Chapter 1 - Prologue

Prologue

“I have something to say!”

I was in a hurry, so I opened the door and shouted even though I knew it was not polite.

I paused at the sight that came into my eyes. There were three pairs of eyes looking at me.

“Hi, Luci, Harrison, Damian.”

I said hello reflexively.

“Welcome, Aesvin.”

Luciano welcomed me calmly.

“I am lucky to have met you like this today.”

Damian smiled and joked around.

“Welcome.”

Even Harrison greeted me politely.

The three men showed their personalities even when they greeted me.

“How can the three of you be here together?”

It was natural that Luciano, the owner of this place, was here.

It wasn’t strange that his escort knight, Harrison, was also here.

However, the other person.

It was really strange that Damian was here.

“Is there something wrong if the three of us are together?”

Luciano’s voice was soft but somehow cold.

‘Is he in a bad mood?’

I looked at Luciano for a moment.

The empire’s sun was Luciano’s nickname. It suited him perfectly because he had golden hair.

His face was like a sculpture, so even his slightly frowned face was beautiful.

With that unrealistic appearance, it didn’t make sense if he was not the male lead.

I shook my head at Luciano’s strangely expressionless state.

In fact, there was no reason why the three of them shouldn’t be together. It was just…

“Then why are you asking such a question?”

“Because you guys don’t get along well.”

“…..”

“It’s not exactly like that.”

Luciano was silent on my straightforward speech. Damian laughed and denied. Harrison was restless.

“Damian.”

“Yes, Aesvin.”

Looking at Damian, he smiled softly as usual. It was a pretty smile that caught my attention for a moment.

Luciano had an intense and colorful appearance, while Damian had a beautiful appearance that was soft and quirky.

I always felt his friendly expression with that kind of face was cheating.

In other words, he seems to be infinitely friendly and nice on the outside but actually was the mastermind of the scheme.

‘More than that, were you trying to laugh it off?’

“I said lying is bad.”

I was serious about Damian.

Then Damian’s pretty smile stiffened.

He soon smiled again.

“I’m not lying.”

Was it because he’s the mastermind?

He really tried to deceive people out of habit.

“You’re lying again.”

I put both my hands on my waist and stared at him quite sternly.

Admit it. I said just admit it.

“…I’m sorry.”

Damian apologized as my gaze attacked him. Only then did I relax my eyes.

There was no one who didn’t know that Prince Luciano and Damian, the son of  Duke Quade were enemies.

Even the sky and the earth knew, and he tried to deceive the fact that all the characters in this palace knew.

“Seriously, don’t lie to me.”

“Seriously, I’m not lying—”

“What’s going on?”

Luciano cut off Damian’s little murmur. He didn’t look happy either.

“Are you busy?”

“Who are you asking?”

Damian stepped forward again at my question.

“Who else would that be? Of course, she must have come for me.”

Luciano’s voice coldly cut off Damian’s words.

When I looked at Luciano again, his gaze became colder.

It was a gaze that said ‘Of course you came for me, right?’ and forced me to answer.

‘Well, it’s true that I came for you…’

“There are three people here. Aesvin could have come looking for someone else. There’s no guarantee that it’ll be the crown prince.”

Damian’s words were so fast that I missed the moment to answer.

Damian’s eyes stared at me gently, then I felt uncomfortable for no reason.

“Why is there no guarantee? She came to my palace, so she came to see me.”

“No, she might have tried to see Sir Orlando, or she might have come to see me after hearing I was here.”

“Aesvin, you have business with me, right?”

“Isn’t that a compulsion if the Crown Prince says so? Aesvin, feel free to speak.”

‘What’s wrong with these guys?’

I usually act confused, but I have been more burdened today.

So I turned to the calm Harrison.

I sent a look of appeal to help me get out of this uncomfortable situation.

Harrison was a firm and quiet man, like a knight.

He has a strong personality and has helped me a lot.

“If you two are like that, Aesvin will feel uncomfortable.”

‘Huh?’

His words sided with me, then Harrison looked at them.

As a sub-male lead, Harrison was also handsome, so when he stared at me, my face heated up for no reason.

‘What? What is wrong with you too?’

If you did that, it seemed like you wanted to get attention from me.

I quickly comforted my fluttering heart.

They weren’t acting so vaguely for a day or two, but I was embarrassed for a moment because the three of them did that at the same time.

But soon I realized that it wasn’t such a difficult situation.

“That’s great. I have something to tell everyone anyway.”

The three of them flinched at the same time when I said that.

They exchanged looks and stared at me either with a stiff or reminded expression.

“What do you want to say?”

Luciano’s red eyes sparkled strangely.

His slightly flushed cheeks and impatient tone revealed his recalled expression.

“I’ll listen carefully, feel free to speak.”

Damian’s blue eyes were calm.

He smiled softly, but his lips were slightly stiff and he seemed nervous.

“I wouldn’t mind anything you say.”

Harrison added a word and fixed his green eyes on me.

I was not able to see straight into the gaze that focused on me as if I were the only person here.

The three were completely focused and stared at my lips. I was caught up in the awkward atmosphere.

Let’s not be shaken.

I have to live realistically.

I had to find my life before it was too late.

“I’m going to go to my estate.”

When I shouted resolutely, they suddenly became quiet.

Everyone was looking at me with a shocked expression, as if they had expected a different word.

“What?”

“Why all of sudden?”

“What’s wrong?”

As Luciano let out a shriek, Damian and Harrison also spoke one after another.

I calmly explained in their surprise.

“I’m going to slowly get ready to inherit the estate. I will go back and find my groom.”

When I explained the reason, their expressions hardened in an instant.

“What? Looking for a groom?”

Luciano’s sparkling eyes had turned cold. His gaze were so cold, enough to shoot me to death

“That’s really unexpected.”

Damian only raised one corner of his mouth, creating a nervous smile.

“What the—”

Harrison couldn’t finish his speech in embarrassment.

Their reactions were strangely sharp and seemed to be dissatisfied with my remark.

I mean, whoever saw it, they would think all of them liked me.

It wasn’t like that.

Not too long ago, I had mistakenly thought they liked me.

Even if I didn’t hear the confession and the word ‘I like you’ from them, I thought certainly they would like me.

Because their attitudes were like that.

There was a strange atmosphere with the three of them, so I felt like I had become a bad person and I thought I needed to clear things up.

So I asked outright.

“Luci, do you like me?”

“Why did you make such a misunderstanding?”

Luciano asked, as if it were absurd.

Uh, I must have misunderstood by myself.

“Harrison, do you like me?”

“You shouldn’t say things like that recklessly.”

Harrison said sternly.

Well, I must have misunderstood again this time.

“Damian, do you like me?”

“Do you want me to like you? Would you like it?”

Damian asked, raising one corner of his lips.

I didn’t expect to be ridiculed.

I was shocked after being dumped three times. I thought they liked me, but I was the only one who misunderstood.

I realized that, and there was a sense of futility. I was alone in the sea of illusion.

I’m so popular, so what are you gonna do about it? I drink a bowl of kimchi soup alone!

I even wanted to dig into the ground because I was ashamed of myself in the past.

But they were the bad ones. Would I not be mistaken everytime they acted like they were interested in me?

Anyway, I remembered the terrible feeling of that time when I recalled those memories.

I glared at them, and Luciano opened his eyes sharply as if he was in a bad mood.

“Explain it properly, Aesvin. What do you mean looking for a husband?”

It was a reaction as if he asked ‘What about me?’.

He did that whenever I was close to a man.

“Why do you need a groom, Aesvin? I’m here.”

Damian would always cleverly say that he would be by my side.

“Can’t you not go, Aesvin?”

It was like he was begging me not to leave him.

Harrison looked calm but he grabbed me like this when I tried to keep my distance.

They were like this again, but I wouldn’t be mistaken.

When I remembered I was dumped, my head got heated up.

“I’m the only daughter. I have to find a husband if I want to succeed in my family. I’m going to go, so eat well and live well. I came to say goodbye.”

“Aesvin Samuel! Stop right there!”

Even when Luciano seemed desperate.

“Aesvin, your joke is too much.”

And when Damian tried to laugh it off.

“Don’t go.”

Even Harrison’s words eagerly held me, everything didn’t reach me.

‘Who knew I’d fall for it again?’

I won’t be mistaken for their actions anymore.

“I’m busy, bye!”

I waved my hand at those who were inadvertently exuding passionate emotions.