If I Were Reborn, I Wouldn’t Marry You - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 13

The Crown Prince’s inner thoughts were clearly readable.

He was showing his displeasure in this manner.

‘Oh well, at six years old, I am just a baby.’

He believes that and acts this way.

However, I pouted my lips as if I was upset from being teased and said.

“I’m not a baby!”

I could see the Nanny and Chamberlain looking troubled at my whining tone, but I didn’t care.

After all, my goal today was to leave a moderately bad impression on the Crown Prince.

I planned to act just selfish enough that the controlling Crown Prince would think he couldn’t possibly get engaged to this girl, even if she was Lady Roderick.

The Crown Prince frowned briefly, looking displeased.

‘That’s right, when have you ever dealt with such an immature child.’

What would be the reason for prohibiting children under 10 from entering the Imperial Palace?

The only young children the Crown Prince had dealt with were those over ten who were mature enough to act appropriately on their own.

He was probably enduring it only because I was the precious youngest daughter of Duke Roderick, the Emperor’s greatest ally, but the Crown Prince was likely having one of the rare days in his 11-year life where things weren’t going his way.

‘What will you do if you don’t like it?’

Go ahead and get angry at a six-year-old if it bothers you.

Of course, it might damage that reputation you care so much about!

Tasting a small victory, I nibbled on the prettily arranged desserts.

‘The muffins are delicious too.’

The Crown Prince, who had been watching me endlessly eat desserts to avoid giving him a chance to speak, called for a maid.

“Have more tea food prepared.”

He still had a smiling face, but his voice had subtly lowered.

Feeling that the Crown Prince was displeased, the already sweet macarons tasted even sweeter.

I diligently devoured desserts until the Nanny gave me a look.

After a while, a maid returned carrying a tray of desserts.

Perhaps she was new, as the maid’s hands holding the tray trembled slightly with nervousness.

Still maintaining a calm expression, the maid was placing the tray on the tea table when she accidentally hit my milk cup with her elbow while collecting empty plates.

“Oh my! I’m so sorry.”

The flustered maid apologized restlessly.

It was almost empty and made of a child-safe material that wouldn’t break easily.

The milk cup just fell and rolled on the soft grass.

It was a mistake that could be considered minor, but the Crown Prince’s expression turned cold.

After I had subtly irritated his personality and then a maid made a mistake in front of a guest, he seemed unable to tolerate it any longer.

The Crown Prince scolded the maid with a cold expression.

“Making a mistake in front of a guest that even a trainee maid wouldn’t make… Hmm? What does this make of my reputation?”

It was a gentle voice, but knowing the Crown Prince’s true nature, it looked like a volatile situation to me.

“Your Highness, it’s my fault for not properly educating the palace staff…”

The Chamberlain, who seemed to have noticed that the Crown Prince’s personality was not as easygoing as he appeared, tried to carefully intervene.

However, the Crown Prince raised his hand to stop the Chamberlain’s words.

“Andrew, I’m speaking.”

It was a soft voice, but the Chamberlain’s complexion rapidly worsened after being restrained by the Crown Prince, as if he had been severely reprimanded.

“I apologize, Your Highness.”

The Chamberlain squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head.

The Crown Prince’s blue eyes, now turned toward the maid again, flashed cruelly like a child plucking dragonfly wings.

“Wait a moment, Your Highness!”

I squeezed my eyes shut and shouted.

“Why?”

The Crown Prince looked at me and tilted his head.

Facing his still youthful face, I felt like I had interfered unnecessarily.

Even though the grown Crown Prince in my memories was a bad person who killed not only the palace staff but even his own parents, right now he was just a somewhat problematic child.

‘At most, the punishment would be dismissing her from working in the palace.’

Even if he did more, it would probably be subtly spreading bad rumors to ruin her reputation.

‘But…’

Seeing the terrified face of the maid, I felt like doing a good deed.

No matter how prestigious the Crown Prince’s Palace was, the position of a low-ranking maid doing menial work couldn’t be good.

‘She’s probably the daughter of a poor noble family or a collateral noble who only has her name on the noble registry.’

For such people, being expelled from the Imperial Palace for something bad was a fatal blow that could overturn their entire life.

Steeling my resolve, I jumped down from my chair.

Then I stamped my feet forcefully and glared at the maid.

“This is Miela’s favorite dress and milk splashed on it!”

Of course, both the first and second statements were lies.

I wouldn’t have worn a precious dress to come to something like the Crown Prince’s Palace, and the milk I had finished drinking couldn’t have splashed on my clothes.

However, I made a tearful face and pointed to a part of my perfectly clean dress.

After the Crown Prince, now even I, the guest, was angry, so the maid apologized again with a face that looked ready to cry.

“I’m truly sorry, Lady Roderick.”

The maid kept bowing her head.

I pretended to glare at the maid for a while, then turned to the Crown Prince and said.

“Your Highness, you’re not going to just let this maid go, are you?”

I spoke as menacingly as possible, though with my soft face, I probably didn’t achieve the intended atmosphere.

The Crown Prince seemed intrigued by my dramatic change in attitude from pretending to be shy and only eating desserts.

The Crown Prince, who had returned to his mature and dignified demeanor as if he had never shown a cruel expression, asked gently.

“Well? What would you like me to do about it?”

In such situations, ordinary ladies would ask for mercy, pretending to be generous and kind-hearted regardless of their true feelings.

And the host would pretend to accept that and impose a moderately severe punishment to save face for both parties.

But I had instead asked for punishment because she had ruined my precious dress.

The Crown Prince seemed curious about what answer would come from me in this unconventional flow.

He also seemed to expect me to throw a complete tantrum like a spoiled young lady.

‘As if I’d put on a show for your entertainment.’

A sneer almost escaped me, so I pretended to think and slightly averted my gaze to avoid the Crown Prince’s eyes.

‘Since I’ve already stepped in, I need to suggest an appropriate punishment that the Crown Prince would accept to avoid backfiring.’

Of course, determining such a punishment wasn’t difficult.

‘I lived wearing the Empress’s crown for four years.’

Having quickly made up my mind, I glanced at the maid and said.

“Please don’t let her work in the Crown Prince’s Palace.”

The hierarchy among servants was determined by how close they worked to their master.

Changing her workplace from the Crown Prince’s Palace to somewhere else was a demotion.

‘Still, it’s better than continuing to work here and later dying at the hands of the corrupted Crown Prince. Since she won’t be completely expelled from the Imperial Palace, depending on what she does, she might even find a good opportunity.’

The maid also seemed to have been prepared for complete dismissal, as she showed a noticeably relieved expression.

The Chamberlain, who seemed to care for his subordinates, carefully suggested.

“I think changing her workplace would be sufficient punishment.”

“Hmm.”

The Crown Prince seemed unsatisfied, making an ambiguous face while pretending to think, then nodded.

“Since Lady Roderick wants it, I should do as she wishes.”

Though he wasn’t satisfied with the punishment I suggested, he wasn’t ready to completely remove the mask of the kind Crown Prince he had been wearing.

‘Even in this situation, it’s annoying how he acts like he’s doing me a favor by doing what I want.’

I thanked him without putting an ounce of sincerity into it.

As the tense situation ended, a strange silence lingered in the garden.

The Chamberlain and Nanny exchanged glances.

It felt like they were wondering how to handle the atmosphere.

‘I wish you wouldn’t interfere like that.’

Not wanting to spend any more time with the Crown Prince, I turned to look at Nanny and whined.

“Nanny, Miela wants to change clothes.”

Nanny, who caught my intention immediately, naturally picked up on my words.

“Come to think of it, it’s also the Young Lady’s nap time…”

Nanny trailed off her words while glancing toward the Crown Prince.

Then the Crown Prince gave us permission to leave with a smiling face.

“Oh my, it seems I’ve kept the baby Young Lady too long. You should head back now. I’ll make up for today’s mistake next time.”

I was careful not to show how pleased I was as I bid farewell to the Crown Prince.

“Goodbye.”

The slightly lisped pronunciation was a child’s privilege.

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