Rapine burst into laughter.

“Really!”

With a face that couldn’t hide her joy, she reached out toward Benjamin. He didn’t budge, instead gripping her hand and pulling her tightly to himself.

“Ah!”

Rapine wobbled under his surprising strength and steadied herself on Benjamin’s shoulder. She could feel his solid bones beneath his light attire. As she surreptitiously slid her hand down his back, she felt his tensed muscles as well.

‘Good heavens…’

A touch as if transferring surging vitality.

‘To think this man, who looks so ascetic and saint-like, hides such strength. His body under those clothes is so fierce!’

Unknowingly, Rapine swallowed her saliva. The soft-spoken, warm atmosphere of the handsome man juxtaposed with his surprising muscles fascinated her.

“You’re surprised.”

Shyly hunching her shoulders, Rapine discreetly wrapped her arms around Benjamin’s neck. Then, naturally, she perched on his thighs. Despite having no proper human relationships, her coquettish behavior around men felt entirely natural.

“Been reading a book?”

She quickly changed the topic, making it difficult for him to stand up. This way, Rapine boldly occupied the prince’s lap. There was nothing awkward about her mannerism, given her reputation.

Others might have disparagingly said she only knew what she had seen when her mother worked in a tavern, but to Benjamin, it didn’t matter. Rapine, pretending not to care but subtly fawning over men, appeared cute and endearing.

“I was so bored while waiting.”

“Waited long?”

“Of course. I’ve been waiting since we made plans yesterday.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Benjamin lowered his head as Rapine, who was embracing his neck, spoke.

As her breath touched his exposed chest, Rapine deliberately tilted her head back and laughed. Her pale neck, adorned only with a thin necklace, was revealed. Any average man would have longed to bury his face in her almost transparent skin.

“Look at me.”

Benjamin supported the back of Rapine’s tilting head, forcing her to meet his eyes.

“How much did you miss me?”

With a soft and intimate voice, Rapine forgot her plans to flaunt the marks the prince had left on her and quickly met Benjamin’s gaze.

His green eyes, looking fervently at her through his clear lenses, fascinated her. Even his blond hair, scattering like shattered crystals in the sunlight, was beautiful.

“I missed you too.”

Whispering as if drunk, Rapine gently swept back her bangs, which were fluttering in the wind. Benjamin slowly closed his eyes and opened them again.

His eyes were deep set, with eyelashes that gave definition even to his faintly brown eyes. Everywhere seemed touched by an artisan’s hand.

‘This perfect prince is mine.’

A thrill surged through her body at the mere thought. Rapine lovingly embraced Benjamin’s head, pressing her lips to his hair.

“My savior.”

One week ago.

Rapine had no doubt that Benjamin was her savior. When she had just risen from a lawn after falling from the sky, she saw a blurry figure in the distance.

Blond hair… fading away.

“Blond…”

It was when Rapine was murmuring to herself.

“Oh, Rapine. Thankfully, you’re up quickly.”

Greta’s relieving voice rang. Turning her head while lying on the lawn, she saw Greta rushing toward her with a relieved expression. The piercing sound of her heels on marble floors was gone, making her less intimidating.

“Thank God, thank God.”
Even Greta had hesitantly risen from her seat to kneel in front of Lapine. Whether the maids behind her bustled or not, Greta focused only on Lapine. In that tender gaze, Lapine felt she was special.

“Why am I here… lying down?”

“Really, I want to ask you. You should say something if you’re this frail. How startled do you think I was when you collapsed?”

Lapine blinked her eyes blankly. Collapse? Me? I’ve never even had a nosebleed in my life.

“How can you be so frail? I knew it when you gave off that vulnerable and pure atmosphere.”

But as I listened to Greta’s words, I felt vulnerable and pure. Lapine sighed and nodded.

“My mom was also very worried. Where is my mom?”

It was strange that Greta, who had been with Kendali a moment ago, was here alone. When Lapine looked around and asked, Greta’s expression instantly darkened.

“Kendali attacked me.”

“Wha, …what?!”

Lapine’s face widened in shock. It was a story too unbelievable to accept.

Greta had saved the mother and daughter from being exterminated by the Windsors. Greta had said she believed in Kendali and Lapine’s innocence.

“Just hold on a little longer until I can provide the evidence to exonerate you both,” she had offered a corner of the palace. Greta was the savior of Kendali and her daughter’s lives.

‘My mom… attacked the Queen?’

I was dumbfounded.

“They wouldn’t listen even if I said it was a quarrel among friends. So, Kendali is… for now, locked up. I came out to protect you.”

Greta whispered tenderly. Then she said she was sorry for not being able to protect ‘your mom’ as well. Hurry and hide your body, she said. Though confused, Lapine followed Greta.

If Lapine had been a bit smarter, she wouldn’t have trusted Greta’s words.

While aimlessly walking in the garden, Lapine was hit on the back of her head by someone. Though her memory cut off as she fainted, the throbbing pain remained.

Moreover, the place where Lapine had opened her eyes was not the Queen’s backyard but the central garden of the palace. Although she had been confined to the Queen’s palace, she didn’t question why she was lying here.

“Let’s quickly find a way to save your mom. Royal defamation is not something that’s forgiven by me alone.”

Her head was filled with thoughts of rescuing Kendali. Because Lapine couldn’t live without Kendali’s shadow.

Returning to the Queen’s palace, Lapine heard that Benjamin had saved her from a dangerous fall.

“Lapine. Didn’t I say? Royal defamation isn’t something that’s forgiven by me alone.”

“Yes, so what should we do? My mom?”

Her face saddened, Lapine clung to her. Greta looked at Lapine like she was a very pitiful and unfortunate child.

“But Lapine, even if the sky collapses, there’s always a hole to escape through. Fortunately, do you know who saved you?”

“It’s the Crown Prince! I saw him too, walking away in the distance.”

“Right, so you can persuade him, can’t you?”

“Me? Persuade…?”

“Yes. Go and tell him.”

Greta gently stroked the back of Lapine’s hand, whispering like a snake tempting an innocent child.

“Thank him for saving you. Tell him he’s your savior. That’s not wrong, is it? The Crown Prince will surely be surprised. You went looking for him to repay his favor, after all. Say you want to repay him. How happy will he be? Such a beauty like you wanting to repay him.”

“Hehe…”
“Indeed. The Crown Prince chose Yuriscien for the sake of power. How unfortunate, having to marry such an unsuitable woman. But then look at you, Raphine. These beautiful red locks. These dazzling yellow eyes. How can you be like a princess from a dream?”

Raphine’s face flushed crimson.

“Good heavens. Ah, it’s like fate. A man who falls in love at first sight when rescuing a damsel in distress. Just like a prince and princess from an old fairy tale. He’ll choose love over building power. And he would do anything for you. Even rescuing your mother, just as any prince in a fairy tale would.”

“Love… are you saying that His Highness the Crown Prince loves me?”

“If not, why would he rescue you and leave that place, not wanting to make a scene?”

Raphine’s eyes dimmed for a moment as she tried to retort. She quickly nodded her head.

“That’s right. He must love me.”

The thought even occurred that maybe the reason he chose Windsor was to make me into Windsor. Greta’s brainwashing was powerful.

“And you will become a princess.”

Greta continued to whisper, painting Raphine’s future as a Crown Princess.

The resonance of that word was so sweet that Raphine forgot even that Greta and Benjamin were enemies.