I Was Hired by the Dark Prince for My Life's Worth - 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?
“…This isn’t a trip, is it? It’s work.”
I puffed out my cheeks.
As befitted the Prince’s Carriage, the interior was remarkably quiet.
Despite traveling on unpaved roads, there was no jolting, no sense of being jostled about.
Just a smooth, gliding sensation.
Yurian sat across from me, turning over documents.
“You said it was a place I’d like.”
I thrust out my lips in a pout.
I was completely fooled.
I naturally thought it was a real vacation!
I got up before dawn, excited, and packed my luggage with such care.
I brought clothes, snacks, and even a swimming costume.
But when I finally heard where we were going, the destination was Valenta Island.
The very domain Yurian had wrested from the Second Prince.
In other words, it was an inspection tour.
‘…This is a con.’
At that, Yurian paused mid-shuffle and looked at me.
Then he let out a quiet laugh.
“What, you don’t like it?”
“Well…”
“You said yourself you lived practically imprisoned.”
He opened his eyes lazily, looking at me.
“You used to walk around the Imperial Palace with such sparkling eyes.”
That much was true, though…
“I thought you’d be happy just to get outside, anywhere at all.”
That was also a fair point!
I pushed my lips out even further.
“But…”
“Are you truly so disappointed?”
“…A little.”
“You were hoping to swim, I take it.”
“…”
A direct hit.
When I looked away, Yurian chuckled.
“If you keep whining like that, I really will throw you in the water.”
“Then I’ll actually cry…”
I muttered with an intentionally dejected face.
“You clearly have a talent for making people cry.”
“Well, I’ve never found that particular talent very useful.”
“I rather like it myself. People who cry easily.”
“…”
Yurian looked at me without saying anything.
Then he spoke with utmost courtesy.
“I’m not particularly interested in Vanillin’s preferences. And spare me your nonsense, if you would.”
“Yes…”
That didn’t work. Heh.
I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly and turned my gaze out the window.
A cool breeze flowing in.
The weather was beautiful today.
Catching the scent of spring, I closed and opened my eyes slowly.
“This is wonderful…”
Yurian was right.
The mere fact of traveling this far felt like a dream.
I was so delighted that I couldn’t help running my mouth.
The carriage passed through forests and fields before entering a village.
My heart raced at the unfamiliar sight of the fishing village slipping past the window.
‘It’s completely different from the Capital.’
The salty tang of the sea air.
The blue waters glittering in the sunlight.
Ships crowded the harbor, lined up bow to stern.
The smell of drying nets and grilled fish drifted through the air on the breeze.
It was all unfamiliar to me.
I pressed my face against the carriage window as if I might fall through it.
‘This is wonderful.’
We’d barely left the Capital, and yet everything looked so different.
The world held so many marvels.
Yurian watched me with quiet amusement before letting out a soft laugh.
“Originally, I’d intended to head straight to the island, but…”
Perk.
I whirled around to face him.
“But…?”
“It might not be a bad idea to spend a few days in the village first.”
My heart leaped.
I turned my whole body toward Yurian.
“Do you really mean it?”
“I do.”
A stack of papers lay neatly organized on his lap, every page already reviewed.
He rested his chin thoughtfully in his palm.
“We’ll need to board a ship here anyway to reach Valenta Island.”
What fortune had smiled upon me.
I clenched both fists tight and grinned.
This was perfect.
Absolutely perfect!
“How long will we stay?”
“Four days should suffice.”
“Amazing…”
“I’m also thinking of visiting the surrounding territories.”
I bobbed my head eagerly.
My eyes sparkled with delight.
‘Four days—that’s an actual journey, isn’t it?’
Yes.
A giddy laugh bubbled up unbidden.
‘This will be fun.’
Yurian regarded me with gentle, amused eyes.
As though he found my enthusiasm helpless and endearing.
* * *
By the time we reached the village, the sun was already sinking low.
“We greet the Holy Saint of the Empire, His Highness Yurian Ozwald, Third Prince!”
Somehow word had spread—the lord of the territory stood barefoot at the gate, waiting.
He was short and round of figure, but his eyes never stopped darting about.
That smile on his face—it was the smile of a man mentally running calculations nonstop.
“You’ve traveled such a distance! Had we only received word beforehand, we would have prepared a far grander welcome…!”
“The visit was sudden on our part, so please think nothing of it,” Yurian replied smoothly.
He smiled with practiced warmth.
‘That saint’s act of his is truly flawless,’ I thought to myself.
Goosebumps crawled up my arms, and I rubbed them away with a slight shudder.
The lord bowed repeatedly, his face flushed with gratitude.
“It is a true honor, an honor indeed! Come, let us hurry inside.”
Afraid that his prize guest might somehow slip away, he quickly ushered us into the Lord’s Manor.
‘Wow…’
The Lord’s Manor was smaller than I’d expected, but it carried the distinctive charm of a seaside village.
Blue curtains hung from hallway windows; intricately carved shells and coral adorned the walls.
Pearl-woven chandeliers glimmered from the ceiling.
I wandered along in a daze, eyes everywhere at once, until we arrived at the dining hall.
“We’ve prepared a meal, as I thought you must be hungry, though I’m unsure if it will suit your taste…”
“It will be more than sufficient. Thank you for your generosity.”
The lord dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief, unable to stop.
It was clear this was his first time directly receiving a prince—his anxiety was written all over his face.
He began speaking hesitantly, stealing nervous glances at Yurian all the while.
“Ah, and… if you wouldn’t mind, might my daughter join us for the meal as well?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
Baron Brannon bowed deeply, then sent word through his servants.
I couldn’t quite hear it, but it seemed he was calling for his daughter.
After a brief wait, a door opened quietly.
“It is an honor to meet you, Third Prince.”
A young woman with chestnut hair entered with a maid.
She wore a modest cream dress that seemed chosen with care, her hair pinned with pearl ornaments.
It wasn’t ornate, but it was neat and pretty.
Her noble bearing was impeccable as well.
‘Hm….’
I stared at her blankly.
…No, more precisely, at the maid standing behind her.
[Vanillin?]
Yurian’s mental transmission reached me, but I couldn’t respond.
I couldn’t tear my gaze away.
I felt like I’d seen this person somewhere before.
[Vanillin.]
His voice calling to me dropped lower.
[What are you staring at so intently?]
His tone carried a hint of displeasure.
Only then did I snap back to awareness.
Right.
‘It’s just… I think I know this person.’
[Who?]
‘That maid.’
Though some time had passed, I was certain of it.
Three years ago—I’d seen that face during a job Dai had dragged me into.
She’d definitely been in the Capital then. How did she end up here?
‘I wonder if she’s been well.’
Out of curiosity, I wiggled my fingers—and our eyes met.
‘Oh!’
The moment she saw my face, the maid’s mouth moved soundlessly, registering her surprise.
Her somewhat sorrowful expression brightened instantly, and she gave a small wave.
Yes, it really was her!
I beamed with genuine delight and waved back.
And then.
[…….]
What… what is this?
A chill ran down my spine, and I shivered, turning my head.
There stood Yurian, smiling very pleasantly.
His smile was kind, radiant, beautiful—
‘But why is it so frightening?’
[Vanillin.]
A languid voice resonated somewhere between my ear and my mind.
At the same time, a warning shot through my spine in an electric jolt.
[You can’t seem to look away. She must be quite a dear friend.]
I flinched, hunching my shoulders.
‘No, it’s not quite like that….’
[Hm.]
Yurian slowly swept his gaze over the maid with perfect propriety and impeccable posture.
[She has a tear mole.]
‘…I’m sorry?’
[Those who cry often develop tear moles, or so they say.]
Ah.
Suddenly the careless words I’d spoken inside the carriage flashed through my mind.
[Isn’t that what you said—that someone who cries easily is your ideal type?]
That was just… a passing remark….
But why is he bringing it up now?
Conversations with Yurian always went like this.
He’d suddenly veer onto a different topic, leaving me struggling to keep pace.
‘This is awkward…’
I pressed my lips together firmly.
Then Yurian smiled—a soft, radiant smile.
So beautiful it caught me off guard.
[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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