CH 5

She could see three or four people standing right in front of Archen. There was a guy holding a glass, as if he hadn’t drunk enough, a dazed guy with his messy shirt, and so on. Nonetheless, they were really drunk.

There was a guy who stood in the middle while frowning.

“So, how do you feel after experiencing the air above?”

The guy that said it had an ugly mustache on his face. Judging from his voice, it seemed like it was him who had been picking a fight with Archen since earlier.

“You can’t hear me?”

Said the mustache guy again.

On the other hand, Archen didn’t even look at him. He seemed determined not to deal with him.

“I heard you failed the imperial mage exam this time. You really don’t understand. Isn’t it a question that we can figure out even if we think about it a little bit? Who would welcome a commoner mage?”

“Stop it.”

Archen replied quietly.

Even though Carinne thought he’d ignore them till the end, it seemed that the mustache guy’s words seemed to trigger something inside Archen.

“It seems like you can finally answer back? Will you come to your senses after going to prison for insulting a noble?”

Even though he didn’t swear, just telling him to stop, the mustache guy kept pushing Archen as he blamed him for the crime of insulting the nobles as though he had waited for this moment.

“Guards! Get the guards here!”

“I wonder whom the guards will come to take. Don’t you know that it’s a crime to create commotion here?”

Archen retorted back sharply. While his anger seemed to be suppressed, he did not lose his calmness.

Carinne couldn’t even retort back like him. She should have looked into the relationship between the Duke and the Princess last time. It seemed that Archen had a knack for manipulating people with his polite way of speaking.

“What…?!”

The mustache guy was no fool. He, who had understood the meaning of the word, became red like a ripe tomato. As the atmosphere became worse, the drunken man next to the mustache guy grabbed his collar.

At the same time, other people watching from the side also kept an eye on him.

“Viscount Frank, go back now.”

“Yes, that’s enough.”

“No, I can’t go!”

His pride must’ve held him back.

Viscount Fran, or whatever his name was, shook off the hand that held him. He then raised his hand high as if he was about to slap Archen on the cheek.

“The Duke had a bad eye. I have to give this kind of guy a lesson!”

“You’re crossing the line now.”

Archen avoided his hand before he immediately grabbed the mustache guy’s arm and prevented him from moving.

“Get your hands off me!”

“…Go back.”

She was going to keep quiet. It was because she didn’t think it was her right to interfere, and what if her relationship became more awkward with Archen? Still, there was a limit to holding it in. Now that the situation has come to this, she couldn’t just watch.

Carinne, who had made a decision, immediately took action. She had only just realized she was now a princess.

There was a clattering sound as her heels hit the marble floor.

What would she have done? She actually felt uncomfortable to follow the original Carinne’s behavior. Nonetheless, she couldn’t pretend she didn’t know that Archen was being abused, so let’s end it with the abuse of power.

As she organized her thoughts, Carinne slowly approached the mustache guy.

“I thought I’d get some fresh air, but it was quite noisy here, Lords.”

The surroundings soon became quiet.

Except for the mustache guy, people moved reflexively. They swiftly stepped back one step at a time as if they had rehearsed it. The mustache guy also glanced at her and put down his raised arm. Soon, he pretended as if nothing had happened and tried to merge into the crowd as well.

‘…How dare he.’

“Hey. Stop for a second.”

Carinne pointed at the mustache guy.

‘Didn’t Carinne often overuse her power with her status in the first place? Then, let’s have a go at it one last time.’

At the thought, she slightly raised her chin, recalling the nobles she saw in a period drama. The next moment, she uttered confidently.

“Explain what’s going on.”

“T, that’s—”

The mustache guy bowed his head and mumbled. If he was going to make excuses, then he should’ve said it quickly.

As she was waiting for an answer with her arms folded, Carinne kept glancing at Archen next to her, who was fixing his tie.

His cheeks were slightly flushed as if he was upset, but unlike his red cheeks, his expression was calm. While his blue eyes looked empty, that was all, as no other emotions such as anger or resentment were found in his calm expression.

…Did this happen often?

The thought disturbed her mind.

She guessed that a commoner wouldn’t have an easy life. However, she didn’t know that he would suffer enough to get involved in a dispute while staying still. How could he be bullied by a mustache guy who reeked third-rate extra?

As soon as she thought about it, her heart heated up with anger toward the mustache guy.

“If you were drunk, you should’ve go home and rested though you picked a fight instead?”

She thought she could only sleep comfortably if she scolded him properly today.

…How could she effectively screw him up? What should she do to make rumors that she humiliated him properly?

Carinne, who had been agonizing for a while, lowered her chin and gently gazed down at the mustache guy. He then opened her mouth in a friendly and soft tone as if soothing a crying child.

“It’s okay, so tell me.”

It seemed as if her anger had dissipated, so the mustache guy looked at her eyes and raised his head.

“…Well, in fact, I was about to scold the lowlife for insulting me. How could a commoner talk back to nobles?”

Seeing that he kept checking her expression and made ridiculous excuses, he was utterly shameless. Before the mustache guy finish speaking, Carinne changed her expression and raised her tone.

“That’s weird. To talk back, the other person has to talk to you first.”

The mustache guy stepped back in surprise hearing the frosty tone.

“If you didn’t pick a fight first, he wouldn’t have to talk back. Besides, I heard you screaming. So, how did he reply again? It wasn’t an insult, was it?”

Clack.

Carinne walked and stood right in front of the mustache guy, who was panicking. He twisted his foot and almost fell. As she bent down and stretched out her index finger, she poked the mustache guy’s greasy forehead.

She pushed it lightly.

“Didn’t you insult him first?”

The mustache guy was speechless with only his lips clattering.

How could he bother Carinne? He would be doomed if he gets caught by Carinne. He shouldn’t be involved with the mad dog.

In addition, he was supposed to sign a joint investment contract with her father, Duke of Tricia—the Duke of Second Duchy—shortly afterwards, but if she spoke ill about him to her father, the hard-won opportunity would be gone.

He would be doomed by Carinne’s words.

How could he afford to lose money? He could simply make excuses, even if he had to crawl. The mustache guy thought so as he grab his own hair. At the same time, cold sweat flowed down his thick neck.

“I-I’m so sorry. I will never make a fuss about it again.”

Carinne, who was pushing his forehead, slowly lifted up her index finger before pushing her index finger on his shoulder and replied coldly.

“If you understand, go away.”

As she moved her hand like she was swatting an annoying bug, the mustache guy and other drunks bowed down and moved away at the speed of light. It was like seeing a herd of rats running through a rat hole.

Who told them to go pick a fight? If they get caught again, she wouldn’t let them off.

Carinne clenched her fist as she looked at the mustache’s guy back. It was when she came to her senses did she realized that only Archen and her remained in the stairwell.

‘…Oh, I knew this would happen. It’s so awkward.’

Should she just go or not? It was a bit awkward.

She didn’t want to annoy him for nothing. Even though she thought she would just go, the empty eyes she saw earlier were still on her mind. He was only a human being, so even though he pretended to be fine, who would know if he suffered inside?

She wanted to ask if he was okay. She wanted to tell him that he didn’t deserve to be treated like that, and that he didn’t need to care about what the mustache guy said.

If she had been acquainted with him, she would have taken him somewhere and fed him a sweet dessert.

Sweet food was best for a change of mood.

‘…Oh?’

But then, Archen walked toward her.

Carinne was a little surprised.

…Did he have anything to say? What would Archen have to say in this situation?

At the thought, she couldn’t control her pounding heart as she looked into Archen’s eyes. She hoped that what he said would be kind words. Sadly, however, his eyes did not seem much different from when he looked at the mustache guy.

His blue eyes were covered with ice.

“I’m really sorry for the disturbance.”

Like what she felt earlier, he had an excellent talent for sarcasm. Not only due to his monotone voice but the word ‘really’ was emphasized by him. It was sarcasm and he wasn’t really sorry.

Carinne lost her words and became discontent, but when she realized something, she bit her lips tightly.

‘…Yes, I’m Carinne.’

The situation a while ago could be interpreted in two ways… First, she kicked out the person who was picking a fight.

Second, someone yelled and it got on her nerves, so she kicked him out.

And thanks to the notoriety of the original Carinne, Archen naturally believed the latter. In the first place, the original Carinne didn’t care about others. It would be more believable to say that pigs fly in the sky than her helping him out.

“Then, I hope you have a peaceful night walk.”

He walked again and emphasized the word ‘peaceful.’ If she didn’t know him, he seemed like a man who had a grudge on her.

‘Should I just… stop?’

Just as she was feeling terrible because whatever she said was interpreted in the wrong way, something shiny was suddenly caught in her gaze.

Carinne opened her eyes wide.

A pair of earrings shone dimly in the moonlight under Archen’s straight blonde hair. The earring was a turquoise teardrop shape, which matched his golden hair.

He was wearing earrings.

‘A man with earrings is the best…’

Carinne recalled that he was perfectly suited to her taste.

…Yes, it was too early to give up.

Even though her first and second meeting was ruined, why would she give up? She couldn’t give up here even if she wanted to try to find out Archen’s secret and save him. So even though the process may be hard, the result would be sweet.

Making up her mind, she quickly chose to say what was in her mind.

“Wait, I think you misunderstood something…!”