I Was Hired by the Black-Minded Prince for My Life's Ransom - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 23. Is the Author Vanillin’s Ideal Type?
“…Isn’t this work rather than a trip?”
I puffed out my cheeks.
True to form for a prince’s carriage, the interior was remarkably quiet.
Despite traveling on an unpaved road, there was no jolting, no sensation of being tossed about.
Just a smooth, gliding motion.
Yurian sat across from me, turning through documents.
“You said it was a place I’d like.”
I jutted out my lips petulantly.
I was completely deceived.
I’d naturally assumed it was a real trip!
I woke up at dawn in excitement and packed my things with such enthusiasm.
Clothes, snacks… I even packed a swimsuit.
And yet when I finally heard where we were headed, it was Valenta Island.
The very estate Yurian had wrested from the Second Prince.
In other words, it was an inspection.
‘…A con.’
At that, Yurian looked up from his documents.
Then he let out a soft laugh.
“Why? Do you dislike it?”
“Well….”
“Weren’t you the one who said you’d been practically imprisoned?”
He opened his eyes lazily.
“You wandered the Imperial Palace with such radiant eyes, didn’t you?”
That was true, but….
“I thought you’d be pleased to get out anywhere at all.”
That was also a fair point!
I pushed my lips out further.
“But still….”
“Are you truly so disappointed?”
“…A little.”
“I suppose you were hoping to swim.”
“…….”
Caught.
As I looked away, Yurian chuckled softly.
“If you keep whimpering like that, I really will throw you in the water.”
“Then I really will cry….”
I muttered with a deliberately gloomy expression.
“Your Highness certainly has a talent for making people weep.”
“Such a talent is hardly worth having.”
“I rather like it, actually. People who cry easily.”
“…….”
Yurian regarded me silently.
Then he spoke with measured gentleness.
“I’m not particularly curious about Vanillin’s preferences. Spare me the nonsense.”
“Yes….”
That didn’t work. Ha.
I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly and turned my gaze to the window.
A cool breeze swept past.
The weather was splendid today.
Breathing in what smelled like spring, I closed and opened my eyes slowly.
“Lovely….”
Yurian had been right.
Simply being away on such a distant excursion felt dreamlike.
I was so giddy that I’d fallen into idle chatter without thinking.
The carriage had left the forests and fields behind and was now entering a village.
The unfamiliar sight of the fishing village passing by the window made my heart beat faster.
‘It’s nothing like the Capital.’
The salty scent of the sea.
A blue expanse glinting in the sunlight.
Ships crowded the harbor in neat rows.
The smell of drying nets and grilled fish drifted on the wind.
Every sight was new to me.
I pressed my face against the window like I might fall right through it.
‘This is wonderful.’
Just a short distance from the Capital, and everything changes so completely.
The world held more wonders than I could name.
Yurian watched me for a moment, then let out a soft laugh.
“Originally, I had planned to sail directly to the island….”
My ears perked up.
I spun around quickly.
“Had planned…?”
“Though it might not be a bad idea to spend a little time in the village first.”
My breath caught.
I turned to face Yurian.
“Really? Truly?”
“Yes.”
Neat stacks of documents, apparently organized while I wasn’t looking.
He rested his chin on his palm, unhurried.
“We’ll need to board a ship here to reach Valenta Island anyway.”
What luck—what incredible luck!
I clenched both fists and broke into a grin.
This was perfect.
Absolutely perfect!
“How long will we stay?”
“Four days would be reasonable, I think.”
“Wow….”
“While we’re here, I thought to visit the surrounding lands as well.”
I nodded eagerly.
My eyes shone bright.
‘Four days—that’s a proper journey, isn’t it?’
Yes!
Laughter bubbled up unbidden.
‘This will be fun.’
Yurian gazed at me, his eyes softening with an indulgent gleam.
As if to say there was nothing he could do about my excitement.
* * *
By the time we reached the village, the sun was already sinking low.
“I pay my respects to the Empire’s Saint, Yurian Ozswald, Third Prince of the Realm!”
The lord was already waiting barefoot before the gates—somehow word had reached him.
He was short with a round build, but his eyes darted about with nervous energy.
He wore a smile, though beneath it ran the frantic calculation of an abacus—that was the impression his face gave.
“What a long journey you’ve had! If only we’d received word in advance, we could have prepared a far grander welcome…!”
“The sudden visit is our doing, so please don’t trouble yourself,” Yurian said gently.
He smiled with perfect warmth.
‘That Saint act of his is flawless every single time….’
A chill ran down my spine for no reason at all, and I rubbed my arms with a small shudder.
The lord bowed repeatedly, his face flushed with reverence.
“It is the greatest honor, truly! Come, please step inside at once.”
As if afraid Yurian might flee, he hastily ushered us toward the Lord’s Manor.
‘Wow….’
The Lord’s Manor was smaller than I’d expected, but it breathed the unique atmosphere of a seaside village.
Blue curtains hung in the hallway windows; delicately carved seashells and coral adorned every corner.
Pearl-woven chandeliers glimmered from the ceiling.
I walked about in wide-eyed wonder, turning left and right, and soon found myself in the dining hall.
“I thought you might be hungry, so I’ve prepared a meal, though I’m not certain it will suit your tastes….”
“It will be more than sufficient. Thank you—I shall enjoy it gladly.”
The lord dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief again and again.
It was clear he’d never received a prince directly before; his nervousness was unmistakable.
He kept glancing sidelong at Yurian before finally speaking with careful hesitation.
“Ah, and… if it would please you, might my daughter also join us for the meal?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
Baron Braenon bowed deeply and sent word through his servants.
I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying, but it sounded as though he was calling for his daughter.
After a brief moment, the door opened quietly.
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness the Third Prince.”
A young woman with chestnut hair entered with a servant.
She wore a modest cream dress that seemed carefully chosen for Yurian, adorned with a pearl-inlaid hairpin.
It wasn’t flashy, but neat and lovely.
Her bearing of noble courtesy was equally impeccable.
‘Hm….’
I found myself staring blankly at her.
…Or rather, at the servant standing behind her.
[Vanillin?]
Yurian’s telepathic communication reached me, but I couldn’t respond.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
I felt like I’d seen that person somewhere before.
[Vanillin.]
The voice calling to me dropped slightly in pitch.
[What are you staring at so intently?]
There was a hint of displeasure in the tone.
That snapped me back to my senses.
Oh.
‘It’s just… that servant looks like someone I know.’
[Who?]
‘That servant.’
Though years had passed and my memory was hazy, I was certain.
It was a face I’d seen three years ago during a commission Dai had dragged me into.
Back then she’d been in the Capital, so how did she end up here?
‘I hope she’s been well.’
I was fidgeting with my fingers out of curiosity when our eyes suddenly met.
‘Oh!’
The servant’s lips moved in shock the moment she saw my face, without uttering a sound.
Her somewhat forlorn expression brightened instantly, and she gave a small wave.
Yes, I knew it was her!
I waved back enthusiastically, grinning widely.
And then.
[…….]
What… what was that?
I felt a sudden chill run down my spine, and I trembled, turning my head.
There was Yurian, smiling very gently.
It was a kind smile, bright and beautiful…
‘But why does it terrify me?’
[Vanillin.]
His languid voice resonated somewhere between my ear and my mind.
At the same time, a warning signal crackled sharply down my spine.
[From the way you can’t look away, she must be quite dear to you.]
I shrank back instinctively.
‘No, it’s not quite like that….’
[Hmm.]
Yurian’s eyes drifted across the servant with deliberate, unhurried slowness, his posture perfectly upright and observant.
[She has a beauty mark.]
‘…I’m sorry?’
[They say people who cry often develop beauty marks.]
Ah.
Suddenly, that foolish remark from inside the carriage flashed across my mind.
[Wasn’t it that someone who cries easily is your ideal type?]
T-that was just something I said carelessly….
But why is he bringing it up now?
Conversations with Yurian were always like this.
He’d veer suddenly onto a new topic, and following his thread left me breathless.
‘This is difficult….’
I pressed my lips together firmly.
Then Yurian smiled, a soft, sidelong smile.
So beautifully.
[Is the author Vanillin’s ideal type?]

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