The Prince Who Loved Me - Chapter 29
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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 29
The fact that River was a prince was shocking enough, but now she had suddenly become someone who lost a family heirloom over a hundred years old.
‘Wouldn’t losing something this important cause big trouble?’
Bada, pale with shock, opened an AI chat window on her computer and asked a question.
‘What happens if you lose a relic of the Bernhardt Royal Family?’
When she pressed enter, the cursor blinked and an answer appeared.
‘Wooooooow… Great question! You hit the nail on the head!
The Bernhardt Royal Family owns an enormous collection of jewels!
Given the long history of the royal family, there are rumors that it rivals the collection of the Russian Imperial Family, which was once considered the pinnacle of splendor!
Therefore, jewels owned by the Bernhardt Royal Family are classified as national cultural treasures.
Currently, King Richard and Queen Beatrice hold ownership of the jewels, but that doesn’t mean they can dispose of them at will.
You lost such precious jewels?
That’s grounds for prosecution on charges of negligent management and theft of national cultural treasures.
In short, you’re screwed!
You… did you happen to lose something important? Hehe
If you want, I can also tell you what kind of punishment you’d receive! Just say the word!’
After reading through the response, Bada let out a single scream.
* * *
The next morning.
Bada, who hadn’t slept a wink all night, was still lying in bed.
It was because she had spent the entire dawn reading every internet article related to Prince Damien and the Bernhardt Royal Family.
‘So he was the prince among princes, is what you’re saying.’
Bernhardt was located in northern France, facing England across the Dover Strait.
Historically, it was a kingdom conquered and settled by some English nobles who fled during England’s 16th-century religious reformation while defending Catholicism.
Therefore, while the language and culture were strongly British, it was a unique region mixed with continental German and French cultures.
‘I see. His speech pattern was similar to the British upper class, but I thought the words he used were unusual. It was because he was from Bernhardt.’
Thinking back, he had a habit of mixing archaic Catholic terms when speaking.
For instance, instead of using the word “Destiny,” he would say “Providence,” meaning God’s will, or he would call promises “covenants.”
‘It was because he was Catholic.’
Most importantly, unlike most European royal families that were symbolic figures, the Bernhardt Royal Family still wielded tremendous political and economic influence behind the scenes.
They also possessed enormous economic power through income from royal estates covering 5% of the country and trust companies directly operated by the royal family.
Damien was set to inherit tens of trillions in assets and titles after his sister’s recent death.
‘In short, it’s only a constitutional monarchy on the surface, but it’s still a country with firmly divided classes.’
Those with noble titles graduated from specific private schools and built networks through generations of family connections, creating a solid league of their own through mutual assistance.
Therefore, they still reigned as the ruling class even in modern times.
Thinking about it now, Bada couldn’t understand how she had never once suspected this.
‘Now I remember. In AP European History class, I learned that the House of Hastings was as historically old as Monaco’s House of Grimaldi and England’s House of Windsor.’
However, Damien was someone who could never have had any connection with her from the start.
Moreover, in the media, he was usually portrayed as cold or problematic.
There was an image gap between him and River, who smiled sexily on a surfboard with long hair.
‘…Is that why he left without a word? Was he worried that things would get complicated if his identity was discovered?’
She also learned the story behind the scar on his neck.
One year when Damien was only 7 years old.
There was an incident where he was kidnapped by an assailant, turning the entire country upside down.
The kidnapping was the work of extremists who advocated for the abolition of the royal family.
The prince, who had been missing and confined for 52 hours, was barely rescued by a special forces operation.
The kidnapper was killed on the spot, and during the rescue process, Damien sustained a large stab wound to his neck.
Photos and videos taken at that time were starkly preserved on the internet.
Damien being transported by helicopter by special forces, his unconscious form bleeding from his neck, even his transport to the emergency room.
Bada, who had been watching the video halfway through, pressed the pause button.
It was too cruel to watch with her eyes open.
Her heart pounded as if she had experienced that incident herself.
‘How terrible. How could they do such a thing to a young child.’
She could understand why he had been particularly sensitive about his scar in Bali.
Shocking experiences from childhood were highly likely to remain as trauma in some form.
While feeling sorry, she suddenly had one question.
‘Why on earth are such videos floating around the internet without even being censored? Shouldn’t this kind of thing be regulated?’
The moment she was pondering this question.
Rrrr. Rrrr.
Startled by the sudden ringing, Bada almost threw her phone.
The screen showed another restricted caller ID.
Bada had been avoiding answering the phone due to an ominous feeling.
Thinking that if it was really urgent, they would send a message.
But from the current ringing, she could sense the determination not to give up until she answered the phone.
After hesitating, Bada finally pressed the call button and brought the phone to her ear.
“Hello.”
-Miss Yu?
A man’s voice came through the receiver. But the voice sounded familiar somehow.
“…Morgan?”
-Yes, it’s me. Why haven’t you been answering your phone? I was worried.
“…Is it really Morgan?”
Hearing Morgan’s voice, all sorts of questions mixed together in her head, making her dizzy.
How did all this happen? How did he find out her phone number? What was he calling about?
But as if her thought process had stopped from shock, no words came out of her mouth.
Morgan said.
-Could you come down to the front of your house now?
“…In front of my house? Now?”
Approaching the window, Bada slightly pulled back the blackout curtains she had carefully drawn and peered outside.
“Hic.”
Then she saw a luxury sedan that didn’t match the dormitory district at all parked at the building entrance.
“Are you in front of our house right now?”
-Yes, that’s correct.
* * *
Bada roughly got dressed, put on a hat, and went down the stairs out of the building.
Then Morgan appeared, opening the door from the front seat of the car. He was neatly dressed in a suit with an earpiece in his ear.
‘Morgan was the prince’s bodyguard.’
His figure standing between the red villa buildings felt somewhat surreal.
He smiled rarely, sending a look as if meeting an old friend.
“It’s been a while, Miss Yu.”
“…How did you find out about our house, Morgan?”
Looking down at her for a moment, he spoke as if troubled.
“You’ve probably figured it out by now, but my real name isn’t Morgan, it’s Lancaster. I’m a bodyguard and aide who has served His Highness for a long time.”
“Ah…”
In that moment, Bada let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
Of course.
‘River sounded like a fake name from the beginning too. I’m not an idiot. Why didn’t I suspect more back then?’
The more she thought about it, the more foolish she felt.
She must have been completely out of her mind from falling in love.
But really, how much of it was real and how much was fake?
Did River—no, Damien—secretly laugh at her for falling for such lies?
Bada swallowed the bitter taste and asked.
“You came looking for me because of that article, didn’t you?”
Lancaster, who had been looking at Bada with worried eyes, nodded his head.
Then he opened the sedan door and gestured respectfully.
“Please get in. His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting.”
“Waiting? Don’t tell me… River—no, Prince Damien is in Korea right now?”
“For the details, you’ll know once we get there.”
Seeing Bada hesitate, Lancaster sent her a reassuring look.
After hesitating for a moment, she finally got in the car.
‘Right. At least let me ask why he had to leave like that.’
Just as Lancaster was about to close the door, Bada stuck her head out through the gap and looked at him.
“Is it alright?”
“Um… I have one thing I’m curious about before that.”
When Bada hesitated with a serious expression, Lancaster stiffened his expression and nodded his chin.
“Can’t I just call you Morgan? It’s already stuck in my mouth…”
Toward Bada who was grinning mischievously, Lancaster shook his head from side to side and closed the door.
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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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