Callid was excited to hear what words she would utter with those tiny lips.

Perhaps that’s why.

Uncharacteristically, he waited silently until she spoke.

Although he was handing over control of the conversation, for some reason he liked every word she uttered.

Whether it was because of her words antagonizing Raul.

Or.

“Please give me a reason to refuse Prince Raul’s proposal.”

Because of those purple eyes sparkling as she said such things.

“So that’s why you specifically chose me?”

After all, she would need a good reason to refuse a prince’s proposal.

Assuming she really knows the location of the gold mine.

The fact that she hasn’t revealed this useful information until now must be to prevent Raul from taking more interest in her than he already has.

Moreover.

Sending an anonymous letter was likely a tactic to test whether the infamous 2nd Prince could help her.

To dare to test an Imperial Prince.

‘Ha, I don’t know if this is absurd or amusing…’

Normally, he should be angry about this fact.

Strangely, it just made him laugh.

Callid let out a deflated laugh and sat down carelessly on the sofa. Bellia sat across from him and stared intently.

“You’re quite perceptive, aren’t you?”

Bellia liked him as well.

The 2nd Prince Callid she actually talked to was far more helpful than she had thought.

Her conviction that she must draw him to her side became even stronger.

“Of course, I’m not just asking for help. As I wrote in the letter, the exact location of the gold mine is the price.”

So, in other words, let’s make a deal.

Bellia said this with a broad smile.

“Kuk…”

She was extremely confident despite having no evidence to show.

When someone speaks so brazenly about such an outrageous thing, doesn’t it make you want to agree to this ridiculous deal and check if what she’s saying is true?

At that thought, Callid burst out laughing without realizing it.

Slightly offended by his sudden laughter, Bellia asked.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Ah. It’s because I never expected this. That Raul guy will be quite hurt.”

Bellia once again expressed her will in a firm voice.

“I absolutely do not want to marry Prince Raul.”

In response to her answer filled with firm resolve, Callid asked.

“Do you have a plan in mind?”

“Would you like to date me?”

The answer came back as if she had been waiting for it.

Callid didn’t hide his bewilderment at that unexpected answer.

“Ha. So Raul is not okay, but I am? Your taste is strange. Most people would choose Raul.”

The son favored by the Emperor.

The one closest to becoming the next Emperor.

No matter what description he came up with, he couldn’t easily understand why she was refusing Raul.

“I don’t really mean to actually date. I just want to pretend to date while making him give up on his proposal to me.”

But both Bellia and Callid knew that wasn’t all.

How difficult it is to just pretend to date.

“Ha. So that’s why you bet the location of the gold mine. It’s not just a scandal, you might end up with your nose hooked.”

Callid muttered with a hollow laugh.

They were not of a status where this could be overlooked as just a secret relationship between nobles.

An Imperial Prince and a Kingdom’s Princess just dating and breaking up? It was obvious they would be embroiled in all sorts of scandals.

“Moreover…”

A scandal between the 2nd Prince and the woman the 1st Prince proposed to.

While it might just follow Callid around like gossip, who is already surrounded by all sorts of rumors, for Bellia, who receives all the public attention, such a scandal would be fatal.

Surely those who envy her will add all sorts of dirty words to inflate the rumors.

“It will be harder for you to bear than for me. The price of not marrying Raul is quite high.”

The beautiful Princess Bellia of Ronica Kingdom, subject of many rumors.

Seeing Bellia in person, she was even more strikingly beautiful than the rumors suggested.

Silver hair with a faint blue tint and purple eyes.

A pure and delicate figure with a unique, wistful air that made one want to protect her.

Although Callid had no interest in beauty at all, when he first faced Bellia, he thought she was indeed worthy of the rumors.

For such a famous person to refuse the 1st Prince Raul and date the notoriously rude and reckless 2nd Prince.

“If we’re not careful, instead of just pretending to date, we might end up actually marrying.”

Callid threw out a warning.

As if to remind her how ridiculous this choice was.

But Bellia gritted her teeth and said as if it didn’t matter.

“I’d rather marry you than Prince Raul.”

Callid looked at her with a somewhat strange gaze as she shuddered as if it was terrible, then fell silent for a moment as if lost in thought.

“So Your Highness’s opinion is more important than mine. As you said, we might actually have to get married if we’re not careful.”

Callid chuckled at Bellia’s words and asked.

“What you want is to make Raul give up on proposing to the princess, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And?”

His gaze sharpened as if trying to dig up something.

“That can’t be all. Tell me what you’re really hiding inside.”

Bellia had to hold onto Callid.

There was no one else who matched her needs so perfectly.

If there were three or four more princes, she might have looked for another prince, but now only Callid could rival Raul.

But.

“We’re not in a trusting relationship yet. Do you agree?”

Callid nodded.

“So it’s difficult for me to tell you everything.”

If she told the truth and Callid changed his mind…

“If this deal goes smoothly, we can talk again afterwards.”

Bellia decided to leave room for now.

“…Look, Princess.”

Callid slowly opened his mouth.

“Actually, accepting your proposal gives me no benefit at all.”

Callid already knew that there was no gold mine where the survey team was currently investigating. Moreover.

“How can I be sure that the princess knows the location of a gold mine that even the survey team couldn’t find? The non-existent condition you’ve presented is not at all attractive to me right now.”

There was nothing believable in what Bellia had said.

“I came because I thought it might be an interesting conversation. If this is really all, I’ll be disappointed.”

“If Your Highness discovers the gold mine before Prince Raul, your status in the empire will rise significantly. Moreover, creating a small scandal in return to prevent me from marrying the 1st Prince doesn’t seem like a bad proposal for Your Highness. Is it not?”

Bellia began to explain the benefits he could gain from their contract dating.

“You can prevent him from marrying the Princess of Ronica who might become a great power for him, and you can also use the romance with the woman who rejected him.”

This was as good as allowing him to use everything from Bellia’s name to the rumors about her.

Callid’s eyes lit up again as if interested.

“Even if things go wrong and Your Highness and I end up marrying, it’s not a loss for Your Highness. Most royal marriages are political anyway, and if your partner is the Princess of Ronica, it’s actually quite beneficial. Ah, do you perhaps have someone else? If so…”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Then there’s no problem.”

Bellia tilted her head after saying this.

Then she pulled up the corners of her mouth into a very charming smile.

“Hmm. Is there anything else you want?”

“…Honestly, I’m dumbfounded.”

No one would ever say such things to an Imperial Prince.

“I thought you might be.”

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it was.

Just after saying there was no great benefit to knowing the location of the gold mine, she proposed a deal betting her public image and name, and perhaps even her future.

“To think that the person saying these things is the Princess of Ronica Kingdom that Raul is chasing after so eagerly.”

While others are desperate to become his consort.

‘To choose me in order to refuse that…’

Is she a princess who can’t calculate properly?

But looking at her agreeing with his words with bright, sparkling eyes, she doesn’t seem so foolish.

Callid stared straight at Bellia without hiding his amused expression.

“…Did you say dating?”

“Marriage would be even better.”

“You’re bold.”

Saying that, Callid smiled a very dangerous smile.

“If I’m not this bold, I can’t get what I want.”

Bellia shot back without backing down.

Callid crossed his legs arrogantly and smiled slyly.

“Honestly, welcoming the princess as a prince’s consort is a very tempting condition for me too. There probably isn’t anyone better than the princess among the marriage partners I could choose.”

He understood well enough why Raul was putting so much effort into Bellia, given the symbolism she carried.

“Plus, I get to see Raul’s upset face as a bonus. There’s nothing more fun than that.”

Callid leaned forward, closer to Bellia.

“Well… Then shall I marry you as you wish? Hmm?”

He sneered at Bellia as if he were some kind of villain.

As if there was no way she would choose him.

“But you should think carefully. You won’t be able to take it back later even if you regret it.”

As he whispered his final warning in a low voice, Bellia smiled even more broadly, her eyes crinkling.

‘…Maybe those words are right.’

Closet’s words that suddenly came to mind at this moment.

She had dismissed it as a joke then, but now she thought it might really be true.

Even though he must have concluded that he would benefit much more, he still throws out several warnings like this.

‘Is he kinder than I thought…?’

A truly bad person would only say nice things and urge her to choose him.

But he tells Bellia not to make a decision she’ll regret, giving her the chance not to choose him.

Bellia met his gaze directly and opened her mouth.

“Let’s get married.”

At her words, Callid’s eyes widened as if he was more surprised.

But soon he grinned with an even more amused expression.

“With this marriage, we can both get what we want. There’s no reason to object.”

“Won’t you regret it?”

“Of course not.”

There was no hesitation in Bellia’s answer.

“I look forward to working with you, Your Highness Callid.”

Callid frowned for a moment at her words, then said with a slightly displeased expression.

“Then I’d like you to stop calling me ‘Your Highness’. From this moment on, we’re lovers.”

“…Lovers?”

It was an unfamiliar word.

It felt even more awkward when spoken aloud.

A strange feeling, as if each letter of the word was rough in her mouth.

“If we’re going to put on this act, we might as well make it perfect.”

In fact, Callid didn’t like unpredictable things.

So he tended to strictly control and proceed with all plans.

But strangely, he liked Bellia, who had jumped into his life’s radius in an unpredictable direction.

“Alright. Then the contract is established.”

Bellia extended her hand to shake his.

It was a deal with not bad conditions for both of them.

Bellia had obtained someone who could become her sword, and Callid had gained a quite decent marriage partner.

“When I visit the royal palace again soon, I hope you’ll welcome me as if I’m the only person in your world.”

Callid grasped Bellia’s hand.

Then, smiling languidly, he called her name.

“Bellia.”

Her name from his lips.

It was incompatibly sweet.