The Villainess Who Looks Like a Little Girl Is in the Arms of the Ice Prince (Who Is Sometimes Cute) - Chapter 16

Being subjected to the curious gazes of unfamiliar people was something I had prepared myself for, so I was fine with it.

However, the contemptuous attitude of Crown Prince Marcel of the Chevran Kingdom and his fiancée Ines—even if I had expected it—still hurt somewhat. After all, I am human.

“Thank you for this opportunity to reunite with my beloved sister.”

“You’ve come a long way.”

Prince Folkhardt’s slightly mismatched responses were lowering the temperature around us. I couldn’t tell if it was a warning or simply his bad mood. But that coldness felt comforting to me.

“Congratulations on your engagement this time.”

Ines’s still-childish, lisping tone was unbecoming of a marquess’s daughter. I had repeatedly advised her against it before, but it seemed my words had fallen on deaf ears.

At a ball in another country, her deeply cut heart-shaped bustier made it hard to know where to look. She hadn’t thrown a stole over it, and her back was exposed enough to see her shoulder blades. I was on edge, wondering if it would fall off if she danced.

As proof, the men around us were staring fixedly at her ample bosom. I nearly sighed at how she’d instantly made enemies of every woman in the venue, but I forced myself to swallow it.

“Enjoy yourselves.”

Prince Folkhardt gave a safe, noncommittal reply, ending the greetings.

Now, I wonder what His Highness thinks about all this, I thought, glancing sideways at him and our eyes met.

“…Ria. Is that the crown prince’s fiancée? She’s not his mistress, is she?”

“Mmph!”

I almost burst out laughing and hurriedly covered my mouth with both hands. He watched me with an amused look, only the left corner of his mouth lifted. Annoying, but I couldn’t bring myself to hate him.

“And what is that dress? It’s far too vulgar.”

“Mmmph!”

“Moreover, she was looking at me as if she wanted to devour me. Disgusting.”

“Because you look so dashing, Lord Hal.”

Prince Folkhardt finally stopped his sarcastic remarks completely.

“Dashing? Me?”

“? Yes.”

“Hmph. Hmph.”

After that, he seemed to be in a remarkably good mood and stood up.

“I’m feeling great.”

“Huh?”

As Prince Folkhardt walked forward, the nobles exchanging greetings in the hall all turned their attention to the podium at once.

Waiting for the room to quiet down, Prince Folkhardt raised his voice.

“Everyone! You have gathered well tonight for my fiancée! You may admire the young princess. You may mingle for a better future. Enjoy yourselves to the fullest!”

“Your Highness! Congratulations!”

“Congratulations on your engagement!”

“Long live the Empire!”

As if on cue, the young nobles responded immediately, and the orchestra began to play. Prince Folkhardt led me into the hall.

“Now then, Ria. Let’s dance.”

“Yes, Lord Hal.”

The sight of the little princess walking with her back straight was the center of attention.

As the music started, Prince Folkhardt began to step, and I twirled around. That alone drew murmurs of “Oh!” and “How adorable!” from those around us.

A dance between an adult and a child might seem comical.

But I was enjoying it because until now, no matter what ball I was invited to, no one had ever danced with me. This was the first time I had danced with someone other than a relative. My real first dance.

“You’re good, Ria.”

“I’m happy.”

That said, with my four-year-old body, I couldn’t possibly dance an entire song.

Noticing my fatigue, Prince Folkhardt immediately picked me up. And he continued to step while holding me.

“Eek! Oh, come on!”

“What’s wrong with it? I want to show off how cute Ria is.”

“Cu!?”

(Cute!? He said I’m cute for the first time!)

Even if it was just because I’m a child, it made me happy. Words that weren’t negative made me feel warmly embraced.

As we finished our dance, it was now the turn of Crown Prince Marcel of Chevran and his fiancée.

As I was heading back to the side, Marquess Ines passed by me, placed her fan over her mouth, bent down, and whispered in my ear.

“Marrying a lolicon pervert~ How pitiful for you~”

Those words, which only reached my ears, instantly erased the warmth I had felt just moments before.

It takes fourteen days by carriage from the royal capital of the Chevran Kingdom to the Eastern Capital. To think they came all this way just to scorn me. It felt almost insane.

Maybe I’ve been tainted by the comfortable Empire.

Until now, things like this were everyday occurrences. I could quickly regain my composure, resist with my attitude, or sometimes retort with sarcasm.

But now, I was filled with frustration, unable to even defend Prince Folkhardt’s honor. Ines had started dancing in the ballroom, leaving me with nothing but her words. How pathetic.

“She’s still a nasty piece of work, that one.”

Enzo patted my trembling shoulders comfortingly.

“En… you heard?”

“Yeah, I’ve got sharp ears. Well, just let her say what she wants. She’s already planted her own destruction flag anyway.”

The attendant grinned mischievously, cheering me up.

“Destruction flag?”

“No need to hold back. Let’s show the true power of the villainess.”

“You’re right.”

After Marquess Ines finished her dance, one young male noble after another invited her, leaving only Crown Prince Marcel to return to our side.

Enzo deliberately stood as if to hide me.

“Lord Folkhardt. Let’s have a toast.”

“…Sure.”

The two, holding champagne glasses, lightly clinked them together. The dry clink sounded more like a signal for a battle of wits than a friendly exchange.

Both were deliberately raising the corners of their mouths, pretending to be ‘cheerful,’ but the atmosphere was tense.

“By the way. Why hasn’t the deployment of the knight order been relaxed? We sent my sister as you requested, didn’t we?”

“You’d ask that directly at a celebration?… Fine. Our Empire’s demand was ‘Cherish the people, worship the sea god, and respect rituals. If you cannot do that, then share the sea god’s blood with the Empire and come under our protection.’ I don’t recall saying ‘Send your sister.'”

“We shared the sea god’s blood, didn’t we? Yet instead of protection—”

“If that were true, then perhaps?”

Cut off by Prince Folkhardt, Crown Prince Marcel couldn’t find his next words. He looked around for me, and when he didn’t see me nearby, he scowled.

“What is there to doubt?”

“I’d prefer you not underestimate the Empire’s intelligence network. We have plenty of merchants and craftsmen coming and going from Chevran Palace. It seems an innocent young girl playing in the detached palace is called ‘Your Highness.’—Were the princesses twins?”

“Urgh.”

“I haven’t yet informed His Majesty.”

What Prince Folkhardt said was true. The Empress said she would pretend not to know. The Emperor had been told not to report until the background was clear. All to resolve things peacefully.

So, this was akin to showing mercy to Marcel. If he mishandled this here, it could crack the relationship between the Empire and the Kingdom, becoming irreparable.

“Hmph. If it’s not true, then that person deceived us.”

Unfortunately, Marcel didn’t have the brains to grasp the situation.

“Oh? So, you were deceived too.”

“Yes.”

“Your sister’s marriage, wasn’t it? Didn’t you investigate properly?… Well, it doesn’t matter.”

“Doesn’t matter, what do you—”

Marcel looked about to fly into a rage, but Prince Folkhardt stopped him with just a gesture, as if holding him back.

“The Empire isn’t a charity, either. We considered offering protection because the Jewel Spring has value. Do you know the mining output over the past few months?”

“Hah. As if the Empire would know that.”

“The Eastern Capital is a major importer of sapphires from the Jewel Spring. Recently, the circulation volume has plummeted.”

“Sold elsewhere!”

“Oh? So, you’ve given up on trade with our Empire? We agreed to purchase at a high price in exchange for guaranteeing the annual import volume, but that hasn’t been upheld. We’ll have to collect the penalty fee.”

“Pe-penalty fee!?”

I was utterly amazed. Had the foolish crown prince come here without even basic knowledge of the trade agreement?

The price of sapphires in the Eastern Capital is high. In return, the contract ensures a stable supply. If the supply falls short, a penalty fee is added to the purchase price. It’s a reasonable contract.

I had also checked the changes in sapphire circulation volume in Prince Folkhardt’s office. Of course, as a duke’s daughter, I hadn’t known about trade agreements between nations, but Prince Folkhardt had summarized it for me.

It pained me to see my homeland’s decline quantified like this. Clearly, they couldn’t mine enough. They were heading straight for ruin.

“That’s nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense. When you return to your country, check the contract signature. The royal seal of the Chevran King should be on it.”

If they can’t mine sapphires, there’s no money for the national treasury. The penalty fees the Empire could demand, retroactively, would be enormous.

If left unpaid, the Imperial Knight Order would have no choice but to attack the Jewel Kingdom, partly as a warning to other nations.

Even an ignorant crown prince should be able to imagine that much. Then he should negotiate here about what to do next?

“Everything is Logier’s scheme! It has nothing to do with our Kingdom!”

—Huh. What did he say?