Chapter 22
“I saw you argue with Lady Blanc. I want someone with that kind of spirit and wisdom.”
Theodore had been aware the moment Claire slipped away and had secretly kept an eye on her.
When Laura Blanc provoked her, he had even considered stepping in to help.
But before he had a chance to intervene, Claire had handled it decisively on her own.
Watching her, Theodore had felt a spark of admiration.
‘Someone with enough grit to withstand external pressure and whose interests align with mine.’
Claire Ravello met those conditions.
Despite her disadvantageous position as an illegitimate child who had not yet debuted in high society, she had confidently outmaneuvered Laura Blanc.
To overcome the weakness of her birth, she needed the position of being the Crown Prince of the Trisanne Empire’s partner, just as she had today.
Moreover, considering how she had supported him appropriately when confronting Brian Muton, her judgment and response were exceptional.
Most importantly, she possessed something Theodore lacked.
Flexibility.
Theodore was the type to break before bending softly.
Thus, if he needed someone by his side, it had to be a person who could complement that flaw.
“If you perfectly pretend to be my lover, I’ll give you whatever you want.”
“…How do you know what I might want?”
“It doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, I’ll grant it.”
Theodore drew the corners of his lips into a confident smile. His grin only highlighted his strikingly handsome face.
‘No wonder Lady Blanc and Evelyn obsess over him so pathetically.’
Purely in terms of appearance, no man in the empire could surpass him.
But Claire thought carefully.
Right now, she was only at the beginning of her path to revenge. She couldn’t afford to be entangled in anything unnecessary and risk being held back.
“Do you really need to create a fake lover? Wouldn’t it be better to get engaged to the most advantageous lady who already admires you?”
“I already told you. I’m too disagreeable to care about people who like me.”
“In truth, I don’t understand why His Highness the Crown Prince would go to the trouble of creating a fake lover just to avoid being bothered by others.”
How many people in this land could truly pressure a man as powerful as the Crown Prince of the Trisanne Empire?
Even if the endless courtship from noble ladies annoyed him, creating a fake lover seemed like an excessive response.
Theodore looked down at Claire, whose gaze remained sharp and clear even late at night, and chuckled.
“If I were only half a hollow prince, you might understand.”
“What do you mean…?”
“You know that His Majesty the Emperor is my uncle, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“My uncle is afraid of me. He’s wary that I might take the throne from him. So he keeps trying to suppress me.”
Theodore spoke of heavy matters with a light tone.
Claire faintly furrowed her brows, detecting the undercurrent of a family feud within the imperial household.
A battle for the throne between an uncle and his nephew.
“He wants to keep me in his grasp. But how long can a grown man continue to play along like a child?”
“…”
“Now he’s trying to shackle me with marriage. I’m doing everything I can to resist it.”
In other words, he needed a shield to fend off the Emperor’s pressure to marry.
Understanding his point, Claire made a calm judgment.
“In that case, it’s all the more reason you shouldn’t choose someone like me. It would only give His Majesty more reasons to attack you.”
“That doesn’t change anything. Whether it’s you or a duke’s daughter, the attacks will come regardless.”
“But if it were a duke’s daughter, she would have the power and resources to stand with you. I don’t have those.”
“That’s true for now. But wouldn’t things change if you used me as a stepping stone to rise?”
Theodore smiled enticingly, as if offering to become her supporter.
Claire quietly reminded herself of her objective position.
An illegitimate child of a wizard shunned by her family. She had money, but not enough to be considered wealthy. She had no standing in the capital.
‘So it’s not a bad proposal. But still…’
Noticing the hesitation on her small face, Theodore pressed his case.
“You won’t regret becoming my lover. Whatever I have will be yours as well.”
“How can you be so sure? Beyond your impressive looks, wealth, and abilities, what else do you have…”
“Plenty. Shall I list them all?”
No, that would take all night.
Claire quietly shook her head. Her hesitation stemmed from a single reason.
She wasn’t sure if risking involvement in the imperial family’s internal strife and joining hands with the Crown Prince was a wise choice.
Finally, she made a polite request.
“Please give me some time to think.”
“As much as you need.”
Theodore readily agreed. As Claire relaxed her tension, she suddenly realized he was still holding her hand.
The way his fingertips brushed hers made his touch feel oddly tender.
“Your Highness, may I go in now?”
“Ah, yes. Go and rest.”
With elegant movements, Theodore lifted Claire’s hand. The soft touch of his lips brushed her ungloved skin.
Claire’s shoulders stiffened slightly. Theodore finished the kiss on the back of her hand with a smooth smile.
“Well then, until next time.”
Claire stood still until his carriage exited the estate, belatedly rubbing the back of her hand.
The lingering sensation of another person’s lips felt as if it still remained.
***
Thus, Claire Ravello’s first social gathering as herself came to a close.
The illegitimate child of the Ravello family appeared at the Fennec Barony party—accompanied by none other than the Crown Prince.
The news spread like wildfire across the capital, eventually reaching the ears of the Marchioness of Ravello.
“Franz Ravello, that lunatic! How dare he fail to keep that illegitimate child under control and let her run loose!”
She still hadn’t given up on the annulment of Claire’s adoption.
However, now that Claire had clearly made her presence known to society, it would not be easy to revoke her name as a Ravello.
Legally, it was justified to grant her the name in the first place.
Unable to contain her anger, the Marchioness shredded a newspaper into pieces before storming off to find her husband.
“That girl attended a party with the Crown Prince! And apparently, they seemed to get along well. What are we going to do about this?”
“Hah, this is giving me a headache. She can’t stay quiet and has no shame either.”
The Marquis of Ravello also responded with frustration.
From their perspective, they wanted to minimize Claire’s existence as much as possible, but Franz and his daughter showed no intention of cooperating.
Fanning herself with an extravagant feather fan, the Marchioness muttered bitterly.
“She’s so full of herself. She must take after that insufferable Priscilla, judging by her face…”
Suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind.
Come to think of it, Priscilla had managed to marry into a ducal family with nothing but her looks and no dowry.
If this niece resembled her so closely…
‘I could make a big deal out of her in the marriage market again!’
In an instant, her calculations were complete. Grabbing her husband’s hand, she exclaimed:
“Honey, since things have come to this, why don’t we use that girl to our advantage?”
“How?”
Hiding her mouth with her fan, the Marchioness whispered into her husband’s ear.
A sly smile spread across the Marquis’s face as he listened to her suggestion.
***
Meanwhile, Claire had opened a small boutique near the Minerva Trading Company building for Marie.
She named the boutique “Darling.”
“Thank you, my lady. I’ll work hard to grow Darling Atelier and repay your kindness!”
Marie, deeply moved, set up her cozy quarters on the upper floor of the boutique.
The walls were plastered with sketches of her designs.
With the trading company and boutique conveniently located on the same street, managing them was much easier.
During her visit, Claire also met Ron to encourage him before returning home. Upon her arrival, Franz handed her a letter.
“It’s from our parents. I was going to throw it away, thinking it was another curse letter, but it’s not.”
“Then what is it?”
“They’re inviting us to a formal dinner.”
“Looks like they want something.”
Claire smirked coldly. The Ravello family never paid attention to Franz or her unless they had something to gain.
‘Well, this could work out.’
It just so happened that Claire had business to attend to at the Ravello Marquisate.
After encountering the Duke of Muton at the party, she had spent much time reflecting, ultimately arriving at a realization.
—
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