### Chapter 277 – Room 204, Mission Room – ‘Hotel Cinema’ (1)
—
– Elena
—
This is strange.
After stepping into “Taming the Crown Prince,” I felt it countless times. About ten minutes ago, I woke up in bed, dressed in a fancy gown for the party. Up to that point, everything seemed normal.
The oddity started afterward. I thought I would ride in a carriage when I exited the mansion, but no, as soon as I stepped out, I arrived at the royal palace!
I was greatly startled by such sudden teleportation. If it weren’t for my experiences in this hotel where bizarre occurrences happen as naturally as breathing, I might have screamed.
After a bit of thought, it made sense. This place wasn’t reality; it was ‘inside a movie.’ Movies need to convey a full story in a short span, roughly 2 to 3 hours, with a beginning, middle, and end.
Scenes of the heroine changing dresses are what audiences crave, so they were shown in real-time. Meanwhile, scenes of boarding a carriage to the palace or casually chatting with an extra maid in the process were deemed boring and unnecessary, so they skipped straight to the palace.
The moment I arrived at the party venue, a booming voice announced my arrival.
“Lady Elena Crosibel has arrived!”
Elena ‘Crosibel’—that’s my name. As if they had been waiting for me, elegantly dressed noblemen approached, asking me to dance and bragging about themselves. I laughed it off politely, putting everyone in their place. Thanks to that—though it’s a stretch to call it a thanks—I naturally figured out I was the ‘daughter of a count.’
Now, where is that crown prince? My prey! Come out!
*
“Is that how a heroine in a romance movie speaks? Sounds like a hunter on a wild boar hunt!”
“Without the narration, it would fit right in.”
*
Finding the crown prince wasn’t too hard.
A bunch of nobles dressed like peacocks were gathered nearby. I saw a well-built, confident guy laughing heartily and cracking jokes—he must be the prince.
However, I hesitated for a moment. Should I just rush over?
Romance is all about the push and pull. If you shove bait into the fish’s mouth without thinking, they’ll swim away! So, I need to lure him in.
I moved toward the window and checked the lighting. Taking two steps forward to position myself perfectly, I straightened up and turned, putting maximum emotion into my expression as I glanced around the party.
Should I try a more melancholic vibe? A character that feels like the daughter of a troubled count would be ideal. This part is tricky, but let’s go with my gut.
I loosened my brooch and inched closer to the window. As the outside wind whipped through my hair, my long golden locks began to sway elegantly.
— Clack!
I heard someone approaching. A sly smile crept over my face, but I didn’t turn around. After all, the heroine shouldn’t chase after someone; they’re the one who should seek her out!
*
On one side of the magnificent palace, Elena leaned against the window, her hair fluttering in the wind. As its golden strands sparkled in the light, it felt like the focus of the world shifted from the partygoers to her.
No, the movie’s focus really did shift in that direction. Meanwhile, many of the audience members watching ‘Taming the Crown Prince – Elena’s Version’ seemed entranced.
“Wow…”
“Is that some kind of CGI? How is her hair shining like that?”
“Han Kain, you’re drooling.”
“Tch, drooling?”
Watching my teammates appear as if they might leap into the screen, Ahri secretly thought it wouldn’t be easy.
‘How can I pull that off?’
Honestly, she was just standing near the window with her hair down.
It seemed just the visual of her was enough to create a magazine-worthy scene fit for a romance movie; other people wouldn’t easily imitate that. If Elena fails and someone else steps in, they wouldn’t be able to do that either.
“I wish Elena could show a method that others could copy.”
Or maybe Elena should just succeed on the first go!
*
“Lady Crosibel, is something troubling you?”
Turning around, I found the handsome guy with the confident body standing there. Just as I expected. After that, we exchanged some light chatter and shared a glass of wine before moving toward the center of the banquet hall.
“Today, I’ve come to realize I’ve lived my life as a blind man.”
“Oh! I’m not sure I follow.”
“Having never seen your exquisite self, can I say my eyes have finally opened?”
This line is honestly a bit much. But since he’s a good-looking prince, I’ll let it slide.
“You were gazing out of the window for a long time; is there something troubling you?”
I was just thinking about how to make you fall head over heels for me.
“The weather has been getting colder, hasn’t it? I heard that my father left for the northwest of the empire to handle some affairs; I can’t help but feel heavy-hearted for his troubles.”
So, Dad (?) did head to the northwest, huh? That was the setup I overheard while changing clothes, but I’m not sure if it’s accurate.
“Haha! You must let Count Crosibel know that such a beautiful lady is worrying for him! I, Pendleton, have often seen the count on my way here. If the chance arises, I’ll be sure to pass it on.”
Count ‘sir?’ That ‘Pendleton?’
“Umm… Are you Pendleton the duke, by any chance?”
“Eh? Haha! Don’t tell me you didn’t recognize me? Lady Crosibel, I didn’t know you were such a jokester!”
*
Considering he’s not a prince! Who said he looks like a prince!
As Elena’s furious narration reached the audience, they all clutched their necks in disbelief.
“Uagh… He specifically said Pendleton from the beginning! The crown prince is ‘Person!’ She even heard the maid say their first and last names earlier!”
Watching Gain’s frustration, Songyi cautiously defended Elena.
“Oppa, to be honest, given the situation, it’s understandable Elena got confused. You just haven’t watched any romance movies or novels, so you might not know; usually, the crown prince is the most handsome!”
I had thought he was a duke—how could that happen?
“No, just because he’s the emperor’s son doesn’t mean he looks handsome! What’s that got to do with it?”
“Gain, don’t say such nonsense. If he’s the crown prince, he must be the handsomest! The casting in that movie is bizarre!”
With Eunsol also nagging from the back, Gain finally zipped it.
‘Was this my mistake?’
*
Calm down! Stay composed! It’s not too late. The banquet is still going strong!
After pushing away that absurd-looking duke who resembles a prince, I finally spotted the ‘real crown prince,’ Joshua Persson, sitting with his entourage on one side of the banquet hall. As soon as I found him, my emotions could be summed up in one sentence.
The hotel has set a trap!
I mean, when you think of the lead in a romance film, there’s usually an expected age group, right? Mid-twenties, or at least early thirties, is the norm!
What am I supposed to do if they throw me a child like Seungyub?!
I felt a surge of anger rising within, but as I pondered other possibilities, I felt a sense of relief. The hotel could have played even dirtier and made a 60-year-old grandpa the ‘crown prince.’ Some countries have crown princes who don’t inherit the throne until they’re over 70, for crying out loud.
After correcting my positioning, I repeated the ‘show’ I did before from a location visible to the crown prince. Now, what excuse should I use? Should I worry about my mother’s increasing cough?
It took less than five minutes for my second ‘fishing’ attempt to succeed. I began to hear more footsteps, and a slightly older boy than Seungyub approached.
“L-lady C-Crosibel! Is something bothering you? O-oh, today, I—”
“I realized I’ve lived my entire life as a blind man?”
“Gulp!”
Who even started this trend?
“Pfft! Sorry, I’ve been hearing a lot of similar lines today….”
“Is that so?”
What started as a shy boy soon turned into chatter about various subjects. He spoke about a yacht he’d recently received as a gift, a horse that tried to throw him off, and even expressed a slight jealousy toward Pendleton for his popularity at the party despite being just a duke.
As I listened intently, I realized what type of character this prince is.
*
‘Good-natured aristocrat, Seungyub-type. The conquest should be easy. I worry about the empire’s future.’
“E-Elena unni! What did that mean just now?”
“Hahaha!”
— Thud!
Watching Ahri burst into laughter, Eunsol sighed. Honestly, I completely agreed with Elena’s analysis. This prince could barely breathe when a pretty girl was around, and even though he’s the crown prince, he couldn’t take charge of the party—his weak personality shines through, along with a subtle inferiority complex.
To be fair, he does kind of resemble Seungyub.
“Uh, I mean it in an adorable way, Seungyub.”
“You said it would be easy to conquer! And then you worried about the empire’s future!”
Eunsol thought it might be better for Songyi to say nothing rather than offer meaningless reassurance.
*
As the conversation drifted further from focus.
This young prince seemed eager to show me his most ‘credible’ side. He babbled about the capital’s heating measures, getting so flustered that he lost his train of thought.
Don’t forget! I’m the heroine of this movie, so I’m supposed to help him!
“Your Highness’ concern for the citizens of the capital should be recognized by others. Even an emperor can’t stop winter; however, if your warm heart caring for the whole kingdom reaches the heavens, I’m sure even the gods will be moved.”
“That’s true!”
This feels right. For now, it seems to be flowing smoothly. Despite the age gap, it’s a relief that the young prince shows clear signs of being infatuated with me.
Given the circumstances, this ‘duke’s party’ seems to function as an event for the heroine to win the prince’s heart. So far, so good. What’s next…
“By the way, Lady Elena!”
“Your Highness, have you received permission to call me by my name? You should properly address me as Lady Crosibel!”
“… C-Crosibel!”
As I watched the prince getting scolded by the attendant for that brief pause, I felt a bit sorry for him and decided to lend a hand.
“Oh dear, didn’t I say earlier that you could call me by my name?”
“Y-Yes?”
“Would you call me?”
“Of course! Lady Elena! I believe next week there is a fox hunt in celebration of the New Year, is there not?”
So, it seems the next event involves a ‘fox hunt.’ But seeing the young prince who so eagerly cheered up after my single line, I couldn’t help but sigh. It’s just a movie, but this empire might very well end next generation.
*
“Seungyub, I told you to govern better! At this rate, your generation will go down!”
“… It’s okay. I’m not the crown prince.”
Hearing Arin’s teasing, I struggled to stifle my laughter as I watched Seungyub lower his head in embarrassment, absorbed in chuckles. Then, I realized.
‘This isn’t the time to be laughing!’
Elena doesn’t even know her inner thoughts are being narrated! Earlier, she thought of Seungyub, but who will come next? If it’s something about me… Suddenly, I felt short of breath.
At that moment, Songyi, sitting across the way, started to grow agitated.
‘There’s no way the hotel script would be this smooth! It’s about time for a villain to show up….’
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