, have you?”
“It has nothing to do with her...”
The words nearly slipped out of Li An's mouth.
Fortunately, he stopped himself just in time.
Then, he said with a serious expression:
“Information regarding this matter exceeds the authority of the Minister of the Evaluation Department. A higher clearance is required to proceed with this inquiry.”
“What a pity.”
Serena pouted.
But judging from Li An's reaction, she pretty much got the picture.
The relationship between Li An and Elizabeth was still far from reaching that level.
Serena couldn't help but mock Elizabeth in her heart.
To have stayed by Li An's side for so long and yet only be at this level?
Elizabeth, you really are useless.
If it had been her instead...
The children would probably have been born by now.
At that thought, the smile on Serena's face grew even more brilliant.
Just then...
“Your Highness Serena!”
“Something has happened!”
Rosa, her maid and confidante, ran over in a flurry, behaving so unseemly right in front of the person she liked.
Serena, however, remained exceedingly elegant as she lifted her teacup.
“What is it?”
“Her Highness Elizabeth is heading this way, and she looks absolutely furious!”
“She's even carrying a sword!”
Pfft!
The tea Serena had just sipped instantly sprayed out of her mouth.
“...”
She fell silent for a moment.
Only one thought remained in her mind:
How utterly embarrassing.
Serena quickly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, then looked up.
She originally wanted to check if Li An had been sprayed by her tea.
But what greeted her eyes instead was Elizabeth, who had already entered the imperial courtyard.
Elizabeth was currently holding a handkerchief, gently wiping the tea off of Li An's clothes.
“How is it that a woman like you is always so pathetic?”
Elizabeth said flatly.
Then, she turned her gaze to Li An.
“I heard you’ve been busy with official duties lately.”
“Busy enough to be having tea with a princess?”
“This is all thanks to a certain someone.”
Li An replied expressionlessly.
Elizabeth sat down.
Consequently, a highly delicate situation formed around the single table.
Li An sat in the middle.
Serena was on his left.
Elizabeth was opposite him.
An unspeakable tension filled the air.
Serena, however, acted as though she hadn't noticed a thing and spoke with a smile.
“Elizabeth, have you heard?”
“We’ve decided to date.”
Elizabeth was naturally already aware of this.
She had probably rushed to the palace immediately upon hearing the news.
Serena wore the smile of a victor.
Yet Elizabeth merely spared her a cold glance.
“Do you take me for a fool?”
“Even a toddler could figure out that it's fake.”
“Hmm?”
Serena arched an eyebrow.
“Are you saying our relationship is fake?”
“But we are truly dating.”
“I heard that many young noble ladies have been badgering Li An lately,”
Elizabeth analyzed calmly.
“And ever since you announced your relationship with him, those women have completely backed off.”
“Isn't the answer obvious?”
“Li An is merely acting with you temporarily out of necessity.”
“A reasonable speculation,”
Serena laughed.
But Elizabeth pressed on:
“Besides, Li An doesn't like women of your type.”
Snap.
It felt as if a vein had snapped on Serena's forehead.
Li An keenly sensed the souring atmosphere.
He quietly rose from his chair, preparing to slip away.
Yet how could Elizabeth possibly let him off?
“Li An.”
“Yes.”
“Since you need to fake a relationship...”
Elizabeth looked straight at him.
“...then date me instead.”
Serena instantly interjected.
“If you date her, you’ll just end up being labeled a complete playboy in the future.”
“Instead, it would be much better to maintain our current dynamic.”
“Isn't this far more stable?”
Elizabeth glared coldly at her.
“You certainly have some nerve.”
“Hmm?”
Serena blinked.
“In that case, how about we try it for real?”
With that, she turned her head toward Li An.
“Li An.”
“Are we going to keep pretending to be a couple in the future?”
Elizabeth watched him as well.
“Li An.”
“Trust me.”
“Pretending to be a couple with me is the best choice.”
Both women stared intently at him.
Their gazes seemed to say:
Choose.
Li An cleared his throat.
“Regarding this matter...”
...
◆ The Light of the Empire? No, the Empire's Number One Playboy! This Time, a Secret Meeting with the Third Princess!
Count Li An of Erindale, who has recently been publicly linked in a romantic relationship with the Second Princess of the empire, was reportedly spotted having a private meeting with the Third Princess of the empire on a quiet evening...
...
“What on earth is this?”
Li An stared at the newspaper in his hand, a look of complete bewilderment on his face.
Yesterday evening, he had clearly only said, “Let me think about it,” before returning to his room.
Yet by the next morning, the imperial newspaper had published this sort of gossip.
For the Imperial Daily, which boasted of professional journalists and excellent commentators, to actually report such baseless fake news was beyond ridiculous.
It was truly disappointing.
Li An pondered seriously.
It seemed he would have to lodge a formal complaint.
With this thought in mind, he walked out of his room.
In the courtyard, several young noble ladies were enjoying brunch.
Li An instinctively wanted to steer clear of them.
Unfortunately, their eyes still met.
“Kyaaa! It's Li An!”
“Li An!”
“Who are you planning to date today?”
“Is it the cool and beautiful Second Princess, or the mysterious Third Princess?”
But this time, the reaction of the young noble ladies was entirely different from before.
The feeling was like the male lead of a popular soap opera suddenly walking into reality, and a group of female fans of the show had just happened to run into him.
Li An walked past them expressionlessly.
“How did he actually manage to do it?”
“To actually bag two princesses at the same time...”
“Just looking at his back sends shivers down my spine.”
The young noble ladies were so excited they were nearly losing their minds.
Even Viscount Sinus, upon seeing Li An, couldn't help but creep over.
“Lord Count, could you share the secret with me as well?”
“Just how did you manage it?”
“Exactly how does one capture the hearts of two princesses at once...”
“Count! Lord Count!”
Li An completely ignored him.
Right now, he only wanted to find Serena.
Very quickly.
Li An rushed straight up to Serena.
“I think things have gotten completely out of hand.”
He handed the newspaper in his hand to Serena.
Serena took a glance and immediately burst out laughing.
“What's the big deal?”
“This is clearly something to be happy about.”
“Happy?”
Li An knit his brows.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Serena smiled mysteriously.
“Now, look here.”
With that...
...she suddenly leaned in close.
Smooch.
And lightly planted a kiss on Li An's cheek.
The young noble ladies walking by instantly let out a chorus of screams.
“Kyaaa!”
“Her Highness Serena just kissed the Count!”
“Look!”
Serena smiled as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred:
“Congratulations.”
“You’ve officially become the most popular man in the empire.”
...
◆ The Empire's Number One Playboy Receives Another Kiss from the Second Princess...
“...”
Li An fell into a deep silence as he stared at the newspaper.
“Is this thing...”
“...actually a newspaper?”
Until this moment, he had finally understood what Serena had meant by “becoming the most popular man in the empire” the day before.
He had indeed lodged a complaint with the Imperial Daily.
But the reply he received was a single sentence:
“Management will investigate the matter thoroughly.”
In other words...
...it was utterly useless.
This empire possessed neither televisions nor television dramas.
The only mass media available to the common populace was basically newspapers.
As for the magic stone receivers, only a tiny fraction of the wealthy could afford them.
Therefore, the influence of the Imperial Daily among the citizens of the empire was incredibly massive.
And recently...
...Li An's love life occupied the front page almost every single day.
“Ahhh!”
“It’s Li An!”
“Lord Count, please give me your autograph!”
The reactions of the young noble ladies grew increasingly exaggerated.
It was as if they were encountering a genuine superstar.
“We shouldn't get too close to Li An.”
“Just watching from a distance is enough.”
“As expected, Her Highness the Second Princess suits Li An the best.”
“What?”
“Are you Team Second Princess too?”
“Huh?”
The arguments among the young noble ladies escalated rapidly.
In the end, someone even drew their sheathed dagger.
Li An had to personally intervene to stop them from coming to blows.
He couldn't help but sigh deeply.
How on earth did things turn out like this?
...
“Ah, Li An.”
“It seems rather difficult to catch a glimpse of you lately.”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”
Li An reacted as though facing a formidable foe.
“Please stay away from me!”
“Why is that?”
Kane had a look of complete confusion.
“The weather is so lovely today. How about we go hunting together?”
“...”
Li An stared hard at him.
“I have explicitly warned you.”
“?”
...
◆ Does the Empire's Number One Playboy Only Have an Eye for Women?
This Time, Is He Seeking Forbidden Love?!
...
“This...”
Kane stared at the newspaper in his hand, completely speechless.
Lately, the circulation and influence of the Imperial Daily had reached its zenith.
Consequently, gossip surrounding the imperial family had naturally become the public's absolute favorite pastime.
And this time...
...even the Crown Prince was dragged into the fray.
“This is absolutely preposterous!”
Kane suddenly leaped to his feet.
“Even if the empire guarantees freedom of speech, the Imperial Daily cannot print such slanderous nonsense!”
“We must immediately demand they publish a formal retraction...”
Watching the panicked state of the Crown Prince, Li An remained remarkably calm.
“It's already too late.”
“Kyaaa!”
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, please look over here!”
“Please look back!”
“Could you give us an autograph as well?”
The Crown Prince had officially been integrated into the cast of the imperial drama.
The newspaper had even published the cast list for this ongoing soap opera.
Starring:
Count of Erindale, Li An.
Second Princess of the Empire, Serena Barba.
Third Princess of the Empire, Elizabeth Barba.
Crown Prince of the Empire, Kane Barba.
Subscription Rate: 80%.
...
“Give it up.”
Li An had completely given up on trying.
“Well, it's not like I'm completely hating this farce anyway.”
“It’s not all that bad.”
Fortunately, the attention span of the imperial capital's citizens was short-lived.
Months later, the imperial gossip that had swept through the entire empire finally began to quiet down.
Some even started to suspect...
...that this was actually a deliberate media campaign orchestrated by the imperial family itself.
However, strange rumors began to circulate quietly through the streets of the imperial capital.
A significant number of common citizens remarked that they had always viewed the imperial family as aloof, stern, and distant.
But after this grand scandal, they suddenly felt that the imperial family had become much more approachable.
Some even began to actively follow the imperial family's daily activities again.
Meanwhile...
...inside the office of the Evaluation Department.
“So, who did you end up dating in the end, Li An?”
Sushia covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with laughter.
Li An, on the other hand, sat in his chair with a dark and gloomy face.
Having endured such an immense, earth-shaking commotion, his entire being was mired in deep exhaustion and despair.
Upon hearing Sushia's teasing...
...he slowly stood up.
Crash!
The chair was violently pushed back.
“Ah!”
“M-Minister?”
Step by step, Li An loomed over Sushia, backing her straight into a corner.
Sushia's heart began to thud frantically.
Li An looked down at her.
“Sushia.”
“Before you make a joke next time, you’d better think twice.”
“Exactly who you are messing with.”
With that, he wore a profound, meaningful smile.
Then he turned and walked back to his seat.
Sushia's legs went soft, and she slumped straight into her seat.
“That's right...”
“The Empire's Number One Playboy.”
“From now on, the title of 'Playboy' will probably be firmly attached to the Minister forever...”
In order to soothe her startled heart, Sushia chugged five cups of cocoa and wolfed down ten cookies in one go.
...
Meanwhile...
...in a dimly lit room somewhere.
The leader of the Spiders took a deep, heavy sigh.
“Li An...”
“What kind of monster is this man?”
“We’ve only just lost two of our ‘legs,’ and yet he’s already gone and done something like this...”
They had previously used various methods to spread negative rumors regarding the imperial family throughout the empire.
The prestige of the imperial family, which had already been plummeting, suffered a devastating blow because of it.
Yet who could have foreseen...
...that a single, ridiculous imperial scandal would completely flip public opinion?
“Who would have thought...”
“...that the imperial family’s reputation, which had fallen to rock bottom, would be restored all because of a mere scandal.”
“I have lost.”
The once arrogant fabricator finally admitted his defeat.
Li An Adolf.
No.
He should be addressed now as Count Li An of Erindale.
This man had officially become the greatest threat to the Spiders.
Rate on N.U.
