About Your Pride and My Prejudice

Chapter 31: He Knows It

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I haven’t lived a very long life, but even if I lived for decades more, I would never be able to get on the royal carriage.

“…….”

I sat awkwardly across from a bluntly unfamiliar royal official.
It’s my first time sitting on such a soft leather seat.
Nevertheless, I was amazed that it could feel so uncomfortable.

The official, dressed in the blue royal uniform, had a stiff, straight posture without wavering.
The perfectly combed gray hair, and a gaze facing the front.

Am I going to be a servant of the royal family? There was a mountain of things I wanted to ask, but his stubbornly closed lips did not seem to open easily for any question.

What is the reason for the only prince in the kingdom to call me in the palace?

Well, I don’t know except that nothing will change even if I think about it like this.
While giving up on thinking, I moved my trembling gaze to the window.

Did I tighten the corset too tightly….
The velvet dress, which I changed in a hurry, felt unusually tight.

“Whoo…”

I breathed out a weak breath and buried my back deeply on a soft leather seat.
Hoping for this mysterious happening to end soon.

* * *

Entering the dazzling main gate of the palace, the golden carriage passed through the winter garden and the main palace.
Strangely, the place where the carriage stopped was in front of the detached Palace.

The first time I came to the royal palace was when I debuted four years ago.
The debutante was held at the banquet hall of the main palace.
Since I had only been here once, of course I had even seen the separate palace where the princess and prince lived.

“This way.”

“Ah…”

My suspicions deepened even more when the official led me to the forest road next to it, not the separate palace.

Why is the prince waiting for me in this cold winter forest?

No hypothesis came to my mind.
On the trail lined with evergreen trees that seemed to have forgotten the season, only my white breath, while following the official with nervous steps scattered like fleeting dust.

The place where the official took me was in front of a small greenhouse.
Is the Prince here? At least I can avoid the cold.
I narrowed my eyes with that thought.

The greenhouse made of glass was covered with dried vines.
It looked quite bizarre as it was stubbornly clinging to the roof.

“Your Highness, it’s Ollen.”

However, there was something dazzling in there.
For example, shining blonde hair glowing with the faint winter sunlight permeating from the ceiling…….

“You’re late.”

“I’m sorry.”

As the prince put down the teacup he sipped, the official’s head bowed deeply.  I also bowed down after him in the freezing cold.

“It’s fine, so get out.”

Prince Bentley ordered while raising the corner of his long lip slowly.
The old gentleman and maid rushed past me with a devastated face.

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A few seconds later, I heard the door close, and then I came back to my senses.
Having barely lifted my heavy lips, I said a belated greeting.

“……I see your Highness.”

I had seen him from a distance at a social event, but it was definitely the first time I had spoken to the prince in this way.

To be honest, I never even imagined that something like this would happen.

“I’m Melissa Collins.”

The prince, dressed in a splendid white uniform, touched his chin and scanned me thoroughly with a strangely interesting face

The snake-like gaze was unpleasant and overwhelming.

“The reason you called me…….”

“Sit down”

The prince gestured with his chin at the chair opposite from him.
A brilliant statue framed by gold.
I reluctantly moved, thinking that everything in this space is daunting.

“Are you surprised? You don’t look so good.”

The prince, who poured tea into the empty tea cup in front of me, smiled.

“…….”

I quietly tried to grasp his intentions.
I don’t feel any hostility.
But obviously, neither is it a favor.

“I…..
don’t know what’s going on…….”

“Your lover.”

“…..What?”

I paused for a while due to unexpected remarks.

“I know your secret lover.”

“…….”

He beckoned toward the cup as if telling me to drink, but I couldn’t move as if I was frozen.

What’s happening now? What do you mean by a secret lover? To me…….

“I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of relationship you two are in.”

The prince lifted the teacup regardless of my reaction.
Is it because I’m so nervous? The sound of him sipping his tea was exceptionally loud.

“……I don’t have a lover, your highness.”

My voice trembled a lot.
The golden-brown eyes of the prince who put down the teacup was fixed on me.

“I’ve already noticed you two are together, Miss Collins.”

“Ah…”

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My lips trembled as I crumpled the hem of my bright red dress.

So, now…… Does it mean Prince Bentley and Tobias Miller know each other?

I was very confused.
I don’t know everything about Toby, but I never had the feeling he was hiding something from me.

Is it something to hide that you know the royal family in the first place? It was very strange because the prince’s attitude toward me was not hostile to say that he didn’t talk because he was in a bad relationship.

“You don’t look good.
You didn’t expect to get caught?”

The prince smiled, his eyes curling, then tilted his chin again.

“There’s nothing to worry about.
Because your lover and I are so special.”

“…….”

The important thing now was that Tobias and I were not lovers.
Of course, I don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t suddenly left for the kingdom, but at least we are…….

“Your highness, we are not lovers.”

The prince, who simply ignored my rebuttal, continued.

“The Principality is quite far from the kingdom.
Are you going to follow him?”

“…….”

The arrogance peculiar to the royal family, which was on full display when he ignored my words, was not surprising.
My whole mind was focused on the word duchy that the prince said.

I was right that he’s talking about Tobias Miller….….

“Ah, will he bring you?”

There was a slight sting in the voice that mumbled slowly, so I responded quickly.

“I’m going to go to Lunoa soon, too.”

“Pfft.
It’s really true, isn’t it?”

The prince suddenly laughed strangely.
Then he murmured slowly with his mouth covered.

“You think you’re the only one who can spend money?”

“…..What?”

I asked back in shock.
What does he mean, spending money? Although he’s an academy student, and his family isn’t well-off……

“Does he think it doesn’t matter if he gets caught? You’re such a foolish lover.”

“Your highness, what are you talking about….”

Then the prince shrugged.

“Oh, I’m sorry if I scared you.
I couldn’t help it because I was curious about his preference.”

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The sun was setting little by little.
Prince Bentley’s face was colored half in the shade and half by the scarlet light.
He continued,

“But I was a little surprised.”

“…….”

“I don’t have a great memory, but I think I recall….
I’m sure you were wearing a dress of this color that day, right?”

……Dress? This is the only proper dress, so I just changed quickly before getting on the carriage.

“That day?”

Is he talking about the first day I wore this dress? If it’s that day, I’m sure I met Toby who came back from New Ditch…….

“……Ah.”

No, even if he is a Prince, can he observe innocent people like this? If it’s not stalking, what is it?

A sudden urge to blurt out my thoughts, I sealed my lips before the impulse surged up out of me.

“So… I think I’m the one who connected your relationship.”

“…….”

“Do you know that I’m the one who made you two dance?”

At his words, I paused, forgetting to breathe out.

“I’m the one who ordered Alan to dance with you at the Victory Ball, Miss Collins.
I guess he hasn’t met anyone in the meantime because this was his taste.”

Staring at me with strange eyes, the prince added with a low voice.

“This is purely thanks to me.
I think I deserve a fair reward.”

I coughed continuously as if I had a lot of tea stuck in my throat.
The inside of the neck and stomach were also painful as if it was being squeezed very hard.

“By the way.”

The prince stood up and approached with a twitching smile.  I couldn’t move like a mouse caught in a trap.

“I’m still curious.”

Suddenly, he grabbed my chin.

“What are your…….”

“…….”

As the prince’s body leaned toward me, my eyes closed automatically.
It was more laborious than I thought to be in a state where I could not shake off the hands of the royal family.

“What kind of charms are hidden…….”

My drooping eyelids trembled helplessly.
The thick scent coming out of his protruding collar was overwhelming.

“He… And…….”

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Soon when I felt his breath on my cheek, I spit out my repressed voice with all my might.

“Your Highness, you are mistaken……!”

At that moment, I felt like I heard a sound of laughter.

The moment his hand fell off my chin, I opened my eyes.
The prince had already taken a couple of steps back.
With his arms crossed, he looked down at me with a gaze that was mysterious and doubtful like those of a snake, even while they were curved in a smile.

“I like your lover’s angry face a lot.”

“…….”

“And I don’t want to end my relationship with him.”

I was reaching my limit.
With the small murmuring, the prince smiled quietly.
I managed to open my mouth, feeling that my tightly clenched fingertips were not numb but getting cold.

“Your highness, something…… I think you’re misunderstanding.”

How can he come up with such a ridiculous misunderstanding? If he were not a royal family, I would have asked him right away.

“Sir Alan and I—being lovers…….
We’re actually!”

“It’s fine.”

The prince raised his lips.
It was an infinitely relaxed smile.
As if my stiff face was amusing to him..

“I’ll have to go see my friend right away, so I’ll send you home now.
It’s already dinner time.”

“…….”

The prince passed by me, who had hardened and knocked on the glass door.
Then the door opened immediately by the hand of the official who brought me here.

“Take the miss back to her home.”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Ms.
Collins.
I’m sorry I made you come all of a sudden today.”

At that moment, the prince’s hand gently stroked my hair.  I was startled and shrugged my shoulders.

“Next time, the three three of us should meet.”

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“…….”

Unable to answer anything, I reluctantly turned around following the official after greeting him.

Troy in my novel, which resembles Alan, saved the heroine who resembles me, held her whole body, who was trying to escape her fate, and eventually gave her incomparable love.

But Alan in reality has no private interest in Melissa Collins.
It would have been better if it stopped there…… Starting tonight, he may come to despise me.

Few things are more disgusting than being involved with an unwanted person.