Chapter 30

The servants moved busily, and the door of the drawing room opposite the entrance on the first floor opened wide.

It was to welcome a great guest who had come to the duke’s residence from early morning without notice.

Molga and the twins sat side by side on the sofa in the living room with great excitement.

“Mom, what is going on? The person out there right now is His Highness the Crown Prince, right?”

Lillia asked, making a fuss in surprise.

“Yes, I saw it myself. It is His Highness the Crown Prince.”

It was an unexpected big shot, so they had to be polite.

Viego, the young duke, had welcomed him, and they were currently talking outside.

“Why did the crown prince come to our house all of a sudden?”

“Silly, why do you ask that?”

When Ricky asked, Lillia burst into laughter.

“What is the biggest concern in the social world these days? It’s about who will take the vacant seat of the crown princess.”

“So?”

“His Highness has been pretty late in this matter, so everyone was curious about how careful he was in choosing his bride.”

Lillia, unable to contain her laughter, shyly placed her hand on her cheek and twisted her body.

“Isn’t that right, Mom?”

“Yes. Otherwise, the crown prince wouldn’t have visited our residence.”

Molga smiled along with Lillia.

Beside them, Ricky tilted his head.

“So, he came here to welcome Lillia as his crown princess?”

“Of course, you silly!”

“But why do you look like you’re enjoying it? You’re dating Kedrick.”

“What did you say?”

Lillia immediately refuted it.

“Who said we were dating? He’s just a close friend.”

“Huh? You accepted it when Kedrick confessed, right? You said you will go to the debutante ball with Kedrick…”

“Can you shut up?”

“Ricky, be quiet.”

When Lillia and Molga scolded him one after another, Ricky pouted his closed lips.

“The royal marriage has been a topic of discussion for a long time. After weighting here and there, it seems that from the crown prince’s point of view, there is no marriage partner that is as tempting as you are.”

Molga smiled and stroked Lillia’s cheek.

“Don’t make a mistake, always make a pretty face.”

“Ugh, you too, Mom. Whose daughter am I? I’ll be fine even if you don’t say that.”

“Fufu…”

The mother and daughter, who looked at each other and smiled sweetly, eventually got up as if they had made a promise when the front door of the mansion opened.

Viego and Crown Prince Lark were coming in together.

Molga went up to the front door of the drawing room to meet them.

“Molga Diollus greets His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I’m Ricky Diollus.”

The two who had said their greetings moved aside, and soon Lillia came out.

“Nice to meet you, Your Highness. My name is Lillia Diollus.”

Gently holding the hem of her bright yellow dress, Lillia bowed her knees cutely and greeted.

Viego introduced them once again.

“The elder of the family, Madam Diollus, and her two children.”

“Of course. I know her because she’s really famous.”

Lark, who answered with a smile, apologetically narrowed his brows and said to Molga.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Madam. Please forgive my rudeness for coming early without contact.”

“Oh my, don’t be. I’m just worried that there will be many shortcomings in your presence, Your Highness.”

Molga smiled kindly and cleared the way. As he headed to his seat, Lark looked around for some reason, as if he was looking for someone.

Molga, who noticed that he was looking for someone, said with a bitter expression.

“Unfortunately… I don’t know if you’re aware of our situation, but it would be difficult to meet with the duke directly. I know it’s a great disrespect, but I hope Your Highness will understand.”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. I heard the story from the young duke in advance. It was a visit without contact, and I should be the one who’s sorry.”

Lark said with a wistful smile.

On the other hand, Lillia, who had seen him a few times from a distance and only met him up close today, was shocked.

‘Oh my God. He looks so much better uup close. Kedrick’s face is incomparable to this.”

Lark looked like a sculpture, as if someone had made him on purpose.

In addition, unlike Kedrick, who had not yet taken off his boyish appearance, Lark, who looked more mature, one span taller, with broad shoulders, totally looked different!

‘I’m going to get a proposal from someone like this soon?’

For Lillia, who was 14 this year, marriage was still a long way off and she had had no contact with the crown prince. So, in fact, until yesterday, she had no interest in the vacant position of the crown princess.

Just hanging out with Kedrick, the most popular of the noble masters, and having a tea party every day with his peers who greased their mouth to look good on him…

‘I am going to be the crown princess! I’ll become an empress later!’

Lark’s unexpected visit set fire to young Lillia’s heart.

‘We are going to get engaged first, right?’

Molga, who was quick-witted to notice her daughter who was in a hurry, smiled and rhymed.

“But why brought Your Highness to our house in such a hurry?”

“Ah, I have come to see Young Lady Diollus. I told the young duke just a moment ago.”

When Lark spoke openly as if there was nothing to be afraid of, Lillia lowered her eyes shyly.

She pretended not to know and asked again.

“Oh my, is there something?”

“Mm…”

Lark, who had been thinking while rubbing his forehead for a moment, said vaguely.

“We didn’t make a promise or anything, but I think the princess would probably know the reason why I came in a hurry.”

[T/N: Lillia and Ruby are both called ‘Princess’ because they’re daughters of dukes.]

“Aaah! Of course, of course.”

Molga smiled and nodded.

Lark, who was staring at her, immediately turned to Viego, who was next to her, and said.

“As I said before, I’d like to talk to the princess alone. I’d like to go out to the city and have breakfast with her. Will you allow me?”

“What do you need my permission for?”

As soon as Viego nodded his head with a small smile, Lillia hurriedly got up.

“Then can you wait a little bit, Your Highness?”

“Hmm?”

Molga explained to Lark who was tilting his head.

“She’ll come down soon after getting ready to go out.”

“Aha.”

Lillia’s maids rushed after her, who had left the drawing room like the wind. Lark, enraptured, spoke behind them.

“Tell her she can do it slowly. I will wait for her.”

“Fufu, Your Highness is a really kind person.”

“What are you saying? I came without contact, so of course the least I could do is to be considerate. By the way…”

Lark looked at Viego and smiled.

“I was worried because the princess rarely comes out of the house. I thought you would be overprotective.”

“Pardon?”

“Fufu…”

Unlike Viego, who tilted his head in wonder at the moment, Molga laughed as if it were funny.

“It is true that the young duke cares about Lillia, but he does not strictly prevents her from going out, so don’t worry too much, Your Highness. You are free to call her at any time.”

“Hmm?”

“Excuse me, Your Highness.”

Viego intervened.

“Are you talking about Rubetria?”

“Oh, yes. I’m talking about Princess Rubetria.”

“Wait. So… the sister you told me you came to see today…”

“Oh, did I say something wrong? Sir Victor, too, keeps getting confused whenever I ask about his sister.  As far as I know, the sister of the young duke could only mean Princess Rubetria.”

At Lark’s words, Viego and Molga hardened at the same time.

He had been referring Lillia as his sister for convenience, but technically she was Viego’s aunt. So it wasn’t that Lark had made a mistake. They just misunderstood.

Viego was visibly embarrassed.

“How does Your Highness know about Rubette…”

At that time.

Rubette was coming down the stairs that could be seeen through the wide open drawing-room door.

Molga’s eyes widened as she saw her.

‘How could that girl changed so much since the last time I saw her?’

Rubette, wearing a pretty bright purple dress and even light makeup, made Molga doubted her eyes.

Her swelling body had receded moderately within a week, and her standing posture with her always hunched shoulders, seemed imposing, and an arrogant and sullen expression like never before made her look like an aristocratic lady.

Lark, who was delighted, rose and came at once to the bottom of the stairs. He smiled in surprise.

“Princess, did you dress up like this today because of me?”

Rubette covered her mouth and smiled.

“Oh my, of course.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

The moment when Lark, who chuckled, extended his arm as if to escort her.

With a little uproar, Lillia rushed down with a few of her maids.

“Hey, Rubette. Can you get out of the way?”

Lillia, who had slightly pushed away Rubette, who had been standing in her way, stood before Lark instead.

Lillia, who had changed into a new dress and added makeup, said shyly.

“Let’s go, Your Highness.”

“Uh, umm…”

Lark smiled awkwardly and turned his head over the open drawing room.

Instead of Molga, who was frozen, Viego beckoned to Lillia.

“Lillia, come here. His Highness said he made an appointment with Rubette today…”

“…? What do you mean, Brother?”

Without a time to spare, Lillia’s eyes widened at the sight of Lark and Rubette who were standing side by side arm in arm.

“Lillia, where are you going today? You’re wearing pretty clothes.”

“…”

Lillia’s mouth slowly opened at Rubette, who had tilted her head and asked with her eyes wide open as if she didn’t know anything.

“T-This is—”

Even though she had a rough idea of the situation, she couldn’t believe it.

At that moment, Lillia sprained her foot in embarrassment as she tried to take another step down.

“Uwaa!”

Bang!

“L-Lillia!”

Everyone was surprised when she stepped on the hem of her long dress and fell down the stairs.

“Oh, dear. You have to be careful.”

Lark, who was in front of her, only narrowed his brows and took a step back.

“Are you okay? It must hurt. Let me help get you up.”

Rubette’s hand was extended to Lillia in his stead.

“…”

Rubette’s face, with her lips pouted, pretending to be worried, had a faint smile.