The Kidnapped Prince is Mine Now - Chapter 76

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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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Chapter 76
A Contract with a Demon
Even the Emperor—cold-blooded enough to murder his own brother and seize the throne—had never considered such a choice.
The eldest prince Maximilian’s greed and madness threatened to plunge not merely the Empire, but the entire continent into crisis.
‘So now, someone like me hardly matters.’
Everything has its priorities.
As Rotar’s victory grew paramount, I would be cast aside with indifferent eyes.
For now, everyone simply needed to keep breathing.
“Then we needn’t be overly cautious about the Head Maidservant for the time being.”
“Yes, Your Highness. We should have no concerns about assassination attempts within the Princess Consort’s Palace either.”
I sipped the warm wine and struck the Head Maidservant from my mental list of threats.
Clara continued speaking as she cut a fruit-laden cake into manageable pieces.
“And what I must tell you next approaches bad news.”
“Mm, I’m braced. Go ahead.”
“Among the personnel in the Princess Consort’s Palace, there is but one maidservant we might draw to our side.”
“…One?”
The smaller number than expected made my brow furrow involuntarily.
“Yes. Most are either connected to the Head Maidservant or are daughters of First Prince Faction families, so reaching out carelessly would only bungle matters.”
“…Ah, I suppose so.”
It was an unfortunate reality, yet unavoidable.
The need for a Head Maidservant to manage the Second Prince’s Consort Palace and the maidservants beneath her was itself a recent development.
Mere months ago, no one would have imagined a “Second Prince’s Consort” would even exist.
‘Had Rotar died according to the original timeline, this place would never have been called the Second Prince’s Consort Palace.’
Within such rapid upheaval, newly formed organizations are inevitably molded by the needs of those already entrenched in power.
The House of Staufen—wielding overwhelming influence in the Northern Region yet showing little interest in Imperial Capital politics—
And a commoner Crown Prince’s Consort who entered the Imperial Palace without backing, maintaining distance from the Archbishop.
Controlling the Second Prince’s Consort Palace with this combination alone was simply impossible. At least there remained crevices between the consolidated factions through which to wedge ourselves.
“Very well. Who is this one person?”
“Hanna of the Count Berg Family. She’s known for a loose tongue, so her reputation isn’t particularly favorable.”
“A gossiping sort, then. Have you learned anything from this maidservant?”
“Yes. I believe the information is quite significant…”
Clara’s voice grew quieter, as though seized by instinctive dread despite no eavesdroppers nearby.
“There are whispers that the relationship between Prince Maximilian and Frederike is… peculiar.”
“Peculiar?”
“Yes. For a couple who conceived a child before marriage, the atmosphere is remarkably like a typical arranged marriage.”
It meant they appeared quite distant to observers.
Frederike had come to the Imperial Capital for her debutante season, I recalled. She’d conceived Maximilian’s child, so the two had certainly shared a bed. Yet it seemed no tender feelings had accumulated between them.
Come to think of it, even in the past, Maximilian’s wayward attention had been fixed upon me—from that very first moment we met.
‘What is their relationship, truly?’
It remained unknowable for now. Still, it was clear that this maidservant Hanna was not aligned with the First Prince Faction. Even a gossip wouldn’t carelessly spread rumors about her own mistress.
Even so, he’s not the type I can trust. Is there a way to put a leash on him?
As I pondered this, Clara continued speaking.
“Regarding Hanna—I’ve discovered that woman is the Kitchen Master’s mistress.”
“…?”
“If the Head Maidservant learns of this, both of them will find it difficult to keep their positions.”
Only then did I recall the conversation Clara and Hilda had been having earlier.
‘So every night in the empty kitchen, the Kitchen Master and Hanna strip off their clothes…’
‘Good heavens, isn’t it cold! …And then?’
I’d thought it was mere idle gossip. I’d severely underestimated Clara.
“Catching them was fortunate timing. Both were so lost in passion that instead of fleeing immediately, they were busy dressing each other.”
“The kitchen hygiene should be fine, at least…”
“Yes, likely. In fact, they’ll probably put extra effort into Your Highness’s meals. Both of them knelt before me and begged me to keep their secret.”
Damn. A love story for the ages.
Of course, it was something worth kneeling over. Especially from Hanna’s perspective.
The Kitchen Master could be dismissed from the Princess Consort’s Palace and find re-employment in a provincial estate. There were plenty of nobles who would covet someone who’d prepared food for the Imperial Family.
Moreover, this wasn’t an era that treated a man’s infidelity as an unforgivable sin. In a few years, the Kitchen Master might even use this incident as a drinking story at taverns.
But Hanna was different. Why were daughters of noble families working as maidservants without even proper wages?
Connections with people from various houses. Naturally expanding networks. In the end, it was all a stepping stone toward finding an excellent husband.
But if an affair with a commoner—and one with a wife and children at that—became the talk of the town?
‘Hanna’s marriage prospects would be completely ruined.’
The Count Berg Family would likely consign Hanna to a monastery. If that happened, young, vibrant Hanna’s life would be utterly downhill from there.
As Clara said, we were fortunate from our perspective. Since her entire life hung in the balance, it seemed it wouldn’t be difficult to control Hanna by wielding both carrot and stick appropriately.
Still, to fill Hilda’s vacancy with a maidservant whose tongue was loose about her own infidelity.
‘Hilda would be insulted if she found out.’
I shoved a piece of cake into my mouth and swallowed a sigh.
“You did well, Clara. Have Hanna assigned as my personal attendant starting tomorrow.”
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
I drained the remaining wine in one gulp.
The sweet taste of sugar and the bitter notes of wine mingled across my palate, yet my tangled thoughts showed no sign of untangling.
‘…About a week.’
For now, I could only wait. For Hilda’s return with the Archbishop.
***
Four days had passed since Hilda’s departure.
If nothing had gone awry, it was more than enough time for Hilda to meet with the Archbishop and deliver the letter.
What reaction had the Archbishop shown? Had he felt the threat to his survival as I’d hoped, and immediately begun preparations to visit the Imperial Palace? There was no way to know yet.
In the meantime, I’d been holding my breath. I hadn’t ventured out anywhere of consequence. Leaving my bedroom amounted to nothing more than stepping into the small garden within the Princess Consort’s Palace with my two maidservants to catch the breeze before returning.
To the Emperor, it would appear to be the beginning of a feigned illness to justify my return to Graupels.
But wasn’t this what they called having different dreams while lying on the same pillow?
“She refused again?”
In truth, I’d been paddling furiously beneath the surface, unseen. All for the sake of meeting with one person—Frederike.
“Yes, Your Highness. She says her health remains poor.”
“That’s ridiculous. You said she took a boat ride with her maidservants yesterday!”
My efforts bore no fruit whatsoever.
When I was first refused, I’d thought the timing simply wasn’t right. So I’d sent two more letters after that.
It wasn’t as though I was asking for anything grand. Just a cup of tea in the garden. Or the reception room in the Second Prince’s Consort Palace or one of the auxiliary palaces would do.
Even after lowering my expectations so considerably, the response remained the same.
“A meeting is difficult due to health concerns.”
It was evasion without a shred of sincerity. I would have preferred if she’d simply told me that seeing my face would raise her blood pressure and harm her pregnancy. At least then I could have accepted it.
‘But wasn’t she the one who initiated contact first?’
I was so frustrated I could feel my blood boiling. At this rate, I wouldn’t meet Frederike even before departing for the Southern Region with the Archbishop.
‘I have so many questions to ask.’
Meanwhile, Maximilian had been quiet. Curious about this, I learned he was making the rounds of nearby fiefdoms carrying an imperial edict requesting reinforcements for the war in the Southern Region.
It was convenient that I wouldn’t see his face. Though the excuse to avoid deployment to the Southern Region was so transparent it didn’t even make me laugh.
It had probably been that way since childhood. While Rotar was thrown into every battlefield and sacrificed his life, Maximilian lived under the Empress’s protection without so much as a hair on his head being harmed.
His body, so different from Rotar’s, was proof of that.
I’d seen Maximilian’s naked body several times in the past. And I had never encountered even the smallest scar on his skin.
Skin as white and delicate as jade. How often had I thought of burning that flesh with fire?
“Your Highness. Shall we send one more letter to Lady Frederike?”
“…No, that’s enough now.”
I folded away the memories of the past that had flashed through my mind and rose from my seat.
If Frederike had decided not to meet with me, there would be no gain in pressing further now.
“Let’s go.”
Clara, who stood behind me, made one final adjustment to the fit of my dress.
Today, unlike other days, I couldn’t remain confined to the Princess Consort’s Palace and avoid the eyes of others.
“I request your testimony regarding the attempted assassination of the Second Prince’s Consort.”
It was time to handle the matter I’d been putting off.

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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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