For the Lady's Wise Regression - Chapter 58

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 58
All the things Tesse wanted to do with a friend ceased to exist except in his imagination from the moment Ian and Kirrius came to stand at Tesse Decarte’s side.
What, couldn’t even the Crown Prince make friends?
Born with the rank of Crown Prince—what was he supposed to do about it?
He wanted to gather with close friends, share a drink or two, maybe visit those aristocratic social clubs where nobles spent their evenings.
He wanted to travel by ship, see the world beyond these walls.
He wanted to know why he had to live every day in that suffocating armor of propriety, always armored, always watched.
Kirrius, the heir to House Leonard, played the playboy openly enough, but Tesse harbored such dreams in secret.
As a child, he’d dreamed of nothing more than having the dukedom passed down to him instead.
Why had Father only given him this one son?
Damn that Crown Prince title. Damn the whole imperial bloodline.
When he was younger, he used to escape through servant passages often enough, but now that he was older, he didn’t dare risk it—worried about appearances, worried about dignity, worried about everything.
If even a whisper spread that the Crown Prince of the Decarte Empire had the spirit of a libertine, there’d be endless talk about national honor, about his reputation, about this and that.
Ugh.
Tesse’s brow furrowed sharply.
Even when walking the Capital streets together, Ian’s meticulous vigilance always spoiled the outing.
If he tried to enjoy a drink, one sip and Ian’s flush would rise—his appearance belied his low tolerance—which meant no pleasure to be had at all.
As for Kirrius, the moment Ian’s attention wandered elsewhere, he’d vanish, so the end of every gathering was always the same: Ian would grab Kirrius firmly by the ear and drag him away.
There was no way Tesse could indulge his desires under such circumstances.
All thanks to Ian Ruscliffe, who stood guard at his side under the guise of friendship, watching his every move like a hawk.
Before the marriage, Ian spent half each month in the Northern Region keeping Kirrius on a tight leash.
The other half he remained at the Imperial Palace, never straying from Tesse’s side.
When Tesse finally married, the sense of liberation wasn’t something only Kirrius felt.
The secret letters exchanged with Kirrius behind Ian’s back opened a whole new world for Tesse.
One day, a renowned restaurant in the Capital; the next, a newly opened social club; the day after that, a night in a hotel.
With each account Kirrius sent by letter, the dormant libertine spirit within Tesse stirred fiercer and fiercer.
But Tesse understood something too.
If he ever indulged in even a single transgression alone with Kirrius, the next morning it would be splashed across the front pages of every newspaper in the city.
‘You’re lucky you were born the son of a duke. If you weren’t, you’d have been dead long ago.’
That was what Ian always lectured Kirrius about, and Tesse couldn’t deny the truth in it.
Once, Kirrius had sent him a letter saying it was truly a wonderful place but he couldn’t quite describe it—just telling him to go and see for himself, enclosing a ticket.
That day, Tesse had cast aside even the dignity of the Crown Prince, disguised himself, and danced. Danced hard.
Not the rigid classical music of formal balls, but in that deafening noise that felt like it might tear his ears, masked and moving to the rhythm.
His heart pounded—thump-thump, thump-thump—to a tempo nothing like a waltz, a thrilling sensation he’d never known.
That wasn’t transgression. That was freedom. At least for Tesse, it was.
And so whenever Ian returned from the Northern Region, Tesse would secretly send him a cream to soften his calloused hands.
He’d thought that maybe, if Ian had a wife, even that stone-faced man might soften somewhat—
But the two of them had married someone just like themselves.
Or perhaps—Ian himself shared Tesse’s temperament enough that he might have harbored an unrequited love.
Either way, the situation was deeply unwelcome to Tesse.
Because if Vanessa ever learned that he carried the spirit of a libertine in his heart, she would surely frown at him just the same.
‘Ah… did I make a mistake asking?’
All letters that came to him passed through Ian first.
Helping with Vanessa’s request wasn’t the problem, but secrets couldn’t stay secret—that was the real issue.
He and Kirrius had once exchanged letters in cipher until Ian decoded them, so now they used aliases instead.
He understood the reason Ian had become so meticulous in his surveillance of him and Kirrius, though it wasn’t exactly called that.
So he accepted Ian’s somewhat excessive control, understanding it was necessary, but—
‘She’s definitely going to say something about it.’
Looking at Vanessa’s expression, it seemed she’d made this request as a secret from Ian—asking only Tesse to know.
Wasn’t this just inviting trouble?
Getting caught between these two would be more than just getting his back burned—he’d disappear without a trace.
“…It’s truly all right to just look. Feelings don’t flow in only one direction, after all. That’s why they say love is a miracle. I believe friendship works the same way.”
After a long silence, Tesse spoke with sincere eyes, expounding on friendship.
“It’s only different in form. Whether the emotion is sisterly affection or fondness depends on what you feel. Even if you and the Third Princess don’t grow close, that’s fine. Besides, you’re meeting for the first time, so you need time to know each other, don’t you? I understand that much. I’m not asking you to become close to her immediately. And even if you come to the conclusion that you and the Third Princess cannot be friends, I won’t abandon your request. Winning someone’s heart and extracting hidden information are two very different weights on the scale. So this is…”
His words poured forth with an urgency that was almost desperate, quick and precise.
Vanessa stared at Tesse in bewilderment.
“I only meant to say that I don’t want her to feel manipulated by my request.”
“…Is that an order? Or a request?”
At Vanessa’s question, Tesse regarded her quietly.
“An order. As Crown Prince, I command it of you.”
***
So you’ve been thinking about the Third Princess to this extent?
When Vanessa met Tesse’s serious gaze—the kind she’d only witnessed in an emperor—her lips, which had been trembling, pressed firmly shut.
Political marriages had fallen out of fashion in these times, yet he had no choice but to pursue one because of the position he held.
She’d thought it too early for feelings to bloom between him and the princess.
But this was beyond that—it was as though they already had a child together in the time she’d looked away.
Seeing how deeply Tesse’s reaction suggested his emotions ran, she found herself unable to speak further.
‘Will this help with my revenge?’
Truthfully, she knew little about the Third Princess, who had been empress in her past life. There were few people she could have asked about her.
Besides, among those her age in the Duchy House, all were men, and her station was too elevated to mingle with unmarried women.
Yet she was too young to associate with married ladies either.
Most critically, she was too busy pouring herself into her revenge to waste time building relationships through idle conversation—so she’d made no real acquaintances to speak of.
Now there was Ernasilla, who had become the wife of Baron Gideon—she’d approached her with the goal of making her an ally, which would be a blow to House Leonard.
But the Third Princess……
She seemed oblivious to the world, the type who’d give anything if asked for money.
More precisely, she seemed incapable of refusing.
After she and Tesse married, even before my death, news came that a new heir had been born to the imperial family.
Ugh. Stop thinking about it. What good does it do to dwell on someone else’s family affairs?
Vanessa gazed at Tesse steadily.
How was it that a libertine who lived without thought of tomorrow, a bachelor whose legacy might amount to no more than a pinky’s worth, and a tireless emperor of the night could be friends?
“The meeting should be wrapping up soon.”
Tesse, glancing at the now-empty teacup, rose from his seat.
“Will you wait here? Then have Ian come by.”
“Oh, no. I was just about to leave as well.”
Vanessa stood, following Tesse’s lead.
Since I’m at the Imperial Palace, should I visit Father?
It might be nice to have lunch together.
As for Ian……
It would probably be a burden to suddenly have him dine with his father-in-law, wouldn’t it?
After a brief moment of thought, Vanessa came to a stop.
“Your Highness, I’m sorry, but could you tell him I have something to attend to and must leave first?”
“Something? Suddenly?”
“I thought I’d have a meal with Father while I’m here at the Imperial Palace.”
It had been quite some time since she’d seen her father’s face.
She wanted to ask about Mareo’s situation as well.
At Vanessa’s words, Tesse blinked rapidly.
“Why don’t I just go with you?”
In an ordinary marriage, that would be natural.
But since she wasn’t even fulfilling her marital duties, asking him to sit down with her father felt heavy on her heart.
Especially when she had no in-laws to consider.
It felt all the more like a one-sided imposition on Ian alone.
Vanessa offered a faint smile and shook her head.
“It’s not a scheduled appointment.”
“Ah…… well, if that’s the case. Do let him know.”
Though she wasn’t sure whether he’d actually return. Vanessa tilted her head at his muttered words, but Tesse simply shrugged as though it were nothing.
“Then I’ll head to the adjutant’s office?”
“Yes. It’s still too early for a meal.”
“It was a pleasure to see you, madam.”
“The time has been most worthwhile, Your Highness.”
The moment Vanessa stepped out of the reception room, Tesse’s gaze followed her retreating figure as she moved in the opposite direction.
“That Ian fellow. He’ll have his hands full.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————