Chapter 57: The Beginning of The Change (2)
Sigren’s face was marked with a cynical smile. Wherever people existed—whether aristocrats or commoners—they would always use their own ground to act as if they were lords over newcomers. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. Of course, no one openly opposed Sigren, as he was now officially recognized as the prince by the Emperor. However, there was subtle disrespect. People created a bizarre atmosphere by displaying small acts of disregard, like ignoring him. Among the maids and servants, some felt they were entitled to act as if they were lords themselves. Sigren did not care about those servants, but the knights assigned as escort knights to his palace were a different matter. They were from noble families. What did this mean? It meant that things needed to be sorted out.
“One more,” Sigren said firmly while standing in the royal palace’s gymnasium.
‘A monster.’
The knights scattered around forgot to mask their expressions and groaned. Sigren smirked as he saw his escort knights sprawled out in the gymnasium.
“What? Is that it?”
The ridicule made the knights’ faces turn red. They didn’t like Sigren, but they did their best to fight him. However, it was clear they had underestimated the strength of the twenty-year-old prince. The result of their battle was a crushing defeat. None of the knights succeeded in even scratching Sigren’s body. Unlike the exhausted knights, Sigren appeared physically relaxed. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“So you protect someone like this.”
Sigren knew how to assert dominance over these ‘lords’. A hundred words were of no use to them. It was far more effective to demonstrate an overwhelming difference in power.
“Get up quickly. If you guys are like this, I won’t be able to sleep peacefully.”
The knights’ role was to guard his room, meaning he couldn’t rely on them for his safety and rest. Hearing Sigren’s words, several strong-willed knights jumped up. Sigren took note of their faces.
‘There are a few who can be used.’
In any case, he had no intention of turning everyone in the palace into enemies. This confrontation was merely a warning to those above them and was not intended to be entirely hostile. If he had been serious, none of the knights present would have had intact limbs. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I like that some of you have guts. Now…”
At that moment, a servant approached cautiously.
“Your Highness.”
“What’s going on?”
“You have a guest.”
Sigren frowned lightly. He was not accustomed to being served and disliked being interrupted while wielding his weapon.
“Who is it? Ask them to return if possible.”
The servant hesitated. “The person said her name is Fiona Heilon. She told me to…”
“No, it’s fine.”
Sigren quickly changed his attitude. “I’ll go right away.”
When he said this, the knights sighed in relief. They exchanged curious glances. Who was this young lady who could make the prince, who seemed unflappable, change his demeanor so swiftly?
‘Does anyone know a young lady named Fiona Heilon?’
‘I think I’ve heard of her.’
Of course, as Fiona had not done much socializing yet, only a small number of knights and nobles knew of her. But whether they really knew her or not, Sigren no longer paid them any attention. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
As Sigren prepared to leave, he realized he was in no condition to meet anyone. He was covered in sweat and dust from the match.
“Get ready for a quick wash. In the meantime, make sure Lady Fiona is treated with the utmost respect so that she doesn’t get bored.”
With the prince in a hurry, the movement of the servants and maids became busier.
Just before Sigren left the gymnasium, he turned around to face the knights, who were still stretched out.
“Fifty laps of the gym.”
“Ah…”
The knights let out small groans, understanding the implication.
Despite hearing their pained groans, Sigren concluded with a stern voice.
“Start running.”
That was why they should not have challenged him in the first place. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
***
I visited Sigren’s palace after a long time, hoping to catch up and update him on what had happened so far.
“The guardian of winter?” Sigren laughed briefly upon hearing the story. The tips of his still-damp hair fluttered. “There were some people in Heilon who called you that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You might not have known because you’re not the type to care much about those around you.”
“It’s kind of embarrassing.”
“You don’t need to be. You’re that impressive.”
Hearing Sigren’s confident praise made me even more embarrassed. I looked at him, concerned that he might be teased, but fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case. In fact, the palace maids blushed slightly while serving tea, clearly taken with Sigren. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
‘He’s popular.’
I frowned at him. “Actually, when I heard that, I was a bit excited.”
Sigren hesitated. “What kind of nonsense told you that?”
“Your Highness, you should try to speak more politely.”
“Who told you that, My Lady?”
“Don’t be so grumpy.”
Normally, I would be expected to speak more formally with Sigren. Technically, he had agreed to be polite in official settings, but he seemed genuinely disgusted right now. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Why are you suddenly curious about that?” I asked.
There was a subtle smirk on Sigren’s face, as if he was amused. “That person made your heart flutter, so I should thank her as a friend.”
Haha, what was he talking about? To be honest, I had no idea.
“Well, she’s Lady Livya. Do you know her?”
“Livya? The Priscilla family… Wait, she’s a girl?”
“Yes.” I had never said I was flattered by a man.
Sigren blinked calmly, then spoke in a slightly subdued voice, “Well, I’ll still thank her later.”
“Do whatever you want.” I sipped my tea slowly, answering briefly.
Sigren rested his chin on his hand and gazed at me, a habit I found puzzling. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“What’s up?”
“It’s nothing, but…” Sigren frowned slightly. “You mentioned you would win the hunting contest?”
“Did you hear that too?”
“It’s Abel—no, Master told me.”
“I see.”
“Also, I’m participating in the hunting contest as well.”
Oh right, he did mention that. Come to think of it, even if no one else knew, could I defeat Sigren? Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Then we’re rivals.”
Sigren chuckled. “A rival? With you?”
From Sigren’s perspective, I might seem like a novice. “Honestly, I thought I only had to defeat the Crown Prince and his knights. I forgot about you.”
Sigren’s face showed that he was enjoying this.
“I won’t participate if you ask me not to.” He smiled lightly, then took my hand and kissed the back of it slowly. “I’m not your rival, but rather your hands and feet, Fiona.”
Such skinship was common in noble circles, but when Sigren did it, it had a different kind of impact. Also, what did he mean by ‘hands and feet’?
When I was young, I did drag him around like a leader in an alley.
Of course, my intention was to give him various experiences, but now that we were grown, hearing ‘hands and feet’ from the male lead felt quite burdensome.
I slowly withdrew my hand and replied, “It’s your first hunting competition as a prince. You shouldn’t waste a good opportunity to show your skills.”
“The dragon’s heart decorating the imperial palace should be enough.”
“Still.”
In fact, the hunting competition was not just about catching monsters; it had other meanings as well. It was an event where romance among young nobles was often mixed in. Those who captured monsters—mostly noble young men and knights—sometimes offered their catches to their lovers or someone they liked. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. For this reason, even young women who did not participate showed subtle interest in the competition. Moreover, people paid close attention to which young lady would receive the monsters from the winner. It was said that many winners and the noble young ladies who received the monsters ended up marrying. In a society where arranged marriages were common, these stories were considered quite romantic.
I continued, “You might want to impress a girl you like in the competition.”
There was a similar event in the original plot where Sigren won the competition and gave the monsters to Eunice.
‘Wait, if that’s the case, then my biggest rival is really Sigren.’
Sigren grinned. “Of course, I have that in mind.”
“What, do you have someone in mind?” I almost jumped up. Had he met Eunice without my knowledge, even though it was a bit later than in the original plot? Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
‘Honestly, I want to meet her too.’
I should ask him to introduce me to her later.
I smiled broadly. “You really do have someone! That’s great!”
But Sigren had a harsh reaction. “That’s right. I do.”
“Then you’re really my rival?” I thought I was in big trouble. I had been so confident when talking to Duke Ernest.
“Well.” Sigren smiled meaningfully.
These days, it was hard to understand what Sigren was thinking, especially when he had that look on his face.
“What does that mean?”
Since Sigren had become an adult, he was much better at hiding his feelings. This change was a bit disappointing since we were best friends. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
‘Well, that’s how everyone grows up.’
He then spoke in an ambiguous tone. “You’ll find out soon.”
Hey, just tell me!
***
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