Crown Prince Alex checked his appearance one last time in front of the mansion’s main gate.
Taking out a pocket mirror, he confirmed that he looked perfect.
To avoid being recognized, he had changed his signature black hair to brown using a potion.
This was all part of his excellent scheme to prank the comic author, Rupert.
After disguising himself and deliberately acting rudely, if Rupert reacted with anger or reprimanded him, Alex would then reveal his true identity and threaten him, questioning whether he had just insulted the royal family, and more specifically, Crown Prince Alex himself.
It was a much better opportunity than just showing up unannounced; it would allow him to discover Rupert’s true nature.
In terms of rudeness, he had to admit that it was far more outrageous for a prince to show up unannounced and angry, but considering that rumors of his wild ways had already spread, such behavior wouldn’t be entirely out of place.
“Hello, is there anyone here?”
He had only brought one guard disguised as his attendant, maybe to prevent anyone from thinking he was of noble birth.
He had prepared a backstory too, claiming he was a local noble staying overnight because he had no place to stay in the Somerset territory.
It would be considered rude for a noble to dismiss a guest, so they would probably invite him to stay for the night, and if he pulled off some cheeky antics, he was certain they wouldn’t be able to contain their anger.
‘The thought of putting this impudent character in his place is already bringing me joy.’
Although he originally had no association with the Somerset family, now he was prepared to lecture them for having insulted the royal family, as if they had disrespected the Crown Prince himself.
All of this was thanks to Rupert Somerset, who had shamelessly hidden behind the princess and mocked him.
He was intensely curious about how someone could act like that even with him around.
“Excuse me, but what is your business here?”
Two guards in front of the mansion asked for his identity.
Alex gestured to his disguised guard.
“This is Young Master Rax, the eldest son of Baron Klazen from the west. He has come to visit Lord Somerset and is here to pay his regards.”
“Greetings, Young Master Rax. May I see your identity token, please?”
With a swift motion, Alex retrieved the disguised identity token he had requested from the Magic Tower.
It was indistinguishable from a genuine one.
Once the guards completed their verification, the mansion doors swung open, and someone came to lead him inside.
‘For a local noble’s mansion, this isn’t half bad.’
Of course, comparing it directly to the mansions in the capital would be unfair given the differences in their circumstances, but still, this was a size that could hold its own anywhere.
“What’s that?”
However, Alex’s eyes were quickly drawn away from the mansion and to another location.
Two large single-story buildings that felt out of place on the mansion’s grounds.
Even though it was nighttime, the lights were on, and raucous sounds echoed from within.
“Oh, that is a factory that produces books and merchandise.”
“What is it doing here?”
“Well, it was decided by, my lord…”
That was strange. Usually, the grounds of a noble’s mansion would feature a well-kept garden or perhaps a zoo for showcasing exotic animals.
But a factory? Why would they build such a loud and boisterous place on the mansion’s premises?
It couldn’t be because they thought land prices were too high.
‘It’s probably for security reasons. This one has more vigilance than I expected.’
He had heard some rumors about Rupert.
Unlike the books he produced, he was supposedly a cold-hearted person who had turned his father, Count Somerset, into a mere puppet.
That alone was rather surprising.
In the world of nobility, such rumors could lead to fatal damage to one’s honor in the future, yet he boldly seized control of his family without fear.
“Welcome, Young Master Rax Klazen. We sincerely welcome you to the Somerset family.”
By the time they had arrived at the mansion, a butler was already there to greet him.
“I apologize for intruding at night, but I would like to pay my respects to the head of the household. Is that alright?”
“I’m afraid both the head of the household and the Young Master are out at the moment, so it seems I must host you.”
Tch.
There was no point in being rude to the butler; he wouldn’t gain anything from it.
Even if the butler got angry at his impudence, it was obvious he’d just brush it off later by claiming he had poorly trained or misemployed him, right?
“Oh dear, it seems I’ve come at the wrong time. Will they not be returning today?”
“No, they should be back soon. Please wait inside.”
Following the butler’s guidance, Alex stepped into the mansion, immediately drawn to a portrait hanging in the central hall.
“What’s that?”
Alex was taken aback. He had seen court artists’ works at the royal palace a few times, but this portrait was of an entirely different caliber.
“That is the portrait of the lady painted by Young Master Rupert, the second son of the family.”
“…It’s exceptionally well done.”
The skill was undeniable, and as he admired the portrait for a moment, a question popped into his head about why the lady of the house had not come out to greet him.
“Speaking of which, shouldn’t I at least pay my respects to the lady of the house?”
“…I’m afraid the lady passed away five years ago.”
“I must have committed a faux pas.”
“No, it’s entirely understandable.”
Ah, he realized his oversight. This was indeed a serious lapse on his part, and he offered an apology to the butler.
“Well then, allow me to guide you to the reception room.”
“Thank you.”
As Alex walked to the reception room, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
A particular hypothesis sprang to mind.
‘Has he lost his mother too?’
For some reason, he felt a strange similarity between them. His own mother had passed away when he was just a child, and he couldn’t shake the complex emotions stirred by the earlier portrait.
He wondered if Rupert’s actions of ousting his father to seize control of his family stemmed from that loss.
He could empathize, as he himself held much resentment toward his father, who had married a new woman immediately after his mother’s death and now carried a deep-seated hatred for that choice.
At just five years old, he hadn’t comprehended why he had to call another woman ‘mother’. He had thrown tantrums and protested against forgetting his late mother, but his father had been resolute and never reconsidered.
Though he felt powerless against his father, it was clear that Rupert must have expressed that internal fury in one way or another.
‘The characters he created—Cinderella, Snow White—were all protagonists who lost their mothers.’
Now, he finally understood the backgrounds from which those stories emerged.
What appeared to be peaceful and warm narratives were actually optimistic reflections of the author’s autobiographical experiences.
Thud, thud, thud!
Suddenly, the prince’s contemplative mood was shattered by loud footsteps.
A little girl, as though she were running in a horse riding arena, caught his eye as she sprinted down the corridor.
Who the heck was that child running around in the hallway?
She looked too young to be a maid.
And it was hard to believe she was the daughter of a count, given her tattered clothing and plump figure, which hardly gave off the impression of a noble’s daughter.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Elza Aida! Who are you, uncle?”
“Lady! This gentleman is a guest!”
The butler hurriedly addressed the little girl, shooting Alex a worried glance, but Alex was too shocked to even process it.
‘An… uncle?’
What an absurd label! A mere 25 years old, and she was calling him “uncle.”
“And this little one?”
“Oh, my apologies. This is Lady Aida Somerset, the third child of Count Somerset.”
Ah, Rupert’s little sister.
Alex stared at the rude little girl who dared to call him “uncle”, her chubby face looking at him with wide eyes.
‘But why on earth does she look so tattered?’
While he could overlook her plumpness as a noble’s daughter, that sky-blue dress was in such a ragged state—where exactly had she come by such clothing?
As he looked at her, anger began to bubble inside him.
‘Is Count Somerset really neglecting his daughter like this?’
Even the emperor, who oppressed him and showed disinterest in his second child, at least managed to attend to the outside appearances of his family.
Could it be that Count Somerset was off gallivanting with mistresses instead?
The thought that the stories he had read might be based on real-life events suddenly made young Aida seem quite pitiful.
‘Poor thing. She’s at an age where she desperately needs her mother’s love.’
Unaware of Alex’s sympathies, Aida simply beamed at him and pointed at herself with what she held in her hands.
“Freeze!”
“What?”
Caught off guard by the sudden shout, Alex couldn’t help but be taken aback as Aida’s expression quickly turned sullen.
“Young Master, I’m sorry. Young lady, you mustn’t play such tricks on our guest!”
Observing the scene, the butler hurried to intervene, repeatedly apologizing to Alex.
Not understanding what kind of game this was, Alex was quickly brought up to speed by Alain.
He realized that Aida was mimicking the protagonist from the currently trending comic book, The Kingdom of Ice. It finally made sense to him.
‘So this is how it’s done?’
He froze in place, mimicking a frozen statue, and Aida began to smile with renewed satisfaction.
But it still didn’t seem enough; wielding her wand, she started poking Alex all over his body.
“How dare you touch the imperial body!!!”
Seeing this, one of the guards mimicking Aida gasped in horror and tried to intervene, but when Alex subtly gestured for him to stay quiet, the guard was left fidgeting, merely watching.
‘Poor girl, I can show her a little kindness for a moment.’
Having endured a similar childhood, Alex understood just how tough and unhappy this little girl must be feeling.
“Release! Ta-da!!!”
When her poking didn’t elicit a response from Alex, Aida finally felt relief and shouted the magic words of release.
Watching her, Alex felt a slight calming warmth in his heart.
Upon closer inspection, despite her ragged state, she had a certain cuteness to her with those chubby cheeks.
So, he reached down to ruffle her hair, but she shook her head vigorously in protest.
“Hey?”
“No! Aida can’t be patted by just anyone! She’s going to marry a prince!”
At Aida’s response, Alex couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
She would be so surprised if she knew his real status.
That little prince was utterly incomparable to him, the Crown Prince of the Empire.
“Kid, wouldn’t it be better to dream of marrying a crown prince instead of a mere prince?”
“No way! Aida likes princes! I don’t know about crown princes!”
He was momentarily speechless.
How could she prefer a prince over a crown prince? Just like how 2 is undeniably greater than 1—there’s no comparison!
“Why do you think a prince is better?”
“Well, Cinderella, Snow White, and the Little Mermaid all marry princes!”
Cursed fairy tale books!
It seems like there are more things to discuss with the author.
*
“You’ve arrived, young master.”
“Yes, it was just a simple meeting. But tell me, nothing major happened?”
“Oh, a guest visited but just left.”
A guest?
Given how many guests have been dropping by due to the current popularity of fairy tales and comics, it could very well be that.
“What was the reason for their visit?”
“It was a visitor to the territory who came to pay their respects.”
“A peculiar person indeed. What could possibly be interesting to see in this rural area?”
“They claimed they would rather greet you later, but they left a letter.”
I opened the letter that Alain handed me.
To Master Rupert Somerset.
I originally intended to speak with you in person, but since you weren’t available, I’ll settle for this letter.
I was going to point out your behavior, but having learned a bit about your circumstances, I’ll let this one slide.
Don’t pay any heed to the rumors; I hope you continue to act according to your desires. Though others may not understand, I can.
Oh, and for your future works, it might be better if your male protagonists are crown princes rather than princes.
Sincerely, your anonymous supporter.
“What is this crazy nonsense?”
Leaving behind a note with such perplexing content felt odd and foreboding.
‘Now that I think about it, didn’t something similar happen before?’
Feeling a funny sense of unease, I folded the letter and tucked it away in my pocket.
It felt incredibly off-putting. Crown prince over a prince?
Could it be that crown princes are visiting our territory?
No way that could happen without causing a stir.
The more I thought about it, the more it gave me a headache.
‘Maybe I should really rein it in a bit?’
Perhaps due to the side effects of excessively drinking vitality potions lately, I had been feeling unusually brave.
At that moment, I felt the need for extra caution.
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