But he wasn’t the Crown Prince.

What if there was someone who rejected him, someone who had always been able to have everything, someone whom no one around him had ever refused?

He would try to possess them by any means necessary.

‘The husband I’ve known, that Helbert, has always been like that. He coveted things he couldn’t have even more.’

That’s why Elzere, your elder sister, often said in front of Sesenia that she should have been the fiancée.

The more Elzere shone, the more Sesenia created unnecessary problems because of it.

“Well… It’s like wishing for the happiness of the person you like? And rather than being tied down, I thought having a little room to escape might make him view me more comfortably.”

“Oh…”

“I learned that through books.”

“Love should be practical. Not from such books.”

“That’s why I want to try that practice. To make His Highness the Crown Prince love me… To prove that the rumors circulating are just false rumors, and to make him able to love me fully. That’s what I want to do.”

At that moment, the Crown Prince began to laugh like a madman.

“Hahaha. Really, really interesting. To be loved fully, you say. Your ambition is quite remarkable.”

The face of the Crown Prince, who had been listening quietly, changed in an instant.

“This is how I’ve grown up. So perhaps this has become my reason, Your Highness.”

“Very well. I’ll do as you wish. In any case, if I’m not satisfied, or if I have someone else in mind, I agree to break off the engagement without holding you responsible.”

“Yes!”

“But… you say you love me. Somehow, your eyes looked unusual from the start. Like the eyes of someone who wants to do something to me.”

“You caught me.”

It was a different kind of ‘wanting to do something,’ but Sesenia smiled and handed him the quill pen.

The Crown Prince, who thought himself to be extremely reasonable and sweet at times like this, took the quill.

A document with nothing written on it.

“If you sign at the bottom, I’ll write down the contents. I can’t leave all these things to Your Highness, after all.”

“Good.”

Crown Prince Helbert, who had elegantly signed his name at the bottom, smiled and passed the parchment to Sesenia.

Even as he did so, his hand moved clumsily, as if trying to grab Sesenia’s hand. Eventually, their hands brushed against each other.

Sesenia stopped her hand at this creepy action, but the Crown Prince wore a satisfied expression.

The way he licked his lips clearly showed what he was thinking, plunging her mood into the mud.

“So smooth. I wonder if… that soft flesh is also smooth.”

“Pardon?”

Sesenia feigned ignorance while knowing full well what he meant.

To say such things so openly to someone you’ve just met. He was trash among trash.

Perhaps realizing what he had said belatedly, he waved his hands dismissively.

“Never mind. Since I’ve signed, do as you see fit.”

“Yes.”

She bit her lip, trying hard to compose herself.

‘They say from ancient times, never sign any document carelessly, but you’re quite the fool, Helbert. Signing without even looking at the contents.’

She had thought that with his pride, he would surely act like this.

A man born as the Crown Prince who had never lacked anything. A secure position as the Empress and a perfectly guaranteed place.

Perhaps that’s why he never doubted.

He lived thinking that no one could ever harm him. This was the result of that.

‘After becoming Emperor, he suffered quite a bit because of con artists.’

Sesenia looked at the Crown Prince with a smirk.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just thought that even Your Highness’s signature resembles you.”

“Bold, beautiful, and noble, right?”

“Yes.”

At that moment, Sesenia lowered her head. She didn’t want to sincerely agree with his extremely arrogant and narcissistic words.

‘Well then, let’s see what I should write.’

Sesenia, with her head bowed, began to move her hand.

She had no intention of committing fraud through this.

She was merely trying to write the contents in a way that was advantageous to her.

So Sesenia began to write faster than ever before.

[Helbert Wez Elzerat and Sesenia Bestel, in their engagement, hereby formally agree through this written document to do their best.
However, during their engagement period, either party may break off the engagement at any time if desired. This is a mutual agreement, and neither party shall be held responsible for it. Furthermore, the party being broken up with also agrees not to hold the other party responsible for this matter.]

It was a short but powerful statement.

And this was possible because Sesenia had come of age.

While contracts made by minors can be easily nullified by guardians, it wasn’t the case for adults.

Even if there was a prior contract between the Imperial Family and the Bestel Marquis family, it wouldn’t change anything.

A contract above a contract. This agreement, containing the consent of the parties involved, would take precedence over that contract.

‘This should be enough to prevent any problems later on.’

Writing the documents with such subtle wording wasn’t for his sake. It was for Sesenia herself.

Sesenia had no intention of properly engaging or marrying the Crown Prince.

And with this, she intended to prevent him from using it to trap her. Satisfied with what she had accomplished, Sesenia wore a content expression.

“I’ve finished writing, Your Highness.”

Sesenia turned the parchment towards him so he could see it.

But the Crown Prince’s face hardened as if something displeased him.

“This is strange.”

“What is?”

“This part: [However, during their engagement period, either party may break off the engagement at any time if desired. This is a mutual agreement, and neither party shall be held responsible for it. Furthermore, the party being broken up with also agrees not to hold the other party responsible for this matter.]”

‘As expected, did he notice?’

That part should have naturally included the phrase ‘if the Crown Prince desires,’ of course.

And Sesenia had deliberately omitted that part. But for him to notice it at once.

‘Perhaps he’s not as stupid as I thought.’

“Is there a problem?”

“Hmm…”

“I’m a person with many shortcomings. So please tell me if there’s anything wrong.”

The Crown Prince looked at Sesenia. An innocent face. Cheeks flushed as she looked at him. Seeing this, he stopped thinking.

“No. How can my fiancée have shortcomings? There’s nothing like that. Well, it shouldn’t matter.”

The Crown Prince shook his head.

“Is there perhaps something written incorrectly?”

“No.”

“No, I’ve always heard that one should be certain when writing documents. So please tell me if there’s anything wrong.”

She had no intention. If there was something wrong, she would change it.

Sesenia deliberately pressed him further. If it had been done with intention, Helbert would try to change it somehow.

But if she kept saying she had no intention, he would just let it pass.

Especially if it was him. If it was the him Sesenia knew. Knowing this, Sesenia pressured him even more.

“No. The document is perfect. Let’s leave it like this.”

“No, it seems like there’s something wrong, please tell me.”

“I said it’s fine. Let’s make one more copy of this draft and each keep one. And we’ll have it notarized on the day we announce the engagement.”

“You can really tell me… Your Highness is truly a kind person. Just overlooking my mistakes.”

Also, Helbert was very vulnerable to praise. When Sesenia complimented him, he scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.

“Kind, you say.”

“My elder sister who doesn’t know these good points of yours is really foolish. My elder sister who even went on a hunger strike because she didn’t want to be engaged to Your Highness… she’s really foolish at times like this.”

“…She went on a hunger strike because she dislikes me? Lady Elzere Bestel?”

“Yes. She said she dislikes you terribly.”

“Huh… She even said such things?”

Words that were never spoken in the past. Sesenia had intended to marry off her elder sister to Crown Prince Helbert.

To do that, she had to show something different from the past.

Anyway, it was obvious that the Crown Prince’s heart would go to Elzere.

In this way, by saying that Elzere didn’t want him, openly didn’t want him. By stimulating his curiosity with such things, she would make the Crown Prince’s gaze turn towards Elzere.

If Elzere made her proper debut at the founding ceremony, though not like in the past, he wouldn’t be able to contain his curiosity.

In the past, even though the Crown Prince was engaged to Sesenia, he kept turning his gaze towards Elzere.

He constantly compared Elzere and Sesenia in everything.

His heart was with Elzere from the beginning. It wouldn’t be any different this time.

Even now, the Crown Prince’s eyes were full of curiosity about Elzere.

The same goes for Elzere. She was told to become the Empress. And Elzere will strive to become the Empress.

Now she might have left the Crown Prince alone because she has the option of Ian, who loved her to the end and helped her, but she will eventually have no choice but to choose the Crown Prince.

‘In the end, the two of them will end up engaged.’

Especially if Elzere learns that Sesenia got engaged to the Crown Prince more easily than expected.

“Let’s keep that document a secret from the adults.”

“Hm? Why is that?”

“Actually, if nothing happens, our engagement will continue, right? If the adults know we wrote such a document in that situation, I think they might be sad. Let’s reveal it only if it becomes a problem.”

“I see. You’re quite a decent woman. You are.”

Of course, that wasn’t her intention.

If it became known that such a document was written, it was clear that the Marquis would try to get rid of it somehow.

‘That can’t happen.’

She wanted to throw the breakup document in the Crown Prince’s face.

But she had no intention of doing so without a plan. It wasn’t the time to feed shit to Helbert, the man who was her husband and now her fiancé.

To feed him shit completely, this was the only way.