The Terrible Cost of a Keyword

The only reason I suppressed those feelings and followed the servant in silence was that there were things I had to confirm. Why hadn’t the Crown Prince killed me then? What had startled him? Why had he left me alone when his tracks might have been discovered? And why did he choose the method of sending an invitation instead of relaying the news through Leo?

The Crown Prince was on an outdoor terrace overlooking the garden. Sunlight, wind, grass—everything in that moment was a picture so perfect it seemed like a background prepared specifically for him. As expected, the sun suited him better than the moon. It was a trivial thought.

“It’s been a while. Good to see you.”

Is “shamelessness” a prerequisite for the position of Crown Prince? He certainly seemed second to none in that department.

The Crown Prince granted me permission to sit as I stood there like an idiot, and he poured the tea himself. The prepared refreshments were sweet, and the tea was a fruit blend, its sugary scent wafting through the air.

His elegant hands, with joints that didn’t protrude much, caught my eye. Come to think of it, while the Crown Prince’s swordsmanship was decent, I had never heard it described as exceptional. If one wields a sword, it leaves a mark. Like Leo’s, the joints thicken, and the fingertips become rough and hard. They don’t stay smooth like that, as if he had never held anything heavier than a pen in his life. Was that why he kept Kishiar Tessa around? I didn’t know if it was acceptable to drag a Magic Corps Commander into personal affairs, but at least I was glad he hadn’t dragged my escort, Leo, into it.

The Crown Prince rattled on with meaningless words. I smiled occasionally and gave brief replies. Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, I kept drinking the tea until the cup was empty.

The garden viewed from the terrace was as beautiful as he had described in the invitation.

The Golden Borders were boasting a budding vitality, as if they had just bloomed. The roses, with their exceptionally thick layers of petals, looked so heavy that their heads might snap if they bloomed any further. Of course, if that happened, they would be removed immediately for ruining the overall aesthetic.

I heard only half of what those well-shaped lips uttered, occasionally glancing behind me to distract myself and deflect the rest. Thinking too deeply would only give me a headache. Despite my efforts, seeing that flawless face only made my irritation soar.

The tutors who had stuck to the Crown Prince since before he could walk to teach him imperial etiquette clearly taught him how to maintain dignity and act with grace in any situation, but they certainly never taught him how to apologize.

Even if he did something crazy right here and now, daring to protest would be considered blasphemy, and an apology would be something to be received with overwhelming gratitude. Knowing he was raised that way, I had no expectations. I steadied my heart as I looked at that face, feeling pity for whatever was rotting inside it.

Regardless, that piece of trash was the lead of the original work. He was an essential part of the plan Erkel and I had made. We had to select the parts that absolutely had to be changed without twisting things too far. Harring animosity beyond what was necessary would only make my own blood boil.

“I heard you liked them. But you aren’t touching them.”

I blinked, looking at the candy pushed in front of me. It was the same kind Spellman had brought. I blinked slowly, wondering if I was seeing things.

I had graduated from the service of having food brought directly to my mouth back when my second brother used to hold me in his lap and feed me. Considering the owner of the hand offering the food was the First Prince and Crown Prince of the Empire, it was an incredibly “gracious” treatment.

Only then did I meet his eyes.

The sight of those frozen eyes melting in search of warmth was so provocative it burned into my mind. In real-time, I confirmed the reason why Llewellyn Edwill fell in love despite a miserable life of being trampled by men. That is to say, he was looking at me with eyes completely different from before.

Like he was looking at something—fu—sigh—lovable.

Even as I thought it, it felt impossible. My circuits stuttered as if they had broken down. “Lovable gaze” and “the Crown Prince.” Just putting those two words side by side made me feel nauseous. But there was truly no other way to describe it. Not knowing how to process this insane situation, a candy popped into my open mouth. It was apple-flavored.

My fist was clenched so tight that the blood had stopped flowing, but those fingers I had thought were elegant reached out and lightly brushed it. Startled, my butt jumped off the chair. The teacup fell to the floor with a loud crash and shattered. A maid standing at a distance approached. After a few pairs of hands passed by, the table and floor became clean again as if nothing had happened.

I came face-to-face with his smiling face as he rested his chin on his hand. I covered my mouth. Even before, the Crown Prince had acted kind on the surface. At least, that’s how he sounded. A voice that no one could find fault with, even if it revealed the blade hidden within. But this was different. Before, it hadn’t been this cream-like, sugary, and soft.

A bell rang in my head. Why the Crown Prince hadn’t killed me, why he had called me here. I had found the answer to the questions I had pondered on the way.

After that, I couldn’t hear a word the Crown Prince said. I stayed dazed the entire time before returning home on the pretext of feeling unwell. As soon as I got off the carriage, I ran up to my room and opened Gredor’s diary. I needed Erkel.

<On a midsummer day. To K. I’ve decided on the name I was worried about last time. How about ‘Samsung’ for the name of the guild the protagonist enters? I heard ‘Sung’ means star somewhere. Brother Abel told me while explaining ancient magic. I have no talent for novels, but I feel like I’ll just list terrible sentences if I don’t hold a pen like this. Now all that’s left is the rival guild.>

The rules for using the diary were simple: ‘Send a signal by mentioning something only we can recognize.’ This month’s additional rule was a letter written in the diary. As the ink seeped in, a familiar handwriting soon appeared.

[Oh, dear L. It would be good to go with ‘Apple’ for that. How about using a bitten apple emblem?]

<God dammit, seriously.>

My heart was racing, and my handwriting flew across the page. Ink splattered.

[What? Did something happen?] [Annette? Family stuff?]

<F**k.>

[Why? Who’s bothering you? Should I go teach them a lesson?]

<That bastard Crown Prince is the problem. Want to teach him a lesson?>

[What’s up with him again?] [ㅠㅠ]

<I want to believe the bastard has gone crazy, but that’s nothing new at this point.> <It seems like…>

[Eh?] [Oh…]

<The original story seems to have started.>

[I think he’s definitely fallen for you?]

The original author reached a conclusion after I wrote down the Crown Prince’s bizarre behavior. Having internally hoped she would say otherwise, I tore at my hair.

<Why so suddenly?>

The bastard literally strangled me. I couldn’t bring myself to remind Erkel of that fact again, so I just ground my teeth. Aside from her feeling sorry for something that wasn’t her fault, I figured her only reaction would be, ‘Daebak… he’s totally hooked.’

To think the reason he spared me was that he fell for me at that very moment. It was enough to give me goosebumps.

[Um…] [I’m not sure, but.]

Erkel, having organized the situation, proposed a hypothesis. It was the so-called ‘Keywords.’

[Remember what I wrote for you before? The Crown Prince, at age twelve, meets in a flower garden, and falls in love at first sight.]

Erkel wrote ‘Twelve years old’, ‘Flower garden’, and ‘First meeting’ separately next to it.

<Yeah.>

[It happened to be set at night. There was a scene where he says Llewellyn’s hair looks just like moonlight under the moon.]

The word ‘Night’ was added to the list.

[But look. The ‘First meeting’ part was satisfied when you first met.]

Several circles were drawn over ‘First meeting.’

<And the ‘Flower garden’ was filled during the cat incident, and the ‘Night’ and ‘Twelve years old’ conditions were met that night?>

[Exactly.] [I’m not certain, but I think this is the most plausible explanation.]

It made sense, but I tapped the head of the pen against the desk, troubled.

<Then doesn’t that mean even if things don’t flow exactly like the original, what’s meant to happen can still happen?>

[Yeah. If this is true, even if the progression of events changes, things will eventually move forward as long as the conditions are met.]

It was hard to judge whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

I shut myself in the castle again. With the news that the original story had started, my passion for the sword vanished. Even my appetite plummeted.

My brothers went into a frenzy when their youngest, who seemed to have finally regained his spirits, shut himself in his bedroom again. They asked what happened at the Imperial Palace, but I sent them away saying nothing happened. Their faces clearly showed they didn’t believe me. Still, thanks to Cale’s soothing, the other two didn’t pry further.

“If you have worries, you don’t have to handle them alone, Llewellyn. No matter what happens, we are on your side.”

Holding my hand tightly and speaking seriously… they clearly thought I was going through puberty. I didn’t have the strength to deny it, nor did I have any other excuse, so I just nodded silently. What could I say? I couldn’t exactly say, ‘The Crown Prince suddenly fell for me and is doing some ridiculous flirting.’

But even that has reached its limit. I can’t stay cooped up in the castle forever. There is much to do. I’ve agreed to resume lessons with Spellman, and since I have permission to go out, I’ve made a promise to see Elliot and the Third Prince.

Moreover, the most important problem is that the Crown Prince is sharp. He won’t be unaware that I’m avoiding him. I’ll have to face him eventually, and prolonging this avoidance will only make the reunion more awkward. Yes. I know that.